I'm biting off more than I can chew with all these stories, but I wanted to write this and see where it goes. Who knows, I might delete it later and do a rewrite.

Sorry, no fancy cover for this story, until then enjoy the wolf love on the cover. :3

Mvskoke/Muscogee/Creek are the same tribe. Creek is what we're commonly called by whites because our people used to live by the water. Muscogee is what we truly are and Mvskoke is how we spell it in our language. Some of my people don't like being called Creek, but personally, I don't mind.

So now that that's out of the way. On with the show.

King and Lionheart

Chapter One:

The Pit

1908

A full moon cast its glow over the land, giving her enough light, as she navigated through the Cumberland Forest. Her silver mustang pinned her ears back and slowed to a lope. She gave the mare's neck a pat and urged her onward. Somewhere an owl hooted, and she practically jumped out of her skin. Shadows moved from tree to tree, a fox screamed, and a crow cawed. This journey was looking to be a mistake the deeper she traveled into the woods.

She wouldn't be the first to admit the dark frightened her. It always had. At nineteen, Nila should have outgrown her silly fear, but as time went on, she could only hide it. When she was younger, her step-father thought locking her away in a dark closet would cure this but it only worsened it. When he opened the door, he found she'd wet herself and for that; he punished her. Later that night, her mother pitched a fit when she found out what he'd done to her daughter. When her brother came home and found out what had happened, all hell broke loose. She didn't remember much, mostly because she blocked it out, but in the aftermath, her brother was thrown out of the house.

She never saw him again.

As much as she loved her mother, Nila never understood what she saw in that white man. He controlled everything in the house that was built by her father and ruled it with an iron fist. Her own father had been a kind, soft-spoken man, who wouldn't harm a soul, and it was this kindness that got him killed. In her darkest hours, she hated him for dying, causing her family's heartache and her step-father to take his place. The guilt would always take its place though. Then she'd miss him and the hurt would start all over again. Whenever her mother fought with the white man in her home, she would cuddle with her little brother(the only good thing that came from the marriage) and tell him stories of her father or sing to him. Nila hoped her brother would be okay with their mother while she was away. At least she could take solace in the fact that the man was dead.

Which was why she was on this journey in the first place.

Michael Daniels died in New Adeline, Ambarino on top of his favorite whore in a hotel room. Her mother cried and screamed, but Nila thought the tears were fake. At least she hoped they were fake. Her brother cried, but she did not. It was Michael's fault she had traumatic memories; it was his fault she flinched at loud sudden noises such as yelling or banging or when someone jerked their arm up abruptly. It was his fault Nila was forced to leave her home of Muskogee, Oklahoma and live in West Elizabeth where the racism towards Indians was much worse. Leaving the house almost always meant facing harassment. It was Michael who striped Nila of her identity by forcing her to change her name. No longer was her name to be Nila because in his eyes, her Muscogee name was a sign of savagery but at least he gave her the freedom to choose her own. As a way of keeping her identity, Nila picked Victoria because in the Muscogee language Nila meant victory. One name she refused to give up was her surname. Surnames were a colonizers' concept, that's what her mother told her once, but Tanner was her father's and she told Michael that Daniels would never come after her first name.

But right now as she navigated through the dark forest, she didn't feel very victorious. She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined her older brother or her father riding beside her. It melted away some of her fears, giving her the edge to keep going.

Father, I hope your spirit is with me tonight because I need you now more than ever. I'm so scared but Mother needs me.

Her mother was too overwhelmed with grief to claim Michael Daniels' body, so Nila had to be the one to do it. She took a train at first, but the farthest she could go was Valentine. Now she was forced to ride horseback the rest of the way. She cursed herself for not taking the train to Annesburg. At least someone was kind enough to point her in the right direction. She was glad she listened to her mother and took her horse, Eyota. It would be the last bit of advice, she'd take from her mother.

I'm sorry, Mother. I love you, but I can't stay home any longer. Your husband is dead and I don't have to worry about him hurting you anymore. Once I send Michael's body back to Blackwater, I will truly be free.

She'd have to make camp soon. The mare's stamina was slowing down and Nila's eyelids grew heavy.

"Just a bit further, girl."

Thirty minutes later, they found even ground near a creek and made camp. She hitched Eyota on a low-hanging branch and fetched water for her canteen. As she warmed by the fire, she felt eyes on the back of her head. Turning around, she saw nothing, but that eerie feeling wouldn't leave her.

