Taqqiq

"I'm not coming back. I've found better friends."

— Taqqiq chasing Salik and his gang away in The Melting Sea, page 254

Taqqiq
Biographical information
Species:	Polar Bear
Family
Mother:	Nisa
Sister:	Kallik
Mate:	Shila
Aliases
Aliases:	Little Moon (by Nisa)
Book appearances
Living	Kallik's Adventure, The Quest Begins, Great Bear Lake, Smoke Mountain, Island of Shadows, (mentioned) The Melting Sea, River of Lost Bears (mentioned)
Living	Kallik's Adventure, The Quest Begins, Great Bear Lake, Smoke Mountain, Island of Shadows, (mentioned) The Melting Sea, River of Lost Bears (mentioned)

Taqqiq (tah-keek) is a large, male polar bear with tiny, oddly shaped ears, giant, slightly splayed out, large, furry paws, huge feet, strong yellow teeth, massive, shaggy, powerful, broad shoulders, narrow eyes, sharp claws, and a shaggy head.

History

In the Seekers Manga

Kallik's Adventure

He falls down the hill near his birth den causing Kallik to go after him and fall down too. He and his sister explore their home over a ridge but were greeted by a baby walrus they later named Muddy. They thought that Muddy was a different kind of bear at first. The cubs like to play with Muddy but are later attacked by Muddy's mother.

In The Original Series arc

The Quest Begins

Taqqiq is a talkative and naive young polar bear. He often is seen playing with Kallik and often teases her when she gets scared. Taqqiq is easily distracted, growing bored when Nisa is showing her cubs how to hunt seal. He shows no interest in learning how to hunt or to defend himself.

When the three bears travel to land, the ice cracks beneath his paws, dropping Taqqiq into the water, but soon after Nisa fishes him out. As the two bear cubs grow weary, Nisa agrees to carry them across one at a time. She takes Kallik across first. While Nisa is bringing Kallik across the water, something starts to tug her and she quickly pushes her cub onto the ice. Taqqiq is forced to watch his mother drown in the icy water, dragged down by the orcas. Scared and alone, he runs away, not knowing that his sister was still alive.

Great Bear Lake

Taqqiq is first seen stealing a fish from Kallik after she caught it, showing that Taqqiq is at Great Bear Lake for the Longest Day ceremony. He had changed so much since he lost Kallik and Nisa. He first acts hostile against Kallik but he finally realizes that Kallik just found him. He is friends with a white bear named Salik and they steal a black bear cub named Miki to show to the rest of the white bears that black bears are weak and white bears could take over where they live. But Kallik persuades Taqqiq to bring Miki back. Then Taqqiq, Kallik, Toklo, Lusa, and Ujurak all go on their journey to the Place of Everlasting Ice.

Smoke Mountain

During Smoke Mountain, Taqqiq had agreed to come with his sister Kallik and the other traveling bears. Taqqiq is used to being a provider for his friends when he was back at the Great Bear Lake and shows constant hostility towards Toklo who is also used to providing for the traveling bears. He often catches food for Kallik and disobeys Toklo who is also used to be giving orders and seems to purposely be getting under Toklo's skin.

One morning he awakes his sister, Kallik, and takes her on a morning hunt, away from the others in a response to lure her further away, though Kallik can see his plan, stopping dead in their tracks. Taqqiq tells her that this isn't his place and he needs to be around more white bears like him. He says that he loves Kallik, but can't live with her friends and that he is going back to Great Bear Lake. He begs Kallik to go with him, but Kallik replies that she belongs with her friends. Taqqiq understands her answer, leaving behind his sibling.

In the Return to the Wild arc

Island of Shadows

Kallik tells Yakone about Taqqiq during the journey back to the Melting Sea.

The Melting Sea

Taqqiq first appears when Salik, Manik, Iqaluk and two other male bears appear at the entrance to Kallik, Toklo, Lusa, Yakone and Shila's den, wanting to drive them out. Kallik begs Taqqiq to come to their side, but Taqqiq tells her to leave quietly because he doesn't want her to get hurt. He and his gang eventually drive them out. Later, they follow the Seeker bears and Shila to Shila's old den, where they found blood. Shila thought the blood was of her two younger brothers, Tonraq and Pakak. Salik taunts them, and Shila attacks. Each of the group swipes Shila away, wrenching her shoulder. Kallik, furious, attacks Taqqiq, which startles him. Salik and his gang sarcastically tell him to be careful, and Kallik tells him that he was not her brother, calls him a cub killer, and tells him that she hates him. She and the group stalk away. Later Taqqiq returns and tells them that they didn't kill Sakari, Tonraq and Pakak. He defends his group, saying they were only doing it because they needed food. Kallik tells him to help them find Sakari and the cubs, Taqqiq shows jealousy towards Yakone and mutters to Toklo that Kallik had found a new brother, but Toklo tells him that Yakone didn't want to be her brother, but something else. Taqqiq is surprised and asks where Ujurak is. Toklo gruffly responds he died, and Taqqiq is taken aback and apologizes, but at this moment, Kallik falls into a seal hole, and before Yakone can grab her, she disappears under the surface. Taqqiq saves her, saying she was the only family he had. Taqqiq then agrees to take them to find Sakari and her cubs. They eventually find Sakari's den, and Taqqiq helps rebuild it.

When Sakari gathers bears around, some begin to leave when he leaps in and tells them he was from Salik's gang and that the only reason Salik won was his group worked together. He tells the bears that they can defeat them by working together and mentions how good a fighter Toklo is. This convinces the Polar Bears to stay. Taqqiq comes up with the idea to lure Salik's friends over and tells Toklo and Kallik he'll do it. Shila interrupts, asking him which side they were on, and it is noted something passed between them. Taqqiq says he will return, and Shila responds he had better be on their side.

Taqqiq returns at night with Salik's gang and acts as if he was part of their gang so much Lusa was terrified he'd chosen Salik over them. The battle begins, and Taqqiq helps Shila fight Salik. Salik and his bears flee. When Salik tells Taqqiq not to come back, Taqqiq responds he won't. Later, Sakari invites him, Kallik, and Yakone to stay with them. Taqqiq agrees to join, but Kallik and Yakone decide to go with Lusa and Toklo but return later. Kallik says good-bye, and a moment of sadness passes between the two.

River of Lost Bears

Taqqiq is mentioned in Kallik's thoughts, of how he now lived on the Melting Sea with his new family, with Shila as his mate.

Trivia

• During The Melting Sea, he seems to develop a crush on Shila.
• In River of Lost Bears, it is hinted that he became Shila's mate.
• Taqqiq's name means "moon" in Inuktitut.

Quotes

"I'm the moon! I'm the moon!"

—Taqqiq after discovering what his name meant

"Not unless the ice melts."

—Taqqiq, trying to scare Kallik

"Wait! I was one of Salik's bears. You have to understand this. Salik and the others aren't anything special individually. It's only because they work together that they've been able to terrorize the rest of you. So it's only by working together that you'll be able to defeat them. And we need to do that before Toklo teaches you to hunt, so they don't come after that food, too."

—Taqqiq to the group of bears Sakari gathered

Family Tree

Unknown

Nisa

Shila

Taqqiq

Kallik

Yakone

Chulyin

Suka

    = Male

    = Female

    = Gender Unknown