Two years later

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Note: Let's refresh the ages of the four of us: Sitka was 16, Denahi was 14(March), I was 14(July) and Kenai was 9. Add two years, Sitka is now 18, Denahi is 16, I am 15(one month soon) and Kenai is 11.

We all have grown a stronger bond between the four of us, I have considered the brothers as mine and I secretly have a crush on Sitka(I never told it out). Denahi seems to take interest in my skills in the village(he never expressed it to me). Kenai said that he plays with a girl from a different village named Nita. Sitka had grown mature, watching over his brothers for some time, he had seen that I have feelings for him and there were some things that I don't like, standing in big crowds for example. He understands those things and stood up for me when I feel troubled. Amaguq and Chena were hunters along with the other villagers, they explained that it was a dangerous sport, I always told them to be careful, they understood me for when my parents abandoned me and every night, they come back to us, alive and well.

Since Sitka was 18 years old, it was time that he would get a totem and grow into manhood. I just saw him and Denahi with their batch of fish, I've walked to them to a nearby tree with a basket and rope, 'Sitka, on a scale from 1 to 10, how excited are you for getting your totem?' Sitka just giggled at my question, 'Scale? How about I choose an eight? Yes, I'll probably get the Mammoth of Strength like Dad, because I'm strong like him, I have his hair, you know, just to make him and Mom happy?' Sitka filled the basket with fish, I threw the rope up on a tree branch and pulled up the basket. 'Sitka, could you please give me push up the tree, so I can tie it up?' I jumped to the branch, he pushed up my legs as I pulled up myself on it and Sitka handed me the rope. The rope wrapped under, made a loop knot and pulled tight. I carefully walked on the branch to the trunk, I suddenly slipped down, looped down, but Sitka caught me just time, 'Thanks!' 'That was cool, do it again!' Denahi surprised me. 'How about I do it in the next totem ceremony, eh?' I answered his statement. 'Tanana is back!', the crowd called from far away. 'Let's go!' I called and the three of us ran quickly to the ceremony(I ran the fastest).

The place was like an outside cave and we're under a mountain roof, there were music playing, men as the totem animals dancing and I saw a big pole with moose antlers. We found Amaguq, Chena and Kenai waiting for us. 'What's happening now?' I asked Amaguq. 'Look over there, she's coming, this is my favourite part in totem ceremonies,' he showed me a fire torch in the crowd. It was Tanana, the village shaman, holding the fire torch and she does have long hair in two ponytails. She threw the torch at the pole, it started to burn, we all cheered, I saw that we had to raise our hands up high and rapidly down low we bowed in our squatting position! After a minute, we all sat down and Tanana began to speak.

'When each of us comes of age, the Great Spirits reveal to us a totem that helps guide us the our lives, some of us use courage to guide us, others patience and some of us beauty,' She stroked her hair when she said 'beauty' and we laughed a little. She called Sitka over to her, he walked near to her and she painted three marks on his face. 'She's here with us,' Sitka whispered about me to her. 'Sitka, I've been to the mountain where the lights touch the earth and the Great Spirits have revealed to me your totem. To become a man, your actions must be guided by one thing.' We oohed quietly and I leaned closer to listen. 'Your totem is...' I placed a hand by my ear to hear the last word, '...Guidance.' Sitka's excited smile flicker down to a confused face, 'Pardon.' 'Guidance, Sitka,' Tanana revealed an eagle totem necklace under a leather hide and placed it over his neck. 'The Eagle of Guidance, what does that mean?' He looked at the figure, he turned to us, his family and I shrugged my shoulders and arms up, speaking my head, 'Can't say what you want for the Spirits'. Tanana turned him back to her, 'That is something you need to discover yourself, everyone of us must find their own path to live by their totem, find your own path to live by guidance and one day, you'll be a man and you will place your mark next to all of out ancestors.' She showed a big wall, full of handprints of the past, which are the ancestors. Sitka walked up to them, looked at his hand for the print, Tanana raised his hand up high and we cheered.

After a few minutes, the crowd has dimmed and left me to meet Tanana. 'Tanana, this is Thalia and she stays with us,' Sitka introduced me. 'Please to meet you,' I shook her hand, but she pulled me into a hug. 'How long have you been living with the brothers?' She asked me. I giggled, 'As long as I can remember.' Sitka and I have explained two years ago, how I ran away, how have my parents abandoned me, how he found me alone in the woods and finally settled in the village just fine. 'It's nice to talk with you, but could you please excuse us for a few minutes, because we need to take care of the fish. Whoever tied up the fish, must untie the fish,' I've concluded the story and we all headed down for the basket in the tree.

A few people were by the tree, talking where could the end of the rope be, along with the basket. I whispered to Sitka and Denahi that they should move a side, because I'm going to run up the tree to get the basket. Once they moved away, the brothers stood in front of each side as guards. I warmed up on a spot and crouched down to start my race, 'I'm coming in, guys!' 'Ready! Set! Go!' Sitka started up. I ran off, quickly and jumped onto the tree. I've pulled myself up to the rope end and climbed up safely. I've untied the knot careful, lowered the basket slowly and Sitka carried it down safely. I looked for an empty space to land further up where I started. I jumped up and out of the tree, rolled forward in the air, then rolled on ground and jumped up on my feet with arms high for finish, 'Voilà!' The people clapped and cheered for my little performance, 'Hotshot moves, Thalia!' Denahi beamed. 'Thanks!' I high five him. We carried the basket to our tent and relaxed for a bit, it was hard preparations for the ceremony.

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