Kildeer Rest Apparently we share a common plasma.

There were ulax clustered along snowbanks, with long trails of red connecting them, and the shape of wolves lingering within the camp or along the perimeter, patrolling.

The wanderer had found his way. Whatever curiosity might have once burned within him had died after his hunt had failed — after meeting the snow-woman @Kukutux — and now he was sullen, skeptical of every shape upon the horizon. At any point these hunters loyal to the snow-woman might turn their teeth upon him.

He would be careful. It boosted his confidence in knowing these wolves were not some errant branch of Tartok (not with the way the woman had prayed, he thought), although as he prowled between the ulax in search of his owed meal, thoughts of his people's history did surface.

In particular, the tale of Tonravik and her Spine.

*whistles

she found the man's tall form roaming. moonwoman stood and waved the banner of her tail, inviting him closer.

he would find her without hard edges this day. she was only watchful. a strip of bark held fresh caribou heart and fat stripped from its belly. the meat was heaped high, and blood slowly ran into the beaten snow. 

kukutux gestured to it with a small paw. she herself returned to the side of the ulaq, where she continued to carve pieces of ivory from a large femur.

The snow-woman came out of her little hut of ice and placed a length of bark upon the ground. Upon it was piled meat of varying shades of red, most still bleeding. Strips of rich fat streaked pink with tissue, also.'

Tulimaq moved to intercept this. The woman moved to work on some craft or occupy herself, averting her eyes from the man of Tartok as he took his meal. He was silent except the sound of meat being chewed upon his molars, or being swallowed whole.

He sat by the entrance to the ulaq after, sucking on a piece of fat which melted across his tongue.

Kukutux had not been gone from the camp for long; her return was unexpected and when Kigipigak saw her moving deftly for her ulaq he grew curious.

He arrived a few minutes in to the stranger's meal and looked from moon-woman to the man, whose head was bent towards piled meats.

I greet you, he offered to both of them, but had eyes for Kukutux only. A slight tension to his face which nested in his brow. I am about to go on a patrol of the herd, as it is my turn. Is there anything that you require before I go?

His focus appeared to be upon Kukutux only, but Kigipigak was wary of this new man in the camp, and gave the woman a pointed look while the stranger was distracted with his meal.

the man ate.

kukutux looked up to see the winterhawk approaching. she saw how he looked at the dour man, and then toward herself.

"this is a man of tartok. he does not know the caribou songs of my people."

moonwoman saw no reason to elaborate, only to hint at her offense and move on. "i have given him a trader's respect and right to the hunting camps. he is our kin."

she nosed another piece of rounded bone into her growing pile.

When another approached, he looked up. He saw the boy with the white fur and thought, snow-woman's son? And was ready to dismiss his being there. The way the boy carried himself was with deference to the woman and a clear distrust to the hunter eating by the door. He took a piece of meat in his teeth and watched the boy, finding the network of scars curious to behold.

The way the boy's expression shifted, became almost stricken before averting from where it lingered upon the wolf, made Tulimaq wonder; but he was involved in his meal, and said nothing for the moment. He would wait until the pale one drifted off on his patrol.

A man of Tartok?

Kigipigak's shoulders straightened upon hearing this. He tried to keep a level expression as he looked to the man, but he was not so successful, and the way the two shared a look gave that away. Kigipigak's jaw tightened and he averted his eyes from the older man, letting him eat in peace.

He did not like the look of him. The very presence of another Tartok wolf gave him reason enough to be suspicious. They rarely traveled alone as they advanced in years; it was always the Anneriwok's way, not the proven Tartok warrior, to go out and prove themselves.

This man looked proven enough.

Alright. I will not be far. He said, more for the man's benefit, though there was no reaction. With one last look upon Kukutux and her work, he stalked off to begin his patrol; but his spirit was shaken.

the duck took in the way that the stranger and kigipigak looked at one another.

her kinsman was displeased.

she watched the set of his shoulders as he moved off toward the herds. kukutux straightened and came to the side of the man. "what is the name that you have?" 

her voice was quiet. 

she wondered what kiggavik had seen in this one.

The boy left.

There had been some tension to him. Possessiveness, maybe. The wolf did not care for the sight of it, but he knew to pick his battles. This woman was not appealing to the traveler. Once the boy had turned to go the warrior lifted his eyes to watch him, noting more scars; more marks that this white wolf had been through a test of some kind.

The snow-woman was beside him soon enough, with questions.

I am called Tulimaq. He chewed for a moment, appearing thoughtful, his eyes lingering upon the spot where the boy had been standing. The woman's name was of no importance to him but the wolf wondered aloud, —is your son often so dutiful?

this one had the name of tulimaq. and he believed the hawk-in-snow to be her son.

kukutux smiled with pride. "he is not my son. but he is my kin. he is always dutiful. and he is the one who taught to me the word of issumatar."

she looked meaningfully at the trader. "you are a man who might lead his own village. a father. what brings you to this place, tulimaq?"

The woman did not use many words, but she said much. Perhaps too much - as Tulimaq regarded her for a long moment, absorbing what little she shared of the boy, as if it were somehow important. As if some little detail factored in to his thinking.

A father? He snorted a low sound from his nose and licked fat from his chin. My savaktuk.

He appeared distracted.

They are scattered north of your camp, chasing the caribou. The one that got away - that is where it came from. His eyes turned briefly to the path of the boy hunter and then back to the strip of bark, which was nearly bare.

kukutux only smiled with the knowing of an atsak when tulimaq made his response withou words.

but his mind was upon kigipigak. this was apparent.

moonwoman carried more meat to the trader. "you are leader of them," she chose to observe. he had the look of one who had seen much. she would honor him with the assumption.

"a man of your years would have two wives in my village, and in the spring he would have children a second time. but you are hunter instead." was that why he had asked if kigipigak was her son?

I am sivullik to my hunters. He was prideful of this, the sensation oozing from his tone as he said it. But he stopped short as Kukutux continued to speak, listening. Frowning.

A man of Tartok does not take a wife. It is the issumatar who makes the distinction and uses the strength of the sangilak until she is finished with it. The men were not disposable in any sense, but it was not common for the man to do the choosing, nor were they expected to keep the position for long.

His nostrils flared as he took a breath. In times of peace, all of Tartok hunts and roams. It is to keep our skills sharp. We wait for orders to gather. His mind again lingering upon the pale boy, the look they had shared.

When the order comes, my savaktuk will turn away from the caribou and find our way home.

kukutux would not speak such disrespect aloud. but she believed the way of tartok pitted son against son. if they each had different fathers, then each of them would hold unknown spirits. to have to many living within a village — she though there would be many battles. and when the sangilak was put aside, what did he do? would he only wander while she chose another?

perhaps this was the way of things.

he was sivullik. this was a word she knew. "the firsthunter of moonglow is shikoba. it will be a good thing if you make a path together for a hunt." kukutux extended this as invitation for tulimaq to show himself as a good man.

If our paths should cross, I will test her skill. He answered, taking the name within himself and mulling over the possibilities. Tulimaq held little hope that these wolves were any match to those of Tartok.

He was some days travel away from his savaktuk though, and well fed now, which gave rise to sport. If nothing else he could pass the time toying with the snow-woman's finest.

Tulimaq had eaten his fill, leaving the bark empty. He gave a solemn nod to Kukutux as the only acquiescence of her charity, and moved to depart the ulaq.

kukutux watched him go.

tulimaq intrigued her. but she would be glad when the man of tartok moved on. shrewdly she wondered if the trader might change kigipigak's head.

she must not allow it to happen.

moonwoman relaxed into her own thoughts. the shape of the man grew smaller and smaller.