Ouroboros Spine saluttuk ⧜

she walked the borders. she had gathered the fish to caches. venison was ready to freeze in the ground.

all that remained was the white ermine.

and rodyn's announcement to the village of his intentions. her mind was upon samani. was she ready for these things? would aiolos be?

Rodyn stepped past the borders. Around his shoulders the 8 ermine he had caught and hunted in the last few days. There was a jaunt to his step, as he realized he had done everything asked of him. Everything that had been asked of him, he had done.

His heart twisted and tumbled about his chest, occasionally falling to the vicinity of his toes, but not because he was nervous, because he wasn't at least not about speaking. he didn't know what he wanted to say, because he would have to speak from the heart. There was no preparing for this. It would be a moment when he would need to just say whatever it was. No matter how it sounded.

No his worry lay within Samani. What if she had found someone else, he had known very well that her mother would have counseled her to not settle at first. To meet and seek out others, and whatever if there was one who was better than he.

He smiled to himself, it didn't matter. If Samani found another, that she liked or loved more. Then he would stand by. That was what you did, when you loved someone. He would not beg or plead. He would cry of course, and his heart would break, but he would let her go.

she looked at sivullik and saw his heavy heart.

"rodyn." her voice was warm with greeting. "the boy who is son of my kinsman, kigipigak, has the name of kivaluk. i have told him of hunting. perhaps you will take him from this place for a sun of time and show him many things."

a day's journey. but it would be close to moonglow and not so far. his time as firsthunter had begun.

she hoped his time as husband would be close.

Rodyn lifted his gaze and smiled. It is good to see your face, Moonwoman.

He listened ears perked forward, and gave a nod. Yellow eyes tracing the woods beyond the path they walked. Ermine hanging from his shoulders to drip into the white frosty ground.

I have hunted with Kivaluk in the forests near Natigvik's former territory. He is a good hunter. I would be glad to take him with me. I will speak with him in the morning. Is there anything particular you would like us to hunt?

He thought on the caches. he had been filling them since he had moved here an dhe felt they were pretty good. Even the Caribou and deer he had caught and carried. Lay nestled here. They were blessed.

kukutux listened.

and grandmother tooteega spoke.

the whale, granddaughter.

she looked at rodyn. 

"you are firsthunter." small teeth gently worn from grinding leather flashed in am ivory smile. "teach him to be kingullimik." she nodded. "kivaluk is a boy who must have a place or his legs will grow restless."

she thought gently and in mother's heart of stratos. "i will not choose. i know you will choose well."

Rodyn looked down shyly. He knew that he was first hunter, but it was still a new title and though he was endeavoring to do what he could and to teach. He had not found his footing with the new title yet.

I will do my best. Thank you for the opportunity to share my trade.

he thought about it, and he decided perhaps they would go after goats. There were not many goat skins, and he liked the soft plushy feel of them. That sounded good to him.

Perhaps we will seek out mountain goats. Their fur is springy and soft.

kukutux agreed at once. "that is a good choice. perhaps we shall have a feast to honor the snow-spirits."

her eyes shone.

"if you have sons, they too might follow you as firsthunter." sons of samani. sons of moonglow.

Rodyn was interested and curious. Snow spirits? Are they benevolent or malevolent? or both?

He was curious to know more of Kukutux's village life. More of the beliefs that beautiful Samani knew.

Rodyn blushed beneath his russet fur. If Samani wants children and we are lucky enough to have sons, any child is pure luck. But if our sons wish to follow me in this. I would be fine with this. But I would not force it upon them. That seems unjust.

"some mean to help. some mean to harm. a hunter should give blood to the snow from each kill. he should say 'thank you for giving yourself to my teeth.' then he should add 'grandfather' or 'cousin' or 'brother.' such as: brother deer, thank you for giving yourself to my teeth.'"

"in this way, the snow-spirit is satisfied by your respect and the animal spirit by the blood."

kukutux smiled. "it is not force. it is our way. son follows father. but he must want it. and he must prove himself for it." she did not shy from thinking of samani as mother. after all, she would come soon to her time.

birth was for women. the duck wondered if he had understood this.

Ears twitched forward as he listened. So let them bleed a little on the snow. That didn't seem to hard. And he often thanked in the back of his head. But he could probably just speak it aloud, it didn't seem a hardship. Though he had never used those words. It was usually just a whisper of thank you.

I have always thanked in my head, but I will endeavor to thank aloud too.

Rodyn was a little uncomfortable. He didn't want to force his child to hunt, if he didn't want too. What if they had a boy who wanted to heal? Who was he to stop him? Sometimes you didn't love to hunt. Rodyn was a special case, but he also knew that he couldn't fight these fights. This was between Samani and her mother if their child didn't like too. Not that he had no part in raising, but birthing and the last word, was always the mother. His mother had taught him this.

So instead he gave a nod. Well I hope any child of ours is respectful and works hard. Manners too. he smiled at the last part. He already knew he'd be a stickler for manners.

kukutux nodded. "you and samani are respectful. you will teach the same to your children."

her grandchildren!

it was not good to speak so early of them. a taboo, she cautioned herself.

"my people hunted on the sea ice when it was hardest. whales. seals." her mouth watered for the long-ago taste of rich salt fat. "but i think we will hunt caribou."

Rodyn smiled. Thank you. I like to think i manage to be respectful.

He listened to her next words and frowned deep in thought. Are they like sea lions? I only ask. I hunted sea lions on the shore with a Male named Njord and his son named Swordfish, A wolfess named Meerkat was their wife and mother. Speaking of I was to tell you she said Hello. I had almost forgotten. She helped me find seashells and I returned again on my way back with gifts for her help.

He thought of the hale and hearty Meerkat and he hoped she was doing well. He should stop by again soon. Perhaps he could talk Samani into going.

she nodded. "brother seal has a smaller frame. he is faster. but he is not as dangerous."

she felt his flesh tasted better as well.

the mention of meerkat lit her eyes happily. "aya! she is mother now! and married." it was a mother's delight. "i have not seen her in two springs. she was not happy when she last shared words. i am glad she has found it again."

Rodyn had not brought any seal back. He had left most of that for the wolves on the beach. But it had melted in his mouth, the blubber, it was a bit like tallow from deer and other such beasts, but richer, chewier.

She is, yes. And she has two fine sons and a daughter I believe if memory serves. Her husband has an accent I cannot place.

She was sad the first time I met her, but she seemed happier the second time. Though she wouldn't tell me what was bothering her that first time.

it was all well and good. she wondered who this man was who meerkat had taken as husband and given three children. when it was warm once more, she would go to see them all.

kukutux did not speak of meerkat's troubles. "a woman keeps her words tucked close, sivullik," she said instead. 

he would learn this when he was husband to her samani.

Rodyn had a fond feeling for the male Njord, and his boy. They were fine hunters in their own right and kind. And besides Lady Meerkat was more than sweet, she deserved good men around her.

He nodded in agreement. I know that is why I asked, she denied and I didn't ask again.

fade here? <3 the place she mentioned is on the map, u can pp them getting there!

kukutux nodded. she liked this man, this firsthunter.

"come with me," she said in the words of the village, expecting that at least some of them would be familiar. "i want to show you firemother."

Okay thank you for the thread as always <3

She spoke to him and he was delighted to find that he could recognize some of the words in it. He was learning. Slowly.

Rodyn followed behind her towards the large red tree in the territory. He had only been once, felt it was a sacred space.