Ocean's Breath Plateau shell whorl

tags for ref! optional!

vaguely chakliux had become aware of the visitors to their village. while he had not yet gone to meet the strangers, he knew the woman to be very pregnant.
quietly he asked that @Tullik and @Marina perhaps gather @Raindrop and go to be near the stranger who would soon be mother (@Red Leaf).
the seal hunter remained behind with the pups, holding scraps of fur over their playful little jaws.

There was discussion among the adults that Sea Hunter was not privy to. He'd busied himself at the rear of the nursery, content to try and engage @Chagak in a game where they took turns batting a pebble around for the other to chase. He soon abandoned the activity, however, when their father presented something different to entertain the cubs.

Sea Hunter padded closer, curious, and reared upon his clumsy hind limbs in attempt to reach the scraps of pelt with snapping jaws. He wobbled and sank down to his haunches, though was promptly back up on his feet - with a foresaw pressed to Chakliux's leg for balance - in attempt to grasp with his teeth once more.

there was an unfinished lodge to the left of their own. it had been meant for dutch and simbelmyne and sulukinak, but they would go somewhere else to begin their family. chakliux had considered integrating the materials into his own lodge, but now he thought again.
on a whim, he picked up the reaching sea hunter, carrying him through the entrance and out into the sun, crossing the small sunny clearing of paw-beaten grass.
he set the boy down in the lodge with only two walls and no roof, and as he had done with raiyuk, chakliux offered him a piece of tough hide to chew. the seal hunter began to build once more, his voice taking up a gruff hunting song.

The prize remained just out of reach, but this did not frustrate the young seal hunter. He reached and tried again, and again, and again, until his father seemed to tire of the game and dropped the scraps of pelt off to the side.

He blinked up at his guardian, who moved to scoop him up into his hold. Sea Hunter squinted his eyes as he was carried into the open, warm Spring sunshine beating down on his face. The outside world remained very much a wonder to him, and he squirmed with a groan; he wanted to be on the ground, exploring.

They arrived at another structure, one similar to that in which they lived, but unfinished. Sea Hunter padded forward to lick at a doorway, curious as always, tasting sap, then reached with pointed milk teeth to chomp at it. Chakliux saved the structure by offering something better to chew on, which was accepted, and he carried it around in pursuit if the builder as he worked.

"there are two among us. and new babies, i think. and more to come! raindrop and sumac will soon have little ones." the seal hunter dragged a scroll of birchbark into place, pinning it with sap and pointed twigs. "then there is our chieftain heph and her man phox. perhaps they too will bring new life. and there is our chieftain rodyn. he has not married again! but i see that he might. he has had many visitors, my son."
chakliux did not feel foolish as he spoke aloud to a boy who could not yet understand him. one day sea hunter would, and then these names would be familiar. he fell back to humming, and butterflies flew beyond the unfinished structure, one lingering beside the half-formed entrance in view of the pup.

His father spoke as he moved about the structure, pinning and sticking and working to make something of the half-built lodge. Sea Hunter's velvet ears twitched, listening. His muzzle tilted at the mention of words that he'd heard before: babies, Chieftain, visitors. His focus was short-lived, however, and the tiny hunter settled himself to listen to the tune that Chakliux hummed aloud.

A butterfly, cotton white, landed on the doorway he'd come to linger close by. The piece of dried hide dropped to the ground as he concentrated on the pulse of pale wings as the insect rested to warm itself. Sea Hunter shifted his weight to examine it more closely, then reached for it with his tongue and drew it into his adventurous mouth.

tag for ref!

"you should not eat everything you find, sea hunter," chakliux chided with a little chuckle. "let it go. some butterflies cannot hurt you, and others can make you very sick. choose now not to eat them. they are for birds and fish."
knowing that this white butterfly would not do more than sour the boy's stomach, and thereby teach its lesson, chakliux began to daub fat over the stretched bark. "this will send away water. you can wear it on your fur for the same reason, my son."
after a time he rested, and pointed toward the home of @Raiyuk, across the clearing. "that is your brother's lodge. be built it himself. you must be respectful when you enter, for he is a man. perhaps in a year or so he will give cousins for you to teach, but by that time, you too will be a man, sea hunter."

