Stone Unturned

Stone Unturned

The Native Americans were all lined up waiting to listen to the chief speak. Cold breezes touched the chief’s skin. He stood so untouched, so defiant, not even a blink. The chief then spoke words as his fellow Native Americans kneeled.

“Shall we allow the enemy to slaughter our brethren? To take the land that we are protecting?”

“Chief, we are trying our--”

“Well, it’s not good enough,” the chief looked at every member of his tribe. “Tomorrow morning, the morning of the great reckoning, we will take the fight to our foes or at least die trying. I won’t stand idly by while they kill our allied tribes and slay our cattle.”

“Chief Cameahwait, failure is not imminent.”

“Lewis, how long until we’re done searching the Louisiana Territory?”

“We will be done soon enough and I can promise you that. Jefferson said he wanted us to find a water route to the pacific, but we should be wary of the various Native American tribes out here.”

Clark looked puzzled as Sacagawea was distant. Cold breezes hit their face, like a winter’s wind. The explorers had been traveling for months upon months, the future United States was now in the distance.

“You know, Lewis, we may not be returning to our home.” A confused yet honest look showed itself on Clark’s face. He knew nothing of what exactly would happen when they encountered Sacagawea’s former tribe.

“Clark, my dearest friend, her tribe hasn’t seen her for a decade and may or may not even remember her,” Lewis let out an insidious aspiration.

“Some of her tribe were slaughtered, she was captured then sold to the French-Canadian,” Lewis looked at Clark with a very concerned face.

“I know that, but we must not worry.”

“Chief Cameahwait--”

The Native American paused at the sight of the great chief, inhaling the great naturalistic air of the great plains. The chief then exhaled slowly as he turned around to face his tribesman.

“Chief Cameahwait, explorers have been sighted a quarter of a mile from here. We should be cautious, what would you have us do?

“You are Shoshone as am I. I would ask for you to spread the word, get in a defensive position and prepare for the worst,” the chief closed his eyes and the tribesman knew that was his queue to leave.

The tribesman ran as fast as he possibly could, and the cold breeze did not inundate him. “Brothers, explorers have been sighted near us. Chief Cameahwait wants us to prepare for the worst!”

“Who are they?”

“I’m not sure, and the spotters aren’t either, but it seems they have a girl with them.”

“Lewis and Clark, I know you don’t exactly trust me nor do you know what will happen when I arrive at the Shoshone camps, but I assure you it’ll be nothing scrupulous.” Sacagawea had a messy braid, but spoke the truth as she continued following the explorers.

“And I assure you, if something does go wrong then we’ll be taking matters into our own hands.”

“Clark, don’t be so hard on her.”

At this moment, the Shoshone tribesmen jumped out from behind trees and out of bushes. Their spears high up in the sky with a determined consternation. Lewis and Clark halted at once. 

“Who are you?” yelled Chief Cameahwait as he approached the two explorers.

“Cameahwait…” Sacagawea’s jaw dropped as a tear rolled down her soft cheeks. At last, she had been reunited with her brother, now a powerful chief in the Shoshone tribe.

“Sacagawea?” Cameahwait asked with a stern smile.

The two ran up to each other and hugged. Lewis and Clark still stood there with no movement, for they were afraid of losing their lives. Sacagawea and Cameahwait held each other, and the rest of the Shoshone tribesmen lowered their weapons.

“I’ve missed you,” Sacagawea stated while she whimpered in the arms of her Shoshone brother.

“I wish I could have done something more before you were taken, I was too young to fight and too young to understand, but now I understand it so clearly,” the chief shed his tears. “You belong in the Shoshone tribe, and I’m sorry for the time we’ve lost together my sister.” Chief Cameahwait looked up to the sky and swallowed the whole sorrow like a bit of relief.