He stood in the shadow of the cedar. Silent, still, he watched Miinan. Her black hair reflected the light of Father Sun. Her skin glowed warm and brown. How he wanted to touch her. He wanted to speak to her, but he could not. She would be angry if she knew he had followed her. She thought this was her special, secret place. It was also his. It was his, because she came here. The Great Sea stretched before Miinan, the waters etched her in shimmering light. All of Ajijaak longed to stand beside her, but he could not. He was not allowed to walk with her. Fresh rage tore at his heart. If only he had been able to make her father see his worth, but Mikinaak could not, would not ever think he was good enough for his oldest daughter. Mikinaak was Mide, he knew the powers of healing and destruction and he practiced them. To cross him in anyway would bring further harm to Ajijaak’s family. They had been hurt enough already.

Miinan began to sing with the waves that brushed the rocky shore, her voice called Ajijaak away from his despair. The rise and fall of her song echoed the beat of the water. A whooping crane rose from the shore. Miinan followed the flight of this silent creature. Once she told Ajijaak she wished she had been born a feathered sister. She longed to fly.

The sinking sun shot spears of orange light across the choppy water. Miinan lifted her hands. Her body swayed with the rhythm of the waves. Ajijaak felt his own body sway. How he wanted to dance with her. His feet began to quietly tap in rhythm with Miinan’s song. The invisible wind caught her black braid. It swirled around her rising upwards. The dead arms of the cedar caught the wind and groaned. Inwardly Ajijaak groaned as well. It was painful to remain hidden. Painful to know his love for Miinan was forbidden.

Something moved in the trees. Ajijaak glanced away from Miinan. The form of a lumbering black bear was moving through the underbrush. It seemed to be headed straight toward Miinan. A voice shouted, “Miinan, where are you?”

The bear turned to the sound, and headed in the opposite direction. Ajijaak’s eyes shot back to the water. Miinan had turned to the voice. Her face was pale with fright. An old woman appeared followed by a dancing little girl. The little girl was swirling around and on her face was the look of triumph. Her big sister had just been caught and would be in trouble, what could be more delightful than that?

The old woman was the girls’ Noko (grandmother). She said, “Miinan it is dangerous for you to be here. What if the Snake King sees you? Do you want that?” The old woman’s eyes roamed around, testing the area for danger.

Ajijaak stopped breathing. Noko was sensitive. She might feel his presence.

Miinan blue black eyes held fear. She said, “No.”

“Yes you do, you would not come here if you did not. What if the Snake King tricks you?”

Miinan’s sister, Ziibi’s shivered. She said, “He would not trick me. I would kill him.”

The old woman’s eyes swung to her youngest granddaughter. “What if he hears your challenge, what if he seeks you out?”

Ziibi raised her small chin. With a quick thrust of her hand she stabbed the air. “I would cut him in two.”

“What did I do to deserve you two? Why can you not be like other girls and mind your noko?” The girls were not bad, just spirited like their grandmother had been when she was young, like she still was even in her old age. Noko continued, “You are wicked girls.”

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Ajijaak could tell by the determination of her jaw that Ziibi was not affected by her grandmother’s warning. The stubborn little girl was resolved to kill the Snake King one day. Nothing anyone could tell her would sway her from this desire except her own forgetfulness. Miinan was affected by her grandmother’s words. Her large eyes filled with tears. Ajijaak did not like it when Noko made Miinan cry. If he could speak he would defend her, but any intervention on his part would only make Noko angrier and make things worse for Miinan.

Noko continued, “Ambe, now. It is getting late.”

Miinan nodded and followed Noko and her sister back to the village. Despite her tears, despite her desire to obey her grandmother, Ajijaak knew Miinan would come to this place again. It was here that she met with Giizhig-ikwe, Sky Woman. Here Giizhig-ikwe showed her full face. She called to Miinan, and she called to Ajijaak. It was a call that neither could refuse. Before many days had passed, Miinan would slip away again and she would dance with the sun, the water and the wind and he would watch.

On silent feet he moved through the trees. Sunlight and shadow played across him as he ran. He heard the beat of his heart in his chest. He felt the sweat begin to form on his young body. He darted through the birch trees and traveled along the river that led to their village. Houses stood in small clusters pushed back among the trees. The air was pungent with smoke from fires. Women stood over birch bark pots stirring with wooden spoons. Ajijaak slowed his pace. He slipped noiselessly through the loosened birch bark panel of his house. No one was inside. He went to the door flap, and waited.

The hobbling form of Noko swung up the path. Ziibi danced around the old woman playing her reed flute. Miinan’s eyes were on the ground. She did not seem to see or hear anything that was around her. They passed by Ajijaak’s house. Miinan’s shy bright eyes darted to the tent flap. Ajijaak, raised his fingertips to her. She smiled at him. The smile brought him warmth and hope.

Noko saw him. She jerked Miinan’s arm hard. The old woman hissed, “Do not be to friendly with him. They will talk.” The women at their pots seemed not to have noticed anything, but Ajijaak knew they had heard her. Anger and shame filled him. He stepped away from the door flap and hid in the shadows. With a charred stick he drew pictures on the earth floor. It was the story of the life he wanted to live and not the one he had.

Nika, his mother came into the house. She saw him hunched over his drawing. He knew she would not disturb him. He also knew she had heard what Miinan’s noko had said. With angry hands he pushed the stick deep into the earth and slashed through his drawings. He leapt to his feet and rubbed out the images with a swipe of his foot. He waited for his mother’s rebuke.

In a soft voice she said, “You have a destiny my son, a life that will be lived, accept what life brings to you. Soon you will go out alone, and you will meet your visions. Are you ready for that day?”

Was he? Though he nodded he did not know if he was. What if his vision led him away from Miinan? What if the spirits chose another for him, or chose no one at all? What would he do then? He had another fear. What if the spirits spoke to him of his father? His father who had abused his gifts and died in shame. He had played with the spirits, he had mocked them. Would they take their revenge on Baswewe’s son? Would he bear even more of the bad his father had left him? There were strange images in Ajijaak’s dreams, dreams he could not speak of, because it was not their way. Dreams were private and must not be shared. In his dreams were fire and people screaming, someone screaming the death scream. Who had it been? What had happened? No one told him, and though he had tried often through signs and signals his mother, nor his noko would tell him anything. They had buried the past with his father, only he did not know where his father’s grave was. So great had been his shame, that he was not honored in any way when he died. As Baswewe’s son he would never be fit for Miinan, at least not in her father’s eyes. This was the hard truth he must face, but for reason’s he could not understand he hoped she would run away with him. If she loved him she might. Did she love him? Could he find a way to make her love him? If she did run away who would hunt for his Noko and his mother? It was hopeless and yet, hope still trembled within him.