Ouroboros Spine Moon son

Rodyn had felt he had missed a lot of @Kukutux's meetings. So busy with everything going on. And his boys, he had told both @Rolayne amd @Panuk that they could come with him to see their grandma. He had showed them hunting and fishing if they had so chosen.

But she deserved more as his mother in law. Soft footfalls took him to the edge of the borders and further still. A fur of seashells and a fur if crabs. They were still fresh. He had dipped it in seawater amd bound it tight.

It was heavy, but kept them cold and fresh. He totled his head at her Ulaq and left loose a soft woof. He didn't wiah to wake her if she were napping.

the borders of moonglow had become quite traveled as of late, and it pleased kukutux. it brought the moonmother to thoughts of the small bonds forming all around her, as well as those coming unraveled.

arrluk and ajei, callyope and white elk, ariadne and — 

the call that rose was greatly welcome, and she trotted out quickly to meet her law-son, to embrace him and grin up into his gentle expression. "it is good to see your face," she told the husband of samani before turning a wide grin on her grandsons. "panuk! rolayne! come! look!" and she gave them each a strip of seal fat from a long-hunt, encouraging them to run the length of moonglow while she spoke with their fathers. "you have six cousins in the tall grass!" kukutux exulted to the boys, before looking once to rodyn. "you are well? and moontide?"

Rodyn felt odd as he always did to cross borders. But he knew he was welcome as were his sons.

Rodyn bent large head to embrace moonwoman. And lick her cheek.

It is good to see your face as well.

He smiled and nodded his head. I am better. I feel more confident as leader and I do not grieve as hard. I will always grieve, but I have memories of the happier terms surface more than the loss.

And are you well? You have good hunters to fill your caches yes.

He wouldn't have her or her people go hungry. He actually briefly thought of taking the boys and maybe sunman amd fell a deer or two for their grandmothers lodge.

"i am very well! many of my children have returned. moonglow has many little ones. her eyes glowed at this. "it brings me happiness to know you are better, rodyn," kukutux said quietly. "your heart has earned its peace."

"ah! look!" she exulted, ducking only to bring out the caribou stomach which @Kassuq had brought, and showed its glittering contents to rodyn, pouring them out upon a pure white skin. shaped quarzite, glittering sea-stones, and the scales of large fish she had never imagined.

kukutux looked up, hoping to please his trader's eye. "my son, kassuq, he has brought these things from his time with the caribou hunters."

He listened, gladdened to hear she was doing so well. That she had many children in and around her hearth. For the briefest of moments he wondered if he should send his sons to her hearth. He was not sunshine people. He tried his best to adhere, but they deserved to know where their mother hailed from implicitly. He would put a pin in this for now.

He blinked surprised at her sudden excitement. However, he waited patiently. Yellow eyes grew wide as he looked at the rocks and scales. He bent to sniff at one. Placed a paw next to the skin to measure size.

They are beautiful. I should take him with me when i go trading. he smiled softly.

Samani would have loved them. I recently traded seashells for a stone that matched her gaze. I must bring it for you to see.

"that would be well, except —" she explained briefly to rodyn that akashingo had asked for a man of the moon line, and that kassuq had spoken favorably of this.

"if you wish to trade, perhaps you may travel with him."

to hear her daughter's voice brought fear, and pain, and a great, gliding joy. "i have delight in my heart to see it."

a moment of silence passed. "everyone is gathering again," she murmured. "i have the thought that i will call everyone together again. perhaps not for a hunting-time. what is in your mind?"

Rodyn nodded his head. I know, she stopped by Moontide first. I told her of Moonglow and you. I also of course told her of Raiyuk and Chakliux and and myself.

He frowned. I must admit I'm glad she didn't look favorably on my own name or Chakliux's. I only told her mine to be honest. And despite how he ended up in moontide Chakliux has been loyal and a good hunter. I would not like it if he was chosen and must leave.

Rodyn had to think through his items. I do not have much to trade anymore. I will need to hunt and craft.

He was still a richer man than most in terms of tradeable items, but he didn't want to run out either.

Rodyn furrowed his brow in thought. We will have another hunt in fall hopefully too. We have many mouths to feed in moontide and few hunters. I am doing my best and so is Heph and Chakliux, Phox and Raiyuk, but there are more children than adults right now. And Morningside has settled near us they now have many children too and I try and help them as they have bonded to Chakliux's lodge.

Rodyn sighed and pressed a paw to his nose. Thinking.

There seem to be many looking for mates and allyship. What if you did a coming together like you did for the singles when i first came. And also a trading, peace gathering. Trading, gathering and sharing of knowledge a feast to make bridges. I have still bison. And even some of the elk I hunted is still dried. I can offer this. And I will hunt for it while i hunt for moontide. New woman circles, hunting circles. Whatever you wish.

kukutux grinned. "you are bound to the sea as a sunshine man," and here her eyes said she still shared the hurt of samani's passing, "and he is bound to the sea because he is a seal hunter, and seal hunters are driven lustful by the sea water, that is what us sunshine girls were taught."

now her gaze said this was a joke between sun and seal, and that rodyn would come to know more as the seal hunter grew prolific.

