Gifted Pelt

Chapter 30

Astrila steps outside the iglu and sighs, almost rubbing her face with bloodstained hands. There is a crunch of snow and she looks up from the ground to see Kōri staring at her with wide, shock-filled eyes. She frowns at him, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Kōri, what's wrong?"

He gapes for a moment before gulping and speaking at last. "What happened in there? You're soaked in blood."

Astrila's answer is short and clipped. "Nanuq attacked the hunting party."

Kōri looks shocked. "Why would Nanuq attack? He should have had food."

Astrila shrugs. "Be that as it may, he attacked. We'll be eating him tonight, I think. I wonder who will get his pelt?"

Kōri nods thoughtfully then looks behind her, towards the entrance to the iglu. "Is he alright?"

Astrila nods as she crouches down to grab a handful of snow, rubbing it against her hands. "Yes, Atiqtalaaq is going to be alright. The healing was tough, but we got him to stop bleeding long enough for him to clot. He will be staying on bed rest for a while though. He can't open his wound back up."

Astrila opens her hands to inspect them, letting the blood-stained snow fall down to the ground. There are some dried remnants of blood still lingering, but the majority of them are under her fingernails, where the snow can't reach. She slips her gloves back on, fingers curling in the delightful warmth. Kōri smiles at her, a bit nervously. She grins back.

"What is it, Kōri?"

"Are you free from your duties today?"

Astrila shrugs. "I don't know, but I can ask."

She ducks back into the iglu, quickly enveloped by the warmth of the insulating kriyantli. Tonraq looks up at her, his eyes sparkling despite the exhaustion lining his face.

"Kōri wants to know if you're done for today?" Astrila nods, grinning at how easily he can figure out what she wants to ask. "Yes, you're done. I'll see you tomorrow, Astrila."

She bows her head toward Tonraq in gratitude and returns to Kōri, finding him shifting from foot to foot in anxious anticipation. Her mouth twitches up into a smirk when she sees it.

"What are you nervous about, Kōri?"

He stills, and a series of emotions flit across his face before he settles into a nervous smile.

"We have some daylight left, do you want to go see the lagoon? Really see it, I mean. We could go swimming."

It takes her a couple of moments to respond, enough time for Kōri to start wringing his hands together, anxious. Astrila steps closer and places one hand over his. His fingers still, and she smiles up at him.

"That would be nice."

His eyes widen slightly and he stares into hers. Kōri's gaze bores into her, almost like he is searching for something. At last, he pulls away, but he isn't quick enough to keep her from seeing some clue to what he was searching for. There is a tiny sparkle of hope, hiding among the gold flecks of his eyes. It disappears an instant later, sinking back inside him as he pulls away.

"Come on."

Astrila smiles softly and follows him away from the iglu. Once they make it over the snow-flattened hills that are surrounding the village, they stare out at the flat expanse of the tundra. It is quiet and calm, and the wind has disappeared for a while. This is one of the rare moments in winter where there is just silence. No howling wind, no crackling of snow as things move over it, just . . . silence. Quiet, peaceful silence. A whisper brushes past her and Astrila gasps, her skin tingling as one tiny gust of wind stirs her hair.

A song rises out of the silence, eerie and ethereal. She almost leans into the sound, drawn towards it. Then it shifts, and a twinge of alarm courses down her body. The wind-song turns dark, still eerie, but it's no longer peaceful. It almost seems to be a warning. Kōri is about to start across the snow, but Astrila stops him, blocking his chest with her hand. The sound of snow crunching would distract her. Out of the corner of her eye, Astrila sees him give her a quizzical look, but he doesn't speak. Her ears strain towards the music, and she hears its message at last.

Something is coming. Be prepared. Learn what you can.

Then the music shifts again, as if it's aware that she understands it now. The message changes.

Prepare yourself for an approaching journey. The time comes near.

Astrila wants to question further, wants to understand, but she doesn't. A message is being delivered here, her questions won't be answered. She knows that deep inside, and her magic seems to give her a nod from the back of her mind. The music fades away as quickly as it came, the wind's message delivered.

She sags, and Kōri speaks, understanding that whatever urgency she had that needed his silence has disappeared. "Astrila, what happened?"

She breathes, "A song on the wind."

"What?"

"A message, Kōri. The wind sent a message."
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What do you think about the wind-song/ the message? What does it mean? How do you think she will prepare? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.