April 3, 1870

Kansas.

I made my way slowly to the Apache village this afternoon after a boar had come at me along the way. I limped towards the tipis, hoping I’d found the Apache village and not the Cheyenne one. I saw Tala and went over to her. “Tala... A boar... It attacked... And I’m…” I started. 

“Gored or scratched up?” she nodded. 

“It bit my leg... I can’t quite seem to move it normally. Think it’s just scratched up.” 

She nodded and led me towards the camp. I sat down by the fire and she bent down beside me, pulling out her pouch. Tala began cleaning my wound and I looked over at her, “Is it bad?” 

She took a cloth and began wiping the blood, then shook her head. “No. Just scratched a bit. No stitches.” 

She kept her eyes on her wound and said, “Not see you in days.” 

“I’ve been here... I was here the other night getting some writing done but no one was here. Agoshe for your help, Tala…” 

“Ashoge,” Tala corrected me and applied some salve on the wound. She sat back and looked at me. “Where you go when not here?” 

“My normal work. Chief Nah trusts me because he knows I don’t wear a weapon. He knows I won’t betray him. Ashoge.” 

“You don’t know how he feels. You do not know him. You do not know our ways. I told you when you first came you must choose one path to be trusted. I see you can’t do that. Tala will not count you as sister,” Tala shook her head and stood. 

“I know you don’t understand, Tala.” 

“It is not I who does not understand, White Woman,” she smiled sadly. 

“It is hard to be raised one way, to have a whole life one way, and then to find out that you were born another. At least I am making an effort to learn my heritage and do not care who knows I am here.” 

“You will never be trusted. You think Nah trusts you? I say you’re a fool.” 

“Maybe I am,” I shrugged. But I know I am doing the right thing.” 

“Learning our ways so you can help destroy us?” she asked and I shook my head. “Why you want to be Apache?” 

“No. Learning our ways so I can learn our heritage. So that I can feel at peace and with family for once in my life again. To mend fences that have been broken. To make a way for bridges to be built in the future.” 

“You will only bring trouble to my people. And when you do, I will kill you. What your people say when you proudly say you live here sometimes?” 

“That’s not going to stop me from learning about where I came from,” I shrugged. 

“You not answer. I don’t blame you. It would only prove me right,” she chuckled. “What you do when you here?” 

“I sit by the beavers and write... Like I’m going to do now. I connect with my spirit guide and try to feel peace and comfort.” 

“White Man’s work. You want to be apache, do apache things. All talk. Nah cannot trust you. None of us can.” 

“The comfort I can only feel from nature and animals like I find here in this place…” I sighed, wanting to add ‘not from people’, but I didn’t. “I am writing my memoirs... about the times with other Native tribes… I try to remember what people have said, how they have acted, so I can avoid the same things from happening again or perhaps build fences to renew trust.” 

Tala rolled her eyes a bit and said, “Yes, I can see where that will be so helpful to Apache people. Tala wishes you would go back to White Man’s world and stay there. At least then you were honest.” 

I looked at her with pain in my eyes, knowing it would be a long time before she trusted me. 

“Go do your writing, White Woman. I have work to do, as do all apache.” 

I shook my head and walked off, not even replying. I saw the canoe in the river and rowed out into the middle of the lake. I wasn’t in a writing mood so I canoed around the lake and then climbed out at a dock by the waterfall to sit on the rock and think. 

*** 

Colorado. 

Back at home this afternoon, I walked outside of my office and greeted Bo. I told him about getting the paper out that morning and he took a copy to read it. I wandered off to find Adder and told him about the paper. 

“Did you get a copy?” I asked him. 

“Aye I did, very good,” he nodded and chuckled. “But one criticism.” 

“The article about you was okay?” I smiled. 

“Page FIVE?! Me?” he grinned. 

“I did it by date,” I chuckled. “Any response from it around town yet that you’ve heard? Was wondering if that thing about the mayor would catch some people’s attention.” 

“No, it’s been quiet all day.” 

“Weird… Was gonna go over to the saloon but wanted to see if you were up for joinin’ me?” 

“Thanks but I reckon I’ll be heading to bed soon.” 

“I figured that much too just thought I’d offer,” I said, knowing he liked his afternoon naps. 

I headed towards the saloon and talked with Bo and Rox. We talked about the paper and Rox looked at me at one point and asked, “Well you did hear about the bank getting robbed twice the other day didn’t you Miss Paige?” 

“The bank was robbed the other day? Like... Monday?” 

“I think that was the day. Sometimes my days blend together,” Rox giggled. 

“I was thinking it was yesterday,” Bo said. 

“No, I hadn’t heard about it yet. See Bo? The job just comes to me,” I grinned. 

“Well seems like it,” he smiled. 

“So tell me about it. What happened?” I looked at Rox. 

“Mr. Spaid said the second set robbers seemed very angry that they got nothing when they went to rob the bank, since they got nothing,” she explained. “Seems they stormed off in quite the huff towards Texas. Least that’s what I heard.” 

“Texas huh… Well that’s news to me.” 

“I’d have thought you would have heard about it the same day.” 

“Nope... No one told me anything.” 

“You probably need to hire yourself some informers. Like some of the orphans or something.” 

“Well that’s what you’re here for, right Rox?” I winked at her. “And Adder and Sam tell me things... but I could use some more writers.” 

“I’ll let you know what I hear. But most of my time is spent here dancing,” she giggled. 

“Mmhmm. But people come to the saloon to drink and talk. Is why I was a saloon dancer when I first started out. They have any idea who did the robbery, Rox?” 

“You might want to ask Mr. Spaid or Miss Allegra, They were talking about it.” 

“Will do. Congrats on taking over the saloon, Bo,” I smiled over at Bo then. 

“Thanks Miss Trin. I got a feeling it’s going to be a handful,” he smiled. 

I went out for a ride and then came back to the saloon. Bo, Rox and I continued to talk and then I headed back home to sleep.