Qeya River KIVGURUK

This is long and there is some PP, which I can change if anyone would like. This was discussed in the MO forum earlier, and now it's making its way IC. Replies are not necessary! Feel free to reference this post if you'd like; for now it is private between Kigipigak, Kivaluk, and Kukutux with references to members of Natigvik.

There had been some resistance to having the Moonglow wolves so near their land, and it came from an unlikely place. Kigipigak had not expected @Akkuma to be so withdrawn around those he considered to be their family; he had tried to speak to the boy only to be met with silence or a sullen demeanor, and that only led to a firm tone from Kigipigak himself, and things got worse from there.

It was hard to discipline someone for doing what was right for them. Kigipigak could see that the myriad of new arrivals strained something within Akkuma. He did not know how to correct that, or to remedy the boy's spirit in a way that made him open to those Kigipigak cared very much about. He left it to @Sakhmet to remedy for now - and for a time she was there instead, being the mother, speaking in her way with their son to try and fix whatever Kigipigak had strained.

Perhaps he deserved this. He had gone off to serve Tulimaq without any involvement with his own family; this could have been backlash for such a choice - but, there had been no choice! It was that, or the warrior would have demanded his sons go alone too, and then what? It was a point of contention Kigipigak had to stow, and he tried not to let his worries interrupt the time between the two villages.

He would go out and hunt and be friendly with Moonglow; his son @Kivaluk would train with Tulukiri. Sakhmet would do her best with Akkuma, and all would be well. That was what Kigipigak thought, until night fell. There between the Issumatar and her chosen, there was a discussion; it did not get so heated that their voices would raise or be heard by those of Natigvik, and certainly none of Moonglow would know of this until morning.

It was decided, by dawn. Sakhmet would take the boy Akkuma away from the village and they would retreat from this busy place. In time they would return and hopefully by then, Akkuma would be whole, or at least at peace, with some sense of fulfillment that the village could not currently give him. Kigipigak shared the news with Kivaluk first and the family would together mourn this change, in a way. The man would kiss his wife, and share a moment with his forlorn son, and they would be off.

That left them down two able bodies - as well as their Issumatar. It was midday when Kigipigak chose to alert the rest of Natigvik, calling for each of them (@Amalia/Sadey, Lestan, and Tulukiri); and in private before his own sleeping place, with Kivaluk at his side, they shared the news. He then sent Amalia off, asking for her to bring @Kukutux to them if she was not yet busy for the day, so that another difficult conversation could be had.

This was meant to be a time of shared hunting! Of joy, of feasts, of friendship and family. Instead, all that Kigipigak could think of was the absence of his beloved, and the reluctance of his son to be among them. Whatever words they had shared during their own discussion weighed heavily now upon Kigipigak's spirit. He would look to his remaining family - Kivaluk - and then away, to watch from the sleeping place for Kukutux's arrival.