Family Tails

A Story of a Mixed Family in the Genetic Age

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Names of actual businesses, their products, etc, are the property of their respective owners.

Story and characters © 2013 Ronald J. Lebeck

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Chapter 2

Lupina's first night alone was a bit unnerving for her. She had never been so alone in her whole life. She did remember to put the stout wooden bar across the door after Miki left to get ready for work, so she felt somewhat secure.

Even though The Center was out in the country somewhere, for security, the G.E.L.F.s never left the walled compound for any reason, except on certain special occasions. This wasn't to keep them in, but rather to keep unwanted people out. The various investors ostensibly wanted to keep their investment secure from corporate (or even government) spies, photographers of all sorts, and those fanatics who might want to harm them. There were times, though, when the G.E.L.F.s would take a ride on a special private bus with limo-darkened bulletproof windows and hidden armor behind the exterior shell, so that they could go into a city and observe humans going about their daily routines. This was to acquaint them with human society by giving them a first-hand look while the staff members explained things. The G.E.L.F.s had been given practical life training on preparing them to eventually taking care of their own selves, such as how to cook, clean, wash clothes, basic sewing, using a phone, how to use a computer, use appliances, and so forth. This was in addition to their regular, formal education--which is actually more than is standard for the public education system.

However, as Lupina was quick to find out, basic wilderness survival skills weren't something that they were taught. She would have to bring that up with The Center. If it hadn't been for making friends with Miki, Lupina didn't know what she would have done.

She was getting hungry again, so Lupina opened a large can of beef stew and dumped the contents into a cook pot she had found (and washed first), and set it on the cooking grate in the fireplace. It didn't take long to heat up the stew, so she decided to eat directly from the pot in order to save on the number of things she would have to clean up later. After cleaning up the last traces of gravy with a piece of bread, she proceeded to wash the pot and spoon she had used, as well as rinse out the can. Miki had instructed her to do that and also to flatten it, to deter four legged ones from getting cut or their heads stuck in it (should they somehow get into the trash). Her hunger satisfied for the time being, Lupina settled in for the night, reading the book she had started on by the light of the fireplace and an oil lamp. While it might have been a strain on the eyes of a human, her light-sensitive eyes didn't have a problem.

Eventually she grew sleepy and put her book away, put out the lamp, and got into her sleeping bag. Keeping a flashlight and a stout stick handy, Lupina fell asleep. As she had thought earlier, every unfamiliar sound woke her up all night long. When she was awake, she tried not to dwell on the thought of being alone. Gone were all of the familiar scents and sounds that she had known back at The Center, gone too were the friends that she had grown up with who she considered to be the only sense of family she had ever known. She really missed listening to Willie play soothing music on his violin, and hoped that he would pull through. Lupina had learned through the grapevine that as soon as he was stable enough, he was returned to The Center for further treatment. Willie had been badly hurt, and the doctors at the human hospital didn't quite know how to treat him. Thankfully, someone found a slip of paper in his clothing with an emergency phone number for The Center and called to tell what had happened. A private jet was rushed to Chicago to pick him up and bring him back to Texas so that the specialists in G.E.L.F. physiology could work on treating his injuries. A human might think it rather odd for a wolf to care about a mouse in such a way, but Willie was just one of those highly likeable individuals that everyone--G.E.L.F. and human staffer alike--enjoyed his company. (Rumor had it that he was given the name Willie after a famous early cartoon character that would later be the basis for another even more famous mouse character.)

After sleeping fitfully off and on all night, Lupina finally got up around eight o'clock in the morning. She stoked up the fire and added some more wood to it, and got the camp style coffee pot out to make some coffee. "Well, this ought to prove interesting," she thought aloud. Lupina had never made coffee before in anything other than an automatic drip coffee maker. The first batch proved somewhat less than perfect, but she drank it anyway. The toilet facilities in the cabin consisted of a twenty-liter plastic bucket that had a seat on it, with a plastic bag inserted, and a bag of quicklime nearby, with a makeshift curtain for privacy. "Oh, just lovely," she commented with heavy sarcasm as her body started to make certain demands. When she went to wash her hands afterwards, she just about yelped at how cold the water was in the washbasin. "Yiii!!! That's...cold!!!" While she was warming her hands by the fire, she said to herself, "Some big, bad wolf you are, Lu ol' gal. That real estate agent thought I might be able to teach the humans something...well, who's going to teach me how to survive out here?"

