decided it was time for her to leave. It was time for her to see what she was sitting across from.
"I am a killer." He dragged his blade slowly across the whetstone. "I've gutted, sliced and pitted bodies for greenbacks. I'm a shadow lurking in the corner, waiting to." He threw the knife, missing the side of her face by less than an inch, into the tree behind her.
She lifted a shaky hand up to her head and patted her hair. When her eyes met his there was no malice or hate within them. No trace of fear. He blinked. Why wasn't she scared? Why didn't she curse at him, yelling savage, lowlife, breed? Why is she still here?
She was not like any other wasichu he'd come across in his twenty-six winters. She was familiar in a peculiar way. He stomped down any gesture that might lead her to believe he was a good person. He wasn't.
He stood, and so did she. Dainty hands ran along the front of her skirt. The fabric should be burned, the edges frayed, the brown color faded and worn. He analysed her features. She was pretty, in a different sort of way. Pale skin, blue eyes and black hair were an odd combination, but one that seemed to compliment her. She was fine-boned, with dainty hands and short legs. Underneath the rags and braided hair, she was strong, a fighter. His previous attempts to scare her told him that. There was also kindness within her, and he'd seen it with his horse.
He shifted from one foot to the other, curled his fingers into fists. He wanted nothing to do with the wasicun winyan.
"I have to go," she said.
He watched as her eyes darted from him to Wakina. She went to the horse, placed her cheek against his and whispered something he couldn't hear.
"Goodbye, Otakatay."
He remained silent and watched her walk into the forest. When he couldn't see her anymore he let his shoulders fall, and kicked dirt over the ashes left from his fire last night. He broke branches throwing them onto the ground. He was moving camp. He didn't want her coming back with more questions. Shit, he'd rather face a den of rattlesnakes.
A terrifying scream carried over the trees and slammed into him. He pushed his feet into the ground, planting himself so he wouldn't move. She was fine, probably saw a snake.
Another scream echoed throughout the camp.
Wakina tossed his head and bared his teeth.
"No."
Two hoofs sprung into the air and landed with a puff of dirt onto the ground.
"Wakina."
The horse raised one leg, bared his teeth again and took off into the forest.
"Son of a bitch."
Otakatay pulled his knife from the tree and sprinted after Wakina . His moccasins allowed him to run with silent steps. A gift he'd acquired after much practice. He swatted at the branches, as he followed the sound of Wakina's hooves. He spotted the girl through the trees. She sat on a rotted stump by the river, holding something in her hands. Wakina stood next to her, his snout resting on her shoulder. I will eat the animal yet.
He set his jaw and pushed through the last tree in front of him. He saw the black fur on her lap. "Why are you holding a dead animal?"
Nora's tear-streaked face looked up at him, and he realized it wasn't an animal. It was a scalp. He ground his teeth together.
"It's a...a...a"
He yanked the wet hair from her lap and threw it into the river, making sure it was within the rapids.
Her hands shook. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to help her, he couldn't.
"I will walk you to the end of the forest."
She didn't move, instead continued to shake worse than before.
"It was a scalp, Otakatay. It was a woman's scalp." More tears burst from her eyes, making the blue within them shine.
He didn't answer. He knew what it was. Remorse, grave and intense, weighed on his shoulders. He swallowed. He had nothing to offer her. He placed his hand upon her shoulder for a mere second, before snapping it back to his side. He was a killer. A low-life half-breed that belonged nowhere. There was nothing gentle within him.
He left her and
"I am a killer." He dragged his blade slowly across the whetstone. "I've gutted, sliced and pitted bodies for greenbacks. I'm a shadow lurking in the corner, waiting to." He threw the knife, missing the side of her face by less than an inch, into the tree behind her.
She lifted a shaky hand up to her head and patted her hair. When her eyes met his there was no malice or hate within them. No trace of fear. He blinked. Why wasn't she scared? Why didn't she curse at him, yelling savage, lowlife, breed? Why is she still here?
She was not like any other wasichu he'd come across in his twenty-six winters. She was familiar in a peculiar way. He stomped down any gesture that might lead her to believe he was a good person. He wasn't.
He stood, and so did she. Dainty hands ran along the front of her skirt. The fabric should be burned, the edges frayed, the brown color faded and worn. He analysed her features. She was pretty, in a different sort of way. Pale skin, blue eyes and black hair were an odd combination, but one that seemed to compliment her. She was fine-boned, with dainty hands and short legs. Underneath the rags and braided hair, she was strong, a fighter. His previous attempts to scare her told him that. There was also kindness within her, and he'd seen it with his horse.
He shifted from one foot to the other, curled his fingers into fists. He wanted nothing to do with the wasicun winyan.
"I have to go," she said.
He watched as her eyes darted from him to Wakina. She went to the horse, placed her cheek against his and whispered something he couldn't hear.
"Goodbye, Otakatay."
He remained silent and watched her walk into the forest. When he couldn't see her anymore he let his shoulders fall, and kicked dirt over the ashes left from his fire last night. He broke branches throwing them onto the ground. He was moving camp. He didn't want her coming back with more questions. Shit, he'd rather face a den of rattlesnakes.
A terrifying scream carried over the trees and slammed into him. He pushed his feet into the ground, planting himself so he wouldn't move. She was fine, probably saw a snake.
Another scream echoed throughout the camp.
Wakina tossed his head and bared his teeth.
"No."
Two hoofs sprung into the air and landed with a puff of dirt onto the ground.
"Wakina."
The horse raised one leg, bared his teeth again and took off into the forest.
"Son of a bitch."
Otakatay pulled his knife from the tree and sprinted after Wakina . His moccasins allowed him to run with silent steps. A gift he'd acquired after much practice. He swatted at the branches, as he followed the sound of Wakina's hooves. He spotted the girl through the trees. She sat on a rotted stump by the river, holding something in her hands. Wakina stood next to her, his snout resting on her shoulder. I will eat the animal yet.
He set his jaw and pushed through the last tree in front of him. He saw the black fur on her lap. "Why are you holding a dead animal?"
Nora's tear-streaked face looked up at him, and he realized it wasn't an animal. It was a scalp. He ground his teeth together.
"It's a...a...a"
He yanked the wet hair from her lap and threw it into the river, making sure it was within the rapids.
Her hands shook. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to help her, he couldn't.
"I will walk you to the end of the forest."
She didn't move, instead continued to shake worse than before.
"It was a scalp, Otakatay. It was a woman's scalp." More tears burst from her eyes, making the blue within them shine.
He didn't answer. He knew what it was. Remorse, grave and intense, weighed on his shoulders. He swallowed. He had nothing to offer her. He placed his hand upon her shoulder for a mere second, before snapping it back to his side. He was a killer. A low-life half-breed that belonged nowhere. There was nothing gentle within him.
He left her and
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