It would take him a few days to recover from his adventure to and from Neverwinter Forest. What had begun as a simple job returning a lost friend to her pack, had ended up becoming a battle for his own life when he blundered into a mother grizzly and her cubs. If it hadn't been for Minori, he would've easily been killed- and both of them had taken a few good hits. For Bronco, having been slacked twice by the grizzly, his ribs were bruised- possibly a couple of them cracked- but he was otherwise alright. So much for battling a bear and having a scar to show for it; most of the flesh wounds he had were from when he tumbled to the ground, minor scrapes and scuffs.
So he took some time from patrolling to rest in the opening of the crevasse, with its verdant walls climbing up toward the grey skies behind him. Between his hefty forepaws he clutched the remnants of a doe's hip and haunch, the remainders of a meal he'd found days ago. He knew he'd have to eat in order to heal the muscles in his ribs and back, so with a soft drizzle slicking the fur of his sides, he quietly lay on a patch of moss, and chewed away at his meal.
she was gathering mint this day, searching for the small pointed leaves. across her shoulders, a strip of palebrown fawn-skin, into which she intended to pack the leaves.
as she snaked down to the cut in the earth, kuktuux was reminded of the high stone walls where she had hunted with arcturus. a blink of her jadestone eyes; the duck willed the image away.
the woman might have continued were it not for the curious figure of a wolf she had not met. overladen with moonspear's scent, a strong young warrior in dark terra shades.
offering the proper deference even a boy might command over a she-wolf, kukutux set down her leaves and offered him a gentle look, wondering if he wished company.
While he ate, he wondered how long it might take for his ribs to heal. The journey back up the mountain's slope had been arduous, and he'd had to grit his teeth the whole way to keep himself from crying out when he occasionally took a misstep. He was content now, as long as he was free to take some time to heal- and he felt that in the very least, his injuries had been sustained on the return from a fruitful and considerate mission to aid someone in need. After the first couple of days living on the mountain, he'd come to the conclusion that eventually, he would take a tumble and injure himself- so he was glad, in an odd way, that his first injury had been received while on the job...And not because he'd simply lost his footing.
He lifted his gaze when he saw a pale, hazy figure step into view. She looked almost hesitant in nature, as it was with great care that she moved, and came to a wordless stop not far away from him. Unlike the pallid hen before him, however, Bronco lacked both couth and decorum, and was generally more casual with his greetings. "Oh, hey-AHHFRACK!" He called, but was quickly reminded that raising his voice meant exertion- and caused his ribs to ache sharply. "Sorry." He apologized, his voice much softer with the not-so-gentle reminder that he couldn't just shout without facing painful repercussions. "I don't think we've met yet," A rhetorical statement, given the fact that he was absolutely certain they hadn't crossed paths yet...But he floundered at trying to start a conversation with that approach anyway. "I'm Bronco...An' sorry about that, I uh...I think I bruised my ribs and...Forgot that yelling hurts." He admitted sheepishly.
gosh i love him
the boy's outburst was so sudden that it sent the duck's auds sliding backward, a step to follow. yet in the next moment kukutux had recovered, listening to the explanation provided by the youthful warrior.
at his apologies, the woman gave a light shake of her muzzle. there was no need, and less for her. he would be a man one day, and men made no such overtures toward the feminine.
"bronco." it was interesting to the snowbird, the sound of it, but she reserved her commentary. "i am the wife of jarilo. kukutux," she added, closing the distance between them with a curious expression passing through her springjade gaze. "you are hurt?"
no physical wounds that her healer's eye beheld, nor blood; he had mentioned bruising. bronco already dwarfed her own slight figure, even in repose as he was, and she blinked curiously at the scarring along his muzzle. "i have medicine."
She seemed somewhat shy- and had been startled by his cry, stepping back with the trepidation of a nesting bird who has been discovered by a predator. But she semeed to forgive him quickly- or at least, refused his apology. She introduced herself first in relation to another packmate of theirs, before giving him her name which he found to be a bit odd. Generally, he was used to having women as authority figures in his life, so he was a bit surprised, but touched, by her meekness. As a gentle spirit himself, he was relieved that he wouldn't be pushed to act hyper-masculine by someone who thought he ought to be tougher than he was.
