The days were starting to get more warmer as I continued traveling on the Great Plains, my feet dragged as I made myself walk through the tall grass, each step taking me further and further into the plains ahead. The days were longer now and I did my best to hunt whenever I could and make the food last as much as possible. Though water was scarce and I filled up as much as I could when I did see a small lake, pond or if I was lucky, a small river so it would last me a while as well. The days of walking continued for me as I pondered whether or not to settle down somewhere or keep going until I found other tribes that might take me in as one of their own.

On one particular day, I decided to set up camp for the night by a small pond under a small grove of trees when I hear the familiar sound of wagons coming from behind me and getting closer. I quickly turned around and saw it was settlers traveling through the Great Plains and possibly going west. I quickly gathered my belongings and tried to calm myself as they approached the pond. I knew what settlers did to us if we acted or behaved in any way that they deemed unacceptable. So I tried thinking of ways I could get myself out of this situation but my head was spinning from all of the noise in my head that by the time I had calmed down, they had finally reached me and stopped just a foot or two away from the pond, a little concerned on what to do. The woman wore a blue pattern dress with a white bonnet hung over her head, her blonde hair neatly tied under it. Her blue eyes were bright and filled with worry as she looked at me standing there, grabbing her husband's arm and inching closing to him as he tried to telling her something that I couldn't understand. The man was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers and had a hat on his head that covered his dark colored hair. His brown eyes then looked at me before he gave the reins that drove the horses to his wife and getting off the wagon. The man then walked slowly to me, saying something that I didn't understand. I stepped away and didn't say anything, not sure on what to do. He repeated himself again, this time reaching his hand out as he did so. I again stepped back away from the man, feeling the water around my feet as I did so. He then looked at his wife and said something before looking back at me, just watching me this time his hand was down at his side again. His wife got down from the wagon and went around and towards the back of it.

The wind blew a little bit around us as I could hear the trees rustling and the water rippling behind me. Eventually the wife comes out from behind the wagon with something in her hands and walks over to her husband. When she had it to her husband, I realized that it was a blanket. He then said something to me again before stretching the blanket out in front of him and setting it on the ground before taking a few steps away from it. His wife by this point, had already taken a few steps back as well and had a worried look on her face as she watched us, waiting to see what I would do next. I hesitated for a bit before quickly walking over to the blanket and grabbing it. I could see the man smile a little at his wife before gesturing at me to come and follow him to their wagon. I didn't know if they had good intentions or were just scared but I figured traveling with them a ways would help me get across the plains a bit faster than walking so I followed them to the back of the wagon where they had a bit of space in the back just big enough for me to sit in there and ride with them. The man helps me up onto the wagon while the wife made sure that the horses had something to drink. Once their horses had something to drink, the man helped his wife onto the wagon before getting on himself.

The man then looked at me to make sure I was safe, then looked at his wife, sighed a bit before then making the horses start moving from the pond and towards the tree grove and past it, heading towards some far off mountains in the distance. The wagon swayed back and forth as it moved along the grass, their belongings neatly covered and packed all around me, held down by rope and boxes that kept them from falling off the wagon or flying all over the wagon and breaking. I could see the grove of trees getting smaller and smaller as we continued along the path towards the mountains. Their tall snowy peaks stretched out towards the sky high above us telling us that it was still early spring and winter hadn't ended just yet. On occasion, the wife would check up on me and even though I didn't understand their language, I could tell she was starting to feel less nervous about me and more concerned about how I was doing as she slowly made a effort to do so. Days passed by and the couple made an effort to try and communicate with me as we kept traveling together. It was difficult for all of us to communicate to each other but with pictures and hand gestures, we somehow managed to get through one another just fine. As the sun rose in the sky, we arrived on the outskirts of a small town near the base of the mountains. The couple stopped the wagon near a water trough before getting out. The woman then came to help me out while the man went off somewhere else. While we waited, we ate a little bread and had some water before the woman's husband came back and he wasn't alone. It was a woman maybe a few years older than me and she wore a green dress that flowed down all around her and her brown hair neatly tied on her head. Her green eyes were filled with a stern but gentle look as she introduced herself to the wife. She then looks at me and says in my native language with a gentle smile:

"My name is Mary. The couple here told me they found you all alone on the plains. Can you tell me your name and what happened to your family?"

At first I was stunned on how she knew my language and I wanted to ask so many questions but I decided to answer her for the time being and said to her, "my name is little feather. My village was attacked by settlers and I alone survived. I've wandering around for days living off the land."

She then translated what I said to the couple before then taking my hand and says "I am sorry, child, that such a thing happened to you. It must have not been easy for you. I lost my family in an attack myself. So I know your pain, as hard as it is to deal with right now."

"Thank you. But I wanted to ask how you know my language? I've never heard of a settler speaking one of our native languages before." I asked.

"My mother was from a tribe very much like yours. She met my father when he was out riding one day and had gotten hurt. She then nursed him back to full health and eventually fell in love and she went with him back home and hadn't looked back since." She said.

"I see. She must have had a kind soul to save your father." I said.

"She did, she died a few years ago." She said with a sad sigh.

"Oh I am sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine. For now, let's get you all a couple of rooms for the night. I run a hotel with my husband and kids a few streets away from here. It might not be fancy but it'll do."

"Thank you." I say to her and she gives me a small smile in return before looking over at the couple and translated what I said to her.

A few words were exchanged between them before we then walked down to the hotel where she lived and worked at with her family. I could feel the stares of the other people living there on me as we walked. Their faces filled hate or curiosity as we walked past them. I felt uneasy, wanting to hide or do anything to get away from here but I had no where to go and I didn't know what the people would do if I was seen by myself, so I just decided to stay close to Mary and the couple for the time being. Once we arrived at the hotel, we met Mary's husband whose name was Arthur and was a skinny and tall man with red hair and green eyes with pale skin. He set us up for two rooms for the night, the couple in one room and me in another one. Once we were settled in the rooms for the night, we had dinner in the downstairs of the hotel. After dinner, the couple who helped me went upstairs and Mary told me that they would leave in the morning in a different direction from me and they also said that they would leave me in her care for a while since I was safer with her than on my own and on the road. As much as I wanted to be on my way, I decided to stay with her for a few days and gather supplies before I left town and towards the mountains like I had planned. I then said goodnight to her and Arthur and went up to my room. As I sat in the chair next to the window, I could see the sun setting as the sky was filled with orange and pink with a hint of red. Clouds floated overhead as the sun continued to fade off into the horizon as it slowly began dark. Stars also appeared and shined bright in the sky like fireflies off in the distance. As I stared out into the night sky and the wide plains ahead, I couldn't help but think of my family and the other people of the village.

Were they watching over me as I traveled?

Was little wolf?

My sister?

My mother?

A tear rolled down my cheek as I remembered everyone that before I knew it, I had curled up on the chair, crying, thinking on where I would go and if my journey would never end and if I'll ever find the answers or if I ever see the end in sight. After a long cry, I crawled into bed and fell asleep, hoping that tomorrow was a better hope and my journey would finally come to an end.