Brave Beginnings

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Ernest smiled. “Henry has excellent taste.”

  “That he does,” Conrad agreed.

  “Well, then we should head upstairs and drink it.”

  Conrad followed Ernest and Henry up the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder and wondered where, if the object he was searching for was indeed in the cellar, it might be.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 31

  Julia rolled up her shirt sleeves after she set the basket of clothes down by the river. As she pulled up her skirt, petticoats, and rolled up her bloomers, she wondered if she should try wearing a Mandan dress. Woape and Onawa didn’t have to deal with these layers of clothing when they washed clothes, and considering the beginning of June would lead to the hot temperatures of the next couple of months, it might be nice to wear something lighter.

  But did she dare? Every time she thought about it, her face flushed. Her aunt would faint if she knew Julia was contemplating showing so much of her arms and legs to the entire world. No. Better to deal with the discomfort—at least until she could bear the thought of it without blushing. She couldn’t even wash clothes in front of the other women because she didn’t want them seeing her calves!

  Sighing, she set the basket down on the edge of the riverbank and collected her bar of soap and washboard. So it would take her time to adjust to how the people lived here. If that was the worst of it, she was doing quite well. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t made progress. She wore two braids in her hair now, and ever since she’d started this style, her hair was easier to comb. So she was getting there. Maybe someday, she’d adapt as fully as her brother had.

  Turning her attention back to the soiled clothes, she picked up a pantaloon. She certainly wouldn’t miss this if she adopted the Mandan’s clothing. Her bare feet sank into the sand as the water lapped in her direction. As she tried to determine which article of clothing to wash first, someone shoved her from behind.

  Dropping the items in her hands, she lost her balance and fell face first into the shallow water. Before she had time to absorb what was happening, her attacker sat on her back and pushed her head into the water.

  Julia dug her hands into the sand and tried to get up so she could throw the person off her back, but it was no use. The person was sitting on top of her, pinning her firmly into the water, and no amount of wiggling was working. Giving up on that tactic, Julia clawed through the sand, hoping to find something she might use to her advantage when she touched something jagged with a sharp point. She took the rock and slammed it into her attacker’s thigh.

  The person shrieked and jerked back. Julia pressed her hands into the sand and pulled herself up to her knees so she could breathe again. Her attacker hung onto her shoulders and hit her on the head. Screaming, Julia reached back, grabbed one of her attacker’s wrists and dug her nails into the skin. Her attacker cried in protest and Julia realized it was Sarita. Sarita gave a hard pull on one of Julia’s braids, but Julia refused to let go of Sarita’s wrist.

  Sarita adjusted her weight so she was on Julia’s back, but this time Julia fell to her side so that the two women ended up splashing in the water together. Julia used her feet to push herself back and rolled on top of Sarita who finally let go of her.

  Jumping to her feet, Julia whirled around to face Sarita and gave her a hard slap across the face. Sarita sputtered out some of the water and slapped Julia back. Julia picked up a handful of sand and threw it at Sarita who grabbed her by the ankle and made her trip so that she fell into the water. Julia reached up and yanked Sarita’s braid as hard as she could until Sarita let her go. With another slap and powerful shove, Julia forced Sarita further back into the river. Panting, Julia crawled out of the water, her skirts and pantaloons proving to be a formidable obstacle as they tangled around her legs and slowed her progress.

  Just as she made it onto the riverbank, Sarita caught her by the foot and tried to pull her back into the water. Julia kicked at her, sand flying all around them as her movements grew more anxious. After a few failed attempts, she kicked Sarita in the jaw. Sarita howled and let her go.

  Julia struggled to her feet and thought to run to the tribe, but she was so furious with Sarita that she turned right around and struck her, leaving nail marks on Sarita’s cheek. Then she yanked on Sarita’s braids and drug her out of the water, struggling against Sarita who grabbed her skirt and ripped it along the seams so that Julia’s petticoats were exposed. Julia tripped and Sarita tried to jump on her again, but Julia dodged her and gave her a swift kick in the side so she went tumbling back into the water.

