U’tana’ Waya was a warrior of his
people. The men of his family had been hunters since the times when land and
sky were one. Once the sons of the chief had chosen their brides the men of the
Waya line had their choice of the most beautiful women amongst the tribe. They
always had. Hunters had been revered and loved. It was when the soft men came
that the role of his family had changed.
The
soft pink men destroyed everything they touched. They ravaged the land, burned
the trees, and slaughtered the animals of the forest with no thought towards
leaving enough to breed and prosper to provide food for the children of their
children. Witness the absence of buffalo after their arrival, a thing that had
never before been a danger. Worst of all these pigs violated and defiled the
women of the tribe.
The
tribe was naught more than animals to the pigs. Their women were property to be
stolen, used, destroyed, and then returned in a tarnished state or worse left
lying in their blood and shame; forced to survive on their own if they were
able, which many were not. The tribe must then attempt to set to right whatever
devastation had been most recently visited upon those women after the soft pink
men had departed. They did what they could but as the pigs also slaughtered
members of the tribe; man, woman or child; when the urge or strong drink was
upon the interlopers the tribe had a difficult time of it.
If the natives
resorted to extreme measures such actions could be understood could they not?
They were necessary. What brave would wish a violated squaw? If one claimed or
spoke for the woman she was left in peace. It made U’tana’ ill when one was
disposed of. Avoiding such a fate for as many as possible was why he had taken
one of the defiled for his own wife. It was also why his eldest daughter was
not of his blood.
U’tana’ was
thirsty for revenge. The tribe was hungry for blood and satisfaction. First the
explorers came and some of those did not survive, though most passed through
too quickly and the vengeance was much as ashes in the mouth of the tribe. Next
the cavalry arrived and the tribe flowed their wrath upon the men in blue. Some
of the soft men passed with the attacks. The losses to the invaders were not
enough to hide that those attacks did more to leave the tribe broken and
depleted of warriors than they did to stem the invasion. With U’tana’s people
“broken” and depleted the government of the soft pink men declared the land
tamed. The three brothers came to the acres they had purchased despite the fact
that the tribe had never sold it. Finally the tribe saw the chance to balance
the scales.
The brothers
Porc had purchased the land at an amazing price from the government. They had
no qualms about what had happened there, though that was part of the reason for
the discount. There was still some concern that the efforts to drive off or
exterminate the savages that inhabited the land previously had not been
entirely successful. The official that had signed papers with them had been
emphatic that he told them of the danger only because it was required. In his
professional opinion there was no longer cause for concern. The cavalry had
seen to that.
The brothers
were divided in their acceptance of that assurance. Andre, the eldest and most
morbid of humor had complete faith that the Lord and his rulers would protect
him. Benoit, the middle brother and shortest of temper believed that God was on
his side but that human officials were full of lies if it brought them the ends
they sought. Pierre, the youngest and most nervous of spirit knew that all men
deceived and believed that the Lord only helped those that helped themselves.
Thus they were arguing.
“We should mock
these savages!” Andre insisted in his gruff and boisterous tones. “We will
build our homes from grass and mud in honor of their huts and in the manner of
their teepees!”
The time had
long passed that the younger brothers caved instantly to the bleetings of their
elder. Both shook their head. Andre was hard to take, though his brothers could
do so with more ease than others. Pierre would not look upon his brother.
Benoit was more benevolent. He spoke in calm, soothing, reasonable tones when
he offered his own opinions.
“While I believe
that we are safe there is no reason to be cruel to the animals. Moreover it is
wise to take precaution and avoid tempting fate by mocking them. I advise that
we build cabins of log as we had back home.”
Andre laughed
off the suggestion. Benoit had skin thickened by a lifetime of jibes from his
brother and shrugged off this newest one. Pierre then offered his own advice.
He seethed the words out in a sibilant hiss that was positively serpentine and
brooked no argument.
“We must defend
ourselves. We shall build a fortress of the sturdiest stones we can pull from
the land and fill it with soldiers and men at arms.”
Pierre’s tone
brooked no argument and yet the other brothers did so. Under open air and then
in their tent to protect from morning dew the siblings raged and bickered. The
disagreement knew no surcease. At the end they declared they were no longer
family and would see each other no more. They divided the plot in thirds. Each
would abandon the others and do their own will upon their private land.
Andre went north
and built his mocking hut of grass and mud. Benoit cut down trees that had been
sacred to the tribe and built his log cabin on the ground where he had lost his
brothers in symbol if not fact. Pierre rode south to build his outpost after
gathering the largest and mightiest of stones from the hills that existed
there.
For a time the
brothers knew peace. It was the peace that only one that lives without danger
and with enough distance from his family that they might visit but not happen
upon him can know. For a time solitude and peace brought with them happiness.
That time was less than a week.
#dark #politicalcommentary #shortstory #fairytale #nativeamerican
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