Back to the present age *DISCONTINUED* [English translation]

Chapter 1

'Happy birthday, Sweetie!' Liana felt the soft kiss of her boyfriend Christopher on her forehead. For a short time she opened her eyes, but closed them again. She was too tired to get up now and just mumbled a sleepy 'Good morning' when she realized that her birthday was today. How could she forget that? Immediately she bounced up and hit her friends chin. Cursing Christopher jumped up and rubbed his hurting chin. He hoped that wouldn't give a bruise, neither at him nor at Liana. The first few seconds Liana didn't realize what has caused the pain at her head, but then she saw Chris and made sense of what happened.

'My God, honey, I'm so sorry' She hugged her friend at kissed his throat. He pressed her tight and tousled through her brown hair, which had nearly the same color as his skin. Well, maybe her hair was a bit darker than his skin, he thought as he compared the colors consciously. Then he remembered, why he came into her room and waked up his darling, he didn't like that. Rather he stayed in the room and observed her.

'Come on' he whispered and uplifted her. First Liana got a little shock, then she clung strongly to Chris and was carried in the kitchen, where Chris' father already waited for them. Gently the teenager seated his girlfriend on a free chair, before he also sat down.

Liana yawned a long time noisily what made her adoptive father smile. In the strict sense he wasn't really her adoptive father but she considered him to be it anyway. Her real mother left the family some years ago, since then Liana didn't hear a word from her. When she went away, her daughter had approximately twelve years and lived henceforth with her father, who however had to leave to an assignment in Armenia. Nearly five months later she received the message of his death, some disputants of the company for which Liana's father worked, burned down it's main building in Armenia. Since then another year went by, but she still missed him. Fortunately she had Chris, who she met a short time before the departure of her father. When Chris' father, Orlando, confirmed that he would look after Liana, she felt so happy that she wasn't very sad that her Dad left because she loved to pass a lot of time with her boyfriend. After the death of her father, Orlando and Chris knew, they would carry on taking care of Liana and also search her mother, but Liana hoped they won't find her. At least until she was full age, by the reason she knew that she had to go with her mother, who knows if she would see Chris again. Would he wait for her?

Orlando sat down next to his foster child and congratulated her for her birthday, what was a bit embarrassing for Liana. Chris noticed it and grinned, then he leaned over the table and grabbed his present for Liana. When she saw the familiar wrapping paper which was swathed with an amount of tape, she couldn't help smile. That was so typical for her friend and she retrieved a scissor, aware she would need it, if she didn't want to damage the content. Finally she managed to get rid of the unnecessary tape and gave herself over the paper which was printed with a lot of holy Iroquois signs. Chris explained her that, partially he also knew, what their meaning was. After Liana had removed the paper, a necklace with a leather band and a silvery pendant appeared. She eyed it and noticed, it was an eagle. Chris took the necklace in his own hand and explained what it meant to him.

'You've ever heard of the Six Nations? These are six Iroquoian tribes, the Kahniakenhaka, which is our tribe as you know, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora and two other tribe, whose name I forgot, which were united by the prophet Deganawidah. Well in fact, the Tuscarora joined about two hundred years later.' He took a peek to his father who nodded encouraging what from Chris inferred that he said everything correctly.

'The other two tribes are called Oneida and Onondaga' Orlando added. From his father Chris learned the most stuff about the Native Americans, he found it very fascinating to descend from such an interesting and exotic culture. The greatest pleasure for him was that you could see this ancestry, his skin a bit darker than the color of white coffee, his pitch-black hair reached already over his shoulders. The traditional haircut of the tribe, the Mohawk however didn't please him, why he let his hair open or in one or two braids. Until he had about four years, his father had a Mohawk, which was approximately five centimeters high, but since then his hair has been short.

'Well, I've heard about the Six Nations, but I don't know how it matches to the necklace.'

'To be honest, it doesn't really. Deganawidah ordered to bury all the weapons of the first five tribes at the roots of a pine tree, which was known from then on as the tree of peace. The prophet asserted, an eagle would sit on the top of the tree, to observe the common good and peace. When I got this necklace, I had to think of that, so I've bought it that you have your personal guardian' He slipped the band over Liana's head and she took the pendant in her hand again and contemplated it.

'Furthermore eagles are sacred and important animals for us Native Americans, just like you for me. That's also a reason why I bought it.' It was a little bit embarrassing for Chris to enunciate this words in presence of his father, but when he saw how cute his girlfriend gazed at him, he was happy that he did it anyway. Liana couldn't help hug her friend and thank him continuously, it wasn't just the present that appealed her, it were also Chris' words which she found gorgeous.