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Jack was somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. Curled up on his side, the front of his body was cold and damp while his back was oddly warm. He reached around to pull his blanket closer and felt that the back of the blanket was dry. He snuggled in; trying to regain his sleep; now that he was actually warm.
In moments, he fell asleep, but the smell of roasting meat on a fire pulled him from his rest. That had to have been a powerful dream; short and sweet as it was; but the aroma persisted; too real to be a dream.
Jack’s hackles rose up, putting him on a sort of groggy alert; his hand slowly reaching for his rifle.
“Shootagee, Jeck.” The voice was soft, nearly baritone in its register, yet still in the throes of reaching manhood. He knew that voice. That and the mispronunciation of his name was all it took for Jack’s hand to slide away from the gun.
“Well”, he groaned as he sat up and turned to face the fire and the fire builder. “Shootagee, Nakoma.”
Jack crossed his legs; careful of his lumbago which was brought on by the miserable, rainy night and the hard ground. He leaned in closer to the fire, trying to warm his hands; liking nothing better than to wrap them around a hot chunk of rabbit that Nakoma had skewered and roasting to perfection above the fire.
As Jack watched, Nakoma broke off a leg and thigh; passing the stick with the greater portion of rabbit to himself. Noticing how Nakoma had passed the meat from hand to hand; blowing on his fingers, Jack decided to eat the meat right from the stick.
It was as tasty as it looked. Nakoma was a good cook, Jack thought. Second only to himself; of course.
Looking around the campfire and not finding what he looked for, he asked Nakoma.
“I don’t suppose ya got any coffee?” Nakoma shook his head and pointed vaguely in the direction of Jack’s travel pack.
“Nope.”, Jack said; somewhat sadly. “On my way back from takin’ a piss, I tripped over the durn pack; dumpin’ everything out on the ground…including the coffee. What got loose floated away with the durn rain n what got left behind couldn’t fill a dang thimble!”
Nakoma turned his head and covered his smile.
“Aint funny.”; Jack complained. Early in the morning, Jack wasn’t seeing any humor in the loss of his coffee.
“You should have gone after it…with your cup.”, Nakoma suggested.
Jack pictured doing just that and started laughing.
“Yessiree. I shoulda done jess that…then when I woke up… right here by your far…I coulda jess heated it up.”
Nakoma smiled at Jack’s lively reaccounting of his nighttime capers. Jack looked around the fire pit.
“I don’t suppose they’s any water handy?” Nakoma pointed off behind Jack; indicating it was far, FAR away.
Jack was enjoying his unexpected breakfast when he took in Nakoma’s bedraggled appearance. The young brave looked wet to the bone. Feeling bad, Jack offered Nakoma the last bit of rabbit; which Nakoma declined. All of a sudden, something occurred to Jack.
“You been a’follerin’ me since the night you left the cave. Haven’t ya.”
Nakoma just shrugged his shoulders.
“N here I thought ya went home. I shoulda knowed better. Doin’ yer granddaddy’s wishes.”; he continued.
Nakoma’s brow crinkled above his nose. “Not just that.”, he answered. Jack reached for the cup of coffee that wasn’t there. Looking back to Nakoma, he asked, “What then?” Nakoma looked at Jack and shook his head. Jack really didn’t seem to understand that Nakoma had been following him the last several nights to keep an eye on him… to make sure that his “friend” was alright.
Jack watched Nakoma; comprehension slowly coming to him. Being the gruff mountain man that he believed he was; he didn’t put it into too many words. Jack took a closer look at the young brave. His thick hair was wet and clinging to his head. His jerkin dark from the rain. The bruised and swollen cheek was loosing its deep purple hews.
“Nakoma.” He waited until he had the brave’s full attention. Nakoma looked at Jack; curiosity written on his handsome face. Jack cleared his throat and began again.
“Nakoma. I owe you an apology.”
Across the fire, Nakoma’s eyes momentarily grew larger; eyebrows crinkling in confusion. Never had he heard an apology from Jack to…anyone, really.
“Now, don’t say anything until I’m done.”
