That day was over ten years ago, when I was five years old. I remember that day as if it was yesterday, the beautiful sunset and going to my favourite place in the forest, the small hidden clearing that my father showed me. So much has changed since then, and today is a special day for me and our family. I live in a small tribe called Mohingan which is based in the Rocky Mountains in America. Our lives are quite peaceful, with the men going hunting and supplying the tribe with our food, the women make clothes and look after the young. My family is considered the most important of the tribe, with my father being the leader of the tribe and being descendant to the original tribe members and leader. Everyone is so respectful and doting on my father, and would do anything for him. He hasn't got a bad bone in his body, and even though being the leader isn't an easy job he always managed to make time for myself, Mahpee my older brother and my mother Gaho.
Today is an important birthday for me, as it is for anyone in our tribe who turns sixteen. It is the time when we come of age, when we gain our spirit animal which we turn into during the night. The tribe many centuries ago used to only be able to turn into wolves at any time of day, hence the name of our tribe, which means wolf. Unfortunately, since about two hundred years ago no one else has had a wolf spirit. Nowadays its always mountain and woodland animals, like squirrels and bears. My family's spirits are all birds, with Mahpee having an eagle as his spirit and my parents having owls as theirs. I'd love to also be able to fly, like my father used to pretend with me when I was a child. That feeling of soaring through the sky, the wind flying past you is incredible according to my father, and the ultimate freedom of being able to go anywhere.
~
"Wake up sleepyhead!", I hear suddenly as i feel small rocks being thrown at my head. "It may be your birthday but you don't get to sleep all day, you have to get ready for the ceremony later!", I groan as i open my eyes and look up to see my brother standing over me, his green eyes staring into mine.
"My little sister Mimi finally having her coming of age ceremony, you may get a good spirit, but never as good as mine", he grins widely as i sit up, glaring. "Do you want to bet on that?", he chuckles softly before nodding. "If you get a better spirit animal then mine, which I doubt you will then I will do something you want, and if I win then you can do a favour for me. Now get up before Mother comes and throws water over you", he leaves and goes outside to help with the preparations.
'I wish he'd be nicer sometimes, but I suppose having a younger sister who gets more attention than him can be quite annoying', I sigh and stand up, looking around my room in the leader's teepee, larger than the usual ones for the other tribe members with separators using soft blankets as walls and doors. I try to comb through my long black hair with my fingers as i hear someone tap on the blanket. "Can I come in Mimiteh?", I hear the soft voice of my mother as I pull back the blanket and smile at her, nodding. We sit on the floor on my bed made of bear skin and straw for stuffing as she takes my hands.
"My daughter, all grown up...", tears well in her eyes as she smiles. "Well, we better get food ready and then we'll get you ready for later, shall we?", I nod as we both hug for a moment and I wipe her tears. She has always been so sentimental and soppy, if she had her way we'd always be children. We go out to our little cooking area and I pick up some deer meat that had been killed earlier that day, cutting it up with a broken spear turned into a knife. My mother collects wildflowers and leaves, making a salad to go with the deer. I skewer the chunks of deer on a long thin stick and go over to the fire, sitting near with the meat cooking above the fire. A small while later my brother and father walk in as mother finishes the deer meat while I get up and walk over to my father, hugging him tightly. He kisses my forehead and we sit down, waiting for the food. My mother brings it over and they sing happy birthday to me, before tucking in.
My brother and father volunteer to do the clearing up as my mother pulls me inside the teepee to get ready. She takes two strands of hair from either side of my forehead and twists them before doing an intricate braid with the strands so it lies in the middle of my hair. I get dressed in the traditional female ceremonial dress, made of soft wool dyed to be a dark green which is the colour of our tribe. I take a deep breath as she finishes my hair with small wildflowers, intertwining with the braid and the waves in my hair.
She stands back and looks at me. "You look beautiful Mimiteh... Like a beautiful sunset. Your father and I are so proud of you and we'd like to give you this as a birthday gift", she hands me a small necklace from her pocket, a dark stone carved into a wolf hanging on some leather. "It was your ancestors necklace, and now it's time for it to have a new owner", tears well up in my eyes as she helps me put it on. "Its perfect Mother, thank you so much for this", I look down and stroke the stone gently as my mother goes outside to check if everything is ready, giving me a minute to compose myself.
What seems like seconds later, my mother returns with a big smile and puts her hands on my shoulders firmly. "Everyone is ready for you my daughter, but the important question is...", she looks into my eyes, filled with wisdom and excitement. "...are you ready?", I look at her for a moment, before taking her hands into mine.
"I've been waiting years for this, I'm ready"
