Ouroboros Spine Driving through the red lights

The man took notice of his empty jaws, his laborious breath, and asked an inane question that Mojag wished he could ignore. He felt heat flood his throat and a tension line his jaw. His eyes dropped to the path and he looked in a skewed way to the door of the ulaq, perhaps wondering if Shikoba was near, if she might overhear this - but she was not there, it was only himself and his father.

He took a breath and felt his heart hammering. I saw more trails than targets, spoke the boy in an exasperated way. Clearly he had failed in his hunt or he would have a prize to show for it, and a real reason to have come to the ulax - such as the tanning of a hide.

The boy looked around again as he walked, striding by where Inutsuk was stationed.

Where is mother? I was to go on patrol with her, he lied readily, and swung his head as if to search, but really Mojag was feeling very nervous and could not look at his father. It felt strange to be alone with him.