The Final Journey Page #8

He grabs a rabbit leg and invites Isha to take more. Isha

nods in appreciation and grabs more meat.

They eat in silence. Tato grabs his pack and inspects Isha’s

work, looking impressed.

TATO:

Good. Very good.

Isha nods, understanding. She grabs a huge chunk of rabbit

and devours it, savoring every bite, even with pain in her

jaw, until she realizes what a pig she is being.

Embarrassed, she covers her mouth with one hand, and points

at it with the other, repeating Tato’s word.

ISHA:

(in Tato’s Attopa)

Good.

Tato smiles, finding humor in this.

ISHA (CONT’D)

(Attopa)

Very good!

Tato LAUGHS then notices the fire is dying. He throws a piece

of his kayak on it and his momentary happiness disappears as

he watches it burn. Isha notices this and feels for him.

ISHA (CONT’D)

I am sorry. About your kayak.

Tato looks at her confused and Isha puts a hand over her

heart and opens it towards him in a gesture of sorrow.

ISHA (CONT’D)

I am sorry.

She points at the kayak and Tato nods, getting her meaning.

He shakes his head in anger, but not at her.

33.

TATO:

Uk-thluk.

Tato grabs more meat and stares at the fire as he eats,

growing introspective. Isha watches him, thinking.

ISHA:

Was Tatomatahun hunting Uk-thluk or

did Uk-thluk hunt Tatomatahun?

Tato looks at her, not comprehending. Isha points at him and

motions like she is attacking something with a spear.

ISHA (CONT’D)

Did Tatomatahun attack Uk-thluk?

Tato becomes briefly embarrassed then nods, puffing himself

up like the answer should be self-evident.

TATO:

Tatomatahun hunt Uk-thluk!

He snatches a piece of meat and turns away from her, staring

angrily at the fire.

Isha nods, starting to understand.

SHELTER IN HILLS - MORNING

Isha awakens, wrapped in her blanket, beside the remains of

the fire. She sits up, stiff, to find Tato gone, along with

is his sleigh and belongings.

She looks around, disappointed.

ISHA:

Tatomatahun?

ARCTIC FIELD - LATER

Wearing her sunglasses again, Isha follows Tato’s tracks.

Due to the strong sun, her feet keep sinking in the snow,

making progress difficult, but she continues onward.

Tato’s tracks overtake polar bear tracks. Isha follows both.

LATER:

ISHA sees a FIGURE in the distance hunched over and watching

something at the edge of a snowdrift. Tato!

34.

Excited, she hurries.

FIFTY FEET AWAY, Tato sees her coming. He does not look

pleased and turns back to look over the drift.

When close, Tato motions for her to get low and be quiet.

Isha creeps up beside Tato, then peers over the drift.

BELOW ON THE FAR SIDE, the giant Polar Bear frolics in a

wide, icy stream, seeming to be both washing himself and

playing, unaware of their presence.

Isha notices how tightly Tato grips his big spear, obviously

battling some inner turmoil.

The bear climbs out of the stream on the opposite side and

saunters away, shaking water from its fur.

Tato draws in a deep breath and summons his strength, about

to leap up and attack...

...but ultimately does nothing. Just watches the bear leave,

his chest deflating with his courage.

Tato hangs his head in defeat and shame.

Isha stares at him, sympathetic.

ARCTIC FIELD - NIGHT

Sitting on skins against a large rock serving as their only

shelter, Isha blocks the wind for Tato as he tries to light a

fire with two pieces of flint and some wood shavings.

When the shavings ignite, Tato throws some leaves and brush

on them. Soon they have a roaring little fire.

Tato sits back, watching it, then spots Isha staring at him.

ISHA:

Uk-thluk. Why?

Isha points at his spear in puzzlement.

Tato seems to understand but does not want to answer. He

stares at the fire as Isha watches him.

Exasperated, he leans over and draws stick figures in the

snow of a man, a woman, and a child.

He points at the...

35.

TATO:

Man.

Tato raises his hand high to show the height and the stature

of a man. Isha nods and Tato points at the woman and Isha.

TATO (CONT’D)

Woman.

Isha nods and smiles, comprehending.

Tato points at the drawing of the child.

TATO (CONT’D)

Boy.

He points at himself.

TATO (CONT’D)

Tatomatahun. Boy.

Isha nods, her smile fading.

Tato draws a polar bear beside the boy, then a spear in the

boy’s hand extending into the bear.

Tato crosses out the bear and draws a man beside it. He

points from the boy to the man.

TATO (CONT’D)

Tatomatahun. Man.

Isha nods, getting it. Tato must kill a polar bear so he can

return to his community as a man.

Tato turns back to the fire. Isha watches him, noting the

fear and worry in his eyes.

ARCTIC FIELD - DAWN

Isha wakes to THE SOUND OF TATO CRYING.

Sitting up, she finds him standing at the drift where they

overlooked the bear.

He is holding his big spear and the reigns to his packed

sleigh, but he does not move.

Isha gets up and approaches him.

Hearing her come, Tato wipes his eyes. Isha puts a hand on

his shoulder and he tears up again.

36.

ICY STREAM - LATER

Isha and Tato climb down a rocky slope to the stream the bear

was frolicking in the day before.

Bear tracks still remain, leading to the horizon.

Isha and Tato look for a place to cross.

Not too far away, several chunks of ice have piled against

one another, creating a possible bridge across the water.

Tato inspects it but the “bridge” looks more perilous than

expected. The ice seems likely to break up if disturbed.

Isha gazes downstream, but sees no other place to cross.

Tato tests an ice slab with his foot and steps onto it.

THE ICE SQUEALS AS IT SCRAPES AGAINST OTHER SLABS!

Isha cringes with concern but the ice holds. Isha shakes her

head at him, not liking this idea.

Tato grins and takes another tentative step, then another.

When nothing happens, he pulls his sleigh up onto the ice.

Isha can hardly watch, but the ice holds as Tato creeps to

where his ice chunk meets with two others.

He considers the two paths before him: One ice chunk tilts at

a dangerous angle, the other at a safer angle, but ends two

feet from the far side of the stream.

Tato puts a foot onto the latter ice. It seems stable enough.

He takes a deep breath and steps fully onto it.

Isha watches on pins and needles as Tato proceeds forward

holding his spear out for balance.

He slowly pulls his sled onto the new ice and it miraculously

holds without slipping.

Tato smiles big-time at Isha and takes another step.

THE ICE INSTANTLY SINKS INTO THE WATER BENEATH HIS FEET,

SLIDING HIS SLEIGH TOWARDS HIM FROM BEHIND.

Isha’s eyes widen with fear.

ISHA:

TATO!

37.

Thinking quick, Tato runs forward as best he can, pulling his

sleigh with him, and leaps from the ice.

He lands on the far side but slips, letting go of the sleigh

reigns.

The sleigh slides sideways on the ice until one runner falls

over the side and threatens to topple into the water.

Tato reaches for the dropped reigns with his spear, but the

sleigh tips and falls into the water, bobbing briefly before

sinking beneath the icy depths.

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