at some point sulukinak woke and slipped from dutch. she did not stray far. there was nowhere the girl felt at-ease except when she was near to him; she had seen so many people hunting and mending, but had not gotten close enough to know any of them.
it was still so overwhelming when she was used to the company of so few, in a land of so little. the plains were the opposite.
she ventured to the edge of the healing camp and perched herself there, out of the way of the main travel corridor where people crossed for supplies or to shepherd the injured.
sulukinak warmed her paws by crouching upon them, and then spent her time watching the goings-on; the moving bodies, the chatter between strangers.
from time to time, if nobody was watching, sulukinak would mime snippets of conversation to herself or take on small aspects of those passers-by.
Each step was carefully placed as the lanky Sumac wandered through the gathering. This was still just so overwhelming! He'd reluctantly left Easy's side at her insistence he make some new acquaintances while she and Kukutux continued to converse. A daunting task for the shy, newly-lone 'Mac.
So many voices added to the chorus that droned incessantly in his ears; so many sights... Right now, it was just all a bit too much to take in. Swallowing hard, he hastened himself to the periphery of the camp, desperately seeking to gather his bearings in quieter surrounds.
He was so adamant about slipping away unnoticed that he barely noticed the dark, crouched figure until he nearly stumbled over her.
"Oh! I-I'm so s-sorry; d-didn't see you there," he stuttered, lowering his head and tail politely, "I'm j-just looking for... for a place to think."
Great... 'Mac thought. He was absolutely terrible at first impressions in his mind, and here he was once again not only stumbling over words, but practically stumbling over strangers as well!
if one were to compare sulukinak to anything, she most closely resembled something of the feline persuasion in the way she felt the hit, was thrown off-balance, and furiously corrected her posture in one sudden and fluid moment; in the same way some house cats would settle and then look around as if nothing had happened, nobody saw anything.
except she wasn't all that graceful. being an awkward creature of narrow proportions, a tucked belly, and long face - she scrambled on all-fours and looked sharply upon the face of a stranger. he was apologizing, and sulukinak was shaking off the surprise and snow, then tucking her feet back beneath her tail.
not knowing what to do, and not being a very vocal creature particularly with strangers, she was wide-eyed and silent for longer than what would be appropriate.
he was a swarthy young man; he looked about ready to keel over, though. think about...?
‘Mac winced at the look the stranger gave him; yikes. Why was he so damned clumsy? This whole gathering made him nervous, not because he expected any ill will, but because, well, he didn’t want to leave a bad impression. He’d only ever socialized within his birth pack, and he had no idea as to any customs that may exist elsewhere. What if he accidentally offended someone? It looked to him as though he was off to a great start with that already.
The lanky lad rubbed his left forelimb anxiously with his right paw, his ears back in embarrassment. He blinked and continued the self-soothing gesture as the unknown female continued to stare… and stare… and stare. ‘Mac glanced over his shoulder to make sure she wasn’t actually staring at someone behind him… or in case someone else was watching. Oh no, what do I do?! He tried glancing back at her before settling his gaze on the ground, finding direct eye contact a bit awkward and uncomfortable right now.
She spoke, and it startled him.
“Oh! A-about… this place. All these p-people. I guess I don’t know what I’m supposed to be d-doing here. I’m not used to meeting new folks,” he explained hastily, still reluctant to make any eye contact with her.
he had the same disjointed feelings about this place and these people as she did. at least sulukinak had reunited with dutch. at least she had met one other friendly face within the chaos (but there had been a frightening one also).
to say she now took pity on the man wouldn't be accurate. she could empathize, but she wasn't a well socialized girl, so there was a limit to her own awareness, a shortcoming there.
did you just arrive?
sulukinak asked, tasting the air around him, trying to discern where he came from; but she was reluctant to get too close. the hunt is over.
Sumac was still wary of the stranger’s response - he wasn’t a worldly individual himself, having only been socialized within his loving, but isolated birth pack. But this female didn’t seem to be judging him, at least not in an unfavorable way. She was difficult to read, and he wasn’t sure if it was his own lack of experience, or if it was simply her nature. He relaxed a little, his golden tail tip swishing softly at his hocks.
