Chasing Her Dreams: Chapter 4

After a month of preparing Jacob, Holden now knew today Jacob was ready to show what he picked up from his teaching. He would prove today if he was ready to take on the task Holden had been faced with for the last ten years.

Holden waited patiently on the front porch for his brother to arrive from breakfast. The December weather had sat in right on schedule. He couldn’t believe that for once he had a moment to catch his breath and think clearly.

All the ruckus of training Jacob had taking its toll on him. He felt awkward being able to shed the life that had become second nature to him. He had time to stop running here and there dealing with the conflicts surfacing throughout his day. If a problem arose he had been letting Jacob deal with it. After all he had to learn how to run the place and you do that simply by messing up and learning from your mistakes.

Experiencing how it felt to have time to relax only made Holden’s readiness of being in the woods of Tennessee worsen. He now had everything for his journey and he knew it would take a few weeks, maybe even a month, to reach his destination but he didn’t care. He was anxious to establish his cabin with the river as his backyard. He felt the urge to leave that very minute. Then, he remembered how anger his mother had gotten when he told her of his intentions of leaving before Christmas. She would not hear of her son spending Christmas anywhere else but with his family where he belonged. Holden was back in her good graces once more when he came up with a solution that eased her mind. She had been satisfied when he told her he would spend Christmas with them by having it a week early. That meant it would be that very night.

“Merry Christmas,” Jacob said with a laugh as he joined his brother on the porch.

“Merry Christmas. How are you feeling this morning?” Holden asked his brother as he waited to tell him that he would get the chance to prove what he had learned the last few weeks today. That he would fill Holden’s shoes.

“I’m feeling fairly well and yourself.”

“I’m feeling great. Proud to hear you are feeling so good plus in a good mood as it seems. We are going to see how much of your training got through that hard head of yours.” Holden said adding a little humor at his brother’s expense.

Jacob suddenly got the notion to faint. The overwhelming thought that the day had come when Holden trusted him with all of the responsibilities flooded over him so quickly that it was almost too much for him to handle at once.

“Holden the cows have busted through the east gate and wandered off. The other field hands and I have got what we could herder up in the north field but we only counted a hundred and fifty head. That means theirs is still fifty more out that we need to find. By any chance can you ride with us and help us spot them.” Roland one of Holden’s most trusted field hands made it to the porch tired and out of breath.

Holden looked over at Jacob. This conflict had not come up during his training and although it was a task he couldn’t handle he would feel more at ease if he dealt with this one.

“Jacob, go saddle up Bullet. I’ll wait here for you to bring him to me,” Holden spoke the orders to Jacob.

“What horse do I need to saddle for me?” Jacob asked Holden a little confused. Holden had only order him to saddle one horse not two.

“I don’t. I’d rather you sit this one out.” Holden said looking at Jacob. He was just standing there. “Jacob what in the hell are you doing just standing there? Was I not speaking in plain English? I thought I told you to do something and I meant it. We’ve got to round up those other cows before that get to far off. Unless you plan on letting me ride you go saddle Bullet. Go!” Holden was getting aggravated with Jacob at the moment.

As Jacob sulked off to saddle Holden’s horse, Holden and Roland went over what all need to be done. They had come up with a well thought out plan by the time Jacob made it back from the stables with Holden’s prized gray stud, Bullet.

“What took you so long? How long does it take to saddle a horse?” Holden asked his brother a little angry with him now.

“Sorry was just trying to figure out why you jumped at the opportunity when you had just got out of your mouth I was in charge today.” Jacob asked with a air of sarcasm in his voice.

Holden couldn’t believe his ears. Not only did he have fifty head of cattle to worry about finding but also a pouting brother on his hands to.

“Jacob grow up. Why can’t you see I’m doing what is best for the plantation. You haven’t dealt with this and I have. Roland, the other field hands, and I are going to go look for those cattle so that means you have to stay here and make sure nothing goes wrong up here. Understand?” Holden barked at Jacob

“Go to hell, Holden!” Jacob spit at Holden as he turned and walked back into the house.

Holden starred opened mouth as the front door slammed. Boy, he had some nerve talking to him like that, but he would deal with that later. He was still in shock as he mounted the tall gray horse.

When he was situated in the saddle Roland and he rode off to meet with the other field hands to find the cattle.



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The whole village was festive. Today was Little Fawn’s ceremony for becoming a true warrior. A month of hard training had brought her to this day.

She stood beside the door thinking about the night when her father and war chief Running Bear came to bring her before council, the very day her father had promise to speak on her behalf. She had wanted to burst out in tears when the warriors agreed on putting her through the training process to prove herself worthy.

She had indeed proven herself and although it had been tough she did not give up. One time in particular came to her mind. The day the warriors had tried to teach her to ambush. No matter how hard she tried to be quiet they were always waiting for her in a little pile sniggering. She could often them saying: “Why doesn’t she just give up, go home, and tent to her womanly duties?” Whereas other might remark “She’s nothing but a joke. If she thinks she can do this she’s simply out of her mind. To think a maiden as a warrior, what was the council thinking?”

The council was thinking that she would fall flat on her face and give up. Apparently none of them knew their peace chief’s baby girl. She was not the kind to just give up. If she were she would not be standing there waiting to go to her aunt’s and get her face painted with the colors only a warrior is privileged and proud enough to wear. If she had listened to her father when he begged her to quiet at the sight of her cuts and bruises she wouldn’t be going to her ceremony for being brought before her whole clan as a warrior. If she had quiet she would not have this sense of self pride she had about herself.

As Little Fawn made her through her village on her way to Evening Star’s hut she couldn’t help but smile. Yes she had a new self pride about herself. All the members of her village now looked up to her. She had proven so many of them wrong that they couldn’t do anything but look up to her.

When she mad it to her aunt’s was when it really hit her she had done it. She was about to step out of the life as any other ordinary maiden and set foot into a completely different one. Even though she had done all of this she got the sudden feeling to cry.

“Little Fawn, why on earth are you crying child? You should be happy little warrior,” Evening Star said with a giggle.

“I don’t know. I don’t think little warriors are suppose to cry so why am I? I guess no matter how many trails they put me through I’m still going to be a maiden!” Little Fawn said whipping her eyes.

“Of course you will be. They can’t change that.” Evening Star said.

“Well I think I’m fine now and I’m ready to get this painting over with!” Little Fawn said jokily at her aunt.

Evening Star ushered Little Fawn in and showed her where she would have to get ready at. It was another hour later and several pinches from Evening Star directing for her to be still that the face painting was behind the both of them. Neither one of them could believe just how manly Little Fawn now looked. Evening Star had braided Little Fawn’s long dark hair back in a single braid. If it was for her womanly features in her doeskin dress you would have thought she was a warrior.

After she had thanked her aunt and left she decided to take a walk to the river. As she made her way out of the village she could hear people talking. She pictured everyone’s whispering was about her and her only thought was she hoped everyone of them were saying, “Look, there goes Little Fawn. She proved everyone of us wrong. She’s a warrior now.”