The hunter had discovered a small ptarmigan nest and remained near to it that morning, hoping to spot some more plump birds to cull and take to the injured woman. He was not so lucky — it was more than likely the pair he had killed earlier had used this space as their overnighting nest and they would not be returning.
After a couple of hours of observation Raimo decided to move on from the birds. The myriad of deer trails within the snow gave him something else to prowl after, and so that is what he did; pantherine between the trees, flowing from shadow to shadow while on the look-out for something large enough to fill three bellies at once.
The
songs on the wind told Raimo that there were more mouths incoming; he had noticed
a scent near the injured woman's eating place earlier in the day, and tallied this newcomer among the growing population. Soon he would not be enough of a provider for the pair of women — their allies might not take kindly to the way he inserted himself to their lives — but for now Raimo focused on the hunt.
the otter skin would need to be stretched to make it worthwhile. she had no scraper, nor the hard branches she had used for the pulling of leather.
some distance from the ulaq kukutux found a splintered tree with jagged edges. she brought with her the skin, and tugged it down as if she were at play.
but her features were from, and unthinking she put down her paw upon the hide. agony pulsed along the bone; she snatched it up and let the skin fall to the snow. another low breath and kukutux did this deliberately. a wash of anguish sickened her belly at once; she dropped into a drift and breathed.
she picked up the otter hide.
when it was passed, the duck straightened her ankle slowly, teeth clenching on the skin until her teeth cut through and ruined her offering entire.
The paths he followed were like worm trails on the skin of an apple; they made sense until they turned along a piece of terrain he did not know was there, or stopped and started where prey might've made a leap. Raimo was chasing ghosts through the trees. There was nothing here — it was more than likely with the growing wolf population the resident deer would disperse. He made note of the paths all the same and when the need arose, lifted his leg to mark a tree or claw the bark to remind himself which paths he had investigated.
He was on his way back when the sound of something moving drew his attention. Raimo moved low but quick to cross a chasm of snow, ducking among a series of beech trees, to watch. The sound of something tearing was curious to him. He licked his lips — sucking in a cold breath across the tongue — but only found the now familiar notes of the injured woman.
Whatever she was up to could have spooked any lingering deer. Raimo huffed to himself, squinting as he watched her struggle with something in the snow beyond, and then approached. As he did so he sloughed the predatory gait from his body, loosening the tension across his top-line as he drew nearer.
He didn't get too close; she had not been very receptive to him before, even with the free meal. Raimo glanced over whatever she had been worrying at, thus spotting the otter skin, and raised a brow.
she knew many of firefly still remained; she had heard them calling to one another, and listened to bronco's voice continue to rise.
an odd thing, to now be so distant from those she knew by name. but her mind thought of none of this; she willed the quiver to go out of her leg, holding holding;
the smooth sound of footsteps upon snow. kukutux pulled her paw back beneath her chestfur. she did not like the disadvantage posed by his height and stance, but kept the instinctive ripple of her hackles brief.
"you are raimo, yes?" the duck asked, offering no explanation for the skin or for her actions. not yet. she would say nothing of herself until she knew some element of himself other than the lopsided barter between them.
He watched her as would any other wounded thing; he did not introduce judgement in to his stare but it could be read there nonetheless, as he observed her tucking the injury close. No fresh blood spewed from it so she had certainly cleaned it.
The pained look about the woman was evidence enough she was having a rough time with the injury. Was she working on a splint for the ankle? Perhaps another method, one he had not been taught, that used the skin. It did not occur to Raimo she would prepare it as payment to him — he figured the debt would be settled in time. If he waited, he could name his own price.
The woman spoke and Raimo finally blinked and looked to the woman's face rather than her tucked leg. She knew his name, which meant — Your daughter mentioned me then.
He still was not certain it was a mother-daughter, rather than a sister duo; but this was an easy assumption given their ages. The woman would tell him more by her reaction.
Sialuk is a good huntress,
he names her with ease, and watches the woman carefully. but there is only so much a girl can do. There are deer here, I have been tracking them. Perhaps we can make a go of it together.
