The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 19: Fond Farewells and Springs and Things

The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 19: Fond Farewells and Springs and Things

OCTOBER 27, 1613

John Rolfe woke up the next morning feeling lousy. Siwili had disappeared into the wooded area when Pocahontas noticed the Englishman's downtrodden demeanor. She crawled out from her bedroll and scooted over to him as he tried to revive the fire from the previous night. Buried under the ash, some of the embers were still glowing. Ka-Okee was grazing on the grass nearby and she glanced over. Meeko, Percy, and Flit were all still asleep. Pocahontas placed a hand on the diplomat's shoulder, giving him a bit of a small start. "What's wrong, John?" she inquired, causing him to glance at her.

John Rolfe's face was red and it got redder when Pocahontas addressed him. He sat back as a flame caught the kindling and added a few twigs to the growing fire, fanning it with a flat rock. He was hesitant to reply at first. Once the fire was burning bright, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Pocahontas, I'm so sorry about last night," he mumbled into his palms. "Please forgive me. There's no excuse for how I acted."

Pocahontas raised a brow. "Huh? Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was useless!" John Rolfe exclaimed, throwing his hands up in an exaggerated manner. "I literally had to be carried up the mountain like, like, like an infant! And I only slowed everyone down and nearly got us all caught by those stupid warriors. It was absolutely pitiful. Good grief, I cannot even begin to imagine what Siwili thinks of me right now!"

Pocahontas knitted her brows and shook her head. "John, you're blowing this all out of proportion. Siwili thinks highly of you because you risked your life to keep his people safe. It was a brave and selfless thing to do. Besides, did he give you any indication last night that he looked down upon you for being afraid of heights? Did he mock you?"

"No, but that doesn't mean..."

"It's a perfectly rational fear," Pocahontas continued, interrupting.

John Rolfe huffed. "If it's so rational, why aren't you afraid of it? I mean, for crying out loud, the speed with which you ascend trees makes me wonder if you're half-monkey!"

Pocahontas gave him an odd look. "Whoever said I was a rational person? Besides, I am a little bit afraid of heights but I love climbing so much that I overcome it," she replied. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Tell me. What is this fear rooted in, John? Have you always been afraid of heights or did it begin at a certain age?" she inquired.

John Rolfe rubbed his hands together. "It started when I was seven. When I was very young, I liked heights too much. As a result, I broke my leg falling out of a tree. It was the worst pain imaginable when the doctor reset the bone. Ever since I haven't wanted to risk another injury like that. I get nervous if I'm more than six feet above the ground."

"Well, that makes sense," Pocahontas returned, moving closer to the fire. "The worst injury I ever got from a fall was a twisted ankle years ago. I was descending the wall of a gorge and some rocks came loose. After that, I was nervous about climbing for a while."

John Rolfe wanted to bang his head against a tree. "The key phrase there is 'for a while,' not 'for twenty-one years straight.' That, I believe, is an enormous difference!"

"Listen, John. We are going to have to climb today. Now that we aren't being chased, I'll just caution you to take things slow," Pocahontas advised, poking the fire with a twig.

"I'm absolutely dreading it," John Rolfe readily admitted.

Pocahontas gave him a pat on the knee. "We'll take the safest paths available even if they take longer, okay?" Once again, Rolfe buried his head in his hands and nodded slowly.