And she came offering sympathy and herbs- how much better could it have been? He made a somewhat guilty grimace and nodded. "Yeah. Sort of got smacked around a couple times by a bear," He had to force himself to admit it, as he felt like a bit of a fool. Wolves shouldn't mess with bears- but he'd approached them unknowingly, and by the time he realized where he was, it was too late and he'd been sent flying through the air. "You're a medic then? One of my best friends growing up is a medic too," He said eagerly, with a nod. He beckoned her closer with a flick of his muzzle which made him wince. "I think my shoulders're sore too," He admitted, almost apologetically.
akiak, the inner spirit whispered as she looked into bronco's earnest gaze with its twinge of pain. closer she came, pulled by her role as healer, beckoned by the kind light that seemed to swathe the boy. and it seemed she was correct to give him the silent name. "a bear?" the woman exclaimed, at last dropping her ingrained mannerliness, exchanging it for a worried look.
"where did you meet the forest-father?" she inquired, extending the paleness of her muzzle to brush over his brow, his shoulders, if bronco should allow. "you are lucky, to live after disturbing him." she did not know the word 'medic,' but supposed it had to do with healing, and sat near the boy. "it is good that you rest. have you lain in water yet? it may make the pain spirits flee away."
She looked at him with the calm, concerned gaze that immediately made him believe that Kukutux was a mother. That sort of empathy came natural to most wolves who had children, and it made him feel safe and secure. Her presence was immediately calming, and there was a quiet grace about her that reminded him of a feather's softness. Even her voice was fleecy and tender.
"The?" he questioned, when she mentioned something called a 'forest-father.' At first, he thought she'd said 'forest-fire,' as he'd heard that term before but 'forest-father'...That one was new to him. He tilted his head back a bit when she touched his shoulders, before he sighed softly, and lowered his head to the ground, so she could examine his back, and the dorsal stripe that led down his spine. "Oh, the bear," He said, after she'd explained a bit more. He laughed- but only managed a couple weak chuckles before he winced and told himself not to laugh. "Actually, I'm pretty sure it was a 'she,'" He said, giving Kukutux a weak smile. "Nothin' more dangerous'n an angry Mama Bear," He said softly.
She'd suggested laying in cool water- and his mind flashed back to the stream he'd seen with Meerkat...Though the current in that one would've been far too fast and dangerous, as it was overflowing from all the excessive precipitation. "I haven't," He admitted. "But innit raining enough to basically....Be the same as laying in water?" He asked, attempting another weak joke.
mother bear. of course. she should have known such, but kukutux had been raised to call bears 'forest-father,' regardless of their exact nature. it was not something she could explain, and so only gave a solemn nod to bronco's clarification. despite herself, a slow smile unfurled across her muzzle as the young hunter continued to provoke his own aches.
"that is a good thought," kukutux laughed softly. "but the rain is for the outside. we must heal the inside of your shoulders," the duck went on. "it is not hot, so we use cold to help soothe the bruises. come," she urged, thinking of a calm place she might lead the boy. straightening, she moved some feet away to retrieve her fawnskin, putting the mint-leaves into its curves to carry. "i have things for pain in my ulaq. let us go there first."
Of course, Bronco knew that simply sitting in the rain wasn't going to do any special healing for his muscles- if anything, it made joints ache and protest from the humidity. So when she delivered her treatment decisions, he nodded sorely, and lurched uncomfortably to his feet. He grunted softly as he began to move, but stopped when he saw her pick up the bundle she'd been carrying earlier. He hadn't noticed it then- but she was carrying her herbs not just in her mouth, but she had them placed instead in a protective sheath made from what he assumed was the skin of a small animal- he'd need to take a closer look to see what kind, but also didn't want to shove his face right in her face.
