When Migisi woke next, there was no chanting, nothing but the sounds of the night, the wind, and the sound of someone breathing slowly next to her.

Wait, what?

Migisi looked to her side, her eyes taking moments to adjust to the darkness before she spotted him. Granted, the boy was resting his he head on the buffalo hide she was bundled in, his small hand grasping her even smaller one while his head rested next to hers.

Migisi recognized that hair anywhere.

She blinked once, twice, before she attempted to speak. "Ho...nan...?"

The boy flinched, and almost faster than anyone she knew, he sat up, looking upon Migisi with wide, almost otherworldly, eyes. He stared at her for multiple moments, before Migisi felt her brother trace her face gently, as if wondering if she were real.

Once he seemed sure that she was awake, Honan's eyes softened, a smile appeared on his face, and he did not hesitate to gently pull her into an embrace.

"Oh thank the spirits," whispered her brother. "You're awake, I thought you would never awaken. Thank the spirits, thank the spirits..."

Migisi continued to link, and suddenly she felt something wet on her shoulder, causing her to wince slightly at the burn it left behind. Or was it her wounds?

How long had she been asleep? It was night, of that Migisi could tell, but how long had she been asleep?

From the way the snow was blowing outside the Ela-tame, Migisi wondered if it was still nighttime or if a day had passed. While she was not familiar with the work of the medicine men or those who came to see them, she knew that with these kinds of injuries, she would have been unconscious for a long time, often longer than a day.

But before Migisi could come to any kind of conclusion, Honan pulled away from her, his teary eyes now scrunched up in anger.

"What were you thinking?!" he whispered harshly. "Do you know how worried I was when I saw you weren't in the tepee? I thought..." He inhaled harshly. "I thought you died Migisi!"

Migisi stared at her brother with wide eyes, but was unable to say anything when he continued on.

"You were lucky that Mother and the villagers got to you in time, otherwise you would have been claimed by the spirits!" Tears began to fall on Migisi's face as Honan continued to glare down at her. "Do you know how scared I was when I saw your broken and bleeding body in Mother's arms?! When I was told that you had been attacked by a Wendigo?!"

"I..."

"I was so scared Migisi! I thought you were not going to live until sunrise! The medicine men and Mother would not allow me to come inside as they tried to heal you, and I was left to wonder if you would survive! How dare you scare me like that! How dare you...How...how...dare..."

Migisi continued to watch with wide eyes as her brother finally broke down once more, unable to say or do anything to calm his distress. All she could do was stare, unable to speak, as Honan finally lowered himself back onto the buffalo hive, sobbing into her shirt. Even when she felt the tears soak her shirt and parts of her exposed skin, she couldn't move. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't try moving her arm, but the pain stilled her.

How miserable. She almost got herself and a child killed, she had distressed her mother, and now she couldn't even comfort her own distressed brother. How pathetic.

Eventually, Migisi forced herself to speak.

"I'm...sorry..." she wheezed.

Honan looked up at her, his eyes now red and puffy, and his cheeks stained with tears. This time there was no anger present, only exhaustion, and suddenly Honan looked older than ever. He looked...mature, as handsome as the village men, and so strong, but Migisi wasn't sure if that was a good thing or otherwise.

Either way, Honan was not supposed to have that look, not now, and not here. Migisi felt guilty all over again.

This was all her fault.

None of this would have happened if she had stayed put, if she had prevented the child from exiting the circle. She should have listened to Kwanita's warnings to stay put, to not leave the tepee, but she did not listen.

She didn't listen.

She almost died.

A child almost died.

She was almost eaten alive.

A child was almost eaten alive.

They almost were killed and eaten alive by the very thing Kwanita warned Migisi about.

She had made her mother and brother worry, more so than she should have.

What an ungrateful child she was.

Honan inhaled a shaky breath. "Please..." he whispered. "Don't you ever put yourself in danger again Migisi. I don't want to lose my baby brother, I do not want to be reminded of the fact that I cannot protect you from these things. Please, don't ever do that to me again."

Migisi could feel her own eyes fill with tears, and with a shaky breath of her own, nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Honan didn't reply for several long moments, but then he smiled lightly and took her hand. "I'm just so glad you're alright Migisi. I'm so glad."

Migisi shakily smiled back, but even when her brother returned to the world of slumber, she started to wonder.

What would this mean for her now?