Moon-Bleached Bones

2

Gwen spent the next few days in a haze, going through the motions without a real purpose to them. The others seemed to be fine, and Gwen couldn't fathom why she seemed so detached from everyone and everything around her. No one seemed to notice her ghost-like behavior, though.

That is, except for Amka. She noticed, and crept more carefully around Gwn, answering questions before they were even asked.

"This," she announced, holding up an arrow, "is an arrow." Gwen raised her eyes in mock surprise. "Look at its tip--you see how it's elongated?" Gwen nodded, about to ask a question-- "It's so the arrows can pierce through our thick coats."

"So the Kallters have gone to war with each other?"

Amka smiled. "No. So why would we use such an arrow?"

Gwen's eyes lit up when she realized. "That's an arrow style that's been borrowed from a different people, isn't it?" Amka nodded, and Gwen got up to examine the arrow itself.

"It looks like..." she turned it over. "There's this one arrowhead from Norway that dates back to the Iron Age. It's from the Vikings..." She trailed off, brows furrowed. "We know the Vikings came to Jorvik--we have their swords--but... we didn't know they came so far inland. Amka? Were the Kallter ever beyond the crater?"

Amka shrugged. "I know there was a time before we built the Icengate, but most legends of that time have been lost. I can't say I know anything about these... Vik-ings, but otherwise I doubt we would have had these arrowheads. They'd do too much damage to animals and we'd lose a lot of the pelt or meat. If you want, we could ask Nanook? He knows the most about the outside world. He left the Valley."

"He left?"

"Many years ago. He went to college, somehow, and came back with..." she paused to think of the words. "He came back with more knowledge than the village elders. They weren't very pleased about that!"

They laughed, and then Amka became serious again. "Please, stay away from these arrows. Our marksmen are better trained than you'd think."

"I will."

---

A few days later, Amka showed up again. Gwen was on the outskirts of the village, studying the growth of an icenberry bush. Someone had aided it in its growth, and now it was oddly shaped into some sort of figure.

"It's a snowfox," declared Amka.

"Are you sure? I can't see that at all."

"I know so--the reason it looks strange is because it's a snowfox from the..." She trailed off, obviously not knowing the words. "The green and blue sky dancers?"

"The northern lights?"

"Yes, exactly! Here, the lights tell stories so we know what to expect for our futures. The fox here was dancing... and then it was shot."

"So... what does that mean?"

"We think it means a good hunt."

"Huh." Gwen stored that knowledge into the back corner of her mind.

"Now, I think it's time I give you a tour of the area," said Amka. "Let's saddle our horses and go for a ride?"

Gwen nodded, and the pair set off for the stable, where Sasha and Naja, Amka's mar, were waiting. They saddled up and mounted, with Amka picking up an extra bag and slinging it over her shoulder. And then they were off, past the boundary markers, and into the unknown.