Snowforest Taiga [feast] ukilak ⌆

aw but esp to attending kids! figured we could do a story post and then reactions to follow, with another round if anyone is interested <3 no posting order!

@Wayfarer @Veteran @Ensio @Arius @Kausiut @Samani @Muttn

"this is a story of grandfather white bear."

"far away in the place of the long dark, there is a great hunter with a pale parka. he is tall. he hunts upon the sea ice. but he did not always live there."

"before he was grandfather white bear, he was a tall hunter who lived in an ulaq much like this one." kukutux indicated the dome of hard-packed snow behind her, greenstone eyes glimmering with a smile. "he was alone. but he created his own joy. he saw the good plants and the rich meat. he saw the full moon and the brightness of the sun. he found delight in the sound of water and learned to speak with others who were not wolf."

the duck sighed, sweeping them all with a sweet look that slowly sharpened as she went on. "one day, he went out to hunt. while he traveled, he saw a beautiful woman. she was grey as the spring rain. her eyes were like blades of new grass. she smiled at him. the hunter felt his heart captured. he must know who she was. but she would not give her name."

kukutux closed her eyes for a moment, breathing with the intensity of the story.

"but she would not speak it to him. he asked again. she would not say." the duck searched each young gaze watchful toward her own. "finally, in the last time, he said 'tell me your name!'" he was full of desperation. he did not know what had come over him."

she clucked her tongue.

"the woman grew angry. 'you did not listen when i said no. now you will listen another way.' she showed him her true face. she was sedna in another skin, the mother who gives meat to the teeth of hunters and who guides the dead. 'i have made you be alone to see the good in the world. but you see only your own want.'"

"she cursed the hunter to be grandfather white bear, to wear a snowy parka, to walk as they do and speak with their voice. now, during the long dark, he shouts into the night, for he sees everything and cannot close his eyes."

the story was meant to hang in the air, to be considered. kukutux was quiet, wondering if these children would have questions for her.

story time was a source of great joy for inkalorë. the moment they caught wind of kukutux's plans, they pestered lómion and vairë (@Sabah) until one or both huddled with them in front of the moonwoman. there, they waited wide-eyed and expectant until she began her story.

but it was not what inkalorë had expected. they found themself feeling sad rather than fascinated; questioning where they had expected to feel awed acceptance.

b-b-but, the gilded child began in shy, stammering tones, wary of speaking out in front of the others. he was happy! he only made one mistake! and now he's cursed forever. th-that's not fair. inkalorë made mistakes all the time; would sedna come to curse them, too? they shivered at the thought.

"but the gods do not tolerate many mistakes."

"he did not see the green things when he saw her face. he allowed his heart to speak, not his words." she looked at the child of her sister, the child to her hearth.

"when we have wants in our spirits, we must wait to speak them. and when we say them, they must be with the right words." each of these things was important.

kukutux looked soft. "even though he lives in the long dark and sees the things that we cannot, grandfather white bear enjoys his hunting. it keeps him close to sedna."

Kausiut attended the gatherings, because it was expected from her, not that she enjoyed them or drew any understanding of, what was discussed there. She either sat next to her mother with a dull expression, eventually lying down and falling asleep, or at some point she simply got up and slunk back to the den.

This one was no exception, it took place in the evening and seemed less formal than usual. Children were here with some adults. Kausiut lazily looked from one familiar nameless face to the other, finally yawning and curling up next to Kukutux. She listened to the sound of her voice, which she found to be the most beautiful in the world (quite a compliment from a kid, who was very hard to impress).

At the same time her mind was playing with the words, repeating their sound, tugging and pulling them, relocating the vowels, creating something new and then all of a sudden each word she came up with became a piece of a shimmering star, dancing before her gaze. Unlike with the Northern lights, she did not find this apparition scary.

Quite the contrary, she snapped her teeth at some of them playfully, unaware that the story had ended and she had been supposed to reminisce about, what she had just heard.

Similar to Inkalore, Veteran was also deeply curious about certain aspects of the story-- how does a wolf learn to speak the language of other animals? How does a wolf turn into a bear? How did Sedna change her skin? He mulled over which question to ask first when Kukutux concluded, and Inkalore managed to get their question in first. 

Inkalore's comments started a conversation that derailed Veteran's train of thought. Kukutux repeated the part of the story where the hunter made the mistake, which didn't really seem like that much of a mistake to Veteran. If asking questions really pissed off the spirits that much, Veteran was probably cursed for eternity by now. 

"What are the right words to use?" Veteran piped up. "When we have wants in our spirit, and it's the right time, how're we supposed to say it?" His eyes flicked in the direction of @Samani.

"respect. you say them in a way that says you will honor what is given. and if you do not hear an answer, you will wait to ask again."

"let us think that i am hunter who is not good. i ask sedna to send animals to my teeth. and i say to her 'i will give you a part of the things that i kill.' in this way, you offer to give back. you do not only ask to take."

a somber lesson but it was one she felt was important for boys to learn. she smiled at all of them, waiting for more questions.

"i have a story that is more fun," she told the children, changing their path somewhat. "it is about the first time rain ever came to the earth." she paused, searching for interest.