Sunset Valley tautuk ∧

From what Shikoba said, and then the man Inutsuk, the roles had been decided. It was to be Kigipigak that sought out the target; he would seek, they would chase, and together kill the thing.

He spun on his heel and began to prowl from the group immediately, spurred by this new sense of purpose that had been given to him. It would be a glorious hunt!

I will find one! When you see it split from the herd, that will be your cue! His voice was a volley of good cheer, loud enough to carry back to them, and maybe also to draw the attention of the caribou. It did not matter much to Kigipigak. He wanted their eyes upon him. The illness made them stupid, and he would have his pick of the lot.

His pale shape drifted further and further from the trio of hunters until he was blotted out by falling snow. The crunching of his steps picked up a tempo as he ran, seeking the herd, weaving among them; and then there came silence.

It was brief.

The bleating of caribou as they erupted in surprise, as they ran, as their hooves cut the ice and their bodies were taken hold of by panic, came next. The healthier ones were miles ahead — and somewhere among a throng of the addled sick, was the target Kigipigak had chosen.

He was hot on its heels, driving it across the snow. His snapping teeth kept it harried enough not to rejoin the others, but it was easy to tell that Kigipigak had begun to run out of steam. He was not built for short, frenetic bursts such as this; but his job was done. Now it was up to the others.