Gifted Pelt

Chapter 39

Astrila leans back on her heels and sighs, pushing away the pain that courses through her leg. Her eyes feel heavy, and she can see Kōri's drooping. Has the sun slipped beneath the horizon yet? She moves towards the door on silent feet. The iglu is small enough that Kōri shouldn't feel the strain of the distance. The sky is dark and littered with the winter stars. Night must have fallen quite some time ago for the world to be this dark. She can barely see her father's main iglu, the one he sleeps in. She ducks back inside, only to see Kōri in the midst of falling asleep while sitting.

"I think it's time to end this for tonight."

Kayi frowns. "Why is that?"

"I'm about to fall asleep, Kōri is falling asleep, and it's been a while since the sun went down."

His eyes widen. "It has?"

Astrila chuckles. "You can check for yourself."

She is mildly surprised when he actually does so, darting to the door and peering out. When he returns, there is an apology in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to keep you so late."

Astrila shrugs. "It's not your fault, and we needed to go over all the information anyways. Kōri just gets tired easily, apparently."

A smile blooms across Kayi's face. "That he does. Will we meet back here tomorrow?"

"Yes, after my rounds with Tonraq."

Astrila steps over to Kōri and nudges him. "Kōri, time to go back."

He just groans and mumbles. Astrila has to stifle a giggle, and when she looks up at her father, there is an amused twinkle of light in his eyes.

"I guess he already fell asleep. Oh well."

Astrila crouches down and lifts Kōri, her shoulder and leg wounds straining at the pain. Kayi raises an eyebrow at her.

"You're stronger than I thought."

She shrugs. "I used to follow the hunters around."

"No, that's not it. You're stronger than your body structure says you should be, it has to do with the ancestry."

Astrila scowls. "Are any of my talents my own? Any of them?"

Kayi lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Your snow pictures are your own. How could they not be?"

Despite his attempt at reassurance, Astrila's heart sinks at that. So meager of a skill is all she has? She fumbles for something to deflect the conversation away, and steps towards the door, Kōri in her arms.

"I should go now."

Kayi's smile is sad and subdued as he gives her a nod. She darts through the door as fast as she can with her leg slowing her. Kōri barely shifts in her arms as she makes her way through the village, staying close to the walls of the igluit. It's too dark for her to see much, so she needs the igluit to keep her bearings. In this darkness, she is grateful that each iglu has its own unique carvings, they serve as a map back to her own. The space between igluit falls empty for a moment before an iglu wall comes into view.

The designs on this one are light and friendly, familiar like her own heartbeat as they leap and dance in their own story. Home. They've reached their iglu. Astrila smiles to herself. How had the iglu already become home? She's only been on the island for a couple of weeks. As Astrila steps inside the iglu, she almost shivers at the change in temperature. She hadn't realized it had already gotten so cold outside. Astrila sets Kōri down on his bed of furs and wraps them around him.

Once she is satisfied with Kōri's bed, she sits back to study him for a moment. It's strange to see him sleep. His features are softer, almost past the point where they still seem to be part of him. He looks ethereal, ghostly, despite his dark skin. If she couldn't hear the sound of his breathing and feel the warmth of his skin, she would be afraid that he was a spirit. That's how strange and different he looks in deep sleep. She tenderly brushes his hair with her hand, smoothing it aside.

Then she stands and moves towards her own bed, glancing back at him. It's a long look, full of emotion. She doesn't know what emotion, not yet. But it's something, something strong. Astrila curls up into her own bed and stares at the fire, drawing her pelt tightly around her shoulders. Something doesn't seem right, it seems off. Like she should remember it, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't. It flickers at the back of her memory and she almost tries to ask her magic about it. But she doesn't know how to do that. So she doesn't try, and just stares into the flickering fire and its red embers until she falls asleep.
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Poor Astrila, she wants her talents to be her own. What do you think the emotions she felt were? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.