Anyu and the others watched, numb and still half in disbelief, as Igni and the summer indwellers tightened restraints around Siku's wrists. Someone had healed Sakari, though the girl hadn't woken up yet. The two women, grandmother and granddaughter, were defeated. It was over.

Kano winced again, pulling Anyu's attention away as she remembered his injury. He grit his teeth together, a hand clasping the bloody wound on his stomach. It looked deep, and he must have lost a large amount of blood during their fight. Anyu tensed, a small panic returning to her. Supporting Kano between them, Anyu and Tavra moved to stand before Igni, letting Kano lay on the ground.

The summer indweller wasn't wearing his wooden mask anymore, and Anyu couldn't deny that the sight of his sharp-toothed maw was disconcerting. But Anyu knew the incredible powers in those teeth, and she wouldn't take it for granted.

Igni's gaze met hers as she let go of Kano and looked up at him.

"Can you heal him?" Her voice was much calmer than she felt.

Igni's eyes slid to Kano, lying on the ground at his feet. Blood continued to seep from his wound, staining the snow red around him. His breathing was labored, his expression one of clear pain. Tavra hovered next to him, looking afraid and uncertain of what to do. After seeming to take in the scene, Igni's gaze returned to Anyu.

"He's a winter indweller, isn't he?" His voice was colored with mistrust.

Anyu froze even as her blood boiled in incredulous anger. She had saved the summer indwellers to make things right, to return the world to its proper balance. If they thought they could get away with imbalancing it again, they would have to face her first.

"He was imprisoned by Siku because he tried to save you." Anyu's voice was icy, with a dangerous undertone to it. "He's risked his life this whole time to save you. He's dying right now because he helped save you." Her glare burned right through Igni. "If you don't heal him..." Anyu trailed off, not even knowing how to finish her sentence. There was nothing she had to threaten him with, nothing except her burning anger and fierce resolve, and those were both evident without her having to speak it aloud.

Igni paused. He assessed Anyu for a moment longer. Anyu gripped her knife tighter, prepared to rip a tooth out of the indweller's mouth if she had to. She refused to let Kano die here, not after everything they'd been through, not after finally winning. But Igni at last gave her a small nod and knelt to the ground beside Kano.

He opened his jaw wide, exposing the rows of pointed teeth. Tavra let out a noise of disgust and recoiled at the sight, but Anyu only watched intently as Igni plucked out a seemingly random tooth.

He crushed the tooth in his palm and let the white powder fall onto Kano's wound. Anyu watched anxiously, and behind her Shesh whinnied in concern.

The effect was immediate. The pained expression on Kano's face eased into one of tired relief, and his breathing began to return to normal. Anyu didn't know how long Igni's tooth would take to heal him completely, but the danger was past now- he was going to survive.

Kano's eyes suddenly opened wide, glancing around him in surprise. He sat up too quickly and winced, holding his side. He looked from Anyu and Tavra to Igni and seemed to understand what had happened.

"Thank you," he said to the summer indweller. He didn't seemed fazed by Igni's strange appearance, or perhaps he was still too much in shock to take notice of it. Igni merely shrugged.

"It seems I'm the one who owes thanks to you," he replied, his gaze flitting to Anyu quickly. "To all of you." He bowed his head.

Kano was about to say something but a punch to his shoulder interrupted him.

"Ow!" he complained, turning to Tavra. "What was that for?"

Tavra glared at him with a scowl, though he looked about ready to cry. Both Kano and Anyu blinked in surprise when Tavra threw his arms around Kano in a tight hug.

Kano hesitated for only a split second before hugging the boy back. Anyu's heart felt so touched at the sight she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

Tavra pulled back, his expression still a stubborn frown, but he wiped a few tears from his face.

"Don't do stupid stuff like that anymore," he said accusingly. It was probably the nicest thing Anyu ever recalled him saying to Kano.

"I promise." A smile spread across his face, his usual cocky grin. He looked happy, like his normal self again.

He turned to Anyu and raised a brow, his lips quirking into a small smile. "Do you want a hug too?"

Anyu laughed lightly. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, smirking at the startled expression on his face. Tavra made a sound of disgust at the gesture, wrinkling his nose, and Shesh gave a disgruntled huff behind her. Anyu only laughed again as Kano blinked and slowly smiled back at her.

Suddenly all of the summer indwellers turned back towards the direction of the mountain in unison. The low murmuring that had been running through the crowd of them ceased all at once. There, beaten and weary but walking towards them with all the grace of a goddess, was Seqineq. The woman's flowing red clothing was scorched in several places and her skin was mottled with cuts and bruises. Somehow the light of her yellow eyes seemed dimmer, less blinding. She had clearly expended almost all of her power.

