The defender

A narrator returns to the stark beauty of far‑north Siberia to recall the quiet life of Turgen, a solitary Lamut who has made the wild mountain rams his only companions. Once a trusted healer among nearby Yakut villagers, he now dwells in a simple yurta perched between cliffs, his days rhythmically marked by fishing, pipe‑smoking, and watching the valley below from beneath an ancient larch. The peace of his existence is tinged with loss—his wife and son perished long ago, and the community’s gossip now paints his bond with the rams as sorcery.

Through the eyes of Tim, a Yakut youth who has sworn to protect the same rams, the story explores how myths and jealousy can turn kindness into suspicion. The narrator’s reflections on childhood lessons about warm hearts and the harsh northern land set a tone of gentle reverence, inviting listeners to glide through a world where nature, memory, and human frailty intertwine.