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May 29th to June 4th
Chicory: A Colorful Tale - May 30th
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top-down adventure game from indie developer Greg Lobanov, published by Finji. It first released in 2021 on Switch, PC and Playstation, and now arrives on Xbox as a Game Pass addition. Set in a colouring book world, the player takes the role of an anthropomorphic dog who wields a large paint brush. Gameplay centres around solving environmental puzzles and manipulating the world through this mechanic, with various abilities unlocked as you progress.
Xbox Store [Game Pass] - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition - May 30th
The third instalment in Relic Entertainment and SEGA's WW2 real-time strategy series arrives on consoles, with a custom UI and other optimisations implemented for controller input. Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition focuses on the battles of Italy and North Africa, offering a range of maps from mountains and costal locations to deserts. The game also introduces other features to the series, such as 'Full Tactical Pause,' which gives players full control over the pacing of the single player experience.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Farworld Pioneers - May 30th
Farworld Pioneers is an open-world sci-fi sandbox title from Igloosoft. Droping day one on Game Pass, the game tasks the player with building and managing colonies on alien planets. Tasks include recruiting, exploring, crafting, looting and building your own ship. You'll also defend your base from raiders and attack enemy and rival faction bases if you choose. The game can be played peacefully in co-op or with a 'dynamic faction system' where groups 'band together and split apart dynamically.'
Xbox Store [Game Pass] - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Shame Legacy - May 30th
Shame Legacy is a first-person survival horror title developed by Fairyship Games and Revenant Games. Made in Unreal Engine 4, the game takes place in a 19th century village. The protagonist, who suffers from amnesia, must explore the village looking for clues about what's going on while dealing with the village's residents who appear to be hunting you. Gameplay seems to centre around stealth, escape and puzzle mechanics, armed only with a cane as a defensive weapon. Shame Legacy is XS optimised.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Aquarist - May 31st
Aquarist is an aquarium building simulator developed by FreeMind Games. The player is tasked with building up their business until it's a thriving large-scale aquarium. Tasks include caring for the fish and ecology, acquiring larger and more exotic species, designing, and managing staff and customers.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Railbound - May 31st
Railbound is a puzzle game from developer Afterburn. From a top-down perspective, players are tasked with placing and removing track pieces, and rerouting connections to guide detached carriages to their locomotive. It features 200+ puzzles, with a relaxing vibe and colourful comic-book visuals.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
The Tartarus Key - May 31st
The Tartarus Key is a first-person horror adventure game developed by Vertical Reach. The protagonist takes the role of Alex Young and her friends as she attempt to escape a mysterious mansion. It features escape room style puzzles and challenges, multiple endings and retro style graphics.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Undead Horde 2: Necropolis - May 31st
Undead Horde 2: Necropolis is a $16.99 action title from 10tons. This isometric necromancer game tasks the player with raising the remains of your enemies, commanding an undead army and rebuilding the city of Necropolis. The developers state it mixes elements from RPG, strategy and hack n' slash' experiences, with exploration, levelling up, unit and city unlocks and upgrades, as well as fairly unique looking real-time combat. It released on PC in late March, where it has favourable Steam reviews.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Away: The Survival Series - June 1st
Away: The Survival Series is a 'story-based adventure' from Breaking Walls. The player takes the role of a sugar glider, exploring natural environments and fighting predators in what the developers describe as 'your very own nature documentary.' It first released in 2021 elsewhere, to mixed Steam reviews.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Diablo IV - June 1st/2nd (Early Access via Deluxe + Ultimate Editions)
Ahead of its official June 6th release, early access for Diablo IV starts on the 1st/2nd depending on your location via the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. Alongside stapes such as procedurally generated dungeons and loot centric character building, the fourth instalment of Blizzard's iconic isometric action RPG introduces some new features. It integrates PvP encounters, as well as bringing a fully open world environment. It supports both solo and party play, with a 50 hour campaign.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Homebody - June 1st
Homebody is a $19.99 survival horror puzzle title developed by Game Grumps and published by Rogue Games. The player takes control of Emily, who has gathered at a remote rental house with her friends to watch a meteor shower. Under the darkness of night, they're locked inside and picked off, one by one, by a mysterious killer. The game centres around puzzles and escape mechanics, with throwback PS1 inspired visuals. Emily's backstory appears to gradually unfold, as things get increasingly surreal.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Killer Frequency - June 1st
Killer Frequency is a first person horror adventure from Team17. As protagonist and radio host Forrest Nash, the aim to stop a mysterious killer who is stalking your callers. The game revolves around real-time decision making, puzzle solving and detective work. The player will explore the town, searching for clues, solving riddles, helping the callers stay safe and more. Killer Frequency features an 80s Mid-West setting, a fully voiced story and branching dialogue. It is XS optimised with smart delivery.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer - June 1st
Slayers X is a retro first-person-shooter from indie developer Big Z Studios Inc and published by No More Robots. Dropping onto Game Pass, the title sees the player fighting to stop the Psyko Sindikate from enslaving humanity. It features an over-the-top tone, with crude humour and plenty of blood and gore. Weapons range from the 'glass blaster' and 's-blade' to the 'triple helix missile launcher,' with a variety of maps listed from 'my room,' 'the dollar$haver store' to 'the south boise July 4th fair.'
Xbox Store [Game Pass] - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Zombie Derby 2 - June 1st
Zombie Derby 2 is a zombie-based side-scrolling arcade-driving game from Brinemedia. The objective is to build up a vehicle with destructive ability, and then mow down as many zombies as possible for the highest score. The game supports 120fps, smart delivery, achievements and is XS optimised.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Minabo - A walk through life - June 2nd
Minabo - A walk through life is a $14.99 'social simulation game' created by indie developers Devilish Games. The player starts out as a sprouting turnip and is tasked with building their social circle while contending with a variety of assigned and acquired social traits that effect how you live your life.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Speed Truck Racing - June 2nd
Speed Truck Racing is a $9.99 arcade racer from Super PowerUp Games. Take on twenty rival drivers, in trucks that reach 200km. The game features a championship mode, arcade mode, four player local multiplayer and online leaderboards.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Street Fighter 6 - June 2nd
The latest entry in Capcom's juggernaut fighter series arrives, this time switching over from UE4 to their in-house proprietary RE Engine. Street Fighter 6 centres around three main modes. World Tour is a single-player RPG-like story mode using a created avatar character, while Fighting Ground offers a more traditional experience. Battle Hub lets you play matches against other players as well as further customise your avatar. It also features 18 fighters, three control types and new 'real time commentary.'
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Super Mega Baseball 4 - June 2nd (May 30th Early Access via Ballpark Edition)
Super Mega Baseball is a sports series that mixes arcade-inspired style with deep gameplay mechanics. Developers Metalhead Software say the fourth edition introduces a variety of new and fan-requested additions. These include an expanded trait system with team chemistry and shuffle draft, six new stadiums, cross-generation matchmaking 'in Pennant Race and Online Leagues,' improved visuals and animations and a roster of over 200 legends of baseball, from Vladimir Guerrero to Jason Giambi.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie - June 2nd
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie is a remake of the second title in the Katamari Damacy series. Developed by MonkeyCraft, this third-person puzzle-action game sees players control a Prince as he rolls an adhesive ball around each level, gradually increasing its size as it collects objects in its path. This remake includes five new challenges and collectibles, a selfie mode with stickers to collect, an eternal mode so you can play with no time limit and other quality of life improvements.
