Embers of the Raven: A Christmas Story from Greenland (The Christmas Raven Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

awkwardly by the shaman’s side and slit his bonds with a single claw. Tulugaq shivered and what little heat was gained in such movement thawed his eyes. He nodded his thanks to the creature and she helped him into his smock, her body singing all the while.
    “We...well met, Asiaq,” Tulugaq greeted the creature between chattering teeth.
    The creature nodded and Tulugaq noticed her long, dark hair that twisted in the wind. It was matted and dirty, as was her skin. Tulugaq indicated her hair with shaking hands and she nodded. With gentle teasing and a few more forceful tugs Tulugaq worked at the creature’s hair. He combed her hair with his fingers and they became warmer. He licked his thumb and cleaned the spots of dirt from the creature’s face. Tulugaq massaged the creature’s belly and found the fat moved beneath his touch. He pushed mounds of fat from her belly upwards and, in exposing her thighs he added flesh to her ribs. Tulugaq looked down at the creature’s feet, they were misshapen and clawed. He massaged her toes and found the claws to retreat. The toes straightened and her nails shone when he buffed them with the sleeve of his smock. The shaman sculpted the creature before him. Where once there was an overhanging stomach there were now firmly-shaped thighs and a woman’s soft mound between them. Asiaq’s ribs were wholesome again and, hesitantly, the shaman placed his palms upon her breasts until they were even and pleasant to touch and pleasing to the eye. The woman behind the creature shone forth and Tulugaq focused his attention on her face. With moist palms he cleaned her cheeks and forehead. Gently he plied her eyes into a more natural position. Her button nose he avoided as one could not improve upon something so perfect. Tulugaq took a step back and Asiaq smiled a misshapen smile at the shaman’s work. Tulugaq at once saw what he had forgotten and he leaned forwards and kissed the creature full upon her lips. As they drew slowly apart the woman before him smiled shyly and twirled naked upon the sea ice. Tulugaq was so embarrassed by her sudden dark, wild Inuit beauty that he stripped off his smock, caught the woman around her waist and helped her into his sealskins.
    Asiaq nodded and smiled with brilliant teeth. She stopped then upon the ice and regarded the shaman with a frown. She pointed at the dark polar sky. The shaman smiled. Asiaq pointed once more and frowned. Tulugaq nodded. The woman dropped her arm and then held a perfectly manicured nail to her full lips. With a mischievous twinkle in her deep brown eyes, Asiaq placed two fingers in her mouth and blew.
     
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    Amâgaiat was sleeping when Mikissok entered the cave. The amauten was leaning against the cave wall. There was little movement from within the rotten sack. Mikissok looked about him and froze as Amâgaiat sniffed violently, his unfamiliar scent disturbing her slumber. The troll coughed and rolled onto her massive side, the dwarf’s scent forgotten. Deep, cavernous snores began to resonate around the cave as Amâgaiat relaxed. Mikissok stole carefully across the cave floor until he stood by the side of the amauten. The stout dwarf flexed his stubby muscles. This was going to be a challenge, he thought to himself. Steeling himself, the dwarf took a good grip of the amauten. As soon as his fingers grasped the sealskin sack it squealed in alarm. The piercing shriek that echoed about the cave woke the troll in a flash. Mikissok gripped the sack and threw it over his knotted shoulder. He rushed out of the cave, the sack squealing and shrieking as it was dragged over the rock-strewn floor. Amâgaiat roared and lunged after the sack but Mikissok was far too quick and he barrelled out of the cave and into the deep snow. The troll was just a step or two behind him and she would have caught the sack and the dwarf in her long arms had the raven not attacked her eyes the moment she burst out of the cave. Amâgaiat roared again and tried