Gifted Pelt

Chapter 22

Astrila hears Ainsley's voice, and her smile widens as Ainsley shouts toward them. "Hello!"

"Hi, Ainsley!"

Ainsley sprints towards them, leaping over the break in the snow layer where the iglu rises out of it. Her hands are stretching out to pull Astrila into a hug, but she stops when she sees the snow in Astrila's hands, her brow furrowing in concern.

"What happened?"

Astrila shrugs. "I shifted for the first time and overworked myself, rubbing my hands and flippers raw."

"What were you doing that caused that?"

"I was digging people out of their igluit with Kōri."

Ainsley sighs and turns to Kōri, her voice stern but tinged with the tiniest hint of amusement as she places her hands on her hips. "Really? She shifts for the first time and you have her do that?"

Kōri rapidly raises his hands in the air in a placating gesture, clearly afraid of Ainsley's wrath. "I didn't know that would happen, Ainsley."

Ainsley raises her eyebrow at him before reaching down to scoop up a handful of snow. "Really? Have some puntla!"

She shoves the snow into his mouth and he stands there for a moment, stunned. He blinks a couple of times before he realizes what had just happened and shakes the snow out of his mouth. He scowls at Ainsley.

"I didn't lie."

Ainsley's foot begins to tap against the snow, and Astrila stifles a grin, making a little hollow in the snow to sit and watch their antics. It isn't until Astrila is completely comfortable in her chair of snow that Ainsley speaks at last.

"So you didn't lie, but did you even think about if that could hurt her? Would it have hurt you if you had done it as a young pup?"

"Yes, but I don't know what-"

"In essence, she is a young pup, Kōri! Use that head of yours, please!" She whacks him in the back of the head for emphasis.

Astrila is gaping at them now. As Kōri hangs his head, it looks for all the world like he's just been scolded by his mother. Ainsley stares down at Kōri for a moment longer, or at least that's what appears to be happening despite her smaller size. Ainsley picks her head up to look at Astrila, grinning now.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Astrila hesitates before responding, her face carefully neutral. "Both yes and no. You made him think about it, but you also shamed him."

Ainsley plops down beside Astrila for a moment, but she misjudges the layer, almost falling through. Even then, she has created a nice little hollow in the snow from the small distance she fell. Astrila raises an eyebrow at Ainsley.

"As much as I would like to talk, don't you have a job to do?"

Ainsley laughs. "Yes, but don't you as well?" There is a mischievous glint in Ainsley's eye, telling Astrila that she isn't entirely serious.

Astrila grins. "Of course! My job is to sit here and direct you guys, healer's orders."

Ainsley struggles out of the snow, getting to her feet to stand in front of Astrila. "Well, I'm coming back to talk later. Don't go anywhere."

Astrila calls after her as she walks away, toward the tunnel. "I won't!"

Astrila is slightly confused over why Ainsley is headed toward the tunnel, but Kōri explains it for her without Astrila even having to ask.

"She's going to clear out the inside of the iglu so that we can collapse it before beginning. We don't want the snow beneath the new igluvijaq to collapse beneath us, so we have to destroy the old one first."

Astrila nods. "That makes sense. Aren't you going to help her?"

"You seem content where you are, and I can't go that far, so I'll be making some kriyantli while we wait, so that it's easier to start the building."

"Good." Astrila frowns.

"What is it?"

"I want to help, but I know I can't."

Kōri frowns to himself, thinking hard. "It's only your hands that you can't use, correct?"

"Yes . . ."

"You can pop into the new iglu as we build and tell us from the inside where we need more support." Astrila beams at him.

"I'd like that."

Just then, Ainsley returns. "We are all clear. Everything is out."

Kōri gives her a brief smile. "Good. Did you collapse it already?"

"Yes. Are you ready to start?"

"Of course I am."

Kōri grabs the first of the blocks and approaches the spot where he is going to place it. Ainsley follows with the next one, and they continue alternating blocks as it spirals up into a new igluvijaq. Every so often, Astrila has them pack some more snow into a crack in the walls, but there are few spots where additional support is needed.
________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think of Ainsley's reaction? What do you think they are going to talk about after? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.