Ocean's Breath Plateau But it's the season of the sticks.

For @Cen

Father had brought an oyster for each cub, and the  held fast to his own for fear of losing it to @Chagak or @Sirmiq's thievery. His brothers were bold and assertive in ways that Sea Hunter had not yet learned to be. He was a watcher, not a fighter - something that would need to change if he wanted to make it through childhood unscathed.

Chakliux later left the lodge, and the firstborn of Tullik worked with patience to try and open the shell as was expected of him. He took himself outside when @Kilalurak stuck her nose in his business, so eager he was to protect this precious gift.

He carried it further than he'd ever gone, eyes searching for a quiet place where he might find privacy.

since being displaced at his den by the seal woman and the disobedience of his own wife, cen had punished @Red Leaf with a cold, long silence. he hunted for her as was his responsibility, but he did not speak to her. nor did he try any longer to interact with @Ghelan, angered by the flawed existence of the son for which he had waited so long.

and yet he did want to be near his child, helpless by the love that had come to life despite cen's struggle over that leg.

he hunted again, idly; he wanted to go and find sulukinak again, almost because he knew it would anger red leaf. what he found was a boy. a seal child.

the caribou man stalked past the brat, nose wrinkling at the reek of shellfish. the cold eyes glared hatred into the son of his enemy, and cen resisted the urge to knock him down.

He was not so far from his family's lodge when he found a cosy spot. With oyster clutched between his jaws, Sea Hunter pressed at the dirt and grass with his forepaws then moved to circle his chosen patch.

An unfamiliar figure trudging his way caught his attention, distracting him, and the shell slipped from his grasp. He watched the stranger with interest, scruffy tail sweeping the air with enthusiasm over meeting a new face, but he stalked right by and did not pause to greet him.

Sea Hunter collected his oyster once more and padded annoyingly after the adult.

the village would fall upon cen and tear him apart if he harmed this annoying boy.

the hard luster of slate eyes shifted to the toddling child as cen stopped and looked down. "there are better things to eat than that offal," cen growled disdainfully in lanzadoii.

his heart ached. would ghelan ever walk like this? run on the plains, as children were meant to do? a snort covered his pain, but cen sat now, glowering a little.

Sea Hunter did not know the words that his newest acquaintance spoke, nor did he register the frustration behind them. So when Cen paused to look down at him with a cold stare, the young seal hunter loped closer and pressed himself against the adult's forelimbs.

Fffff, he babbled, the note muffled by the shell he carried. He wanted to show it off, this gift his father had given before his departure and wished to be opened on his return. He could only imagine what treasure might be within!

fatherhood had not endowed cen with any instinct to indulge the boy or otherwise play with him. it was only self-preservation which kept the caribou man from punting the pup and his oyster into the nearest lodge, awareness that the moontide wolves would kill him for it.

tensing as the seal hunter child invaded his space, cen tapped the shell roughly. "not food. a rock."