Totoka River tukisiviit ⪂

when moonglow had camped for the night, kukutux had gone to look toward the sea. to commune.

she knew that she had been wrong in some way. he was hunter and she had spoken rashly. but more than this he was moonglow and she had denied this.

lynx and tooteega spoke. when the morning arrived, moonwoman followed the trail of @Kigipigak to the mouth of a river. it seemed sakhmet was with him. she stared at the marks of their paws, wondering if she should simply allow the winterhawk to leave.

no. not how they had last separated. kukutux called to him, her tones winding with apology and affection.

The sound of the moon-woman calling for him across the river was plain, carrying well through the stillness of winter. Kigipigak ceased his playing and romping within the snow; he stopped long enough to see if @Sakhmet had heard the call also, wondering if she was prepared to meet Kukutux again after so long. Perhaps he should not bring her, he thought suddenly.

But he was like a newly-wed man; he wanted to flaunt what he had discovered. To show off Sakhmet as the miracle that she was. So when he sought a path to Kukutux he did so with a measured stride with the dark girl alongside.

Kukutux was lost among the fresh snow. As the pair came close, it wasn't until Kigipigak saw her tired springtime gaze that he tapered his pace, and approached with care.

so it was true.

kukutux tempered the urge to run to him. she looked at sakhmet beside the man and smiled. he was jubilant, glowing. 

"i always have many words to say," she started, her voice for him first. "i was wrong to give you questioning, of what you have done for moonglow."

kukutux had spoken of kigipigak becoming more than tartok. perhaps he did not need more than sakhmet. she looked warmly at the returned woman but her eyes were back upon her kinsman. "you are kiggavik. to me and to moonglow. i do not doubt you, kigipigak."

And she heard, with a pondering look in her eyes as her gaze drifted to where the call came from.

There had been apologetic, affectionate tones. The latter to be expected but…an apology? For what?

She supposed she would find out soon as Kigipigak made way to the woman’s call. Sakhmet could only closely follow, only slightly behind him at his hip for his longer strides.

And it was true that the moon woman was lost in the snow. A perfect visage against it much like Kigipigak could be. Although her spring eyes added life where Sakhmet might have guessed there to be none.

She did not speak yet, uncertain if she was even truly wanted her, but her body language reflected warm respect to the other woman.

And perhaps that was for the best, as she watched the village woman speak to him.

The measured way with which Kukutux spoke gave the man pause. He did not have words to share, and wondered after Sakhmet, what she might think of this conversation. He had filled her in about so much, but not their argument.

It still burned him to think about the way they had spoken to one-another; the sense of betrayal that Kigipigak had felt upon being forced to choose.

Now he wasn't sure what his answer might be. Now, with Sakhmet, a new path had been shown to him.

I do not doubt you either, moon-woman. Kigipigak was a tall man but he made himself smaller now, respectful to the woman who had rescued him, an in a way reunited him with his lost shadow. Had she not given him a home and become true kin to him, Kigipigak would likely have left this place and never found Sakhmet again.

He looked now to the spry girl beside him. His warmth was clearly for her alone, but there was worry upon his face as well, something which Kigipigak had been carrying and hiding from her.

Sakhmet and I... Are on a different path. He could not look at Kukutux as he said this; but he watched Sakhmet, finding comfort with her there, and also he studied her for any sign that this was wrong. That maybe she did want to live among the Moonglow wolves — and they could, until a better time came.

Kigipigak could not make up his own mind.

kukutux nodded. she noticed the way that kigipigak remained deferential to her. she only hoped that she had not hurt him.

sakhmet received the weight of her gaze now, warm. inviting. "moonglow returns to the village. but aiolos wishes to live by the sea," kukutux revealed to them both. "if you have the want to stay with us until you are decided, my hearth is open."

but she would not press them, not now. perhaps the winterhawk wished at this moment to leave with sakhmet.

All eyes on her, she could feel the weight of them.

The warmth and joy of Kigipigak's copper gaze.

The home and love of Kukutux's spring gaze.

Admittedly, it did not feel her place to speak upon the invitation of Moonglow. Kigipigak had already spoken that they were on a different path and if his heart yearned for them to wander away from the village, she would follow and lead into the unknown with him. She knew not who Aiolos was, if he had any say in where the village would go or if he was another who wished to depart from the village.

She wondered if there was heartbreak for Kukutux in the words Kigipigak said, if that was where the invitation bloomed from — or maybe it was just the heart of the woman who had healed both of the blossoming wolves before her. How grateful Sakhmet had been for the snow woman from the moment they had met. Without her she would not have Kigipigak.

Her pale moon eyes moved from village woman to her snowy mountain man. As if she might absorb the strength from his gaze alone to back him on his words. She did not doubt the words he had spoken, she would believe that that was what he wanted.

If Kigipigak is ready to venture then so am I...but we can come visit, wherever you may set up your village. Perhaps I will find a gift worth bringing as a thank you for...everything.

Perhaps Kukutux would understand all the thanks Sakhmet had for her as she looked upon the woman with kindness.

They were both undecided.

Sakhmet waited for Kigipigak to make up his mind. Kigipigak waited to see what Sakhmet might want; both of them forever waiting for one-another, and it wasn't until this moment that the man realized how stuck they were. Someone had to make the choice.

Kukutux did not ask this of them, yet her voice rang out as before, in his mind. You must choose.

It still felt too soon for him. They did not know where to go, except to go together. There was an opportunity to stay with Moonglow presented to them also, where Kigipigak was held in good standing — but he thought of the potential threat of Tulimaq.

We will bring many gifts, Kigipigak went on to say, now finally, looking to Kukutux. When we have found our home together, you will be the first to know it. It sounded as though he had finally chosen a path.

in this moment, he made his choice.

kukutux would weep later, but they would not be bitter tears.

she pulled the wrap from her shoulders, a fine piece of caribou-hide, and offered it to sakhmet, placing it around the young woman's own nape if allowed. "go with the spirits," the duck murmured, intending to press both their cheeks with her own. "moonglow will welcome you as kith when you return."

kukutux smiled, stepped back.

he had chosen.

she hoped that sakhmet would take him far from tartok.

Freed they had become, but not without a parting touch of Kukutux.

Sakhmet suddenly found herself with a hide over her neck and shoulders. Caribou skin softly pushed against her cheeks when Kukutux removed herself from her face. She would cherish this, she would wear it much like the village woman wore skins.

Thank you. She murmured softly before she offered a now pelt-covered shoulder to Kigipigak's side.

She could stay or she could give him privacy, if there was anything else he wished to say before they went wherever the winds carried them.

Can probably fade this here. :< Kigi will miss MG!

Kigipigak wanted to keep Moonglow safe. He wanted above everything to keep Sakhmet safe and to ensure she did not leave him again, which itself was a selfish desire, but he did not mean ill by it. If by leaving Moonglow he could also keep Tartok from sinking their teeth in to moon-woman or her people, it was the best option.

It only led to more questions for Kigipigak, though. While the two women communed with one-another, and they were seen off by Kukutux, the man wondered to himself many things. Where would they go, being the main issue they now faced.

Yes, they could go anywhere — but there was illness in the Taiga, likely illness spreading everywhere. Winter was on its way out and would begin to fade in the coming weeks. He had to hope that by the time spring had sprung, they would be settled somewhere.

He smiled to Kukutux and looked fondly upon her. Sakhmet thanked her again, and afterwards carried one of the fine pelts made by the moon-woman. Kigipigak did not need to say anything; but his eyes held a warm farewell, and as he gathered Sakhmet close, he would turn away and together they would go.