Bright Star would often go running in the woods or mountain meadows. She knew every nook and cranny for during her adventures earlier in life she had often returned there. It just felt like home. She was home again, and this time God was with her.

But, one day, she forgot to be careful. She forgot her infamous past life, and Wolf Hair spotted her running across the meadows.

“So,” he growled, “the little meddler is back.” Soon, he told everyone that Bright Star was back, roaming free in Oregon.

But the new Bright Star was delighting in the big, open sky as she lay on the green grass while this was going on. Her ears pricked at a wolf howl and at first she paid it no mind. But then she remembered how to tell a real one from a fake one and she scrambled to her feet, running. It had been fake. All the danger came rushing back to her in each step. And she had her trademark, making her easily recognizable where her hair swirled into a star.

Bright Star ran into the barn and threw her arms around Black Night’s neck and sobbed, feeling fear. Fear not for herself but for her family. She knew that if the tribes came to kill her, she’d have to leave and draw them away. She’d have to say good-bye maybe for forever. And Black Bird. What would they do to Black Bird? What had she done? Had she led her family to where there was no escape?

She had to break it to Annie. She sullenly had a conversation, and Annie seemed to understand.

My old life may be behind, thought Bright Star, but what is ahead?

One night, Bright Star had a weird dream.

“Go,” a voice kept repeating as Bright Star’s mind whooshed over the Oregon wilderness to a Nez Percé tribe. Her mind went through the camp to a teepee with an arrow, a bird, and a wolf on the side. More images were on it but those were most prominent. The dream went inside but she woke up before she could see what was in it.

“Go,” the voice still echoed in her head, “go.”

She snuck out of the house, and her memory guided her to the teepee, where she slipped inside and behind a pile of buckskin. A boy was making arrows.

“Who is there?” the boy asked.

“I’m Bright Star,” Bright Star threw her voice so there was no way of knowing where she was.

“I am Wolf’s Cry,” Wolf’s Cry stood. “Where is my sister?”

Bright Star jumped up at the boy’s name and banged her head on a post. “Ow!”

Wolf’s Cry was a famous teenage warrior and someone who had tried to hunt her for the longest time. And she was his sister.

Wolf’s Cry looked surprised. Then he smiled wickedly and held an arrow point to Bright Star’s neck. Bright Star’s breathing came shallowly, knowing death was almost certain.

“That solves where you are,” he chuckled, “now where is she?”

Bright Star’s old-life reflexes kicked into action before he could react. She was out of the teepee and out of the camp. Wolf’s Cry gave up the chase way too easily, something she didn’t like.

She took all precautions getting back to the house. Reverend Paulson, Annie, and Black Bird had been worried sick. She didn’t think Wolf’s Cry would find her. She was wrong.

Bright Star was out grooming Black Night in the pen when she heard the hoofbeats. She knew who it was. She quickly got her quiver and started running through the forest. She ducked under a bush just as the Native Americans appeared. Wolf’s Cry was at the head. They were fully armed: guns, quivers, spears, axes, the whole lot of it! Bright Star gulped.

They tried the house and Annie, but Annie didn’t answer them. But, just then, Black Bird and Reverend Paulson came from the fields.

“Bright Star went with a minister,” Wolf’s Cry mused before trotting his horse forward. “You,” he addressed Reverend Paulson, “have you seen Bright Star?”

Bright Star slapped a hand over her face.

“No,” Reverend Paulson said coolly, shaking his head.

“Liar!” Wolf’s Cry exclaimed, stringing an arrow in his quiver.

Men dismounted and got their weapons out. Reverend Paulson and Black Bird were about to be killed! Bright Star had to do something, even if it meant facing her fear.

“Wait!” she called in Sahaptian, standing up. “They don’t know me, I ran away.”

Of course, Reverend Paulson and Black Bird couldn’t tell what she was saying, but they wisely didn’t say anything. Wolf’s Cry lowered his bow, surprised. For a moment, everyone just stared. Bright Star was too scared to realize how awkward it was.

Bright Star realized that there was only one thing to do: run.

Her hair fluttered in the breeze as she ran. She felt the impact of an arrow on her quiver but no pain. Wolf’s Cry was behind her soon and she finally had a runner that could literally give her a run for her money…or her life.