"Woah," He said, and ambled a few paces closer, tail low and wagging to express his docility, as he looked at her carrying packet with fascination. It went over her shoulders, and hung there, cradling the herbs inside a fold. "That's- how'd you think to do that? Is that so, like, you don't drool all over the herbs? Or like...Accidentally swallow something you shouldn't swallow?" He asked, drawing back a pace, then- what if the carrying envelope was meant to protect her from harmful medicines? Was she carrying poisonous medicines in that thing? Nah- not someone as soft and gentle as Kukutux. "Did you make that?" He asked, willing to follow her direction- but very interested in the device she carried with her.
bronco obediently attended her. kukutux, who had only just become mother to a son, was unaccustomed to the nature young men had toward motherly bearings. she remained unaware, therefore, and was only suprised to herself that he should mind so swiftly.
alongside the duck, the youthful warrior was man-height, if not yet in the fullness another year would grant. kukutux felt as if she padded alongside one of the gangly half-grown lynxes she had seen upon one of her forays. from where had he come, she wondered, and remembered the appearance of meerkat. but any question she might pose must wait, for bronco had taken a keen interest in the twist of soft skin. "yes," kukutux answered to his last, a smile tugging at her lips. "it is a piece of hide; you drop it in water or pluck out the hairs, as many as you are able. then chew and chew."
"women's work," she added softly, falling silent as their paths found the trail to her domed ulaq and its neat clearing. chunks of fish laid out on a rock to dry, and pine-needles gathered beneath the layers of fur in the den. it was their scent that hung in the air as she paused, looking to bronco a moment before slipping inside the shelter to search for the dried pinebark she would make into a tea at the streambank.
Bronco listened intently to Kukutux's instructions on how to make her herb-carrying sling, and found a multutide of additional questions bubble to the surface though he had the patience to wait, and let her finish rather than interrupting her. He wanted to know the exact details of how to make such a thing- so that perhaps he could surprise Sugar Glider with one as a gift the next time he saw her. He imagined it would be a helpful thing for a "Nomedic" to have.
His breath hitched, though, when she added on one more detail, though, one that confounded him above the other instructions and notes she'd given him. "W-" He was about to ask a question when they came into view of her den, which looked as though it had been dug into a small knoll, by the shape of its roof. He caught the scent of fish and sniffed the air curiously, noting the scent of pine and herbs. He was too polite (and too busy gawking at her ulaq and the surrounding area) to follow her into the dark entrance, so he waited outside, though he did bow his head and try to peer into the darkness out of curiosity. There was something so mystifyingly alluring about Kukutux. "Your densite is so...uh, Beautiful," He said. A great deal of time and care had gone into the area she'd chosen to settle in.
"i thank you, bronco," kukutux beamed as she reappeared, setting the clump of fibers at her paw. "this is how dens are made upon the island of my home," she revealed softly, a wistful look lighting her eye. "and the fish, the cache, the furs, those also are skills i carried with me when i came to these lands, and to moonspear when jarilo became husband to me." she quieted her tongue now, not thinking that a growing warrior would wish to hear prattle of her married talk.
"you are from firebirds? i have had a meet with meerkat. she is your sister?" as she asked, kukutux moved across the clearing, collecting a half-dried piece of fish. she offered it to bronco with a firm gesture — eating good fat and meat would help to mend him — and then sat to hear his answers, opting not to rush them to the water if he wished to rest.
Bronco had never really taken the time to design or even improve his living space when he'd lived with the Firebirds. While he was aware that his mother often collected feathers, Bronco's den had been nothing more than a repurposed hole in the ground left behind by some other, smaller animal. What Kukutux had accomplished, however, was amazing. It was with great care and practice that she'd laid the site for her settlement, both using the natural curve and shape of the land and the stones and trees it presented as well as obviously introducing her handmade materials.
He felt a funny twinge in his chest the second time she mentioned her mate- or perhaps it was simply the way she'd worded it. But these were personal things, and not to be questioned, he told himself. But what had she meant when she said that Jarilo became married to her? Was she the one who had popped the question?
