The fire in the silver brazier in front of you roars hungrily. Flames swirl around your fist and curl up your arms seeking to consume you as well. The sound of your wildly beating heart drowns out almost every other noise but you are vaguely aware of shouting from the assembled clan.

What was once a small fire is now so big and so bright that you can't see the clan through it anymore.

It is very loud. You can hear adults shouting with fear and surprise. The fire is roaring hungrily. Your ears hurt.

It is very bright. You are looking right into a rapidly expanding fire. Your eyes hurt.

It is scorching. You are standing right next to a giant fire that is rapidly expanding. You can feel the heat from the fire beating against your face. Your face is not in the fire yet, but you are sure it will hurt a lot when the fire reaches you because it is very hot.

Wotjeo pads up beside you and stands up so you can hold his tiny bear cub paw in your soft baby hand. In solidarity with you, your silver bear brother thrusts his free front paw into the flames as well. The fire explodes outward. The colors rapidly shifting through every color in the rainbow. Around the side of the fire, you can see Papa flinging people aside as he rushes towards you. The roaring of the flames fills your ears. Fire is all around you now, and the heat is overwhelming. The flames flash brilliant green as something tugs at the spot in the center of your forehead. You collapse like a doll with its strings cut.

You wake, still holding Wotjeo's hand. You are in the sky above Aestia Valley, but Wotjeo and you are not alone. Fires in silver bowls burn all around you. Fortunately, they are not aware of you. You know the flames all around you are not aware of you because they hurl fireballs at anything that moves in the valley. Even the rabbits cannot escape their notice or the all-consuming fireballs they attack with. Beneath you, the valley you live in burns.

The inferno below rages out of control. The trees of the forest near your cave mouth are blackened, lifeless husks. The grass is ash. Even the smaller rocks are blackend and cracked open by the heat. Still the fire rages. Hungry flames march steadily into the cave mouth you call home. Nothing inside could possibly survive. Mama is surely dead. Even Papa could not have survived.

Then things get worse.

The hairs on the back of your neck lift. Someone is looking at you. The flying flames have seen you! They swoop towards you, hurling massive balls of flame at you. Silently, you watch your doom approach. Just before the fireball hits you, you thrust your fist at it in a vain act of defiance.

When your fist connects, you wake up.

You are staring into the black eyes of the Matriarch. Your hand feels like you just hit a wall and is still pressed against the Matriarch's shoulder. You just hit the Matriarch! You try to stammer out an apology, but you can't make your tongue work right.

The Matriarch shushes you. "I'm glad to see you followed my instructions to teach her how to fight like a silver bear, Guarnicio; but I'd expected you to have taught her better. Her punch was weak and her will unfocused. We shall see if young Minaro does any better."

You hear Mama gasp and quickly ask "Does this mean..."

The Matriarch cuts her off and turns to face her. "The Elders have decided that the oddity in the trial was caused by the influence of your bloodline. I can see no signs of lasting damage done to either of our children. However, your daughter will be the lowest rated cub for this year until she can prove otherwise. Lessons begin tomorrow."

The hand you punched the Matriarch with hurts. A lot. The skin over the knuckles has been torn off, and your hand is starting to bleed. You blink back tears and stifle a sob. You defeated the sweet liquid makers. You did not flee from the flames or scream in fear. You will not cry from a hurt hand. Concentrating on not crying you miss the rest of what the adults are saying until the Matriarch turns back to you. "As for you, young girl. You have earned yourself a name. You are now known as Pūmiè. Welcome to the clan. Continue taking care of your brother. I will be watching you."

The Matriarch looks back at Mama. "You know I am in favor of your marriage, Rica, even though most are not. You should consider how you can help your daughter. You'll be seeing your old family again soon, won't you?"

Still shaken from your nightmare(?) you ask the Matriarch, “Flying flames attacked me. Where did they go?”

The Matriarch blinks in confusion. “Flying flames? Have you been dreaming? You must have been scared.” She places her warm, padded palm on your forehead. “Don’t worry about them just yet. They won’t trouble you for many more winters. For now, study hard and help your brother get stronger. The rest of this season will be challenging, but will have many opportunities for growth.”

You have only survived four winters and the Matriarch’s answer confuses you, but somehow you know you won’t dream of flying flames again.

Wotjeo has been romping around the Matriarch’s feet, and he only returns to you after she leaves. Her departure leaves you confused and curious. You don’t know how to ask what you really want to know. Instead, you find yourself asking Papa all sorts of questions. You start by asking “Why is your hair sharp, but Wotjeo’s, Mama’s, and mine isn’t?”

