Felltree Marsh the morning after

Warmth came in the form of Augur's attention: constant licks to those bloodied wounds, a determined warmth shared by his larger body.

He called for help; whether sivullik heard the howl or not, Kanuk struggled. Augur did his best to help the mangled warrior stave off the worst of the cold.

It was too late for that. There was too little left of Kanuk. The mud was maroon from all the blood. Her skin was cold beneath the matted fur.

She would not drown — but too much time had passed. In her next breath she slipped away.