Word Count: 30,064
Summary of Events:
Alex spotted some seals as they were walking and he, Ben, and Josh tried to kill one, but failed, and Josh got deeply bitten in the process. As a result, they went without supper and breakfast the following morning, but Ulloriaq caught a ptarmigan to stave off their hunger. Yukon was woken by the howling of wolves and thought that he'd lost Ulloriaq, only to realise that she'd been howling with the wolves, which displeased him; his calling for her woke up the others and Ben discovered that he had a broken rib. Having stopped for another day, Yukon and Alex went into the ocean to catch some fish for their meal . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
""Where do you think we want to go looking for fish?" Yukon asked.
"I don't know, maybe a little more–"
"Eagh! What is that?" Yukon exclaimed surging up out of the water.
"What is what?" Alex asked.
"Something touched me on the ribs," Yukon replied.
"What did it feel like?" Alex asked.
"It was small and– aagain!" Yukon exclaimed, flailing.
"I didn't see anything," Alex said.
"It was like I was being kissed on the side by something with a mouth the size of a Barbie doll," Yukon said.
"You don't think . . ." Alex trailed off, as if expecting Yukon to know what he was thinking.
"I have no idea what you're laying down," Yukon said.
"The fish are attracted to the salve," Alex said.
Yukon looked at Alex sceptically. He couldn't be serious, could he? What could possibly be in the salve that the fish might think appealing? It was a ridiculous idea, but yet it didn't seem entirely out of the question either.
"Come closer to the shore so you don't have to tread water," Alex said. "Let's see if I'm right."
Yukon swam until his feet touched the sand.
"Now hold this at your armpit and hold this out," Alex said, handing Yukon a corner of the net.
"What about the bottom of the net?" Yukon asked.
"Ben!" Alex called.
Ben hurried into the water.
"How about you hold it at my armpit and I hold it underwater?" Yukon suggested. "I think that's less weird for both of us."
"Yeah," Ben agreed.
"And I'll hold it here," Alex said. "And now we'll wait and see, just try and hold still if they touch you, we want to eat them."
"This is ridiculous," Yukon muttered.
He inhaled sharply when he felt the sensation again and Alex swam in close. "Let go with your left hand!"
Yukon did so and Alex wrapped the net around his back. He could feel something writhing against him.
"Now what?" Yukon asked, squirming in discomfort at the writhing sensation.
"Come on," Alex said, pushing Yukon toward the shore.
"I told you they're attracted to the salve!" Alex exclaimed as Yukon's back cleared the water. "That was a cinch!"
"Just so long as you know the salve is not applied specifically for fishing purposes, we still have potential for further injures along the way," Ben warned.
"Can you get it off my back?" Yukon asked. "I'm not enjoying this."
Alex hurried Yukon over to their campsite and released the net. Yukon turned around to see quite the sizeable fish writhing around on the ground. Josh handed Alex a club, with which he struck the fish on the head, causing it to stop moving.
Nice as it was to have supper, the method of catching it had been more than a little awkward and unpleasant, as far as Yukon was concerned."
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