Brave Beginnings

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Citlali turned his attention back to Chogan who seemed to gain some strength at the prospect of following Julia’s trail. Yes, Chogan loved her, and it was obvious she loved him. Citlali patted his hand. “You do well to find a woman whose love can make you sacrifice everything for. I’m sorry I tried to talk you into marrying Sarita. I will get the buggy. You must stay still and rest while I do this. Promise?”

  Chogan nodded and closed his eyes.

  Citlali stood and went to perform the task at hand.

  ***

  Julia woke up to someone gently shaking her awake. She opened her eyes, not knowing where she was for a moment. But then she saw Ernest and the previous day’s events came back to her. She started to gasp when she realized her mouth was sore. Then she recalled everything that happened in the barn and drew away from him. Her arms hurt, her back and sides hurt, her face hurt… Everything hurt.

  “We’ll eat and then we’ll be on our way,” Ernest said, not seeming to notice the way she recoiled from his touch. “You can have some privacy out back to take care of your needs. I’ll get breakfast ready.”

  She waited until he left the shack before she exhaled. The past twenty-four hours seemed like a nightmare she should be able to wake up from. But it was no nightmare. It was real. Horribly real.

  Reluctant, she eased off the cot, her body stiff. She took a step forward and whimpered. Rubbing her hips, she proceeded to walk outside, her steps slow. No doubt her sides and back were covered with bruises. As she went to the old outhouse, she saw Ernest enter the barn.

  Shivering, she turned and hobbled to take care of her personal business. When she finished, she left the outhouse and approached the shack, staring at the hole she’d made through the wall. Above that hole was a window. She stopped and took a deep breath. Did she dare look at her reflection?

  Licking her swollen bottom lip, she approached the window, knowing she wouldn’t like what she saw but having to satisfy her dreaded curiosity. She wiped the dirt from the glass and stilled the motion when her gaze fell to her face. Two bruises lined one side of her face and a red welt was on the other. Dried blood coated her chin, and her lower lip was swollen with a cut that had clotted overnight.

  She brushed back her unkempt hair and pulled it back into a bun as well as she could. Blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes, she waited until the urge to cry passed before she stepped away from the window. Chogan would come for her. Then she could go home and be safe again.

  Glancing at the barn, she saw that Ernest had pulled the horse and buggy out of it. He was attaching the reins to the steed, so he had his back turned to her. An idea came to her, and she eagerly searched the area for something sharp, something that would dig into the wood. As soon as she saw the pointed rock, she gingerly bent down to grab it. With another look at the barn, she saw that Ernest still had his back turned to her.

  Walking further down the length of the shack so he couldn’t see her, she dug the sharp edge of the rock into the wood and carved the word Jamestown into it. It was a long shot that Chogan would see it, but she had to do something more than leave a trail of petticoats for him to find.

  When she was done, she threw the rock down and hurried as fast as she could back to the window so she could see where Ernest was. He just finished with the horse and was on his way back to the shack. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. All she had to do was bide her time until Chogan got to her.

  Opening her eyes, she shuffled toward Ernest, ignoring the bile that rose to her throat. She just had to make it long enough for Chogan to catch up to them. And as long as Ernest didn’t see the word she etched into the shack, she stood a good chance of making it.

  Crossing her arms, she forced herself not to run as Ernest came up to her.

  “Meals will be simple until we get to the train,” he told her.

  It was then that she noticed the bread he held in his hand. Trying her best to steady her hand, she took the portion he offered her, unsure of how she was going to stomach any food. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’ll hold on to it.”

  “Not hungry yet?” he asked.

  Unable to maintain eye contact, she shook her head.

  He placed his arm around her shoulders. “We have to get going. We have a train to catch in Jamestown.”

  Clutching her stomach, she took another deep breath. “Alright.” It was all she could manage without crying or vomiting again.

  “There you go, Julia,” he said in a soothing tone. “Everything will be just fine.”

