Duskfire Glacier Tuttusiugiak

It did not take much for the young Duskfire to speak. Once he had started, it seemed that words flowed freely, tumbling from his lips, articulated the way a boy of half a year would. Issorartuyok was not blind to the changes that Wintersbane and Tzila’s death had caused. It had sharpened the children, made them more keen and more dangerous. The northerner did not envy their situation.

It seemed that Ensio felt he had been overlooked when they had discovered the illness in the herds. Issorartuyok nodded his head, mulling over the day when he had happened upon the young boys with Eldritch. It had been a jarring experience, having watched his younger brother’s litter die from a mysterious sickness. Issorartuyok felt he had noted Ensio’s caution as being the most appropriate response to such uncertainty. That was, before the boy huffed and disappeared.

Ensio wanted to know why Issorartuyok had not visited his father when he had fallen injured. The boy wanted to know what kind of Alpha behaved in that way.

One who is still learning, the man answered gently. Issorartuyok’s intense gaze had softened on Ensio. He wished he could remove the hurt that was felt. He wished that a boy of his age did not have to endure such hardship. This would never be the case. There was no rhyme or reason to tragedy, only enduring.

I will ask your forgiveness, young protector. I did not think it appropriate that I visit the glacier man when he needed his family close. I did so once, in the private of the night, and I offered the strength of my spirit to him. Even admitting it then, it did not feel appropriate. It felt that Issorartuyok had crossed a line where he should not have – Wintersbane had been gravely wounded and his replacement had wandered in to gaze upon his dying body in a macabre show of support.

You are right, of course. An Alpha who is good to his village and his people would do all he could to be there. I did so in the way of my people, the culture that I learned as a boy.

Issorartuyok felt that he was talking too much for the child, that Ensio would grow tired of hearing words.

I am still learning, Ensio Duskfire. I am still working to be better.

The large man gazed somberly at the boy and waited for the righteous anger to judge him. Issorartuyok was not afraid for himself. He wanted the boy to understand. He also knew that there was a chance Ensio would never truly hear the meaning behind his words. There would be no way around that.