"@Ariadne!" chakliux called out.
he had been traveling between villages; the cold wind caught at his nape, and he waited for her eyes to see him. he had brought fish from the sea, wondering if she would miss its taste. other scents had gathered, and he was pleased to see that she had already begun her foundations for moonsong.
@Chakliux!
Ariadne called in return, her heart skipping a beat.
Come to me! I am at my altar near my den!
She'd been tending to it for most of the afternoon, tweaking things so they were perfectly in place. It was far from complete, but she was making progress.
She stopped her work to look around, searching for the sealhunter among the trees as she anticipated his arrival. She didn't realize how much she'd missed him until now.
there were pathways cut into the ice now, light ones, but he took them eagerly. to have cold beneath his paws, upon his face, biting eyelids and the lolling tongue; it satisfied a place in chakliux that had been hungry for a long while.
he found her among the trees, and moved to greet with a rumble. "your village grows, ice runner."
It does—some new faces have joined,
Ariadne confirmed excitedly.
Ice runner,
she echoed thoughtfully, eyeing the fish he held in his mouth. I like that—but I am not doing much running nowadays,
she laughed and waved her casted leg, Soon I will run on the ice and live up to this title.
Ariadne motioned, inviting him to sit with her before the altar. She had gathered and stacked some flat stones and laid down pine branches to place the offerings on. Please, tell me about how you've been, seal hunter,
she invited.
she moved to arrange plating for his catch while chakliux butchered the fish, and for a moment it was almost as if they were in a lodge of their own, man and wife, while snow howled outside.
he eyed the wrappings on her leg pointedly, drawing their gazes together where he might tease ariadne with a slow and knowing grin. he had not forgotten her want of him.
"my son raiyuk and i, we have been hunting. speaking as men. when the snow comes, it will be time for he and i to go seek the seals. he must earn his scars. i will be gone many days. but i will visit moonsong when i return." he took a bite of fish and held her eyes. "i can run the ice for you, ariadne. i will go up. tell me when you want this."
She didn't expect to miss the taste of the sea like this, both the flavors she'd had and those she'd yet to try. Ariadne looked up occasionally, meeting his gaze with wanting; she still thought of him when she was alone in the early hours of the day. She grinned in turn, allowing herself to ignite that spark within her body.
She took a bite as he spoke, chewing slowly and savoring the flavor. When will you leave?
she asked once she swallowed. I would like to get a scout up the glacier before it begins to get colder.
They were quickly losing time as winter was coming.
her smile transformed her features into a radiant expression of desire, and his heart raced to see it. "i do not know an exact time. but i will go up now, today," chakliux said, and took another bite of fish before he stood.
"the moonglow girl with the name ajei once helped me pursue a deer, not so high. if they can climb, i will find their paths."
Although she was pleased by the urgency, a part of her worried for his well-being. And if you cannot find their paths, then I do not want you risking anything,
she said in a serious tone she seldom used.
I am looking for somewhere where the village can live together—a gathering of caves that is protected from the elements.
It was a big ask. Do you think such a place exists?
![[Image: balto-1995.gif]](https://media.tenor.com/oQZwx62Rhh4AAAAd/balto-1995.gif)
"i hear you, ice woman," chakliux jested, though his eyes were filled with eagerness for the climb. "today we will see if this place has what you desire."
upwards, to the left; the seal hunter glanced down toward ariadne, raised his paw in a wave, and was gone from her sight in a cascade of frozen snow.
it was slick, a layer of the flakes upon the hard ice beneath. stunted trees clinging to the edge of the glacier were where chakliux set his claws, to mark the way back. here the wind keened in knives to cut eyelids. but upward he always moved, in a zig-zagging trail that refroze behind him.
the snow-wind cleared eventually; he blinked and shook the frozen bite from his nape, eyes widening to behold what was before him.
tall peaks of blue ice had marked his way to the top of the glacier. a large forest of green-needle trees sprawled to the right. to his left, more jagged stones of white and azure led to a cold lake teeming with fish which throve only in such temperatures.
chakliux, stunned and excited, threw his gaze upward; above the water, gigantic sentinels stood with their branches outstretched above cliffs dotted with soft moss.
it was here that the sela hunter found ariadne's caves: four mighty entrances interwoven with rooms of their own, each cave interconnected so that one might not need to leave to reach another. chakliux measured each, finding that the size of each space ranged from fifteen to twenty paces across, with ceilings that reached high. the smallest had an archway facing away from the elements, which intrigued chakliux. no one had lived here before that he could see, and when the man exited the caves into the bright paleness beyond, he heard the cry of seals in that enclave of icy water, perhaps resting here before they returned to the ocean.
he tossed back his head in delight and shouted all this to ariadne.
you will have your village.
She held her breath for the entirety of his climb, waiting as he risked it all in the name of Moonsong. She kept her eyes on the glacier, hoping to steal a glance at his ascent, but that never happened. The conditions were not in her favor.
Every so often, the woman sent a prayer, chanted, and did everything in her power to ensure his travels were safe. She added the remainder of her meal to her altar, saving the best parts for it, and practically begged Sedna to keep Chakliux safe.
When he called, she quickly stumbled onto all fours and shouted back with high spirits. Aya! You did it! You found village Moonsong!
Then, to those nearby, she howled, Village Moonsong has its home!
She was home, and it was all thanks to Chakliux. She knew she needed to get up there and see what he had discovered for herself. Is the climb too difficult for me?
she asked eagerly.
"i think you must wait a small time longer, ariadne," chakliux called down as he slowly began the descent. "the path is ice and snow together. the way down is steep." and for a time now the seal hunter was silent, until he dropped back onto the leftmost ledge and was visible once more.
chakliux caught her up at once in joyous arms, bringing with him the fragrance of mosses and the old pine-trees which made their home upon the glacier. he described the four caves and how very large they were, and how he had not seen evidence anyone had made their pack in this place before.
"but seals swim in the ice river," he told her, thrilling with every part of his heart.
Ariadne did not shy from her disappointment; she frowned deeply, almost pouting, and allowed herself to wallow a bit as Chakliux made his way down the glacier. He arrived to her covered in the scents from above, and she eagerly drank them in. She circled him, tail wagging wildly, as she poked, prodded, and rubbed herself against him to take in the scents.
To his last tidbit of news, her eyes grew wide with excitement—seals! Will you take Raiyuk to hunt them here?
she asked, hoping he'd say yes.
she searched him thoroughly, and beneath her searching he laughed. "i will! but his first seal must be killed in the salt water. it is how oil father recognizes our spirits, like your sedna."
a place to be a seal hunter!
his eyes were deep with pleasure when he looked at her again. "two weeks. one and a one-half if you rest. then we shall walk up. you call for me."
She nodded, understanding that this was the way of his people. Then I will think of you both and pray to Sedna that all goes well.
Although it was disappointing that he'd be away for so long, she knew it'd be worth it when he returned. This time, she cast her self-centered thoughts aside.
Then I will rest,
she promised, and our journey will begin in a week and a half.
She reached for him and pressed her nose to his cheek. I will always call for you.
"i will stay and hunt for a day. i think i will bring raiyuk when you call. or i will send him ahead," chakliux grinned, and reached in boldness to feather her mouth with a soft exhale of breath.
and then he was gone, trotting up into the reaches once more where he intended to map the trees permanently.
his heart was elated.