Xbox Store - Metacritic - TrueAchievements - Trailer - Official Site
Additional Releases (image limited reached:)

• To Hell with the Ugly - May 30th
• A Building Full of Cats - May 31st
• Age of Solitaire: Build Civilisation - May 31st
• Fritz - Don't call me a chess bot - May 31st
• Laserpitium - May 31st
• Lucy Dreaming - May 31st
• I Did Not Buy This Ticket - June 1st
• Kuroi Tsubasa - June 2nd
• Paper Flight - Beyond Time - June 2nd
• Sugar Tanks - June 2nd

https://preview.redd.it/659bct8oza2b1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e49e14ff01c49f3e4dc8590f65c97a11ec13c77
Cover ArtFirst Chapter Patreon Playlist
The Story: When a seemingly-powerless human walks straight through the wards shielding her bestiary, Aloe finds herself with a mystery on her shop floor - and with her merciless kin eager to get their hands on him, they've got a deadline on solving it.
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Just as a note - A) Sorry, I managed to slice my finger open pretty good, I'm fine, but it makes typing a little hard so I'm kind of taking a little break until it's healed up a bit more xD and B) derby is about to start! Which means that Menagerie will be on the shelf until I finish it, which is usually two months. Legion will be slightly more of a priority for me because it's already so close to the ending of the book. This should not be too big a deal, as I have a fair bit of backlog built up that I'm going to try and draw from to keep you guys fed.
Enjoy!
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His stomach was fuller as they meandered off down the brick path, and his legs weren’t even aching anymore after the rest. Rowen grinned, following along behind Aloe. Things were—Well, okay, things were still fucked—but things were starting to turn around for today, at least.
He took a long, hard look at the building they were approaching, though. It was tall and narrow, pressed up against the shoreline, and he could see a dock stretching out into the lake behind it. A sign out front hung out front, painted with a single white wing.
“So you’re saying this is some sort of aviary thing,” Rowen said. His eyes lingered on that sign.
He saw Aloe nod. “Right.”
“But we’re at the lowest point around,” he said. “We’re at the water. So how’s that supposed to work?”
Aloe chuckled, then glanced over her shoulder at him. “You’ll see soon, won’t you?”
“Or, you could just-”
“Sylphwings are boats, Rowen,” Aloe said. She was smiling, but her face was pale, dark circles starting to blossom under her eyes. “Don’t worry. It’ll make sense when you see.”
Boats, eh? A dozen new questions cropped up in his mind, but Rowen silenced them, hurrying after Aloe instead. Flying boats was, uh…new, and novel, but not the craziest thing he’d ever heard of. And even if she’d led the way without complaint, Aloe was starting to look a little run down. Now wasn’t the time to pepper her with questions.
She went straight for the building’s front door, giving the handle a good tug to pull it open. It came away with a creak of salt-soaked wood, and she slipped through, giving him a wave. “Go grab us some seats. I’ll buy the tickets.”
Rowen followed after her, not entirely sure what he’d find. It turned out to be a long, open room missing its back wall, with a few rows of benches planted in front of some stairs leading down to the pier he’d seen before. “Seats, huh?” he mumbled. Well…there was one guy sitting on the benches, utterly focused on a book in his lap, but besides for him the place was totally deserted.
So he turned instead, drifting along behind Aloe as she headed for the counter. A woman standing behind it glanced over and smiled. She trotted over toward where Aloe stood, saying something in that same language that Rowen still couldn’t understand. Frustration welled up in him again.
He must’ve made a noise, because Aloe’s head turned, her green eyes settling on him. “Sorry, ser,” she said in blessed English, looking back to the clerk. “We’re bound for Emerald Hills? I was hoping we didn’t miss the mail run.”
The clerk’s brow furrowed for a moment as Aloe spoke, and she glanced to Rowen, but shook off her confusion quickly. “Of course,” she said, offering Aloe a smile. “Yannok will be taking the wing up within the hour. Last flight of the night.”
“Just in time,” Aloe said, flashing a smile at Rowen. He smiled back. It seemed like the thing to do.
“For the both of you, that’ll be 84 calistons,” the clerk said, leaning over to grab a tray from farther down the counter.
Aloe froze, one hand just starting to rise from her pocket. A small leather bag was clutched in it. “Pardon?”
The clerk straightened with a sigh, setting the tray down again. Coins and small colored markers glittered at its bottom. “84-”
“For the mail flight?” Aloe said. She still stood frozen, lips tight-pressed. “I’ve been gone for a while, but that can’t be right.”
“A new sinkhole has formed beneath Asara’s Rift,” the clerk said. “It’s been troublesome for the last year or so. Yannok’s got to go the long way around the edge.” She smiled tightly, her eyes hard. “The price goes up.”
Aloe held her pose a moment longer, lips parting gently. She glanced down into the pouch.
And then her shoulders drooped, a subtle weariness settling over her. She dug through the tiny bag, pulling a scattering of polished coins free. “Here,” she mumbled. The coins fell into the clerk’s hand. “Suppose it can’t be helped.”
“Sorry,” the clerk said, and her expression softened a smidge. “If you wait by the docks, Yannok should pole it out soon.”
“Thank you,” Aloe said.
She headed for the stairs. Rowen followed after giving the clerk a quick nod. Butterflies swirled in his gut. Oh, this sucked. He’d been short on his bills enough times to recognize that whole exchange, and…well, Aloe was out there buying supplies and clothes and flight tickets of all things. All because of him. It burned at him like acid.
So as Aloe flopped down on the final bench in the row, leaning her head against the wooden timbers that formed the shed’s side, Rowen crept after her.
“Uh,” he said. “We really don’t have to do this. I can- Okay, I don’t have a car either, but maybe I could-”
He bit off what he’d been about to say, grimacing. He’d been about to suggest they head back to Earth, and he could figure something out for transportation there. But what? If he was dead, his bank accounts were probably locked—and even if they weren’t, it’d be a hell of a suspicious event if some dead guy started making withdrawals. And he couldn’t call anyone for help, either, for the same reasons.
“W-Well,” he mumbled. “I could-”
“Don’t worry,” he heard Aloe sigh. He looked up. Her eyes were closed, but she shook her head. “I’m not broke or anything like that. Don’t leap to conclusions.”
“Oh,” Rowen said. “I just…feel bad.”
She grimaced. “You shouldn’t feel bad here at all,” he heard her mutter.
“Yeah, but-”
“I’ll be fine,” Aloe said. “I’m just-”
She yawned, pressing a hand to her face as if to rub the sleepiness away. She blinked twice, green eyes bleary.
“This is a whole lot of expense I didn’t plan on,” she mumbled. “I’m…fine. But I’ll probably need to take some commissions when we get to the Hills.”
“Commissions?” Rowen said.
Aloe nodded, eyes still closed. “Special jobs for people,” she said. “Problem critters. Specific components they need acquired. Usually from big scary things they don’t want to deal with themselves.”
“Uh,” Rowen said. He licked his lips, giving her a nervous grin. “That kind of sounds like something we don’t want to mess with either.”
