TAKUTSUAPUK

  Drak couldn’t stop grinning as he hurried back toward the house. The warm noon air licked at his skin, but he barely noticed it. His mind was too busy racing through a hundred different thoughts, each one more exciting than the last.

  You have a direhound in your barn. An actual direhound. In your barn!

  She was the same creature he had only ever seen from a distance, standing imposingly beside the elite of Tribute, the military, or the Mounted Expeditionaries. Now one of them was here, wounded and drunk in his barn, relying on him.

  It felt like something out of one of his wildest fantasies. The kind of adventure he had dreamed about during the long, dull hours tending to the vineyard. Except, now that it was real, the truth of it started to sink in.

  Drak pushed through the front door of his family’s farmhouse, pausing for a moment to listen. The house was still and quiet, just as it had been since his parents' departure to Monument City. He let out a breath of relief. No one to witness his frantic scrounging for supplies. No visitors. No one to ask questions. He dashed into the kitchen, grabbing the largest pieces of dried meat he could find. The bread basket was half empty, but he scooped up a few loaves anyway and gingerly picked up the bowl on the kitchen counter containing a collection of the vineyard's fruits. A large direhound would need a lot of food, and the realization made him pause.

  How am I going to keep her fed? he thought, feeling a knot of worry form in his stomach. Direhounds were enormous creatures, much bigger than any human and with appetites to match. This wasn’t just a quick favor or a one-time deal. Nalli, as she called herself, would need consistent care while she recovered. Keeping her alive and healthy was going to be a real challenge.

  Then again… she was in his barn. On his vineyard. The mere thought of it made his heart race with excitement all over again. Whatever challenges this situation brought, he would find a way to deal with them. How many people in his place in the world could say they had a direhound on their property? He’d figure out the food problem. He had to.

  Drak stuffed the food into a large cloth sack, slinging it over his shoulder. Next, he raided the remainder of the medical supplies where he found a few bandages, some ointment, and another corked glass bottle of antiseptic. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do for now.

  On his way out, he caught sight of his reflection in the hallway mirror. His dark brown hair was a mess from all the running around, and there was a wild, excited look in his green eyes that he barely recognized. He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

  “This is real,” he whispered to himself, his reflection staring back at him. “This is really, really real.”

  With an air renewed determination, he hurried back outside and made his way toward the barn. His excitement was still there, but the closer he got, the more the truth set in. He would need to balance this secret with his vineyard duties. His parents weren’t due back for another few days, but the vineyard wouldn't tend to itself. If he spent all his time looking after Nalli, the work would pile up; But, if he focused too much on the vineyard, he might miss something important with the direhound.

  I’ll just have to make it work, he thought as he crossed the yard. It’s not like this is going to be permanent. Just until she’s better, and then…

  Then what? He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but Drak knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Whatever happened next, he’d find a way to make it count.

  As he neared the barn, he slowed his pace, trying to calm his racing heart. Nalli was still in there, hopefully resting after their earlier encounter. He had to be careful not to spook her. She might be injured, but she was still a direhound. All it would take was for him to make one wrong move, and things could get dangerous quick.

  Taking a deep breath, Drak gently pushed open the barn door, stepping inside with as much quiet as he could manage.

  “Nalli?” he called softly, keeping his voice low, closer to a whisper than anything overtly audible. “I’ve brought more food and supplies.”

  Drak heard the faint shuffling of movement in the barn, followed by a low, gravelly hum of acknowledgment. He exhaled in relief. Nalli was still awake.

  He slipped through the double-doored threshold, careful to close them softly behind him. The barn was dim, light filtered through a few of the cracks in the wooden walls, casting small motes of light over the space. His eyes adjusted, and there she was, Nalli, the direhound, standing upright near the pile of hay where she had been resting earlier. She was inspecting the stitches in her side, her clawed hand gently brushing over the patched-up wound.

  “Piujuk tikatsiak. Strong stitching…” she rumbled, her voice rough but appreciative. She looked up from her injury, her amber-gold eyes locking onto Drak’s. “Better than I expected from a human.”