  Julia rushed over to her and slapped her again and again until someone grabbed her and pulled her away from Sarita. Gary had his arms securely around her, and though she fought against him so she could give Sarita one more good slap, he held firm.

  “She tried to kill me!” Julia screamed. “She came up behind me and shoved my head into the water!”

  Woape and Onawa ran over to them, both looking overwhelmed.

  “Let me go!” Julia snapped at her brother. “She’s the one who needs restraining. Not me!”

  Sarita stood to her feet and wiped her face the best she could. “You saw her. She was attacking me.”

  “You tried to drown me,” Julia hissed, struggling to get out of Gary’s stronghold. “Let me go!”

  Sarita motioned to her. “See? She’s vicious.”

  “Vicious? You’re the one who came up to me and pushed my head under the water!”

  Gary sighed. “We need to take this to the chief.”

  Julia looked over her shoulder and demanded, “Do you believe her?”

  “Of course not,” he said. “We’ve all seen how she’s been treating you, but we need to go to the chief.”

  “He’s right,” Woape added. “This can’t go on. Sooner or later, one of you will kill the other. One in murder or the other in defense.”

  Julia quit struggling and nodded. “Alright.” She had plenty of witnesses who could vouch for her, and just as Chogan said, his relatives didn’t believe Sarita that day in the garden.

  Woape rubbed her large belly. “Sarita, the chief has selected someone else for you. Is that not good enough?”

  Sarita refused to answer the question. Instead, she glared at Julia.

  Undaunted by the threatening look, Julia glared right back at her.

  Gary let go of Julia. “I’ll take Sarita.”

  Sarita grimaced but walked forward and passed Julia, letting out a low growl.

  Julia took a step forward and got a mild sense of satisfaction when Sarita jerked away from her.

  “I’ll carry you if I have to,” Gary warned Sarita.

  “You think the chief will get rid of me but he won’t,” Sarita told Julia.

  “We’ll see about that,” Woape said, standing between Julia and Sarita.

  “I don’t understand why you want to be with Chogan,” Onawa told Sarita. “Chogan loves Julia. He doesn’t love you.”

  Crossing her arms, Sarita replied, “You’re one to talk. Citlali doesn’t love you either, but you will gladly marry him.”

  Onawa’s countenance fell, and Julia put her arm around Onawa’s shoulders.

  “Enough,” Gary said. “Come on.”

  Sarita proceeded forward and the others followed.

  ***

  After hearing about the event, the chief inhaled the tobacco in his long pipe and blew out the smoke. He closed his eyes and remained seated. Citlali, who stood behind him, glanced at Gary who remained in the lodge while the women left. Never in a million years did Citlali think Sarita would try to kill Julia. He figured Sarita might try something petty, like putting dye into her clothes or putting a hot spice into her food, but he didn’t think she’d try to murder her in order to get Chogan.

  The chief set his pipe down and stood so he could walk to the center of the lodge where Gary stood. “I realize Julia is your sister and because of that, you have a sense of loyalty to her.”

  Citlali noted t
he frown on Gary’s face. Yes, this would be bad news for Julia, just as Citlali feared when Gary brought the women into the lodge to discuss what happened at the river.

  The chief clasped his hands together. “Julia must either learn to live here in peace or leave. Sarita is a born member of this tribe. She will have Mandan children whereas Julia will not.”

  Gary shook his head. “I can’t either. Are you telling me if I get into a fight with a Mandan, then I’ll have to leave too?”

  “Men do not bicker over meaningless things like who they marry or want to marry. That is a woman’s doing.”

  “I see,” Gary snapped. “If Julia leaves, then will Chogan?”

  The chief shrugged. “Chogan may stay.”

  “Because he’s Mandan?”

