Ocean's Breath Plateau ataani ⩸

she did not go at once to home.

many things drew kukutux to moontide, the least of which was not nantahala. so short a time she had been away, and yet it felt as though a moon had passed.

comforted by the presence of arrluk and ajei, the promise of new life for moonglow, the duck traveled along the sands to the windswept place where she had first come to feel warmth for aiolos.

her paw touched the weathered bark of the death ulaq where the bones of samani rested in peace.

it was here kukutux would rest for a long while, golden sequoias overhead and the great sea before her, peaceful in its unwavering rush.

Kukutux's presence in Moontide drew Marina's attention at once. The woman had dealt much with her husband, but Marina had only rarely spoken directly with Moonglow's matriarch. Yet things were shifting in the Moon packs; Marina worried for the future of her children.

It was these worries lingering in her thoughts when she sought Kukutux's company, carrying herbs as a gift. Moonwoman, Marina greeted softly. She settled beside her, quiet for now in respectful observance of Samani's resting place.

"marina. it is good to see your face," kukutux murmured in greeting. 

in comfortable silence they remained, the wind caressing through each mother's pelt.

"are you well?" moonwoman asked after a time, smiling gently to see the herbs that the seal hunter woman had brought.

As well as I can be, Her own words were soft, filled with gentle warmth. Marina owed much to the moonwolves and their kindness, though she was a seal hunter in her heart.

And you? She presented the herbs to Kukutux, knowing that they would see good use in Moonglow. For now Marina made no great rush toward topics of greater weight; there was time for all of it. These gentle pleasantries were necessary, she thought, in times of so much turmoil.

something moved here between them. moonwoman's eyes held her wisdom of it, but she did not speak on things unsaid.

"life changes. i too must grow new feathers." 

did marina know of what she had said to her seal hunter husband? "now nantahala lives among moontide. it has been hard to have her away, though i know it is in her blood to be more."

You ask for one of my sons, Marina's voice remained gentle, but her tone turned ambiguous now; not quite cold, but no longer warm either. I ask for one of yours - son or grandson, it doesn't make a difference. My daughters are seal hunters and make their own decisions, but I would like to see one of them marry a sunshine boy, if she chooses.

Only Puffin has stayed, She shared, the words weighed with a mother's grief. But there will be more seal hunter children. Future choices to be made.

aya! aya! a shrewd one, this marina.

"make nantahala a seal hunter woman. she is fond of your sirmiq," kukutux said softly. "this year there is tautukpik."

of course, she did not say that if she sent akmaaksi to kvarsheim, he must stay. and she knew that he would not — to part them would be to lose each.

but their future must not forever run together. kukutux believed they would outgrow this need for one another.

her green eyes reached in the same veiled way for the gaze of the moontide wife. "in the months to come, more sunshine will be born."

though it did not show itself, there was a deep pleasure in kukutux for marina's gambit, equal to her own.