  Drak couldn’t help but grin, as another sense of pride swelled in his chest. “Thanks,” he said, setting the sack of food and supplies down on a nearby workbench. “I just did what I could. I’m glad it’s holding up.”

  Nalli gave a small nod before she began to move. As she approached the sack, Drak’s breath caught in his throat. She was enormous, even more so than he had realized before. The direhounds he had seen in the city of Tribute, the ones usually under human control, had been large, sure, but none of them compared to Nalli. She seemed taller, broader, more muscular, and her every movement radiated power and wild grace. She was more imposing than anything he had ever imagined, and seeing her up close like this made him realize just how powerful she really was.

  How does something this big move so quiet?

  Drak continued to marvel, as she padded over to the workbench. The top of her head was tall enough that she had to duck slightly to avoid the overhead beams, her ears flicking backward while the claws of her enormous legs clicked softly against the wooden floor beneath each step. There was no denying that she was built for strength, her muscular frame making it clear that she could easily overpower anything in her path. Nalli's attention had shifted to the machinery in the room, her curious eyes narrowing at the bizarre equipment surrounding her with an innocent inquisitiveness.

  Drak swallowed, feeling awe in her existence. Even with her injuries, the sheer presence she commanded made it hard for him to think straight. It made him realize that having her in his barn was like keeping a wild storm in a bottle, one that could erupt and tear the entire structure down the moment she gained the strength to do so.

  Nalli paused her inspection of the machinery and turned her head, catching him staring. He quickly looked away, pretending to busy himself with the supplies he’d brought.

  “You’ve never been around human stuff like this before, have you?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation going. The way she was looking at everything with such focus made him wonder if she’d ever seen anything like it.

  Nalli glanced at the pipes and copper distillery equipment, her ears twitching slightly. She straightened up, towering over Drak even from across the barn. “Auka. No,” she admitted, her tone subdued. “I’ve never spent time in human lands. This is… pijagia-keh—different.”

  Drak nodded, feeling a small thrill at the fact that she was opening up, even just a little. He gestured to the machinery with a sweep of his hand. “Yeah, we use steam power to get things done around here. A lot of things that would normally take hours of manual labor. Like working the vineyard, pressing grapes, or powering carriages. We do it with machines and steam instead. Makes life easier, I guess.”

  He paused, watching her as she seemed to absorb his words. “Take the distillery equipment, for example,” he continued, pointing to the large copper apparatus in the corner. “Before steam power, people– erm, humans… had to do all the crushing and fermenting manually, by hand or foot. It was exhausting work. But with steam, we can automate a lot of that process. The steam pressure powers the gears, the pumps, and the pressing equipment, and it all just… works.”

  Nalli didn’t respond immediately, her gaze lingering on the pipes running along the walls. Her expression was difficult to read, but there was a quiet intensity to her as she took it all in. Even though she hadn’t said much, Drak could tell that she was intrigued by the technology, even if she wasn’t about to admit it.

  “It must seem strange to you, huh?” Drak added, trying to sound casual. “I mean, you’re probably used to doing things differently where you’re from, right? No steam-powered gadgets or anything like that?”

  Nalli glanced at him, the gold and amber eyes gleaming in the low light. “Auka. We rely on our own strength,” she said simply, though there was a hint of pride in her voice. “Machines like this… they’re clever. But they’re not something we use.”

  Drak nodded again, trying to imagine a life without the technology that had become so ingrained in human society. The idea of relying purely on physical strength for everything, from travel to work to survival, seemed both daunting and impressive.

  “Humans… always trying to find shortcuts,” Nalli added, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “If they want to show real strength, they shouldn’t rely on machines to do their work for them.”

  Drak couldn’t help but chuckle, though he quickly tried to stifle it. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it,” he said, scratching at the side of his arm. “But, hey, it makes things easier for us. Less strain on our bodies and all.”

  Nalli gave a low, thoughtful hum but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she focused on the machinery again, her gaze tracing the lines of copper pipes and steam valves.

  “You’re looking better already,” Drak said, changing the subject as he leaned back against the workbench. “I mean, you still look tired and all, but… at least you're not bleeding all over.”

  Nalli turned her head toward him again, one of her ears twitching as if she were processing his words. A low, rumbling chuckle escaped her throat, though it sounded more like a growl than laughter.

