Birth Beneath Winter Stars

On the edge of the Arctic world, a child is born on the darkest night, as the old shaman Ataata watches the sky for the Sun's return. The birth is fraught with loss: Omat's mother dies, and the baby is left weak, nearly soulless. Yet, as the family mourns, a great white wolf appears, breathing life into the child. The family believes Omat carries the spirit of the wolf and the soul of the lost father, and so Omat is raised as a boy, destined to be both hunter and shaman. The spirits of the land and sky—Sun, Moon, Sea, Wolf, Bear—watch, knowing this child will live between worlds.

Wolf's Breath, Whale's Spirit

Omat grows up in a world where survival depends on the spirits and the skills of the hunter. Raised by Ataata and Puja, Omat is taught to hunt, to sing the old stories, and to speak with the spirits. Omat's body is female, but the soul is that of a man, and the family honors this, training Omat as a boy. The wolf's spirit is ever-present, guiding Omat's dreams and awakening a sense of being between genders, between animal and human, between the living and the dead. The family's isolation is profound, and Omat's identity is shaped by the need to be both protector and bridge.

Hunger and the Caribou Hunt

A harsh winter brings hunger and the threat of extinction. Omat and Kiasik, the milk-brother, compete and cooperate as they learn to hunt. The caribou hunt is a test of skill and courage, and Omat's ability to speak the animals' true names hints at shamanic power. The family's survival depends on the old ways, the building of inuksuit, and the wisdom of Ataata. Yet, jealousy and pride simmer between Omat and Kiasik, foreshadowing future conflict. The hunt is both a rite of passage and a lesson in the cost of leadership.

Between Worlds, Between Genders

A chance conversation reveals to Omat the truth of the body's difference from the spirit. Omat is confronted with the knowledge of being biologically female, despite being raised as a boy. Ataata reassures Omat that the spirit's path is not dictated by the body, and that the choice of how to live remains Omat's. The Sun's return is celebrated, but Omat's sense of self is shaken. The family's traditions, the aglirutiit (taboos), and the spirits' silence all weigh on Omat, who must navigate a world with no easy place for those who are both and neither.

The Angakkuq's Apprentice

Omat becomes Ataata's apprentice, learning the sacred language of the angakkuq (shaman) and the stories of the spirits. The lessons are both practical—how to hunt, how to read the land—and mystical—how to journey in trance, how to call the spirits. Omat's power grows, but so does the burden of expectation. The family's isolation is both a blessing and a curse, as Omat is groomed to be the next leader, the next bridge between worlds. The spirits begin to answer Omat's calls, and the wolf's presence is felt more keenly.

Spirits, Stories, and Survival

Omat undertakes the angakkuq's rite of passage, fasting and journeying alone to seek a spirit guide. In a vision of pain and transformation, Omat is torn apart and reborn, visited by the Wolf Spirit, who grants the power to shift between forms—wolf, raven, human. Omat learns the limits of this gift: it is to be used only in dire need, and the spirits are not to be trifled with. The journey cements Omat's place as both shaman and hunter, but also as someone forever set apart, living between the worlds of flesh and spirit.

Stranger Sleds on the Ice

The family's solitude is shattered when a group of strangers arrives, led by the charismatic and dangerous Issuk. They bring food, hope, and the promise of new alliances, but also new dangers. Omat is both fascinated and wary, sensing that the spirits are restless. The strangers' customs are different, their ambitions unsettling. Issuk's presence stirs jealousy, desire, and fear, especially as he challenges Omat's place as hunter and angakkuq. The fragile balance of the camp is threatened, and Omat's identity is put to the test.

Issuk's Arrival, Omat's Exile

Issuk's arrival brings conflict. He challenges Omat's right to hunt, mocks Omat's gender, and seduces the camp with promises of whale hunts and plenty. Omat is accused of breaking taboos, blamed for the family's misfortunes, and ultimately exiled from the hunt. In a moment of crisis, Omat's power is stripped away by the Moon Spirit, Taqqiq, who curses Omat to bleed and lose the ability to speak with the spirits. Betrayed by family and friend, Omat is left vulnerable, and Issuk's violence culminates in rape and abduction. Omat is taken south as Issuk's captive, powerless and broken.

Rape, Ruin, and Captivity

Omat is dragged south across the melting sea, bound and brutalized. Issuk's wives and children are both captors and fellow victims. Omat's spirit is nearly extinguished, but the wolf's resilience endures. The journey is a nightmare of hunger, humiliation, and violence, but also of small acts of defiance and survival. Omat's wolfdog, Black Mask, reappears, a symbol of hope and the enduring bond with the animal world. The journey south is both a physical and spiritual ordeal, stripping Omat to the core.

