February 1795, Algonquin, Illinois.....

Little Feather walked to one of the trees next to the lake that warm winter morning, empty wooden buckets in hand, as she hummed a song to herself as she went.

The ice from the lake was beginning to melt as the weather warmed its icy surface and the grass began to sprout from underneath the white and glossy snow that had covered it for months. Flowers began to bloom along with the blossoms on the trees that once looked so bare and lifeless. Birds chirped and were flapping about, either looking for food or were getting ready to welcome new life into the world. Other animals like deer and bears as well also welcomed new life over the course of the winter and the beginning of spring. Like the world was beginning to wake up and greet the morning of a new day.

Little Feather couldn't help but admire all of this cause to her, she could feel the joy of spring happening along with them and was glad that it was getting warmer and no longer had to stay in the wigwam for a long period of time to stay out of the cold. She didn't like the cold but did like how the snow glowed in the sunlight as it sparkled, making it shine bright like a rainbow.

There usually wasn't much to eat in winter especially when the animals go into hibernation and the birds flew to warmer lands and the remaining animals that did come out during the cold months often hid among the snow and trees so her and her tribe had to hunt and store as much they could during the fall before the snow falls so that way they had enough for winter and until spring when everything was bloom again and the animals were starting to come out of hibernation.

Little Feather continued to hum to herself as she filled the buckets with water. Little Feather then stoped humming and gasped a little due to the coldness of the water on her skin as she put each bucket in the water, one hand under the bucket which was now underwater, as she gathered water into it. The water was indeed icy and cold due to the ice and snow that covered it during winter and what remained from melting due to the warm weather, still made it cold nonetheless.

As she was getting ready to head back, she heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see who it was. To her pleasure, it was Little Wolf. Little Wolf was her childhood friend and would always tell her about his hunting trips with the men and older boys of the tribe. He was taller than her and wore skin hides and skin moccasins, his long black hair flowing behind him, his feathers blew a little in the wind on his head as he stood there, looking at her. He was only a year or two older than her and was already considered a man in her tribe. His brown eyes shined in the morning light, making them look almost like a muddy lake covered in moss.

"Little Feather. Your mother said you out here so I came to help carry the buckets back. Is that okay?" He said.

He was always like this. Kind and caring to people in the tribe and never got too prideful like some of the men in the village. He knew his place and where he stood among them and learned from his mistakes and always asked for advice on when he was troubled by something. You could say he was mature for his age and would always stick up for me when I got teased.

"Kupi. Thank you. I would be grateful if you helped carry these back. They definitely can be heavy with all of the water in them." I said.

Little Wolf then picks up both buckets and starts walking back to the tribe but then stops some feet away as I stood there still by the lakeside.

He looks at me and says "Little Feather, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. It's just...thank you." I say.

I knew if I said anything about me carrying one of the buckets, he refused and keep telling me that he could handle it. But deep down, I knew I should be helping or at least lessen the burden of carrying two buckets of water back to camp. But I also felt glad to have a friend like him who was willing to help me out when I needed it the most. If it wasn't for him, I didn't know what I would do.

I quickly catch up to him and start walk back to the tribe together with him carrying the buckets.

"So, Little Feather, are you going on the first trip of spring with some of the other women?" Little Wolf asks.

"No, not this year. Nek......she doesn't want me to go until I had my womanhood celebration. So she's having my older sister go instead and me help watch the kids while they're gone." I replied.

"I see. Well, I hope you'll still wish us luck. Especially since it's the first hunting trip in spring." He says with a small smile.

"Kupi. You know I always will, no matter what."

"Good. Glad to hear that."

Once we got back to the tribe, Little Wolf sets down the buckets by my family's wigwam.

"There you go."

"Thank you again for carrying the buckets."

"It's fine. I am always happy to help. Especially if it involves you. You're my friend after all." He says with a chuckle.

I slightly blush at his reply, mostly because I was embarrassed by the way he said it and in front of a group of other girls who happen to be weaving close by, who had noticed us walking together. One of the girls turns to other girl and whispered something to her and the other girl giggled.

"Well, guess I should get to weaving. Nek will be upset if I don't get it soon."

"Kupi. I shouldn't hold you up then. I'll talk to you later, Little Feather." He says before walking away and out of sight.

I then go to where the girls are weaving and as soon as I do, the girls who had noticed earlier, giggled at me before one of them says " I think Little Wolf likes you."

"Kupi. He's my friend. Not sure how that's funny."

The other girl shakes her head.

"No, she means that he wants you as a wife. A woman." She explains.

A wife? Me and little Wolf together?

" I think you're just imagining things. He's a man so course he's looking for a wife."

"Kupi. But he hasn't taken his eyes off of you since his manhood celebration and he seems to be doing more stuff for you lately like today with the water buckets. Even more so since it's close to your womanhood celebration."

"Think that's him being protective. You know he's like a brother to me."

The girls look at each other and shrug before going back to weaving. I take place next to another girl and began weaving my own cloth as well.

The sunlight shined on the wigwams as we worked and the weather got a little bit warmer but you could still feel a coldness in the air. The grass blowing in the wind as a couple kids ran pass us and shouting as they went.

Men were getting to go hunting tomorrow and some of the women including my older sister were going with them, to help with the cooking and preserving of the meat and for medicine in case anyone got hurt along the way. But not all of the men were going, some of them were staying behind to protect the tribe and to make sure nothing went wrong here as well.

As I was weaving, Nek called me over to her by our wigwam.

I excuse myself and go over to her.

She takes my hand and says "come with me." before we go into our wigwam.

"Was there something that you wanted to say, Nek?"

"Kupi. It's very important." She said.