  “Don’t get too comfortable, human,” she warned, though there was no real malice in her tone. “We may be large, but my kind are strong and we heal fast. Very fast. And I'm still dangerous.”

  Drak swallowed, feeling that familiar chill run down his spine. “Right,” he muttered as he tried to wrap his head around what she meant, and nodded quickly. “Got it.”

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  For a moment, there was silence between them. Drak shifted nervously on his feet, glancing at the food he had brought. “You should eat more,” he suggested, gesturing toward the sack. “It’ll help you get your strength back.”

  Nalli eyed the sack, then turned her gaze back to him. After a long pause, she finally nodded, making her way toward the bench where Drak had set everything down. She moved carefully, her steps slow but also contemplative, as if she were still testing her own strength.

  Drak watched her, feeling that same mixture of nervousness and excitement bubbling up inside him again. Having a direhound here in his barn was still like living out a dream.

  As Nalli began to rummage through the sack, Drak couldn’t help but wonder how long this strange arrangement would last. What would happen when she was strong enough to leave?

  For now, though, he would do whatever he could to help her. This was his chance, and his opportunity to prove that he could handle something more than just tending to grapes and vines.

  Drak leaned against the wall of the barn, watching Nalli as she tore into the sack of food with a ferocity that both amused and impressed him. The way her claws easily shredded the fabric of the burlap bag, and the effortless precision in her movements was like watching nature at work, raw and powerful. He had seen direhounds in the city before, usually with a master in tow, and a control collar around their necks, making them obedient and subdued, but Nalli was different. She had a wildness to her that couldn’t be tamed, no matter how much she was injured or exhausted.

  Now that she was on more stable ground, her hunger seemed to have caught up with her. She devoured the food with an urgency that made Drak realize just how long she must have gone without a proper meal. He stayed quiet, giving her space as she ate. There was something almost peaceful about the moment, regardless of the unusual circumstances.

  As she worked through the food, Drak noticed something that caught his attention. Amid the chaos of her ravenous appetite, there were moments of surprising delicacy. When she came across grapes or berries within the sack’s contents, she paused, plucking them out with care and popping them into her mouth. It wasn’t the quick, thoughtless action of a starving creature. It was deliberate, and almost savoring. The sight made Drak pause, curiosity stirring in him.

  Does she like fruits like grapes and berries?

  Drak’s mind wandered further as he watched her. Amidst his curiosity, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility for her now, even though she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He had found her in his family’s barn, injured and alone, and somehow that made her his problem, and his mission, for the time being. More than that, there was something else driving him.

  The desire to prove himself.

  After a while, he got up, stretching his legs as he moved toward the back of the barn. Nalli’s eyes followed him, her gaze ever cautious and watchful. Drak could feel her attention on him, like a great stone pressing against his back, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he began rummaging through a pile of old equipment, looking for something specific.

  “What are you doing, human?” Nalli’s voice broke the silence, rough and curious. She had paused her eating, her head tilted slightly as she watched him with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

  Drak finally found what he was looking for: an old grape-crushing barrel. It was large and heavy, and its sides were stained from years of use. He grunted as he pulled it out from the pile, wiping off some dust that had gathered on it. He dragged it across the barn floor, its weight making the wood groan beneath it. “I’m getting you water,” Drak said, his voice strained as he heaved the barrel over to a nearby water pump. He caught a glimpse of Nalli’s amused expression as she watched him struggle with the heavy object, but he kept going, determined to make it work. “Figured you shouldn’t have to risk leaving the barn just to get a drink.”

  Nalli let out a low snort of indifference. “You’re struggling with a barrel, human. And here I thought you said machines made your life easier.”

  Drak shot her a playful glare as he finally maneuvered the barrel into place beneath the faucet. “Hey, not everything can be powered by steam,” he said with a grin, pumping the handle to get the water flowing. “Just like when you have to pick grapes for wine, sometimes you just have to put your own back into it.”

  The water began to rush out of the faucet, filling the barrel with a satisfying splash. Drak wiped the small bit of sweat from his brow, feeling a sense of accomplishment as the barrel slowly filled. He glanced over at Nalli, who was still watching him with that same curious expression.

