A young woman leaned against one of the wooden posts that held up her family's yurt. The cold wind whipped around her, blowing her dark brown braids about her wind roughened cheeks. On her lap she held a whetstone from which she carefully sharpened arrows that were then placed in a quiver that sat at her side. Resting against her hip was a bag filled with provisions.

A much younger girl burst from the thick white flaps that made the entrance into the yurt, "Chime! Chime!" She called, as the young woman she addressed moved her head quickly to dodge the swinging flaps.

"What is it Hena?" She asked, trying to sound irritated, though she couldn't adequately hide the amusement in her voice.

"You have to convince papa to let me have an air bison! He says I'm not old enough! But I am!" Hena explained.

"I don't have to, Hena." Chime responded with a wry smirk.

Hena gave her a dramatically appalled expression, "Oh! Don't tell me you agree with him, Chime!" She exclaimed, horrified, "I just have to get an air bison! Taonga's father is getting her air bison because she is close to having seen ten summers!" Hena dropped onto the ground in front of Chime with an air of dramatics.

"Ah, I see," Chime responded, nodding her head sagely, "It's very serious business then. If your best friend is getting an air bison, clearly you should have one as well."

"I knew you would understand!"

"But, you are only six winters old, Hana," Chime pointed out slyly.

Hena immediately cut Chime off, "Chime!" she pouted, "I'm eight winters! You know that!"

"Oooh that's right," Chime responded teasingly, rubbing her chin as if she had forgotten.

"You knew that!" Hena accused, sticking out her bottom lip at her older sister. Though the way her lips quirked up gave her act away.

"We have a family bison, Ivo. Not everyone has their own bison." Chime pointed out while her sister was in a good mood.

"But you have Nili!" Hena whined.

Chime shook her head, "But Kalden is older than me and he doesn't have an air bison."

Hana pouted, "What would Kalden even do with an air bison anyway?" she demanded, "All he does is wander around and draw things and spend all the money he makes on supplies to make scrolls!"

Chime shook her head though she did not deny Hena's disparaging report on their older brother, "I have Nili because I am a hunter. Do you want to be a hunter, Hena?" She asked skeptically, leaning forward and poking her sister in the belly.

"No!" Hena squeaked, wiggling away from Chime's finger, "I'm going to be a weaver, like mother!"

"Then, there's your answer," Chime said, holding out her hands helplessly.

Hena glared and puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

"But you know, more than one person can ride an air bison. You can spend more time with Taonga if you go out with her and her bison instead of getting your own." Chime pointed out,.

Hena leaned her head this way and that, "I guess you're right," she admitted, taking Chime's bait, "and taking care of my own bison would be really difficult and smelly."

Chime laughed out loud, "Take care of one isn't easy." She agreed. Their father would thank Chime for intervening before Hena had declared some sort of household war for an air bison.

Out of the corner of her eye Chime noticed a tall, lean figure approaching. Her attention flickered from Hena to the figure, who upon examination was revealed to be a young man. Hena noticed her sister's distraction and followed her eyes.

"Oooh, hi Tahir," she cooed in a suggestive tone, her eyes flickering between Chime and the young man.

"Oh, bug off you," Chime snapped, getting to her feet, she reached out and ruffled Hena's hair, making sure to mess it up.

"Oi! Don't do that!" Hena protested trying to fix her hair. Her short braid was now a mess and she looked between Chime and Tahir before dashing into the yurt, "You're going to pay for that, Chime!" she called as she rushed.

Chime laughed under her breath at her sister's vanity as she bent down and scooped up her quiver, and the other bag of supplies that sat on her other side before walking over to meet Tahir.

Tahir gave her a wry smile, "Keeping look out for me, huh, Chime?"

Chime rolled her eyes, "You wish. It's hard to miss the only stick that walks by itself." She gestured to his too lean figure with her eyes.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. My figure will fill out eventually then everyone will be looking at me," he joked.

Chime's lips quirked up, "You sound like a girl. Will you 'bloom like a lotus flower'?" She asked slyly, quoting one of the village elders who had taken upon herself to educate all the young girls in the village about the beauty of a woman's blossoming. Tahir, being Chime's childhood friend, had the misfortune of being the only boy present during this awkward conversation. He had been teased mercilessly by both genders until Chime had her fill of amusement and began doling out beatings to boys and girls alike until no one dared bring up the subject again. The joke had faded into obscurity until it became only an inside joke between Chime and Tahir.