“I’ll be fine,” Aloe said. Her lips curled up. “Haven’t gotten gored yet.”
“Please don’t get gored,” Rowen said. “Christ.”
At the curse, he saw a few heads around the room lift. The man at the end of the benches glanced up, his brow furrowing. It was confusion on his face, not anger.
Shit. Something told Rowen it wasn’t the profanity that had them bothered. It’s probably not a good idea to broadcast you’re a human, his thoughts screamed. Keep your mouth shut for once.
He hunched his shoulders higher, ducking his chin low. The eyes flitted away from him, their interest fading.
But it did raise some worrying questions that’d almost slipped his mind. “Aloe?” he said, keeping his voice low.
“Mmm?” She lifted her head, peering one-eyed at him.
“People here don’t speak English.”
“Sure they do,” Aloe said. “The lady spoke English just now.”
“You know what I mean,” Rowen mumbled. “They’re speaking something else, too, even if they use English sometimes. Is…” He hesitated. “Is it going to be a problem I don’t speak whatever that is?”
Aloe opened her eyes, then shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “English is still common in the edge territories,” she said. “A lot of people live on or near Earth.” Lines dug in between her eyes as she frowned. “Especially with new instability.” Her voice dropped lower, her eyes darkening—but she took a deep breath, returning her gaze to Rowen. “English should be plenty for you to get by in all but the lowest ranges of the deeproads. And if we’re that far down, you’ll be with me.” Her eyebrow quirked. “I’m really not planning on it, though.”
“But everyone else speaks that language, right?” Rowen said.
“Ereliit,” Aloe said. “And…I suppose so. Ora was Erelin, so the language sort of became…” She waved a hand through the air, “dominant, after the Children departed.”
“Isn’t there any way I could learn?” Rowen said. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much. Aloe didn’t seem concerned about it, after all—but if something went wrong, he’d be trapped somewhere he couldn’t even speak the language, with no way to even communicate. Potentially.
Aloe groaned. Her head leaned back, blonde hair ruffling between her scarf and the wooden wall. “There’s magic for it, sure,” she mumbled. “Not going to do much good, is it?”
Once again, his mysterious magic seemed for damn sure like it was only here to make his life harder. Rowen clenched his jaw, but stilled himself, letting his shoulders fall from their rise. “So not magic, then,” he said. “I’m not awful at languages. Could I-”
“You’ve just got to make my life difficult, hmm?” Aloe said with a sigh. Her head bobbed. “I’ll…figure something out.”
“No, I- I didn’t mean-” Rowen began, but stopped himself. Inwardly, he cursed. Why hadn’t he thought ahead a little? Aloe was already trying to help him and run her business. She didn’t need to worry about educating him too. He’d just…hoped for a textbook or something he could read over. Those had to exist, right?
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
Her lips curled up. “No problem.”
He masked a chuckle with one hand, giving her a look. She was still fighting the sleep, but it was winning, inch by inch. Just take the damn nap, he willed. They were going to be stuck here anyway, waiting on the stupid sylphwing thing. The whole flying boat thing was still etched with horrifying precision into his thoughts. That was coming. Soon.
Stressing over it wouldn’t change their plans, though, so he leaned back against the bench, turning his sights to the horizon. The sun was going down in full, steadily sinking lower behind a towering, forest-covered mountain. Birds with long, trailing tails looped and soared overhead, filling the air with their trilling cries.
It was pretty. His eyes sifted through it all, lingering here and there as he took the sights in. “And someone made all this?” he murmured. Totally incredible.
The puzzle-driven part of him was already trundling in, slapping down list after list of questions. If this was all artificial, how had the animals gotten here, or the plants? Were they real too? And what about the landscape—had someone meticulously crafted every piece of it, or was it somehow a natural creation within this person-crafted space?
The rest of him stomped down hard on those thoughts. He didn’t know, and maybe he’d ask Aloe about it all later, when she had more time. For now, he might as well enjoy it.
So he stretched out his arms, letting his weight sink into the wooden bench, and gazed out across the horizon. Aloe let out a low, rumbling snore behind him, and he chuckled. Guess she lost the war.
It…was starting to sink in now, he was pretty sure. More than anything, he wanted to get up and run straight back where they’d come from and climb in his own bed, in his own apartment, surrounded by his own things. He’d close his eyes, and all of this would have been a dream. He’d get up the next morning and go to work. The life he’d painstakingly planned would all come back, like nothing had happened.
But little by little, he could feel that slipping away.
Rowen ducked his head, closing his eyes tight. This wasn’t helping anyone. Getting all down in the dumps wasn’t going to bring him back. But…maybe if he sorted this out with Aloe, if all the Children people recognized him as one of them…
Maybe they’d use their magic to help him. The idea was like a candle in a dark room, like a punch straight to his chest. They’d erased him with magic. Maybe, if he was free, he could get them to put him back, and-
He let his breath hiss out, jamming his hands into his pockets, and slumped lower on the bench. “No,” he whispered. “That’s not going to happen.” That was just too complicated, and it got more complicated with every day that passed. With how things had been going, Rowen wasn’t counting on winning his citizenship anytime soon.
Grimacing, he lifted his head, staring back out to the horizon. The low, mournful sound of evening bells rang from deeper in the lakeside village, the perfect match to his mood.
But there was… His brow furrowed. Something glimmered out against the steadily-darkening mountains. He stood, squinting, and crossed to lean against the railing of the aviary. It was a little speck of light—and while it was incredibly hard to make out anything across a distance like that, he was pretty sure it was heading in their direction.
Rowen glanced from side to side, but the few Orrans in sight all seemed totally unbothered. “Guess it’s normal, then?” he whispered.
Aloe mumbled something behind him, the words hazy and unintelligible. He chuckled. So the great Aloisia talked in her sleep? Well, the few customers milling around would have to deal with it, because he was not about to wake her up. Not when she’d been tired enough to fall asleep in this fantasy equivalent of a goddamn train station.
Rowen turned his eyes forward again. A hot breeze rolled off the water, rustling his hair into his eyes, and he brushed it away with a sigh. “It’s a nice night, at least.”
“T’geth’r,” Aloe murmured behind him. “And th…y’st’rday….
He chuckled, glancing to the side. “Here’s hoping you don’t say…anything…”
His words trailed off. His brow furrowed. Something…wasn’t right here. His senses were prickling, screaming in the back of his mind.
The air. It’d been steadily growing cooler as the sun sank toward the horizon. Not cold, exactly, but not warm, either. The lakeside breeze wafting through the dockhouse was hot. That was wrong.
With a pang, he realized he was wrong. It wasn’t rolling in off the water—the lake ahead of him was mirror-bright, not a ripple across its blue-black depths. The wind was coming from behind him
And as he turned, he caught a gleam of golden light dancing across Aloe’s cheek. As quickly as it’d appeared, it faded.
Rowen jumped, eyes snapping wide. “W-What the-”
“Ashes,” Aloe mumbled, her voice still slurred—but now, he realized he could make out her words. Wind wafted away from her in gentle, unceasing waves. “Blue…The boy and the…Beneath the…”
“Hey,” Rowen said, turning back toward her. Okay, he’d just told himself he wasn’t going to wake her up, but there were limits. This was getting weird. She wouldn’t want to sleep through a nightmare anyway, right?