  “See? Now you’ve got a water supply right here,” Drak said, gesturing to the barrel with a proud smile. “No need to wander out and risk being spotted.”

  Nalli approached the barrel, her large form casting a shadow over the water as she peered into it. She turned her gaze back to Drak. “Not bad,” she said, her tone begrudgingly approving. “You’re resourceful, I’ll give you that.”

  Drak felt a warm flush of pride at her words, though he tried to keep his expression casual. “Just trying to make things a bit easier for you,” he said, leaning against the water pump. “I’m sure you’re used to relying on your own strength, but… it’s okay to let someone help now and then, you know?”

  Nalli didn’t respond right away. She just watched the barrel, then stepped back, her gaze shifting to the barn door. “We’ll see,” she murmured, her voice quieter this time, as if she were speaking more to herself than to him.

  Drak nodded, understanding that trust must not come easily for someone like her. He wouldn’t push it. For now, he was just glad she was here, safe and recovering.

  Drak stepped back from the barrel of water, admiring his handiwork with a satisfied grin. The barrel stood full and ready for Nalli, and he felt good providing for her.

  Nalli finally approached the barrel, her large body moving effortlessly with elegance that belied her size. Drak watched, still amazed by the sheer scale of her compared to any other creatures he’d seen.

  Without hesitation, Nalli reached out with two claws and easily picked up the barrel as if it weighed nothing at all. Drak’s jaw dropped as she tipped the barrel to her mouth and began to drink the entire contents in long, steady gulps. Water streamed from the sides of her muzzle as she nearly drained the barrel to the bottom.

  Drak blinked, half in awe, half in disbelief. “Uh, glad to see you’re staying hydrated?” he said, though his voice was full of amusement and incredulity.

  Nalli lowered the barrel slightly, her amber eyes glinting with a sudden mischievous spark. Before Drak could react, she tilted the barrel once more, but this time it was over his head. The remains of the water splashed down on him in an icy torrent, soaking him from head to toe. He gasped, sputtering as the cold water drenched his clothes and hair.

  “Hey!” Drak shouted, blinking water out of his eyes as he wiped his face with his hands. His earlier sense of accomplishment vanished completely, replaced instead by irritation. “What was that for?”

  Nalli set the empty barrel aside, her lips curling into a smirk. “Reminding you that you’re only human,” she said, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. “I need to keep you in place.”

  Drak scowled, his frustration bubbling to the surface as he tried to scold her. “You know, for someone who was just singing my praises about patching you up—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, Nalli’s thick tail swept across the ground, knocking his feet out from under him. He yelped as he tumbled backward, landing flat on his back with a thud. The barn's wooden floor creaked beneath the impact, and for a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the rafters in shock.

  Nalli slowly lowered herself down to Drak’s level, her massive silhouette blocking out the light above him. Her muzzle came within inches of his face, and for a brief moment, Drak’s heart pounded in his chest as he stared up at her in panic. Her sharp teeth gleamed in the light of the barn, her breath warm against his damp skin. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if judging him in that moment, and Drak couldn’t help but feel small and vulnerable beneath her looming presence.

  She peered down at him, her yellow eyes gleaming with amusement, a low chuckle rumbling in her chest. “You’re not the only one who can make jokes, human,” she said, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

  Drak looked up at her in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The mighty direhound, fierce and proud, had just made a fool of him, on purpose. And she was enjoying it! The absurdity of the situation struck him like a hammer, and before he could stop himself, he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard his sides hurt, the sound filling the barn as he lay there on his back, water pooling beneath him. “Did you—did you really just—” he gasped between laughs, pointing up at Nalli as he tried to catch his breath.

  Nalli’s smirk deepened, her tail swishing behind her as she stood tall. “What? You didn’t think direhounds had a sense of humor?” she said, her tone almost teasing as she watched him laugh.

  Drak finally managed to sit up, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. “I wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted, shaking his head in disbelief. “But hey, I guess you got me good.”

  Nalli’s grin softened, and for a moment, the tension between them eased. It was as if they had crossed some invisible line, moving from cautious strangers to something else, though still undefined. Drak didn’t know what that meant yet, but he felt it. A small shift in their dynamic. A new layer to their strange predicament.

