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Ascent to Power	By : Hot4Gerry Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 5428 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Twenty-five
Heroic Deeds

The true turning point in Katherine's life in the tribe was eight years after her capture. She had celebrated her twenty-first birthday only a few short months before. The young men of the tribe had been gone a few days hunting for food for the long winter ahead. Only the older men, women and children were in camp. She was with the other women bathing in the stream far enough from camp to give the women privacy. The women were carrying on conversations as they removed their moccasins preparing to remove their clothing when several white men came storming into the midst of the women. They ran down a young woman and then proceeded to attack the others ripping the clothing from their bodies with no regard for the pleas of the women and children.

Katherine watched in paralyzed horror as the men assaulted the women mercilessly. Some were mere children, girls as young as twelve years of age being brutallized by much larger men. The men knocked them to the ground covering them with their own larger filthy bodies. She could hear screams of pain as the men defiled the women. Knives were held to their throats while the men opened their trousers then thrust brutally into whatever poor soul lay beneath them.

Katherine had been in the bushes reliving herself when the attack began. She stood frozen for what seemed long minutes but was in reality but a mere few seconds. Not giving herself time to think further she grabbed her bow and arrows and ran into the open and drew an arrow from her quiver. She took aim and let the arrow fly. Her shot was true for the man holding Fawn fell to the ground dead with an arrow right throw his heart.

The foolish men had let their lust and evil hearts make them careless. Not one man had his rifle handy. All they had were the knifes in their hands. Some were half clothed as in their lust they had dropped their trousers to their ankles. Katherine felt a rage enter her at the cruelty of the men. Not satisfied with defiling the women they were even attacking the young girls. They were only children.

Her next shot hit a man in his right shoulder. He loosened his grip on White Dove the daughter of Raging Bear. She wasn't taking time to aim to kill after her first arrow had been released. Her intention was to hit where she could to drive them away. If she could have taken the time to kill each man she would have. She had to soothe her soul with the knowledge that she would at least save the young women from being raped and murdered. Some of the other women began to attack the men as Katherine injured the men holding them. After five men fell the ones still unharmed abandoned their attack and grabbed their wounded and dead and retreated. Katherine stopped the flight of her arrows but kept her arrow ready and pointed in the direction of the men. The ones closest to her put their hands in the air and backed away. Seeing a woman wielding the weapon was a shock but that she was a young white woman was unbelievable.

One of the men shouted at her before he road away. "Come with us girl we can take you home. Put your weapon down and come with us."

"You try to rape my sisters and think I will go with you? You attack us without any reason. If your animal instincts had not ruled you none of this need have happened."

"Give me your name so I may tell your family. What is your name girl? Come on be quick about it."

"My name is Yellow Hair. The person I was is now dead. Her name was Katherine Montgomery. No one looks for me. Go before I change my mind about letting you live."

The man had no doubt she meant every word for there was a cold look in her eyes. The look men got during battle and it was kill or be killed. This girl couldn't be more than in her late teens or early twenties. She looked as fierce as any warrior the man had ever seen. He had to admit she was a magnificent sight. Her ferocity was only rivaled by her beauty. He would remember the sight of her long blond braids and sun browned skin for as long as he lived. The beauty of her eyes in no way diminished by her savagery. It enhanced it. If he thought he could make it he would take her. She would be magnificent to tame. Shrugging he whipped his horse around. As good as he knew it would be it wasn't worth his life for a quick fuck with a savage. For as much as she looked like a white woman her years in captivity had made her a savage. No better than the red devils tainting the land.

Katherine kept her bow ready until she could no longer see the men and the dust from their retreating horses settled down and the air was once again still and clear.

She walked among the wounded bleeding women and children. She turned her eyes away for a moment for she could not comprehend how any person could do such an ungodly act upon another human being. That it was from her own race made her ashamed. The people she had fought so hard to return to for so many years had acted as savages. Ashamed to be white and ashamed to be human the young woman bent to help her fellow fallen people. She wanted no part of a people who could do this kind of violence to children and unarmed women. The attack was unprovoked and unnecessary.

