Seagull and Raven
Tulugaq held his hand up to the sky and counted his heartbeats. It took twelve beats for the light to move from the tip of his littlest finger to the end of his thumb.
“This is a very strange omen,” the shaman said from behind him. “I don’t know what it means." The two stood on the ridge overlooking the village, the blast of cold wind from over the water hitting them full in the face. Everyone else was in their stone houses, staying warm by the oil lamps and trading tales to pass the time.
What does he want me to say? Tulugaq wondered. First he tells me the spirits say I cannot be his apprentice, then he brings me – and me alone – outside to see this. Why?
The sun had not yet risen to mark the end of winter, but it’s time was coming. The sky was already too blue for s
