Hoshor Plains to bring us sugar and tea and rum

At that moment, Seal wanted to be free-spirited. She really did! But when Frolic greeted her with all the enthusiasm in the world, Seal could only muster a half-hearted hug and a weak laugh. Even when her friend quipped a pun, the young woman’s face didn’t have the energy to light up as it always had.

Aware of this, a pang of guilt tugged at Seal’s heart. “Gosh, I’m sorry Frolic,” she admitted with a burnt-out expression. “I dinnae feel like myself right now.” A heavy responsibility made her shoulders sag, all energy consumed by complete concentration.

“I’m working with Kukutux an’ Sialuk in the healer’s camp,” she explained. Her inflection intoned the gravity of this privilege. “We’re waiting for any injured hunters tae arrive, though I hope there aren’t any. There’s a lot of blood on the air…”

Seal chewed her lip, just like Meerkat. “I just had my coming-of-age ceremony. I want tae do really well…” Seal hadn’t realized just how the pressure had toyed with her emotions until she had trouble saying the words aloud!

Then she waved a paw, trying to recollect herself. “Sorry,” she apologized again. “I’m happy you’re here. Really! What did you want tae tell me?”