He was very much engulfed in curiosity, and was both listening intently and gawking around and he spooked lightly when she suddenly jabber a chunk of salmon toward him, which he took simply because she'd offered it in such a way that told him he shouldn't object. He made a small noise of thanks, which then turned into a soft note of surprise- to see how the flavour and texture changed when the fish had been laid out in the sun to dry. "Woah," He said, licking his lips. "That's fantastic," He said.
He had so many more questions about her den and its area- but Kukutux was ahead of him, and had already asked him a question about Meerkat before he'd had a chance to take his hanging lower jaw and put it to use. "Yes, I am- and yes, she is," He said with a nod. "She's a year younger so I'm sorta her caretaker here." He said, with a hint of pride. Of course, Meerkat was old enough now to be allowed to wander around on her own- but he still checked in with her every day.
Her question about Meerkat hadn't been enough to distract him from the wonders of her home, though. "So how did you...And you lived on an island?" He asked. "And your uhm...That," He said, gesturing timidly to the sash she'd been wearing earlier to carry her herbs. "You said it was 'women's work,' but...D'you think that like...I could learn how to make one?" He asked. "I'll get the skin or fur or whatever you need, for it, an' we can trade, if you want, if you'll teach me...?" He'd been shrinking a bit, with every word- not wanting to over-step any boundaries- but he did truly hope that Kukutux might see fit to teach him how to make one.
"i like her. she is very polite, as you are also." in many ways despite his youth, bronco outset her in ways of physical power. but he was a youth still, and though she was yet unused to having a first-year hunter at her hearth, kukutux was growing accustomed to his gentle manner.
why had he and his sister come to moonspear? perhaps it was simply their inner urgings, though the duck remained surprised that girls within the teekon were allowed to roam so far. sialuk, kukutux decided, would not do so, and her mind set about weaving together the grass strings of her daughter's future.
jadestone eyes flicked to bronco a moment as he recalled what she had said of the skin, and lashes veiled her eyes in the next moment. in a bid for time kukutux softened into the submissive mien she was to wear around males. even young warriors.
bronco had spoken of a trade, and at length the snowbird gave a little nod, raising up her gaze again. "if it is something you wish to know, i will tea — give you help," she amended. men taught the boys; her lot was to rear sialuk properly. "an island, yes. beside a great dark saltwater with sea-ice we walked upon to hunt."
a cold place. a frigid place. a painful place to remember. "i say it is women's work because it is a task for us. we say, 'he brings me the fur, i give him a use for it.'" a moment's rueful pondering, and then she was upon her paws again. "come. we will go to the stream and i will give you medicine there." as she lifted her sachet of bark and began to step back along the path, she thought of how bronco had jumped, only to be soothed by the food she offered, and an amused smile wreathed her lips.
Bronco was pleased and proud- but not surprised to hear that Kukutux was fond of Meerkat, and that she'd been polite. His little sister really was something else- and he amazed her a bit more every day in how she was becoming her own wolf, all the while absorbing the best parts of the wolves around her to incorporate them into her own sense of self. "Thank you," He said, of course, when she also noted his politeness, which came with a somewhat sheepish smile. If only Kukutux could meet his mother- he was certain she'd be horrified by Niamh's lack of decorum.
He felt awkward and out of place when Kukutux softened in a certain way; he wondered if she was trying to be apologetic, but her posture often referenced something like submission, and for reasons he couldn't understand. He'd been brought up by the pack's Sergeant-at-Arms, and had lived a life that had sheltered him from the knowledge that other packs and cultures might have roles that were taught and fulfilled only by certain genders. He didn't realize yet where her deference was coming from- but with every bow of her head and folding of her shoulders, he too tried to make his posture more meek and subservient. She was the Gamma, after all, and ranked about as high as you could get before joining the leadership in duty- and aside from that, he had an innate desire to be courteous and meek toward females, having been raised by a couple of powerhouse women.