Southward Across Melting Seas

As the ice melts, the group is forced to adapt, crossing open water in umiaq and struggling to survive. Black Mask gives birth to wolfdog pups, and Omat finds new purpose in caring for them. Issuk's cruelty continues, but Omat's spirit begins to heal through the bond with the animals. The journey brings them to new lands, where the environment is strange and the dangers unfamiliar. Omat's identity as both man and woman, hunter and shaman, is tested and reshaped by suffering and endurance.

Wolfdogs, Whales, and Womanhood

Omat's wolfdog pups become companions and symbols of resilience. The journey brings encounters with new peoples—the painted men—who are both kin and strangers. Omat's power begins to return, subtly at first, as the wolfdogs help hunt and survive. The bond with the animals is deepened, and Omat's sense of self as both mother and hunter, woman and man, is affirmed. The wolfdogs' loyalty and intelligence are a source of strength, and Omat's healing is mirrored in their growth.

The Painted Men's Village

Omat and the wolfdogs stumble upon a village of painted men, descendants of the Tuniit, who live in bark huts and paint their bodies red. Omat is both welcomed and feared, recognized as an outsider and a shaman. The old woman of the village shares a history of violence and displacement, revealing that Omat's ancestors once drove her people from the land. Through a ritual, Omat and the Norseman Brandr share dreams and memories, learning each other's languages and pasts. The encounter is both a warning and a lesson in the cycles of conquest and loss.

Brandr the Viking, Omat the Outcast

Brandr, a wounded Norseman, becomes Omat's unlikely companion. Both are exiles, haunted by violence and loss. They nurse each other's wounds, share stories, and slowly build trust. Through shared dreams and the old woman's magic, they learn each other's languages and histories. Brandr is revealed as a man fleeing his own people's violence, seeking redemption. Omat, still struggling with the loss of shamanic power, finds in Brandr a mirror of pain and hope. Together, they form a partnership that transcends culture and gender.

Dreams, Gods, and New Tongues

Omat and Brandr journey together, learning to survive in the forested south. They teach each other skills—hunting, spinning, storytelling—and share their deepest fears and desires. Omat's wolfdogs are a bridge between worlds, and the two companions grow closer, their bond deepening into love. Yet, both are haunted by the violence of their pasts—Omat's rape and exile, Brandr's participation in Viking raids and the murder of his brother. Their relationship is a fragile hope in a world of loss.

The Norse and the North

Omat and Brandr travel north, seeking Omat's family and the Norse settlement of Leifsbudir. The journey is perilous, as winter approaches and the land grows harsher. They encounter the painted men again, and Omat's wolfdogs prove invaluable. Brandr's knowledge of the Norse world and Omat's shamanic wisdom are both needed to survive. The two are drawn into the orbit of the Norse, where old enmities and new alliances collide. The approach of Ragnarok—the prophesied end of the gods—looms over all.

The Battle for Survival

Omat and Brandr are captured by the Norse, led by the formidable Freydis and the brutal Ingharr. Omat is forced to live as a thrall, stripped of dignity and agency, while Brandr is hunted for past crimes. The Norse are beset by hunger, fear, and the encroaching winter. Omat's brother Kiasik is found among the thralls, broken but alive. The tension between Omat and Kiasik, and between Omat and Brandr, comes to a head as the group faces starvation and the threat of annihilation.

The Moon's Curse, the Sun's Return

As the Norse prepare to execute Brandr and Omat, the spirits gather for a final reckoning. Omat, aided by Loki in disguise, regains shamanic power and journeys to the Moon to confront Taqqiq. In a battle of wills and stories, Omat sacrifices self to save the others, calling on the Sun, Malina, to end the Moon's reign. The gods of both Norse and Inuit are drawn into the conflict, and the boundaries between worlds blur. Omat's sacrifice is both an end and a beginning.

The Gathering of Spirits

Omat calls upon the spirits of wolf, bear, raven, and all the animals of land and sea. The wolfdogs transform into narwhals and wolves, leading an army of spirits and animals against the Norse. The Norse, in turn, are possessed by their gods—Thor, Odin, Frey, Frigg—and the stage is set for Ragnarok. The battle is both physical and spiritual, a clash of worlds and destinies. Omat, Brandr, and Kiasik fight side by side, but the cost is terrible.

Ragnarok on the Frozen Sea

The battle on the ice is apocalyptic. Gods and spirits fall—wolves, bears, Norse gods, and Inuit spirits alike. Kiasik sacrifices himself to save Omat, and the wolfdogs die defending their human. The Norse are defeated, their dreams of conquest shattered. Freydis and the survivors flee, vowing never to return. The spirits of the land and sky are gone, and Omat is left to mourn the loss of family, friends, and magic. The world is remade in blood and sorrow.

Sacrifice and the End of Magic

Omat, exhausted and bereft of power, is pulled between worlds. The spirits are gone, the gods defeated, and the old ways are ended. Omat's sacrifice has saved the people, but at the cost of shamanic magic and the connection to the spirits. Brandr and Omat are reunited, but the price of survival is high. The world is quieter, emptier, and Omat must learn to live without the guidance of the spirits.

