Joshua began walking down the dusty path trying to stay hidden as best as he could. He knew that in the open like this he looked like an easy meal for what birds and other wildlife might be roaming the area.

He looked over the area good. Trying to remember all he could from his dream. He knew he was getting close to his first short cut when he saw the rock with water trickling down it. He went and drank some of the sweet water and splashed some on his face to cool himself in the desert heat. He stayed about 30 minutes before continuing.

As he began climbing down the rocks he heard a scratching noise. He reached for his gun out of instinct but soon discovered it wasn’t there. He took his staff and positioned himself between the rocks ready for whatever would come his way. The noise got louder and louder. Soon it was almost upon him as he saw what was the biggest rattlesnake in the history of the world.

The snake was about seven feet from him as it rustled thru the sand and rock. Joshua couldn’t believe the size of it. He knew on a regular scale the snake was maybe 6-7 feet long, but now, it looked over 100 feet long, maybe even longer. He stayed in his hiding place until the snake passed. He waited until he saw it start up the hillside before he left to start his way back down the hill.

White Eagle was watching from a distance, she saw the rattlesnake as it slowly passed her shrunken husband-to-be. She watched him when he began making his way down to the path below the hill. She was ready at a moments notice to protect him and save him from any harm that might come his way. Still, the day was hot and traveling was very slow for her. Soon, there wouldn’t be much cover for her to hide behind, or him, and that was her biggest fear.

Joshua made his way thru the heat, the sand, the rocky formations in the path. It was almost nightfall and he needed a place to make camp. He saw a small dried out shrub just about ten feet off the pathway and figured it would provide some shelter for him so he made his way to it and set up camp. He reached inside his backpack and ate two of the berries that White Eagle had put in there, drank his fill of water, rolled out his blanket and stretched out looking up thru the bush at the night sky. He found a few sticks and stuck them in the ground and hung his boots over them and began laughing at them. I don’t believe a snake will find it’s way into my boots even if I leave them on the ground. But, old habits die hard and he left them there.

White Eagle had positioned herself not more then ten feet from the Marshall as she watched him until he fell asleep. She slowly made her way to him, carefully took his water pouch and refilled it from hers. She looked to see if he would need anything else before going back to her hiding place. Happy with what she had done, she slowly back traced her footsteps, erasing the moccasin tracks with a small forked stick and laid down and closed her eyes.

The next morning, Joshua packed up and began his journey again. The day was hotter then yesterday. He found himself drinking more water and soon his pouch was empty. He looked around and saw a cabin in the distance. “If I can make it there by nightfall, I can refill my water and maybe even have a place to sleep for the night” he said speaking only to himself and the wasteland before him.

He slowly made his way there. When he approached the property, he saw a small garden with tomatoes, beans, peppers, and corn growing. He went straight for the tomatoes. There was a small yellow-ish one that he could get to. He stabbed it with his walking stick and was able to get it to fall. He began eating at the meaty vegetable. It tasted so good, and the juices were quenching his thirst as well.

As she walked out of the barn finishing her chores, she saw movement at her garden. Thinking it might be a snake or a mouse, she grabbed a near-by hoe and slowly made her way over there. As she walked up on the tiny man eating her tomato, she let out a loud gasp.

Joshua jumped to his feet, spinning around in mid-air to face whatever had made that sound. He was so consumed in eating he hadn’t heard or felt her walk up on him.

They stared at each other for the longest time. White Eagle was hidden in the tall grass watching as well. All their hearts were racing. White Eagle knew she couldn’t get to him fast enough should the woman use the hoe on him. Joshua watched this giantess very intently, and sudden moves from her and he was positioned to run.

Finally, the woman spoke. “Are…are you real?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am” Joshua answered taking a step back.

“You’re so…so….so tiny. What happened” she said slowly squatting down in front of him and laying the hoe down beside of her.

White Eagle breathed a sigh of relief at seeing this. Joshua did as well.

“Let’s just say I made the wrong person mad at me and leave it at that.” he said.

“A witch?” she asked.

“Sort of” he said.

“Well, it’s getting dark and this ain’t no place for a little fella such as yourself to be trampsing around” she said and she reached for him.

Joshua didn’t have time to respond. Even though she was reaching for him slowly, it was just to fast for him and soon he was in her grasp. Her hands were tough as leather, her eyes were an icy blue color, her brown hair slowly waved in the night breeze as she stood there holding him up to her face looking at him.

“Hope you’re still hungry” she said; “I have a pot of stew inside and some coffee.”

Joshua just nodded. The stew sounded great but the coffee…he hadn’t had any coffee since he was shrunk. She carried him inside, placed him on the table and looked around for something to put his food on. Not finding anything, she asked him if it would be ok for him to eat off her plate as well, he said yes and she turned around and began to smile.

She did get a thimble from her sewing kit, rinsed it out and put some coffee in it for him. He welcomed it like a new born son being handed to him.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH” he said. Drinking the coffee. “It’s been almost seven months since I had any coffee.”

“You’ve been that small seven months now?” she asked still fiddling around the stove.

“Yes ma’am” Joshua said. “Seven long months”

White Eagle had made her way to the cabin and was watching through the window. She saw him sitting on the table and drinking his coffee. She could tell they were talking but couldn’t make out the conversation. He looked so relaxed in there with this stranger, she thought. A tear began to fall down her cheek as she thought about what if he decides to stay with this woman, this “white-woman”. She knew if he stayed, not only would her heart be broken, but she would be shunned by her tribe as well. But being the woman she was, she thought she would wait until tomorrow and see what happens. She took Joshua’s pack and walking stick and placed it on the barrel at the door on the porch and she went into the barn to sleep for the night.

She picked up Joshua and placed him in front of the wash bowl and told him to “clean-up” it was time for supper. Joshua did so the best he could. The wash-bowl was so big it looked like a pond to him. When he finished, she took him back to the table and set him down, refilled his thimble with coffee and they began to eat.

She introduced herself as Rebecca Masters. He introduced himself as well. She looked surprised at him and said: “you’re the missing Marshall everyone’s been looking for.”

Taking another sip of his coffee he looked up at her and smiled, “well, I’m not missing anymore, you’ve found me” and taking another sip from the thimble he said: “is there a reward out for me?”

She laughed at his remark and they both ate their stew.

She cleaned the dishes and they both sat drinking coffee and talking. She told him how her husband had died a few years back from being bitten by a rattlesnake behind the barn. “when I got to him, he was sweating and shaking so bad I knew I couldn’t get to the doctor fast enough, and he died in my arms.”

Joshua could see the tears welling up in her eyes and he stood up and walked over to her placing his hand on top of hers and began patting it, trying to comfort her as best he could. When he touched her, she felt something she hadn’t felt since her husband had died, the touch of a man. It sent her body in all directions at once. Her heart began racing, she looked at him so intensely before regaining her composure again. She stood up and refilled their coffee and they talked well into the night.

She made him a pallet on the table and told him goodnight just before blowing out the lantern and going to bed. Joshua slept good that night. He didn’t know if it had anything to do with the “down-home” surroundings, the fact he was just that tired, or maybe he just felt safe there with her. But as he drifted off to sleep, he silently whispered, “White Eagle, I’m coming.” and with that, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Rebecca laid in her bed thinking of how the tiny man made her feel. He had stirred something up in her she hadn’t felt in a very long time. It felt good, it made her feel like a woman again, she would ask Joshua if he would like to stay in the morning over breakfast.