“Not t-too long ago. I came with my friend, Easy,” he added, wondering if dropping his companion’s name would have any effect. After all, he was still learning. “We came by looking for someone in particular for her. Me… well, I’m just k-kinda… well, I’m homeless, and I just sort of wander around… I guess.”
The admission felt a little sad and pathetic, he supposed, but it was the truth. Suddenly, ‘Mac felt glum. He missed his family terribly, but nothing in this world could bring them back.
“What about you?” He inquired, deciding to shift his focus away from dismal self-introspection and back to her, “Did you come here with your family?”
that he spoke the name of his friend, this easy, went in one ear and out the other. she thought he meant his travel had been such, and held no comment. but when he spoke of being homeless, sulukinak felt her jaw tighten; she knew how that felt, although she now had dutch and was content.
the question of her own family made the furs between her shoulder blades prickle slightly, although it would not be visible given her position. she thought of her brothers, she thought of her mother and her painted face — and then she thought of dutch.
yes. there,
with a lift of her nose she motioned across the river to another camp. ... they are moonsong.
she decided not to speak on the fates of her brothers, because they were so uncertain and it would only hurt her to think about.
it is a busy place.
she did not clarify if she meant moonsong or this hunt upon the plains, as both seemed equally overwhelming to her.
The young male's amber gaze followed the direction in which the female thrust her dark-colored maw.
"Moonsong..." he repeated, trying to remember the name. He recalled Kukutux mentioning there were a group of "Moon" packs that were related somehow. 'Mac tried to tuck this information into his memory.
He nodded, his eyes sweeping their surroundings, "That's for sure..." He trailed off, before seeming to startle. Good grief, where were his manners?
"Oh, sorry... I suppose it was rude of me to not give you my name. I'm Sumac. B-but my friends just call me 'Mac. You can call me whatever you like," he added, absently rubbing the back of one paw with the other again, "If I'm bugging you, I'll leave."
Sumac realized suddenly that he wished making friends came more easily for him, but he'd never needed the skill before. Before, he had a large, loving family, and they were all the company he could ever need. Now, with no one but Easy for company, he now knew he'd need to develop those skills - and quickly - if he wanted to avoid a hard, desolate existence. But damn it, exercising all these social niceties was so confusing and exhausting. It seemed what was polite to one was considered an offense to another!
sulukinak was an expressive creature without meaning to be. when she felt good, all knew it; when she felt poorly, the same applied. she had as much control over the display of her emotions as the sky did over the weather — and so when the man began to speak as if she were offended, a queer look crossed over her features that had not been there before.
her head gave a little tilt.
are we friends?
she wondered aloud, not knowing what dilineated friendship from other relationship types, because she'd never really had any. she thought of her brothers - but they were brothers, and she did not know if they could also be friends. it was perplexing.
su-mac.
she tested his name, whistling the first syllable through her teeth as she gave a little smile; his name was like a shorter version of her own. su-mac and sulukinak.
there was something pleasing about the tempo of this, and the girl's tail gave a few happy beats.
Sumac's face went blank for a moment as his mind tried to sort out the situation. The woman's unreadable expression combined with an unexpected question sent his brain reeling, scrambling to put the pieces together. 'Mac was also much of an open book, never having had to learn the social posturing games so common in society, nor worry about wearing masks. He also didn't judge - his family had been accepting of each other's quirks, and not having much experience socializing, the young man just chalked unusual encounters and behaviors up to his own ignorance. Such was the conclusion he made this time as well.
His golden-tipped tail raised and wagged a bit, his expression lifting from the fog of confusion. "You want to be friends? Sure!" he said enthusiastically, almost child-like in manner.
The Mackenzie listened intently as she repeated his name, as if tasting it tentatively, before trying it again followed by another word unfamiliar to him - her name?
"Sulukinak," he repeated, tilting his head to one side, "Sulukinak. That's a lovely name. Does it have a meaning? ... Mine's a tree." He gave a soft, self-effacing laugh. He was curious about this one's past - where she grew up, specifically, to have such an interesting name. But he had an instinct to curb his innocent curiosity, as it seemed too personal and loaded a question for someone he'd just met.
she wondered what kind of man was named after a tree. a tall man? one expecting a long life? perhaps that would promise wisdom. it might have been a hopeful thing, to name a child that way.
as for her own, suluk is the word for... cutting seal skin. sharp teeth.
since wolves didn't have knives; she flashed a big toothy smile as she said the word teeth, slurring it. the rest means i swim fast. feather-knife through seal skin..
she bore it proudly despite having never really hunted a seal, but sulukinak was the faster swimmer compared to her brothers.
