Ocean's Breath Plateau sivisutaaġniq — the long dark

Set for Dec 14/15.

Don't feel the need to match, I'm just in my feelings right now. Open to family & leadership. Tagging others here in case you want to drop a character in: @Sea Hunter @Kilalurak @Sirmiq @Chagak @Taggak (*I think by now Sirmiq has departed but for visibility sake he's included!).

Raiyuk could barely look upon his father's lodge now. He stood now outside of it, keeping it company as if it might awaken and begin to speak. He had nothing left.

He felt as empty as this sleeping-place, and wished he could go back somehow; if he had been here instead of traveling for those many days, would it have made a difference? What had he missed while he ran upon the sea ice, and learned of places that were not home? He thought of Aditya and the conversation they had shared—with a new guilt now, one that turned his stomach; because he had chosen to avoid his father in order to act the part of a trader, when he should have been doing anything else.

The lodge had once been a place of warmth and connection but now it stood empty, without the laughter of Chakliux or the chiding voice of Marina over their many children. Raiyuk thought of Tullik and how they had celebrated his first successful seal hunt.

Who remained? He ducked as he entered the lodge. He saw in the center, where space was shared among many, the pelts that his mothers had made. He saw discarded toys which were once favored by himself or Taggak, and had by now passed down to his siblings. 'I must tidy them, that would be a help to Marina.' He caught himself thinking. The warmth of his gaze turned serious and, rather than do what came to mind, Raiyuk turned away.

He went to the sleeping-place that had once been shared between himself and Taggak; now it smelled of others. He turned from this too, and went to the other side of the lodge where he knew Chakliux and his wives had kept their own space — and it is here he stops, just before passing that invisible threshold, and he does not move further.

Raiyuk leaves the lodge without touching anything. He does not take any momentos, he does not tidy those toys scattered in the shared space, he leaves the pelts arranged however they had been tossed. Moving quickly to the front of the lodge and out, he stands before his father's remaining legacy and swallows a draught of winter.

His chin lifts, and he cries out with a call to @Rodyn, and to anyone of the family still remaining; he needs them here, to take this step forward with him.