There was something in her tone that worried him, but he knew he ought not ask. And she spoke of her birthplace, but not at length, and not with a smiling tone, so he decided he might be best to let that be, no matter how much he wanted to learn more about hunting on ice which sounded absolutely amazing. What did they hunt on ice? And how could they even run when ice was so slippery? Of course, the boy had never been to the sea, and had never seen how different sea ice could be from the ice that formed on ponds and rivers. With a small bob of his head, he followed her, as she offered to give him medicine by the river. He was a bit confused- but clearly, Kukutux knew what she was doing.
As they moved along, he floundered, trying to find a way to get to know her better without reminding her of things she didn't seem to want to talk about. "What uhm....What kind of pelts do you like best?" He asked quietly, hoping that that might be a place to start.
the silence swept between she and bronco. kukutux had expected the boy to continue his line of questioning, but he did not. instead, the young hunter followed almost obediently at her side. the duck was inwardly grateful for his willingness to end the silence between them. "i like the fur of ermine and the pelts of young deer."
she paused, looking down upon her small pale paws as she pondered. but it was not only upon bronco's question. despite the moondrop's want to be present in their discourse, she had not forgotten that this boy was of firebirds, and tinaurak had gone to live there also. yet she continued to be silent upon, and at length turned her watchful eyes upon bronco again. "each skin can be used in different ways," kukutux added around her bark-bring, and then set it down upon the wet bank of the stream that meandered beyond her ulaq.
"this i call kinnaum," kukutux murmured shyly, lapping delicately at the rain-swelled surface before she motioned toward its low shallows. "when the light is good light, it holds ... a bow of many colors," she tried to explain, of the bow that often appeared after a storm and held dazzling hues. looking into the boy's attentive face a moment, she motioned that he should come near.
in the next motion, kukutux had gathered the shredded fibers and held them in the edge of the water until a golden stain began to spread across the gentle current. it darkened, and the snowduck straightened, grinning toward bronco. "chaayux," she informed him. "drink. i will make more. in a short while your pain will fade."
when they had presumably both stepped to the motions, kukutux rocked back upon pearled haunches now muddied from the loam at the edge of the streambank. jadestone eyes beheld kinnaum. a thought. "how many moons do you have, bronco?"
Ermine...It wasn't a familiar word to him, though he suspected that an ermine was something with a soft pelt, as she also confessed that young deer possessed a pelt valuable to her as well. By now, the fawns born in the spring would have lost their spots- but he imagined he might be able to find one young enough to still have whatever qualities it was that Kukutux valued. He'd not seen deer high on the mountain ranges, but would happily try to track something down for her that lived in the meadows nearby once his ribs felt better. He decided he might ask someone else what an ermine was- as he felt foolish asking Kukutux, whom he wanted to impress.
He followed her like a gentle lamb following its mother as she led him toward a small, beautiful stream that she called her kinnaum. His ears pricked as he tried to pick up on the word and how to pronounce it, and he silently mouthed the term in an effort to commit it to memory. She had, indeed, chosen a beautiful place to live- complete with a clear, cool stream that apparently produced rainbows when the sun was out. "Ohh," He commented, eyes shimmering with curiosity as she described the phenomenon. "Well...I'd like to see that, some day...Once all this rain goes away," He said, though he still believed that the poor weather was related to living on the mountain. Surely, though, it had to brighten up at some point- it couldn't rain here all the time.
He watched quietly and patiently as she removed some things that looked like dried plants from her sash and put them in a small pool of water, which turned an off-colour. He wondered at first how that'd happened, as she had touched the water so gently, it shouldn't have stirred up dirt...Then, when beckoned to drink, he shifted closer and noticed that the water had been stained by tannins from the herbs she'd put in the water. "Woah," He marvelled, leaving forward to sniff the water's surface. He hesitated a moment- not because he feared any malpractice, but because he found himself perplexed over the scent he was getting from the water. When he tasted it, he found that it had a strange tang to it- but that the flavour softened after a moment or two, leaving behind a floral, pleasant taste in his mouth. He uttered a soft note of surprise, glanced at Kukutux, and was convinced to drink more. When he drew back, he licked his lips, tasting the last bits of the herbal tea she'd made as they transformed into the same herbal aftertaste. He was amazed.
