Quiet little drops of water fell from the paddle as each stroke pushed Dorey’s canoe onward. Only the ripples of the water lapping at the opposite shore and the cry of a solitary bird broke the silence.
Dorey knew that she had already gone beyond the boundary of where her mother allowed her to travel in her canoe.
But everything was so beautiful and peaceful, it was hard to turn back.
Yet she knew she should.
She didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize her ability to enjoy these quiet times alone on the river.
Life had been so hard of late; being in her canoe carried her away from the sadness of it all.
She still couldn’t believe that her father was dead.
But the fact that no one had found out who had done the ghastly deed made Dorey feel that she was no longer safe on the river, or even on the plantation itself.
Just as she started to turn back, she gasped and went pale. Two young braves in a canoe had suddenly appeared from behind some tall brush that leaned out over the water.
Before she knew what was happening, they had blocked her way, preventing her from going any farther.
She gasped when one of the young braves, who appeared to be no older than herself, raised a small bow notched with an arrow and aimed it directly at her.
She saw how small both the bow and arrow were, yet knew that even an arrow of that size could be lethal.
Having no choice but to lift her paddle out of the water, Dorey looked from one young brave to the other. They were dressed in breechclouts, their dark hair hanging down their backs to their waists.
“What do you want of me?” Dorey finally found the courage to ask. “Why are you stopping me? Why…are…you threatening me with your bow and arrow?”
Running Bear was the first to speak. “My brother and I have seen you before and are intrigued by your courage. You are not afraid to travel from your home and go among alligators and snakes…and Indians,” he said.
“You speak in English,” Dorey said, amazed at how perfectly he spoke her language. “Are you…Seminole? Are you from the clan who have made their home on Mystic Island?”
Deer Shadow slowly lowered his bow and arrow,feeling that they weren’t needed. The young white girl couldn’t get away even if she tried.
“Yes, we are from Mystic Island,” he said, studying her and seeing just how pretty she was. “We are Seminole. My name is Deer Shadow, and my brother is Running Bear. By what name are you called?”
“My name isn’t any of your business,” Dorey said stiffly. “But the fact that you are keeping me from returning home is. Get out of the way. I don’t want to worry my mother.”
“It is not our plan to allow you to go so soon,” Running Bear said. He spoke firmly, yet not in a threatening way.
“Then what are you going to do to me?” Dorey asked, almost in tears. She struggled not to cry because she wished to show these boys that they did not frighten her. But the truth was that she was almost sick to her stomach with fear.
Yes, they were only young braves, surely no older than she, but there were two of them and they had weapons.
“We do not plan to harm you. We only wish to take you where we have prepared a place for us to sit and talk,” Running Bear said. “But we cannot talk long today. We must return home soon. We are not allowed to leave our island except for a short time in search of small alligators and turtles.”
“Will you let me go when you leave to return to your home?” Dorey asked, looking from one brave to the other. “You see, I don’t want to be gone long enough to worry my mother. She’s been through enough of late without having me to worry about.”
“You are intriguing to us,” Deer Shadow said. “We want to hear about your life. We will tell you, in turn, about our people and customs. Will you come with us now without screaming?”
“I should scream, but I know I have gone too far for anyone at my plantation to hear me,” Dorey said, sighing heavily. “Where are you going to take me?”
“Just come with us and you shall see,” Running Bear said, standing and gesturing with a hand for her to move from her canoe into theirs. “You will soon see that we have good intentions. We will not harm you. We have prepared well for your visit with us.”
“You…have…prepared well?” Dorey said, stubbornly staying in her canoe, her hands clutching the seat tightly. “What do you mean?”
“You will come and see,” Running Bear said, carefully stepping into her canoe. “Do not fight us. You are not as strong as we. Come. Climb into our canoe. We will take you where you will be comfortable for the time you spend away from your home. We made careful plans for the day we would finally see you again on the river. You have not been here for several days now.”
“That is because my father was murdered and my mother is mourning his death and I am helping her through it,” Dorey said. She winced when Running Bear reached out for her, then jerked his hand back quickly when Dorey leaned away from him. “You cannot keep me away from my mother. She needs me.”