Ocean's Breath Plateau imiqtitchi

maybe @Red Leaf? referencing various other threads at the same time.

she followed the weave of shadow through the weald, finding herself facing the seaside, and then plucked her way carefully to the outskirts of the village where she knew the man was staying; along the way she sought the carcass of the caribou that they had hunted together, which by now had been eaten away. among the remains she managed to pull free an ankle and the attached hoof.

sulukinak went looking for cen. his scent carried on the wind with others, heading towards the edge of the plateau where the caribou most often frequented. in this moment she realized her gift would likely be seen as a silly thing; he would have a full belly once he returned.

instead of abandoning her idea, sulukinak remained within the village. she sought the scent of the man among the ulax and lodges, and found the sleeping place that was marked most by the man cen, as well as a woman and child. sulukinak was curious, and lingered just outside with her offering.

cameo, mb!! also making some assumptions abt cen's whereabouts, lmk if im wrong!!!

ghelan plays just outside the den with the shells and conches that marked a helpful path to it until he catches sight of an approaching, dark figure. they're big, and though he doesn't consider that everyone is big at his little height, the cub comes to a natural but exciting conclusion!
with a giddy but strange gait, he runs towards who he thinks is his aapa only to quickly realize his mistake upon closer inspection. this figure is a woman, and while pretty, she isn't who he was expecting.
his smile drops, his brows briefly furrow towards the stranger. the boy can only stand awkwardly with a small conch caught within the snares of baby teeth. watching as the strange woman approaches his home, he's left to linger when on earth aapa will return.

cen was gone.
with each passing day, red leaf's distress continued to fester, and yet she found she could not bring herself to ask anyone of his whereabouts. some part of her felt she did not deserve to know.
this was what she deserved. isolation. loneliness. raising her son alone.
she could still feel the water in her lungs. she hadn't cared much about the rather persistent and ugly cough until it began to keep her up at night, sometimes waking brave one; and in those moments, she wept as she tried to rock him back to sleep.
she shivers beneath the cool breath of mother sea, content with watching her baby boy from the denmouth with her gangly limbs tucked up close to her belly. but something ensnares his attention, and so she begins to shift, unease settling in her gut. what is it that you see, pamiuqtuugutiga?
the visitor is certainly a surprise. not chakliux or rodyn or tullik, but this time a dark-pelted woman who reminds her starkly of her husband.
oh, hello, a small, polite smile touches her lips, but does not reach her eyes. suspicion begins to brew. how did she know to come here; and why, or how, has she brought meat? have we met before?