Sequoia Coast the seal hunters

every night he had thought of the coming hunt and been elated by the idea, or terrified, or felt ill-prepared in sudden shocks, although he knew that weeks of preparation and many days of training had prepared him. he knew he could do it, he would do it; and yet raiyuk felt all of these things. it was a wonder he could sleep — but he did, and it was deep. the training had not ceased even as they neared the end; this weariness competed with his excitement and all those other emotions that churned within him, but each night raiyuk got his rest.
the day finally dawned which would involve his seal hunt. he would leave this camp a boy, and not return to it again the same. he would return as a man, prepared to be a proper older brother to the siblings he was bound to have in the spring, and capable of finding himself a wife. all of this was an aside, and raiyuk did not think in such specificity; he only knew this was the moment he had been working towards and all of his earlier expectations, his fears, his excitement, seemed to melt away as he became like the ice upon which the hunters tread.
i am ready. raiyuk said.
he did not look to matteo, or to his father. he looked to the hole in the ice and moved towards it - steeling himself for the cold that would soon come, breathing the air while he could. as he descended to the water he felt that chill and let it seep up his legs, across his chest, and let himself bob there a moment while his father came to his side.
there, in that moment, was one look to chakliux and raiyuk only hoped his eyes did not betray the fear he still felt, which he had swallowed down as best he could.
with one deep breath, he plunged.