Moonsong Glacier tigiganniak

Kilgitsuk put his focus on his work now, to quell the many emotions held within his heart. He returned to the glacier without a word to anyone.

For a while he climbed the mountain paths. He sought solace and clarity through the cold of the glacier. His thoughts varied between a sense of betrayal by Kukutux, deep regret for Kivaluk, and anger at himself; but he walked, he marked the land, he scouted places worth further exploration, and so on.

As he returned to the communal place in the lower reaches, he carried a dead fox with him. The creature had already transitioned to a pale coat, though it was stained with red from its death. Kilgitsuk carried its limp body along to the ulax.

chakliux was delighted with what he had found. he spent much time near the water, watching the large fish dip in and out from the shallows. it might take two wolves to catch one, with how mighty they seemed to be!
he was excited to bring raiyuk, though he did not wish to rush away from moontide. it had been good to them. he would remain faithful until rodyn was on his good footing.
when he returned to the caves, kilgitsuk was there. "brother hunter," chakliux greeted, eyes bright.

The man Chakliux was there within the caves, and offered a greeting. Kilgitsuk nodded a silent one in return as his teeth held the white fox, and it wasn't until he'd found a place for it that he turned back to properly address the man. He took note now of the man's scent, which was strongly of another place and other people. He wondered if perhaps Chakliux had chosen the way of the trader as well.

Come spring, I think there will be many things to hunt upon the glacier. One less fox, and one less litter of kits, now. But he had seen a lot while avoiding his deeper feelings. There are mule deer to chase, I think. It is either that or some stranded caribou atop the ice, but even this attempt at humor fell a little flat, and he huffed to himself, licking the taste of fox blood from his lips.

something was amiss with kilgitsuk. chakliux sensed it in the way of men, but also as a man, did not address it. they had hunted, they spoke of hunting, but they were not connected in their conversation. "come spring, there will be children." 
he eyed the man, wondering at what expression might come. "did you see that seals also come here?" he asked next, eyes turning toward the coldwater rapids.

Yes, of course, he knew the dance of men better than anything. Theirs was something unspoken, something more physical. If not through bloodshed then it was talk of bloodshed, of hunting, of killing, of fighting; that was the way of men. Kilgitsuk was not wrong in assuming this man Chakliux would fit in among those of Tartok, perhaps more than any of these moon-village people. He did not yet know that this man was different even from them, as a seal hunter.

Chakliux spoke of children here in the village, of which Kilgitsuk had no reply. He did not want to think of children, or wives, or the starting over of families.

I would think it is too far inland, too far from the sea of ice in the north. He mused aloud, also looking to the water. It would be good to hunt seals, he thought. I have not seen a seal since I came to this place, these wilds. Before, my people were fortunate to hunt them on occasion. Sometimes the walrus, also. Mostly we chased the caribou. He thought of the thundering of the hooves, and the image of many men working together to fell them, and lamented to himself.

chakliux shook his head. "i have scented them here. you are right. they do not usually come so far. i want to see why these do."
he noticed kilgitsuk said nothing of the future, and wondered if the man's general malaise had anything to do with romantic notions, or lack thereof.
chakliux stretched his body. "i have not wrestled in a long while," he declared, not looking toward the trader. "i would welcome it now."

Was that an invitation? Kilgitsuk gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and began to move off from the caves and in the direction the man had been looking. He paused to see if Chakliux would follow, so that they may continue their conversation before they reached their destination and had to get to work.

Man or woman? He quipped. To wrestle with one was different from the other, and he had a sense Chakliux understood. The attempt at humor masked a deeper hurt in Kilgitsuk that neither man was comfortable speaking about, and so they would speak in this code of men: lewd jokes when out of earshot of the soft women, and brutish displays should the desire arise.

the seal hunter followed with a loud laugh. "both!" he said in answer to the salacious jest. "but i do not think you want to wrestle with me, kilgitsuk," he said with faux mournfulness.
yet when they were away from the caves, he nipped in jest at the trader, his eyes shining. the briskness of the wind was good upon his face, and he found contentment.

It would be unfair to you, he shot back, parrying the snap at his face with one of his own, and then a shove of the shoulder. You would turn away from women utterly!

Of course this was untrue; Kilgitsuk was not interested in such a thing from a man. He had not been interested in such a thing from a woman since his wife had left, either. But it was the way than men spoke with one-another.

He jostled with the other man and snapped the air, as if to hurry Chakliux along, in the manner of a herding dog with a cow. They drew further from the caves until they were alone together with the ice, and their low voices carried against the wind.

the seal hunter allowed himself to be chivvied away from the ice caves, kicking his heels playfully toward the other's face, adding a bite along the plush shoulder here and there. 
"nothing could turn me from women!" chakliux declared, his voice carried off by the wind. the brightberry eyes danced. 
"but you have not had a seal hunter before. i make you realize you need a husband!" he crowed, gyrating lasciviously before diving at kilgitsuk with outstretched arms.