Somewhere a coyote howled and foxes gekkered. Her heart leapt in her throat as her imagination ran wild. She wanted to jump onto her horse and keep running but the poor thing would drop dead before they passed the Grizzlies.

Nila rolled out her sleeping bag and nestled in. Because of the location, she wasn't worried about her fire. She closed her eyes, but despite being exhausted, sleep wouldn't come to her. All she could think about were the invisible eyes that watched her from deep within the forest.

At least her horse was calm. If Eyota was spooked, then she'd know trouble was out there. The mare lowered herself to the ground and gave a sigh of contentment. With Eyota sleeping peacefully, it gave Nila some comfort as she dozed off, her dreams filled with better days.

The next morning was freezing. She didn't want to get up but needed the early start if she wanted to make it to New Adeline by sundown. She sat up and shivered as an icy wind swept through the land. The fire had long burned out, leaving only hot, glowing embers. She found a can of half-frozen strawberries in her saddlebags and placed it on the hot embers to thaw it. After feeding and leading Eyota to water, Nila ate her food quickly before saddling up and riding for the mountains.

The crisp mountain air made the mustang frisky and stubborn as they galloped towards the Grizzlies. The shorter way was through the west. She was warned, however, that the West Grizzlies were mostly ice and snow and she hated snow with a passion. The East Grizzlies were beautiful from what her neighbor told her. It would take longer, but she'd rather look at flowers than freeze to death.

She rode passed Fort Wallace, hearing hounds barking on the other side. The large structure intimidated her, because of the horror stories she heard of when it came to imprisoned natives. She herself had not committed any crimes or provoked them in any way but she was still afraid of what they might do if they saw her. She spurred Eyota to pick up the pace, only allowing the mount to slow once they passed the fort.

They made it to Bacchus Station, crossed the tracks as a train came barreling down on them and continued on towards another forest. This one was more unsettling than the other one. But this was daylight, it shouldn't be frightening as the one before.

Eyota stopped dead in her tracks. Her ears pinned back, and she sniffed the air. Then Nila heard it. A cougar's scream pierced the dead silence. Nila frantically looked around for the beast that hunted them. Near the tracks, she saw the beige pelt creeping towards her. Eyota reared up, her rider clutched the reins for dear life, and the cougar charged. Horse and rider raced across the forest. Nila withdrew her Lancaster repeater and twisted in the saddle. The cat was gaining speed; the horse was growing more fearful. The Creek woman fired a shot but missed. She was never good at shooting from the saddle. She shot at the cougar again, still missing. Nila swore through clenched teeth and fired again, this time the bullet penetrating the ground in front of the predator. It wasn't backing down. Wolves were easy to scare but not mountain lions.

The mustang let out a whinny and bucked and kicked.

"No, no, come on, girl, not now!" Nila pleaded.

She was air born within seconds and hit the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Her repeater skidded out of her reach. She unsheathed her knife just as the cat pounced on her. Blood trickled from her left shoulder as the cougar's claws sank into her flesh. With her free arm, she stabbed it in the leg, withdrew the blade, and struck it in the neck. Hitting it in the artery, the cougar bled profusely. It jumped off of her and backed away. Nila reached for her Schofield revolver and shot it twice in the torso. It fell to the ground, blood pooling underneath it. She shoved the gun back into her holster and gave a sigh of relief.

"Now where did that stupid horse go?"

Turning into the direction of where Eyota ran off, she took three steps before the earth went out from under her. She dropped several feet, hitting her head hard enough that stars danced across her vision. She hissed in pain as she touched her head.

"If it's not one thing it's another! Shit!." She looked around for something to grab onto and spied a thick root sticking out. "There we go."

She jumped, missed, and tried again. This time she was successful. Swinging her leg up gave her a boost, and she pulled herself to the top, ignoring the pain in her arm. She was almost home free until three white men came into view. They were half-dressed in overalls and two were barefoot. The two standing before her looked malnourished and other to her right was massively obese. She didn't like the way they surrounded her, but maybe they were friendly?

"Um… hello? I need help. I've fallen in this hole and-"

A kick to the head sent her backward and back into the hole. She held her forehead and gasped at the pain. She wasn't bleeding, but it would leave a nasty bruise.

