The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

I’m about to argue with Kaya, but the look on her face tells me she won’t change her mind. I let her tell me what to do. Kaya and I run toward a knot of horses, our feet pounding over the uneven ground. I do what Kaya’s doing and wave my arms wildly, hoping to drive them away from the enemies. Kaya spots Little Girl and struggles to get closer to her so she can throw a rope over her neck. She’s almost there when I see a raider turning his horse toward Kaya, and my stomach drops with fear.

I shriek, and Kaya turns. I grab Kaya and we dive behind a big rock. We watch as Little Girl gallops past us, nostrils flaring, her eyes wide with fear, her hooves throwing up clumps of dirt and grass. Another horse pounds behind us and Toe-ta appears, his face grim and streaked with dust. He tells us to run straight back to camp right away. There are too many of them. They need help.

Then, Toe-ta turns to follow the raiders without another word. Kaya and I take off running as fast as we can.