He would just have to be patient and see how long it took for the herbs to work their magic and take his pain away, but he found Kukutux so enchanting and mesmerizing that he'd forgotten a good amount of his pain some time ago. He didn't quite grasp the meaning of her question- given the fact that he'd never before thought to describe his age in months rather than years, so he balked slightly, before he bashfully shrugged and answered "....One? And a half?" He asked, before he grinned sheepishly. "At least, like...You mean how old am I, right?" He asked. "I never heard it called 'moons' before," He admitted apologetically.
her springjade eyes watched with pleasure as bronco bent over her work, tasting the water with an eagerness she had not expected. elated at his earnest reception, kukutux thumped her tail twice against the wet earth. "yes. moons. in my family, we called them that for the span of a night-cycle," she explained, "for the moon changes often through four weeks' time."
kukutux had only recently learnt the word 'week;' she was happy to show it off, to compel bronco into believing she was not so foregin as she seemed. for despite her acclimation into moonspear, despite the fact that she had added two children to the ranks of the ostrega family, and a son especially, the snowbird remained poignantly aware of her differences.
not so young then, at a full year and a half, kukutux remarked to herself, and a man's body besides. uncomfortable with her thought, for she was old enough to at least be elder sister if not aunt, the little bird motioned toward bronco.
"how do you feel?" and she sat forward to inspect him. the burnished boy had complained of no discomfort, and if this continued, kukutux would credit the tea her mother had taught her to make. "i suppose you have not thought of a wife yet." a tease, the glint in her eye visible a scant moment before she lowered her lashes over the humored expression.
As soon as Kukutux explained a bit more about the meaning behind her word, his mouth opened slightly and he nodded. Having Phox in his family meant that he picked up on some knowledge of the night sky, so he felt himself connecting the dots, and found himself leaning forward to engage further in their conversation about the moon. "Ohhhh, you're right!" He crooned. "Right, the moon, it...Goes from full to like...gone, and back to full in four weeks. My Mom's mate knows stuff about like, the moon and stars and stuff," And he smiled somewhat bashfully, given the fact that he hadn't explained Phox's knowledge very well. "But I guess in that case, I am -er- have," And he paused for a moment to consider his answer, "Sixteen or seventeen moons?" He chuckled softly, though he was reminded by a tweak in his side not to laugh too hard.
She asked how he felt, and he sat still for a moment, noticing that at least as long as he didn't laugh or move the wrong way, the dul ache had faded away. His expression lifted a bit, realizing that her herbal tea had actually begun to work, and much more quickly than he'd thought. "Oh, I, uh, I think it's working, heh, thanks," He said. Having never been given anything remotely like a herbal tea before, he was surprised at its potency. He felt a bit tired, but didn't attribute that to the tea which had no doubt caused him calm a bit. "What, uhm, what was that?" He asked, gesturing the the water which had run clear again, after the remainder of herbs had been washed away by the current.
Bashfully, he dipped his head and uttered a faint laugh, shaking his head. He shrugged a shoulder, suddenly growing self-conscious at the thought of taking a wife. "Oh, I would love a, uh, wife someday, I just...I haven't even had like...A girlfriend, yet, so..." He admitted shyly.
bronco reacted quite curiously to the woman's question, but kukutux found herself endeared all the same. yet he spoke a word she had not yet heard; her ears swept forward as a curiosity piqued upon her lips. "what is 'girlfriend?'" on the mountain, there was hyra and dirge, alya and nikai, jarilo and herself. husbands and wives.
therefore it was a curious thing, and moreso that the boy seemed to imply this was something that came before a wife. and mother's mate? so not the man who bronco knew as a father. there was much to be gleaned, for the young warrior was open and docile in his revelations. he had not yet felt the edge of manhood, she supposed; still finding his way.
