Ike opened his eyes to the pale light of dawn. It was his favorite time of the day. The moments just before the sun could be seen, when the sky was just starting to lighten. When everything was silent, even the roosters were not yet crowing. Everything was so still, so silent, that he didn't feel like something strange. Nothing spoke in that time.

Ike sat up, stretching. Buck stirred in his sleep. Ike reached over, carefully brushing away the strand of hair that had fallen into Buck's face. His skin was still warm but not as fevered as it had been during the night. Ike stood as quietly as he could. He had seen a patch of wild strawberries nearby. They would make a decent breakfast with the last of the fish. And then they would settle on what to do next. Ike hoped it wouldn't be to go their separate ways. Even though he knew nothing about this Indian boy, where he came from, why he was out there alone, Ike felt like he knew the boy. Like he had found a friend.

As Ike made his way through the brush and trees, his eyes picked up a faint sound. He remembered stories his mother used to tell him of The Good Ones, fairies and hobgoblins that danced and ran through the night, hiding themselves in burrows and holes during the day. She would say if you listened in the early hours you could hear them. You might think it was a bird or a rabbit, but it was them, sneaking back into their earthy homes. Ike was never sure he believed the stories but he loved hearing them. And when he heard the sounds in the morning, it made him think of her.

Ike found the patch and hurried to fill his hat with the juicy fruit. He wanted to get back to his little camp before Buck woke up, fearful the other boy would think himself abandoned and leave. The sky was turning bright blue and the birds waking up as he finished. As Ike turned to walk back, a movement caught his eye. There was something or someone nearby. Several from the sound of the footfalls. His first thought was perhaps his new friend had been part of a group of hunters and they were looking for him. If so, the only proper thing would be to show them the way to the camp. Ike made his way towards the sounds, which led him to a small field. He stepped out into the morning light with a smile at what he saw.