Sumac tilted his head and closed his eyes as she spoke, as if taking in her explanation and burning it into his memory. His almost insatiable curiosity loved tidbits such as this, and he found Sulukinak's name so... exotic... that he was grateful that she so generously divulged this detail.
"Feather-knife through seal-skin," he repeated slowly, before opening his sunshine eyes, "That's a really nice name, Sulukinak. D'you enjoy swimming? Have you seen seals?"
There was that inquisitive nature, again. It hit him that perhaps some folks would find his nearly incessant barrage of questions irritating, and he pressed his lips together in self-reprimand. Maybe he should start thinking before speaking. But his interest was genuine, and he found Sulukinak's unique personality quite endearing.
her tail thumped at the ground. i am a good swimmer. better than my brothers.
she was proud of that. of course the twins were skilled in their own ways, and together the trio would have been unstoppable.
her mood shifts to something somber, forlorn. thinking of them often had this effect.
but i have only ever seen dead ones. seals. caught by others and half-eaten.
in those cases the fat had spoiled by the time her family had gone to eat, and they had to be careful what they cut free of the carrion.
absently, she asks - do you have brothers? sisters?
It didn't escape Sumac's notice that the female's mood seemed to fade to gray as she spoke of her family. He felt a sharp pang of empathy squeeze his heart, as it was something he knew all too well. Regardless of the circumstance of Sulukinak's relationship with her brothers - if they were even still among the living - losing or missing the bond with a beloved sibling was a heartache he didn't wish upon anyone.
"Ah, I see. Well, that's still more seals than I've ever seen," he replied lightly, trying to ease the pall that had seemed to settle over her.
At her next question, it was 'Mac's turn to experience the ever-changing nature of emotions, and his ears drooped slightly.
"I... did," he said slowly, carefully, casting her a quick glance with his now-dulled golden eyes, "There were quite a few of us. But... well, there was a fire. A big one. I'm the only one left, you see." He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to maintain his composure.
After a few moments, he continued, "That's why I roam. My home's not there anymore."
when he spoke of his family there was a familiar brightness, then a dimming. he spoke of fire and sulukinak did not know what that was, except that it must have been a terrible thing to drive apart any conclave; and to hear that he was now alone also thrummed with an intimate sort of familiarity to sulukinak.
except she knew she was not. she had her brothers, somewhere. she had to trust that they would find her one day — and she had moonsong, even if that was still new and untested.
she is quiet. she does not know what to say, or that there might be a window during which she should say anything at all, or maybe it would be rude to do so. sulukinak doesn't know that her forthright words are not always the kindest thing - and for now she is quiet in an unnerving way because she doesn't think there is much to speak of now.
then, there are many people here,
she says. it is a subject they'd already broached, but this time she has intent. maybe one of them will take you home? you can pick a good one.
Sumac couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his maw.
Maybe one of them will take you home?
Such innocent words, but yet so profound all the same. What defined a home? 'Mac was finding out that "home" had as many meanings as stars in the sky. He'd lost his, but... now he followed Easy. Maybe, even as a vagrant, home was wherever one felt it was, especially if those one cared about were there.
"You're right," he replied, tilting his head to the side, "Maybe they will."
A sudden thought dawned on him, and a look of surprise crossed his face, followed by a flicking back of his ears - embarrassment.
"I-I'm so sorry - I've been taking up your time mindlessly. I don't mean to keep you," he suddenly blurted, only now aware that maybe this charming soul had elsewhere to be or wanted some time to herself. Sometimes he really did just let his curiosity get the better of good manners.
keep her? the meaning of this did not properly register for sulukinak.
she assumed by his tone and posture that he meant to move on, and would not stop him; but this idea of being kept was a curious one.
familiar, and not.
she smiled thinly at the odd man and then withdrew to wander the camp, and to think on it.