As he approached, her head lolled, her lips moving ever more steadily. Her eyelids fluttered, her eyes darting this way and that beneath.
Hell of a dream she’s having. “Aloe,” Rowen said, crouching in front of her. He took her shoulder, giving a gentle shake—and then, when she didn’t respond, a firmer one. “Aloe, wake up. You’re-”
“Twixt rock and sky, the hand reaches,” Aloe said, her head rising with a jerk. Rowen fell away with a cry. Her eyes were wide, burning like pools of fierce-glowing gold. “Unbroken yet devoured in slices, etched and scarred, the drip-drop of rain, the stamping of feet. A spire of sand, naught but wishes and spit upon which-”
“Aloe,” Rowen whispered. His heart hammered in his chest. Aloe continued unbroken, a steady stream of nonsense pouring from her lips. Her eyes stared ahead, sightless and horribly, sickeningly empty. The air around her grew hotter by the second.
“Like the river, like the well,” Aloe said. Her back arched, her eyes burning brighter. “Until he’s had his fill, and then-”
“Wake up,” Rowen said, lunging back in. His hands closed around her shoulders, and this time, he shook her hard enough to rattle her bones. “Aloe. Please. Just-”
Her words died in a strangled, ragged gasp, like she’d talked all the air out of her. Aloe’s eyes squeezed shut, then slammed open again. A grin spread across Rowen’s face as he saw the familiar green of them, accompanied by a wave of relief.
Aloe lurched, her hand closing in his shirt. Her other hand scrabbled against him, digging to find purchase. She gasped again, the noise right on the verge of a sob.
“You’re good,” Rowen said softly, holding her up. “It’s okay. You’re good now.”
Inwardly, though, his thoughts screamed. What the hell had that been? What was wrong with her?
Aloe licked her lips, shaking her head—then pressed a hand to her face, pulling away from him. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Sorry, I- I don’t know what-”
“Are you okay?” Rowen said. His pulse thundered still.
She nodded, though, rubbing her eyes. “Yes,” he heard her mumble. “Yes, I’m- I’m fine.”
“Well, you don’t look fine,” he snapped. “Seriously. Are you okay? What the hell was that?”
A few heads had turned in their direction, Rowen saw with a start. He clenched his teeth, looking back to Aloe. Keep a grip. Don’t just freak out.
“It’s nothing,” Aloe said. Her voice was low, barely even loud enough to be called a whisper. “I’m just a bit tired, and-”
His hands tightened against her shoulders. “Aloe.” Anger was joining his fear, now. More was going on here than he knew—and while she tried to take the high road and act like some sort of ethical champion, she was still keeping secrets from him.
“Don’t try and just brush that off,” he said, tension rippling through his words. “What the hell is going on here? Are you- What was-”
“One thing at a time,” Aloe mumbled, one hand still pressed to her forehead. Her gaze flicked back to him. “I…You don’t need to-”
A horn blared overhead. Both of them jumped. A cry went up from out on the docks.
Rowen looked over—and flinched, eyes going wide, at the sight of a wooden schooner descending at a prodigious rate, a narrow sail glowing with golden light mounted over its cabin. A dark figure was just visible at its stern.
Voices started to rise around them as others drifted over to watch the landing. Rowen groaned, drooping. “Great,” he mumbled. Their ride was here, it looked like.
Aloe took a step forward, coming up alongside him. “It’s nothing you have to worry about,” she said, soft enough the words wouldn’t carry. “I do mean that. My magic is just…a little special. And that comes with some downsides.”
Rowen glanced over. One of the dockworkers charged past him with a cry, carrying a pair of big canvas sacks. He leaned out of the way, then looked back to her. “Special? Downsides? I still don’t understand what just-”
“I know,” Aloe said. “Just…” She glanced to the dock, which was filling with activity as the skiff dropped lower. “Can you wait until we’re on the boat so I don’t have to explain it to everyone?”
Rowen paused, then nodded. He could wait. But…he glanced over to her again, raising an eyebrow. His thoughts were racing, splicing together the details he’d picked up thus far. “Does this have anything to do with why Kyran’s interested in you, or whatever?” He could remember every detail of their encounter, before she’d left him to decide his fate. I’ve been the target of Kyran’s curiosity before, too, she’d said. And Kanna had told him Aloe had as much reason to hate Kyran as he did.
Her eyes darkened—but the corners of her lips twitched up. “It does,” she said.
A wave of satisfaction rolled through him. Knew it. “Okay,” he said, starting to grin. “Because I was wondering what exactly the story was between you two. It’s obvious there’s something, I just-”
“That?” Aloe said. Her eyes widened fractionally. Honest surprise gleamed from within—followed by the swift return of exhaustion. “Oh. I thought I told you already. Sorry.”
“What?” Rowen said, a touch stupidly. “No, you didn’t. Told me what?”
Aloe shrugged, making a face. “He was- Well, no, I suppose he still is, technically, but…hell.” She shook her head, then let her weary gaze settle on him.
“Kyran is my fiance.”

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In 1830, at President Andrew Jackson’s urging, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in order to free up land for the nation’s expanding white population.
The act granted the president the power to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes to relinquish their lands east of the Mississippi River in exchange for unsettled lands west of the river.
While some Indians complied peacefully, the Cherokee, among other tribes, resisted. In 1838, U.S. troops rounded up the Cherokees from their traditional lands in the southern Appalachians, held them in camps then forced them to relocate to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma.
An estimated 15,000 to 16,000 Cherokee people made the grueling journey west, following one of several routes that collectively became known as the Trail of Tears. Along the way, some 3,000 to 4,000 of them died from disease, malnutrition and exposure.
Check out seven facts about this infamous chapter in American history.
Davy Crockett objected to Indian removal.
Frontiersman Davy Crockett, whose grandparents were killed by Creeks and Cherokees, was a scout for Andrew Jackson during the Creek War (1813-14). However, while serving as a U.S. congressman from Tennessee, Crockett broke with President Jackson over the Indian Removal Act, calling it unjust. Despite warnings that his opposition to Indian removal would cost him his seat in Congress, where he’d served since 1827, Crockett said, “I would sooner be honestly and politically damned than hypocritically immortalized.” The year after the act’s 1830 passage, Crockett lost his bid for reelection. After being voted back into office in 1833, he continued to express his opposition to Jackson’s policy and wrote that he would leave the U.S. for the “wildes of Texas” if Martin Van Buren, Jackson’s vice president, succeeded him in the White House. After Crockett was again defeated for reelection, in 1835, he did go to Texas, where he died fighting at the Alamo in March 1836.
Renegade Cherokees signed a treaty selling all tribal lands.
