Letting go of my hand, Black Sun began descending the hill to his village. Not wanting to be left behind, I soon followed after him. The village was alive with bustling Native Americans. The women were carrying baskets of water and fish around while nodding a small "hello" to me. The men were teaching other younger men how to hunt and fish. The children were all playing various games with each other. One of the girl children stopped what she was doing when she saw us, smiled, and ran over to Black Sun.

"Brother! You have returned!" she cried out cheerfully, jumping into Black Sun's arms. 

"Indeed, I have Blooming Blossom," Black Sun laughed. "Where is father? I have brought someone who he might want to see."

"He's home," Blooming Blossom replied, jumping off of her brother. Then, noticing me, "Who is that woman you are with?"

"This is White Star, but her people call her Aria," Black Sun introduced me.

"My people call me 'Blooming Blossom'," Blooming Blossom told me. "But my real name is Adsila, for blossom. You should meet our father, White Star. He's the Chief!"

"Your father is the Chief?" I asked, a little surprised that Black Sun didn't tell me.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you that," Black Sun said, smiling at me. "Come on. Let's have you meet him."

"Good-bye White Star and Black Sun!" Blooming Blossom waved good-bye cheerfully, and she ran back to where her friends were.

"So, are you and your sister important to your tribe?" I asked Black Sun as he began leading me to his father's home.

Black Sun looked at me strangely before answering. "Everyone in this tribe is important. Without men, there would be no protectors. Without women, there would be no children. Without children, there would be no tribe. Everyone is connected. No person is more important than the any other person."

"But, you two are the children of the chief!" I said, shocked. 

Black Sun laughed. "That is only a title, White Star. We call him 'Chief'  because he is the oldest and wisest of us all. We all run this village."

"That's how you survived all of these years," I said, amazed. "All of these years, we thought that this island was deserted. Who knew that there were still living, breathing, Native Americans living here!"

"We like to keep quiet," Black Sun told me. "If the pale skins knew we were here, it would be a downfall for us all. We are the last village of our tribe. There are no more Croatan villages. They were all wiped out."

"But wait, I'm a pale skin," I said, my heart skipping a little.

Black Sun turned to me, and smiled. "You are different from the rest. I can tell. You have a good heart." Black Sun then stopped, and looked at me. "When you came to this island, how long did you decide you wanted to stay?"

"No more than a week," I replied, a little sad that I would be leaving soon. "I-I can stay longer, if you want me to."

Black Sun smiled. "I can not force you to do something that you would regret later on. You probably have a family back home."

"No, I do not," I replied. "I've been so busy with my job. I have no time for a husband."

"Then you should leave in a week," Black Sun replied, continuing to walk to his father's. "You are on a tight schedule after all."

I watched him walk ahead of me for a little bit before muttering a small "yeah", and followed him.

***

"Father, I have brought a pale skinned woman," Black Sun introduced, moving the deerskin door aside. "Her name is White Star."

"White Star," the Chief said from his chair. "Come in, my child."

Nervously, I walked into the hut, and stood in front of the Chief.

"Give me your hand," the Chief said, holding out his hand. "Do not be afraid, my child."

Nodding, I gave him my hand, and he placed his other hand on top of my hand. Closing his eyes, he muttered a small prayer in his native tongue, then opened his eyes again, and smiled at me.

"White Star, you have a bright soul and a good heart," the Chief told me. "Unlike the other pale skinned human, you do not want to hurt us. You want to learn about us. My son, Black Sun, will be your guide and teacher for the short time that you will be with us. My village is your village."

"Thank you, sir," I said, relieved.

"Please, call me Askuwheteau," he said. Then, he frowned. "I sense sadness in you, child. You do not want to leave us."

I bit my lip, and nodded. "I want to live among your people and learn more about you. It has always been a dream for me ever since I was young."

Askuwheteau chuckled, and released my hand. He stood up from his chair, and gave me a fatherly hug. He then grabbed my shoulders at arms length, and smiled at me.

"Black Sun, tell the village to prepare a festival," Askuwheteau told his son. "We have to welcome the new member to our family."