  “Just don’t make a habit of it,” Drak added with a playful grin as he pushed himself to his feet, still soaked but no longer annoyed. “I can only handle so much direhound humor.”

  As Drak continued to laugh, he noticed Nalli rubbing her head, her amusement seeming to have triggered a spike in her lingering hangover. She let out a low groan and blinked a few times, her large ears twitching slightly as if trying to shake off the discomfort.

  Still, in spite of the dull ache, she cocked her head to the side and considered Drak for a long moment. Her eyes studied him with a new depth, a curious mingling of contemplation and something… softer, more genuine.

  “The water… it helped,” she admitted, her voice quieter now, and the edges of her sarcasm gone. She shifted slightly, one ear flicking as if shaking off the remnants of her headache. “The ache in my head still howls, but… it's eased.”

  Drak blinked, caught off guard by her sudden shift in tone. He hadn’t expected her to be so forthcoming. “Oh, well… I’m glad it helped,” he replied, a bit awkwardly, still not entirely sure how to respond to her change in demeanor.

  Nalli took a step toward the stall where she had been resting earlier. As she neared it, she reached out and placed a hand on one of the wooden support beams for the barn, letting her body relax for a moment against the sturdy structure. Her posture seemed to soften, as if the brief laughter and water had taken some of the tension out of her.

  “I didn’t expect… takutsuapuk. What is the human word? Kindredness?” she said, her voice quieter still. Her gaze shifted to the ground, thoughtful. Then, lifting her head, she met Drak’s eyes with sincerity, where there was a rare sense of vulnerability in her expression. “From a human, I mean.”

  Drak felt a strange warmth spread through him at her words. He hadn’t thought much of what he was doing by helping her, and her offering food and water, but hearing her say it like that made him realize just how little compassion she might have encountered from humans, or what she knew of humanity at all. The world she came from was far different from his, and it seemed like every small gesture meant something strangely significant to her. “Close, but I think you mean kindness,” he corrected. He considered her words for a moment, the curiosity of her origins lingering in his mind. The more he heard her use her native language, the more he wondered if she might truly be from the Nightmoon Veil. He wanted to ask her about it, but didn’t want to push any boundaries just yet.

  Nalli’s eyes lingered on him for another moment, pondering the word. “Yes, kindness.” She replied, feeling out the word on her tongue. Then, to his surprise, she said his name with an unexpected softness. “Thank you, Drak.”

  The way she said it, without sarcasm or guardedness, made the simple phrase feel like something noteworthy. Drak opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. Instead, he simply nodded, still processing the shift in their dynamic.

  With a soft huff, Nalli turned away from him and made her way back to the hay pile in the stall. Her large body settled down onto the bedding, and she let out a long, slow breath as she rested her head on her claws. For a moment, she seemed almost at peace, her body relaxing into the makeshift bed as she allowed herself a priceless moment of rest.

  Drak stood there for a few seconds, watching her, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that a direhound, this powerful, and imposing creature, had just thanked him. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but something about her words resonated with him in a way he hadn’t expected.

  Slowly, he approached her, being sure to move his feet carefully and light-stepped, as if not wanting to disturb her further. He leaned against the support beam near her makeshift bed of hay, observing the massive shape of the direhound as she curled herself tighter into the pile. Her purple-streaked grey hair swept back over her head and ears, while her plum-colored nose gave a faint twitch as she settled in. The dim light streaming through the barn's raised window cast a gentle glow across her, highlighting her features in a luminous softness.

  Nalli’s eyes flicked toward him as he approached, studying him with a quiet intensity. She didn’t appear threatened, merely curious, her gaze tracking his every movement as he drew closer. There was no hostility in her expression, and she showed no immediate sense of danger. She had given him enough small trust to allow the advance, even though Drak knew well enough that she could end his existence in a single bite if she chose to.

  He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward under her silent gaze. “Is there… anything else I can provide you?” he asked, trying to be helpful, though he wasn’t sure what else she might need.