A curl to his lips then, just enough for the faintest smile.
the otter skin would have been better used that way, but kukutux had refused to be beholden. in her pride, she had not thought of binding the bone, something that would flush her with irritation to finally recall.
but now was not that moment. a muscle along the corner of her mouth twitched as he mentioned her daughter. it was another thing she did not like, and the wariness only deepened as he spoke of taking sialuk on a hunt.
perhaps to him it was an innocent offer. to kukutux, it reminded her of the more dour practices in hospitality to a trader who had given something.
"her father is a wise hunter. he gave her strong abilities." she did not enjoy how raimo spoke her raindrop's name; it rankled her, his familiarity when he knew not even the title of her mother.
grimed ear flicked. "she does not trust you." not a tone of accusation, but a test. kukutux watched him with scrutinizing jadeite eyes.
The look upon his face did not change at the mention of a father. From what Raimo had gathered of their story, the father was no longer with them. There had been no sign of any man among their number and given the state of the mountain they had abandoned, it was unlikely the man would resurface.
It did not pain Raimo to think of things this way; it was another aspect of this woman's story he would keep for future tellings if he felt the desire. It was quite a tale — the crumbling of a mountain, a single mother with her young daughter trying to piece themselves together.
She does not trust you,
the woman mentions. Raimo's smile fades immediately, but not for the reasons one might expect. It takes considerable effort not to laugh or grin at this comment; he cannot tell if they're still talking about Sialuk or the injured woman now speaks for herself. He does not want to offend her and forces stoicism, but it is ill-fitting. His eyes spark with something indescribable.
I don't expect to be trusted.
He answers. But I do expect to be rewarded.
Winter was hard on everyone, and this particular year was harder still. He need not mention this to her, knowing what has been lost. For now the arrangement suits him.
she had nothing to give. sialuk was a child and kukutux wore a bone that would need to be mended.
her heart longed suddenly, sharply, for her husband. "when i am reunited with my family, you will have your trade." surely he too had heard firefly calling and weeping into the night. she felt buoyed by their existence, it limned her with some inner confidence of relief she had not borne before.
but the duck was suspicious he still spoke of sialuk; she moved her greenstone gaze over him. he was a young man, but he was not a boy. she had no intention of refusing to honor the barter. he had given her meat to live. she would give him something she felt was equal: her labor. "bring me skins and i will make pleasant things for your den. help me to dig a cache and i will dry meat for it."
she lifted her chin, attempting silently to emulate the aunts she had seen making a fast barter with traders coming down along the sea.
what did this raimo want? speak clearly, she wanted to tell him, but already she had stepped over several boundaries regarding her comportment with a strange man. and so kukutux was silent.
It was at this point he could not contain it: he erupted with a laugh, and shook his head as it died upon the air. Woman, I do not need skins. I have no den, I travel, and I prefer my meals warm.
The man looked at her then, watched the way her eyes trained upon his face and head lifted slightly, with some false pride perhaps, and he got to his feet again.
There is ample time to come to a compromise,
Raimo murmurs, and looks to the darkness of the trees again, either to feign interest in a sound or actually listening to something of interest. For now I only ask for what to call you, given that we share this mountain now.
And would until he felt the call to roam again, thought Raimo.
he laughed at her, called her woman
kukutux swept jade-gaze behind her lashes. "traders who return to old places also seek more than ice for a sleeping place," the duck rejoined, though her voice was soft with thoughtfulness. there had not come any trust to her yet; she was not sure she wished it there, however. the man spoke and told her that they would share this place.
the moonbow was unsure of what to make of such an arrangement. he had given no true indication of what he would wish, and did not want to settle and build something where her work might be of use to him. the duck studied raimos a long moment. sialuk had given her name, and it would be worthless to lie. "i am called kukutux."
wary snow birds in a drift. her gaze lengthened for a moment and then dropped away, lifting as always in the direction of moonspear.
What the woman now spoke of, Raimo had not considered. It made sense then, to think of how nervous the women were towards him. They were hesitant to accept his gifts even though they were in desperate need of them. Raimo was not offended to be considered a scoundrel in her mind. It gave him a role within this still-weaving story.
And when finally she introduced herself Raimo looked at her, saw the slant of her gaze towards the mountain. He thought of something to say in that moment but held his tongue, feeling it would be inappropriate. So instead he nodded, and then moved on from where she rested at a leisurely pace.
There was little more he could learn from her now, he thought. Better to spend his time doing what he knew best, and hope she would warm to him with the effort.
Fade?