[when kukik grew silent, chakliux knew that he sought his own thoughts. he himself continued to shear pieces of blubber and skin besides, stripping back to the bloodied bones which he tested with hard shoves of his strong paw. whales were not held so sacred as seals among his people, but they were fiercely honored in their own right. his villages took seal and sea lion, and shared between all seal hunters the bounty of any larger sea-beast washed to shore. when the walrus boy began to speak, the red-streaked ears of chakliux lifted, cupping to answer. old bull. ivory sister. these spirits too had grown with importance on their journey, and the seal hunter nodded in reverent silence. this gentle voice and quiet smile caught his eye; was there more kukik did not say? "let us give a portion of its blood back to the ocean," chakliux mumured softly. "we will honor ivory sister and old bull in this way." perhaps there was kinship between whales and walrus which he had not yet known till this moment.]

when kukik grew silent, chakliux knew that he sought his own thoughts. he himself continued to shear pieces of blubber and skin besides, stripping back to the bloodied bones which he tested with hard shoves of his strong paw.
whales were not held so sacred as seals among his people, but they were fiercely honored in their own right. his villages took seal and sea lion, and shared between all seal hunters the bounty of any larger sea-beast washed to shore.
when the walrus boy began to speak, the red-streaked ears of chakliux lifted, cupping to answer.
old bull.
ivory sister.
these spirits too had grown with importance on their journey, and the seal hunter nodded in reverent silence.
this gentle voice and quiet smile caught his eye; was there more kukik did not say?
"let us give a portion of its blood back to the ocean," chakliux mumured softly. "we will honor ivory sister and old bull in this way." perhaps there was kinship between whales and walrus which he had not yet known till this moment.