"that was ..." the duck searched visibly for the word to describe what she had taken from the particular silver-shot pine. or how to convey its properties in the only tongue she shared with bronco. "amigak." a roll of her slender shoulders. "i do not know the name of it. but it came from the spirit of a very old tree."
"i am glad to have helped you, bronco," the snowdrop murmured softly. "but you must not seek to annoy bears after this," she teased him, flexing her small paws in the mud along the edge of the water. "mending a bone is more painful."
Bronco's first reaction was a bashful chuckle. "Nothin' I'd know much about," He admitted sheepishly, admitting to his lack of experience with girls; he'd been more flirtatious with women when he'd been too young to really know how to court them, and had grown more withdrawn as he learned how to respect them properly. "It's like...Someone you like, an' they like you back. But...Y'know, if you're too young to be mates, you can be boyfriend an' girlfriend; try it out for a bit, an' see if you really get along." He said. "Sorta like....Courtship, but before serious courtship." He said, shrugging and grimacing slightly as he realized how much his lack of expertise in the area showed. Best to own it, though. "Like I say....I h'ain't had a girlfriend yet so...I can't really explain much of it to you." He said.
Of course, he was familiar with the fact that most wolves simply courted and then became mates, without adding in another other labels along the way. He was fairly certain that the two relationships her mother had had with Colt alone had not had a period during which they'd been boyfriend and girlfriend- and that the same applied to her current relationship with Phox...He realized then that this whole relationship thing was meant more for children, and those too young to take a mate as their own- and that her was probably falling a bit behind other wolves his age. But it didn't bother him so much; the idea of mating still made his stomach lurch a bit.
Whatever it was she'd given him, it came from something she called amigak, and he interpreted her explanation to mean that it was something found deep inside an old tree. That was where its spirit would be, wouldn't it? He'd considered learning these things directly from Kukutux and then teaching them to Sugar Glider, but quickly found himself realizing that perhaps it might be best for him to simply introduce the two, and let Sugar Glider, a like-minded medic, learn what she could first-hand. Just in case he gave her the wrong instructions, and ended up teaching her something that was either useless or harmful.
"No more bears, I promise," He said, though he knew he couldn't necessarily swear off chasing bears altogether- but he could do his best to avoid stupidly stumbling in between a mama bear and her cubs. "Can you...Out of curiosity- can you actually mend bones?" He asked.
a slow nod as the woman drank in all the structure that bronco provided. it did not sound so different from the practice of finding an ugi. "we have a similar arrangement where i was born at," the duck ventured hesitantly. "the mother chooses a boy, and if the father agrees, the boy comes to live with the girl and her family." she let her eyes linger upon the water. "if they are old enough when this happens, and children result, she will be his wife. but if there are no children, or if they quarrel all through childhood, he will go back to his home."
kukutux had never seen what might happen if a girl never liked her ugi, or refused to have one. perhaps she would end like fish-aunt ukiak, a woman who collected shells all her life and never bore children. the thought chilled her seawife heart; sialuk would never become that. "well, also, there a boy might have a wife chosen for him, if he likes her well enough." how was it with young men? she had only known the seal-hunter from childhood, and then later when he had brought his dowry to her father's ulaq. "it is easier than deciding yourself. and perhaps it is less pain for the strings of your heart."
deciding to leave off it, she smiled brightly. "you explained it very well." what familial name might she give him? he was unrelated to the ostregas, but not so young she might call him her nephew. some thought to be given it, for bronco had earned his title this day. "bones can be mended if they are not broken so far they come out of the skin." she had seen it happen; a warrior, two limbs crushed by a round, heavy piece of ice from a glacier where the clan had hunted. the ivories had thrust splintered edges through his skin; he had died before sundown.
"if a bone can be kept still, it can be mended. good medicines to give strength to the bone spirit, to your heart, and to your stomach." in the end however, it was time which was the great healer. "do you have interest in knowing this skill, bronco?"
