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Description
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For years, Mahala a pretty and vivacious Hidatsa-Crow and Kiowa maiden of Aztec decent dreamt about a handsome warrior she knew was her betrothed. Her objective was to search beyond the horizon and find him. Mahala is no ordinary maiden. She has the ability to hear the ancestor spirits. Never truly alone, she is unafraid to go wherever she wanted. A Creek warrior White Elk finds her camped in the forest. She wakes seeing his painted face and perfect build as he sat watching her. Seeing this sight in her dreams she wasn’t alarmed realizing, “He is here.”
Mahala follows White Elk to his village to meet their top chief, Chief Pushmenahy. Their arrogant medicine man, Aquaduck looks her over. Cunningly, she keeps her head down to hide her blue dots one in each her brown eyes. He takes an instant dislike to her and advises the chief, “This woman should be made to go.”
A woman not to be trifled with Mahala holds the power of life and death. When she hears Aquaduck thoughts, she allows the chief to see her blue dots flare. The chief saw her look of surety and recalled, “The shirt wearers in my father’s day.” As if the chief had received a revealing about her, he opposed the medicine man’s verdict, “She may stay.” Infuriated Aquaduck plots to find fault with Mahala.
On the same day in the summer of 1698, in Northumberland County, Virginia, George Bledsoe who has five sons and lives on a plantation that adjoined the Gaskins on the Wicomico River near Dividing Creek. After losing his wife, Anne, he stood at the altar to remarry. His chosen bride is a woman named, Elizabeth. She is high minded, educated and accustomed to owning her own slaves. George’s long time friend and servant Seela was shocked when she saw Elizabeth’s expression that clearly told her, “We are in for it now.” Heartbroken over the sudden loss of their mother, his sons try to deal with the marriage their father has imposed upon them. Disappointed and not telling him they object, conflict arises under Elizabeth’s new rule in their mother’s household.
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