It was not without word that she let Kusax̱asaa know of her march to the river. She took two full pelts. “I will take care of them,” she promised, beg as she had to for permission that would have likely been taken regardless. They were slid upon her back, heavy and overly warm as the sun first sat its arms upon her body in the early morning. A dew claw was taken too, held in her mouth. Owl feathers were tucked into thick ear fur, their quills dipped into blood so that they would create firm mats.

It was enough to make it through the first night. How long had it been since she walked alone?
It must have been in the hunt for Sulukinak. Yet somehow, the girl dreamed instead of scaling the mountains, reaching for a peak which she had seen each night in the lonely dark of the lake. Only just a child then. One who said few words, for she had no one to that could give them back to her.

The second night was harder. Tired, eyes closing and legs stumbling as the pain grew unbearable in her gait. It was harder to hide some days. It was easier within Saatsine’s camp with the caribou, where they often had much time to rest. Much time to themselves. In the open, when there were none which she could see, that was when the girl’s body broke free of perfection. Limping, falling. Burning, and every ankle cramping terribly. Sharp pain into the shoulders.

If she slept, would she wake in time to fight?

It was the third morning, where a river made of glass soothed her into deep, deep sleep. Birdsong and wolfsong rushed down into the valley. Gifts from the mountains.

She awoke underneath caribou furs. Rising, it took time for her to act. One was carefully picked from the edge and carefully placed into the river, held in place by a firm paw from floating away. Perhaps it was a blessing that none of the Lanzadoii knew Inupiaq. For it had been the moonvillage tongue. A language she would never let go of, even if it costed her head.

Soft song, for herself and herself alone. “The handsome boy there, he is staring at your face. Do not look, do not look. I will say the words loud so he will hear them: '"What did your father ask in trade?”’Aya, aya, aya.”

The other edge was slowly lifted out, where there a stone was flipped to hold it in place.

“Now he believes you will be married. See how he runs to find his own furs! He will bring them to your father. He will run to ask you first.”