Gathering the injured children and women the ones who could walk aided the ones who needed assistance. Fear and shame shown from each face of those who had not escaped the savagery of those white devils. Evil spirits had been in the meadow on this day. The spot would be tainted until it could be cleansed of the evil that now clung to each blade of grass. The women wailed in sorrow.

When Raging Bear and Lone Wolf returned it was to find the camp grieving as if a death had occurred. Indeed a kind of death had taken place that day. The death of the children's innocence at the hands of unfeeling pigs still had Katherine in the grips of anger she had not felt for many years.

That evening when all was quiet Raging Bear sent Lone Wolf to bring the yellow hair to his teepee. His eyes had barely left his daughter's sleeping form since she had laid down on the pile of skins. The emptiness in her young eyes gave him great sorrow and fueled an anger so strong he feared he would die from the strength of it. She had not be taken by the man who attacked her. Katherine had injured him before he could harm his daughter more than he already had by brutalizing her.

Never in all his years of battling against the white man had he felt his anger directed at one person. All his battles had been fought to save his people's way of life. Now he wanted nothing more than to hunt down each man who had been there that day and bring such pain to them they begged for the release of death. No longer was he going to fight battles not knowing who he killed. From this day on he would not rest until each man was tracked down. He would end the life of those who committed these evil acts and kill each man in such a way as to bring fear into the man he sought next.

The flap opened and brought him from his thoughts of revenge. The yellow hair stood proud and unafraid as always. He could not remember a time when she had ever shown anything but fearless pride when in the presence of others. He asked Lone Wolf to stay and act as his voice as he spoke no English and the yellow hair could not address him directly.

White Dove woke when she heard Lone Wolf and Yellow Hair enter. She went to sit at her father's side. For tonight he would sllow her to sit with him as he spoke of todays dark deeds.

Lone Wolf sat down first as was correct. Katherine would only sit if Raging Bear permitted her to do so. It would be an insult to take for granted an invitation to sit with the chief.

Raging Bear indicated for her to sit. She sat crossed legged just across from him on the other side of the fire. She sat in silence waiting for him to address her. She hadn't done anything wrong so she had no fear in his presence.

"Yellow Hair this day you proved yourself as brave as any warrior. We are in your debt. I most of all thank the spirits that watch our people for your presence and strength today. My daughter and the others may not have survived had you not stepped in. In honor of your bravery I give you my most precious beaded necklace. My father was given this by his father and as far back as our family walked this earth this has been in our family. A bead is added for each act of bravery a member of my family has committed. Today I added one bead in honor of your bravery. You are from this day as a daughter to me. A new name will be given to you at this evenings ceremony." Raging Bear waited for Lone Wolf to translate his words.

Katherine listened to Lone Wolf relay his chief's words before speaking. “It is my honor to have such a prized gift. My bravery was no more than any other would have done. An attack came without warning and I had the means to ward off the attackers."

The chief's daughter, White Dove, finally spoke. "Father this one came from the safety of the bushes and faced men stronger and their numbers greater than hers. Not once did she stop in her attack. She stepped forward just as a brave would have. We owe her our lives along with our respect. My shame will last until I have earned her forgiveness for the ill treatment I have shown her. She will be a sister in my eyes till we part Mother Earth and beyond."

Lone Wolf relayed the words of White Dove. Katherine held no ill will to any of the women who treated her unkindly. Their hatred stemmed from the treatment of the white men their men fought in battle or from the many raids on their camp.

Not wanting to appear too soft Raging Bear dismissed Lone Wolf and Katherine. Lone Wolf said nothing as they returned to the center of camp. His warm heavy hand on her shoulder said as much with that contact as many men would have said with dozens of words. He was proud of her. He had no regrets for accepting her as his sister. She had done well. Katherine felt pride in herself as well. She wished her mother could have seen her today. Thinking of her mother and the lessons she had given her about heaven she thought maybe her mother was looking down right now. She hoped so.