Lupina set about fixing herself some breakfast, a can of corned beef hash and some eggs with some shredded cheese added. When it was ready, she sat at the little table and ate, thinking about what she could possibly do today. It wasn't very light out yet, and the sky was overcast. Before she left the hotel, the forecast for the rest of the week called for rain, which would make walking to and from town miserable. Miki probably wouldn't be by again until the weekend, so Lupina would have to walk into town if she wanted to do anything. Given the distance, she would have to start out early and wouldn't have a lot of time to spend in town before having to head back to the cabin. If she was lucky, maybe somebody would stop and give her a ride...but then she thought about what happened to Willie. There wouldn't be any nice person to come to her rescue out here. Alcoholism was a problem among the humans, and they are prone to do some really stupid things when drunk...even violent things. There was no telling what a bunch of drunken humans would do to her--she shuddered at the thoughts that ran through her mind.

Eventually Lupina went outside to bring in some more firewood. On her second trip to the woodpile, it started to rain lightly. At least she had a tarp over it to keep the wood dry. Lupina made one more trip to bring wood in, and then secured the door to the cabin. "Geez, it looks like it's going to be a boring day today," she said to herself rather glumly. In the early afternoon, the rain stopped for a while, so she decided to get out and walk up to the road to stretch her legs a bit. Taking the stick with her that she had kept by her bed during the night, she shut the door and struck off. About half way to the road, she thought she smelled something other than the smell of the woods, so she kept her senses alert. It was a good two hundred meters to the road from the cabin, and half of that distance was through the woods. Lupina's cell phone beeped about the time she reached the road, which is where she was able to get a signal.

There was a text message from Miki that read, "r u ok? txt me if u can <3".

Lupina smiled, and sent a reply back. "BORED lone wolf :( "

She put the phone back into her pocket and started to head back. Lupina got about 5 meters or so when her phone beeped again. There was another message from Miki.

"see u sat a.m. hang in there!"

"Yeah, if I don't go stir crazy by then," Lupina smirked.

As she walked back towards the cabin, Lupina caught that scent in the air again that she smelled earlier, only this time it was stronger. Coming around a curve in the lane, she met a large animal that was grazing. Lupina remembered seeing a picture of one and she recalled what it was--a moose. It lifted its antlered head, and stared at her, before making kind of an odd sounding "moo". "What are_you_ looking at? If you think I'm going to chase you down, forget it! I get my steaks from the grocery store! Now you just go on about your business and don't get any funny ideas!" Keeping a wary eye on the moose, she started to walk slowly on by, hoping that it wouldn't do anything stupid...like charge her. Although she could run at a much faster pace than a human could, she wasn't sure if she could outrun a hostile moose. When she heard it snort and paw at the ground, she spun around and snarled, waving the stick she was carrying. Somewhere deep inside, she felt something stir that she had never felt before--it was her wild instincts kicking in. A part of her mind thought about what they were told in their classes at The Center. Even though their DNA had been re-engineered using human DNA as a template, they would likely still have all of the instincts inherent in the species they were created from. With any luck, the more human-like aspects of their minds could learn how to tap into and use those strong instincts to their advantage. The moose, somewhere in his dim mind, probably could have dealt with having just one four-footed wolf to contend with; an unarmed human would have been easy enough to deal with, too. A wolf that walked like a human, made sounds like both a wolf and a human, and was wildly swinging a stick, proved just a little more than unsettling to the moose. The moose only thought of three options: continue eating, fight, or run. Eating with a snarling wolf in your immediate vicinity wasn't a safe thing to do. Attacking was as good of an option as any and might discourage a lone wolf, but what if there were more of these weird looking wolves nearby? It's better to eat than be eaten, and he didn't fancy being the guest of honor at a feast. As for running...well, there was a female moose nearby, and that might not look too good, so...he charged. Thinking quickly, she dived into the trees with the thought that those big antlers would be a hindrance at trying to run through dense woods. The moose stupidly tried to follow, but she was too fast and agile for him. Using the trees as cover, she snarled and gave him a few whacks with the stick--not enough to really hurt him, just trying to discourage the idiot from chasing her any further into the woods. When she saw a chance, Lupina bolted through the woods in the direction of the cabin, weaving through the trees and jumping over fallen branches. Upon reaching the door, she fumbled with the latch a few seconds before she got it open and quickly got inside and barred the door. As soon as she caught her breath, she looked out the window. No sign of the moose. "Stupid idiot." After a few minutes, she plopped herself down on the cot just as the realization of what happened began to sink in. Lupina buried her head under the pillow and cried.

