The Final Journey Page #7

The bear returns to the pack, again sticking its head inside.

Tato takes the opportunity to rise up and approach it. He

looks terrified but, this time, the bear does not notice him.

Isha’s eyes go wide with worry. She shakes her head “no” but

is too afraid to make a noise.

When Tato is just a few feet away, the bear pulls its head

from the pack, chewing something, and sees him.

Tato freezes as it rears up on its back legs and BELLOWS at

him. Tato runs for the rocks. The bear chases him!

Fearing for the boy, Isha jumps up, YELLING and waving her

hands to distract the bear.

The bear stops and peers up at her. Tato dives behind his

rocks and peers up as well-- both very surprised to see her.

The bear ROARS at Isha.

Sensing her own vulnerability, Isha ducks behind her hill and

looks around for a weapon. There is nothing.

THE BEAR ROARS AGAIN. Isha closes her eyes, petrified.

The bear GROWLS, UNCERTAIN. After a long silence, Isha opens

her eyes. She gathers her nerves and peers over the hill.

The bear is leaving, walking away from Tato and herself.

Tato stares up at Isha, still shocked. He stands and watches

the bear leave, then looks back at Isha. She smiles.

28.

Tato scowls, surprising her, then mopes over to inspect the

remains of his pack, sleigh, and broken kayak.

Angry, he raises his spear and SCREAMS at the bear, waving

and taunting for it to return.

But the bear disappears from sight.

Tato glares at Isha and collects his stuff, shaking his head.

Confused, Isha climbs down the hill. Tato avoids eye-contact.

ISHA:

Are you alright?

Tato glances at her, annoyed, then snatches up his pack and

laments at a long tear in it.

Isha notices tracks on the ground of Tato and the bear

sparring before Tato ran to hide in the rocks.

ISHA (CONT’D)

Did polar bear attack you, or did

you attack polar bear?

Tato looks at Isha, skeptical. She points at the tracks. Tato

shakes his head and goes back to inspecting his pack.

He dumps its contents and grabs some homemade string, and a

fold of hide holding a whalebone needle.

Tato threads the needle and begins patching his pack.

Isha watches, not knowing what else to say or do.

Tato glances at her again and she tries to show compassion on

her tired face. Tato rolls his eyes.

TATO:

(in Attopa; another Inuit

dialect)

I do not understand your dialect.

Do you speak Attopa?

Isha is confused by his language.

ISHA:

(in Manpichu)

Excuse me? Do you speak Manpichu?

Tato stands and sticks out his chest, trying to look bold and

defiant rather than just impatient.

29.

TATO:

(in Attopa)

I am Attopa. Do you speak Attopa?

Isha stares, not comprehending. She shakes her head.

Tato throws up his hands and goes back to his pack. Isha

looks around, frustrated. She finally points at herself.

ISHA:

(in Manpichu)

I am Isha.

Tato glances at her like someone tolerating an extremely

annoying person. Isha points at herself again.

ISHA (CONT’D)

Isha.

Understanding, Tato’s impatience breaks a little. He stands

and points at himself, puffing out his chest.

TATO:

Tatomatahun.

He nods with import and sits back down, continuing his pack

repairs. Isha smiles, having come to know the male ego.

ISHA:

Tatomatahun.

Tato nods, looking skeptical of her smile. Isha glances

around, thinking again. She points at the bear tracks.

ISHA (CONT’D)

Great White Bear?

Tato takes an impatient breath and points in the direction

the bear went.

TATO:

Uk-thluk.

Isha makes a questioning face, still pointing at the tracks.

ISHA:

Uk-thluk?

Tato nods. Isha smiles. Tato stands and points at himself,

acting out his words:

30.

TATO:

Tatomatahun hunt great Uk-thluk.

Tatomatahun kill great Uk-thluk.

Tatomatahun becomes a man.

He goes back to fixing his pack, throwing her wary glances.

Isha nods, getting the main gist, then notices the way he is

sewing his pack. She shakes her head and steps towards him.

ISHA:

No, no, no. That will never last.

Tato jumps into a startled, defensive position. Isha freezes.

She offers a shy smile and approaches slow, holding out her

hands in an unaggressive manner.

ISHA (CONT’D)

It’s alright. I only want to help.

Tato is confused by her intent, but Isha carefully grabs the

pack and needle from him.

Tato looks incredulous of her gall, but lets her take them.

Isha shows him a better way to sew his pack together, biting

back the pain in her hands.

ISHA (CONT’D)

You see? Like this. You need to

loop it...

Isha continues working, cringing.

Tato notices how much superior her sewing is to the way he

was doing it. He repeats her words in her dialect:

TATO:

(in Manpichu)

“Loop it?”

Isha smiles and nods. Tato nods, pleased with himself, and

walks over to inspect his sleigh.

He uprights it and checks a cracked runner. He shakes his

head and looks at his busted-beyond-repair kayak.

Isha glances around at the caribou bones the bear scattered

from Tato’s pack. She points at them.

ISHA:

Do you have any other food left?

31.

Tato does not understand.

Isha points at her mouth and belly, then the bones again.

ISHA (CONT’D)

Food? Do you have any other food?

Tato picks up a disgusting mass of meat left by the bear. He

grimaces and shakes his head.

Isha nods, disappointed. She peeks at some spears lying by

his sled, but seeing him notice, focuses on his pack again.

Tato frowns. He surveys the landscape, especially the

direction of the bear, then looks at all the scattered food.

Knowing he’s being manipulated, Tato snatches up a big spear

and smaller bird-spear.

He stares at Isha working on his pack and nods, accepting her

work on it. He points at himself, then out at the wilderness.

TATO:

Tatomatahun will go find food. If I

find some, I will share it with

Isha for helping with pack.

Tato heads off in the opposite direction of the bear. Isha

does not understand his words, but seeing his belongings

still around her, figures out his meaning and smiles.

EXT. SHELTER IN HILLS - NIGHT

Sheltered among the rocks, Isha sleeps while Tato cooks a

rabbit over the fire. Beside the fire is a pile of brush and

the remains of Tato’s kayak.

The sleigh lays nearby, with the fresh rabbit hide stretched

over it to dry. Tato checks the meat and nods.

TATO:

Isha. Food.

Tato cuts the rabbit on a flat rock with a stone knife.

Isha opens her eyes and Tato hands her some meat. He lifts

his own piece to eat but Isha stops him.

ISHA:

Ut-ut-ut-ut!

Tato looks at her confused.

32.

Isha throws a small piece of her meat into the fire, then

takes some ash and tosses it into the wind.

Tato is shocked by the waste of food.

Isha smiles shyly and, with a grateful nod at Tato, devours

her meat. Tato shakes his head and eats as well.

Isha makes a pleased face at the taste of the food. Tato

nods, not surprised, and sits back against a rock.

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