Nakoma gave Jack his full attention.
“Nakoma. I’m purely sorry for what I did to ya.”
Nakoma became uncomfortable, but held his tongue.
“Now, I knowed you had nothing to do with…”
He tried again to get the words out. He couldn’t, so instead he asked, “How’s yer cheek?”
Nakoma was a bit taken aback, but answered, with a shrug of his wide shoulders, “Better.”
Jack continued. “N how’s yer lip?”
Nakoma licked his lip and shrugged again. “Alright.”, he answered.
“Good. Good. I’m glad…n… I’m sorry.”; Jack offered.
Nakoma lower his eyes; uncomfortably.
Jack continued, “I’m sorry for what I did n I’m sorry for what I accused you of doin’.”
“Jeck?” Nakoma waited for Jack’s full attention before he continued. When he continued, he sounded much older and wiser than his fourteen years.
“We will speak no more about this.” He was silent for a moment, then continued, “and I am sorry about Spotted Doe…and your child, Jeck.”
Then he seemed to remember something and reached for his pouch that was always attached to his broad belt. Pulling the drawstring loose, he reached in and brought something colorful out of it. He looked at it momentarily and then looked at Jack. Stretching his arm out toward Jack, he handed it to him.
Jack immediately recognized the colors. He looked at Nakoma; the tears just starting to cloud his vision. He barely saw his own hand reaching out to take the necklace from Nakoma’s hand. It was the necklace that Spotted Doe always wore. Without thinking, Jack brought it to his lips and kissed it.
Nakoma eyes grew large and round as he watched Jack; looking away at the last.
Jack took the necklace and put it in his own pouch. “Thank you, little brother.”, was all he could manage to say.
The silence hung in the air for a few moments. They were comfortable moments.
After awhile, Nakoma asked, “Jeck? Why have you been traveling in this direction these last days?”
Jack looked up and thought for a moment. “I was on my way to the settlement.”; he answered.
Nakoma thought for a moment before he responded to Jack’s answer, because Jack had been traveling in the wrong direction.
“But the settlement is in the other direction.”
Jack looked up; surprised. “What’s that ya say?”
Nakoma was reluctant to say any more for fear of embarrassing Jack.
“The settlement is West, Jeck. You are traveling East.”
Peering at the rising sun in the Eastern sky; Jack answered; “Well, I meant the “other” settlement, ‘course.”
Nakoma looked up at his friend and decided to go along with Jack.
“Oh. The OTHER settlement. I forgot about THAT one.”
“They’s ok, little brother…it bein’ brandy new n all.”
Nakoma continued; calling Jack’s bluff.
“I’ve never been there. Maybe we should continue. I’d like to see it.”
Jack was now “in for a penny; in for a pound” and had to find a way to keep Nakoma from wanting to visit a settlement that didn’t exist. Of course, he couldn’t just admit that. Besides, he was beginning to enjoy this game he was playing with his young friend; not realizing as yet that Nakoma was way ahead of him.
“Oh. You don’t wanna go there, little brother.”
Nakoma, too, was getting caught up in the conversation about a pretend settlement.
“Why?”
“Because they don’t like Injuns.”, was Jack’s answer to the situation he created.
Nakoma seemed truly hurt.
“Why, Jeck? Why don’t they like us?”
An actor had just been born.
Jack wasn’t sure if Nakoma was teasing or not. “Because they’s got no good sense. They’s why.” Jack actually sounded angry. Nakoma looked up at Jack; dimples popping; eyes sparkling and answered his friend.
”They must be crazy.” He followed up his pronouncement with the hand sign for a crazy person; his fist making a circular motion at his brow.
Jack agreed. “They must be at that. We won’t talk about them anymore.”
Nakoma shook his head in agreement with his friend. They were quiet for a moment, then Jack heard the nearly silent chuckle and looked up to see Nakoma laughing from behind his hand. The humor of the situation was cathartic and Jack laughed until tears came to his eyes.
They sat quietly, for a long moment; then Nakoma got up to put out the fire. Without a word, they took up their belongings and started their journey…due West…back to the settlement and home.