once, many moons ago, the greyflint trader had discovered a flat, steep plateau in the high reaches of moonspear.

it was where kukutux found herself this eve. she did not believe those of the ostrega blood climbed so high these days, the exception being hydra, who knew all that went on upon the mountain. 

the wind here had teeth that stung the duck's eyes as she climbed higher, licked ice into the tears that fell so they moved sluggishly upon her cheeks. but she did not stop, she did not cease.

with her, a strip of black foxfur; with her, a shard of rainstorm granite.

@Arcturus and @Revui. 

kukutux lay them down upon the scoured surface, arranging them into a small altar against the pine sap that bleeds blood. the cold lapping at the dark amber beads, clutching stone and pelt close. 

"braatang hikis qidakuq." words chipping as chalk did, snapped and thrown against the unyielding face of a spire. again; "braatang hikis qidakuq." but they had never been such to her, not truly. not before, not when she had become wife to jarilo, and not now. for her heart did not see them as brothers, and so there the broken taboo she had shattered a half-dozen times. their spirits restless for her sin.

"quga aku," and her voice broke, was carried off into a thousand pieces. the inner spirit whispering, finish your words. "ignil," the duck began again in a whisper. "kivguruk." of arcturus. "illunutchaktuk" of revui.

on and on she whispered until lips became cold dust, until the last left to do was press her paw down upon the biting edge of the chert until blood welled, and catch the red droplets upon the fur, binding, binding them to one another and relinquishing them both in the next beat of her heart.

kukutux wept.