With one hunt successfully under the belt of Moonsong and another on the horizon, Tulugak thought it about time to introduce herself to other villages and get to know the family of her dear friend.
She arrived late into the evening at her first stop, pausing where the scents of wolves were strongest and singing low for the moonwoman
@Kukutux.
It was nice to truly get back into scouting. Many days had been spend close to the glacier, but with Ariadne healing well and spending more and more time with the trading man, the snowcloud found herself finally able to satisfy the itch to explore further afield.
moonsong was upon the air.
kukutux lifted her head quickly from where she had collected elk teeth to clean and buff, spread out on a soft hide before her.
but it was not ariadne.
come up the path to my ulaq, her voice sounded in return. the evening was cold; it had settled a dull ache along moonmother's hips and she did not wish to walk at this time.
yet her eyes were indeed curious.
A beckoning from the spine and Tulugak was quick to follow, breath pluming as the ulaq came into view. "Good evening, you must be moonwoman, yes?" Peering inside, she caught the jadestone eyes of the older woman. "Ariadne has told me much about you." At her hip swayed the polished skull of a ram gleaming in the pale light of the moon. The project had taken some time to finish, but she hoped Kukutux would find some use for it.
Oftentimes had she scented moonwolves within Moonglow, but she was yet to greet them more than just in passing. Snowflakes fell softly, gathering upon pale fur - the raven thought briefly of Alaric. Once her visit to the spine had come to a close, she would seek him out when she arrived at the spear.
"i am this," kukutux laughed softly. the moonsong hunter, her eyes moving as well to this skull.
"you are northern woman?" she asked, pale ears sweeping to attention as she took up the dialect of the sunshine people. the glacierwolf was young and hale with a cold beauty, an hunting-build. ariadne had done well to bring this one home.
When invitation arose, the snowcloud entered the ulaq of moonwoman and set down her gift on the soft bed of furs that lined the floor. "The village has found success in hunts already," she beamed, settling near on her haunches. Unaware of any bad blood between Ariadne and her, blue eyes found the polished teeth; Kukutux seemed an experienced craftswoman! The mother behind Moonsong's own handicrafter, Tulugak was reminded fondly of her own anaana.
"Yes!" slipping gratefully into the tongue of the north. "My village rests at the mouth of a great bay surrounded by glaciers. Moonsong feels much like home."
she was pleased to speak in the words of their people, and listened eagerly to talk of tulugak's home. it seemed moonsong had called to the very spirit of the ice-woman and thus kukutux was happy to see she had found her way to ariadne's village.
"it brings my heart delight to know that moonsong thrives. my daughter is strong to have so many hunters and warriors among her ranks already."
now her inquiry shown; she pointed with her chin toward the skull but was silent after.
Kukutux was proud of Ariadne as any mother would be for a daughter to raise a village on their own. But, she supposed, Ariadne was not alone. She was there, as was Dutch and many others to guide her friend to success as village head. And she had moonwoman only a days walk away. "She is strong and it draws many to follow her," she agreed, "It seems she has drawn a strong man already."
At moonwoman's nod to her gift, she set the skull down on a soft pelt nearby. "I thought long about who to gift this to," she admitted. "Its horns are useful for drying sinew but, of course, you may find use for it how you like - it is yours now." It was often customary to bring gifts of goodwill when travelling to neighbouring villages, but given the reputation that preceded the head of village Moonglow, Tulugak wanted to deliver something more impressive.
Despite the common ground of shared blood, there was still an air of formality that she wished to break. How had this woman earned her respect among her people? "Kukutux," she began after a moments pause. "It would please me to know you as more than just the mother of my friend. Tell me, how did you come to be head of village Moonglow?"
a strong man!
kukutux said nothing of this, only watched with interest, ears listening as tulugak described what she had brought. "i thank you, snow hunter," she said with formal reverence, drawing the ram-skull to herself with wondering arms.
after she had looked at it for a time, she put it gently aside and moved to bring food: chunks of winter-caught fish and juniper berries, along with a strip of dried venison from a dwindling cache of it.
"i made this village with my daughter sialuk after a falling star struck mountain moonspear. it killed many and destroyed much. hunters came to us and slowly moonsong grew. i had known aiolos, but we knew each other again. he became my husband, and the village was full when our first children were born. kausiut and — our daughter who was called to sedna."