John Ross, who was of Scottish and Cherokee ancestry and became the tribe’s principal chief in 1828, was strongly opposed to giving up the Cherokees’ ancestral lands, as were the majority of the Cherokee people. However, a small group within the tribe believed it was inevitable that white settlers would keep encroaching on their lands and therefore the only way to preserve Cherokee culture and survive as a tribe was to move west. In 1835, while Ross was away, this minority faction signed a treaty at New Echota, the Cherokee Nation capital (located in Georgia), agreeing to sell the U.S. government all tribal lands in the East in exchange for $5 million and new land in the West. As part of the agreement, the government was supposed help cover the Cherokees’ moving costs and pay to support them during their first year in Indian Territory. When Ross found out about the treaty, he argued it had been made illegally. Nevertheless, in 1836 it was ratified by a single vote in the U.S. Senate and signed by President Jackson. The treaty gave the Cherokees two years to vacate their lands. In June 1839, after the Cherokees had been forced to relocate to Indian Territory, several leaders of the so-called Treaty Party, who’d advocated for the New Echota agreement, were assassinated by tribe members who’d opposed removal to the west.
Martin Van Buren ordered the roundup of the Cherokees.
During his two terms in the White House, from 1829 to 1837, Andrew Jackson was responsible for putting Indian removal policies in place; however, he left office before the 1838 deadline for the Cherokees to surrender their lands in the East. It was Jackson’s presidential successor, Martin Van Buren, who ordered General Winfield Scott to forcibly evict the Cherokees. Scott’s troops rounded up thousands of Cherokees and then imprisoned them in forts in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Alabama. During these roundups, the Indians weren’t given time to pack and family members, including children, sometimes got left behind if they weren’t home when the soldiers showed up. The Indians were transferred from the forts to detention camps, most of them in Tennessee, to await deportation. At both the forts and camps, living conditions were bleak and diseases rampant, and an unknown number of Cherokees died.
The Trail of Tears wasn’t just one route.
The first group of Cherokees departed Tennessee in June 1838 and headed to Indian Territory by boat, a journey that took them along the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. Heat and extended drought soon made travel along this water route impractical, so that fall and winter thousands more Cherokees were forced to trek from Tennessee to present-day Oklahoma via one of several overland routes. Federal officials allowed Chief John Ross to take charge of these overland removals, and he organized the Indians into 13 groups, each comprised of nearly a thousand people. Although there were some wagons and horses, most people had to walk.
The route followed by the largest number of Cherokees—12,000 people or more, according to some estimates—was the northern route, a distance of more than 800 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and into Indian Territory. The last groups of Cherokees made it to Indian Territory in March 1839. A century later, Route 66, the iconic highway established in 1926, overlapped with part of this route, from Rolla to Springfield, Missouri.
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Not all Cherokees left the Southeast.
A small group of Cherokee people managed to remain in North Carolina, either as a result of an 1819 agreement that enabled them to stay on their land there, or because they hid in the mountains from the U.S. soldiers sent to capture them. The group, which also included people who walked back from Indian Territory, became known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Today, the group has approximately 12,500 members, who live primarily in western North Carolina on the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary.
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The Cherokees rebuilt in Indian Territory.
In the first years after their arrival in Indian Territory, life was difficult for many Cherokees. However, under the leadership of Chief Ross the tribe rebuilt in the 1840s and 1850s, establishing businesses and a public school system and publishing what was then America’s only tribal newspaper. When the U.S. Civil War broke out, the Cherokee Nation found itself politically divided. Ross initially believed the Cherokees should remain neutral in the conflict, but there was a faction who supported the South so the chief made an alliance with the Confederacy, in part to try to keep the Cherokees united. Ross soon grew disillusioned with the Confederates, who had abandoned their promises of protection and supplies to the Indians. Ross spent the rest of the war in Philadelphia, where his second wife had a home (his first wife died while walking the Trail of Tears) and Washington, D.C., trying to convince President Abraham Lincoln that the Cherokees were loyal to the Union. Ross died of illness on August 1, 1866, having served as principal chief for nearly 40 years.
The U.S. apologized to Native American groups in 2009.
In December 2009, President Barack Obama signed a bill that included an official apology to all American Indian tribes for past injustices. U.S. Senators Sam Brownback of Kansas and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota led a bipartisan effort to pass the resolution, which stated: “the United States, acting through Congress…recognizes that there have been years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes.” However, the resolution did not call for reparations and included a disclaimer that it wasn’t meant to support any legal claims against the United States.
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At the beginning of the 1830s, nearly 125,000 Native Americans lived on millions of acres of land in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida–land their ancestors had occupied and cultivated for generations.
By the end of the decade, very few natives remained anywhere in the southeastern United States.
Working on behalf of white settlers who wanted to grow cotton on the Indians’ land, the federal government forced them to leave their homelands and walk thousands of miles to a specially designated “Indian territory” across the Mississippi River.
This difficult and sometimes deadly journey is known as the Trail of Tears.
THE “INDIAN PROBLEM”
White Americans, particularly those who lived on the western frontier, often feared and resented the Native Americans they encountered:
To them, American Indians seemed to be an unfamiliar, alien people who occupied land that white settlers wanted (and believed they deserved).
Some officials in the early years of the American republic, such as President George Washington, believed that the best way to solve this “Indian problem” was simply to “civilize” the Native Americans.
The goal of this civilization campaign was to make Native Americans as much like white Americans as possible by encouraging them convert to Christianity, learn to speak and read English, and adopt European-style economic practices such as the individual ownership of land and other property (including, in some instances in the South, African slaves).
In the southeastern United States, many Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek and Cherokee people embraced these customs and became known as the “Five Civilized Tribes.”
Indian removal took place in the Northern states as well.
In Illinois and Wisconsin, for example, the bloody Black Hawk War in 1832 opened to white settlement millions of acres of land that had belonged to the Sauk, Fox and other native nations.
But their land, located in parts of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, was valuable, and it grew to be more coveted as white settlers flooded the region.
Many of these whites yearned to make their fortunes by growing cotton, and they did not care how “civilized” their native neighbors were:
They wanted that land and they would do almost anything to get it.
They stole livestock; burned and looted houses and towns;, and squatted on land that did not belong to them.
State governments joined in this effort to drive Native Americans out of the South.
Several states passed laws limiting Native American sovereignty and rights and encroaching on their territory. In a few cases, such as Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the U.S. Supreme Court objected to these practices and affirmed that native nations were sovereign nations “in which the laws of Georgia [and other states] can have no force.”
Even so, the maltreatment continued.
As President Andrew Jackson noted in 1832, if no one intended to enforce the Supreme Court’s rulings (which he certainly did not), then the decisions would “[fall]…still born.” Southern states were determined to take ownership of Indian lands and would go to great lengths to secure this territory.
INDIAN REMOVAL
Andrew Jackson had long been an advocate of what he called “Indian removal.”
As an Army general, he had spent years leading brutal campaigns against the Creeks in Georgia and Alabama and the Seminoles in Florida–campaigns that resulted in the transfer of hundreds of thousands of acres of land from Indian nations to white farmers.
As president, he continued this crusade.
In 1830, he signed the Indian Removal Act, which gave the federal government the power to exchange Native-held land in the cotton kingdom east of the Mississippi for land to the west, in the “Indian colonization zone” that the United States had acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
(This “Indian territory” was located in present-day Oklahoma.)
The law required the government to negotiate removal treaties fairly, voluntarily and peacefully: It did not permit the president or anyone else to coerce Native nations into giving up their land.
However, President Jackson and his government frequently ignored the letter of the law and forced Native Americans to vacate lands they had lived on for generations.
In the winter of 1831, under threat of invasion by the U.S. Army, the Choctaw became the first nation to be expelled from its land altogether.
