Phoenix Maplewood Even a half-smile could slow down the time

AW but aiming for @Shivali @Tunerk @Sos @Currituck @Aningan

Shivali had asked for a plaything.

Uki had not forgotten but shortly after her conversation with the whelping sister they moved on - closer to the glacier - and she had more pressing concerns. Before she can go stir-crazy, hanging around the group as she recovers, the tundrian's wounds seem to give her less trouble. Indeed, even her leg seems healed as it no longer hurts to put weight on it. She returned to the wilderness, perhaps a little too soon, and though she brought back less game with her injuries, bring it back she did.

Still, the request lingered in the back of her mind. She kept an eye out for anything that seemed like it might be fun or interesting to puppies - not an easy task as she had never interacted with one. At times, she could be found silently puzzling over an object found in the woods as if considering it but each one seemed unlikely and she moved on.

They'd recently settled in the maple forest, she recognized the scent of sweet sap and at times she could even be found licking it from the trees, but Uki had again split from nanuk's family as they neared a resting point for the day. Hoping to find something to eat, the waif was lost to the trees as they continued on but she found little prey, only the faded overlapping scents of others that had previously passed through remained. It was too stale to determine who might have left such an impression but the woods must have been hunted often before. 

With a wary frown, Uki continued on her path until, deeper into the forest by a small pond she found another predator - a lesser canine, a mere coyote. It seemed to have recently killed a young beaver, as only its throat had been eaten away from as it bent over its still form. Approaching swiftly but silently, the wolf crept behind the coyote - too close for it to do anything but yelp in surprise as she snarled from behind it. It whirled on tawny paws, cowering submissively. At the sight of the wolf, whose unusually long fangs were rather close to its throat, the coyote crept away until at a safe distance and fled. 

Perhaps Uki should have felt bad as she scooped up the remainder of the fresh kill, but it was the way of things and there were hungry mouths to feed wherever Siarut had stopped them. Tupilaq catches up to the group in time, just as Siqiqniq truly begins to rise. The light is softer now as the sky lightens to a paler shade of blue. 

Angakkuq drops the beaver off amongst the others but only after gnawing off the soft, fatty tail. She saves it not to eat, despite the fact that it's a delicacy, but she holds on to it as it's a decent toy for the children. The soft, chewy tail is perfect for teething puppies not to mention the rich fat inside that will help them gain back some of the weight lost on this journey.

She'd waited purposefully until after the mother and pups had rested, until they were out and playing for a moment before their traveling schedule demanded they sleep; Uki even waits until it's only Shivali watching the puppies - too afraid to approach with Tahani or Takiyok nearby. Finally, the spearwife draws near on hesitant steps, beaver tail clutched in her mouth. 

She rests it at her feet, stopping some respective distance from the mother and younglings before chuffing lowly to Shivali. "I found something they might like to play with," her tone seems to imply, if it's alright for me to approach. If it's not she'll be disappointed but she'll leave her offering and go. 

Uki's watched the puppies, much like the rest of their group has, between stops as they play. They're such clumsy, messy little creatures but they also strike a cord somewhere in the berserker's heart that was previously untouched - she would very much like to stay and watch them play but only with Shivali's permission.