I didn't get to see Kit again for the next few days. The atmosphere in my family loomed with tension.
"Winter will be here soon," Grandmother announced one morning over a simple breakfast.
We had crushed up berries, mixed in something that reminded me faintly of mint and some bugs.
We ate a lot of bugs it seemed.
"I will go hunting today," Grandmother said.
"No, I will go," Ti cut in, "You're getting too old to be running after animals."
"You can't hunt to save your life," Grandmother smiled not unkindly, "Stay here and prepare our home."
Grandmother lifted the floorboards and pulled out a shambled quiver and a tall bow. She pressed a finger to her lips and winked at me.
"Teach Lit how to make that fantastic stew of yours," She quipped, and then she stepped out the door.
Ti didn't move for several seconds.
"She'll be okay," I reached for my mother's hand, "She is tough."
"I know," She looked down at me and smiled faintly. "I need you to take stock of our supplies while I cook."
I nodded.
Mother moved toward the door to start up a fire. Meanwhile, I began to look around.
Our home was not very big for three people. Grandmother slept on a floor cot with Ti sleeping in a hammock above her. They each had a thick rough sleeping pad and a blanket.
Across from the sleeping area, there was a tiny shelving unit. The bottom shelf contained a few extra peices of clothing, plus one I'd never seen before. Slowly I pulled it out.
It was a floor legnth dress, a bit bigger then myself. Instead of plain colours it blossomed a deep purple. The fabric ruffled under my touch and particles of dust filled my nose. I sneezed.
Hastily I put it back where I had found it.
Next on the middle shelf I found a dull knife the size of my palm. I picked it up and turned it over a few times. Underneath it was a box. Carefully I put the knife back and took the tiny red box into my hands. Inside I found thin paper things with strange symbols.
"Oh," I heard mother behind me, "You found our playing cards."
"Cards?" I asked.
"You'll see, I'll teach you when it gets cold," She turned around and headed back outside. I caught the scent of smoke as the door flapped behind her.
The last shelf had a few small jars, a pot, a spoon and other cooking tools. As I arranged them a noise from outside caught my attention.
My blood ran cold momentarily until I realized it was a scream of joy.
"Little Ti, Little Lit come see what your clever Grandmother has brought you," She called out.
I dropped the spoon with a clatter and dove headfirst out the door.
Grandmother stood proudly holding a giant... something furry.
A very strange thing too, it was blue and yellow! I saw a huge fuzzy tail hanging limply from its rear. It had pointed short ears and a snout.
"What is it?" I asked, not daring to get too close.
"It's a water-dwelling squirrel," Mother answered, "I haven't seen one in years!"
"A what?!" I said.
But Grandmother already was hauling it to the fire.
"We will have meat for the whole winter," Mother exclaimed, "And we have enough to trade too. Quickly we need to skin it then cook it up before anyone sees."
I remembered the small knife and wondered if it would be big enough.
Grandmother seemed to already have that solved, she pulled out a knife of her own.
Sometime later Grandmother was smoking squirrel meat on the fire whilst Mother showed me how to sew the pelt.
"It's waterproof so it will make good clothes and we can patch our home," She smiled.
I watched as she pulled the needle in and out of the blue furry skin.
"We'll make a new dress for you," She touched my nose.
"What about you and Grandmother?" I asked, "You should get new dresses too."
"My Little Lit, you are very thoughtful," She smiled.
"Supper time," Grandmother called.
I had never tasted something quite so delicious as Grandmother's cooked squirrel with berries. Grandmother told us funny stories from her youth and Mother added a couple of her own.
When we had eaten all we could we began to take the smoked meat and stash it in the house. Everything had to be hidden under the floor in a wooden box and we had so much squirrel I wasn't sure it would fit.
That's when I heard a strange sound.
Before anyone could stop me I ran to the opening.
Outside stood a creature I faintly recognized.
"A deer!" I yelled.
That's when two pairs of arms pulled me back with force.
"Never, ever do that!" Mother yelled, "You could have been killed!"
By a deer?
"Those are vicious creatures," Grandmother said sternly, "It probably smelled the kill. Only a fool hunts a deer."
Then I heard it, men laughing.
"This way, it came this way," I heard shouts.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"Fools," Grandmother sniffed.
I put my eye to the tent flap and watched several men in masks with their skin painted red running by. They held weapons and laughed in booming voices. The way they moved, like cats, I could tell they were predators in their own right.
"The Others hunt deer?" I asked.
"They'll hunt anything," Grandmother answered darkly, "And they'll hunt it till it's dead."