She spent the rest of the day and night in the cabin, as well as all day Wednesday, not feeling like doing much. Unfortunately, there just wasn't much that she _could_do. The next day, Thursday, she decided to try walking into town. Lupina walked warily to the road, hoping that the moose wasn't anywhere around. She really didn't know much about them, other than they have been known to attack dogsled teams on occasion, and that they were big. Once she got to the road, she headed towards town at a brisk pace. Not a single vehicle went by until she was nearly to the city limits. The driver of one pickup truck did slow down as if to stop, though he rolled the window down and started to make some rude comment about her tail...until she turned to face him and he saw that she wasn't human. He shouted some obscenities and sped off. "Jerk!" Lupina yelled back in disgust as he drove off.

There was still nothing else available at the real estate office, and there were no replies to her job inquiries. Around noon, she stopped to get a sandwich and a cup of coffee. It was proving to be a long and unproductive day, and she didn't have anything to show for her efforts. That, and the dismally overcast sky, wasn't helping her mood.

While Lupina was walking downtown, unbeknownst to her the driver of one SUV that went by noticed her--as in really noticed her. He, like many other humans, had been following closely the news about the G.E.L.F.s. A tall, slender built, middle-aged man, who-- among other things-- had a rather passionate interest in anthropomorphic art and characters, and for a long time, he wished he could meet such beings in reality. When the story broke about the existence of the G.E.L.F.s, the websites devoted to anthropomorphic--or "furry"--art and stories, were a buzz with talk about them. Ever since he saw the G.E.L.F female that day, he kept an eye out for her, hoping that maybe their paths might cross.

Lupina stopped at a grocery store and picked up a few things before heading back to the cabin. It was going to be a long walk so she didn't get much. After about an hour and forty-five minutes, she finally got back to the cabin in the woods just before dark. Lupina read the newspaper that she had picked up, and then fixed her supper. Afterwards, she sat and read until she got sleepy and decided to go to bed.

Friday proved to be another chilly, rainy day, so she didn't do much else other than bring in some more wood, eat, read, and nap on and off. Saturday morning she woke up to the sound of a horn honking, and it was coming closer. Lupina got out of her sleeping bag and peeked out the window, sure enough, it was Miki's little SUV coming up the lane...with another vehicle behind her. Lupina hurriedly got dressed and stepped outside to greet Miki.

"Uvlaalluataq!"[1]Miki called out excitedly when Lupina stepped outside. Seeing the confused look on Lupina's face, she added, "In Inupiatun[2], that's how we say 'good morning'," Miki said as she walked up to greet her friend with a big smile.

"Ah, yeah, I guess it is morning," Lupina replied as Miki gave her a quick hug.

"Woodpile's over here guys!" Miki called out to the three others in the pickup.

The driver backed his vehicle up to where Miki had directed him, and everyone got out and said hi. The pickup truck had a load of wood in the back and the guys started unloading and stacking it with the rest. Lupina stared for a moment, not quite believing her eyes. Miki opened the passenger side door of her vehicle and helped an elderly man out, and motioned for Lupina to come over. Miki spoke something in her native language to the elderly man, who nodded his head and replied very slowly.

"Lupina, this is my grandfather, Nunataq[3]," Miki said.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Lupina said as she held her hand out.

Nunataq hesitated a moment, but then he lightly took her hand and held it briefly. As soon as he touched her hand, she saw a quick look of surprise flash over the elderly man's face.

He said something to Miki who in turn said to Lupina, "He wants to know if you would like to come visit our village sometime."

"Um, sure, that might be interesting...nobody's going to do anything weird to me, are they?" Lupina asked.

Miki chuckled and said, "No, of course not. You're practically a legend come to life from the old ways. When I mentioned you to my parents, my mother told my grandfather about you and he had to come see for himself. If anything, they'll likely have some elaborate ritual and feast to welcome you."

"That certainly would be a change," Lupina said quietly.

Nunataq reached into a pocket, pulled something out, and offered it to Lupina. It was a piece of walrus tusk carved with two wolves running together. He spoke, and Miki interpreted for Lupina.

"It's a good luck charm. Keep it with you and you will meet your kindred anirniq*[4]*, or spirit."

"Thank you," Lupina said to Nunataq with a soft smile as she held it to her chest.