Papa points at his silver bear companion. "It's a blessing from sharing my spirit with your aunt Arely."

You hear Wotjeo's voice in your mind correcting him: "Arely is our sister, not our aunt."

Papa continues speaking as if he couldn't hear Wotjeo. Papa never responds when Wotjeo talks in your mind. "All animals naturally accumulate vital essences and convert them into madra. The vital essences of the metal in our caves gathers in Arely’s fur and my hair when we cultivate. Elder Minaro will explain better than a retired hunter like your Papa can. You'll start taking lessons from him tomorrow. Lessons from an Elder are very valuable, so pay attention and learn everything you can. Mama’s spirit companion Azuria cultivates different vital essences so she doesn’t have metal hair."

You ask Papa if you can strengthen your bones the same way his hair is strengthened. Papa laughs: "That's what the meditation exercises you've been doing while exercising are for. Keep doing them and you'll get big and strong like me." Papa flexes a biceps bigger than your four winters old head.”

You ask Papa about weapons made from madra. Papa grimaces: "Some of the other tribes in the valley do something like that. Silver Bears like us focus on developing our natural strength as well as the armor and weapons we make." Papa has a suit of armor made out of many lots of rings that he usually leaves on its shelf but you've seen him wearing several times. When he puts on the armor he usually goes outside and makes lots of loud noises before coming back.

Talking with Papa and Mama like this makes you feel safe and secure. You finally feel comfortable enough to ask what you really wanted to. You tell Mama and Papa about your dream and the flying fires.

Papa reassures you. “That sounds like it was a scary dream, but don't be afraid. Your trial to join the tribe is over. You won't have to stick your hand in the fire ever again. Your papa and mama will be around to help protect you for many years yet. I'm proud of you for trying to punch the fire. Silver Bears should be tough and aggressive, just the way you are. Run along with Mama now, Papa's been up too long today. I need my sleep.”

Mama takes you outside to forage, but she says less than usual and stays extra close to you.

***

Morning meditation the next day is the same as always. Papa leads you through the warren of interconnected tunnels, not pausing or looking down any of the tunnels that branch off your path. The multi-colored step pyramid you climbed is gone again. Several tribe members shoot odd glances at you as you take your seat next to Papa in the third row from the front. Wotjeo sits beside you, mimicing your upright posture as best his silver bear cub body allows.

After morning meditation, Papa hands you a bag with 2 pomegranates in it. You don’t need a knife to open them because Wotjeo’s teeth are strong enough to bite the thick-skinned fruits open so you both can get at the edible seeds inside. Papa tells you "This is for breakfast if Elder Minario gives you a chance to eat. Lessons from Elders are valuable, pay close attention. Mama will ask you about your lessons when you get home."

Papa points at one of the many tunnels leading off from the main cave. “I took lessons from Elder Minaro when I was your age. Elders give children your age lessons in a cave down that tunnel. Take the first left and the second right. Which turn is the second one?" You hold up three fingers. Papa gently bends one of your fingers down and then holds up two fingers. "This many is two. Second means two. Take the first tunnel to the left, then not the next right tunnel but the one after that. Follow the other children if you get lost."

Wotjeo sighs beside you and mentally grumbles. “Why can’t Papa just send us an image of the path? It’s easy!”

You send back an image of yourself shrugging. You don’t know. Adults do lots of things you don’t understand. Papa never speaks in your mind like Wotjeo does.

Papa points to a group of children walking towards the same tunnel. "Go, have fun and listen to the Elder, Pūmiè." Papa watches as you run after the other kids, then tiredly heads back upstairs. He usually goes to sleep right after meditating and has been too worried about you to sleep much since you put your fist in the fire during the trial to join the clan.

You follow the kids into the tunnel. When you turn the corner into the first tunnel to the left they're waiting in a crowd for you. The boy closest to you is also the largest and has brown hair cut very short. On both sides of him are boys smaller than him who are still bigger than you. The one on the left has red hair. He sneers at you and is accompanied by the biggest silver bear cub you've ever seen. The boy on the right has yellow hair. Behind the trio is a small boy, even smaller than you.

The large, brown-haired boy in the middle pushes you and you stumble backwards. "Stupid butterfly! You screwed up our trial."

The boys on either side of him start chanting "Butterfly! Butterfly!"

Wotjeo growls at them, upset that they’re being mean to you, his sister.

The red-haired boy shouts: "Show her Bato!"

Brown hair/Bato glares at his red-haired companion "Shut up Decavo. I'm huntmaster today." He turns his glare on you: "You owe us, butterfly. Give me your bag or else!" He shakes his large fist at you.