They made the journey to Indian territory on foot (some “bound in chains and marched double file,” one historian writes) and without any food, supplies or other help from the government.
Thousands of people died along the way.
It was, one Choctaw leader told an Alabama newspaper, a “trail of tears and death.”
THE TRAIL OF TEARS
The Indian-removal process continued. In 1836, the federal government drove the Creeks from their land for the last time: 3,500 of the 15,000 Creeks who set out for Oklahoma did not survive the trip.
The Cherokee people were divided:
What was the best way to handle the government’s determination to get its hands on their territory?
Some wanted to stay and fight.
Others thought it was more pragmatic to agree to leave in exchange for money and other concessions.
In 1835, a few self-appointed representatives of the Cherokee nation negotiated the Treaty of New Echota, which traded all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi for $5 million, relocation assistance and compensation for lost property.
To the federal government, the treaty was a done deal, but many of the Cherokee felt betrayed:
After all, the negotiators did not represent the tribal government or anyone else.
“The instrument in question is not the act of our nation,” wrote the nation’s principal chief, John Ross, in a letter to the U.S. Senate protesting the treaty.
“We are not parties to its covenants; it has not received the sanction of our people.”
Nearly 16,000 Cherokees signed Ross’s petition, but Congress approved the treaty anyway.
By 1838, only about 2,000 Cherokees had left their Georgia homeland for Indian territory. President Martin Van Buren sent General Winfield Scott and 7,000 soldiers to expedite the removal process.
Scott and his troops forced the Cherokee into stockades at bayonet point while whites looted their homes and belongings.
Then, they marched the Indians more than 1,200 miles to Indian territory.
Whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, cholera and starvation were epidemic along the way, and historians estimate that more than 5,000 Cherokee died as a result of the journey.
By 1840, tens of thousands of Native Americans had been driven off of their land in the southeastern states and forced to move across the Mississippi to Indian territory.
The federal government promised that their new land would remain unmolested forever, but as the line of white settlement pushed westward, “Indian country” shrank and shrank.
In 1907, Oklahoma became a state and Indian territory was gone for good.
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Trail of Tears
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"I saw the helpless Cherokees arrested and dragged from their homes, and driven at the bayonet point into the stockades. And in the chill of a drizzling rain on an October morning I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty-five wagons and started toward the west....On the morning of November the 17th we encountered a terrific sleet and snow storm with freezing temperatures and from that day until we reached the end of the fateful journey on March the 26th 1839, the sufferings of the Cherokees were awful. The trail of the exiles was a trail of death. They had to sleep in the wagons and on the ground without fire. And I have known as many as twenty-two of them to die in one night of pneumonia due to ill treatment, cold and exposure..."
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Private John G. Burnett, Captain Abraham McClellan's Company, 2nRegiment, 2nd Brigade, Mounted Infantry, Cherokee Indian Removal, 1838-39
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Timeline
1700- Settlers continued to increase their number by birth and by immigration. There wasn’t enough land to go around so the settlers moved ever westward. More land was needed for tobacco plantations, as England demanded ever mote taxes. The Cherokees would leave a hunting territory for a few seasons to allow the wildlife to recover. When they returned they found the forest cut, dozens of cabins, and no wildlife in sight. The Cherokees would try to scare the settlers away, but the settlers had guns. When the settlers won, they called it an Indian war. When the Indians won, the white men called it a massacre.
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1750 - The King of England made treaties with the Indians and gave them ‘King’s Grants’ to the land they claimed. The British sent soldiers to protect the boundaries and to regulate the fur trade between the Indians and the colonies. Soldiers took Indian wives and began calling the children after their own family names. Traders and Indian Agents caught smallpox in the settlements and rapidly spread it to the Indians who had no immunity. Within a few short years, the Indian population was reduced to about one-tenth of its original size.
The traders offered guns for furs. The Indians slaughtered hundreds of animals for furs to trade, and when they looked for game to eat, it had been nearly wiped out. The Cherokees would leave an area to let the game recover, and the settlers took this as a sign that the Indians had abandoned the land, and move in.
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1775 – During the Revolutionary war, the Cherokees took the side of the British and attacked white settlements in their territory. After the war, many British soldiers decided to stay in the Cherokee Nation with their families. The new American government refused to honor the earlier ‘King’s Grants’ and sent the American Army to force the Cherokees to sign new treaties, which required them to give up more land.
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By 1800, the Cherokee Nation had shrunk to less than ¼ of it’s original size. Most Cherokees had retreated to lands in northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee. Many had adopted white ways. The US government and the State of Georgia adopted anti-Indian policies, and used soldiers to enforce the new laws.
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1812 – General Andrew Jackson wanted to drive out the Indians, but they were too strong for his army. He settled on a policy of divide and conquer. He started the French and Indian War of 1812 with the help of the Cherokees, they thought that by helping Andy Jackson drive out the Creek Indians, they would be given special treatment and left alone by the whites. Chief Tecumseh, of the Shawnee, tried to unify the remaining Indian Nations in a last ditch stand to resist the white invasion. In 1813, Chief Tecumseh died in battle and his dreams of a unified Indian Nation died with him.
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1815 – The US government forced or tricked many Cherokees into signing treaties to trade their lands for land in Arkansas and Oklahoma. About half of the Cherokees left for the New Territories and became known as the Old Settlers.
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1828 – Andrew Jackson was elected president, and Gold was discovered in Georgia. The US government was split as to protect the Cherokees land claims, or to let Georgia drive them out. Gold fever swept the south. Miners and get rich quick scam artists invaded Cherokee Territory murdering, raping, and burning. Chief James Vann, a district judge for the Cherokees, captured, tried and hung the criminals. Georgia threatened war over the outrage of Cherokees hanging white men. The Cherokees sent lawyers and statesmen to court to argue their case. The federal government had given them treaties for the land and they should be protected from the citizens and army of Georgia. Georgia governor, George Gilmore stated, “Treaties were a means by which ignorant, intractable, and savage people were induced to yield what Civilized Peoples had a right to possess.”
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1830 – The US Supreme Court decided in favor of protecting the Cherokees land rights. President Andrew Jackson defied the Supreme Court and sent the army to Georgia to drive out the Cherokees. Jackson proclaimed, “Justice John Marshall has rendered his decision, now let him enforce it.” President Jackson signed the ‘Indian Removal Act’, which required the forced removal of all Indians east of the Mississippi River to the new ‘vacant’ land obtained in the “Louisiana Purchase, to be guaranteed to the Indian tribes for as long as they shall occupy it”. Between 1830 and 1839, hundreds of Cherokee families fled the district, to Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. Even while these cases were being argued in court, the state of Georgia organized a land lottery to divide up the Cherokee Nation into farms and gold claims.
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1831 – The Choctaws were driven from their homes in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The federal government had agreed to pay to feed and clothe the Indians on their journey, but the money never came.
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1836 – The Creeks were driven out at the point of a gun, put in chains and forced-marched by the US Army. Some 3,500 men women and children died of hunger and exposure along the way.
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1837 – The Chickasaw loaded their belongings on wagons and headed west. The Seminoles chose to fight. After a long bloody war, the survivors were herded like cattle into any boat that would float and taken across the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi.