He nodded once, and then indicated that he wanted to get back into the SUV, so Miki helped her grandfather get settled back in and shut the door. She then opened the back door and pulled out a laundry basket with some clothing in it.

"Some of us girls pitched in and got some coats and such for you from the thrift store. I hope they'll fit," Miki said with a big grin.

"Oh, my...you really didn't have to...," Lupina started to say.

"We humans aren't all bad, Lupina. Maybe someday you can do something for somebody else who really needs help," Miki said cheerfully. "Come on, let's get this inside, and then we can go eat somewhere."

When they got into town, Miki dropped her grandfather off at a relative's house that he was staying at for a few days, and then she and Lupina went to get something to eat. Afterwards, they spent the day sightseeing, checking out the local attractions, and found a laundromat so that Lupina could wash some clothes. When it came time to head back, they stopped along the way to pick up some more groceries and then went back to the cabin. During the drive back, Lupina told Miki about the incident with the moose.

"Ooo, that could have gone bad," Miki said in a quiet but serious tone. "Good thinking on running through the trees like that. I guess being quick on your feet really came in handy."

"Yeah, I wasn't too sure if I'd be able outrun him in the open, so I thought the trees might force him to slow down," Lupina agreed.

"Maybe you ought to see about getting something other than a stick to protect yourself with," Miki suggested.

"Like what?" Lupina asked.

"Well, a lot of folks carry a gun with them, if nothing else than to make a loud enough noise to drive an animal off," Miki offered.

"Huh, with _these_ears?" Lupina asked as she pointed to hers. "My ears are just as sensitive as any four-footed wolf's, besides I don't think one would fit a hand like mine."

"Oh. I guess you have a point there. Well, they have those bear deterrent sprays...kinda like pepper spray, only it's got some other stuff mixed in that's supposed to work really good," Miki said after giving it a bit of thought.

"If my friend Rosie was here, I wouldn't need anything else," Lupina grinned.

"Who is she?" Miki asked.

"She's a skunk G.E.L.F. that I grew up with; you might like her, she's really nice," Lupina replied.

"There are _skunk_G.E.L.F.s, too?" Miki asked in astonishment.

"Oh yeah, there's quite a few different species represented just among the Gen-1's. I've heard there are even more among the Gen-2's," Lupina replied.

"Wow. That's kinda cool...but it's also kinda creepy in a way. No offense, but it kinda seems like we're living in a science fiction story," Miki said.

"None taken. Yeah, I can understand that. It's too bad that some humans don't take the time to consider how we feel about all of this," Lupina said.

"I'm sure the corporations don't care," Miki quipped.

"They only care about one thing," Lupina said, and they both looked at one another and added simultaneously, "Money."

"Well, here's your lane," Miki said as she slowed down to make the turnoff.

"Yeah, home-sweet-home," Lupina half said to herself as they drove up to the cabin. Miki helped Lupina get her things inside and before she left, they gave each other a quick friendly hug.

"Thanks for everything today, Miki," Lupina said with a big grin.

"Yeah, no problem. It was fun, I had a great time...maybe we can go see a movie next time," Miki suggested.

"That'd be nice," Lupina agreed.

"Well, I'd better head back to the dorm. I'll try to check on you during the week if I can. Take care, and don't let that ol' moose get you!"

Okay, I'll try not to. Thanks again for everything today!" Lupina waved as Miki got back into her SUV. In a few moments, she was gone.

Lupina stoked up the fireplace and added some more wood on it. After lighting the oil lamps, she set about putting things away, and then started fixing something for supper. Later that evening when she crawled into her sleeping bag and pulled a couple extra blankets over it, she remembered that little carving that Miki's grandfather had given her. She reached over and got her pants and fished it out of a pocket, and looked at it closely. There were some other markings on it besides the two wolves, but she didn't know what they meant, if anything. She placed the little good luck charm under her pillow, and it wasn't long before Lupina fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, Lupina had a strange dream. In this dream, she saw the figure of a human male though he seemed shrouded in mist and silhouetted against the northern lights. There is a raven who watches them intently. The aurora's shifting curtain-like form began to change and briefly took the shape of wolf raising its head into a howl. She could see the figure of the man hold his hand out to her, and she saw her own hand extend out to take it. The instant their hands touched, there was a flash of soft light, and she heard a chorus of wolves howling along with the beat of strange drums and ancient voices. She had the feeling of family, of belonging, and knew that she had found her place in the world. Lupina suddenly awoke and sat up, and looked around the cabin. There was just the soft light from the fireplace, and the occasional crackle, pop, and hiss of the burning wood. "Wow, that was weird," she said quietly to herself. "I don't remember ever having a dream like _that_before." She decided to lie back down and try to go back to sleep, but then she felt something in her left hand. The little charm Nunataq had given her somehow had found its way into her hand. "No way," she whispered as she looked at the little piece of ivory. Then for some reason, she remembered something that she had read once back at The Center when they were learning about humans. The left hand was viewed as being the "heart hand" since their hearts are slightly towards the left of center in their chests, and that not only did the right side of the brain control the left side of the body, but it was also thought to be involved with creativity and intuition. Lupina looked again at the little charm...and she felt a shiver go through her body.