It seemed that on the island where Kukutux was from, the parents had a good deal of say in who their children were paired up with. He supposed that it wouldn't be a terrible idea- the thought of having someone else do all the work, and choose someone suitable for him was an alluring thought- until he factored in the fact that Niamh would be the one doing the choosing. And he suspected she would likely choose someone just like her- frighteningly beautiful, but terrifyingly sinister. Another warrior, another killer, just like her. It seemed like at least in Kukutux's homelands, the young couple were permitted to reject their pairings should they not get along, but somehow he didn't expect that his mother would have ever given him that freedom, if this had been a custom in the Firebirds.
"Hmm." He said. "Yeah, I mean...As long as whoever does the choosing does a good job of it, I imagine it'd be easier, hey?" He asked. Again, the yearling held in question his mother's parenting strategies, and was relieved that he wouldn't have to face marrying someone that she chose for him.
She seemed quite keen on talking about healing strategies, though- and Bronco was quite interested in the fact that bones- these invisible branches holding his large body upright- could be mended if they'd been broken. He'd seen the bones of prey animals, and the bones of skeletons- but in his experience, once a bone or a branch broke, it was broken for good. According to the snowbird, though, they could be mended- so long as they did not come out through the skin. Bronco's ears flew back, dne corners of his mouth jerked downward and his eyes widened as he pictured that as a mental image. Not bones sticking out of the corpse of a prey animal, but bones sticking out of a still-living wolf- that shocked him and made him have a sinking feeling in his clenched guts.
A question was posed, and Bronco swallowed hard. He was fairly squeamish- and while he didn't mind the aspect of delivering medications and doing what he could to keep an injured wolf fed and tended to, he did not want to see broken, splintering bones sticking up out of someone's body. "Uhm, uh-" He said, and swallowed hard again. "I think, uhm, I might be a bit, uh, I have a sort of...Weak stomach, see," He said, with a guilty laugh, and a shrug of one dark shoulder. "But I am glad we have someone like you here, who can do those things."
men. it was a good thing that the salt-gods had handed women the secret medicines and how they were prepared. amusement wished to blossom breathy and wide on her lips, but she hid it beneath a submissive flick of her eyes to the water once more. "it is not for everyone. we have our strengths and the things that cause weakness. you are a hunter. warrior in moonspear. i am healer and mother."
both were roles of great importance upon their mountain. it was why kukutux believed in the delineation of tasks by sex: men were meant for one thing, and women another. it was her own which brought forth the children to continue a pack. it was bronco's who laid boundaries of protection so those babes might grow strong.
his reaction had brightened her countenance; kukutux raised her verdant eyes to his own, remembering. "at least it is not the birth of children," she said with a faux seriousness, before grinning and raising upon her paws. "meerkat brought two old skins from my den to your own," she said gently. "i would like to give you more before winter comes. if you bring the fur of what you have killed to me, i will make sleeping-place pelts for you and for your sister that will last in the snow."
While he'd heard a similar reassurance before, it was still of great consolation to the soft-hearted man to hear from yet another wolf that it was alright to have weaknesses- and that he did indeed have strengths in other areas. "Wull, you're a really good healer'n'mother" He said softly, only realizing a moment later that he'd slurred a couple of his words together. He yawned and wriggled his shoulders in an attempt to wake himself up a bit- but his eyelids were beginning to become a bit heavy.
As the pain had melted away from his shoulders, a bit of drowsiness had set in- but having had little experience with the calming, relaxing effects of medications or teas, he hadn't even begun to relate the two.
For that reason, he didn't completely geek out when she mentioned childbirth, which normally might have made him choke up. His expression showed a trace of surprise, but fortunately, they didn't linger on the topic long- and hearing Meerkat's name always cheered him up. As soon as Kukutux offered an arrangement shared between the two of them, he nodded somewhat goofily. "Oh, sure!" He said. "I'd, uh, definitely love that. What can I do for you in return?" He asked, with a slow blink.