Porcupine Ridge xiii pana kimigaak

Together they crossed the plains; a rain fell and obscured their path across, blending their scents with the wintertide as it gusted from the north. Kigipigak roamed ahead in to the grey and gave chase to a weasel creature caught in the haze but upon reuniting with @Chanel he had nothing to show for the effort.

From there the pair found their way to the mountain range. Kigipigak led the way and made sure to veer far from the river tribe's limits, not wanting to meet the surly homunculi that patrolled there. It was easy enough to find a path among the foothills, easier still when the icy rain ceased.

The harrowing ridge—kinagluk—would be best traveled in the dawnlight; so they were to make camp for the night beneath a henge wall. It was a clear night but a cold one; Kigipigak settled for a few minutes and watched as the sky deepend and the stars became more obvious, smiling up at them.

We make good time, he comments. We should find my friends soon, they are not far from here.

In the cold night, Chanel was glad to have a companion. Darkness fell over the ridge like a blanket, and while Kigipigak looked upon the stars, it was the girl's turn to watch his face. She smiled softly as he spoke. I'm glad we're close, She says, And happy you guided me. You see, I have just a horrible sense of direction! She laughed. In hindsight, Wraen recommending she try scouting had seemed enticing as she dreamed of adventure, but she was simply not cut out for the job. What are your friends' names? Do you want to tell me about them, or... is it better if I remain in suspense until we meet?

Kigipigak could not help but chuckle to himself; it was a dark thought that graced his mind in that moment. Chanel's poor sense of direction made her more dependent on the wolves around her which was a good sign, as it would make her highly dependent on the Watch, particularly Valmua. The northern woman was not going to like having a soft-hearted little sister; it was what they had planned however, and Kigipigak thought he was doing the right thing. Someone easily controlled who could distract the two brothers...

What are your friends' names? Chanel asked as if on cue, so Kigipigak stopped staring at the stars and faced her. Do you want to tell me about them, or...

Yes, yes, I can tell. Kigipigak nodded and tried to think of the best way to cover all three wolves; he knew Valmua the best so far, and had not yet met the brother, Sol. They are siblings. A sister named Valmua, she is large like me and mostly red, like you. Her brothers Stjor and Sol are also on the mountain. Stjor is more fair-haired, and while he often looks serious or sad, he is not. Kigipigak hoped he was describing them well. The last is Sol. I... Admit, I have not met him in person yet. Valmua describes him as serious and quiet, but hard-working. It is a good mix!

Chanel had no idea, but easily controlled ought to have been her middle name. As usual, she was oblivious to any hidden intentions- and really merely believed she was brought as a new friend to the lonely woman. Her ears perked as he began to explain each of his companions. To hear the woman was also large surprised her; she wondered briefly if she would feel dwarfed among these Northeners. And the men sounded so serious! Chanel worried suddenly that she would not fit in well, but tried to imagine that the girl might be someone well-suited to befriend her. I'm glad to hear there is someone hard-working! You are, too, She commented, trying to look on the brighter side. Hopefully I can be a great friend to Valmua, She murmured, I'm curious, is she a sitter, a storyteller, or... And there Chanel trailed off, allowing him to finish while wondering whether this woman followed the standards for girls she was raised with: men as providers, and women to stay at home. She was not out here recruiting, so perhaps...

To no surprise of Kigipigak, Chanel focused immediately upon Valmua; her questions were limited in scope and made Kigipigak grin like an idiot for a second, imagining Valmua mending the wounds of the menfolk or taking care of children — how bizarre. Was that all the girl expected out of life? That women would have such limited tasks, that they not be as proud to be warriors as men? He wondered what sort of life Chanel came from but did not ask.

Valmua is capable of many things... Kigipigak said while quelling the humorous notions floating in his head. She is just as strong as either brother, just as cunning as Stjor, and would make a good tactician; we all come from warrior tribes. That gave a small hint about the kind of place Chanel had greed to visit, perhaps to live permanently. Hopefully it would not scare her off.

What sort of place was your home tribe? He asked after a moment to think. It would be good to get to know this girl if she was to lend her services.

He grinned oddly, and then launched into an explanation that made things clearer: particularly, that Valmua, this woman, was a sort of strong warrior-girl. Chanel didn't find it bad- of course, there had been a couple female warriors in Redhawk Caldera- she only hoped that this one might be sociable too, so that they could form a connection without a common interest. She nodded wordlessly, not noisy for once, until he asked about her home. 

Her eyes tilted upward as she recalled, sharing her tale as it came to her: I come from a mountain. Most days I was among my aunts, my mother and sisters, all the girls. The boys... any brothers I had, I've never met. They all lived with Daddy, but sometimes Daddy visited us too, because he owned both mountains. Ah- I mean, the boys lived on another mountain nearby. He was the king. She added, and continued, Mama taught us how to be good women, like taking care of children and learning to hunt cleanly. And how to be careful of strangers, and be polite- and Daddy taught us that, too. She said, and flattened her ears bashfully, knowing she had strayed from their advices by befriending Kigipigak so easily without being wary that he was a lone male. But I felt so caged there- I wanted freedom- so I left, and ended up here. She finished shortly and simply, voice quiet.

Chanel eagerly launched in to the story of her tribe, which Kigpigak listened to with a matching curiosity. By the sounds of things the girl's parents were not one unified front; she did not hold her mother in great esteem as an issumatar the way he did his, while her father ruled twin mountains.

Keeping the family bifuracted did not sound pleasant. On one hand Kigipigak could see some value in keeping the menfolk away from the women, in so far as their training regimes. To him there was no gender dispairity when it came to things such as combat and at first the boy was confused by the sounds of things. Why not train the women with the men? How would they learn to fight every type of opponent if that was not offered to them?

Not much was offered to them at all according to Chanel. They were split from their brothers and taught differently, specifically things that elders would use to keep themselves occupied in Unnuakvik; that was not knowledge that a young warrior should know until their retirement, he thought. Hunting was a skill that every wolf held—the alternative was to starve—and to force the women to only consider the children, when it should be the entire tribe (men and women combined) that cared for them, was all very... Wrong.

It sounds very small and limited, Kigipigak said. He did not mean to be judgemental. His tone was somewhat mixed between judgement and surprise. I am glad you got away from that place. A smile.

Where we are going—The Watch—is different. Our people are united. Men and women live in one tribe and do whatever they can to benefit the whole. Hunting, protecting, whatever may be needed. This would be an eye-opening experience for them both; hopefully Chanel fit in quickly. I am sure Valmua will help you adjust, at any rate. You do not need to be a warrior if you are not comfortable, there are plenty of things to do as the tribe settles.