Ouroboros Spine qitunġaġiit

Over and over he listened to the girl plead, plead for her father to stay. That she would go and she would fix this for him, that she would demand that Ariadne change this, and his heart felt ready to burst; except it was broken, and all of the feeling that welled up inside of him now flooded him to such an extent that Kigipigak did not know what to do. He thought, blithely, that he should not have come at all! Look at what this was doing to her! But he had to see her—see them, all of them, even as they hid in the ulaq, even as the Doe Woman watched; regardless of his shame, he was where he felt he must be.

I'm sorry Nutu. If I could fix it, I would. I know you don't like it, he slowly released her from the hug, but watched her closely, and tried to dry some of her tears. I know it doesn't make sense. A breath; inhaling draughts of her, watching her face, trying to commit what he could of each child to his memory for the long days away from them.

Your brother and sister, they will need you to be strong. Okay? He nosed at her, and motioned to the ulaq where he saw Tautukpik's watery eyes gleaming with darker lines beneath, inside by his sister. Look, see? They need you right now. Go on. Only then would he feel strong enough to go. But the girl might fight him on this too, and then what? In the back of his mind Kigipigak thought, please, Nutuyikruk, please understand.