the trees were scarlet and gold upon the face of anik lake when moonglow returned. and with them was natigvik, the seeds of what @Kigipigak and sakhmet had built. if allowed, kukutux moved to brush @Kivaluk's shoulder with her muzzle. "i am your atsak," she reminded him softly. he could come to her for any wisdom. "@Stratos," kukutux said of the boy. "please show to your kantagutik the hunting-places beside the lake."

he too would need something to carry. he worked as his father did.

to @Callyope she looked now. "put your things here, beside the ulax," she said to her daughter. "show @Lestan and @Amalia where they might rest." until they had chosen a sleeping-place, or that of their own.

her breath let out. her eyes were warm toward @Shikoba and @Aiolos. "sun man," she whispered to her husband, "bring the winterhawk with you when you walk." of which she meant kigipigak, who must have a role inside their home as he had held before. "he is a fine secondhunter," she said to their sivullik, but ultimately shikoba would decide this.

she looked at @Tulukiri. "please walk with first hunter. we will do two journeys around moonglow. we must know if others have tried to make this place their own."

her jadestone eyes moved now to @Rodyn and to @Samani.  he had brought many fine things, and she would help him store them in a shallow den beside her main sleeping-place, to be protected until he was ready to declare. "i ask that you go to mamattuk," she said of the coppice across the lake, "and bring me the kuaktak." it was trout buried deep in the shade at the end of summer, aged below the ground and soft-dried. she would split it among their new wolves.

and it would give them time for aloneness, which kukutux felt the pair might welcome.

she herself took ariadne close and welcomed the movement of moonglow, stacking hides and answering questions, moving to and fro along the lake-path with a comfortable grace.