Brave Beginnings

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Deciding it didn’t matter since the past was the past, Chogan turned back to his task and delivered the donuts. After that, he did some light cleaning and retrieving items that others needed. It reminded him of when he was a youth who was on his first buffalo hunt. He’d been a scout, searching for buffalo roaming the fields. He’d also brought water or anything else the more experienced hunters needed. He worked his way up to being the leader of one of the hunts, but it’d taken years and perseverance.

  Patience. Hard work. No matter what the task or his heritage, he was sure the same things would work in Bismarck. He would not stay at the bottom forever. One day, a young new worker would be bringing him coffee and donuts. He’d prove he could do just as well as, if not better, than the white men who worked at the Bismarck Tribune.

  ***

  Julia poured tea into Millicent’s cup and sat across from her. “It’s nice of you to stop by.” She added a little more sugar to her own cup of tea and stirred it. Letting the spoon linger in the cup, she glanced at her cousin. “Has anything new happened?”

  Millicent took a sip and settled her cup back on the saucer in her hand. “Not for me, though I dare say you’ve had quite the adventure...of sorts. You’re married?”

  Julia blushed. “A little over a week now.”

  “Why didn’t you come over and tell me? Or why wasn’t there a church wedding? Such a thing would have been most delightful to attend. I do so love church weddings. The gowns, the suits, the flowers, the music... They’re all so pretty.”

  “To be honest, I didn’t want to wait.” With a shrug, she stirred her tea again. “Besides, I don’t care for large gatherings.”

  “Oh, not all weddings have to be large. Some are small. In fact, a private affair can be most quaint.”

  “Then I suppose you could consider my wedding a quaint one.”

  Millicent sighed. “It must have been beautiful. I do so wish I’d been there to see it. And a good match too. Why, Ernest will make a fine husband.”

  “Ernest?” Julia frowned and gave her cousin a good look. “I didn’t marry Ernest.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Didn’t you? He was here that day when I came to see Aunt Erin.”

  “Yes. That was quite awhile ago.”

  “I thought he’d been courting you. You did mention him when we last talked if I recall.”

  Julia finally set her spoon on the tray which was on the table between them so she could sip her sweet tea. It was still a little hot but not to the point where it’d burn her tongue. She took in Millicent’s curious expression before she explained, “Yes. I did mention him. He and I knew each other from when we lived in Sykeston. Then he left for Fargo, and I didn’t see him again until Aunt Erin and I moved here.”

  “Yes. I remember you saying that. But why didn’t you marry him? It was obvious that he entertained feelings of a romantic nature toward you.”

  “I don’t know. He’s nice enough. I’d always been fond of him to a point.” She picked up the spoon and stirred the tea again, realizing her nervous habit for what it was. What was it, exactly, that made her uneasy around Millicent? Was it the woman’s proper mannerisms? She doubted she met up to Millicent’s standards of propriety, whatever those standards were. Clearing her throat, Julia shrugged. “I didn’t want to marry Ernest. I didn’t love him.”

  “Oh,” Millicent replied, using the word Julia was starting to hate since Millicent said it as much as she did. “I see your point, of course. Love is certainly a most notable benefit if you are to marry, but what of his credentials? He’s most prominent, is he not?”

  “I don’t care about things like that.”

  She could tell by Millicent’s startled expression that it wasn’t the answer Millicent expected to hear. But so what? The truth was she didn’t. Ernest could have all the prominence in the world, and he’d never make her heart leap for joy the way Chogan did. She couldn’t imagine responding to Ernest with the same passion in bed that she responded to Chogan with. Now that she understood the personal matters between a husband and wife, she couldn’t imagine that being with Ernest would be fulfilling. If he couldn’t stir her passion with a kiss, then he couldn’t do it in bed. All Chogan had to do was look at her and she felt sparks ignite.

  Millicent hesitantly smiled and took another sip of her tea.