  “Your sister is not a blood member of this tribe. She cannot keep our people or way of life preserved.”

  Citlali resisted the urge to flinch at the hurt look on Gary’s face.

  Chogan stormed into the lodge. “What’s going on?” He stopped in front of the chief, towering a good foot over him. “I designate the man to lead the buffalo hunt this summer, and when I come out of the lodge, I hear Julia’s been attacked?”

  The chief shook his head. “A mere woman’s quarrel.”

  “Sarita was trying to drown Julia in the river,” Gary said. “I hardly call that a woman’s quarrel.”

  “Sarita did what?” Chogan shouted.

  “I doubt Sarita is capable of drowning Julia,” the chief replied, giving Gary a slight scowl. “In fact, wasn’t Julia the one above Sarita when you found them?”

  Gary rolled his eyes.

  “What does that matter?” Chogan demanded. “Sarita’s been harassing Julia ever since we came here. Either you make her stop or throw her out of the tribe.”

  Gary turned to Chogan. “He wants Julia to put up with it or leave.”

  Chogan’s face grew red and Citlali took a step back. He wasn’t near Chogan, but he didn’t see any reason to be closer than necessary.

  “No,” Chogan growled. “Make Sarita leave. She’s dangerous.”

  The chief shook his head, even as he backed up so Chogan wasn’t so close to him. “It’s not that simple. We must think of what’s best for the tribe.”

  “Having a woman who’s willing to kill someone else is not in the tribe’s best interest,” Chogan said.

  “Sarita will marry Mankato next month, and then she’ll be with child and focus on her duty to the tribe. As it is, she is restless because she has no children to occupy her time.”

  “That’s what this is about?” Chogan took another step toward the chief and yelled, “You will let my wife’s attacker go because you want more Mandan children in this tribe? If Sarita was white, she wouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. Is that right?”

  “Sometimes you have to make allowances for the good of the tribe. Our survival is that good.”

  Citlali heard the sound of the punch before it registered in his mind that Chogan’s fist landed squarely on the chief’s jaw. The chief fell to the floor, so Citlali ran to help the old man up. “Chogan, you should remember to respect your elders.”

  “Don’t talk to me about respect!” Chogan bitterly replied. “You have no respect for the sacred love between a man and his wife.”

  “Disagree with him, but don’t hit him,” Citlali said.

  “It’s alright, Citlali,” the chief replied, adjusting his feathered headdress. “Some members of our tribe have lost sight of what’s important.”

  Chogan’s fists clenched, and Citlali braced himself in case Chogan decided to throw another punch at the chief, but Chogan turned around and hurried out of the lodge.

  Citlali sighed, partially with relief and partially with regret. “Chogan has been good to us,” he softly told the chief. “Is it not understandable that he’d be upset?”

  The chief shook his head and sat back down so he could pick up his pipe. “Chogan has lost his focus. He no longer cares for the ways of our people.”

  “He does care,” Gary said. “And he’s been good to my sister. Your ways may include having more than one wife, but a man is happiest with one wife he can love instead of a couple wives he can have children with.”

  As Gary left, the chief inhaled the smoke from his pipe as if the recent events didn’t bother him, and for all Citlali knew, they hadn’t. Citlali took a deep breath to steady his nerves. The events hadn’t bothered the chief, and they wouldn’t bother him either.

  ***

  Chogan found Sarita in her family’s lodge. Without waiting for an invitation to speak, he approached her. She looked up from the spot where she sat, combing her hair.

  Ignoring the others in the lodge, he said, “I will never marry you. Even if Julia dies, I will not marry you. You disgust me.”

  Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the lodge and found Julia at Woape’s lodge where Woape and Onawa stood close to her and offered words of comfort. As he closed the distance between them, they turned to him, and he saw the worried frown on Julia’s face.

  “What did the chief say?” Woape asked apprehensively.

  “The chief won’t do anything about Sarita,” he sourly said.

