.

“Two Bears, you cannot go there!” Sky hissed when she saw where he was going. In surprise he turned his head around and swallowed his angry words. On his stomach he crawled down the hill and swiftly returned to Sky.

Looking around to see if everything was safe, he hissed angrily, “It’s far too dangerous for the two of you to come here!”

“And it is far too dangerous for you to come here as well!” Sky snapped back.

“I’ll be fine,” he shrugged. Sky frowned in disagreement.

Two Bears brown eyes gazed into the grey-blue eyes of Sky, and she returned his look with ease.

It was no wonder the two had found each other within the large tribe. They were both stubborn, strongminded - even stronger with their will. Yet, they had found each other by their kind hearts and curiosity.

Sky was the only daughter between five sons, so her father, Dog Star, would not easily give her hand in marriage. Even though Two Bears had proven his strength in three battles, his blue war paint on his face and limbs proved of it, Dog Star did not want to give in.

Because there was no real reason to deny Sky’s hand, Dog Star demanded a gift which would amaze him as much as the first time he had seen Sky's bright eyes. Two Bears had accepted.

First he had brought three wonderful horses, then a spear, after that a necklace made by the travelling tribe of the South. Nothing seemed good enough. Close to despair, Two Bears had made a decision which he knew would amaze Dog Star enough to give away his daughter.

“You’re not going there!” Sky hissed again.

“I have to,” Two Bears said, “It’s my last option.”

“Are you mad?” her eyes blazed like fire, “That will be your death!”

“Sky,” gently he took her hands and looked into her eyes, “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

“No, you won’t!” she said fierce, but held onto his hands, “There is a reason why we’re not allowed to go there.”

“Really, what is that?” he frowned upon her as if she were a child.

“You know that’s the ancestors' city,” she warned him, “And however good and kind they might have been – all that goodness and kindness has been wiped away by the Evil they created. The very Evil that still haunts us.”

“Oh, it can’t be that bad,” Two Bears said and guided Sky towards the hill and pointed towards the large stone buildings, “Look! Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is,” Sky sighed in azement. Many times had the two of them gazed upon the ancient city of the ancestors. High stone buildings, metal objects of a time long forgotten, all carefully covered under a layer of nature.

“If you’re going, I’m going with you,” she decided.

“No,” Two Bears objected.

“I am,” Sky looked him in the eyes and softly pinched his hand, “That way, if the air is indeed poisonous, we’ll die together.”

“Uhg, woman,” he sighed.

Carefully, as if they were hunting, Two Bears and Sky sneaked through the forbidden city. In amazement they looked up unto the towers that seemed to be of another world; by their material, shapes and heights. The wide streets were scattered with strange objects; for one large thing another was twice as large.

Two Bears dared to peak into some large buildings, which seemed to be luxurious homes – nothing like the tents and sheds they lived in. Yet, neither dared to enter a building out of fear of disturbing anything.

To his surprise Two Bears could not find anything. There was metal and stone all around him. Yet nothing of value and beauty. He wondered if the ancestors had left the worthless things behind when they left, or if they never had anything of beauty.

He had heard of several mythical things, such as cars and laptops. But everyone knew they were just made up, to fit into fairytales. Surely, if they had existed, they would have been beautiful. Nothing, however, showed him that those things were real as he walked through the city.

Swift as deer, the two went through the city and left it via an eastern street. Sky took a deep breath of relieve after they had left and turned around for one last look.

“What do you think that means?” she said and pointed towards a big metal plate with four strange marks on it.

“I don’t know, but I do know that this will give me your hand,” he said and bent down. Beside the metal plate, he had finally found something truly beautiful. A blue flower, as blue as the sea and as wild as the wind.

"We don't need the ancestors," he said, "Nature has taken care of us for the last 400 years, and it will take care of us for many more years."