Months passed since they arrived to the Na'i tribe, and Migisi no longer felt the familiar feeling that brought much discomfort upon her during the first weeks they arrived here. She could now speak the Na'i language fluently, started enjoying the work better, and was even starting to enjoy her purpose all the more.

The people, while they had been initially hostile to her and Honan at first, were now seeing them as a member of their tribe, and Migisi found herself playing with the other village children more and more when she wasn't hunting with the men and Honan. The animals were also fun to take care of, especially the dogs and horses, the former who always attacked her with their tongues whenever she came within their sight.

It took three men to calm them down, and by then Migisi had been covered in sticky water, and she would have to bathe in the streams to get rid of it.

She didn't mind though.

Their new life was better than Migisi could ever hope it would be, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Though, now, the summer was fading away and autumn was taking its place, with the leaves turning into an orange that resembled a dawn, a yellow that resembled the sun, and even a brown that resembled the dirt. Migisi would sometimes watch as they struggled to hang on to their homes, before ultimately losing that battle and slowly gliding to the ground.

How could this be so beautiful, yet so sad at the same time? Migisi knew the leaves would come back next summer, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard to not watch this struggle between life and death.

She needed to get used to this, and quickly.

One morning, Migisi and Honan had gotten out of their tepee and were ready to go with the men when they spotted the people busying themselves with taking down the tepees, placing their necessities in bags, and gathering the animals.

"Oh good, you are awake." Migisi and Honan looked towards their mother, who was holding a bag filled with what appeared to be various tools for the crops and some food. "Get yourselves ready, we need to leave before the sun reaches the middle of the sky."

"Mother?" The children watched with confusion as Kwanita moved to take down the tepee, but not before she checked inside to make sure the fire was completely out and taking out the sleeping mats and handing them to Migisi and Honan. "What is going on?"

"The summer is fading," Kwanita explained, not taking her eyes off her work. "That means that when winter befalls us, we will not be able to find the food and tools we need once that happens. We need to move to a new land for the winter."

"Ah?" Migisi looked into the forest, and although she saw the trees, she suddenly missed them. "W-Will we ever come back?"

"When the summer returns daughter." Kwanita then stood. "Now, help the men with saddling the horses. We need to be on the move before the sun reaches the top of our heads."

Despite their various questions and curiosities, the children did as they were told, helping as much as they could as the men saddled up the horses with tools, food, water pitchers, and even their neatly folded tepees. The horses were taking the load like it was nothing, showing no discomfort or weakness, and Migisi found herself watching them with admiration, taking in their strong bodies and steady legs.

What magnificent creatures.

Eventually, the men turned to them.

"Go to your mother," they ordered. "You are to help her with the load she carries. That goes for the rest of you." They said the last part to the other children behind Migisi and Honan, who were quick to follow the men's orders, with Migisi and Honan not too far behind.

By the time they reached Kwanita, she was already done packing up all their stuff, and they worked to carry the lighter items, like the tepees and the bags carrying their sleeping mats, while Kwanita carried the tools and some of their food.

Once they were ready, Kwanita turned to her children. "Are you ready?" she asked.

The children nodded. "Yes Mother."

Kwanita nodded, though Migisi used her free hand to pull lightly at her mother's skirt, drawing back her attention.

"Do you promise we will come back Mother? When summer returns."

Kwanita smiled. "Of course we will daughter, we just need to find a safer place for the winter, that is all. We will come back once the snow has melted for good."

Migisi smiled, though she suddenly felt sorrowful at her mother's words, and she couldn't understand why.