Blacktail Deer Plateau infinite earth

Aningan was at a loss for words—what was it like? He fell silent, thoughtful, trying to come up with the best way to describe the sea. “The sea is… very big. And deep,” he tried to explain. “Imagine a lake that stretches on forever. So big, you never see the other side of it. And the water… the water burns your eyes and dries out your tongue.” Talking about it, it sounded kind of awful—“But it looks amazing. And there’s so much life in it.” Some life that ventured out of the sea and onto the shore, small meals on which he once dined.

The boy spoke of a mountain as his home, which Aningan had some experience with. “Before the shore, I lived on a glacier,” he shared. “It’s like a mountain but… colder, I guess? I remember there always being snow.” He loved it for that reason—if only it loved him, too. Shaking his head, he forced down any regretful thoughts that threatened to rise. Instead, he focused on spending time with Tuvak. And when there was nothing left to share, the older male parted ways with him, leaving the kid to his own devices.