Tahir's wind roughened cheeks began to heat, "I didn't mean it like that!" He exclaimed, dramatically waving his hands. Chime laughed out loud and swung her knapsack at him, slugging him in the shoulder good naturedly.

"You're so mean," Tahir pouted, rubbing his shoulder.

"You bruise like a babe." Chime quipped back, and the two began to walk towards the air bison field. A moment of silence passed between the two friends as they walked their way through the village.

"Did you hear about our guest?" Tahir asked.

"What guest?" Chime asked, "We don't have guests."

Tahir shrugged, "We do today. How did you not know? It's been the talk of the town."

Chime shrugged in return, "I have better things to do than gossip. Perhaps if you sharpened your arrows instead of sharpening your tongue, you would be a better hunter."

"And yet, you have time for both." Tahir quipped, attempting to poke her ribs. Chime managed to dance out of the way of his hand. There was a small lull in their conversation before Tahir asked, "So you're not at all curious about the stranger, at all?"

Chime rolled her eyes, "No, but you're eager to talk about him. So to appease your need to gossip, tell me about him."

"It's not gossip," Tahir protested but proceeded to tell her anyway, "He's strange. About our age. Dark skinned and dresses like a scarecrow that the farmers use to protect the taro from the birds. He says he is looking for someone."

"Well he certainly sounds odd." Chime said to appease Tahir.

"That's all you have to say?" Tahir whined.

"What more would you have me say? Looking for someone is as good a reason as one can have to stay briefly with a nomadic clan."

"Who do you think he's looking for?"

"How should I have any idea?"

"You're absolutely no fun, Chime."

"And yet I continue to be your only friend."

"My best friend."

"By default."

"Ouch, I felt that one." Tahir joked, faking a wounded look. Suddenly Tahir's gaze diverted and he pointed to a slouching figure that did in fact look like a scarecrow, "Look, that's the stranger!" He said, too loudly for Chime's taste.

Chime swiftly pushed down his hand shooting him an exasperated look, "It's rude to point, Tah-"

Suddenly, the stranger who had been a yard or so away from them was in front of Chime, holding her other hand. His skin was rough, as if used to holding some sort of weapon, "Are you the old soul I seek?" He asked, "Your body is young but I sen-"

"Personal space!" Chime interrupted, yanking her hand out of his.

"But I-"

"No buts, creepy scarecrow," Chime said, stepping around him. Tahir followed glaring suspiciously at the strange boy.

"I'm not a scarecrow." The stranger responded, sounding more confused then insulted.

"Just keep away," Chime warned, her grey eyes narrowed slits and then she stalked away with Tahir.

After they were out of earshot, Tahir snickered under his breath, "What was that?" He asked. Chime shot him a dangerous look, "What was what?" She asked.

"You were all 'be nice to the stranger' and then you freaked out."

"He was being weird! And I never said that, I said don't be rude."

"There's a difference?"

"Yes, I'm glad you noticed."

Tahir laughed in exasperation, "Whatever you say Chime. That was weird."

"Agreed," Chime said in a tone that finished the conversation.

A few moments passed before Tahir changed the subject. He could never stand the silence for long, "So, what were you and your sister talking about?"

"She wanted an air bison. As if we could feed another one. Besides father doesn't have time to take care of another bison."

"You don't think she'd take care of one?"

Chime raised an eyebrow skeptically at Tahir, "Oh sure, maybe for a few days. Until she realized all of the mucking and cleaning that comes with taking care of a giant flying fluffball. Then it wouldn't be so fun."

"So you talked her out of it, silver tongue?"

"I just told her she could get the best of both worlds by mooching off her friend."

Tahir laughed out loud, "That's rich coming from a hunter. You do all the work for the village, yet you advice mooching?"

"Exactly. Who knows the benefits of mooching better than I do? Hard work is hard."

"Hard work is hard, words of wisdom. Truly you a wise teacher- omph!" Chime swung her bag, knocking him in the shoulder again.

"Abusive." Tahir accused.

"Pain teaches us lessons." Chime quipped in her 'wise woman' voice.

"Oh, yeah?" Tahir challenged, "And what did that just teach me?"

"That you lack skills in evasion," Chime sniffed. Tahir and Chime shared a glance and moment of silence before they both bursts into laughs as they walked into the sectioned off part of the makeshift village where the air bison were grazing.

"What are you children laughing about?" Came a gruff voice that seemed to roll like distant thunder.