by Libby, age 12

Smoke rose into the starry sky as Native Americans danced around the blazing fire, their black hair swinging back and forth in broad braids. Their faces turned up to the sky as their hands reached up into the stars. They sung mystical words as they pleaded to the gods.

Far off in the prairie soldiers marched right to the Native American’s tribe to drive them off their rightfully owned land. The Native Americans knew from a vision from their gods, and now they asked for help. Women and children had beads of tears roll down their cheeks, as death could be near and they knew they couldn’t run from it forever. Therefore they stayed in their encampment with their trusted mustangs grazing in the fields

Off in the woods rode two young Native Americans astride their two loyal mustangs, hoping for another vision to save their tribe. One horse was white with black spots and a flowing black and white mane. A girl sat on it with crimped hair as it was once in a braid, cascading down her rabbit fur shawl. The other horse was pure black, with a young, skinny boy with shoulder length pitch black hair. They let the horses lead them to the spot in which they might see a vision.

Suddenly the horses stopped, knowing their loving masters were tired. The Native Americans started a fire and tied their horses to a tree so they wouldn’t run away, because of the strange surroundings. They rested on the ground and started to drift off into sleep or into a trance.

The girl woke with a fright. Her horse Catori, meaning spirit, and the boy’s horse Machk, meaning bear, were untied and rubbing against her shoulders. “Ohitekah (meaning brave) wake up. Our horses are untied and seem uncomfortable,” the girl said with a nudge at his side.

“What, Hantagwee (meaning faithful),” he answered.

“Let’s catch our horses, they’re loose and are acting weird.”

They both slowly approached their horses and tried to comfort them.

Hantaywee watched her horse and knew something was wrong, “I am sure something’s wrong. I believe our horses sense it,” she said to Ohitekah as she mounted her mare. She set off and Ohitekah was riding right behind her on his stallion.

* * * * * * * * * * *

They rode the wind, and when they reached the tribe devastation struck the kids like an arrow piercing their skin. The whole camp was deserted. However, the tribe was lucky a few fellow friends and horses were shot but most were driven off the land. Tepees were shredded to pieces and hung in the trees and blankets laid everywhere in strands. Also there wasn’t any fur, probably taken to be sold. It was a disaster.

The kids looked out to the west and didn’t see any of their people, but then out of the mist came a charging horse. It was Hantaywee’s horse Catori. She must have run off while the kids were looking around. The horse pawed at the ground with its hoof, like it was anxious to charge somewhere else.

“She must have scented our people’s trail — let’s go!” said Ohitekah.

“Okay,” said Hantaywee.

Ohitekah jumped up on his horse, and was ready to run off when he looked back to see Hataywee standing in the same spot. “What are you doing, aren’t you coming?”

She seemed nailed to the spot, and as if the world was crashing around her. “Look at this; they destroyed everything we owned!” she screamed, “Of course I’m coming. We are being erased from this world along with our trusted mustangs, and right now they are the two things I truly adore so let’s go and save those two things.”

With that she jumped up on her loyal steed and they rode off into the sunset, with Catori in the lead.

* * * * * * * * * *

They rode through the endless prairie with no break that night, because they had to find their people as soon as possible. They searched for a whole night and day and didn’t find them. They knew they most likely were moving on too. They continued to trudge on, and they knew they wouldn’t make it without their steeds.

That night the kids and horses were getting tired and needed a rest. They found a ditch to rest in. It was a perfect place to sleep, and would keep them safer than sleeping out in the open.

Their horses took their last energy to walk into the ditch. When they got to the ditch they found it was bigger than they thought, and there were people in it. They started to turn away until they realized it was their tribe. They tied their horses up and ran down the ditch to meet their people. They were all huddled together, either drifting off to sleep or already fast asleep. Hantaywee and Ohitekah tiptoed around the mass of people to get to their chief. They shook his shoulders until he awoke.

“Huh!” exclaimed the chief. He looked around, then rubbed his eyes and realized that the two kids were here. “Oh you blessed children, you’ve returned. We feared you were attacked by the soldiers. How did you find us?”

“It was the horses. They sensed something was wrong so we headed to the camp,” they said in unison.

“Then Catori scented your trail, and we followed it until we found you,” said Hantaywee

“I’m so glad to see you, and I know I speak for the whole tribe when I say that,” said the chief.

“Well we are just glad to see you all,” said the two kids.

They revisited their friends and family and were very happy until there was a frightening sound. BANG! It was a gun being shot.

* * * * * * * * * *

There was a couple of men looking down on the ditch. “Look Frank, look at these dirty Indians,” one white man said.

Another came up with two rifles and handed one to the other man. “I see Ed, do you think we should kill them? The mayor said capture or kill any you see.”

“Yeah let’s kill them, capturing is just harder,” said the other.

They cocked the rifle and were ready to shoot when the kids’ horses ran out of the dust, and straight to the two man. The horses hit the men, and made them fall into the ditch.

The whole tribe rejoiced and adored their heroes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Epilogue: Each person of the tribe lived a long life, and now their relatives live on a reservation.

The End