Chapter 14

## Howling

* Color
* Volume

**Howling** (遠吠え, *Tōboe*) is the 14th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

Sugimoto and Asirpa catch an otter, and Asirpa tells Sugimoto about how to make a dish out of it. However, since the otter was killed by aconite arrow, its meat must be cooked and not eaten raw, so they can't make *citatap* and will have a soup (*ohaw*) instead. Asirpa tells Sugimoto that in Ainu the river otter, *esaman*, is considered to be an incredibly forgetful *kamuy*. That's why one should never eat otter or speak its name during *Iomante* or other important ceremonies in order to not forget any steps. When the soup is ready, Sugimoto tastes it and finds it delicious. Asirpa says there's a more delicious part and gives Sugimoto a boiled river otter head. Sugimoto awkwardly tries to eat it.

In the *kotan*, kids ask Asirpa to play with them. They give her a *kisarri* ("long-eared monster"), a toy for scaring children which you use while standing outside the window and making scary noises. Asirpa offers Sugimoto to give it a try, but his attempt to scare the children falls flat. Asirpa takes the matters in her hands and shows everyone how it's done, terrifying the children. Sugimoto tries again, but fails and kids leave him. Later, Asirpa joins other children at a game of *Uko Karip Ciwe*, a ring catch game, and Sugimoto watches her with a smile.

At night, when Asirpa and Osoma are fast asleep, Sugimoto is sitting together with Huci and Makanakkuru. They hear a wolf's howl, and Sugimoto says that he's seen a large white wolf protect Asirpa twice; he wonders why would an animal behave like that. Makanakkuru explains that it must be Retar's howl they're hearing now. He reveals that Asirpa and her father saved Retar from a brown bear when he was just a pup; he looked like a tiny snowman, so they named him *Retar*, which means "white". Makanakkuru notes that Asirpa and Retar were inseparable, and after Asirpa's father death, she would go up to the mountains with Retar a lot. However, they belong to different worlds: one night, when Asirpa and Retar were in the forest, they were awoken by a howling. Retar wanted to follow the sound, but Asirpa tried to stop him, asking not to listen and come back to her. After looking at Asirpa for one last time and letting out a howl, Retar ran away, leaving Asirpa alone and sobbing, crying out for Retar and her *aca*.

Makanakkuru ends his tale by saying that, despite her mature behavior, Asirpa is still just a lonely, fragile little girl. As Makanakkuru picks up sleeping Osoma in his arms, he tells Sugimoto that Asirpa rarely smiled since that day, but now with him at her side Asirpa seems much happier. When Makanakkuru leaves, Huci tells Sugimoto something important about Asirpa, but since she is speaking in Ainu, Sugimoto is not really able to understand her. Still, he says that he knows that Huci loves Asirpa very much, just like everyone else in this village.

When Huci falls asleep, Sugimoto is still sitting by the fire, deep in thoughts. He thinks of Asirpa but then remembers how the two of them were chased by the 7th Division. Realizing his presence is dangerous for Asirpa, Sugimoto leaves the *kotan* without saying goodbye.

## Character Appearances

* Asirpa
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Osoma
* Makanakkuru
* Huci
* Retar
* Wilk *(Mentioned)*

## Anime Episode

* Episode 4
* Golden Douga Gekijou: Otter Episode
* Golden Douga Gekijou: Otter Episode 2

## Trivia

* Huci's words to Sugimoto were originally left in Ainu without translation but were later revealed in the Volume 2 additions: