Stavanger Bay Seaside

Little Ipiktok adventured outside. Explore the mouth of the den. The small little plants that grew there. A stray stick in the sand. Eventually, he tired and curled up in a tight little ball and napped in a ray of sun.

light-waves and the breadth of the afternoon broke to reveal kukutux, making a slower way to the bay where her daughter lived.

the death songs were over, and with their departure, kukutux felt as though a new weakness lay under her breast.

but she forced herself to go, bearing no items this time, and arrived in tiredness at the border. calling out for @Vairë, kukutux entered saltshore, trudging toward the den, where she found a little boy dozing beside the seaside land claimed by her daughter and rhaegal.

despite all things, the grandmother smiled wanly to herself. "irnngutaq," kukutux murmured, settling upon the threshold, though she did not truly wish to wake the small wolf.

While one sibling slept, Salaksartok kept watch. He didn't knowingly do so, but he was awake and alert to the sounds around the den, the breathing of Ipiktok, and the ocasional approach of a larger body - expecting one of his parents to show up with food at some point, most likely.
Instead there was a shape he did not know. A small woman (who still seemed immense to the child), not licked by the warmth of his mother or familiar in scent (in fact, they lacked the brine smell he was used to and he did not like it at all).
She approached where Ipiktok was sleeping and said something. Already Salaksartok was on his feet and lurching towards her, adamant that she keep back. His fur was prickling and his tail was up, unafraid to wedge himself between his doe-brother and the monstrous figure.
However, he was still a boy. Unaware that his antics might be considered rude, or that his suddenly summoned voice (puppy growls and yips) might be the real instability that would lead Ipiktok to wake.

It was not Kukutux’s motherly voice that woke Ipiktok, but Salsartok’s commotion.

Danger? Milk-drunk, sun-warmed, and sleepy, the stag-boy’s large head wobbled from side to side as he roused.

At first, the world was blurry. Then, it came into focus.

A white wolf stood nearby and between them, Salsartok stood in a ferocious display.

Ipiktok found his feet and sideled beside his activated brother. However, his reaction was more curious than skeptical (after all, Ipiktok was confident Salasartok could defend the whole pack singlehandedly), and he silently watched the strange wolf with big eyes.

the first boy growled.

the second awakened and watched his grandmother with owlish eyes.

kukutux lay down upon her belly and lay her muzzle just at its entrance.

"i am your grandmother," she told them, love lifting the malaise from her features, if only for a moment. "your mother is daughter to me."

daughter.

but kukutux would not weep now.

When Ipiktok took the less aggressive route and displayed interest, Salaksartok tried to stop them from moving towards the stranger. She smelled weird! She was old and unfamiliar and while she used sounds that were closer to their mother's, Salaksartok remained skeptical of her.
Salaksartok kept a low errrrr, rerrr, rerrrr, sound undulating from his little chest, the fur along his back raising like fine porcupine quills; it was not a ferocious display for all his puppy down.

Though Salsaktarok continued to voice his stranger danger, Ipiktok couldn’t helped but be drawn in by the white woman’s voice. Her warm tone felt familiar and comforting.

He looked at his brother and then took a few steps forward, a bit bashful.

“Aroo?” he cooed as he pressed his nose to Kukutux’s.

"salaksartok!" kukutux exulted, hoping to placate the boy. "you are a good guardian for saltshore." little ipiktok was more acceptant of their grandmother, and her smile glowed as she exchanged the scents of their breath.

family, the springjade eyes said, glancing between them both.

Im going to wrap & archive this one!

Family the little boy knew.

Then he licked his grandmother's chin, curled up in his arms, and fell into a peaceful slumber.