The moon hung overhead, its mystical light illuminating the path in front of us. For a brief moment, I caught sight of the caves for the first time in a week. We were almost home.

Onward we moved, the entire tribe silent except for the crackle of leaves underfoot. My feet picked up the pace slightly, energized by prospect of not having to travel any longer. 

As excited as I was to be home, dread began to settle in me. I had shoved it aside throughout the journey, focusing my attention on walking, but soon, we would be home, and there would be nothing to keep my thoughts from me. Why was I chosen for this task? Where do I even begin with trying to make a dress? What if....what if I can't do it? Yes, I knew how to spin light into thread, but I had never tried to make a dress out of light. Moreover, capturing like was no easy feat. I had learned how to catch a few beams, but to find enough light to create three dresses would be a herculean task.

"Celisae," a feminine voice called. It was Gea, my guardian. After my parents died six years ago, she had been assigned to take care of me. I spotted Gea in the back of the tribe. I stepped up onto a small rock on the side of the mountain and waited for Gea to catch up.

"Come on, let's head to the cave," Gea said as she drew near. I followed her the rest of the way up to our cave. We set all our stuff down in a corner, and soon Gea was fast asleep. I could hear her, snoring loudly on the other side of the room. I lay my head down on a mossy rock by the edge of the cave. I could see from miles around. Tentatively, I peered up at the dark sky. The moon was bright, despite the fact that it had shrunk since the tribes' gathering. A few stars dotted the sky with it. Please, drop some of your light for me.

"Wake up." My eyes fluttered open to see Gea standing over me. She smiled gently. "Are you ready for breakfast? The hunters have returned." I stood and stretched before following Gea outside. We walked down the mountain to where the central gathering place was. The smell of roasted meat grew stronger the closer we drew. Soon, we had arrived. A tribesman handed each of us a bowl full of deer meat and berries.

"Thank you," Gea said. The tribesman hurried off to serve others.

"Hey, Celisae!" someone called. I turned toward the voice and saw my friend Leu. I hurried over to join her under a berry tree.

"Hey Leu," I greeted.

"Oh my, Celisae! I literally haven't seen you since the journey to the tribal meeting!"

"Well, we're supposed to stay with our families during the meeting so that no one gets lost...."

"I know, but I just need to talk to you! You were chosen to make the dresses for the alliance!!"

I tried to play it off. No need to have her excitement drawing attention to me. "Ya," I responded taking a bite of the deer meat. It was so soft, it practically melted in my mouth. The cooks always did a tremendous job preparing our food. I glanced at Leu, who was staring at me with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"Ya? Your response is 'Ya?' Do you not realize how incredible this is, or do you just not appreciate the opportunity?" Leu took a bite of her own food, and I saw some of her annoyance dissipate. 

"Of course I appreciate this opportunity," I told her in a low voice. "It's just.... it's just that I'm worried, that's all."

"About what?" she asked with her mouth full.

"I've never been given such an important job before, Leu. This is a big deal, and I don't want to ruin it. I'm using everything I've got to keep myself calm, otherwise I'd be an emotional wreck. Please, don't make this into anything bigger than it has to be. It will just make me more nervous."

Fortunately, Leu understood. "Yes, of course," she said quietly. "I didn't realize you felt that way. I didn't mean to add to the pressure that you already have."

"It's ok," I assured her. I didn't need her getting to emotional over this.

"If you need any help, let me know. I'm sure my mentor would be fine if I help you out, we have extra stores of clothing that we can use if we run out. Besides, I could use a break. All that weaving and sewing can get monotonous."

"I'll go to Nal m'se a little later today and ask if you can be my assistant," I promised. Leu beamed.

"Well, I'd better get going," Leu announced. "See you later."

I quickly finished my breakfast and turned in my bowl. It was time to begin the search. I retraced my steps back to my cave. After retrieving my cloth bag, I was off, ascending the snowy walkway into the mountains. Light beams gets destroyed from the bustle of activity, so I have only had success finding it while high in the mountains. The sun's rays will be the easiest to find, because they are by far the brightest. The moon's rays will probably be next easiest. They are harder to see, since the light is less bright, but there are more rays dropped by the moon. I was most concerned about the star's rays. They were the most rare, since the stars were furthest away from earth. And their light paled compared to the sun's. This was definitely no easy feat, especially since the tribe's curfew required me to hunt during the daylight.

A light breeze whipped my hair, and I pulled my fur cloak a little tighter. The air was cool and crisp. The mountains were just what I needed during this time. They provided the stability that I lacked with all the worries of making the dresses. Oh, was it good to be home.

I followed the narrow path higher into the mountains until I reached a slight plateau. The ground was covered in a blanket of snow. I almost felt guilty walking on it, ruining the perfect sheet pure white. I took another step, my foot sinking deep into the soft, fluffy snow. And then, I caught sight of it. Wrapped in a berry bush was a gleaming strand of sunlight. It shone brilliantly, its beams reflecting off the white surface surrounding it. I inched toward it stealthily. Once I got close, I reached out my hand and gently began to untangle to the light ray, being especially careful so as not to destroy it. It was hot on my hand, but I'd grown used to the sensation. Once it was loose, I placed it in my bag, sealing the top shut. 