  Julia followed suit, wishing the tea was cooler so she could gulp it down. The sooner they were done with the tea, the sooner this visit would be at an end. She mentally chided herself for wishing her cousin would leave. What was wrong with her? Maybe if her aunt was there, then it wouldn’t be so awkward. Julia was never good at entertaining guests, especially ones with which she felt inferior to. Julia couldn’t be sure, but she suspected that Millicent saw herself as more of a lady, more refined. And Millicent would be right. The only thing that bonded them together was the fact that they were related. Otherwise, they had nothing in common.

  Millicent set her cup back on the saucer, and though she was delicate about it, the sound echoed through the room. “So, may I ask who the lucky man is?”

  Julia put her cup on the table. “Sure. His name is Chogan.”

  Her cousin frowned as her eyebrows furrowed. “Chogan? You mean the Injun that was here when I saw Ernest?”

  “No. I mean the Mandan Indian. He came here with my brother who happens to live with the Mandan tribe and has a Mandan wife and a daughter by her.”

  Millicent’s eyes widened. “I certainly meant no disrespect.”

  “I’m aware of the term Injun and what it represents. I’m surprised a woman as refined as you would stoop to such language.”

  “Stoop?” Millicent pressed a hand to her heart. “Oh, I did not intend harm. That is what they are called.”

  “Perhaps if you had said the word more pleasantly, I would have understood you better.”

  “Oh dear. I do not know what I did that was wrong, but apparently, I have displeased you.”

  Julia watched as Millicent placed her saucer and cup on the table and adjusted the broach at her neck. She tried to determine the level of Millicent’s sincerity.

  Her cousin glanced at her, the caution evident in her eyes. “So you married the Indian. His name is Chogan?”

  “Yes,” she slowly said, still judging the woman’s actions. “He’s a good man, much better than Ernest.”

  “Really? How so?”

  Millicent’s expression was one of curiosity, not condemnation or disgust, so Julia proceeded with the conversation. “Well, he’s more interesting to talk to, for one. He taught me to use a bow and arrow.”

  “I do recall you mentioning the bow and arrow before.”

  “I don’t think Ernest would ever do something like that.”

  “To be fair, he works at the bank. He has no need to play with a bow and arrow.”

  “It wasn’t playing,” Julia replied, aware the warning tone had found its way back into her voice. “He taught me to hunt rabbits. If I ever get stuck somewhere, I can catch my own food. Then I can rely on myself to do things instead of having to depend on others to do them for me. It’s not a bad idea, Millicent. I could teach you if you wish.”

  Millicent laughed. “Why ever would I need to hunt rabbits? I have my parents to provide for me. When I marry, then my husband shall do that for me.”

  “What if that never happens? Up until a week ago, I thought I would never marry. There are no guarantees. However, should you marry, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to rely on yourself.”

  “Oh, I live here in town. I won’t venture off into the great unknown.”

  “I’m just saying that sometimes things happen that you can’t anticipate. It never hurts to be prepared.”

  “Maybe. But now is not a good time. We have the winter quickly approaching.”

  “So? If we bundle up, I could still go out and teach you. Your parents have the horse and buggy, and you don’t have to go far to find something to hunt. There’s plenty of land around
us.”

  “Oh.” Millicent’s smile faltered. “I don’t know. I realize that a few women have done activities suited for men, but I’m not comfortable pursuing those things.”

  “I understand.” Before her journey across the state over a year ago, Julia had felt the same way. She couldn’t fault her cousin for being apprehensive about hunting. Trying to decide the best way to settle matters so there wouldn’t be the lingering tension between them, she said, “I hope you will welcome Chogan into the family. He’s my husband, and I want us all to get along. Alright?”

  Millicent nodded. “Yes. It was a shock, that’s all. I honestly believed you would marry Ernest.”

  Feeling better about things, Julia relaxed and picked up her cup. “Thank you.” She’d hoped to avoid an argument. “What will you do for the rest of the day?”

