Sequoia Coast the seal hunters

backdated to feb 3, no posting order! @Tiden welcome to join wheneverrr <33

the night before, he had given @Raiyuk the fat of a drowned walrus calf, dragging the body ashore. they would not hunt more, he declared; they would save their strength for tomorrow.
the dawn rose with a solemnity that had not been present the last several. chakliux kept up his joking, teasing raiyuk and ruffling @Matteo's fur, but more than one his eyes went back to the son who would enter the water.
the day was good for it: clear ice with clear sun, no sign of storms.
he crouched upon the sea ice and licked it, tasting, then led the boys away from their camp and directly out onto the frozen ocean.
the rocks where they had slept were mere dots in the distance. the sun shimmered in brightly piercing light upon the sea ice.
chakliux chose a place to break it, working with the younger wolves.
"remember, raiyuk, i will be there with you at first. but when the water is red, you must do this alone."
his heart lurched. his stomach was sick. the hole was large enough for both of them to descend, shoulder-to-shoulder, and he clapped matteo into a tight embrace before he turned to raiyuk. "still your mind. when you are ready, we will go."
if he did not take a seal this time, they would try again. but every boy wanted the first seal to truly be the first; he did not think raiyuk was different in this. he would follow.
inside his head, chakliux chanted a song of protection for the boy.