Ouroboros Spine Hunter, Hunter

All welcome, but @Kukutux if you have time to teach Rodyn how to scrape and dry a deerskin. Only if you have time love

Rodyn stepped through the pack lands, the doe hanging limply from his shoulders, blood dripping from it to lay thick and string against his fur. He found the nearest shade tree and slowly began to strip away the skin. He did at least know how to do that, he was careful not to make anymore rips unless he had too.

Finally, he managed to get the hide off of it. He lay it to the side and with careful precision he began to separate the pieces. He kept a hunk of one of the legs, for Kukutux. To trade with her in exchange for her time teaching him to skin the pelts.

Finally, he tipped his head back and howled for the moon woman, and anyone else who wished to take a piece of the doe, he and his neighbor friend had felled.

rodyn had been hunting quite often. moonwoman watched him with approving eyes as he returned to the village. he passed through shadows and between trees. she caught sight of him but was close enough to come easily to his call.

"i greet you," she said to him. her jadestone eyes were curious. he had divided a deer here and lay out its skin. it was where her gaze rested for a moment. "sedna blessed your jaws today."

Rodyn greeted the moonwoman with a wag of his tail and a smile.

Hello Moonwoman.

His shoulders burned a little from the carrying of the deer.

Rodyn scuffed a paw. It wasn't all me. I traded my hunting prowess with another Hunter named Astraios. He and hid mate Themis are forming a pack in the Deepwood i believe. Though I'm not 100%. He will call again. And we will get more meat, but he will take the pelt that day.

He pushed the hunk of leg at Kukutux. This is for you and your family and the rest I will fill the caches with it.

He nosed towards the pelt. I was hoping you could teach me to scrape the pelts today, but only if you have time I know you are very busy.

kukutux welcomed him with a smile.

the hunter spoke of a village she did not know. but she did know this forest. a gentle frown touched her face. "this is the place of trees, beyond the moonstone?" the duck shimmered with a sudden emotion that was not easily readable, even to her.

themis. astraios.

"i have the want that you will ask this man and this woman to come to moonglow and eat meat with us. i must tell to their ears how the place of white rocks is sacred to my people. it cannot be disturbed."

her face lightened. "i will teach this thing to you. first, we will put the meat away." she lifted some of it and looked to the hunter, waiting for his choice of cache.

He nodded hus head. Yes, deep and dark.

Rodyn wasn't sure of the frown from his leader. But he would do his best to help where he could. Had he done something wrong, by trading his hunting?

Though her next words eased his mind. She was worried of the sacred stones. I will ask them though I dont know how soon they would arrive. They have young too.

Rodyn bent to grasp the rest of the deer and headed towards the main cache. I'd like to put some near the center and some near the healing dens in case of. Is that alright?

He lifted the rest up and started the way he had mentioned unless Moonwoman would choose different.

kukutux nodded.

they would go their separate ways, dispersing the meat.

when they returned to this place, she would begin to nip and pull at the hide, stretching it upon the ground so she could look at all of its details.

she too, had become stained with blood. "i think now we should take this to the lake." she would lead, grasping a corner of it.

Rodyn grasped a corner of the pelt. Stretched out it was rather large. He suddenly felt guilty for keeping it. Astraios could have used it for his young. Though he had promised he would help him with a new one.

He walked with Kukutux, his tail happily wagging behind him.

When they finally made it he lay his aide down after Kukutux did. And patiently waited her instructions.

kukutux showed rodyn next how they must find stones to pin down the four corners, skin-side up.

"all the fat and meat must be taken off. we scrape with teeth," the duck said, demonstrating: she cut a long swathe of pink from the back of the pelt and set it aside.

"it is slow work. rest often." moonwoman grinned and returned to their task.

Rodyn put the stones he had helped gather into place. The four corners. His tail motionless behind him, as he paid attention. He didn't want to mess something up, and he wanted to learn this.

He bent to the task of scraping with his teeth. He pulled a few swathe's of skin laying it aside. Though he minded what she said and took breaks.

In between the breaks he spoke. Do you do anything with the long pieces we scrape. They can be chewed I imagine, but it is there more you can do with it?

kukutux chuckled.

