Heatwave

While the term 'heat wave' may come with negative connotations in many societies, in the northern parts of Syshir, on the Isles, many consider a heat wave to be a day of celebration. In the uppermost reaches where the weather options are snow or rain, and the seasons are cold or colder, Islemen celebrate heat waves by spending those rare, above-freezing moments in the nude. Unfamiliar travelers, although the Isles are certainly not a popular travel destination, have emerged from winter storms on the sea, pulled up ashore, and have been greeted by the thickly built, mostly-Tensys population celebrating around large bonfires with food and dance in the nude. These celebrations are limited to specific weather events they term 'heatwaves', as most pleasant, but colder days, need to be spent hunting, gathering, constructing, or doing other tasks that are limited during the inhospitable days where they retreat to their stone-wrought cave-like homes. Heatwaves are generally speaking a day when the sun is out and the temperature is above 5 degrees celsius. These occur a handful of times in a handful of years, although are often clustered close together with approximately three years separating another temperature surge.

Soluhk awoke to the brightest, warmest day of his young existence. "Soluhk! Luhk! Wake up! It's a heatwave." Naaluk's voice was too loud, although by her tone it was obviously supposed to be a whisper. Grumbling, Soluhk rolled over, shoving his head into the furs to try and block her out. And then his sleep-hazed mind registered her words. The reason why she was so excited. "A heatwave?!" Soluhk pushed to his feet all at once. Realising, belatedly, that the fire he had assumed was keeping his little nook warm, was actually grey and cold. His nook, given that he was alone, was one of the closest to the outside. Other families with more members, parents, children, were tucked further back in the cave where the rock held onto most of the heat from their fires and the hot springs. Soluhk couldn't guard his own alone, so he had a cave no one else would want. Apparently deciding to ignore the rules, Naaluk's curly head finally poked through the skin covering his cave. "That's what they're saying," she said excitedly, bright eyes alight. "I was waiting for you, but if you're going to take all day..." She pretended as if she was heading down the hallway, but the volume of her footsteps didn't change. Still, now that Soluhk knew what was going on, he had no reason to delay. On light, quick feet, the two raced down the slowly expanding tunnel together until it exploded into bright, shining sunlight and a perfect blue sky. All around the entrance to their system, Islemen were standing naked in the sun. Pale skin soaking up the sunlight. Already, although it couldn't have been long since day broke, piles of wood were slowly growing to serve the bonfires that would be lit for the celebration. Looking across at each other, Soluhk and Naaluk began to shed their own clothes in earnest, darting out of the safety of the cave system, joining the others in celebrating a heatwave.