Chakliux's lodge son stood at the cusp of a year. A boy no longer, but not quite a man, Kukik combed the rocky shores of the keep. He had become reclusive as his body grew. He held no lack of gratitude to the seal hunters that cared for him, but a void had been forming in Kukik's chest.

Was he still a walrus hunter? Was he a seal hunter?

In many ways Kukik felt that latter, but he could never truly shake the former.

Lost to his thoughts more often than not, Kukik had grown quiet. Silence clung to the boy like a cloak. The boy thought that perhaps he was trying to observe his own silent period. A makeshift one with the lack of Walrus Hunter men in the vicinity. Would Chakliux know how to make a boy a man?

With no answers to be found, Kukik settled for scouring tidepools for sea creatures stranded by the tide.

[kuy'aa was with elk charm, and so chakliux had turned his attentions back to the salt and the journey ahead. it was time that the seal hunters departed, though these hills had been pleasant in their offerings. he was now possessed of beaver pelts, meadowlark feathers, rabbitskins, meat from freshwater fish, and even a tiny bit of trout roe. these things would be quite valuable to those who lived beside the sea. he had not seen lujing for a time, and wondered if she had gone back to her people. he regretted this if so, but they all must choose where they would be. now his eyes fell to kukik. taller, broader, and more silent, now he hunted the seawater in a sort of vigil. chakliux had watched him grow quiet, and thought it must be many things, the least of which must be the loss of his walrus kin. on broad paws he approached, watching as urchins bristled in the cold salt. we will be leaving soon, spoke the hunter in the pidgin he had created with kukik. his lodge-son was near a man. it was this age, he tried to remember, that he had taken raiyuk to the sea. but they were seal, and he would not press this one beneath the waves. and we will be trading again. is there anything you want to find before we leave the sharadoii?]

kuy'aa was with elk charm, and so chakliux had turned his attentions back to the salt and the journey ahead. it was time that the seal hunters departed, though these hills had been pleasant in their offerings. he was now possessed of beaver pelts, meadowlark feathers, rabbitskins, meat from freshwater fish, and even a tiny bit of trout roe. these things would be quite valuable to those who lived beside the sea.
he had not seen lujing for a time, and wondered if she had gone back to her people. he regretted this if so, but they all must choose where they would be.
now his eyes fell to kukik. taller, broader, and more silent, now he hunted the seawater in a sort of vigil. chakliux had watched him grow quiet, and thought it must be many things, the least of which must be the loss of his walrus kin.
on broad paws he approached, watching as urchins bristled in the cold salt. we will be leaving soon, spoke the hunter in the pidgin he had created with kukik. his lodge-son was near a man. it was this age, he tried to remember, that he had taken raiyuk to the sea. but they were seal, and he would not press this one beneath the waves. and we will be trading again. is there anything you want to find before we leave the sharadoii?

-Will we be returning to the north sea?- Kukik scarcely recalled that stony beach in which he first met his lodge father. It was a memory wrapped in a fogged haze. Much to boy's frustrations, many of his early memories were slipping from his grasp. Kukik spoke in the pidgin he and Chakliux developed. This shared tongue served as the bridge connecting the two, but Kukik wondered how he'd fair in conversation with another of the walrus hunters. Was he losing his ability to speak as he was his memories? 

This wouldn't pose the greatest problem, men were to be silent unless addressed. This was how he often remembered his father. The man a voiceless statue in the presence of his grandmother. In fairness to Hauniq, Kanangnaq was the matriach of their village.

Kukik plundered a mussel from the tide pool, gripping it tightly between his paws as he cracked the shell.

-The water grows colder. Would animal skins and flesh be more valuable this time of year?-

[chakliux and his thoughts took a silently similar tack, for with so few seal hunters in the land, his ideas of a village were paling. yes, he rejoined to both questions. we will keep to the cold and find the sea ice. and we will bring pelts from the valley. he thought, looking toward the sea, eyes shifting thereafter to the rolling hills. go to elk charm. ask what she wishes in trade for five good skins. we will hunt them if she will cure them, the seal man decided. a thought tugged smile to his mouth. will you be scarred, kukik? asked chakliux, though he had grown somber. it was both pain and power he offered, the physical recognition of this boy as his son, but a closing upon the walrus patterns which should also be the boy's birthright.]

chakliux and his thoughts took a silently similar tack, for with so few seal hunters in the land, his ideas of a village were paling. yes, he rejoined to both questions. we will keep to the cold and find the sea ice. and we will bring pelts from the valley.
he thought, looking toward the sea, eyes shifting thereafter to the rolling hills. go to elk charm. ask what she wishes in trade for five good skins. we will hunt them if she will cure them, the seal man decided.
a thought tugged smile to his mouth. will you be scarred, kukik? asked chakliux, though he had grown somber. it was both pain and power he offered, the physical recognition of this boy as his son, but a closing upon the walrus patterns which should also be the boy's birthright.

Chakliux explained their travel plans with practiced ease, and Kukik had no reason to doubt the man's decision. Deftly cracking open the shell of the mussel, he quickly took its flesh within his jaws and swallowed it.

-I will do as you ask.- The boy had spent little time with the caribou hunter, the Sharadoii woman, but Elk Charm he knew was a woman to be respected. With this task now planned, the boy funneled the chore away and enjoyed the presence of his lodge father. It does not take long for Chakliux to pose to him a question he himself had been asking of himself.

Will you be scarred, Kukik?

The boy did not turn his flame colored gaze to Chakliux, instead turning it out to the sea.

-Can I truly become a man?- Kukik understood that physically, he would continue to grow into adulthood, but he was not asking if he would simply stop aging. There was a doubt that pressed the boy's conscious. A lack of understanding the boy had of his place in this world.

Kukik found that the saltwater did not simply remain in the ocean's bed. Water fell from his eyes, to which the boy screwed them shut.

The walrus hunters and seal hunters were separate peoples, even if they were cut from similar cloth. Women held the sway in a walrus hunter village, while seal hunter men commonly had multiple wives. It was funny how both types of hunters went about things, because both of these decisions were made with the understanding that men were expendable.

For a long time now, Kukik had accepted that bitter truth. He was expendable, but perhaps that was simply the way things had to be.

-Would you like me to be scarred?- Kukik understood that it was not an answer he was giving the man.

[it was not the answer chakliux sought. there was no reason to go to such effort if it was not in the heart of kukik. besides -- the seal hunter did not know if this would break his adopted son away from the spirits of his people for eternity. you can become one of the seal hunters, he said quietly. but if your soul is also walrus and you do not want it to be changed, then we will find another way. another ritual. there were many clans between walrus and seal. he and kukik had made a language together. they would be able to seek this also. either way, you will become a man. these things did not need to be rushed. you will always be of my spirit, kukik. no matter what you choose. and that was word of a father, and that must be enough.]

---

sorry for this wait! <3

it was not the answer chakliux sought. there was no reason to go to such effort if it was not in the heart of kukik. besides -- the seal hunter did not know if this would break his adopted son away from the spirits of his people for eternity. you can become one of the seal hunters, he said quietly. but if your soul is also walrus and you do not want it to be changed, then we will find another way. another ritual.
there were many clans between walrus and seal. he and kukik had made a language together. they would be able to seek this also. either way, you will become a man.
these things did not need to be rushed.
you will always be of my spirit, kukik. no matter what you choose. and that was word of a father, and that must be enough.