He laughed! It poured out of him before he could stop himself, before the ice in his heart could rise through his chest and to his throat! It was a warm and deep sound the likes of which he carried as a boy, before all of his troubles. He laughed, and he ran, and he jousted with his friend the seal hunter as if he did indeed have the capacity to turn back time.

Kilgitsuk tried to dodge and then lunge, smacking the ground as much as he rough-housed with Chakliux. When he was finally out of breath and the two were done with their childishness, he became more serious, but still lighter than he had been.

Ahh, it has been a long time since I have been with men. He did not mean it as an innuendo, and yet it came flowing from him that way, and he laughed again, shaking his head. I had once hoped to — oh, there, that familiar pain; accidentally delving in to his emotions now, which was not something appropriate between them. He cut down his own words. Hmn, nevermind.

So, seals. You really think they are here?

kilgitsuk's laugh was powerful as the rest of him, almost boyish. it was filled with delight and chakliux realized he had not realized such a stoic man had this capacity.
they wrestled powerfully in the ice and the snow, flinging their bodies about as if they were much younger, as if they were only two boys romping and not men with many responsibilities.
almost did kilgitsuk speak of a past which remained veiled. chakliux grew attentive at once, melted snow dripping in clumps from his pelt, but the trader did not elaborate.
a pause. "i have many words to say, but i can listen also, kilgitsuk," chakliux murmured, but they would not linger here in case his friend was embarrassed. "yes. i have smelled the seals. it is far inland for a seal so i do not know why they come."

Then we should look there. He turned his attention inland and with some parries and playful shoves to Chakliux, began to partly herd the man along. When he became out of breath eventually, he signaled for a pause and walked without harassing the other hunter.

Between pants, he asked of Chakliux: As a seal hunter of the north, I presume... the name of Tartok means something. It would be more surprising if it was unknown. Much of the north was dominated by these bands of men with their matriarch leaders; aggressive and conquering, in their way. Kilgitsuk watched for recognition or any sort of reaction - but would be careful. Some did not take fondly to the primal ways of Kilgitsuk's people.

"i do not know the name tartok," chakliux admitted, though the thrust of his ears and the brightening of his eyes told that he had — in another way. "i know the name kakkojâluk. we call them the hard-flesh hunters. one woman. many men. they will shed much blood for her."
chakliux knew tartok by many names, yes. he waited to see the man's eyes change.

It wasn't a word he knew, but the explanation rang true and Kilgitsuk nodded with a serious glint in his eye. They are my people. I come from them, and my sons carry that blood. When we built our village we did not follow a moonwoman, but my wife, who was matriarch.

I had wanted to raise them in our traditions. A pipe dream now, given all that had changed. My son Akkuma was softer than I like, and would not take to the lessons. Kivaluk held promise - but we are estranged now. He is too much like these village people, the clan of Kukutux.

He looked now to Chakliux, wondering what he thought. Things were too strained between Kilgitsuk and his sons for any remedy, he felt. At the same time - with a sigh and a shake of his head - he exclaimed, Maybe it is all for the better! I grew up with bloodshed but they do not need to.

kilgitsuk explained that these hard-flesh hunters were his people, and that their blood were also in his sons. but one had gone with the man's wife, and the other had clung to the sunshine ways. this he understood, for they were everywhere in this place. the moonmother and her daughters determined what was practiced, he felt.
he nudged the trader's shoulder with his own. "a man who tries too hard to be a strong ancestor will overlook what it means to be a father."' this was something said to me by my own. he will have pride to know i married even if i did not marry a seal hunter woman. even if i never return. think this of your own, kilgitsuk. tartok lives in their blood even if they do not carry the name. it can never die."

Chakliux was right. It need not be so blatantly stated, he thought, yet hearing the words clarified something for Kilgitsuk. He had to accept the way things were. Kukutux was a good person, a good mother, and her ways were sound. It pained him to be so alienated from his own blood; yet, that was not necessarily a forever thing. He had spoken with Kivaluk and had a brief hope for more - it would be enough for now. Kilgitsuk was no stranger to hard work.

Let us hunt, he went on to say, feeling the topic was concluded - or, having nothing else to say, and too much to think about. Kilgitsuk missed the days where he could focus on physicality over the turbulence of his worries! A challenge for my new brother! Which of us brings home a seal pelt? Yes?

He laughs and his path peels away from Chakliux at a run.