Eagle Drums: Chapters 4–6

by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson
While walking toward the mountains to gather obsidian, young Piŋa is chosen by the eagles to learn their ways of telling stories through music and dance so that he could unite the Iñupiaq people of the Arctic tundra.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–20, Chapters 21–25
40 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. overshadow
    be or appear greater in importance or achievement than
    At first Piŋa fought the urge to break the quietude with talking, a feeling he was unused to. But by the fourth night, that need was overshadowed by the strangeness of his journey.
  2. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    Every once in a while, he would catch Savik popping his muscles and joints loudly with satisfied groans or scratching vigorously at his thick dark hair, as if his human form might be uncomfortable.
  3. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    Puzzled, the boy ventured to ask another question.
  4. haphazard
    dependent upon or characterized by chance
    When they could, the boy and Savik followed sheep trails in the high mountains, narrow pathways that wound up to the tops of the mountains in a haphazard zigzag of nooks and crannies and small dark caves.
  5. fend
    try to manage without help
    If he was going to be left alone for long periods of time in the future, then he might as well be prepared to fend for himself—or defend himself if he was going to be attacked again.
  6. void
    an empty area or space
    His mind and his heart wandered, filling the void around him.
  7. resonate
    produce a deep, clear sound
    It resonated through his body, tickling the hairs on his arms and making them stand up. It was a slow, steady pulsation, begging him to move.
  8. coax
    carefully manipulate, adjust, or bring to a desired state
    On the morning of the fifth day, Piŋa woke to the sounds of Savik moving the stones of the fire around as he tried to coax the embers back into flame.
  9. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    The subtle thumping vibrated through the stone and permeated the air around them.
  10. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    The subtle thumping vibrated through the stone and permeated the air around them.
  11. leaden
    made heavy or weighted down with weariness
    Piŋa was exhausted, his legs leaden and sore.
  12. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    During their frequent breaks, the boy would gingerly pull his feet from his caribou-skin boots in order to examine them.
  13. prompt
    serve as the inciting cause of
    Bits of his skin stuck to the inside of his boots, prompting fresh waves of pain.
  14. aggravate
    make worse
    The bottoms and sides of his feet were peppered with angry blisters rubbed raw, blisters that got no relief from being aggravated by sharp mountain rocks through his thin-soled boots.
  15. crevasse
    a deep fissure
    Water was scarcer as they got higher, so he looked for pockets of ice hidden in crevasses, tiny streams of snowmelt, or what he could catch when it rained.
  16. doggedly
    with obstinate determination
    He kept his eyes on the back of the man’s boots, doggedly following, wishing for an end to this mad journey.
  17. mesa
    flat tableland with steep edges
    A giant mesa stretched before the boy.
  18. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    Tall stone walls at least twice the height of a grown man flanked the sides, forming a cup around the center.
  19. buffer
    protect from impact
    The stones buffered the wind, which was now mostly still.
  20. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    Trails of blue smoke billowed from each house, and the faint smell of cooking made his stomach growl and cramp with hunger.
  21. aerie
    any habitation at a high altitude
    It looked as if a large family had made this aerie their home.
  22. sporadically
    in an irregular or unpredictable manner
    Lit seal-oil stone lamps were sporadically placed throughout, leaving most of the hall in darkness.
  23. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    A soft light emanated from a large opening, framed by wood heavily adorned with shallow carvings.
  24. adorned
    decorated or dressed up to be more beautiful or distinct
    A soft light emanated from a large opening, framed by wood heavily adorned with shallow carvings.
  25. myriad
    a large indefinite number
    Her thin hair was silvery white, her dark skin lined with a myriad of wrinkles.
  26. jowl
    a looseness of the flesh of the lower cheek and jaw
    Her jowls sagged, giving her an almost permanent frown.
  27. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    In one gnarled hand, she held a twisted branch that she rubbed with her stained fingers.
  28. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Her voice, too, was young and invoked in him the memory of snowbirds calling in the springtime—sharp against his ear, high-pitched and clear in tone.
  29. croon
    sing softly
    With that, she crooned deep in her throat, a noise only a bird would make.
  30. rustle
    a light noise, like the noise of leaves blowing in the wind
    The boy heard the rustle of feathers coming from behind him.
  31. stifled
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    When his vision cleared, he found himself staring into the golden eyes of the old woman, her body quaking with stifled laughter.
  32. downy
    covered with fine soft hairs or feathers
    Her hands and face were the only skin showing, and he noticed that on top of her wrinkles, she also had fine downy pale hairs all over her skin that reflected the light and made her look like she glowed.
  33. rigid
    fixed and unmoving
    Piŋa quickly sat down, his spine rigid with tension, and waited for the next command.
  34. daft
    foolish or mentally irregular
    “What is the matter? Place your hand on your chest and tell me what you feel! Are you daft?”
  35. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    She turned and made a noise, a guttural trill in the back of her throat.
  36. trill
    a note that alternates with another note a semitone above it
    She turned and made a noise, a guttural trill in the back of her throat.
  37. exasperation
    a feeling of annoyance
    Nautchiaq sighed and returned to her mother’s side. The Eagle Mother’s face wrinkled into a look of exasperation.
  38. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    Savik had begun to strike the edge of the large disc with the stick, softly, almost imperceptibly at first.
  39. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    As the combined sounds grew louder, the boy stopped and simply watched and listened, transfixed.
  40. submission
    the act of surrendering power to another
    He had felt the lichen in his mouth. Had felt how the caribou knew that he was there in the tall grass, had felt their submission and their judgment of his worthiness. He had felt their emotions, the fear, the many deaths they gave to him.
Created on Wed Apr 17 14:45:10 EDT 2024 (updated Thu Apr 18 14:29:27 EDT 2024)

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