Some ways north of the little cabin, is a larger and more modern style log home, nestled back in among the trees. It is a nice three-bedroom house, large enough to be reasonably comfortable without being extravagant. The inside is warm and cozy, and a mix of modern and old-fashioned items. The house has the latest in L.E.D. lighting and oil lamps, propane and wood for cooking and heat, satellite Internet and a good collection of books. The owner of the place co-owned a shop with an old friend of his in Fairbanks that was part computer shop and part coffee shop. When he wasn't doing something involved with computers, he was usually pursuing one of his hobbies. It just so happens that the owner of this particular log home sequestered away in the wilderness of Alaska, was the same person who wrote the series of books that Lupina enjoyed so much, and who was also the driver of the SUV that noticed her walking downtown a couple of days ago.

Having dozed off in his chair while listening to music, Ron started to dream. It wasn't one of his "normal" type of dreams, but rather one of those that he associated with "someone is trying to tell me something." In these particular dreamscapes, people are in color, but everything else appears muted, except for the sky, which looks like a color film negative. In the dream, he is walking along in the forests, though no path is visible. He doesn't know why he's in this place, until he spies a female wolf struggling to climb up a shallow ravine with steep sides. A raven lands in a tree next to him and caws once. The bird looks intently at him, and then down at the female wolf. When it shifts its gaze back to him, it caws again and then flies down near the wolf. The raven caws one more time and sits there, watching intently. Ravens[5]figure prominently in Irish, Scandinavian, and Native American beliefs. Among the Irish myths, ravens were the totem animal of certain powerful deities, as well as having an association with prophecy and the Otherworld. In Norse mythology, the ravens Huginn and Muninn--"thought" and "memory"--are associated with Odin. In Native American beliefs, Raven appears as simple Raven, as Dotson' Sa (Great Raven), as Nankilstlas (He Whose Voice Must Be Obeyed), and is both a creator (in the "Old Man Stories") and a trickster (in his younger version). In any case, it's never wise to ignore a raven. Grabbing a hold of a tree, he reached down into the ravine, holding his hand out to the wolf. With a bit of hesitation, she reached a paw towards him, accepting his offer of help. There was the faint sound of chanting, of drums, and pipes, seemingly far in the distance, yet clearly heard. Other animals approached and watched intently as they reached for each other. The closer his hand and her paw came to touching, the louder the chanting and music. The instant they took hold of one another, he awoke with a start. For a moment, Ron sat in his chair blinking his eyes, and then he removed the headphones from his ears. Somewhere nearby, the pack of wolves that live near his house were howling. Without giving it much thought, he got up, slipped on his coat, hat, and gloves, and went outside to see if his four-footed friends would be paying a visit.

Sitting down on a rock that was in a glade a ways from his house, Ron sat and listened for his wolf friends. He knew they were not far away, so he waited to see if they would notice him. For whatever reason, this pack of wild wolves seemed not only to accept the fact that he was living in their territory, but they also took an interest in him to the point of being friendly. They wouldn't get near to any other human, but they would come up to him. After sitting out there on the rock for several minutes, there was little rustling in the undergrowth.

"Wuuuf."

Quietly, Ron said, "Hey."

One of the wolves stepped out of the bushes and walked up wagging his tail. He was an old wolf, with more gray around his eyes, muzzle, and ears than the other members of his pack.

"Hi, Atka[6]. Whatcha doin' old guy?"

The old wolf came up and did the wolf version of a hug--leaning against his leg with an expression of greeting. Ron rubbed the old wolf's head between the ears and leaned forward to get a nuzzle.