That evening after much celebrating and dances around the fire and stories told by the medicine man of long ago the name Yellow Hair was called for the last time. Raging Bear had chosen the new name for his new daughter. White Eagle was to be her name from this moment on. Her bravery was that of an eagle and her vigilance in watching over the others rivaled that great bird. As Raging Bear told them her new name he told of the great eagle he had seen soaring above him as he sat on a hill waiting for Yellow Hair's new name to be given to him. The eagle had swooped down close but never touched the ground. The feathers were mostly white and in the sun rays looked completely white. The eagle had swooped several more times landing once close by looking Raging Bear in the eye then soaring back to the heavens. One last swoop down and it returned to where it came from to show him her name. Be it the spirit world or this world the message was clear. Their new member of their tribe was to be White Eagle.

When the sun rose Raging Bear wanted White Eagle and five of his best warriors to track the men. Lone Wolf was among them. Lone Wolf would go in the place of Raging Bear. He could not bear to leave his daughter again so soon after her ordeal. They would take the life of each man bringing back his hair as proof of his last breath. White Eagle would go along as tracker. She would lead the party to find the men. She would not take part in the killing. He would not ask that of her. Her skills as tracker would be her part of the journey.

Raging Bear had debated if he wanted them to suffer agony long before death claimed them. The kill would be enough for him. Each drop of blood would heal a wound in his people. His own heart would continue to bleed for many moons. His rage demanded a tortuous death but he knew White Eagle would not track the men if their death was foreshadowed with torture. A quick death was to be given to each man as was an opportunity to make peace with their god before death. That is the only mercy Raging Bear would grant the men.

Early the next morning Katherine went with the silent group of men following the tracks left behind. This was not a journey she wanted to make but she owed it to Raging Bear to help find these men. At least it was to be quick.

It took two weeks to find all of those cowardly beasts. Katherine could not think of them as men as she had seen them behaving as animals would attacking prey. The men had separated a couple of days after leaving the women lying half dead in the water of the creek running red with blood. The first men they found were all to eager to give the locations of the others thinking they could save their own lives. When they realized they were to die they had begged and pleaded. Their cries for mercy had brought tears to Katherine's eyes. Her tears dried when they found the young bound Indian girls in the barn. Cursing those white devils she wished she could bring them back only to torture them then listen to them beg as she cut their throats. In the state of her anger she could easily have done this without guilt or remorse.

They had cut their bindings. One of the tracking party could speak a little of their langauge. He asked them what tribe they belonged to and if they could find their way home. The girls had known how to find their way home so time need not be wasted returning them to their home. Taking horses, food and blankets they had ridden away from the place that had been a place of evil spirits ever since they arrived a month ago. The men had taken them from their camp when the men were out hunting.

Katherine's softer emotions were buried for the rest of the time she tracked the last men. The last man they found in a hotel in a small town. Getting into the hotel was simple. Quietly they slipped into the darkened room and slit the throat of the last man. His hair was removed and they left as quietly as they entered.

Privately Katherine admitted it was barbaric to do what they did but it was also barbaric what had been done to the Indian Nations. Their was no greater cruelty committed against man than what man did to himself. Man was the cruelest animal walking the earth.

They only stopped to rest the horses and eat and drink. Short naps were taken while the horses were resting. The men talked among themselves. She didn't know all what they said but she knew enough to know they spoke of her. She had earned their respect. A couple even gave in enough to smile at her one morning. To be acknowledged by a brave was an honor. Being a woman and white it was almost unheard of. The only notice she had gotten from most of the males consisted of the back of a hand striking across her face or a foot connecting with some part of her body or demands for food to be brought to them.

Katherine's place in the tribe was secure. Her life got easier after tracking the men who attacked the women in the meadow. She felt a part of them as she never had before. Her old life was becoming a lost memory. She thought of her father less and less. Soon though the decision to return to her people would be made for her. That decision set the path to her future meeting with the broken man searching for his place in this world and the acceptance of him being in it. This year of 1873 was a time of change for many. The winds carried the seeds of change across the ocean. The people involved in the Paris opera affair in 1870 had no idea how their lives would be changing over the next few years. Much pain and sorrows had to be lived through. Love lost and found would mend some hearts and tear others apart.
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