The seal hunter chided gently, requesting that the butterfly be released. Sea Hunter puffed his cheeks, feeling its flimsy wings beat and tickle his tongue. He did not want to let it go because it was his, but he did so anyway.

He was no bird, nor was he a fish - whatever those things were.

It flopped uselessly on the ground, coated in saliva. Sea Hunter looked at it with a huff of defeat, glancing up again. Chakliux was busy working on building the lodge, and he would not see his son's lightning-fast move to collect up his prize once more. It was tempting to disobey, but there was conflict within him; he did not want to be sick, nor face further scolding.

He picked up a short stick instead, eager to keep hold of something, and padded closer to where the pale seal hunter smeared fat over bark. The mention of Raiyuk's name brought about a cheerful beating of his little tail and his stormy gaze brightened.

it was quite unfortunate for the butterfly indeed. chakliux, in the manner of fathers focused upon important outside tasks, simply accepted that the wings must dry. his son wandered over. the seal hunter daubed fat onto the edge of the stick and used his paw to guide the side of the implement against the bark, showing his son how it could be placed.
the birch-skin was only torn twice, to both their credit. "i will mend these parts with pine sap later," he declared. "raiyuk helped me not only to build our first lodge, but to expand it. he has much to teach. you will see!"

He watched, eager to look upon the way his father smeared the fat and enjoyed how it glistened in the sun. Sea Hunter waddled closer, confident in his movement as he stretched out his neck to poke at the grease with his nose.

It smelled familiar; he licked at his upper lip, tasting.

Yuuu, he babbled, voice muffled by the stick between his teeth, when Raiyuk's name was mentioned once more.

"yes. raiyuk. he is the one who brought the first seal to our lodge," chakliux explained. he pushed the boy a little, encouraging gently that sea hunter step back while he pulled another heavy branch closer to gird the nearest wall.
for a moment he was quiet, grunting encouragement as he showed his son how the branch must be pushed and wedged hard against the others at the base of the wall.
"very good! your mothers will be proud."

He was pushed a little, and stubbornly tried to resist. Sea Hunter braced his little body as though his paws woukd take root, keeping him in place so close to the structure his father worked to erect; he wanted to see it all up close. 

The gesture (how rude it had been!) was quickly forgotten as Chakliux carried on, moving to carry on with a branch that needed to be handled roughly. Sea Hunter bit into the bark of the stick between his teeth, then lifted his muzzle - presenting it to be added to this new lodge.

he let the boy support as much weight as he was able, helping to tamp down the edges and work it firmly against the wall. then a second large stick came, and a third, until chakliux decided that was quite a lot for so young a child.
he sat back and looked down at sea hunter. "what do you think? would you like to play beside caribou hunter children, my son?" chakliux joked a little, but became thoughtful.

Chakliux accepted his offering, and included him in the workings of it. The young seal hunter was happy to involve himself, happy to share in his father's company. Soon it seemed what they were done with the morning's construction of the new lodge, and together they sat back to observe its progress.

His guardian spoke again, and the word "play" made his ears twitch. Sea Hunter canted his muzzle and wagged his tail cheerfully.

chakliux reached down to bump the boy's nose with his own. "it is important to be kind and welcoming to those who do not live in our lodges. we play, yes. we eat together. we sing together. even if they do not have our ways."
berrybright eyes gleamed. "also, if we are kind, they may join our lodges after all!"

Chakliux lowered his proud head until their noses touched, and Sea Hunter parted his jaws to mouth at the adult's alabaster chin. He spoke of playing, eating, singing - all wonderful things which he enjoyed! 

The speed of his tail quickened and he gathered to his feet again, mischief in his denim gaze as he padded away - keen, suddenly, to initiate a game of chase!

and chakliux answered with a war whoop, a sweeping snap that just avoided the tiny heels as he let sea hunter lead him in a path-pounding run down the trail which was forming naturally due to the construction of the lodges along it and the constant wearing of paws upon the ground itself.
the seal hunter was happy.