Mia and Takashi arrived at the brother's tent a couple of minutes later, Mia started to cook dinner with Denahi helping her while Kenai and Takashi keep an eye on Koda, the small kid didn´t still not what to know about his new cousin, Mia was good and she already had won Koda´s trust, but Takashi acted a little cold at Koda the first time they had met, so the moment was uncomfortable.
"So you´re Koda right?" Asked Takashi.
"I´m Koda, Takashi"
"And how you met Kenai and Denahi"
"Well, I first met Kenai on the woods; he fell in a trap so he needed me to rescue him"
"You have experience with traps?"
"Yes, my mom teach me how to avoid them and how to release another animal who fell down on them"
"Interesting, and why your mom teach you that?"
"Em, Takashi" said Kenai intervening on the conversation "I will better explain you that, for now, why you don´t tell Koda about you"
"Okay Kenai, well Koda, I like to spend time with my little sister and my cousins, also to swim and that things done well, when I´m on my normal duties I like to things get right, but I also enjoy having fun"
"Oh, I like to sing, to play, to go on adventures, to fish, to climb trees, to tell stories, to make competitions, to travel on mammoths, to go to the Salmon Ru, to swim, to make jokes about Kenai bighead"
Takashi laughed at the joke.
"You too?" asked Kenai to believing that now his cousin will also make jokes about his head.
"Sorry Kenai, but this kid is fun, you choose well your little brother"
"He´s adorable" added Mia.
"What´s with woman's and kids? You all thing they cute and adorable" asked Denahi.
"It´s just that they loose they cuteness when they grow up, look at you" Mia.
"Pretty funny Mia" Denahi "Now that you said so, you´re also getting old and ugly"
"Not much as you Denahi"
Soon the dinner was ready, they all sit around a wood table as then began to eat, and Kenai put Koda´s food on a wood plate and then placed in front of his little brother.
"Careful, it´s hot"
"Thanks" Koda.
"And remember, humans eat with our moths close Koda"
"Why?"
"Because it´s a sign of respect when we eating"
"Oh okay, no problem I can do it"
"I know you can hairball"
"Stop calling me that Kenai!"
Koda was getting tired of Kenai´s new nickname for him.
"Sorry, but it fits you well little brother, and´s fun for me"
"You´re so mean with me Kenai!"
Kenai smiled and rubbed Koda´s hair.
"Stop it Kenai!"
After teased Koda a little, Kenai told to Mia and Takashi the story of how he was turned into a bear by Sitka´s spirit afther he had killed Koda´s mom, how he find out the truth and the big sacrifice that Koda made to stay with him and Denahi. When he finish, both Mia and Takashi look at him surprised.
"So, you are a bear?" Mia.
"Well, I´m a human right now, but I was born as a bear and I´m still feel like one, so, yes"
"But you decided to be a human just because Kenai was going to stay with you?" Takashi.
"Honestly, I did what I did because I love Kenai, and I know he loves me too, and, even if I didn´t know so well Denahi at the time, I knew he was a good person, so I wanted to be with the two, and for now I´m like in it, they are funny and good with me, I like having them as my brothers"
Mia and Takashi couldn´t believe what they were just earing, it was amazing that a bear could fell such emotions and make such a change just for someone he love, without doubt, Koda was a great person.
"I can´t said another thing besides, welcome to the family Koda" Takashi.
"Yes, Koda you are, I can´t describe it, I´ve never hear a story like your´s, I can´t believe how you forgive Kenai so quickly and make a sacrifice for him" Mia.
"I love my big brother Mia, I know he´s a good person, and he will do the same for me"
"Anytime Koda" added Kenai smiling at his little brother.
"I´m glad at having you as my cousin Koda, now I don´t have doubt of the great kid you are" Mia.
"Yeah, anyone who does such an act of love wins my respect"
Koda smiled, now he not only has two great big brothers to take care of him, but also two great cousins.
So then everyone start to eat, and it was delicious.
…
That night, Kenai was sleeping well, until he was awaked by Koda, who was on his right side.
"What´s wrong Koda?" asked Kenai.
"I have a nightmare Kenai!" said Koda "I was in a forest alone, I call you by your name but you didn´t answer, I was completely alone, then a mist start to surround me and I tried to get out but it was useless, and the trees were laughing at me, calling me freak and all kind of insults, it was horrible!"
Koda cried as he hugged Kenai.
"It was a bad dream clearly" Kenai also hugged Koda "But it was only that, now I´m here Koda, and I´m never going to leave you alone"
"You promise"
Kenai showed his pinky.
"Pinkie swear"
"You didn´t forgot it?"
"Not Koda, let´s do this, every time we make a promise to each other, let´s make it by the pinkie"
"Yes!"
Koda joined his pinkie with Kenai´s.
"Now let´s go back to bed"
Kenai kissed Koda´s forehead and then Koda felt asleep once again, Kenai looked him with love on this eyes, his little brother, so he hugged Koda as he lay down beside him, then he hugged his little brother and he felt asleep.
…
The next morning, Tanana gave and advice to the entire village that they were all invited to the celebration of the Day of the dead on the village at the other side of the river.
"Sounds cool. Can we go?" asked Koda pretty excited.
"I don´t see why not" Denahi "Besides, I have always wanted to know how they celebrate this day of the death"
"It may be interesting" Kenai "So, yes, were going"
"Great!" said Koda.
"But first we need to get clean, and for that I mean a bath" Denahi.
"Okey" Koda started to lick himself.
"What you´re doing?" Denahi.
"Taking a bath" Koda.
"Well Koda, human's don´t clean themselves with his tongue"
"Don´t?" Koda.
"No, we wash up on the river" Denahi.
"Oh I see, let´s get moving" Koda.
Once they were here, Koda was about to run to the water, but Denahi stop him.
"First we need to get off our clothes"
"These things?" asked Koda pointing to his own clothes.
"Yes, because our clothes keeps ours warm, but they don´t wash our skin" Denahi.
"Oh, okay, things will be easier if humans have a fur like bears" Koda.
"Yeah, but he don´t have" Kenai "Nature decided that way"
"Yes, you bring the new clothes Kenai" Denahi.
"Yes I did"
"Okey, so, time to get prepared"
During the next hour, they teach Koda how to bath himself, and then they go out and putted on the new clothes, they looked clean and handsome.
"We look good" Kenai.
"Yeah, I wish that we cause a good impression with the other tribe" Denahi.
"I expect that also" Koda.
"You´ll do Koda, now let´s go with Mia and Takashi to see if they need something" Denahi.
Kenai and Koda nodded with the head and start following Denahi.