Totoka River odobenus

The girl rested as she lay, sprawled out in a frog pose, and when she heard a voice she drew her legs beneath her body again to make herself smaller and more adept for hiding; but she had been spotted, and the man that had come upon her was focused now.

He was old; his eyes were bright though, and yellow like the winter sun. There wasn't anger or aggression to his voice—only concern, which reminded her of the love her mother held for her, being warm in nature, and so she did not immediately think to flee.

Tunillalik, she answered, as if this was a word the whole world knew.

I—we, ran. Found the sun. She did not mean to speak in riddles! But the words stuttered from her, sprinkling the air like rain at a staccato pace, between gasps.