A young girl sat outside the open flap of the tent and stared inside at her mother that was working. Earlier in the evening the hunters had returned, they were late but not without a bounty. They had caught a seal by the shores of the water and brought it back to the small settlement's joy. Now her mother sat inside working on getting the hide whole off the flesh so that it could be used and the meat, fat and bones prepared.
"Mother?" The young girl asked as the amber eyes rose to the sky, looking over the sea of stars that begun to shine and brighten the winter night.
"Yes, dear?" The mother replied.
"Why are the stars so many?" The young girl asked.
The woman chuckled at the question "Because many eyes are needed to watch the world, dear"
The young girl nodded, the answer made sense. "Mother?" The girl asked again.
"Yes, dear?" The mother replied.
"Why is the snow white?" The young girl asked.
The woman grinned to herself and shook her head "It is white so that our nights are not so dark, dear." She answered.
The young girl nodded again, the answer made sense.
There was a long pause and the mother was allowed to work but sure enough the child continued. "Mother?" The young girl started again.
"Yes, dear?" The mother replied.
"What are the lights in the sky?" The girl asked as her eyes fell up towards the rainbow of colours that danced through the night sky, playing among the stars and the moon.
"It is the bridge between our world and the spirit world. It shines so we are reminded of the fallen and all the unseen life around us."
The girl nodded, the answer made sense. With that the woman was allowed to continue her work for awhile uninterrupted.
But the girl had more questions to ask.
"Mother?" She started again.
"Yes, dear?" The mother replied
"Why is my hair white?" The girl asked grabbing a lock of her hair and pulling it out in front of her face to study the hair that sat on her head.
The mother paused and laughed softly "Because when you were born the moon came down from the sky and kissed the top of your head to welcome you to the world." The mother answered, a wishful answer that she herself enjoyed. The girl looked up at the moon and smiled and raised her hand to wave at the moon.
"Mother?" The young girl said once again looking into the tent.
"Yes, dear?" The tired mother replied.
"Why can't I go play witht the children from the other village?" The girl questioned while a small pout formed. Her mother paused her work and turned to look at her daughter, easing on a small smile "Because they are dangerous and I don't want you to be hurt, dear"
"But why?" The girl pressed on.
"I will tell you another time. Now come on inside and close the flap." The mother replied.
The young girl kept her frown, the answer made no sense.
"Come on." Her mother insisted.
The amber eyes fell out to the distant lights but she said nothing, she wouldn't have any more questions this evening. The girl rose to her feet and made her way inside, dropping the flap behind her to keep the cold winter air out of their home for the night.
