Sequoia Coast oil tears

anxiety thrummed at the heart of sirmiq, as did excitement. for months now he'd prepared for this trek, for the leap to chilled waters. he had never felt such a buzzing of thrill in his blood before as their hunting party came to the sea ice. 

the storm kept sirmiq close to his brothers as they pressed forward, his eyes trained to raiyuk as he watched in the ways a seal hunter man moved. together with him sirmiq helped prepare their camp, learning how to claw at ice and tundra snow. 

and when the time came to plunge beneath the icebound sea, sirmiq gave low whoops of encouragement to his brothers and to himself. together they would take upon this task, and it was together that he hoped they would return. 

he jumped to the waters with a held breath, and thought of how he would prepare the seal skin that would make him a man.