rudely, chakliux wondered if ariadne would be angry to know that her mother had traded knowledge to find her. but beneath that was a sense of his own annoyance for himself, that he had bartered at all. now he owed an even deeper debt.
it was a cruel irony! oil father had seen how he desired the daughters of the moon clan, and now had tied him more steadfastly to the nuiruk name than if he had married ariadne!
ha!
carefully he sat nearby, wondering if kigipigak had been pleased to come back. "rodyn asked me to come and speak with your father and mother. moontide seeks their wisdom." the seal hunter did not elaborate and sensed ariadne would not press.
he studied her. "where did you go? there was — worry."
what did her people say? aya! she was good to look at, his man's spirit insisted. her figure had been rounded by motherhood and her movements held the confident grace of a woman. but it was the look in her eye which said she had gone into a darkened place and come out of it. perhaps it was new power he sensed.