  She went with him to the buggy, her joints aching to keep up with his fast pace. She got into the buggy and set the bread beside her. Her appetite was nonexistent. She didn’t know how she could eat anything as long as she was with Ernest.

  “I should go back and make sure I didn’t leave anything we may need,” he said.

  “No!” She grabbed his arm. “No. Ernest, I checked through the shack. All that’s there is a cot and a lamp. Oh, and a couple of blankets. We should get going. You’re right. We don’t want to miss that train.”

  A smile widened across his face. “This is nice. A good night’s sleep must have cleared you’re thinking.”

  “It did.” She let go of his arm and brushed back a strand of hair that fell into her eyes. “So let’s go before someone finds us. Alright?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Good. We need to get out of here.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t see Jamestown written on the side of the shack. She picked up the bread and tore off a small piece that she put into her mouth. She gingerly chewed it on the side of her mouth that hadn’t been injured the night before. She winced. It hurt anyway.

  He got in beside her. “I’m glad you’re eating. You need some food.”

  She nodded and swallowed. Since he was watching her, she tore off another piece of bread and ate it.

  With a satisfied smile, he picked up the reins and released the brake.

  She took another piece of bread to eat and looked off into the vacant land that spanned endlessly before them. It would take them days to get to Jamestown. She wasn’t sure exactly how many days, but hopefully there would be enough time so that Chogan would be in Jamestown before the train took off.

  ***

  That evening, Citlali and Chogan arrived at the shack. Citlali pulled up to the tree and noted the petticoat blowing in the breeze. Glancing at Chogan who was asleep, he stepped out of the buggy and approached the shack. No one was there, but he wondered if Julia left another clue for them.

  He went into the rundown two room cabin and noted the cot. That would be a good place for Chogan to rest for the night. He checked out the rest of the shack and paused when he saw the hand of a skeleton on the ground. Frowning, he inspected the dirt which had been dug up and noticed another bone poking out of the ground. He knelt down and brushed enough dirt from it to see it was a foot bone. With care, he dug around it and pulled it out, not entirely surprised that it was a foot that had been haphazardly cut at the ankle. Turning to the rest of the small room, he wondered where the pieces of the body were located.

  He grimaced and threw the foot to the ground next to the hand. He’d have to mention this to Conrad. Leaving the room, his gaze went to the kerosene lamp that had been used recently. A closer look at the cot revealed a couple strands of blond hair. Julia was here last night.

  He left the shack and went to the buggy. Getting into it, he led the horse to the entrance of the shack so he would have an easier time of helping Chogan to the cot. Chogan was a tall man—a half foot taller than Citlali, and Chogan was more muscular. Again, another difference from Citlali who’d spent more time learning the customs of the tribe than hunting.

  He got out of the buggy and touched Chogan’s forehead and sighed. The fever was still potent, but it didn’t seem worse so that was good. Chogan still needed much rest, and the time in the buggy allowed him some rest but not enough.

  Citlali nudged Chogan in the a
rm. When Chogan stirred, he reached for his arm and draped it over his shoulders. “Come. We will spend the night here.”

  Chogan leaned on Citlali, his weight making Citlali stumble. “Julia. We need to find her.”

  “We will, but we need to rest. The horse needs to rest.”

  “The trail?”

  “She’s leaving clues. She was here last night.” He braced for more of Chogan’s weight as Chogan stepped out of the buggy and lumbered forward. “We’ll find her. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ll get there sooner if you rest.”

  Chogan exhaled in frustration but didn’t argue when Citlali led him to the cot. He settled onto the cot and closed his eyes.

  Citlali straightened and went to put the horse in the barn for the night. As soon as he entered the small structure, he recoiled at the stench in the place. He found the dry vomit and blood on the floor with a piece of a woman’s dress that had been ripped.

