Where the Cabin Once Stood - Answer to Billybuc's Challenge

This is a flash fiction story with a tad of truth, to accept the challenge by Bill Holland known as billybuc on HubPages, using the picture prompt from the Lone Sentinel.

The beginning

Caroline’s father was a Cherokee Brave of the “a ni gi lo hi” (Long Hair) clan and her mother half Cherokee, half white.

Like her mother Caroline was strong willed, and resented having to work from sunup to sundown. She saw no future with a red man, and the young men of her clan were considered brothers and forbidden to marry within their own clan and most of the braves that were not of her clan felt intimidated by the fact that Caroline was better at hunting and shooting than they. Her mother taught her to do many things how to shoot both with a bow and a gun; Sophie also taught her daughter how to speak and read the white man’s language, and the Tsalagi language. Sophie also taught her daughter to think and stand up for herself.

When Caroline was summoned by her father to his lodge she entered and sat down in front of the fire near her father. She felt honored that her father sought her counsel.

Sophie usually sat in on the councils, but the past winter had been hard on Sophie and she succumbed to pneumonia and her spirit had left her.

Caroline missed her mother but, now she was the one who was called upon to speak for the women of the a ni gi lo hi (Long Hair) clan.

Caroline watched as the elders entered and took their place and sat before the fire. She knew them by sight, and most by name. The elders were followed by a stranger, who entered and took a place showing his profile.

Transfixed on his profile, Caroline her mind began to wander as she tried to remember, had she seen this handsome brave before?Thomas was tall, tan and fit, like most braves.

Inola her father called her by her tribal name. When she did not respond, he called her Caroline (her name given by her mother.) She snapped out of her trance as Thomas presented his request, and turned and looked into her eyes. She had never seen eyes so blue, she blinked as if they were going to burn a hole into her soul, and answered him in his own language.

When Caroline spoke another ripple of shock was sent through Thomas, and he questioned how she came to live with the tribe. Caroline replied, as though reading his mind. “I am the daughter of a tribal elder, with a motion towards her father, and my mother was half white.”

Thomas was given permission to drive his herd of cattle across the tribal land and also permission to wed when he asked for Caroline's hand.

Finding that the work was harder than she had thought it would be, in the white man’s world with no other women to share in the chores but, Caroline had grown to love the kind and gentle man she had married. A year into their marriage Thomas and Caroline were blessed with a son they named Adam, and the following year Mindy was born. Caroline now felt that her life was complete and she no longer yearned to return to her people, besides she now had Thomas and her babies.

Things took a turn in Caroline’s life and into their fourth year Thomas became ill and died leaving Caroline with no way to support herself and her children, she could not work the land by herself, and she had to return to her father’s, and her clan.

Caroline had not been with the tribe for long when she met a brave from the a ni wo di (Paint) clan and became his wife. Within the year she died giving birth to a little girl, whose name she had chosen before she was born. Her new husband could not care for the children and left Cassandra, Adam and Mindy to the care of Caroline’s father.

Adam was now called Yancy (meaning Englishman) because of his bright blue eyes; Mindy was now Atsila (meaning fire) because of her intense stare at anyone she met; and Cassandra was known as (blossom) Adsila.

Growing up Adam/Yancy and Mindy/Atsila had been allowed to attend the white man’s school and as they learned they taught Cassandra/Adsila to read and write the white man’s language and growing up with their grandfather all three spoke the Tsalagi language.

Mindy/Atsila, married a white man and in the woods is where their cabin stood. Adam/Yancy also chose to live among the white people, and became a teacher.

The Cherokee people were/are social and have social events around the campfires it was on one of these occasions when the seven clans came together as Cassandra emerged from her grandfather’s teepee and moved with the stealth of a cat. Light from the campfire sent sparkles of red highlighting from her Auburn hair, she was the most beautiful woman Adahy had ever seen. Adahy (meaning lives in the woods,) from the a ni sa ho ni (Blue), clan.

