Ouroboros Spine tivsitchaktuq

Aaka had whisked the children off on an adventure, which is to say—they went on a short walk to the Three Sisters and then veered west, to a place of many hills, which smelled like bedtime except also grassy; and Tautukpik marched ahead with his nose down among the greenery of it all, finding many scents he did not know.

The deer trails crisscrossed the grassland, and further afield (way over his head and at quite a distance) stood a small herd of deer. A few stags turned their attention to the approaching mother wolf and her cubs, and kept watch, but did not run.

As he explored, Tautukpik stumbled up and over an incline in the earth, and then rolled partway down until the ground evened-out again. He was not far from his sisters, and was laughing the entire time—but he felt suddenly very alone when he could not see them.

Ajei happened to be in the area where the children walked. She didn't approach, but she did walk adjacent. Happy to hear their laughter. A particular peel of laughter drew her attention and ahe was surprised when it grew quiet.

She approached quietly to see one of the littles alone at the bottom of an incline. Her mind went back to the day she and Massaraq fell and she remembered that fear.

She steppwd forward. Voice pitched low. You okay?