Scars Of Time

Secrets Of The Forest

After walking in the dark forest for what seemed like hours, Wyatt finally asked, "Where are we going?"

Smith stated, "To Pocahontas's tribe."

"Which is where?" Wyatt asked.

"It's about 15 miles north of the settlement," Smith announced.

Wyatt stopped Lucy and said, "Whoa, hold on." When all of them had stopped, he added, "We don't have that kind of time. On foot, covering that kind of distance could take days-"

Smith nodded. "Yes-"

Wyatt cut him off. "We don't have days!"

As Smith and Wyatt started to argue, Lucy noticed figures emerging from the darkness of the woods towards them. She smacked Wyatt on the arm. "Looks like we don't have to go anywhere."

Smith whirled around and was face to face with an angry-looking native. Smith raised his hands and began speaking to them in what little of their language he knew. Whatever he said, the native looked less angry and motioned for them to follow.

"What did you say to them? Where are they taking us?" Lucy questioned.

Smith replied, "I asked to speak with Pocahontas. Said it was important."

Wyatt mentioned, "I thought you said that you didn't speak their language."

"I don't speak it well," Smith admitted. "I probably told him to take me to his leader and eat me."

Wyatt had wanted to laugh, and he knew that if Rufus had been there, he would have laughed. They would have joked about how Smith was talking like all of those old school alien movies they used to watch together in the late evening hours. Instead, he was hoping that whatever Smith had said, it was enough to keep them from being killed by the group of seemingly unforgiving natives.

They were led down the forest slopes. They arrived at a small camp that the Natives had set up to keep watch on Pocahontas as she visited the settlers. Flynn had been right to assume that they would have done this.

When Pocahontas saw John Smith, she smiled brightly at him and made her way over to him. She began speaking to him, using some hand signs, and speaking broken English. He spoke to her in kind, using the few words she had taught him.

Lucy and Wyatt sat close together, watching the exchange between the two. Smith motioned over in their direction and the girl's eyes fell upon them. Lucy was filled with mixed emotions, some fear for what was being said, excitement for meeting the girl who brought two worlds together, and nervousness because of all of the above, including the impending changes to history.

Lucy watched with wide eyes as Pocahontas approached them. She asked in surprisingly good English, "Why are you here?"

Lucy replied, "We want to be friends."

"We have friends," she stated. "What makes you different?"

"You can never have too many friends," she replied.

"John says you know about some bad people," Pocahontas said. "What do these bad people want?"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it might have something to do with you."

Pocahontas looked confused. "Why me?"

Lucy looked at Smith, who nodded, almost encouraging her to continue. She began to explain to this teenage girl, all there was to know about the bad people who were there, what it might mean for the settlement, but more importantly, for her and her people.