“Pikku, pikku…come see…”
Riku took Rhoana’s small hand and led her out of the shelter into the blistering cold and white light, he ran with ease across the hardened ground of ice and compressed snow. Rhoana attempted to keep pace with his long stride, though she was less then half his size – a young child still more accustomed to being carried.
“Come on Pikku…faster…you don’t wish to miss it!”
A wide smile had stretched across her face, one suitable for that of a child, innocent, unknowing and excited. They trudged ever further across the snow.
“How much further brother?” her tone had taken upon a note of panic, as a hurried glance backwards showed just how far they had gone from the village and home. Riku remained quiet, still keeping a quickened pace.
The bitter wind whistled and swept about them, whipping exposed cheeks and fingers. Rhoana was bound in soft furs, many a colourful layer swaddled around her petite frame, a cowl fitted closely about her reddened cheeks. She could not help but admire her brother’s trophies; he had many attached upon his garments; teeth lining the bound edges of leather, holes bored through and attached in place. He was fairly young to have attained so much in a hunt, but he had learnt well from his father.
A ridge and drift of snow came into view, Riku pointed at it, eagerly flashing a boyish grin as he picked up Rhoana with both his hands, bundling her into his arms. He picked up pace and reached the ridge, settling her down carefully he gestured for her to remain quiet as they crouched there. She does not recall how long they sat there, but she felt the cold setting in, seeping through those furs and causing dis-comfort. In this time she watched as her brother removed a curved knife, suitable to gut a fish and tinker about with its handle, running a finger across the side of the blade until a gentle thud could be heard. He looked up at Rhoana, his smile returned and finger pressed to his lips.
The thudding became more frequent and louder, a creaking of ice and crumpled snow could be heard upon the bitter wind. Rhoana’s curiosity got the best of her; she began an attempted crawl up the snowdrift. Riku let out a quiet laugh as he picked her up again.
“Oh Pikku, I should have known hm? You are a meddlesome one.” He whispered.
He smiled at her as he took her to the height of the ridge, and placed her on his shoulders.
“Do you see Pikkuinen?”
Rhoana looked down upon the open expanse, the horizon appearing endless. She noticed at once where the sound came from. The tusks from a beast that’s height scaled beyond that which seemed plausible, near dragged across the frozen tundra, its feet crunching upon the solid ground. A herd of Hirvi, elk, ran swiftly to the front of it as it slowly made its way across the snow. “Mammutti!” Rhoana exclaimed in delight. Riku chuckled and they sat and watched it trudge away into the distance, Rhoana clearly fixated by sights anew, watched until the air returned just a howl and the beast had disappeared into the endless white.