"Heh, okay, okay, I missed you too. You keep that up, and Sesi might start to wonder. Where_is_ your other half, anyway? She's usually doesn't let you get too far out of her sight."

At that, the old wolf perked his ears up and turned his head to look behind him. From out of the bushes came a white female wolf. She was older, like Atka, having been his long time mate.

"Hi, Sesi[7]. I didn't think you'd let the old guy get too far away," Ron said with a grin.

He slowly slipped down off the rock and sat down on the ground. Sesi padded her way up and shyly gave a little lick on his face.

"Just as sweet as ever, aren't ya, ol' gal?"

The other members of the pack eventually showed up--Amaguq[8], Iluq[9], Kapik[10], and Mumik[11]. Amaguq and Kapik were the young adults, while Iluq and Mumik were the juveniles. After the usual greetings and face lickings, Mumik thought it was time for a play session, so he pounced on Iluq and the two were soon going at it. Kapik would have been content to sit and watch, but her younger siblings ran over her, so she ended up getting into the middle of things. Amaguq sat off at a relatively safe distance and watched. After about ten to fifteen minutes of mayhem, they finally settled down to rest for a while. Ron reached over and gave Atka a rub on the shoulders, and after a moment asked, "You wanna hear something strange?" The old wolf looked at him, so he proceeded to tell his friend about the little "dream" he had earlier. Not that he was expecting to have a meaningful discussion about such things with someone whose only thoughts were of the moment. But then again, there were times when Atka could sum things up in a very simple, and very direct, way...even if it wasn't always immediately clear.

"So, what do you think I should do?" Ron asked after he finished telling about the dream.

Atka looked up at him for a moment, and then tilted his head up and started howling. Sesi joined in shortly thereafter, as did the younger ones. Ron joined in the howl as best as he could, and, for being human, he didn't do too badly. When it was over, Atka got up, stretched, and started to walk away.

"I guess that was your answer to my question, huh? Something to howl about?" Ron asked the old wolf. Atka stopped and looked back.

"Wuf."

"Ooookaaay, I'll take that as a 'yes' then. Are you heading off, or are you going to be around for a while?" Ron asked.

Atka looked at Sesi intently for a moment and then said, "Oowoooo."

Sesi got up and trotted over to Atka and stopped to look intently at the others with her head lowered just a bit, nose down slightly, and ears erect and forward. She was giving them "the stare". They immediately obeyed the silent message, and got up and went to their mother. Kapik, though, took a slightly less straight line and brushed against Ron as she made her way over to her parents. He gave her a quick rubbing pat down her back, ruffling her fur a bit, as she walked by. "Okay, I guess I'll see you guys around. Stay out of trouble, okay? And that means you, too, Mumik!" Ron admonished as the pack headed off into the trees. Given their usual pattern, it might be up to a week before they made their way back around again.

"Well, I guess I'll head back to the house," Ron said aloud to the air. As soon as he got inside and put up his coat, hat, and gloves, he got his coffee cup off of his desk, and went to the kitchen to get a refill. He headed back to his desk and sat down, thought for a moment, and then got a new sheet of paper out and started drawing while listening to an old rock-n-roll song. He worked into the wee hours of the night until the drawing was finished. Rubbing his eyes for a moment, Ron looked at his latest bit of artwork. Satisfied with it, he carefully set it aside and went to bed.

Sometime later, in the dark stillness of the deep night, Atka and Sesi lifted their faces and sang. A break formed in the clouds, which allowed the moon to look down over the land. Through the window by the desk, a soft beam of moonlight entered the darkened room...and gently illuminated the drawing of a human male and an anthropomorphic wolf female together in their dreams.

Chapter 3: https://www.sofurry.com/view/492556

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[1] To hear this word spoken, insert this link into RealPlayer: http://137.229.141.31/Alaskool/media/inupiaqpb/11.rm

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inupiaq_language

[3] Nunataq - Inuit name meaning "mountain peak sticking up through inland ice"

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_mythology#Anirniit

[5] http://www.ravenfamily.org/nascakiyetl/obs/rav1.html

[6] Atka - Inuit name meaning "one who counsels/one who has lived and knows things"

[7] Sesi - Inuit name meaning "snow"

[8] Amaguq - Inuit name meaning "under-feet"

[9] Iluq - Inuit name meaning "frost"

[10] Kapik - Inuit name meaning "coffee"

[11] Mumik - Inuit name meaning "drumstick (Northern Alaska / dance)"