Igni approached and kneeled before her, and all of the other indwellers followed suit. Anyu and the others, already kneeling on the ground, watched the scene closely, unsure of what happened next. Seqineq put a hand on Igni's shoulder and bid him rise. Her gaze searched the assembled crowd, her stare as sharp as a tiger's, and quickly landed on what she was looking for.

Anyu squared her shoulders, readying herself to thank the indweller woman as she walked towards them. But Seqineq brushed right passed Anyu and the others. Anyu turned in surprise and watched as she stopped to stand before Siku. Siku had been chained more securely by the summer indwellers, and Anyu was sure that they had used their magic to bind her as well.

Siku's appearance left no question of her defeat. Her pale skin looked closer to a shade of gray, the creases in her face multiplied. Some of the light had drained out of her icy blue eyes. Her figure was weak and prone where she sat on the ground, surrounded by the victors.

She slowly turned her face up to meet Seqineq's gaze. For a minute, neither of them spoke, and a heavy silence hung in the air. Anyu unconsciously clenched her hand around her knife, goosebumps rising up on her skin. She remembered the earth-shattering storm of magic and nature on the mountain, the storm caused by the two women now facing each other. She didn't want to be anywhere near by when another fight broke out between them.

"This is the outcome of your greed and treachery, Siku," Seqineq spoke at last. Her low, gravelly voice carried out across the tundra. "You've lost."

"What is to be my punishment?" Siku's voice wasn't angry or frightened- only resigned and numb. She had already come to terms with her defeat, it seemed. Anyu stared at her, her eyes narrowed.

"You'll be sealed in Yahal." Seqineq's face betrayed no emotion, no inkling of the revenge or hatred she might feel. "There you'll stay, until we decide upon your final fate."

Siku nodded once as if this was what she had expected. Then her expression hardened.

"And my granddaughter?"

Seqineq slowly turned to glance behind Siku. Sakari was unconscious still, and chained up as Siku was. The indwellers had seen to her wound as Igni had ordered, though she still looked worse for wear after their battle.

Seqineq turned back to Siku. "She will also be sealed away with you, until we decide her fate."

Siku tensed, her lip curling into a snarl.

"You know it was me in control," she said vehemently.

"And her following your orders," Seqineq retorted. "Neither of you is innocent, and you will both receive your due justice."

Without any warning, Siku suddenly lunged forward with a growl. The indweller holding her chains was taken by surprise, but kept ahold of the chains and tugged her back. Seqineq only continued to stare down at her impassively.

"I hope you enjoy your stay in Yahal," Seqineq said dryly. "We've become quite fond of the place after a millennium living there."

She gave a sharp nod to the indwellers guarding Siku and Sakari. They bowed their heads to her and began to lead the two of them away, Siku pulled by her chains and Sakari dragged away on a sled.

Anyu watched them go, never letting her eyes leave Siku. A part of her wished to talk with the woman before she was locked away forever- to ask more about her grandmother, about her family. Instead she watched in silence.

Siku's ice cold eyes met hers as she passed by. Anyu stiffened at the pure rage in that gaze, the cold anger.

"Tell Awa that I will see her again," she said directly to Anyu before a summer indweller tugged sharply on her restraints and she was forced forward, back towards Yahal. Anyu shivered at her words. It was a clear threat; a promise that she intended to keep.

And then she was gone. Anyu almost wished to see her locked up in Yahal herself, to make sure it was done properly. However, she didn't have the time.

"Seqineq," she said urgently. The indweller woman turned to her, and Anyu took a deep breath. "I need to return home. The passage is two days northeast, but it will move if I don't make it there in time."

She heard Shesh perk up at the mention of home, and give a small longing noise. Anyu couldn't bring herself turn to look at Kano and Tavra's faces, staring stubbornly at Seqineq instead. She still had two days to come to terms with what going home meant: leaving them behind. She wasn't ready to face it just yet.

Seqineq stared back at her and then nodded. "I understand. I will personally escort you to the passage to your world." Anyu, taken aback, opened her mouth to speak, but Seqineq held up a hand. "If there is any way to repay my debt to you, it is making sure you return safely." Seqineq turned towards Igni, giving him a meaningful look. "Igni will accompany us as well."

The sharp-toothed man frowned but bowed his head forward in acknowledgement of her command. Seqineq, satisfied with his agreement, turned back to Anyu.

"Thank you for all you have done for us, Anyu of the Nenet," She said, her eyes softening. "I hope you find your way home."