  “Oh, I planned to do a little sewing before I helped Mother with the evening meal. Afterwards, my mother and I will retire to the parlor while Father plays the piano. Mother and I are working on a quilt for Aunt Erin. It’s her Christmas gift, but you must not tell her.”

  “I won’t,” Julia promised with a chuckle. “Aunt Erin will love it. She gets a chill even though there is a box stove right by her bed. She gets cold easily.”

  “Oh, good. Then we chose well. We must decide on something appropriate for you and your husband.”

  “I should start on Christmas gifts. I haven’t given that day much thought. Usually, I start on Christmas gifts after Thanksgiving. Is there anything you and your parents need?”

  “I can’t think of anything. Whatever you give us will be fine.”

  Considering how little Julia knew her cousin’s family, this wasn’t an easy task. Perhaps Aunt Erin would have some ideas.

  “Thank you for a lovely time,” Millicent said as she stood. “I must be on my way.”

  Julia joined her and walked her to the door where she retrieved her cousin’s coat and hat. “Thank you for coming by.”

  “Next time, I hope Aunt Erin will be here too. I must visit her or she’ll think I’m ignoring her.”

  “It’s not your fault she went to the general store.”

  Millicent smiled and gave her a big hug. “Congratulations, Julia.”

  As Julia opened the front door and watched her leave, she decided that Millicent might be someone she could enjoy future visits with after all.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 11

  It was the day before Thanksgiving when Chogan took Julia outside the town limits of Bismarck where they hoped to catch a wild turkey. Julia could barely contain her excitement on the ride out of town, and her continual shifting on the seat of the buggy seemed to amuse him.

  “You will let me try to get it, won’t you?” she asked for the third time since they left Bismarck.

  He laughed and shook his head. “I said you will catch it.” He squeezed her shoulders affectionately. “I do not lie.”

  She’d been looking forward to hunting for their Thanksgiving meal ever since he suggested it, and she couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. It was cloudy but there was no threat of snow. The breeze was light so the cold air wasn’t as bitter as it could be. In her excitement, she hardly noticed the snow that made a thin blanket over the ground.

  He stopped the small buggy and applied the brake. Turning to her, he grinned at her enthusiasm and stopped her before she could jump out. “You need to be warm,” he slowly said as he tucked the scarf securely around her neck. “Do not get sick.”

  “You worry too much,” she playfully admonished him while he made sure the hood of her coat wasn’t loose. “I don’t get sick easily.”

  “We keep it that way.”

  She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that he fussed over her like he did, especially considering his first wife’s bouts of frequent illnesses and untimely death. “I love you, you know.”

  He smiled. “Then it is good I love you too.” He kissed her before he handed her the bow and arrows. “We do not sit still for long. We move and keep warm.”

  With a cheer, she stepped down from the buggy before he could assist her. She took off her gloves and stuffed them into her pocket. She scanned the area he’d picked and saw a couple of turkeys that were spread a good distance apart from each other. Biting her lower lip, she tried to determine which one to shoot. All they needed was one.

  She glanced at her husband when he reached her. “Should I practice aiming the bow at something else first?”

  “No need. I will help. Which turkey do you want?”

  “That one is pretty.”

  Looking amused, he replied, “We will eat it, not look at it.”

  “I want the feathers. Those feathers aren’t a dull brown.”

  “That is the male. Females have brown feathers.”

  She furrowed her eyebrows. “All of them?”

  He nodded.

  “I don’t understand why the males look better than the females. Male peacocks are prettier too.”

  “Males need to attract females. It is better to hunt males. Females have the babies.”

  “I don’t think you’d be so eager to think that if humans were hunted.”

  “It is a fact when hunting. You want to make sure the animals don’t die out.”

  She sighed. “It makes sense, but it seems like a bad thing to be a male if you’re an animal.”

