it was only she and
@Sialuk for now.
she splashed water over her bloodied fur from a hole cut in the ice of the river. it snaked against the edge of the valley. caribou stood in small herds here and there; further downstream they crowded against the water, watchful of the pale wolves.
kukutux watched the stain move away from her fur.
"it is your first winter hunting. but it is not your first time living in the ulax of snow."
The discontent wore on. Sialuk could not say what it was that brought this feeling to her, lingering over her as the moon grew and shrank, grew and shrank. Consistently, she felt... nothing? Whatever spark had been with her in her youth had faded away. She knew that her heart ached for taataa and brataa. It was in winter when the strange storm had taken them away. Sialuk had pushed aside her own wants and needs then, taking on a life that now felt like it was not her own.
And now she felt she was still at a loss. There were brief moments when she felt she was breaking through, and then the emptiness would come again, leaving her hollow. As the months wore on, Sialuk wondered if she could ever break free from this cycle.
Anaa spoke, and Sialuk lifted her ears to listen.
Today, Tuulu followed the river away from the glacier. Hunting was not something he would turn down if he came upon another sick caribou, able to be taken out by one wolf, but neither was he actively seeking out a target.
He hadn't been sure why he wandered today, other than sometimes, he just needed to.
The river brought him around a mountain and then forked. The northerner chose to follow the stream east, and eventually it brought him towards a valley.
Just ahead, he saw two forms near the water. He slowed his pace and stopped when he reached a respectful distance. An inspection of their scent told him they were from the same village as Kigipigak. He chuffed to announce his presence but said nothing else.
sialuk did not answer. kukutux ran her wet muzzle along the younger wolf's cheek. "when we return to the place of moonglow, we will give thanks to the stars." winter hunting could cause melancholy. she wished it was not so for her daughter.
the appearance of a man took her attention. he was made with strength and had watchful eyes. she found their color familiar. "i greet you," she called to him in their tongue. she felt as though he had come to the sunset camp with the winterhawk. but she had not yet known his name.
kukutux beckoned the man closer.
Sialuk gave a half-hearted smile in response to anaa's comfort. Another approached, and Sialuk gave her mother a cursory glance. If it was not somebody Kukutux knew, she at least seemed comfortable with his presence. It set Sialuk at ease, and she studied him for a moment. He did not have any notable markings. In fact, he looked rather plain to her eyes.
Again, Sialuk glanced to her mother. Awaiting instruction and guidance as she so often did.
He hadn't expected to hear the northern language from anyone but his family, but he had been surprised by the moonglow hunter and now by the moonlit woman. Her pale companion said nothing, just looked to the first expectantly.
The Tatkret stepped forward, closing more of the distance between him and the women. He offered a curt nod in greeting before continuing in the northern language. I am Tuuluuwaq from Duskfire Glacier,
he told them. It is nice to hear our language spoken by others outside of my family.
Now he was intrigued by the pair; he wanted to know more.
"i am moonwoman kukutux of village moonglow. this is my daughter, sialuk." she allowed them to take the measure of one another before she spoke again.
inside herself, the woman's heart leapt with delight.
his name. intelligent. fearless. fierce. and the fourth of these: raven.
those of black feathers spoke to sialuk.
kukutux saw this as a good omen.
"issoratuyok is a good companion to me. and kigipigak, i think that you have already made a meeting with him. he is our kinsman."
He had spoken in the language that was her mother's birthright, and Sialuk found herself leaning forward to hear it. Anaa did the duty of introducing them to this man. It seemed they had not met, but somehow Sialuk felt her mother knew more than she seemed. This was often the case with Kukutux.
This was not the suitor her mother had spoken of before—Issorartuyok—though Tuuluuwaq did speak the sounds of the north. Could they be kinsmen to one another? And if so, why did anaa look between her daughter and this man in such a way. Perhaps the former was no longer a prospect, though Sialuk did not feel sadness for such a thing if it was true. She had not even made a meeting with him, her spirit dim these past few months.
I greet you,
she said, once her mother's voice fell to silence.
Is Issorartuyok family to you?
she asked.
He gave a slow, respectful nod when the moonwoman offered first her name, and then the name of her daughter; both were reminiscent of his home. His gaze moved to meet the sunlight eyes of Sialuk and remained there for a few moments before Kukutux mentioned his brother and how he was her companion. Tuulu was not surprised by this news. His brother was a good, kind man. It seemed he had always made friends easily.
He was about to tell her of his hunt with Kigipigak, but his focus was pulled once more to Sialuk as she spoke for the first time. He offered a slight smile. It is nice to meet you,
he said first. Issorartuyak is my brother. I recently traveled here to join him.
He turned back to the moonwoman. Kigipigak helped me take out one of the sick caribou,
the Tatkret explained. He is a skilled hunter and jumped in to help me just in time.
He may have lost the cow if it hadn't been for the other man's help, or further injured himself.
he was one of the clan tatkret. kukutux was pleased. this was how she had seen the familiarity before: in the eyes.
her raindrop appeared to be speaking more words. the duck held her own voice quietly until tuluuwaq had finished speaking. "we are all sons and daughters of the snow."
she wanted to know the hunter's purpose. she wished to know what he would do in the springtime. issoratuyok seemed as if meerkat was beneath his eye. kigipigak had given a special gift to lane. she had even considered the vague possibility of veteran as ugi to samani. there were plans to be made. paths to be taken.
"you will stay with your brother in duskfire? he is blessed to have strong kinship ties, even to bring you across the world." she smiled. "i offer you meat at our hearth. if you are family to issoratuyok, you are friend to moonglow."
Kigipigak's name—said for the second time—brought to her mind the memory of their recent conversation. In his village, the men fought for the strongest woman. Could Sialuk ever be that? Would men fight for her, or would they scoff at her? The raindrop no longer held a position of power, so how could she hope to have men fight for her? She was no issumatar.
She knew her mother spoke, but the words did not reach Sialuk's ears, so caught up in her own thoughts. She heard only that he was a friend to Moonglow, and Sialuk nodded politely with a distant smile.
we are all sons and daughters of the snow. Tuulu dipped his head in agreement. They were all from the north and would always be connected by that.
Sialuk had nothing else to say, which made him curious about her. But it was placed in the background as the moonwoman began to speak again. She offered their home to him, and he was grateful. She also seemed pleased that he was here to stay with his brother, and that he had been pulled from so far to do so.
Yes, I still have much to learn from Issorartuyak,
he told them both.
And I offer the same in return, although I'm sure my brother has already said as much.
Another friendly smile curved his mouth. But if there is ever anything I can do to help you or Moonglow, you only have to ask.
This was an important connection for Duskfire; he knew that without having to hear it from his pack. He would make sure to honor it.
teasing words rose unbidden to the mind of kukutux! she held them, bemused, inside her own mind. "thank you, tuluuwaq."
she thought for a moment.
"i have left a bundle of hides not far from here. will you help us to carry it back to our camp?" her eyes shone toward the brother of issoratuyok, wondering how his people bore such burdens to their own homes.
today she hoped to learn.
last one from me! trying to wrap up some of these older threads.
Sialuk followed along, if only because work would keep her mind away from the gloom that shadowed her. She yearned for the day when it would no longer plague her. When she could be free and happy as she was in her youth. One day it had to come, did it not?
Of course,
he said, dipping his head to each woman. It would give him an opportunity to learn more about each of them.
Lead the way.
He would follow along and carry whatever needed to be hauled, happy to help out his new friend and her daughter.