"you may eat it."

she pointed to the rosy color and the yellow fat, then to the membrane she and rodyn were scraping from the fur. "in my words, this is qiaqaqtuq."

the duck paused to turn her head from side to side, working a pain from her neck. she looked slyly at rodyn, though he would not see it for the way she hid her gaze behind her lashes in the old way of deferring to men so that they would not be ready for your questioning.

"this woman will teach you of another trade. it is something only a man can give." she pulled another piece of clinging tissue.

Rodyn shook his head. Can it be dried like your meats at your Ulaq? I would like to learn this too. That way I can give back to all of you who've given so much to me. He bend to the task almost shyly now. Unsure why he felt so close to this pack, and this family, and the moonwoman. He liked it here.

Her next word drew him pause, and his head crinkled in thought as he tried to process her words. He tried it out qia qia qiaqaqtuq A smile on his face as he finally got it.

Rodyn looked at her further confused. Only a man can give?

What could possibly be that. The only thing he knew of was well something you didn't speak of in polite company, his mother had said. Because females could not have babies without them, but surely to all the gods she didn't mean that. So he waited patiently, certain that he was very wrong and didn't wish to offend, and was extremely curious.

when kukutux spoke again it was to answer his first question. "it is too weak to be dried. it does not have weight. eat the good fat with berries. it is a treat." this part of the animal was meant to be eaten fresh.

moonwoman was pleased that he meant to give back.

"traders were given food and a sleeping-place. it is the way to show a good heart." she peeled another long strip. "often a woman would come to spend the night with the trader. sometimes, if he visited often, she would welcome him each time in the same way. and in time she would find herself with new children for her village."

"traders are sacred. they carry many words and stories and things from one place in the long world to another. the women who lie with traders choose them for this reason. it is an honor as well as being a pleasure."

in the place of her birth, kukutux would not be so bold as to teach a hunter his place. but there were no men of her first village here. she must then be moonwoman to them all. "it is for this reason that it is not often a man chooses to be both husband and trader. often a man who has traveled much will return to his village and take a wife. he will say that he is ready to be content."

The way she spoke of Berries and meat, it actually sounded delicious and he would need to try this. His mouth already slightly watered at the thought. He would do that after their conversation ended.

Rodyn was surprised, and then a little bit confused, but also unsure. He was a youth thrust into a world he didn't understand, though he didn't mind. It simply meant he was playing catch up trying to understand everything. So he could not be a trader and a husband. That saddened him a bit. He would have liked ot do both. Though as he worked through her words, he peeled away at the fat.

His quiet countenace was not in rejection of her words, merely working through them. If seen it was clear in his gaze his mind was working. Finally, he spoke for clarity.

So traders would also trade their virility to the women of the village who did not have a husband? That is what you say? To make stronger villages, stronger hunters?

Were the traders allowed to interact with the children, or do they belong simply to their mother? He had heard of villages this way, had never met any, but in his half a year travels he had heard stories.


He nibbled a piece of meat in thought. Were he to choose that life for himself, would it make him happy. He didn't mind hs body being used for someone to have children, especially if they did not wish to share in men. He briefly thought of Qarida. It was then that he asked.

I could be used for a female who prefers female, i could help them have children as a trader? He didn't know if his pack mate wanted children, but he also did not find distaste in that action, it felt honorable and kind.

ANd a trader could decide were he to fall in love the he did not wish to offer their body anymore except to the female of their heart?

"not only unmarried women lie with traders. such a child is important and would bring status to the hearth of his mother's husband." kukutux had long been aware that the customs of her people and that which was done here were quite different. and yet she still marveled.

rodyn asked a question next which gave her pause. "not many traders care," moonwoman said plainly. "they belong to the village of their birth and their mother. but sometimes when a son has seen nine or twelve moons, the man who is his father will take him away from the ulaq of his mother, and teach him to also be trader."

kukutux nodded. she too thought of qadira. "if you are husband and trader, your wife must understand that women in other villages will choose you. if you are husband, you must understand that a wife will not want to share you in this way. if you are a man who wants more than one wife, then you must show you can build and hunt for two ulax there is much involved."

she gestured to the skin, now cleaned of most gristle. "we will lift it and put it into the lake. it will be washed there. fish will help us to finish."

