Tohbi Ohoyo

Progress

Kaitlyn quietly pulled the fur from her body, and folded it back onto her sleeping mats. She tiptoed around Chito Nashoba's sleeping form, and slipped on her moccasins and grabbed the half empty water jugs.

The sun was just starting to rise when she raised the leather flap in the doorway. Water jugs clinking in one hand, she attempted to smooth her braids down with the other. She walked around the side of the hut and poured the water onto her newly sprouted crops. Hopefully, her herb garden would take off quickly and she could dry much of it before winter came.

As she walked down the trail to the river, she spotted Mother Bear coming back from filling her jug. Kaitlyn smiled at her friend, "Halito, Ishka Nita. How are you this morning?"

It had been almost two months since White Wolf had first arrived. The language barrier was closing with each passing day. She could now form basic sentences, and understand most common words and phrases.

"I am good, White Wolf, and how are you?"

"I am fine. It is a warm morning, I hope there is wind today," Kaitlyn said. The summer was approaching fast, and houses were slowly filling with dried foods for winter.

"Yes, it is. Meet me at my home when you have finished your chores this morning, you will learn something new today. Bring your best baskets with you."

Kaitlyn nodded at the woman. Her baskets slowly improved over the last few weeks. She now had completed baskets that looked almost as good as Red Birds. Although perhaps that had much to do with the fact that Red Bird had taught her as much as Mother Bear.

After the jugs were filled, she quickly returned to her hut. The water was placed by the door, where Chito Nashoba wanted them. Kaitlyn rolled up her mats, and placed them on a bench out of the way.

She pulled down some potatoes, onions, and dried venison along with a jar of fat. After her skillet was placed on the hot embers of last nights fire, she scooped out the solidified fat from the jar, and popped it into the pan. Diced potatoes, onions, and salted meat were also placed in the skillet. She fried up one of her favorite breakfast dishes; potatoes and onions.

With the popping of grease, Great Wolf began to stir. Kaitlyn kept quiet, and let the chief awaken on his own. Over the past weeks, her understanding of the language had grown much, and she enjoyed talking with Mother Bear and Red Bird. The chief was an entirely different story.

She kept their home clean, she cooked, and she mended his clothes when he needed them mended. She played the role of his slave well, but that is all she had done. He made her too nervous to have a conversation, and she did not feel it was proper to befriend him.

Mother Bear had told her that if she worked hard, learned the language, and was accepted by the people, she could become a member of their society. With that, came her own home, one apart from Great Wolf's. She could take a husband, and have her own family.

This was something the white woman wanted badly. She become friends with the women in the basket weaving circle, and had learned many new aspects of their lifestyle. Kaitlyn wished to find her own work within the tribe, and live in her own chukka.

The natives were much nicer than her own people in the towns. She decided she could practice her own religion and worship within the tribe. If she could manage to win the approval of the tribe, and the chief relieved her of the slave title, then she could make herself very happy here.

Although, as of now, she was not exactly unhappy. She was not treated badly at all. Everything she did for Great Wolf, she did for her mother. Great Wolf however, was much more grateful than Constance ever was.

Kaitlyn scooped the last of the potatoes out of the skillet as Great Wolf sat up. She watched as he rubbed his eyes, and the furs rolled down his toned, shirtless chest.

Blushing, she quickly turned away, and grabbed bone forks for their breakfast. She sat his bowl down on the bench beside his water filled cup.

All of the walls in the chukka were lined with a bench, and a few shelves to store items. All of their cookwear sat against the wall with the door, and against the back wall were clothes. The side walls were things such as their sleeping mats, blankets, knives and jewelry.

Kaitlyn had designated one section for their food to be set down until it was ready to be eaten. The natives usually gathered around and sat on mats, cots made of wood beams, and small stools, or a thick piece of wood.

Kaitlyn poured water into her own cup, and sat down where her sleeping mats usually lay. She watched as Chito Nashoba folded his mats, and placed them next to hers. He gathered his food and sat across from her.

This was their routine. Every morning, she cooked, and they ate in silence. She would clean, and head off to see Mother Bear. Every day had been the same for them. No conversation, just silent looks from across the small pile of red hot embers.

"How are you, my bird?"

Kaitlyn nearly missed her mouth when he spoke. He had not spoken to her in the many weeks she had been here, since this routine started. Occasionally he would ask her to do something for him, and she would oblige, but small talk was not something they engaged in.

"I am good, Chito Nashoba."

Great Wolf almost closed his eyes in bliss at the sound of his name rolling off of her tongue. He was very happy that she could understand the words he spoke, and could form a response.

"I am happy to hear this. Are you learning much from Mother Bear?"

"I have learned much from Mother Bear, but she is not my only teacher. The other women help me, too," she quietly told him. It felt like she ate butterflies for breakfast, and not potatoes. Her heart was beating hard and fast against her chest. This is the most they have said to each other in the months she had been here. Why did he want to speak now?

Great Wolf sat back a bit. He was not expecting her to respond so quickly. She had spoken without pausing and had pronounced most words very well. He could tell she had easily picked up on the language, much like the basket weaving.

He looked around the chukka, and saw the many beautiful baskets she had made. She had made so much progress with them, along with his language. She seemed to be doing much better than what he had thought she would do. She put all of herself into her work.

"Tohbi Nashoba, are you happy with us?"

This has been the question on his mind for a very long time. He never heard her cry out, or whine at night. She showed no weakness, no sadness at being away from her people.

"Well," Kaitlyn started, "I am not unhappy. I like talking to the women, I like learning from Ishka Nita, and my chores aren't hard."

Kaitlyn wanted freedom. Freedom would make her happy. She left her mother for it, after all. She enjoyed the tribe more and more every day, but she was aware that she was a slave. Even if she was not treated badly, she did not want to be a slave.

"What will make you happy, White Wolf?" He spoke softly.

For the first time in their conversation, she looked into his dark eyes.

"Freedom."

---

I hope you enjoy this chapter! I will be in the snow soon! Merry Christmas!