Although he had not spoken to Adsila, he knew she was the one. Adahy spoke with her grandfather and asked for her hand in marriage. I will only give my permission with Adsila’s consent, as her mother and her grandmother had their own mind, so does this granddaughter of mine.

Cassandra was drawn to Adahy and they were given the opportunity to get to know each other and soon she was looking forward to becoming his wife.

Cassandra was mysterious and sometimes she would disappear for days at a time. Adahy grew suspicious and asked her tribal mother, who was their chaperone during their courtship, where Adsila had gone. Her tribal mother only replied, Adsila (Cassandra) goes where she wants.

Cassandra/Adsila looked for Adahy and not finding him she road away, not knowing he would follow her that day.

He followed her to the cabin in the woods, stopping at a distance but close enough to see as the cabin door opened and they embraced the handsome young brave wearing white man's clothes and his beloved. He could not think, she had made a fool of him he was thinking as he rode back toward the village He wished she were dead!

Cassandra/Adsilla had not returned and it was getting late, it would soon be dark and Adahy could no longer wait.

Thunder was rumbling and lightening lit up the darkening sky. Adahy mounted his horse and road toward the cabin, he planned to beat down the door to find out WHY?

In the distance he saw the glow and urged his horse to gallop faster. He saw the cabin engulfed in flames, and remembered his wish that Cassandra/Adsila were dead, and wanted to take it back that thought in his head.

As he neared the cabin he could hear her screams and those of someone else he froze in his tracks and watched as flames licked at the door and a man with clothing ablaze. Was he trying to get in or trying to get out?

The next five years Adahy (living up to his name) wondered alone living in mountains and woods, tormented by the wish that his beloved would die. He would take the wish back if he could.

© by Shyron Shenko

Where the cabin once stood

Not one piece of wood

And no longer a trace

Except the lone sentinel still stands its place

Where the cabin once stood

The scenes from that night still play in his head

And the hurt by the words that he said

Could not be washed away by the tears that he shed

Where the cabin once stood

The lone brave dismounted his steed

And stood where he stood before

Remembering the flames engulfing the door

Where the cabin once stood

He would take back the wish if only he could

When he watched in silence the inferno grew

What caused the fire God only knew?

Where the cabin once stood

In the next scene he watched the man at the door

His clothing in flames

Is this the man he should blame?

Where the Cabin once stood

He rushed to the man

And threw him down

Rolling him over and over on the ground

Where the Cabin once stood

And he looked at the face of the man Cassandra embraced

But he had seen him before

As he remembered him as a member of her clan

Where the Cabin once stood

Forbidden to marry within one’s own clan

Was he being used to shield their plans

While she met secretly with this man?

Where the cabin once stood

He knelt on the earth where grass now grew

Did anyone else know what he knew?

As the roar of the fire still sounded in his head

His mind filled with raging anger

He unsheathe his knife

But, his heart tempered by compassion

Prevented his taking of the man’s life

Where the cabin once stood

He tried not to think as he hoisted the man upon his steed

Climbed up behind him

And galloped away at break-neck speed

The medicine man was waiting

As if, by premonition he knew

And had gathered Yellow-Spined Thistle

For burns he also prepared other brews

Where the cabin once stood

Five years he tried to forget the past

Now in front of the Lone Sentinel

He would find peace at last

With the tip of the knife turned towards his heart

The torment he knew would soon fade

And threw himself upon the blade

Keeping the pact with the Great Spirit he’d made

He laid on a fluffy tick with downy white sheets

Under the bandage his heart still beats

When I first saw you I thought you were dead

So for you own safety you are tied to the bed

In the Tsalagi language the white man spoke

Were the Cabin once stood

The Lone Sentinel watches over the sacred ground

After the lightening strike burned the cabin down

Where you saved my life, I lost both my sisters

And you lost your soon to be wife

You know who I am? Adahy asked

Cassie wanted to surprise you with a brother namely me.

If she had found you that night

You would have perished in the cabin

Where the cabin once stood

In front of the Lone Sentinel

They both understood

They lost love and found brotherhood