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1838 – Seven thousand federal troops, under the command of General Winfield Scott, were dispatched to the Cherokee Nation. Without warning, the troops broke down doors and drug people away to stockades. Those that moved too slowly were prodded with bayonets. In October, the Cherokees were herded into wooden stockades with no food, water, blankets, or sanitation. Most of them were barefoot and had no coats or blankets, yet they were forced to cross rivers in sub-zero weather.
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They were forced-marched, with army guards, as far north as Indiana, on their way to Oklahoma. Thousands of men, women, and children froze to death, died of starvation and disease. The soldiers forced the Cherokees to abandon their dead at the side of the road. What few pitiful possessions they owned, had to be dropped at the side of the road in order to carry the sick and dying. Soldiers and settlers plundered the ancient Cherokee burial grounds for buried treasure. Family possessions left behind were plundered and burned. Of the 22,000 Cherokees who started this death-march, some 5,500 died on the way. One thousand six hundred Freedmen walked the Trail of Tears along with the rest of Cherokee.
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At the plantation of Spring Place, the Georgia Guard threw a burning log onto the stairs to smoke out the people that lived there. The man who had won the house in the Georgia state lottery was there, urging the soldiers on to get ‘those people’ out of ‘his’ house. The Georgia Guard drove the missionaries out of their homes and school nearby, and turned it into a brothel for the army.
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The witnesses
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A guard (some years later) wrote, “I fought through the War (Civil War), and I saw men shot to pieces and slaughtered by the thousands, but the Cherokee Removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.”
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A traveler from Maine wrote “Aging females, apparently nearly ready to drop into the grave, were traveling with heavy burdens attached to their backs – on frozen ground with no covering for their feet except what nature had given them. We learned from the inhabitants of the road where the Indians passed that they buried fourteen or fifteen at each stopping place.”
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John G Burnett, a soldier who participated in the Removal wrote, “Men working in fields were arrested and driven into stockades. Women were dragged from their homes, by soldiers whose language they did not understand. Children were separated from their parents and driven into stockades with the sky for a blanket and the earth for a pillow. The old and infirm were prodded with bayonets to hasten them to the stockades. In one home, death had come during the night, a sad faced little child had died and was lying on a bear skin couch and some women were preparing the little boy for burial. All were arrested and driven out, leaving the dead child in the cabin. I don’t know who buried the body.
In another home was a frail mother, apparently a widow and three small children, one just a baby. When told that she must go, the mother gathered the children at her feet, prayed a humble prayer in her native tongue, patted the old family dog on the head, told the faithful creature goodbye, with a baby strapped on her back and leading a child with each hand, started on her exile. But the task was too great for the frail mother. A stroke of heart failure relieved her suffering. She sunk and died with her baby on her back, and her other two children clinging to her hands”
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The survivors
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Butrick: Butrick crossed the Ohio on Dec. 15, 1838, he didn't see the Mississippi River until Jan. 25. Even then, it took three more weeks to get all the people in his contingent crossed. From the time the first contingent crossed the Ohio in November to the last part of Butrick's group in February, The Cherokees spent three months in Southern Illinois.
According to Butrick's diary, by Dec. 29, 1838, the detachments were spread out across the region. "One detachment stopped at the Ohio River, two at the Mississippi, one four miles this side, one 16 miles this side, one 18 miles, and one 13 miles behind us. In all these detachments, comprising about 8,000 souls, there is now a vast amount of sickness, and many deaths," wrote Butrick who himself was suffering from fever and a cough.
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Quatie Ross: Although suffering from a cold, Quatie Ross, the Chief John Ross wife, gave her only blanket to a child. "Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when they leave Old Nation. Women cry and make sad wails, Children cry and many men cry...but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much." She died of pneumonia at Little Rock. Some drank stagnant water and succumbed to disease. One survivor told how his father got sick and died; then, his mother; then, one by one, his five brothers and sisters. "One each day. Then all are gone."
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Samuel Cloud: Samuel Cloud turned 9 years old on the Trail of Tears. Samuel's Memory is told by his great-great grandson, Micheal Rutledge, in his paper Forgiveness in the Age of Forgetfulness. Micheal, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is a law student at Arizona State University.
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It is Spring. The leaves are on the trees. I am playing with my friends when white men in uniforms ride up to our home. My mother calls me. I can tell by her voice that something is wrong. Some of the men ride off. My mother tells me to gather my things, but the men don't allow us time to get anything. They enter our home and begin knocking over pottery and looking into everything. My mother and I are taken by several men to where their horses are and are held there at gun point. The men who rode off return with my father, Elijah. They have taken his rifle and he is walking toward us.
I can feel his anger and frustration. There is nothing he can do. From my mother I feel fear. I am filled with fear, too. What is going on? I was just playing, but now my family and my friends' families are gathered together and told to walk at the point of a bayonet.
We walk a long ways. My mother does not let me get far from her. My father is walking by the other men, talking in low, angry tones. The soldiers look weary, as though they'd rather be anywhere else but here.
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They lead us to a stockade. They herd us into this pen like we are cattle. No one was given time to gather any possessions. The nights are still cold in the mountains and we do not have enough blankets to go around. My mother holds me at night to keep me warm. That is the only time I feel safe. I feel her pull me to her tightly. I feel her warm breath in my hair. I feel her softness as I fall asleep at night.
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As the days pass, more and more of our people are herded into the stockade. I see other members of my clan. We children try to play, but the elders around us are anxious and we do not know what to think. I often sit and watch the others around me. I observe the guards. I try not to think about my hunger. I am cold.
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Several months have passed and still we are in the stockades. My father looks tired. He talks with the other men, but no one seems to know what to do or what is going to happen. We hear that white men have moved into our homes and are farming our fields. What will happen to us? We are to march west to join the Western Cherokees. I don't want to leave these mountains.
My mother, my aunts and uncles take me aside one day. "Your father died last night," they tell me. My mother and my father's clan members are crying, but I do not understand what this means. I saw him yesterday. He was sick, but still alive. It doesn't seem real. Nothing seems real. I don't know what any of this means. It seems like yesterday, I was playing with my friends.
It is now Fall. It seems like forever since I was clean. The stockade is nothing but mud. In the morning it is stiff with frost. By mid-afternoon, it is soft and we are all covered in it. The soldiers suddenly tell us we are to follow them. We are led out of the stockade. The guards all have guns and are watching us closely. We walk. My mother keeps me close to her. I am allowed to walk with my uncle or an aunt, occasionally.
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We walk across the frozen earth. Nothing seems right anymore. The cold seeps through my clothes. I wish I had my blanket. I remember last winter I had a blanket, when I was warm. I don't feel like I'll ever be warm again. I remember my father's smile. It seems like so long ago.
We walked for many days. I don't know how long it has been since we left our home, but the mountains are behind us. Each day, we start walking a little later. They bury the dead in shallow graves, because the ground is frozen. As we walk past white towns, the whites come out to watch us pass. No words are spoken to them. No words are said to us. Still, I wish they would stop staring. I wish it were them walking in this misery and I were watching them. It is because of them that we are walking. I don't understand why, but I know that much. They made us leave our homes. They made us walk to this new place we are heading in the middle of winter. I do not like these people. Still, they stare at me as I walk past.
