Cedar Sweep aquiattuq

The children were here, and it was still only the two of them. This was not as stressful for Kigipigak as he had done this once before; but he thought of Natigvik and what had risen up from nothing, and remembered Amalia, and Tulukiri, and then of course his sons who were a world away. Sometimes it felt like farther than that — they had stopped being his long ago.

Kigipigak did quick rounds this day. He checked the southern border for signs of trespassing and instead caught the scent of game, which he trailed through the core of the forest, and as he crossed to the north-side of the village he felt a light rain begin to coat his shoulders.

The sun would begin to set in the next few hours and there was still very little that had changed for him, or Asivaq, or the village; could it even be considered a village? He did not dwell on that thought for long. His sons needed him — his daughter too! He would find Asivaq fresh meat and make sure all was well.

It didn’t matter what her mother or sister might have done, though Masquerade couldn’t help but ponder Avicus’s ties to Sapphique as she loped along a familiar route across the hinterlands. A dead rabbit swayed in her jaws as she considered the merits of forming alliances. She and @Riley could stand on their own, of course, but it might be nice to branch out and foster friendships with the neighbors.

Much had changed over these past few months, though Masque would always be a Caru at heart. Upon arriving at the edge of Cedar Sweep, she set the carcass at her feet and sent a low howl toward the misty sky. Asivaq had been heavily pregnant when they’d met and had probably given birth by now. Hopefully there was someone else—her mate, perhaps—who could come fetch this gift on her behalf.

As proud as Kigipigak was to support his wife, after many weeks among these cedars and with the arrival of his children there was a certain level of emptiness that was not conducive to their village-building efforts. It was a good and faraway place when taking in to account Asivaq's desire to be away from the influence of her mother; it was not such a great choice when trying to build your own village. Kigipigak appreciated how secluded they were in terms of safety for those newly born and had begun to quietly resent the solitude in equal measure; but he would stay and he would provide, as it was his duty, and he loved his wife.

When he did not find a trail to follow, Kigipigak began to grow restless. He could not stop just because his luck was turning against him; he had to bring something back to Asivaq so that she could remain strong, and so that their children could grow. When the howl sounded from another patch of the forest Kigipigak warred with himself over whether he should drop out of his hunting work and flatly ignore the caller, but he had noted that they called to his wife by name—so he would go, and he would see for himself.

The stranger he spotted was a young woman. He saw her because of the blazing red upon her face; she had a carcass at her feet, and Kigipigak was intrigued.

You called? He answered, drawing from the shadows of a few older giants.

A tall, stocky stranger emerged from the gloom of the sweep. Masque made sure to keep her head and tail lower than his, though she kept an assessing eye on him. This must be Asivaq’s mate, though she just now realized she’d never gotten his name.

My name is Masque, she introduced with a sway of her long tail, and I come bearing gifts. This is for Asivaq. I assume you must be her mate?

Her explanation was simple, and must have been the truth. He could not discern any subterfuge here, nor have any reason to think the strangers passing through the forest might have nefarious leanings. She had food, and she offered it for Asivaq; and Kigipigak grinned to her.

Yes, I am her husband! I am Kigipigak. He swiftly came forward along with his introduction, closing any distance so that the stranger - this Masque - could find the scent of Asivaq all over him. From his own observations this woman was young like Asivaq, so perhaps they had found some common ground when they met.

I will take that to her. He offered readily; then in the next beat he asks, —are you looking for a place to stay?

She stiffened a little at his enthusiastic reply coupled with his sudden movement forward. Masque comprehended the invitation and leaned in to exchange scents, tail gone motionless against her hind legs now. She drew back after a moment, bright eyes tracking over his face quickly before averting.

Thank you, she replied simply, then shook her head. No. When I first met Asivaq, I was scouting the hinterlands. But my mate and I have since decided to claim the shady wood due northwest of here. Masque paused to deliberate something before adding, If and when you’re able—when your children are more grown—you are welcome to come by, if you like. I was actually thinking we could perhaps be allies.

The slightly higher pitch of her voice betrayed a slight fluster with the entire notion. What if Kigipigak and his mate saw no worth in such things? Masquerade thought the idea had merit, though ambassadorship was not her forte… at least, not yet. She took a steadying breath and remained calm, anticipating his reaction.

Ah! So they were not a possible recruit. That was disheartening. It appeared as though these Hinterlands held very few capable hunters within them, and those that did find their way among the trees were spoken-for. It did not bother Kigipigak at all to consider having neighbors—he was glad to have the Copse nearby and his aokatti, and saw no reason to feel entitled to the rest of the sprawling woodlot further from here.

I wish you luck, then! He tempered his exuberance this time, not wanting to come across as unhinged any more than he already had, potentially.

We have been hard at work for weeks, covering a lot of ground and establishing ourselves. There have been very few visitors. It would be nice to entertain some when everyone is a little older. And hopefully by the time the children were strong enough, they'd have a few more adults around as well.

Thank you for the gift. I will make sure Asivaq receives it and knows where it came from. He gave a confident nod of his head at that.

He said a lot of things, all of them downright cordial, though Masquerade felt a certain dismay when he didn’t even touch on the topic of an alliance. No sooner had she decided never to bring it up again than she changed her mind. She clenched her teeth, forcibly mustering her nerve.

Great, thank you, Kigipigak, she said first, then hesitated before asking in a slight rush, What were your thoughts on an alliance?

He did not have any thoughts, at first. She had already mentioned a possible alliance but brought it up again, and he found he had no opinion even then. It would benefit us both, but I leave the specifics up to my issumatar. She is the one to decide who is our friend and who is not. A sentiment he would later ignore, but, for now Kigipigak was happy to side-step the question.

I will bring this to her, and tell her of this alliance you seek.

He said he would defer to his—she didn’t quite catch the word he used. Her brow scrunched, then relaxed when he realized he must mean Asivaq. Kigipigak promised to bring the word of an alliance to her, along with her offering. Fair enough, Masque thought.

Alright, she accepted his terms. I need to get back and I’m sure you want to go to Asivaq, Masque said with a respectful dip of her head, readying to depart.

Many miles later, she suddenly realized she’d failed to ask him about the birth. She shook her head at herself and continued, making note to drop by again in the near future and properly query after the Napatuqvik children.