The River People

The River People

Kristen James

Smashwords Edition

ePUB ISBN 978-1-4661-2039-6

Copyright Kristen James

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The River People

© Kristen James

www.writerkristenjames.com

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Other works by Kristen James:

Embers of Hope

More Than Memories

A Cowboy For Christmas

The Enemy’s Son

The Fairy and her Giant

Praise for Kristen James’ Writing:

For The River People:

The characters are well developed; the reader cares about them and what’s going to happen next. River-Song is a complex person, as all 15 year olds are. However, in her culture, she is no longer considered a child and one day will become the leader of her village. During this critical summer, she leaves the last trace of childhood firmly behind and gains a maturity that stands her in good stead as she faces many challenges, both within herself and from the outside. What direction should she lead her people? How will she meet the threat to her happiness and to her people as a whole? The answers are cleverly woven into a good read. Trisha Dias, The Douglas County News

More Than Memories

James has a great way with words and builds very realistic characters. I really enjoyed this story and although I usually do not go for romance, the relationship between Trent and Molly held my attention as they searched through their past to piece together the detail of Molly's mysterious disappearance. Reader review of More Than Memories, also rated 5 stars by The Fictional Bookshelf and BigAl’s Books n Pals.

"A Cowboy for Christmas is a great romance for the holidays or anytime you like. A bit fun and flirty read that will not disappoint." Coffee Time Romance

"A beautifully woven plot, Embers of Hope, Flickers of Passion, will have you crying with Cassie, cheering for Jason, and praying Eric does not return to distinguish the flames that are spreading between Jason and Savanna."

The River People

Prologue

In The Fall

Sits-and-Thinks, the village chief, held the salmon bones as he danced, singing low and soft. He wore a deerskin shirt and pants, adorned with shells they had bartered from coastal tribes, and painted with symbols for their clan. His hair, now gray, did not glimmer in the sunshine, but his eyes were alert and shiny with thankfulness.

As she moved with the people, his daughter River-Song listened to his voice, and the soft crunch that his moccasins made on the worn river pebbles under his feet. The people danced on the riverbank behind him, voices lifted together in prayer. Chief Sits-and-Thinks held the bones above his head and the singing stopped.

Chief Salmon, return again.

No one spoke as he let Chief Salmon’s bones slip into the river to return to his home. They paused, surrounded by the morning beauty, to give honor to the fish that gave them life.

Only by showing the first salmon this respect every fall would they bring the salmon back. The circle begins again, she thought. The harmony of their traditions held them together and bound them to the land.

When the ceremony ended, braves went to fish, but River-Song stood beside her father, lifting her face into the weak sunshine. She would miss the sun through the winter. She loved listening to stories in the long houses during winter, but she felt so free and happy in the summer.

Next year, when they traveled to the summer games at the main village, she would prove herself to Walks-with-Pumas, the big chief’s son. She would marry him next year. This summer hadn’t gone as she planned, and she hadn’t married. Many girls married after seeing fourteen summers, and this summer had been her fifteenth.

But that couldn’t take away her joy at the beauty around them in their valley of winding streams. The leaves on the oak trees were changing to their fall time colors. She liked to walk through the fields of tall oat grass where it grew above her head. The summer heat had dried it yellow, and soon they would burn it along with the underbrush around their village. Hills surrounded them, rising up where the oaks blended into the ancient cedar and fir forests, canopying high above to catch the rains.

You are dancing inside. Sits-and-Thinks turned to her and smiled, love for his daughter shining in his eyes.

Why not, father? We have so many reasons to be joyful. She lifted her hands to the clear blue sky. We grow in number and make a good life in our valley. But when she saw her father’s face, her arms fell and her smile went away. Why is there sadness in your eyes?

I have seen many falls and springs come and go. I have lived a happy life.

Father, you talk like the old men. You’re not half as old and wrinkled as Singing-Owl. She could not lose her father! The village could not lose their chief!

Singing-Owl is strong. I am not. I have held my thoughts for a long time, River-Song. But your desires are pushing you to action. I want to see things completed before I walk to the Long house in the woods.

