The Journey Around The World, In Order To Save Spring

Trials and Tribulations

"Are you Tiguaak Amaruq, son of Tukkuttok of the House of Onnattuk?"

"Yes", Amaruq said as he stood in front of the row of seated elders. Their muzzles whited with age. One of them having just asked the previous question. He was vaguely aware of his dad somewhere to his left and the tribe chieftain to his right.

"And are you aware of your actions done during the hunt earlier today?"
"Yes"
"Very well," the elders then proceeded to discuss with each other over the matter, before finally stopping, "We have reached a decision. You are hereby sentenced with two weeks of cub-sitting duty. Elders! Dismiss."

"Yes, elder...", Amaruq sighed to no one in particular. Once the elders have left, the chief approached him, while his dad stood off to their side. "Amaruq, I must ask, why did you let the prey get away?" The chief began. "Umm... well sir, you see, the doe had recently fawned. I couldn't leave the helpless youngling motherless," he reasoned. He did not actually believe what he did was wrong.

"I know that you did what you think was right. I really do," the chief calmly said. "However, it is detrimental to the pack if this goes on. As the alpha, it is my duty to make sure of the pack's well-being. This action of yours would be fine normally, but the winter this year seems to not want to end soon," Inuksuk finished. Amaruq thought about groundhogs at that. They're apparently very good at telling when spring will come. "I hope you don't take this to heart. Cheer up and take the punishment like a male", the chief smiled reassuringly. "Yes, chief," the lower-ranking adolescent said with a polite smile.

As the chief also withdrew himself from the hut, Amaruq was comforted by his dad. "Ah, don't worry about them, son. What you did was right, it's just the hunger getting to them. Everyone's hungry these days with the lack of game due to the late spring. Come on, let's go back to our tupiq and rustle up some grub. I'm pretty sure I have some leftover berries somewhere. How's that?" Tukkuttok consoled. Amaruq could only nod slowly as his dad said all that before replying to him, "Yeah. That sounds great, Atâtak".

They took the path back to their hut. Tukkuttok had his arm on his son's shoulders as they silently walked, with only the sound of the gravel underneath Amaruq's boots and his own paw pads, and of the tribe preparing for the night around the duo. To the others it would've been difficult, but balancing without a tail was second nature to Amaruq. The wind blew, ruffling the fur on his dad's head, reminding him of his own lack of fur. Luckily, living in the cold subpolar environment has made him much more resilient to glacial temperatures than anyone from the South. Having a parka on didn't hurt too.

At home, his dad gave him the promised fruits in a wooden bowl which carved by himself, much like everything else in the hut and the hut itself. As they sat down, Tukkuttok talked to his son, "Look, Amar. I can't keep defending you from the elders and from the alpha. You recently underwent the coming-of-age ceremony, which means you can't avoid all of the laws of our pack anymore".

Amaruq went back to looking sad even with the bowl of berries in his hands and said, "I know," softly. His dad didn't look much happier. "It will be hard for you, if I were to be honest. But I just want you to be safe. I can't lose you. Not after your mother". He knew how difficult the subject was for his dad, so he only said, "I will, Atâtak. I promise."

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A few weeks had passed, and Amaruq had carried out his punishment. The tribe's young ones had been rowdy, but it was over now, unlike some other things. The winter being a prime example. For some reason, it had been snowing heavily a lot since the last time we checked on our young friend. This brought about concern, of course, within the community. It also piqued the curiosity of Amaruq, seeing that he was naturally inquisitive as a kid, always looking for knowledge of the world around him.

Accordingly, when he heard that the elders, tribe leader and his second-in-command, basically the VIPs of the tribe, were having a meeting, he had to get in on it. On the night of the meeting, Amaruq snuck out of his and his dad's hut and seeked out the hut at which the gathering will take place. Since his sense of smell wasn't as well-developed as any of his tribe mates', what with him not having a snout and all, it was a little harder for him to find the right hut, but eventually he did.

He sidled up to the side of the hut nearest the opening and listened intently. If he had ears like his dad or his other tribe mates, they would have swivelled atop his head. His ears, however, stayed put on the side of his head.

"You know the reason why this is happening!" Someone, probably an elder, said agitatedly.

"Regardless of why they are angered, we only have one choice now, don't we?" Another voice, Amaruq recognised as the tribe chieftain, said, his voice as steady as a rock.

"How about moving the pack? We could always just live further South for a while," a  third voice suggested.

"No, that option isn't viable anymore. The snow would be ahead of us every step of the way if we travelled now," a fourth voice that Amaruq thought sounded like the second-in-command suggested.

"Then it's decided. The only way left to fix this, is to bring the goddess Asiaq's statue to the sacred temple on that mountain," the chief said with an air of finality.

Amaruq let out a gasp of shock. They had to do what? It seemed like such a dangerous task. All because some- some... deities were cross? It seemed mad. And yet... Amaruq can't help and feel as if he was partly responsible, saving those animals he felt he needed to. Who were they going to send to accomplish this dastardly mission anyway? One of the warriors? Surely it wouldn't be one of the ones who attended this meeting?

Luckily, his befuddled mind was still able to move his body back home. While he lay on his bed of furs next to his dad's, his mind was filled with what he had been privy too. A mission? To some far away temple? He kept thinking about who would be chosen to do it, how dangerous it would be and also how much of the world the person doing it will get to see. They might see waterfalls, canyons, larger civilisations than theirs, a lot of people and creatures no one else in the tribe would have ever seen! All of his thoughts melded together before Amaruq entered dreamland