Duck Lake cousin elk

krait. catamaran. the ways of dutch's people were strange and perhaps wrong, if it seemed that his companion was so greatly touched by what he had experienced among them. in his mind, the echo of wingbeats upon the crystalline surface of the lake reminded him of their breath, of his. of theirs. connected beneath a spiritual magick that not even shamans understood.
his sons had been carried off by these women. dutch had not been allowed to rear them or even have a hand in what they had been taught. his thoughts shifted to raiyuk, already such a fine seal hunter before he had received his scars. without his father, he might not have become that.
he was humbled and thoughtful, not quite registering the mention of moon woman. in a way, she had touched his first marriage as well, empowering nasamik even if she had left moonglow for chakliux, and tended him through his wounding.
but dutch had been denied all these things, and the seal hunter saw the magnitude of what had been said, and the vastness of what had not been spoken.
"i feel you are already father. see how you speak of them. it was what your heart always wanted, even if this was not allowed for you, dutch. if someone took raiyuk from me, and i knew he still lived, i would never stop my love. i am his atâtak, forever. so are you to krait and catamaran. and if they come here, i will say this to them also, that i saw fatherhood in your heart when they could not yet see it."