Gifted Pelt

Chapter 54

Astrila holds her hands behind her back as she grins at Kōri. Her voice is musical in her amusement.

"I have something for you!"

He laughs at her excitement. "What is it?"

She slowly reveals the objects in her hands, the snowshoes. Kōri frowns at them.

"What are those?"

"They're called snowshoes."

"Okay . . ."

Astrila grins. "They will help you walk better on top of the snow! You won't be falling through anymore."

He just stares at her for a moment, incredulous, before he bursts into laughter. "Well then. Let's see how they work."

She holds them out to them and he takes hold of the smaller end. Kōri sits in the stone and carefully pulls them on, struggling slightly with the straps. Once he is satisfied with the fit, he stands. The snow doesn't shift beneath him, but it's already very packed. Astrila follows Kōri as he walks over to where the snow isn't very packed, and the snow barely dents beneath his snowshoe. The imprint of the snowshoe is barely there. Kōri takes one show off and places his foot onto the snow. He sinks several centimeters into the snow, and he hastily puts the snowshoe back onto his foot, flushing.

He gives her a small, embarrassed smile. "I guess I really needed those."

Astrila nods and steps over to him to give him a quick peck on the lips. His face darkens even more and he shifts on his feet. Astrila laughs and pulls him back towards their iglu. He follows her with ease, his snowshoes letting him easily cross the snowy expanse of tundra. Astrila ducks inside the iglu first, placing the carving of the aurora against the snowy wall beside her bed. Kōri follows her over and shifts closer to examine it.

"Where did you get this?"

"At Kangiqtugaapik. One of the artists there was an old friend of my mother and she gave it to me."

Kōri smiles. "It's lovely. Especially with those little animals dancing in the aurora. Especially the seals."

Astrila laughs brightly. "Of course you like the seals best."

Kōri shrugs, a smirking grin on his face. "What can I say? I'm biased."

She lightly wacks him on the shoulder. "Oh, hush."

Her pendant shifts at the movement and snags Kōri's attention. He frowns at it.

"What is it, Kōri?"

"When did you get these two symbols?"

Her brow furrows in confusion but she lifts the hook up to examine it. There is a symbol of an orca with a snarling wolf's head. It's clear what that symbol refers to, the Akh'lut. The other symbol is a polar bear head, Nanuq.

"Astrila . . ."

Her eyes raise to look at Kōri's brown ones. "Yes?"

"Why do you have these two symbols?"

She shrugs. "I'm not entirely sure. I encountered an Akh'lut on the way to the city - or town, to use Tarkik's term - and Nanuq entered the city while we were there. But I don't understand why that showed up on the hook, Nanuq, at least. I did talk with the Akh'lut, Atka."

Kōri blinks for a couple of moments, stunned. "You talked with an Akh'lut?" Astrila nods nervously. "How and why? Also, how do you know the Akh'lut's name?"

"She didn't know we were selkies and thought that we were normal seals. She was hungry and started hunting us, but we made it up to an ice floe. When she surfaced, I . . . I just talked to her. I placed my hand on her side and we spoke, mind to mind. Just like when my magic talks to me."

"How do you know her name?"

"She told me?"

Kōri frowns in confusion. "Why would she tell you?"

"We'd met before. Do you remember the wolf by the lagoon?" He nods. "That was her."

Kōri's eyes widen in shock. "And Nanuq?"

Astrila shrugs. "I don't-"

She cuts off and her eyes widen as she remembers the object the Nanuq had left for her. She trusts Kōri enough to let him see it. Astrila pats the pocket of her belt pouch for the object and feels nothing. Her pulse quickens in panic and she slides her hand inside the pouch, feeling around it for anything. At last, she grabs hold of something small and spherical, but far smaller than the object she remembered placing inside the pouch. But she doesn't remember placing anything like this object in the pouch either. Astrila pulls it out and the small orb grows in size until it is a smooth ball the size of her two hands cupped together. It looks akin to ice, but something seems to be swirling inside of it. The substance shines gently, reminding Astrila of the tendril of wind that guided her to her father when he was at the lagoon. Kōri touches its surface gently, but his hand slips through it as if it isn't even there. He swiftly pulls his hand back, his eyes wide.

"What is that?"

"I don't know but Nanuq left it for me."

"Don't show anyone else."

Astrila nods and tucks the orb back inside her pouch, only slightly surprised when it shrinks back down to the size of her fingernail.
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What do you think the object is? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.