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My mother is coughing now. She looks worn. Her hands and face are burning hot. My aunts and uncles try to take care of me, so she can get better. I don't want to leave her alone. I just want to sit with her. I want her to stroke my hair, like she used to do. My aunts try to get me to sleep by them, but at night, I creep to her side. She coughs and it wracks her whole body. When she feels me by her side, she opens her blanket and lets me in. I nestle against her feverish body. I can make it another day, I know, because she is here.
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When I went to sleep last night, my mother was hot and coughing worse than usual. When I woke up, she was cold. I tried to wake her up, but she lay there. The soft warmth she once was, she is no more. I kept touching her, as hot tears stream down my face. She couldn't leave me. She wouldn't leave me.
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I hear myself call her name, softly, then louder. She does not answer. My aunt and uncle come over to me to see what is wrong. My aunt looks at my mother. My uncle pulls me from her. My aunt begins to wail. I will never forget that wail. I did not understand when my father died. My mother's death I do not understand, but I suddenly know that I am alone. My clan will take care of me, but I will be forever denied her warmth, the soft fingers in my hair, her gentle breath as we slept. I am alone. I want to cry. I want to scream in rage. I can do nothing.
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We bury her in a shallow grave by the road. I will never forget that lonesome hill of stone that is her final bed, as it fades from my sight. I tread softly by my uncle, my hand in his. I walk with my head turned, watching that small hill as it fades from my sight. The soldiers make us continue walking. My uncle talks to me, trying to comfort me. I walk in loneliness.
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I know what it is to hate. I hate those white soldiers who took us from our home. I hate the soldiers who make us keep walking through the snow and ice toward this new home that none of us ever wanted. I hate the people who killed my father and mother.
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I hate the white people who lined the roads in their woolen clothes that kept them warm, watching us pass. None of those white people are here to say they are sorry that I am alone. None of them care about me or my people. All they ever saw was the color of our skin. All I see is the color of theirs and I hate them.
There were ten million Native Americans on this continent when the first non-Indians arrived. Over the next 300 years, 90% of all Native American original population was either wiped out by disease, famine, or warfare imported by the whites.
By 1840 all the eastern tribes had been subdued, annihilated or forcibly removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi.

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One of the top tourist destinations in the nation is the lovely hill town of Manali, which is situated in the Himachal Pradesh state of India's Kullu district. It is possibly the main factor bringing tourists back year after year. Although it welcomes crowds all the time, this lovely resort town is most sought after for quiet getaways or summer breaks because of its idyllic location in the Kullu Valley. The influx of visitors has caused this hill town's demand for lodging to increase. As a result, accommodations for tourists in Manali often include guest houses in addition to hotels and resorts. So to make it convenient for tourists of manali we have launched Affordable Tour Packages for manali trips.
3 Best and Affordable Accommodations in the Manali Trip
Manali is a stunning hill station that is situated roughly 544 kilometres from Delhi and 270 kilometres from Shimla, respectively. According to legend, Manali was given its name in honour of the Sanatan Hindu Lawgiver and ancient sage Manu. There is even a Manu temple in Old Manali. The name "Valley Of Gods" refers to the valley itself. Several hotels, homestays, resorts, and guest houses can be found in this currently well-liked tourist destination.

3 Leisure Guest Houses Included in Affordable Tour Packages

There must be an endless supply of lodging options to satisfy the rising needs of the discerning visitors who come here daily and all year long to take in Manali's beauty. That’s why we have added 3 guesthouses to our Affordable Tour Packages of Manali. Check out all of these by reading the listicle below.

1. Green Forest Café And Guest House

This opulent stay option in Manali is situated close to the popular Hidimba Devi Temple in the tranquil Log Hut neighbourhood. This guest house is a good choice for travellers who like to experience a variety of cuisine as part of their travels because it provides a comfortable stay and great food is available nearby.
There are many different cuisines to choose from at the guest house's attached café. Visitors looking for a relaxing vacation in this hilly city will appreciate its proximity to Mall Road. For guests who want to try the regional cuisine, this Manali guest house is reasonably close to some local eateries and pubs.
Offer : Adventure tour packages
The location of this amazing guest house is near the Manali Bus Stand, Log Huts Area, Manali, Manali Tehsil, India. If available, this guest house also offers paid pick-up and drop-off services. You can get here a lot of amazing Facilities. The facilities are free Wi-Fi, free parking, a restaurant, room service, housekeeping, laundry service, bike rentals, paid pick-up and drops, a first aid facility, CCTV, a doctor on call, and luggage storage. The tariff of this guest house is starting from INR 2200 per night.

2. Paradise Guest House

Another opulent stay option in Manali is Paradise Guest House. This well-known Manali guest house, which is situated in the Old Manali neighbourhood, provides its visitors with picturesque views of the mountains and the surrounding greenery. Hidimba Devi Temple, Manu Temple, Manali Sanctuary, and Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa Monastery are just a few of the nearby attractions. You can stay in this guest house if you book your trip with our Affordable Tour Packages of Manali. This area has a respectable number of restaurants within walking distance, so it's worth looking into if you're looking for cheap lodging while travelling.
When affordable housing is available, you can undoubtedly feel happy. Manali is a perfect location that has something special to offer everyone, whether you want to take advantage of the snow-capped mountains, go skiing, visit all the tourist attractions, or go for a walk and trail in the lovely forests, among other things.
The location of this guest house is Old Manali, Manali, Manali Tehsil 175131 India. You can reach this hotel by both bus and cab. The guesthouse also provides paid pick-up and drop from both the airport and bus stand so you don’t have to worry about that. You can get here a lot of amazing facilities like free Wi-Fi, free parking, a restaurant, room service, housekeeping, laundry service, bike rentals, paid pick and drops, paid bonfire, paid conducted tours, doctor on call, and luggage storage. The tariff of this guest house is starting from INR 1700 per night.
Book now : Family tour packages

3. Mountain Dew Guest House

In Manali, one of the most well-liked cheapest priced guest houses is Mountain Dew Guest House. This guesthouse is well situated in a key strategic location, just 1.4 km from the Hidimba Devi Temple, close to the Manu Temple, and also close to Circuit House. It's a great place to stay with your family in Manali. The patios and outdoor seating areas are well-designed features of the rooms.
This guest house offers skiing equipment for rent because skiing is a popular activity in this region, which is a big plus for skiers staying at the property. They also provide you with activities like horseback riding, hiking, and fishing. This Manali guest house is well-equipped with a variety of other amenities, including free parking, a restaurant, and bike and car rentals, which is a good combination for a memorable yet affordable lodging option. This area has a respectable number of restaurants within walking distance, so it's worth looking into if you're looking for cheap lodging while travelling. If you have also made up your mind to stay in this guest house then make sure to book your tour with our Affordable Tour Packages in Manali.
10 % Discount : National tour packages
One of the best things about this guest house is the tariff. It is starting from INR 1200 per night. You don’t have to worry about how to reach here. This guesthouse provides pick up and drop off from both manali airports and near the manali bus stand. The facilities are the same as the other hotels like family-friendly rooms, free Wi-Fi, restaurant, room service, housekeeping, currency exchange, saloon, souvenir shop, luggage storage, car rentals, bike rentals, skiing equipment rentals, and free car parking.