"Looks like we got us a squaw in the pit," one of the scrawny ones said.

"Never had me an Indian before," the obese one said. He smiled and revealed his cracked yellow teeth.

Oh shit, these are the Murfree Brood they warned me of!

She still had her knife and revolver. Her body was shaking with anger and fear, but she had to fight back. Her step-father was mostly worthless, but he taught her to use a gun and knife.

"I know how to shoot!" Nila warned.

"So do we, girl."

She reached for her gun at the same time they did. Her shaking hand made it hard to aim properly.

I can't show fear. I have to be brave.

She heard other voices. Shit, there were more of these filthy hillbillies.

One of the scrawny ones leaned down into the hole. "Don't worry, girlie, we'll get ya out of there. Then we'll have some fun. Won't we fellas?"

She swallowed. This can't be how it ends.

Her finger curled around the trigger. All she had to do was squeeze it.

"Make her dance!" The Murfree leader shouted.

The obese Murfree shot close to her feet. She jumped back and yelped in surprise, her gun slipping from her hand and clattering to the ground. The men above her laughed and pointed their guns at her. She was against the wall now, after they fired at her multiple times.

"Stop that!" she screamed.

They responded by laughing at her misery. She wanted to shoot back but with multiple guns on her, she found herself frozen. She looked down, ashamed that her fear was paralyzing her.

Come on, grab the gun and shoot! Stop being a fucking coward!

But she couldn't.

I'm going to die in this pit and it's all my fault.

"Let's get her ba-" he was cut off mid-sentence as an arrow struck him in the throat.

He grasped it and blindly pulled, in a desperate attempt to remove it. He fell forward into the pit, barely missing Nila.

"What the hell was that?" the obese one cried out.

Nila looked down at the corpse at her feet and felt sick. She'd only seen a dead man once in her life and that was her father. Memories she'd suppressed long ago tried bubbling to the surface. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself against the cold dirt wall. Above her, men screamed in pain as more arrows penetrated their bodies. Then bullets quickly replaced arrows in a crackling boom.

More bodies fell into the pit, making sickening thumping sounds. She peeked for only a split second but was enough for her to grow sick at the sight of a man with half his skull blown off.

The fighting felt as if it were going on for hours, but later she'd learn it barely lasted two minutes.

"It's a redskin! He's come for the girl!" a Murfree cried.

"Let's get out of here, there's probably more of 'em!"

It was only when silence filled the forest did her body relax.

"Hey, you in the pit, are you hurt?"

Nila opened her eyes and looked up. The light was behind him, making it hard for her to see his features, but whoever he was, was a large individual.

"I don't think so! I mean… I am but…"

"Hold on," he called back.

He disappeared and seconds later a rope flopped into the pit. She tied it around her waist and grabbed on as he pulled her up. She made it to the top, grateful to be touching cool, green grass.

"You okay?" He asked, taking her by the hand and hauling her to her feet.

She brushed off her shirt and pants. "I'm fine, thank you."

He was a tall, muscular, and very dark-skinned man with scars on his jawline. His long black hair draped over his shoulders and noticed the two feathers tied into it. He was an Indian mixed with black, probably from the Seminole tribe, as a lot of runaway slaves had joined the tribe. Staring at him, her face warmed, making her feel foolish.

His eyes drifted to her shoulder where spots of blood-stained her shirt. "That's a nasty wound." He touched it, moving the ripped material away from the dime-sized hole in her shoulder. "Did they do this?" His tone had a touch of anger to it.

She pointed to the carcass by the bushes. "No, it was a cougar."

"I see." His tone softened. "Well, you can't go around with a hole in you. Come on, I have a first aid kit at my camp." He turned and walked away, expecting her to follow.

But Nila remained still. Should I trust this man? He did save me. Still, what if it's a trap?

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You coming?"

She nodded but still didn't move. "I'll come with you, but first, I need my horse." She knelt down, retrieved her Lancaster from the ground, and slung it over her shoulder. "She was spooked by the cougar."

He scanned the forest, then agreed. "Fine, we'll find her. Then, we tend to your wounds."

So she followed this strange man, unaware of the adventure their meeting would take her on.

Muscogee in this chapter: Eyota meaning Great. Pronounce: Eh-yoh-dah

Short chapter, but I don't plan on this being a long story.