She did not speak at his sad words, but held back her tears. Tree-Song, her mother, had walked to that long house many winters ago, leaving her song knowledge and her language to River-Song. You want to be with Tree-Song again. She wanted to see her mother, too, who had come from their brothers over the mountain. River-Song, remembering her mother’s loving eyes, hoped she had her mother’s looks. Because her mother was from their cousin tribe, River-Song’s forehead had not been flattened as a baby. The other girls thought she was ugly, but she didn’t care. Her beauty came from her heart, just like her mother’s.

I know you don’t want to think about my death, but you are strong. He took her by the shoulders, his eyes both stern and proud. You can lead our village.

She understood that her father saw things in her that the other braves did not. What does Chief Blue-Lightning think? This chief led the four villages of their tribe, and he made decisions after seeking counsel from the three village chiefs.

You will have to prove yourself to him next summer. The games are the best way.

No, I’ll bring the sacred token to him next year. No one could speak against that. She failed before, but she would be ready and stronger at the games next summer.

No, daughter, you couldn’t this summer. Focus on what you can do. Use reason. Use your strengths. He gave her a gentle shake because he could not see her expression. This is a time of plenty. You do not need to tend to your work yet. Go welcome the salmon.

And she did, running with strong legs along the murmuring river. Her braided hair flew behind her as she jumped from boulder to boulder. She slowed and climbed the hill to look down over their village. The village by the falls was hers. They had three long houses, each with four families in them.

Grandfather cedar gave them many trees for their homes. They used wedges to borrow great planks without taking the tree from the forest.

Their great river gave life to the trees, and life to the fish that fed her people. She stood grateful for this, her face lifted again to the sky. The blue above and the blue of the river were both sacred to them.

Chief Salmon sat on top of their totem pole, guarding the village and welcoming all. Her village had two canoes carved to look like great salmon.

I will never leave!

Are you so sure? Fast-Runner startled her, making River-Song realize she was too absorbed in the beauty around her. But Fast-Runner had no right to intrude on this moment. River-Song gave her friend a dirty look, but Fast-Runner didn’t seem to notice or care. You look like you might grow wings like an eagle and take off right here.

I am so happy, I could. River-Song grinned into the breeze. But I love my river too much. They sat down and did not speak. Fast-Runner got her name from her long legs that carried her faster than others her age. Her father had many things to trade for a good marriage for her, and she weaved the best cedar jackets in the village. Fast-Runner wore a beautifully weaved jacket now, without a lining of fur because it wasn’t yet cold. River-Song never let herself grow jealous, despite all this, because they were friends. But she suspected that Fast-Runner had turned against her in the last two years. Their friendship had turned into competition over everything.

During the winter, it was good that they had lived in two different long houses in their village. River-Song wished that Fast-Runner had married and moved to another village after the summer games. They both wanted to marry Walks-with-Pumas, but he had not decided. He knew he could pick any girl from the four villages, so he did not want to marry yet. Their tribe had more women than men of marrying age, and many women were worried about this.

The summer games were over for this year, and next year’s would not come for a long time, so there wasn’t any reason to talk about it yet. She saw that her friend thought about it anyway.

The men discuss if you can be the new village chief. Fast-Runner didn’t seem to care that this talk would lead to more tension between them. She should know her words were rude, but she intently watched River-Song, waiting for an answer.

River-Song didn’t give her one.

You couldn’t be the village chief here in our village and marry Walks-with-Pumas.

Why not? River-Song knew Fast-Runner couldn’t control any of this, so she had no right to talk about it.

You would live in the main village.

Maybe, River-Song said, not wanting to think about choosing between being a village chief and marrying Walks-with-Pumas. Customs could be changed. There could be a way for her to do both things. She thought back to the times when she and Fast-Runner played together and didn’t worry about the future. Isn’t it good for us that my father is village chief? I have many summers to prove that I can follow him.

That isn’t the talk in the long house.

What do they know? She rose and walked upstream, trying to regain the fluttering happiness she felt earlier. New anger came over Fast-Runner’s comments.

She wanted badly to marry Walks-with-Pumas, but she also wanted what would be better for her people. This is where