Northstar Vale mitautigigaa ➻

andraste had agreed to the terms of an older sister, and kukutux found herself bound with as much worry as she felt relief.  things between she and agana remained tense, distant, but the duck found she could not spare as many thoughts for it now as before, not with the rapid coursing of images detailing this faceless new husband.

her intrigue, for the girl, solidified the suspicion, the hope, that the honeyed glow she felt for agana was nothing more than a momentary fancy. arjikusaun.

the day found the young woman out of doors, lying out furs and determining which she might take, and which she might gift @Agana. such a notion pained her heart, that someday very soon, she would never lie down to sleep with her companion again.. it was sobering, upsetting; jarred, kukutux stopped her work with an expression of grief hovering upon her countenance.

After she had found out about the murder that shocked the Spires, Agana did not leave the Vale, even for stargazing or simply out of boredom. But something was off with her lately; she felt hungry all the time. It wasn’t unusual though; she was after all a tall female, so she needed more nutriments than average ones. And the only food source she had belonged to the pearl; Kukutux.
 
To say their relationship was tense was an understatement. She remembered how she let cold tears fall her blazing cheek as she ate the leg the ivory girl had given her. The grey female shook her head slowly, a sudden wave of uncertainty washing over her. A deep sigh escaped her throat as a familiar scent caught her attention. She was drawn to it; her long legs led her to the source.
 
The argent found her companion laying out furs; it was clear she did not notice her presence yet. She chuffed closer to her, wondering: why was she laying them out? What was the meaning of this? “Good day,” she greeted, slightly lowering her muzzle. Golden gaze drifted to the beautiful furs she had gathered over the time they had been companions. “What are you doing, if you don’t mind me asking?”

a shadow fell across kukutux and her work, but it was one she had scented first. agana stood close now, and the duck breathed her in a long, hidden moment before straightening. jadestone eyes met the gilded stare of her housemate. ilakiriiyunaktuk, the spirit whispered. was there a new cast to the she-wolf's features? kukutux could not know.

"andraste has agreed to become the way a husband might find me," the girl answered, lightly, carefully. "i will leave when she calls me. but i wanted to leave you some of these furs, for your sleeping place."she did not look at agana as she spoke; she did not think she could bear any expression of hurt in the woman's eyes.

Shock, hurt, despair- it all hit her in a second. The pearl, her companion, the wolf she trusted the most besides her cousin, was leaving her for good. She was going to be left alone, just like she left her family. Golden gaze stared at some spot behind the pearl, as she could no longer see her in the eye after what she had done and what she had said.
 
Agana was feeling dizzy; she shook her head slowly and leaned against a branch. For days now she was feeling like this; was it a fever? Something she ate? Or the consequences of her actions; it did not cross the grey females mind that after the day she spent with Kavik she would have to face some sort of consequences. And surely that thought did not cross her mind now. “What is wrong with me…?” a faint whisper escaped her lips.
 
“You are leaving..” was it a question, a statement, she did not know, “Why are you leaving..?” she coughed. Why was she leaving? Did she really need a husband? Was she not good enough as a companion? The argent wanted to scream and shout and beg her not to leave, but no words came out. Agana finally turned her gaze to meet the pearl’s jadestone eyes as a wave of sorrow washed over her pointed features.

agana did not take well to the admission, and kukutux watched helplessly as pain rushed into the other woman's eyes. she did not understand; her companion had told her it was nothing felt for the girl. it was not worth saying again. not worth exploring.

and so kukutux had closed her eyes and pressed on, closed her heart. now agana threatened to sunder her with tears. why? "you ... i did not think you wished a —" wife! —"denmate," kukutux said instead. "and i need a husband." you do not want a wife, her own gaze accused, for the girl suddenly found she could speak no more.

“I did not wish a denmate?” Now this almost made her scream. If she did not wish a denmate, then would she have accepted her beside? Would she have accepted her lovely touch? It wouldn’t have come to this if she were sincere; to both the pearl and herself. She should have been; she should, she should, she should. But she was not; and now she had to suffer the consequences.
 
“Of course,” she leaned a little closer to her, but then backed away a few steps. “You need a husband.” Agana almost spitted; the pearl was ready to give up on her… for a man; but not any a man, a husband. She thought Kukutux abandoned that idea a long time ago, but it seems not. And here she was, wrong again. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
 
Agana wanted to turn away and run away screaming and crying, but she still needed her question answered: “Before you leave,” she began, “Since you are a healer,” she approached her a little, but still kept a safe distance. “I have experienced a lot of belly aches, dizziness and food cravings lately. My body is also way too sensitive to every movement and touch; do you have any idea what might be the cause?” Golden gaze fixed the moon girl; her eyes shone bright, but they were empty.

agana was acting strangely. it had been the mink-woman who had discredited the odd warm feeling kuktutux had begun to bear for her, who had made them only companions, who had —

the duck listened, adding a third and bitter thing to the aforementioned list. so swiftly did agana make their meeting formal. so easily did she list the symptoms of early pregnancy. was her goal to hurt kukutux?

"have you been with a man?" the girl asked quietly, eyes downturned to her moving task. but her heart ached. she vowed to the listening tooteega that she would not think of agana again.