Ouroboros Spine ajukittuk ⪻

set for tomorrow <3

"@Iḷitqusiq."

kukutux bent her head over his injured leg. "see if you are able to move the toes of your paw," she instructed. if he could not, the limb was broken as hers was. but if he was able, perhaps it was only a crack like that in new wood, and would be faster mended.

his name on her tongue as if it had always been so.

Half asleep in whatever time of day it was, he stirred at the new name ushered to him.

Her instruction was clear and soft. He tried his best, only to be met with a stronger sensation of pain as his body resisted — something he vaguely noticed the last few hours was that everything was just levels of pain now, save for when he was given piluk.

I can't. Some sense of shame in his hurt, winced words.

she shook her head. "it is all right. you will heal for two moons." but, hastening, "in two i was able to move in short places through moonglow. on three legs," she told him, meaning encouragement. "you will not need to only lie here for so long."

and he could not, with a ceremony to come and offerings to be made. she rocked back upon her haunches, moving closer as she had done during their first meeting. "for today, i will stay here with you, and i will make answers for the questioning of moonglow you might have."

Two moons was some time, but that was all he had now. Time that he would do nothing with but learn of Moonglow and sleep away.

Yet her encouragement was truly that. Encouragement to his heart. Short places would be better than nowhere and he would look forward to it with each sunrise.

Today he would learn. So many questions he had formed and yet when presented the opportunity to ask they eluded him.

I...don't know where to start. He answered honestly as he tried to find comfort once more in his lounged position.

Maybe...what is life like out there? What is in a day of Moonglow?

"it matters who is making the answer," kukutux said musingly, settled onto one elbow. "each morning, sialuk and rise before mother sun shows her face. sometimes she sings to the dawn. i go around the belly of moonglow. if there is new hunting, sivullik will tell me. lote, also," kukutux said, pausing.

"then i come here. i scrape pelts with sialuk and often with lote, again." a smile. "we soak them in the river. when they have been washed, we scrape them again, and dry them. there are berries to collect and sticks of meat to dry. the day is eaten quickly."

A well kept, busy, place. He mused with a smile. Perhaps a bit sad that he was missing out on that as he laid up for the two moons she declared. Yet he reminded himself that this was a day in moonglow. One he might witness when he was free to roam their claim.

And if I was to answer? What would you dream my day like? He yearned through his pain, far too much for his liking, to know what he would do with his new life.

"i have the imagining that you will go with adrastus in the first of the day. sivullik. firsthunter. he will make a hunting party and he will take you into the mountains. if there are only men, then your words will be only for the ears of men. but if he brings another, or if i take the same path, we will talk of easier things."

kukutux had seen the importance of two circles. would ilitqusiq see it in the same way? she kept by him, prepared to give any answer he sought, for the duck was a font of stories and tradition, shared freely. 

There were men.

There were women.

Then there were...easier things.

He was familiar with a separation of the genders, but he was not aware of discussion being part of that. Perhaps it was the same way that his mother had always told him to have manners in front of the women, to not speak of the crude things the warriors back home could. Yet Kukutux and her people (not that he had met many...) did not seem the kind to utter the crude words of mindless men.

It felt far too loaded to ask questions of what the men spoke about. Especially if they did not speak of them in front of even Kukutux. He supposed he would tuck that question away for this...sivullik. Adrastus.

How is one a — ah, His tongue felt thick in his mouth when he tried her words. Not yet used to the one they were supposed to be said. How do you become firsthunter? What does that...mean?

"sivullik has the meaning of 'first.' it means that moonglow looks to him to know the hunting, and where meat might be found. he protects the village. moonwoman, that is me, works at his side, even if i am not his wife and he is not my husband."

"to become sivullik, you are respected here. you are trusted. you are his son, or he chooses you to come after." she looked upon the man now, ready to speak again but silent for now.

It was...a lot. As everything had been as of late.

I look forward to meeting...sivullik. He tested. It did not roll off his own tongue as smoothly as hers, but it was there nonetheless. Some small pride in his chest for clutching onto and learning more of her ways.

Perhaps you can teach me more of your words, if I am to truly grow into Iḷitqusiq.

can faaade <3

she smiled. "this woman is happy to tell this man of her ways."

she pulled away, nosed pelts about him, stepped back. "but now he must sleep, and heal."

mouth curved once, and kukutux was gone, disappearing beneath the stone overhang of the ulaq.