  Nalli stretched her limbs slightly, her claws flexing before she tucked them close to her body again. “I will need more food,” she said, her voice lower now, sleepiness creeping into her tone. “But not immediately. For now, I need more rest.”

  Drak nodded, feeling a sense of relief that he was able to offer her something she needed. “I’ll work on getting you more food,” he promised, stepping away from the beam. “And I’ll come back to check on you later this evening.”

  Nalli didn’t respond. Her eyes had already begun to droop shut, her large form gradually shifting into the hay as sleep took hold of her. Within moments, her breathing deepened, and she appeared to have drifted off.

  Drak watched her for a few moments in silence, taking in the sight of this massive creature sleeping peacefully in his family’s barn. The whole situation still left him reeling, but there was something strangely calm about seeing her so at ease.

  With a final glance at her slumbering form, Drak quietly turned and made his way to the door; but as he left, Nalli’s amber eyes slowly cracked open. Her gaze followed him as he moved toward the barn door. She watched him in silent contemplation until she heard the inevitable click of the barn door closing. Her breathing slowed as she started to relax, her thoughts beginning to run deeper than they had earlier.

  Nalli finally closed her eyes, though the image of the young human remained in her mind. Drak. He was different, and while she couldn’t fully trust him yet, she found herself oddly curious about him.

  Sleep took her soon after, and the mystery of Drak lingered on in the back of her mind as her body sought the rest it so desperately needed.

  A

  AkKalajuks – Ants

  Anniasuitik – Shaman of Medicine

  Anirnaq – The First Direhounds

  Anirniq – Soul

  Anga – Yes

  Atsinguak – Gift

  Auka – No

  I

  Ijik – Eye(s)

  Ikialuit! – Damnit or damn you, depending on phrasing.

  Ilisimaik – Craziness

  Ipatsik – Understand

  Ipvit – You

  K

  Kaijuuti – Coyote Tribe

  Kakiannangituk – Unpleasant

  Kavinguak – Much noise

  Kulgoskarrik – A lizard, known for dropping its tail when frightened with a sudden loud burst

  Kutsutak – Yellow

  Kuviasotikak – Ridiculous

  M

  Mitappuk(s) – Joke(s)

  N

  Nakummek – Thank you

  Nalligik – Love(s)

  Nokel-katantik – Honorable

  Nuni Lunikk – Moon Mother

  Nunivak – Pick berries

  Nutaqq – Child

  O

  Omajualuk – Monster

  P

  Paunngak – Berries

  Pattangaititsik – Protecting

  Piujuk – Good

  Piunngituk Silatsuak – Bad Earth

  Pijagia-keh – Different

  Pilluak – Smart, clever, skillful

  Pitsatujuk – Powerful

  Q

  Qilakpaangut – sky-eyed wanderer who flies like a startled birdling

  Qimmit – Dog (or like a dog)

  S

  IkKumanngituk – Stupid

  Siku – Ice

  Siitani – Star cycles, or revolutions around the sun

  Sungittotanuk – A symbol

  T

  Tatannamek – Amazed / How Fascinating!

  Takutsuapuk – Kindness

  Tatsika Napattulik – The Darkened Forest

  Tillia-Kattak – Vermin (More than one meaning?)

  Tikatsiak – Strong twine

  U

  Ukalik – Hare

  Ukausik – Language of Direhounds

  Ukiuq – Winter

  Ullak – Morning

  Nalligik-Paunngak Kutsutak-Ijik (Nalli) – Love(s) Berries Yellow-Eyes

  Akkitu-kumik Taggana-Tak (Umbra) – Soft-Scratch Shadow-Side

  (Uvaguk or Uvak)-kaik sollu pitsiak. Pik sivo-ganik – (We or I) Come as kin. Do not fear.

  Sakkik sollu pitsiak! Ipvut napaq kunulik… Amarik! – Appear as kin! But stand with… enemy!

  Qamut qimmit! Pilluq! – Cowardly dogs! Move!

  Sunas pait mittsikappuk, atiq? – What is your real/true name?

  Nuti Nannguk Kunnak – Great Fault of Kunnak

  Takutsuapuk aje atsinguak – Kindness is a treasure

  Vine & Fang posted for free reading. Redistribution prohibited.