Mudminnow River guide your loyal sons and daughters

Between the appearance of the elder Tartok and learning of Nyra's newer injuries, Kigipigak was weighted by distracting thoughts.

He was meant to take over patrolling part of the herd; but after intercepting the other hunters, managed to request further 'time off'; which was something Kigipigak had never asked before, and was out of character enough that they could not refuse.

Rather than return to either camp, Kigipigak took a day to explore the eastern valley, and soon found his way to the outskirts of Rivenwood. He knew it well enough from memory, as he had helped to take the bypass for Mahler many months ago; but he did not think about any of this as he went, his mind a tumult of Tartok-related worries.

When he did stop it was to seek out the frigid waters of the Mudminnow, and as he loomed over its surface to drink, Kigipigak thought he felt a presence. There was the sound of movement in the snow but because of the river's bottlenecked rapids, he struggled to pinpoint the direction it came from.