Cedar Sweep aimaaġvik

They'd left Silver Creek searching for a more permanent residence, traveling northeast through the basin, around the summit, and reached Cedar Sweep. They stood at the tree line, lingering, wondering what lay beyond.

This looks promising, Asivaq said to @Kigipigak. I know it is just some trees so far, but I can sense it. There is something in there for us. Their children included; she was growing rounder by the day and eager to settle somewhere. And if there isn't, it will be a good place to settle for the night. They'd made good time from the summit, as it was only mid-day, and they started walking shortly after waking up.

What do you think? she prompted, looking at him with excitement and love in her eyes.

The forest sprawled in every direction. It was a thick, dark place but where the sunlight filtered through the boughs, the paths were obvious, and so Kigipigak followed one trail or another as he kept up wtih Asivaq.

There was evidence of many creatures here, so the hunting would be good. It was the middle of winter and yet Kigipigak could find small paths likely used by rabbits, which could lead to warrens; he found what could have been a nest among a tangle of young trees, perhaps where weasels had hoped to stave off winter's chill; there were signs of deer having grazed here too, or lain in the snow at the very least, which made Kigipigak think their luck was growing.

We should settle here and see. He smiled to her, stepping away to investigate another scent, and then another, as there were many things to explore. You will need an ulaq for the children, he remarked as he nosed through some ferns, vanishing temporarily among the shadows and re-emerging some distance away, his path having gone in a crescent.

When he saw her red shape again, he laughed and came hiking back with an eager step.

What do you think? Is this what you want?

There was something about this forest that Asivaq hadn't felt when she'd arrived at the glacier, but she couldn't put it into words; it felt too good to be true. There was abundant prey, they were protected from the elements, and, most importantly, the territory was unclaimed from what she could smell.

She looked at Kigipigak as he suggested they should settle and quickly interjected. Yes—this seems like it could be our perfect napatuqvik, she said as he disappeared. While he explored elsewhere, she kept to the trail and investigated the area with bated breath; had their search for a new home really been that easy?

When he emerged down the path, she watched as he returned to her and felt joy in her soul as she heard his laugh. Yes, she answered, reaching up to kiss him with a laugh, This is what I want.

Curious, she asked in the next breath, Did you see anywhere that'd make a good place for the ulaq? Finding a spot to nest was her biggest priority.

She had made her choice! Finally. If she changed her mind they would go somewhere else, but by the look in her eye and the tone of her voice, Asivaq would not do those things. This was to be their home and Kigipigak was already primed to fight for it, if there came any threat to his wife or children.

She asked after an ulaq but he had not seen anything, because he had not been looking. That was women's work.

In an offhanded manner he mentions, There were some trees that looked to be fallen, this way. Perhaps they would be suitable? He motioned to bring her along, and doubled back again through the snow. Kigipigak had only gotten a glimpse as he'd raced by, and now as he hunted for that spot he saw them again.

They weren't fallen, but in the process of it. The three trees and their roots were tangled together as they cantilevered from the soil, and beneath the blanket of snow Kigipigak could see how the earth had been lifted as if to break, but had not.

He looked to Asivaq, wondering if she had any initial impressions.

His suggestion was a start, as she had yet to find anything suitable, and she followed as he returned to the site. When they arrived, her eyes fell onto the mound in the snow, and she instantly knew it would be hers. She strayed from his side, surveying the area with a careful eye, until she stood in front of it. The surrounding territory was peaceful, and she could hear running water, which meant that a water source wasn’t too far away; it was everything she could have ever asked for.

She placed a paw on it, patted it, and nodded as she backed away and glanced over her shoulder. This is it, she decided with a smile. This is where I will birth our children.

They went to work establishing the ulaq—Kigipigak worked, and Asivaq did what she could, until it was complete. When it was finished, she went to work and began to nest—thinking of the furs she’d collect and the shrine she would build to protect her family.