Ice Blink

56: Hope

Nuna bound Iki's shoulder with a strip cut from her parka's hem. "Hopefully the pressure will stop the bleeding."

"Nuna, your arms, your legs..." Maliq said.

"I'm fine. They'll heal." Every movement, every time her sleeves and trousers shifted against bare skin, elicited a stab of agony, but she was becoming accustomed to the sensation.

They had completed the igloo shelter, leaving only one gap in the roof for a smoke-hole, and through the gap Nuna could just make out a couple of stars. She felt unable to stay inside, unwilling to continue staring at Amarok's hollow face, praying his eyes would open. She pushed outside.

"Don't go far," Lumi murmured, even though they were all too exhausted to leave the beach.

Nuna climbed onto an ice floe which the sea had pushed up onto the shore. A moment later, someone joined her.

"Aniu? I thought you were still sleeping."

"I'm fine." She wasn't. "I want to stay with you. I can't... can't believe I'm finally free."

Nuna had to tell her, otherwise guilt would eat her alive. "I walked away."

"What?" There were deep purple bruises beneath Aniu's eyes.

"I found you all, I found the tribe, and Kenai told me to run. So I did. I'm a coward, Aniu, and if Viggo – the captain – hadn't caught me, I would have abandoned you all. I betrayed you. And... and Toklo is dead. He died protecting me. It was my fault."

Aniu shook her head, throat working, but she seemed incapable of speech. There it was, written on her face: anger, betrayal, disappointment, because Nuna wasn't strong enough. Because she'd had her chance and failed.

"Why so gloomy?" Deep, rough words interrupted them, and they turned to see Amarok limping towards them, using a driftwood stick for support.

"You're not supposed to be moving around," Nuna said thickly.

"I'm... fine," he grunted, a hand moving to the burn even as he swayed on his feet, before slumping onto the ice beside her. "See?"

"You're not fine." Nuna was swallowing tears. "None of us are fine. We're going to die here."

"You sound like Iki. There's always a light ready to guide you. All you have to do is look... up." He placed a finger beneath Nuna's chin, tilting her head back.

The darkness had been replaced with a tapestry of light. Green waves rippled across the sky, ribbons of colour shot through with yellow and purple. Weaving, swirling, shimmering. Beautiful wasn't the right word. A tree of life, spreading its branches across the Sila. A thousand tiny fires burning to keep the ancestors warm even on the coldest nights. A silent shining signal that said don't give up.

Something bloomed inside Nuna's heart in response. Small, fragile, but there it was. A spark.

"As soon as we can, we need to head to Illulik," Amarok said. "We – is that a bear?"

A familiar bulky shape was silhouetted on top of a ridge where the beach ended, his fur blurring against the snow. When he spoke, Nuna heard him as clearly as if he was stood a pace away.

"You believe they have won and you cannot go on. You feel in your heart that you are defeated. But before they defeat you, they must catch you. So rally your strength, Inua, and dry your eyes. Gather your friends, daughter of spirits and daughter of ice. Piece yourselves back together, recover what is lost, become a force to be reckoned with, and they will never catch you."

"Nanuq!"

Nuna pushed off from the ice floe and started to run towards him. As the others emerged from the igloo to watch in astonishment, she flung her arms with wild abandon around her bear's neck and hugged him tight. A low, comforting rumble emanated from his chest.

Nanuq remained where he was, letting her cling to him and his unbreakable strength, their souls merging into one. He had come for her. No matter what happened, she would never be alone.