  Swallowing the lump in his throat, he remained still, unwilling to let his mind go in the direction his imagination wanted it to. It was terrible enough to see the evidence of the abuse without dwelling on it. He hurried out of the barn and took the horse to a nearby tree and secured the reins so the horse wouldn’t run off.

  Leaning on the tree, he took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. If Chogan knew, he’d lose it. He’d push himself to find her, and in the process, he’d probably die. Citlali ignored the memory of the stench in the barn and headed back to the shack. It was best not to tell Chogan. Chogan wouldn’t do Julia any good if he died. After everything Ernest was doing to her, she’d need Chogan.

  Citlali glanced at the hole in the wall of the shack and then noticed something etched into the wood a good distance from the window. Curious, he walked up to it and tried to recall where he’d seen the word before. It was in the white man’s language. Though he could speak it well enough, he could only recognize a few words if he saw them.

  The marking was made recently, so it had to be another message from Julia. He traced the first letter and thought over the words Gary had showed him while they were in Bismarck. His gaze traveled down the rest of the word. It was a town in North Dakota. He ran through all the towns he knew, and in a matter of seconds, he knew which town it was.

  Jamestown. Ernest was taking her to Jamestown. He glanced up at the evening sky and spotted the constellation that would tell him where he was in location to Bismarck. If they could get to Bismarck and go to Jamestown by train, it would cut their time traveling, and the last thing Chogan needed was to go across the state in a buggy.

  Tomorrow they would head south to Bismarck. Decision made, Citlali returned to the buggy to grab fresh bandages and herbs to mix into Chogan’s drink to aid in his healing.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 38

  Julia became aware of the hard ground as soon as she woke two mornings later. Wincing, she rolled onto her back. The blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon, and for a moment, she imagined Chogan had his arms around her.

  He was still alive. She could feel it. She kept her eyes closed, though the sun was rising and Ernest moved about, packing the things he’d set up the night before. Forcing the bile down, she readied herself for another long and grueling day in the buggy, thinking if she could just make it to Jamestown without arousing Ernest’s suspicions, she might succeed in getting away. What she needed was a plan. For the moment, all she could do was play along and do whatever he asked.

  A flutter in her womb caused her heart to leap with excitement. She hadn’t felt the baby before, and her first instinct was to run and tell Chogan their baby moved. She opened her eyes and sat up, immediately wishing she hadn’t. Now Ernest knew she was awake.

  “Good morning, Julia,” Ernest called out cheerfully from where he sat at the small campfire.

  She smiled and forced her reply. “Good morning, Ernest.”

  “Five more days and we’ll get to Jamestown. Then we can eat a good meal and sleep on a decent bed. We’ll enjoy a better life in Canada. You just wait. You’ll have a big house and clothes that are finer than anything you’ve ever worn. You won’t be forced to live in a dirt house with a group of savages.”

  No. I’d get to live in a gilded cage with a monster. She bit her tongue on the reply and stood, stretching the kinks in her body. The continual ramblings he did about how much of a better life he could give her was too much for her to take at times. Reminding herself that Jamestown was only five days away, she collected her bearings and rolled up the blanket and bedroll before she went to relieve her bladder behind a bush. She’d rather die than have Ernest see her without her clothes on.

  When she returned to the camp and put her bedroll and blanket into the buggy, Ernest handed her a tin cup with coffee in it. “Breakfast is waiting.”

  “Thank you,” she said, hoping the slight trembling in her voice went unnoticed. She hated it whenever he was near her. It took all of her willpower to stay still. Sensing he wanted her to say something else, she added, “The coffee smells great.”

  “You’re lovely, Julia. I always thought that, you know.”

  Unable to maintain any more eye contact, she turned her attention back to the coffee. It was going to be a long five days. She closed her eyes for a moment, praying to God that Chogan would get to Jamestown in time.

  He put his hand on her back. “You needn’t worry, Julia. I won’t hold your insubordination against you. We’ll start with a new slate.” Then he turned back to the campfire.

