"You have done well, my child.", spoke the words of an elder to a young but capable boy. "Today you will prove your passage to manhood. We have seen your impressive skills with the bow, but today you will go on your first hunt."

The tribe was very successful in teaching their young about hunting. Kitchi was learning well about the sacrifice the animals gave so that their tribe would be able to live on, and equally how both man and beast had respect for one another. The young man gave a nod to the elder, "I've even seen the elk that I will kill. He has appeared in my dreams several times - he has a distinct patch of white on his chest."

The elder shook his head, "My son, you will never know what the hunt will bring. Finding an elk like that will be quite a challenge. See him as your guardian rather than your prey. Perhaps the elk is your totem.", he replied.

The young hunter gave a quiet sigh, "Maybe.", he replied.

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Kitchi finally set out alone for his hunt. He was dressed lightly, and carried a few supplies in addition to his bow and some arrows. He quickly left the encampment and disappeared into the treeline that bordered the plains. Following his instinct, he searched for traces of prey. In the distance he heard the distinct cries of elk. "So it will be an elk...", he said to himself, his blood thickening as the sounds echoed through the trees. He quickly darted through the forest, careful to keep the sounds of his feet at a minimum as he approached the source of the sounds.

In a clearing he spotted a lone elk, who was looking around curiously and calling out to any others who were around. His voice was shrill and high pitched, and with each call he raised his ears in hopes of finding his herd. He wanted them to come, he had found a lovely patch of grasses that were particularly sweet, and he wanted to share his discovery.

The native hid behind one of the trees and peeked around to see his adversary. He studied the elk curiously - his head and neck were a darker shade of brown than the rest of him. His antlers grew back and sported a few small vines that had been tangled upon them. The creature's black eyes stared at the treeline, becoming increasingly impatient with his herd. And at the moment he turned his head, Kitchi saw a patch of white on his chest.

He quickly hid himself as the elk scanned in his direction. He had heard something, but didn't know for sure. Bending down, he took a bite of the grasses but kept his eyes staring in Kitchi's direction. The young man slowly drew one of his arrows, carefully gripping his bow as he strung it. He inched toward the side of the tree, pulling back on the arrow and aiming.

He opened his eyes. The elk was gone. He then spotted the creature darting off. He must have been discovered. As soon as Kitchi realized this, he lost his grip on the arrow, it flying off into the bushes nearby. He didn't bother to go look for it, instead he raced to catch up with the running elk.

Fumbling with the arrows on his back as he ran, he pulled one out but a few popped out of his quiver. He didn't notice, his eyes were focused on the running elk. Aiming, he released the arrow, which flew swiftly but was aimed too low, hitting the ground beneath the creature's feet. The young man tried to pull another arrow but tripped and fell to the ground. Clamoring to his feet, he eyed the now broken arrow and then continued on his pursuit of his prey.

The elk aimlessly ran, his breath was steady. He wasn't panicking, in fact he had lived a long life and really wasn't afraid of death, but rather was afraid of pain. He knew of the hunters' arrows, he had seen many of his own kind fall to them. He wasn't ready to be pierced by one today.

Clearing a treeline, he skidded on his hooves, nearly falling off a cliff into a deep ravine. He caught his breath and then looked back in time to see the hunter emerge. Kitchi hurriedly reached into his quiver, finding one last arrow. Pulling it, he strung his bow and aimed at the elk's heart. "You're mine!", he spoke shortwinded, and releasing the arrow, he struck the elk. The creature let out a painful cry that echoed into the air, and he fell to his knees, struggling to keep his balance.

Kitchi, feeling victorious, approached the dying elk. He began to unsheathe a small dagger to finish the job, and kneeling at the elk's side, he raised the blade high. But before he could bury it into the elk, he heard a strange crackling sound. Before he could realize it, the earth gave way, the ground beneath him and the elk was too weak to support both of them. The two fell together, neither able to grab the rock wall.

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The dirt was starting to settle when Kitchi opened his eyes. He could barely feel his body, and saw already that he was bleeding. His bones were shattered, but he would never feel the pain from them. Then he saw the elk, his body was lifeless and laying at peace close by. Kitchi barely was able to move his arm, and he reached out and touched the elk's chest. He stroked the soft patch of white fur, and weakly spoke to the animal, "At long last, you are mine...", before closing his eyes and joining the elk in death.

Several others from the village heard the sound of the rock slide, and coming to the ravine, they found Kitchi's body along with his prey. The arrow sticking out of the elk was strangely symbolic to them - Kitchi had become a man, he had fulfilled his rites. The elders knew it was too late to save him, and as they began to mourn, one looked off and believed he saw a young brave hunting an elk.

Rubbing his eyes, the vision disappeared, but he understood what it meant. "Kitchi has lost his life in this world, but in another, he is endlessly hunting his guardian. The Elk was always his protector, and will keep his spirit forever happy.", the elder spoke.

And while the coming days were sorrowful for the loss of the young Native, the tribe celebrated his death by telling the story of The Hunt, all learning the value of persistence and following your dreams. Kitchi would become a legend of the tribe, as he never gave up chasing his goal.

To this day, those who walk through the very ravine have seen glimpses of a happy young man shooting arrows as a playful elk. The two were intertwined spirits, both finding their peace when they encountered each other.

End