"we have many things. i have hides still from our winter hunting with duskfire glacier. old caribou hides, tanned well and very rich. only two would need to be taken. i will send your choice of these pieces which kassuq has brought to me. three elk-bellies of dried meat, six marten pelts, and three otter pelts."

moonglow had its own wealth, and rodyn would share in this. "moonspear too has sacred things which can be taken from inside the mountain, and spirit plants which grow in the heat beside the hot springs."

"the place of moonstones, rodyn. go there and gather too. this is our land, the land of the moon people. you will have all that you need."

presently, she did not speak to his plans for another hunt; she only nodded to say she would help him with all things, then reached to place a paw on his shoulder, small but hard with strength from her long years of travel and hidework. "i hear you say many things, rodyn but i have not heard you speak of yourself and your own heart. these things can all be done. let us have such your gathering in the place of fireflies, which is near to moonspear."

"but while you think of these things, i want you also to think of another: ariadne has left kigipigak. i do not know if he will stay in the village. but she has come back to be a sunshine woman, and she wants a sunshine man who will keep the ways of her people."

"i ask only that hold this in your mind, rodyn. i know your heart. i know where it has made its home. and i do not wish for you to think i have the want to change this for you. i cannot." but he had been alone, this sunshine man who was as loyal to his family as if he had been born to another siqniq village. and perhaps she felt her sea-going-girl might approve.

the duck brightened, and moved on. "you wish to have this when the sun is hot, yes? or when the leaves begin to fall?" how many seasons did she have to plan?

Rodyn felt his heart fall a little. At the sadness peeking out at him. He himself had been so stuck in his grief. He still felt its sharpness.

A soft chuckle. I can believe this of the seal man. I am not always the most observant man, but I do know when a man covets something that isn't his.

But Rodyn had trusted and knew Samani would not stray and if she did she would have spoken with him first.


He listened. If I may, 1 elk belly and 1 marten pelt. They are not as known and will fetch higher trade. What would you like in trade for them moonwoman?

He felt his throat tighten at her words and he looked down. His heart didn't feel whole even now. He didn't know what it wanted.

I do not know if I myself could choose another, moonwoman. But I am not adverse to such thoughts I will think on this. And if it is what both you and Ariadne desire. I will do my best. But she seems to have different tastes than this hunter man. We all like who we like. What of the man with purple eyes. His name escapes me.

Rodyn meant no shame by this. He just simply meant he would not force Ariadne to go against a taste of what she liked. If she could like him, if he could make room in his heart, if it was what moonwoman wanted. He would do his very best to be good for her.

He nodded, relieved at the topic change. I will hunt and trade during the hotter months and then when the leaves begin to fall come back. Almost like I did with my bride pirce journey just a moon or two sooner.

"his name is kannoyak. he is friend to us, known to all villages, and now he has come to live here. he is close to the sunshine people and holds respect for them. he might interest her eye. but he is not a sunshine man. and any path forward must also be what you want, rodyn. my desires do not matter here."

she would not force it, even if she fully felt that ariadne's willful impetuousness could be tempered by rodyn's level head. he still grieved, and her daughter might also, when the weight of this choice became fully known. they both were in need of a longer courtship and more time.

rodyn could not be rushed. and she would dissuade ariadne from rushing.

she laid only a seed of thought that might one day grow green with promise.

"no trade. this is to add to your goods when you go. two of these precious things here, and then the other gifts i have said. i want you to be a rich man when you trade, for you represent all of our moon villages. now, who will you take with you? perhaps the man kyrell from moonglow might walk with you, perhaps kannoyak himself."

Rodyn listened esrs forward. The name of the psth finder clicking home. He remembered now.

I would like to have someone to share life with again, Moonwoman. I will carry her name in my thoughts while i trade and see what i turn up inside of this wolf. If I am amenable to getting to know her more so.

Rodyn would think about it. He could promise no more that that. Though he felt profoundly that if he were to choose again. Samani would like him to choose another sunshine wolf.

Rodyn thought about it. I will take either one. If it pleases them, they can switch. I will be gone for some time. Perhaps one can walk with me for a small time and the other for the rest. I will do my very best to show the name of moon villages well.

it was a good answer, one that showed the thoughtfulness she had always treasured in rodyn.

"they will both be pleased to travel beside you, i think," she murmured. "now. leave all these things inside my ulaq. i have the want to fish beside the lake, if you will come with me."

those soulful eyes of his deserved to shine again, she decided.

Rodyn had alwaya been slower than most with everything except hunting. He wasn't one to make snap decisions or alter his life course on a whim. He preferred to think.

Rodyn smiled. I hope so. I miss hubting with friends and pack mates. So often in moontide I don't get the chance.


He nodded. Okay. You know me moonwoman I'm always up for fishing.

He wagged his tail and placed items in her Ulaq and waited for her to lead the way. Eagerness bleeding into his movements.