Ouroboros Spine harvest moon

Ipiktok walked through the lakeside grove on the search for a plot to build his ulaq. He was ambitious and desired it to be a grand lodge where many could gather. The earth, here, did not suite him and so the young man continued on.

The flat steps of Grandfather Stone stood tall in the distance. Not that long ago, he had played here as a boy. Now, Ipiktok was full of reverence for this land and tred respectfully.

Perhaps from the heights he would be better able to regard the forest beyond the lake.

this is aniksaq ipiktok. grandmother says he is a man now.

there was confidence in his step. akmaaksi watched him move toward the great stone, following though she was only vaguely aware that she had been trailing the hunter.

her legs were wet from the lake; she had lost a pelt in the current, and it had sunk down, down, forever.

there was no song about that.

A new face followed in Ipiktok’s path. It was a young girl with a pelt like a rosefinch’s.

Akmaaksi, Ipiktok thought the name in his mind as it had been told to him by Kukutux and @Vairë. Since his return, the hunter had spent many hours with his mother and absorbed the tale of his late aunt, Kigipigak, and their children – straddled between Tartok and Sedna’s way. Certainly, the retelling had been biased.

“Hello, arnaqatik,” cousin. Kin.

He had been informed the child spoke very little, if at all, and so he did not expect a response.

“I am looking for a place to build my ulaq. Won’t you help me search?” he asked.

akmaaksi wanted to tell ipiktok that she was not only able to help, but skilled. rodyn had appreciated her time searching with him; perhaps this hunter too would see her abilities.

their relation in the sprawling family tree was odd to her. he was kin to vairë, her aunt's son. it made him cousin. but he was older, a man, and from some whispers, intended to be married. 

nantahala felt more a cousin to her. she placed ipiktok as akka, satisfied enough to be nuakuluk. quietly she stepped around the grandfather stone, finding a small path upward.

oops, narrator’s mistake… edited their relationship above

Ipiktok had never known his father. At some point of his long walk, during the most difficult moments of fatigue or pain, he felt the bitter taste of resentment on his tongue. Rhaegal was an easy target to blame for his shortcomings and tribulations.

Yet, when he connected with Sedna upon the broken boulder… Ipiktok was given a glimpse of the bigger picture. Just how far the spirit reached.

The mortal burden of animosity melted away. His heart felt serenity. He, and his people, were Nuiruk. Even now, he felt a deep connection with the rosefinch girl.

She joined him and Ipiktok realized she was the same age as his little sister.

“I wish for my ulaq to be large. Sprawling. A place for many to gather. Some place all will know and recognize,” he described. Ah – to be a young man who knew no ceiling! “And I would like to see the stars at night,” he added as he thought of the night upon the broken boulder.

i confused my own self lolll, decided to lean into the confusion IC (their family is so big and awesome)

had akmaaksi ever known the name of rhaegal? perhaps then she might have seen first what ipiktok and she shared, rather than all the things they did not.

the hunter spoke to her as if she was in his party. enjoying this, akmaaksi wondered if he would take sivullik, now that his mother's second husband was traveling.

grandfather's land was terrain still unfamiliar to akmaaksi, but she tracked across the rocky soil, exploring the sparse trees here and there. in a belt they grew more densely, thinning to the far edge of the great stone. three pools of water fed into one another among the rich greenery. here was all of moonglow seen, from firemother far in the distance across the nameless river to the path many had walked, and now from this height appeared as a white ribbon winding up toward the ulax.

deadfall had fallen into itself, creating a vague structure there among the living trees at the front of this woodland. it was open to the air with a large, wide clearing where the views might be taken in great repose. 

the scent of brother lake was clear and rich in the air here. akmaaksi glanced to the older man.

Akmaaksi scouted ahead and together they ascended the the great stones to enjoy the sprawling green vistas of the caldera. Then, they picked their way down an established path. His cousin was comitted to her course and walked with purose. Ipiktok’s ears pricked and he paid attention to the surroundings she showed.

Eventually, they arrived at a place that, by every measure, fit Ipiktok’s criteria. He was amazed Akmaaksi knew such a place. It felt preordained.

“Aya! Cousin!” he exclaimed as Ipiktok inspected the great ulaq – which was large enough to be considered a hunter’s hall. Suddenly, the young man felt very small and his demeanor cooled. Could he lead a life big enough to bring honor to this hearth?

“Is there too much deadfall?” he asked, as if giving himself an excuse to avoid the failure should he not live up to such a grand life.

she enjoyed his amazement, wanting to tell ipiktok that she had done such a search for camps with rodyn many times in one day. would he see that she was skilled?

the words stuttered and went away. she lifted a paw and kicked three branches from the doorway to what might be a splendid ulaq.

did he like it? akmaaksi began to hunt again, heading along their backtrail. a better place could be found.

the girl wished each day to outdo herself.