The bright gleam of morning sunlight peers through an opening in Haley's hut. Her room lights up making the paintings of animals noticeable on the tan cloth walls. She barely opens her violet eyes before shutting them again. The sun's way too bright, and she's not used to the light yet. She finally forces her eyes open, but it's barely a squint She squints as she looks around the room. Once her eyes adjust, she completely opens her eyes.
"Ugh, morning..." Haley moans softly to herself. She rubs her eyes, stands up, and stretches. She straightens out her brown animal-skin night gown and walks over to a wooden desk that Denahi helped her build a few weeks ago. Haley picks up one of her brushes and combs out the knots in her wavy, dark brown hair. She's never trusted anyone with her hair, so she grew it out. It's now down to her hips. She dresses into her warm, animal skin, clothes. She had dyes made so when the clothes where created, she could dye them. The clothes Haley's wearing now are a purple top with black pants and brown boots.
"Haley?" she hears Denahi. Haley turns to seem him peeking into her hut.
"Ever heard of privacy?" She asks, quite annoyed.
"Sorry, it just that Tanana's back...with your totem." He says hesitantly as if he knows how she's going to react, and it's a possibility he may be right. She stands there like a stone statue. Her face scrunched up in disgust, and is turned away from him.
"M-my totem?" Haley stutters. She's been dreading this day since...well, one of her friends left.
"Yes. You should go out and get your tribal chores done before the ceremony." Denahi leaves as fast as he came, leaving Haley alone in her hut. 18 years she's been alone and she still hates it. Maybe her life would be happier if Kenai hadn't left. They've been buddies for as long as she can remember, but now he's gone. He left her in the dust to go live with a bunch of idiotic bears! Her, one of his best friends, and he ditches her for some filthy animals! It makes Haley sick just thinking about it!
Haley snaps out of her thought and grabs her spear and a basket. She's got some hunting to do before her ceremony! She quickly runs out of the hut and down the path that leads to the evergreen forest.
Haley throws her spear into the crystal clear waters of the pond. She catches three fish at a time and puts the little slippery demons into the basket she brought with her. She fills the basket up and hurries down the muddy path back to the village. The sun's so bright! She can barely keep her eyes open.
"Raaaawwwwrrrr!" A voice screams. Someone swings down from a tree and hangs upside down on a branch. The person's face is literally an inch away from Haley's.
The person giggles, "Morning, Haley!"
Haley sighs in relief, "Oh, Leita, it's only you!"
She giggles, "Yep! What're you doing?"
"Getting food for the tribe, duh!" Haley says a little meaner than she had intended.
"No need to be all sassy." Leita pouts.
Haley sighs, "Sorry, it's that Tanana's finally back with my totem."
"Seriously?" She asks excitedly. Haley nods and continues to walk.
"Oh c'mon Haley, what's so bad about getting your totem?" She calls after her. Haley pauses and looks down.
"You know I'm afraid. Afraid of getting that certain totem. People are always saying how that totem was meant for Kenai and me!" she says softly.
"Oh, right. I'm sorry." Leita apologizes. She flips down onto the ground from her branch. She fixes her messy, long, dirty blonde hair, walks over, and places her flawless tan hand on Haley's shoulder.
"What ever you get, even if it is the bear, the spirits know what they're doing. You just have to cope with it." Her icy blue eyes meet Haley's violet ones. She smiles and Haley smiles back. She couldn't ask for a better best friend.
"Need some help with all that fish?" she asks. She can be such a kiss up sometimes! Whenever Haley's in a bad mood, she always knows how to get her going again.
"Sure, thanks Leits." Leits is Haley's nickname for her. Leita nods and puts some of the fish from Haley's basket into her tan, saber skin satchel. Luckily, she has nothing in there or her bag would've been a mess!
They smile at one another and hurry back to the village.
