Ocean's Breath Plateau aliuktuq

After all this time, Seal had not forgotten the boy from her youth.

When his parents left Moonspear for Moontide it had rocked the young girl – the first time she had ever felt loss. Now, it seemed like loss was a part of life. Starwoman grieved for her sister and Seal grieved for the loss of two uncles: Caracal and Bronco.

She was in a strange mood and it quarreled with her usual effervescent personality. She did not feel like herself today. The dismal late-autumn weather didn’t help.

Seal was on her way to collect fresh water, a bowl of driftwood clutched in her mouth, when she spied the familiar clay-colored boy between the adults. Well, no longer a boy but nearly a man! Her spirit brightened. Did others see her the same way? Not a girl but a young woman?

She placed her basin upon a rock as if to not forget it. “Raiyuk!” she called. Did he want her company? “What have you caught?” she asked next. Of course she saw it was a fish, but perhaps Seal meant to give him space to boast.