  “You mean he’s going to let her keep attacking me?” Julia asked, her tone indignant.

  Chogan bit back on his anger. “The chief does not value marriage. With him, it is all about having full-blooded Mandan babies.”

  “He isn’t going to do anything about Sarita?” Woape demanded.

  “He’ll marry her off,” Chogan replied. “He thinks that as soon as she’s married and has a child, she will be too busy to do anything to Julia.”

  “And that’s punishment?” Woape asked, gritting her teeth.

  “It is for Mankato,” Onawa said, her eyebrows furrowed.

  Chogan took Julia’s hand and drew her to his side. “I won’t let her near you again. For now, I need to get away from here and sort things out. You will come with me?”

  “Where?” Julia asked.

  “On the prairie. Nowhere in particular.”

  “Like we do when we hunt?”

  “Yes.” He noted the hurt in her eyes and squeezed her hand. “I won’t let Sarita hurt you ever again. I promise.”

  She leaned against him, suddenly sounding tired. “I know, Chogan.”

  Glancing at Woape and Onawa, he thanked them for taking care of Julia in his absence and led Julia back to his family’s lodge. “We’ll get away for a few days and decide what to do about this.” One way or another, they wouldn’t have to worry about Sarita anymore.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 32

  Julia glanced at the bow and arrows Chogan gave her and put them on the ground beside her. She remained sitting in front of the teepee Chogan had set up in the middle of the prairie, far from anyone or anything. The green grass swayed in the breeze, and she thought it ought to be comforting. She swallowed the lump in her throat and brushed a tear from her eye.

  Chogan sighed and sat next to her. “You don’t even want to hunt?”

  Not bothering to look at him, she shook her head.

  He took her in his arms, and she settled against him. Running a hand up and down her back, he whispered, “We don’t have to go back to the tribe.”

  “Where can we go? It seems there is no place where we can be together without someone trying to come between us.”

  “Some of my people are leaving the tribe to build cabins. Maybe we should do that.”

  She considered his suggestion and for the first time since she realized the chief didn’t care if she lived or died, her heart lightened. “A cabin? Where would we build it?”

  “Anywhere we want.”

  The idea had undeniable appeal, and she gazed around them. Maybe if they lived alone out here, then they could have the peace that eluded them for much too long. “Can my aunt live with us?”

  “Of course. We’ll build her a room.”

  “And we�
�ll need a room for our baby.”

  “Yes. Three bedrooms.”

  She pulled away from him so she could look at him. “Really, Chogan?”

  He smiled and brushed her braids so they fell behind her shoulders. “Yes.”

  “Will you miss the tribe?”

  “Considering I struck the chief, I’m not as welcome at the tribe as I used to be.” His smile faltered. “What Sarita did was inexcusable. I can’t believe the chief didn’t care. Unfortunately, it looks like Citlali is following in his footsteps, and Citlali is the future of the tribe.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “You are my future. My place is with you, and if that means we have to get away from the rest of the world, then so be it.”

  “You do love me,” she whispered.

  “You’re just figuring that out?”

  She chuckled at his joke. “I never imagined a man could love me as well as you do, Chogan. You know I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do.” He drew her closer and gave her a lingering kiss. When his lips left hers, he asked, “Would you like to hunt? I promise not to distract you this time.”

  Giving him a sly grin, she said, “Maybe later. Right now, I have something else in mind.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him, leaving no question as to her meaning.

  ***

  Sarita’s frown deepened as she went to the outskirts of the tribe. She needed to be alone and sort things out. She gritted her teeth as she stumbled on a fallen tree branch. Curse her luck!

  Had she been able to hold Julia’s head under the water for a little bit longer, Julia would be dead and she could finally have Chogan. Before Julia came along, Chogan understood how important it was that he choose a Mandan wife. He had been dedicated to the tribe. But the white woman came and distorted his thinking.