The Weaving of Worlds

Omat returns home, grieving but alive. The family is reunited, and new life is celebrated with the birth of Saartok's child and, later, Omat's own. Omat weaves a blanket from musk ox wool, singing the story of the past to the next generation. The old gods are gone, but their memory is preserved in story and song. Omat's child is both Norse and Inuk, a symbol of the new world that has been forged from suffering and hope. The weaving is both literal and metaphorical—a binding of worlds, peoples, and spirits.

Homecoming and New Beginnings

Brandr returns from Greenland, reuniting with Omat and their daughter. The family is larger, the camp thriving, and the world is changed. The spirits are gone, but the lessons of survival, love, and resilience endure. Omat's journey from outcast to leader, from shaman to mother, is complete. The story ends with hope: the weaving of new stories, the birth of new life, and the promise that, even in a world without gods, the people will endure.

Characters

Omat

Omat is the protagonist, born on the edge of survival, carrying the spirit of the wolf and the soul of a lost father. Raised as a boy despite a female body, Omat embodies the tension between gender, spirit, and social role. Omat's journey is one of transformation—shaman, hunter, exile, mother, and leader. The psychoanalysis of Omat reveals a soul torn between worlds, always seeking belonging and purpose. Omat's relationships—with Ataata, Puja, Kiasik, Brandr, and the spirits—are defined by love, loss, and the need to protect. Omat's development is a movement from isolation and pain to acceptance and the weaving of a new world.

Brandr

Brandr is a Norseman fleeing his own people's brutality, seeking redemption for the violence he has committed and witnessed. Wounded and lost, he becomes Omat's unlikely companion, lover, and equal. Brandr's psychoanalysis reveals a man shaped by trauma, guilt, and longing for connection. His relationship with Omat is transformative, allowing both to heal and to challenge the boundaries of culture, gender, and love. Brandr's journey is from berserker and outcast to partner and father, his arc mirroring Omat's in its search for meaning and forgiveness.

Kiasik

Kiasik is Omat's cousin, milk-brother, and sometimes rival. He embodies the tension between love and envy, pride and vulnerability. Kiasik's psychoanalysis reveals a young man desperate for approval, struggling with his own limitations and the shadow of Omat's power. His relationship with Omat is fraught—supportive, competitive, and ultimately tragic. Kiasik's development is a movement from prideful youth to sacrificial hero, his death a pivotal moment in Omat's journey.

Ataata

Ataata is the old shaman, Omat's grandfather and mentor. He represents the wisdom of the old ways, the connection to the spirits, and the burden of leadership. Ataata's psychoanalysis reveals a man haunted by loss, desperate to preserve his family and traditions. His relationship with Omat is foundational, shaping Omat's identity and destiny. Ataata's death marks the end of an era and the passing of the torch to Omat.

Puja

Puja is Omat's aunt, adoptive mother, and emotional anchor. She is practical, nurturing, and fiercely protective. Puja's psychoanalysis reveals a woman shaped by grief and resilience, who adapts to loss by caring for others. Her relationship with Omat is one of deep, unspoken love, and her presence is a source of strength throughout Omat's trials.

Issuk

Issuk is the leader of the stranger sleds, a man of power, violence, and seduction. He is both a bringer of hope and a destroyer, challenging Omat's place in the world and ultimately becoming a rapist and abuser. Issuk's psychoanalysis reveals a man driven by hunger for dominance, unable to accept difference or weakness. His relationship with Omat is one of conflict, violation, and ultimately, nemesis. Issuk's death is both a personal and symbolic victory for Omat.

Freydis

Freydis is the formidable leader of the Norse, a woman of ambition, violence, and prophecy. She is both a mirror and a foil to Omat—another woman who leads men, who dreams of conquest and fears the loss of power. Freydis's psychoanalysis reveals a soul driven by dreams, haunted by the gods, and willing to do anything to survive. Her relationship with Omat is adversarial, defined by mutual recognition and enmity.

Ingharr

Ingharr is the Norseman who personifies the berserker rage, cruelty, and the old gods' bloodlust. He is both a rival to Brandr and a tormentor to Omat and Kiasik. Ingharr's psychoanalysis reveals a man consumed by violence, unable to adapt to a changing world. His death is both a personal and mythic defeat.

Muirenn / Loki

Muirenn / Loki is an Irish thrall who is revealed to be Loki, the Norse trickster god, in disguise. As Muirenn, she is a source of comfort and wisdom; as Loki, she is a catalyst for the final battle. Loki's psychoanalysis reveals a being who thrives on chaos, transformation, and the breaking of boundaries. The relationship with Omat is one of manipulation and, ultimately, reluctant alliance.

Sanna (Sea Mother)

Sanna (Sea Mother) is the Sea Mother, a spirit of immense power and ambivalence. She is both nurturing and destructive, a force of nature who shapes Omat's fate. [Sanna (Sea Mother

Last updated: July 27, 2025