The Unknown - Chapter 7a - by nova

They rode in tense silence for a bit. I just rode. I wasn't feeling all the well. I was cold. Colder inside then I should be. The antibiotics weren't doing their job or something else was going on inside me that shouldn't be. I buried it. I needed to focus.

"Tell me about who we are seeing and why."

I thought Ty would answer but instead it was Kat who did. Either he was still smarting from whatever she had hissed at him or Kat was more then she appeared. Or maybe she just liked taking charge which wouldn't come as a surprise.

"We are going to see the Navajo Mountain Chapter. Both Ty and I belong and they, well, our Chapter is different. We didn't move off our lands when the feds came to force every one off. We knew that, and this was over 200 years ago, that it was ours and we weren't going to leave. We..."

"Any chance this was because they couldn't find you?"

I had her. I smiled. She didn't laugh until Ty did.

"Well, maybe."

Ty told me, "There will be people from other Chapters there. We don't make decisions based on what a couple of people tell us to do. We talk it over first.

"A lot of talking over." Kat added.

"So what are they talking over?"

Ty got serious and said, "Organizing to protect our nation and people."

"What is a Chapter?"

I had a good idea. It sounded like something a white guy from the government would think up as a nice way of saying tribal band. I bet the word empowerment was in there somewhere too. I was right."