I sighed. I had caught the first piece of light.

The rest of the day had not been as successful. I had only been able one other beam of sunlight. The sun was beginning to set, casting a pink hue in the sky. Dejected, I began my walk of shame down the mountain. If this day is a testament to how the rest of the project goes, I will dishonor my tribe. More importantly, I will dishonor Nal m'se. It was her idea. She believed that could do this. If I couldn't, she'd be shamed by the other tribes.

Why did she pick me? I'm not even a weaver! I'm a gatherer for goodness sake, and one of the things I just so happened to learn how to gather was light. I'd never made any sort of clothing, much less a fancy dress. The extent of my weaver knowledge was turning light into thread and sewing it into the lining clothing to keep us warmer during the frozen season.

As I headed toward my cave, I saw Leu racing toward me, grinning from to ear to ear. She was practically shaking with excitement.

"So how did go? Did you catch a lot of light? When will you start making the thread? Have you talked to Nal m'se yet? Can I join you?" She must have noticed my grave expression because her smile began to fade. She bit her lip. "It didn't go so well did it?" she said. I shook my head. Leu looked down at the ground, clearly embarrassed for her overenthusiastic. "Well, maybe it will be better tomorrow," she tried to consul. I forced a smile.

"One can hope," I responded somberly. I continued to my cave. Leu didn't try to follow me.

I breathed deeply, trying to calm my nerves. I stood outside the matriarch's cave, waiting to speak with Nal m'se. After a few minutes, the other six matriarchs came out.

"She is ready to see you now," Yia m'jeays told me, offering me a smile. Something about her kind, reserved manner always put me at ease.

"Thank you," I said. My muscles relaxed slightly, and I entered the cave.

I walked through a dim tunnel, my footsteps echoing off the ancient rocks. A rich, earthy smell filled my nose, pungent but welcoming at the same time. The tunnel brought me to a large room, embedded deep in the rock. In the center was Nal m'se, seated in a sandstone chair. 

"Come here, Celisae," Nal m'se beckoned. I continued toward her until I stood right in front of her. It was dark inside, except for a faint pool of light shining through a hole in the ceiling above Nal m'se, illuminating her face.

"What is it you wanted to ask?" Nal m'se queried, her voice slow and thick, like honey dripping from a hive.

"I actually had two requests." I paused for a moment, wondering if I was asking too much.

"Go on," Nal m'se urged.

"I was wondering if I could be allowed to hunt for light at night. During the day, the rays often blend in with the brightness from the sun. At night there would be more contrast," I stated. Nal m'se sighed. "I will still work during the day. I can gather food for the tribe."

"We don't like the idea of someone wandering around alone at night," Nal m'se began. "It's very dangerous, especially for someone as young as you. But you make a good point. It probably would be easier and more productive to search at night." She got a far-away look in her eyes as she deliberated. "And I don't want to send you out alone with one of our warrior or hunter escorts."

"Well, actually, my second request was if you could allow Leu to assist me with searching for the light, and later with the weaving. I've never weaved an actual piece of clothing before, and her assistance would be valuable."

"Well, I guess I'll have to yes to both your requests," Nal m'se reluctantly agreed. "You need to have every advantage possible in order to finish the dresses on time. But I will need to send a male escort. I'll send my grandson, Ix k'eh with you two to make sure that you both are safe. The arctic wolves tend to be more aggressive this time of year, and the bears are out of hibernation."

"Thank you, Nal m'se. I will start tomorrow night." I turned to leave, but a firm hand touched my shoulder.

"Wait, Celisae."

I faced her again. What's going on?

"You seem troubled," Nal m'se said gently. 

"What do you mean?" I feigned, forcing myself to smile.

"I'm old enough to know when one is worried," she said, a knowing look in her eyes. "Now, what is troubling you?"

There was no hiding from Nal m'se.

"It's just.... there's so much to be done in so little time," I confessed. "I've never woven anything before, much less a dress. The light is hard to find, I only found two rays of sunlight. I don't know if I'll be able to find enough light to weave an entire dress. I.... I don't know if I'll be able to do it."

Nal m'se sat perfectly still as she listened, her breathing forming a soothing rhythm. She nodded sympathetically when I was done.

"I understand that you are concerned. It is a daunting task, isn't it? But I know that you will be able to complete it. I'm sure of it. Leu will teach you how to weave, and can help you along the way. And now that you can look for light at night, you will manage to find enough beams."

"But why me?" I blurted out. "I'm a gatherer, not a weaver. Why couldn't someone else make the dresses? I could still gather the light and spin it to thread, but why couldn't Leu be responsible for the actual sewing of the dress?"

"In order to improve, we must push ourselves. A tree will never grow if the seed is too scared to stretch out its roots." Despite her calm demeanor, her voice was firm and her jaw was set with determination. It was pointless to argue with the head matriarch.

"Thank you, Nal m'se," I said softly. I dipped my head, both with respect and to hide my flushing cheeks.

"You may go now," Nal m'se informed kindly. I hurried out as quickly as possible, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach.