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Crow rushed over and hugged him fiercely.




"You promise?", he asked.




"I promise."



The days turned bitter cold and it seemed like they were out in the snow every day doing something. On the worst days they stayed inside. It was sheltered in Tobal's little valley but there was a lot of snow on the ground. The only way to travel was with snow shoes and pulling a supply sled.





They spent the days trapping and hunting and the evenings working on winter equipment and telling stories. Tobal was amazed at Crow's abilities. In addition to beaver and muskrat Crow routinely trapped mink, fox and wolf. He kept the hides from every snowshoe hare and was making a rabbit blanket.




He said it would take a long time because he needed fifty rabbit hides for the blanket. But he told Tobal a rabbit blanket would be extremely light and extremly warm. They were considered a luxury to have back in his village.




Crow also snared partridge and kept the wing and tail feathers. Once he trapped an owl and was ecstatic all week over the good omen. He used these feathers to create ornaments and jewelry. Crow was highly skilled at leather working and created functional and decorative winter clothing Tobal envied. As the days wore on it seemed Tobal was the student and not Crow.





Tobal had learned the basics but Crow had grown up in a culture that had gone far beyond the art of simple survival and had turned these skills into an art form. Tobal was fascinated and asked many questions. Together they worked on projects Tobal had never even thought about doing.






Still thoughts of his parents were never far away. He wished he knew more.