Winter 1620-1624

After almost a year spent on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean Maximilian was thankful to change the tottering mat for the stable ground.Those past few months he spent on the seas he realized that as much as he dreamed of traveling, he wasn't a man of the seas.But he was still an explorer and the North coast of the New World seemed like a good choice for a new adventure.Especially now that their ship had sinked and everyone from the Old World believed they were probably dead or enslaved and sold somewhere into the slave market.

The cold wind and the strong miasma of muck, bear grease and mud intoxicated him from the first moment when they got ashore.He heard a strong babble from somewhere in the thickets and soon ten or twelve Indians followed by women and children appeared.Maximilian soon learned that they weren't the first explorers to arrive there.

Most of the men from his crew decided to leave this place and head for Québec where they could spend the winter among more civilized people, but the road was long and dangerous, especially on a freakish weather like this.And Maximilian was still weak, recovering from the days he suffered of scorbutus, so he chose to stay here, at least through the winter.

The next few days Maximilian and some other men, helped by some Indians reconstructed one of the old log cabins built by the first colonists who arrived there few years ago, but died because of the winter frost.Even the weather seemed to take in with them, so by the last days of the fall they finished repairing and even managed to hunt some animals and conserve their meet for the winter.

By the first snow, Maximilian already befriended one of the chieftains, a young Indian named Outtaké who started spending more and more time with them, often bringing his sister, Kawa, to clean the house and cook for the men.

The young girl quickly became every man's interest, even if she didn't seem to be aware of their played manners and gallantries.Maximilian wanted to try his luck too with the young Indian, but the girl seemed more concerned with chasing away the foxes that started to slick into the kitchen, so he backed off.

Outtaké laughed at the men's strange behaviour, but pretended to ignored it, seeming more preoccupied with their latest addition.

One winter morning Maximilian and Kawa left in the woods to gather firewood, but, when trying to climb up a mound, Kawa made a slip and sprained her ankle.Maximilian refused to give ear to her protests and insisted to carry her back to the cabin, where he dresses her leg.

One week later, when Outtaké came to eat with them, he informed Maximilian that Kawa decided to get married to Maximilian.The blond explorer didn't seem surprised by the disclosure and accepted, with the condition that Kawa would move in with them.

The next day the two of them got married by the Indians' law and Kawa resumed her duties in the house.

By the end of the winter in 1624 she gave birth to a half caste baby boy, who had her skin color and Maximilian's hair and eye color.