  She shuddered, wishing she could wipe the memory of his touch from her mind. She lifted the cup to her lips and gulped the bitter coffee. She had to eat and drink for her child’s sake. Another day of going through the motions and pretending that she wanted to be with Ernest loomed before her. She could do this. And in five days, she’d get to Jamestown and figure out a way to escape.

  ***

  The next day, Chogan and Citlali rode into Bismarck. Chogan’s fever finally left, but he was still weak. He hated feeling helpless. Citlali had to do practically everything, and even as he was glad Citlali stayed with him to find Julia, Chogan wanted to hop a horse and get to Bismarck faster. Too many possibilities of what Ernest was doing to Julia haunted him. Had it not been for his sore shoulder and chest, he would be in Jamestown already. But Citlali was right. He had to take it easy.

  While Citlali drove the buggy through Bismarck, Chogan’s gaze fell upon Erin’s house. “We’ll need money for the train. Do you have any?”

  Citlali pulled back the reins and frowned. “No. I thought we might barter something.”

  “What? We have nothing that the white people want.”

  “The horse or buggy?”

  “No. We need this for the tribe. Julia’s aunt lives in that house.” He pointed to it. “She will buy our tickets.” Erin would be horrified to learn her niece was with Ernest, but he also knew she would do anything she could to get Julia back, safe and sound.

  Citlali nodded and pulled the buggy up to her house.

  Chogan got ready to get out, but Citlali stopped him. “You will get out when we get to the train station. Not before.”

  Chogan sighed. “I never did like you. You’re too bossy for your own good.” Then he smiled to show he was joking.

  As usual, Citlali’s expression didn’t change, though his voice had a friendly tone in it. “You will have to deal with it.”

  “Of course,” Chogan replied with a chuckle. He winced and pressed his hand to his chest.

  Citlali got out of the buggy and strode up the steps, as determined to do this as he was to do anything else he set his mind to. Chogan caught sight of several wary looks from people who looked from him to Citlali and hurried down the street, but Citlali kept his focus straight ahead. Chogan didn’t miss being in Bismarck with the judgmental stares and whispers.

  Chogan sat back and watched as Citlali knocked on the front door. Erin opened it, and Citlali spoke to her. Her hand went up to her mouth and when he finished, she gave a q
uick nod and left the doorway to get something from her house. When she came back out a couple minutes later, she had her purse, hat and a carpet bag. Chogan didn’t expect her to come with them, but he understood why she would. Julia was more than her niece; she was like her own child, and no mother would let her child suffer if she could step in to stop it.

  Erin ran up to the buggy and hugged him. “Oh Chogan. You must be scared.”

  He returned her hug. “We have to get her before Ernest takes her out of Jamestown.”

  “Yes. I just can’t believe that boy. Why, I knew him since he was a child.” She shook her head and took hold of his hands. “No one knows where he went after he stole that money, and I never imagined Julia was in trouble or I would have gone to the tribe.”

  Citlali who’d remained quiet stepped forward. “We need a place for the horse and buggy.”

  “Oh yes.” Erin nodded. “I’ll take you to my brother’s. He has a stable. We must hurry though. The train will leave in a half hour. You came at the right time.”

  Chogan gingerly got out of the buggy.

  “What are you doing?” Citlali demanded.

  “I can walk to the station from here. You two take the buggy to that house. I’ll meet you at the train.”

  “Alright,” Citlali replied. “Take your time.”

  “I will.” He straightened his back. It felt good to get out of the buggy after days of sitting in it.

  He bent to retrieve the bag Citlali brought, but Citlali stopped him. “You will carry nothing.”

  Chogan nodded, once again surprised by Citlali. Who knew Citlali had a heart under his neutral exterior? “Alright, Citlali.” Looking at Erin, he said, “We’ll get Julia.”

  “I sure do hope so,” she replied, tears brimming her eyes. “They think Ernest killed his first wife. I read about it in the paper.”