“Yea, she was forced from her home at the tip of a bayonet and made to walk from the coast of South Carolina to the Tennessee River. She would’ve gone much further…if she’d never met my father.”
“I recognize the bitter sweetness in your voice. It’s difficult to hate someone you love, isn’t it?”
“Yea.” He thought he’d been doing a pretty good job of it for years – until the day Cole came to tell him the old man was dead. Ela Blue joined Reno, placing the bowl of stew on the ground at his feet, then sitting on a pile of blankets next to him. “Thank you, ma’am. You know what gets me more than anything? Something I just can’t get out of my head?”
“Tell me,” she encouraged, placing her bowl next to his. She would eat when he ate.
Removing his hat, he held it by the brim, sliding his fingers around the edge. “She knew.”
“What?”
“She knew. All the time, from the beginning – she knew.”
“What did she know, Reno?”
He whistled out a breath of air, as if his lungs were too full.
“Everything. That my father would leave her. That he would take Cole and not me. How he would leave us to struggle without them.” He looked over at Ela. “Before she died, she told me the singing waters spoke to her many times. From the first night she stood by the river, she knew what the future held.” He paused, then shook his head. “Why would she do that? Why would she stay and marry him – knowing how it would all end?”
Ela stared at Reno for a few moments, staying nothing. Finally, she turned her head to gaze at the flames of the campfire. “You know the answer to that question.”
“Do I?”’ Reno dry-scrubbed his face, trying to sort his thoughts. “Because…she could see things would be worse for her further down the Trail of Tears?”
“No.”
He chuckled softly, nodding knowingly. “Of course not, she never put herself first. Even though she could see the heartbreak ahead, she stayed because of Cole…and me.”
“A mother’s love knows no end.” She nudged him. “By the by…you remind me of my oldest son.”
“I do?” Reno could hear both sadness and peace within her voice. “Tell me about him.”
Ela moved her head from side to side, as if she were refusing to speak, then she spoke softly. “He was a good man. I lost him last spring. Tyee was your age.”
“What happened to him?”
“Raiders came through. Ambushed him as he hunted. When he didn’t visit me as promised, I looked for him…” Her words trailed off.
“I’m sorry. Who killed him? Who were the raiders? Another tribe?”
“I fear not. Evil comes in many disguises.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.
“I will say no more,” she told him solemnly. “The thread of fate must unwind in its own time.”
“What about your other children? Are they near enough to take care of you?”
“My beautiful daughter lives in the village. She attends to my needs, if I have them.” She pointed to his bowl. “Now, eat.”
“All right. You convinced me.” He dug into the savory stew. Despite their sad conversation, a sense of peace enveloped him. A long breath left his lungs as he relaxed, stretching out his legs in front of the warm fire. Glancing around, he marveled at the hominess of the stone cavern. She’d made a comfortable haven for herself with handwoven blankets, baskets, and beautiful pottery. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”
What he said struck Ela as funny and she giggled like a schoolgirl. “You’ve had too much locoweed, Mr. Black.”
“Maybe.” He held out his bowl for more. “May I?”
“Certainly.” She rose to give him another helping. “I like it here. Sometimes I’m lonely, but I’m always safe.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, taking the food from her. “Hold on, let me help.” Taking her arm, he held the older woman steady as she eased to a rug, folding her legs beneath her. “You’re all alone here. How is that safe?”
She picked up a canteen and took a sip of water, then offered it to Reno. “This area is full of caves, yet I am the only one living here. Have you ever wondered why?”
After taking a sip, he replaced the stopper. “I haven’t thought about it.”
Taking the canteen from Reno, she propped it against a rock at her side. “For many generations, this has been sacred ground to my people. The spirits of our