  “You want male anyway. The feathers are pretty.”

  “Yes. I do.” She hoped to make him a headdress from the feathers, and she wanted the best feathers for that.

  “Do not worry. There are more turkeys.”

  Nodding, she lifted the bow and arrow.

  “You need help.”

  She looked at him. “I think I got it.”

  “No. You do not.”

  “What do you mean, I don’t. The one I want is right there, and I know I can shoot it from this distance.”

  With a smile, he softly answered, “You get upset. But I mean this.”

  He stood behind her and closed the distance between them so that their bodies touched. Even through the layers of clothes, she became acutely aware of him. Her face grew warm when he brought his lips to her ear.

  “You have to bring your arms up,” he whispered.

  A shiver raced up her spine. “You can’t do that.”

  “What?” She noted the amusement in his voice.

  “I’m trying to focus.”

  “Then look at the turkey.” He put his hands on her head and gently turned it so that she was facing her prey. “There. Now lift your arms.”

  He guided her movements with a grace she envied. He was very much in tune with the nature of the hunt and made the process seem easier than she knew it was. It was a shame Jed Wilson didn’t hire him.

  “You shoot when? Tomorrow?”

  Chogan’s joke broke her out of her thoughts. She pulled the arrow through the bow and aimed it at the turkey. He settled his hands on her hips and kissed the skin right beneath her ear.

  “Good luck,” he whispered.

  Another thrill raced through her and she shot him a scolding look. “You’re distracting me on purpose.”

  “I am teaching you.”

  “Nonsense. I know how to shoot a rabbit. I even shot that horrible man. What makes you think I need help with a turkey?”

  “You will learn to hunt in spite of distractions.” A sly smile crossed his face and he chuckled.

  She rolled her eyes but grinned. “Right. Every hunter has to deal with someone groping them while they try to get food.”

  “I not grope.”

  “I do not grope,” she corrected and giggled. “And you are groping, Chogan. Your hands are everywhere.”

  He sighed but removed his hands from her breasts and placed them back on her hips. “I enjoy touching you.”

  “You are not a man. You’re an octopus,” she muttered as she lifted the bow and arrow again.

  “That is impossible. Octopus do not live on prairie.”


  “Is octopus octopi when it’s plural?” she suddenly wondered.

  He laughed. “Who cares?”

  “Fungus is fungi when it’s plural. I remember the teacher having a big to-do about Gary not getting that right in the school house.”

  Her comment only made him laugh harder.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny about fungi. Now, hush. I need to focus.”

  He immediately quieted.

  She shook her head and concentrated on the turkey that was hobbling away from them. She gasped. If she wasn’t careful, it’d go out of her range, and she’d miss her shot. As it was, the other turkey had walked off. This one was her big chance. But when she pulled back on the bow, she could feel Chogan’s body vibrate as he tried to hold in his laughter. She couldn’t hold back her giggles anymore and burst out laughing with him.

  The turkey, of course, hustled away from them.

  She threw her hands up in the air, still holding the bow and arrow, and turned to face Chogan. “Now I lost him!”

  “You are upset?”

  She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not. His eyes were wide in innocence, but she thought she detected a sly smile on his lips.

  “We will get the next one,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. “I promise.”

  “I will get the next one,” she corrected. “I really want to get this one.”

  “I know.” He rubbed her back and nudged her to the buggy. “You will get us a turkey. A good one.”

  She relaxed. “I don’t want you to help me. I want to do it myself.”

  “I will not help.”

  “And you can’t distract me either. You can touch me all you want after I get him but not before.”

  “You are nice to touch.”

  “Chogan,” she warned and stopped just three feet shy of the buggy. “I mean it. This is important to me.”

  “I know.” He chuckled and motioned for her to get into the buggy. “I will be good.”

  A bit hesitant, she got into the buggy and waited for him to sit next to her. After he urged the horses forward, she snuggled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder.