_Neither
of the campfire. Old Nancy Ward leaned over and asked her softly: "So why did you come, girl?"
Tiana shifted her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I just needed to find out. Or I'd wonder about it for years."
"Good reason."
"You think so?" Tiana was genuinely interested in the old woman's opinion. Nancy Ward was a Ghighua. The Cherokee word had several translations into English. "War Woman" was one of them. But Tiana just thought of her as "wise."
The old woman smiled, wisely. "Oh, yes. Best reason there is to do anything, I sometimes think."
Chapter 16
June 18, 1814
Tiana and her companions left the island before daybreak, hoping to elude the Chickasaws altogether. If they pushed hard, they'd be safe by midafternoon, and they could make it to Ross Landing by nightfall. The area around Chatanuga was not one any hostile Chickasaws would venture near.
Her brother James predicted that the maneuver wouldn't work, and it didn't take long to find out that he was right. Just as the sun was coming up, they saw two canoes coming upriver toward them. Even at a distance, they could see that the canoes were packed with painted warriors.
"Chickasaws, sure enough," James said, reading the colors on the distant faces. That was enough, even if he couldn't see the specific patterns yet. He swiveled and studied the river behind them.
"Go back?" asked his brother. "Or go ashore?"
"Neither, I think. There's at least one canoe back there, although I can barely see it." His eyes quickly scanned both riverbanks. "And they've probably got warriors in the woods, too."
The canoe bearing John Ross, Sequoyah, and Nancy Ward drew alongside.
"What should we do?" asked Ross. The question was asked flatly and calmly. Technically, it could be argued that Ross was in charge of
Tiana shifted her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I just needed to find out. Or I'd wonder about it for years."
"Good reason."
"You think so?" Tiana was genuinely interested in the old woman's opinion. Nancy Ward was a Ghighua. The Cherokee word had several translations into English. "War Woman" was one of them. But Tiana just thought of her as "wise."
The old woman smiled, wisely. "Oh, yes. Best reason there is to do anything, I sometimes think."
Chapter 16
June 18, 1814
Tiana and her companions left the island before daybreak, hoping to elude the Chickasaws altogether. If they pushed hard, they'd be safe by midafternoon, and they could make it to Ross Landing by nightfall. The area around Chatanuga was not one any hostile Chickasaws would venture near.
Her brother James predicted that the maneuver wouldn't work, and it didn't take long to find out that he was right. Just as the sun was coming up, they saw two canoes coming upriver toward them. Even at a distance, they could see that the canoes were packed with painted warriors.
"Chickasaws, sure enough," James said, reading the colors on the distant faces. That was enough, even if he couldn't see the specific patterns yet. He swiveled and studied the river behind them.
"Go back?" asked his brother. "Or go ashore?"
"Neither, I think. There's at least one canoe back there, although I can barely see it." His eyes quickly scanned both riverbanks. "And they've probably got warriors in the woods, too."
The canoe bearing John Ross, Sequoyah, and Nancy Ward drew alongside.
"What should we do?" asked Ross. The question was asked flatly and calmly. Technically, it could be argued that Ross was in charge of