Rodyn was surprised. So if he understood her correctly, as a status as a trader he was considered very important if he were to follow that path. He actually thought about it. Could he continue that life if he chose another, that was where he had his hang up. His mother had taught him only one mate per male/female, but she had not condemned others either, it was simply what she preferred.

Rodyn worked teh skin further, his thoughts racing. I think I would care moonwoman. Not that I had limited time with them, especially were the femme in question already mated, but rather. I would just like to know them, because I love children.

He was uncertain where he fit with this. Is this what she wanted of him. He briefly thought of Sialuk and Samani, would they like that. He frowned deep in thought. Though a part of him was intrigued by the idea, because it woudl help his found family bring status to their village.


He studied the pelt. I think that if I were to do this. When the time came that a femme captured my heart. I'd let her decide what she would like of me, to be husband and trader, or simply husband. I have never entertained the thought of two wives, but were that what two wanted I could probably handle it. I certainly love to hunt enough for two. But that is getting to far ahead. I would need to find a female interested first. He gave a shy smile.

He grasped the one edge and waited patiently for her to grasp the rest.

kukutux shook her head softly. "i do not think you carry the kind of cold a man must wear to be trader all his life."

she had seen his trail cross that of samani. her daughter was old enough to begin her life as woman. but not until another year passed could she be mother.

her mind worked.

if he wanted samani as wife, the twelve moons that must first pass might be a time to be trader. 

but a good atsak did not suggest such things outright. a man must feel it was his choice.

her small teeth showed in a smile. "there are already eyes in this village upon you, rodyn. i am sure if you went beyond moonglow there would be more faces turned to yours." her praise was gentle. 

the two of them had by now set down the pelt into the lake. kukutux shifted stones onto it once more.

He chuckled and nodded. I don't think so either, but while I am young and unattached perhaps. His mind was still thinking, going over this information.

He did not have a set femme in mind. He had met Sialuk once and Samani once, and they had both had good conversations, but if he was to offer his heart and soul to another. There would be need of many more conversations. Though he wondered what the two wanted. Both quiet and mysterious, he wasn't sure if even they knew what they wanted yet.

Rodyn looked at her and asked the question he had wanted to know. Would this also bring honor to your village, moonwoman. Were I to choose to pursue the life of a trader for however long a time?

He scuffed a paw at the ground. News to me, but thank you all the same. He was quiet then, introspective. He was not one that thought of his own good looks, or high breeding or what have you. No instead he sought to help those he cared for, with his body, his mind, his thoughts, whatever they had need of that was his to freely give.

Rodyn followed in her paw steps, helping to settle the rocks on the pelt. He watched the fish swimming nearby it and he thought about grasping one up, but chose against it. Today the fish were safe from him, as they were doing him a favor even if they were not aware.

men noticed so little. she did not comment upon this, only tossed her muzzle to indicate the hide. "we will leave this for a day. it will be heavy to pull from the water. after it is taken from the lake, we will let it dry upon the grass. it will come to my ulaq next. and when there is no more water, we will begin to chew it."

moonwoman gave a nod. "it would bring status. and you would be welcome as a man of moonglow. i could give you words, messages, to hold and bring as trader."

she blinked.

"you would be gone long hands of time as trader. you must think on these things. you must decide what choice brings your heart to happiness."

In time he hoped he would notice things that Moon woman spoke so easily of, but for the time he would blame it on his youth and nothing more. He was only just two and didn't know the inner workings of the opposite gender, heck even his own at times.
He nodded his head. There would be time, to chew on it and make it soft, a flare of excitement lit his insides at the prospect of the new fur.

As soon as she said it would give her status, he knew what his answer would be. And to travel learn new things. To help a pack grow where they needed it. He was okay with this as well. However, it was clear she wanted him to think on it, and think on it he would. Though in his heart, he already knew his answer for now.

I will think on it, and come back to you with my decision. He smiled kindly at her, and then dipped his muzzle. If she had no more words to share with him for the time, he would do as asked and go and think.

kukutux dipped her head. "think on it until after natigvik has returned to the place of their village. this is still a time of celebration."

she chuffed to him.

kukutux would remain beside the lake for a time even after rodyn had gone. many things filled her mind. she would consider them all once she was alone.