Vizsha raised his head from the work of pushing his sled as he came into the last valley of his trek. This valley was the home of his family ever since their fleeing to the peaks. The valley found itself between three of the highest peaks in this ridge and could well be considered the highest valley in the region. Each of these peaks were named after the Three Sisters that were found in the night sky and amongst his people this valley was known as the Trail to Heaven.

A handful of yurts surrounded the small lake that rested in the middle of the valley. It was due to the unique nature of this lake that his family was able to exist here at all. A great time ago, in the distant past, a giant of a leviathan must have died. After ages passed, all that was left of him was his hulking fireheart. This heart found its place in the depth of the bowl-shaped valley, giving off enough heat to melt the snow around it. this melt formed a lake that, while mostly frozen overtop, was still liquid beneath. It was this source of water that provided the breeding and feeding places for the junsk that were vital to the survival of all the families that found their home in this remote mountain range.

Coming into this valley, Vizsha set his course for the largest of the yurts. Where this structure was once nearly too small for his family, he knew it would be all but empty when he returned. He tried to keep his mind on the task at hand as he coasted down the path towards his family’s yurt.

Before he could reach the first yurt nearest to the saddle pass he had crested over a young girl ran up to his sled. “Vizsha, you’re back!” She yelled with a large grin on her face. “We were so worried about you. Well Kunn was worried. I told him you’d be fine. You’re strong and smart and there’s nothing in the Lowlands that you couldn’t handle.”

Vizsha couldn’t help but smile at that. Suni was only a year younger than he was, but she always seemed like a little kid to him. He couldn’t help but notice that she had feelings for him, and he knew his mother had planned on their union before she had passed last year.

Thinking about his dwindling family took the smile from him and replaced it with a determined grimace. “It’s good to see you too Suni. Yes, I am ok, but don’t think the Lowlands are something to play around with.” Taking the tooth from his bag he held it up to show her. “This belonged to something big enough to kill even a railm. I’m ok because I barely got close to the Lowlands. Never forget why we live in these mountains.” He came across harsher than he had intended due to the hurt of remembering his loss, but he needed to know Suni would stay safe up her in the Trail to Heaven.

“I know Vizsha, don’t treat me as a kid.” Suni responded with some hurt. “I just know you, and I know you wouldn’t leave me here. That’s all. I’m glad you’re safe.” Her last words stung a little as she stormed back to her family's yurt. He remembered that her father had gone with his own down to the Lowlands to try to make contact with the humans. The whole of that party had left just under 4 months ago and still hadn’t returned. Cursing his insensitivity, he pressed onwards towards home, making a note to do something for Suni soon to make it up to her.

Leaving his sled near the junsk pup igloos, he stretched his sore muscles and braced himself for whatever he would be greeted with when he entered his home. Opening the flaps, he didn’t make it more than a step into the yurt before he was nearly taken off his feet by a heavy scaled weight. “Brother!” Came a voice from the back of the hut. After his eyes adjusted, he saw his sister moving quickly towards him as his trusty friend Loona tried to wrap her tail around his legs and gnaw a hole in his coat to show him how much he was missed. Grabbing the loose skin behind her neck spines, he brought her up to his shoulders and let her wrap herself around his neck and shoulders as her two squat legs hung over his left shoulder and her head rested between his horns.

After Loona took her place, he walked forward and wrapped his arms around Haka. “It’s been too long sister. I see the yurt is still in one piece. You must have done a good job of taking care of our home while I was gone.”

Blushing a bit, she responded “I don’t know about that Vizsha. Without the elder I don’t know what I would have done. There is still so much I need to learn before I could take care of your home husband.”

Cringing and pulling away, Vizsha responded harshly “I told you not to call me that. I am your brother. There are still many days for father to return and I will not accept you giving up on him or Jamb.” His harshness made Haka’s blush deepen as her smile turned. “It is customary for the eldest left without father or mother to join to keep the family name. Yes, even the elder will not proclaim father dead for another month, but please grow accustomed to knowing me as your wife. You don’t have to take me alone, as I am sure there are others that would wish to be a chieftains wife, but for the sake of our mother and father please remember your duty to me and to the future children of this family.”

Her words cut with truth as Vizsha reeled from the intensity of her conviction and the emotions her words brought. He still thought of her as a child, yet she had seen nearly as many winters as he had and just as much loss.

“I’m sorry Haka.” He decided to call her by her proper name in this moment despite the insult it was to not name a family member by their relation. “Please just give me till the fifth moon and Boab’s proclamation. Then you will share my bed and be my wife. Let me hold onto this hope till then. We don’t know that father is gone.” The last sentence came out weaker and more childish than he wished, but his emotions had caught up to him in the moment.

Seeing the pain in her brothers face, Haka relented and simply came close and held him in her arms. Vizsha contained the sobs that bubbled within him. He felt as helpless as he had when Hebo had burned. Then he had sobbed for many hours as Haka had held him and tended to his burnt hand. While she was younger than him by two winters ever since their mother had fallen ill and eventually passed, Haka had to be the mother of the family. As the oldest daughter she had to consider the possibility of becoming her father's wife as well. While that never happened, Haka still took the responsibility of mother onto her shoulders since that time.

“I’m sorry Haka, you’re always taking care of me.” Vizsha said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “I know you will be a wonderful wife to someone someday and an even better mother.” This seemed to put her on the edge of tears as they both moved into the center of the yurt and sat together near the fire. Loona curled her long serpentine body around the two of them as Vizsha began to tell her about his hunt and all that he had found out during it.

They both knew there was much work to do before the end of the day. Meat to smoke, pups to feed, and families to greet, along with all else that needed to be done. These responsibilities were pressing in from all sides; however, in this moment, all that mattered to this small fractured family was this moment of being together with each other. The rest of today's worries could wait.