Ouroboros Spine ulikupâk ⩷

it was a morning of warm rain.

kukutux wrapped a fur around her shoulders. she went to collect @Mojag. "today we are going to firemother. do you know her story?"

the young hunter showed a liking for words, and moonwoman had many of those. she let him carry a weasel pelt, demonstrating how to sling it over his hackles as she wore her own.

He carried the pelt and walked with confidence beside Kukutux. She spoke of an entity or force he did not recognize and Mojag was immediately enthralled.

Who? Was it another woman in the village?

she pointed with her nose. they were walking along anik lake and had already passed the three sisters. deersight hills rose on their left, and they surmounted uggunak repose. 

soon mamattuk coppice enveloped them. here the shadows were cool. the pines slanted and thinned to a field of yellow flowers, and there upon a low cliff was the single vibrant maple.

"that is firemother." kuktuux grinned. "she was once an ijaraat, one who changes their shape. but she could not hide her red eyes. it became the color of her leaves."

she stopped and looked up lovingly toward the branches.

They went very far today. Mojag was still getting used to exploring with his mother, or hunting with her help, and had not been to all these places before; but he had learned from Shikoba that there were times appropriate for investigation and other times that were not - so he did not dally.

Neither did he want to take breaks unless absolutely necessary. He was panting as they came upon a meadow filled with yellow flowers - they took his breath away; Mojag barely regained himself when he saw the red of the maple.

Woaaaah... his eyes were wide and bright, lit with as much vibrancy as the petals among which he stood. Is she... stuck? Can we make her unstuck? He wanted to see her change shape!

she shook her head. "not stuck. but we cannot change her. only sedna can."

she settled close. "rest with me. i will tell you the story."

a breath, and then: "many, many hands of time again, there were many ijiraataq. they lived in forests and rivers. sometimes they took the form of stones. sometimes they took the form of grass."

"one day, a young hunter came to the water. he had been following brother deer. firemother saw him. she was a spirit of the leaves. she saw that he was good and strong and that he had the blessing of sedna. and she became filled with much jealousy."

she paused to look at mojag and see what he made of it.

Mojag fell quiet as Kukutux told the story.

He had many questions, and his eyes shined each time they came to his mind, or his jaw tensed, or he licked his lips and wriggled in place; but he knew to be polite he had to sit still, a feat that Mojag struggled with often.

The boy wanted to ask for the name of the hunter; then the name of the water, if it was nearby, or where it was - if this was firemother then the water must be close!

Why was she jealous? He finally blurted, and then buttoned up with a sheepish look; if he only waited, he could hear the whole story! But waiting took too long!

fading <3

"she was jealous that she could not be a hunter. and so she took the man, and she dragged him into the water. her branches wrapped around him. he drowned and his spirit went below the sea to where sedna makes her speaking-room."

"this is where she tells the animals to give their blood to the teeth of humble hunters. he came before her. she was surprised to see him. and she knew the shapeshifter had killed the hunter. she did not try to understand, she only took."

"sedna said, 'now i will take,' and she turned firemother into a tree."

"so now she waits to learn the lesson of knowing. now she sleeps until she is ready to wake into the dream of what it means to breathe."

kukutux kissed little mojag's ears and looked up toward the crimson leaves once more.