Moonsong Glacier aatkatik [m]

Some tags for reference.

Following the hunt with @Dutch, Kilgitsuk cleaned the hide that he had butchered from the doe and brought it to where @Ariadne had her sleeping place. He wasn't sure if she would be there or up within the caves of the glacier. As he approached he came across the obvious scent of @Kukutux who he assumed was checking in on her daughter, now that the village had formed and their songs had been sung.

He waited for sign of life from the hideaway before thinking to enter, in case the women were having a private conversation — wanting to be respectful towards both of them, and also a touch afraid to encounter Kukutux a second time, given that their last conversation had been so strained.

"when i came to your village, i made a meeting with the man dutch," kukutux remarked to her daughter.

ariadne was healing well, and moonwoman quietly felt that the daily breathing of frigid air enlivened the lungs. already she felt much of her malaise lifting, her limbs strengthening.

her gaze shone with approval for the polite hunter who had accompanied her to ariadne's ulaq.

a step outside the door; her eyes cooled. she had welcomed kilgitsuk as kin, as kiggavik.  she bore him love. she respected him as kith to moonglow, to all moonwolves.

it did not mean she felt he deserved to court ariadne. and with their kinship ties, it would be an odd pairing.

"ah, i have two things to tell you," kukutux went on, not turning if the winterhawk entered. "the first is that your brother arrluk has completed his spirit journey, and is now a man. i will seek a wife for him when the sun returns. the second is that kivaluk, a son to my hearth," and therefore ariadne's brother, and therefore kilgitsuk was more of an uncle! "— will be marrying a nuliakskraun from brecheliant. she has the name chickadee. once, she meant to marry stratos with her sister. but her sister has gone away. and it was kivaluk who brought her to us, and already they live as wife and husband."

she told this story for many reasons: to remind kilgitsuk of what he had missed, to enforce that ariadne was kin to the trader and therefore not a conventional wife, to say for his ears the things he might not know about his son and the woman he was to marry. things a father might wish to know. kukutux would not say them directly into his eyes, bearing respect for kivaluk, but she would say them aloud to ariadne where kilgitsuk might hear.

Ah, yes, Ariadne replied, Dutch of the White Spine. I know him well. He is kind and a hard worker—already doing so much after just joining! She'd been impressed with his work ethic.

There was a step outside; anaa's eyes cooled; she felt relief when she recognized Kilgitsuk at her doorstep. She lowered her head, hoping to meet his gaze, and if she were lucky enough to, she'd invite him in with a quick, fleeting glance.

While waiting on the trader, Kukutux continued talking, sharing news of her brothers and their accomplishments. I will keep an eye out if I find any women suitable for him, and send them your way, she promised, already feeling excitement at the prospect of playing matchmaker like anaa. You know, I have always wished to make pairs like you do, anaa. Can you teach me your ways?

As for Kivaluk, whom Ariadne scarcely considered her brother, she nodded. A part of her envied the young man—who already lived as husband and wife with his partner —and that glean in her eye could not be concealed. Will there be a ceremony for them? she asked, wondering how much Kilgitsuk had heard.

He waited. He listened, not that it was his place to do so, and heard some of what Kukutux spoke of; Kilgitsuk only showed real interest when he heard his son's name mentioned, and then the place Brecheliant which he had visited, and it was then that he learned of Kukutux' machinations for his blood. It should not have surprised him that the woman would matchmake — or that Kivaluk would fall in line with the traditions of the sunshine people — but he found his spine turning to iron as he listened, and a small flame of resentment flaring brightly in his heart.

Already they live as wife and husband.

It stung to learn in this way.

It stung also to know for certain that Kivaluk was not Tartok, as his father had once dreamed for him. That he had not only lost some time, but much tradition because of his roaming and his trading. It came as a deeper surprise than Kilgitsuk would've ever expected; and it felt unfair, above all. That he should lose first one son, then a wife, and then to grieve those losses in his way, only to return and find a great ocean of time between himself and Kivaluk! It was cruel of Kukutux to make it known in this way. That flame burned hotter — and he hated her for a moment with an intimate loathing he had once reserved for his own mother! And yet he knew it was not her fault. Because he knew to blame himself for all of this, the pain projected to those around him.

Kilgitsuk wanted to refuse Kukutux all of what she said. He wanted to claim Kivaluk as his son and seek him out immediately, and even looked to the door again, the doe hide forgotten, as if he might go in that instant. He knew the way to Brecheliant; he could go there and demand his son's wife to reconsider, or the parents of this girl to refuse the pairing; but again, it was only a jolt of pain that spurred this idea. As the wound subsided in his psyche and Kilgitsuk accepted it was not his place, he stayed firm where he was.

This village was his home now. He had given Kivaluk and Akkuma the choice to come to him if they wanted; if they had been in ear-shot, if their hearts were open... It was out of his control now, just as this marriage was out of his control.

It was a lot all at once.

this was culture, this was the building of it. kigipigak had gone away after his failure and he had not kept the ways of his people for his son. now kivaluk married outside even the north, and kukutux raised her support, for she knew she could encourage chickadee to take many of their ways.

it was why she was mothermoon now, moonglow the hearth for daughters' success.

quietly she did think of kilgitsuk's future. he had called out for his sons, he was contrite. even now she felt the heaviness of his silence behind she and ariadne.

perhaps he too should have names gathered for him. kivaluk would become a father and his mind would turn to his own children. he would not be so jealous as a boy might; new siblings to sivullik would be no threat to the status he had been granted and the status he had maintained.

and then would tartok join the sunshine people, the seal hunters, and the moonspear shamans as its own strength.

ariadne asked two things. kukutux answered the last. "they will have a marriage made, yes. before she grows with children. he has gone to brecheliant, to offer his hunting to her mother and father." it pleased her that there was the surety of children in moonglow once more. now in silence between she and sun man was a new dread for the tribulation of childbirth. kukutux was aged. the risk was greater. inutsuk had been long absent from the hearth of his wife; ajei grew toward womanhood. she did not know if shikoba would bear children again.

but vaire and chickadee, they were young. in them, moonglow grew forward.

and to the second; "before you become atsak, you must become anaa. before you become anaa, you must be wife. and before you are wife, ariadne, i have the wish for you to know love." she reached to touch the soft cheek with its dewy glow of youth. but though she felt the ache in her own bones, the wearing of her teeth, the greater effort each day's work demanded, moonwoman saw herself reflected back and was satisfied. "you will build a great village here. the time will pass. and one day, you will see a man without a wife and a woman without a husband, and aya, you will know."

Kilgitsuk's heaviness was almost too much to bear; Ariadne withheld her touch, her comfort, knowing this wasn't the time. There would be a time later, when it was just the two of them, that she would offer him the support he needed now. The situation was too delicate, and she felt like she was in the middle; she played the neutral party despite her involvement with both sides.

Then, unexpectedly, Kukutux embraced her, and she curled into her anaa's touch. I wish to know love, like you and taataa have, she said, voice low, but loud enough for Kilgitsuk to hear. I long for the days of being a wife and an anaa; this village can only do so much to distract me. Perhaps matchmaking will help me, too.

Kilgitsuk did his best to contain how he felt. It was his lot in life to avoid expression, or so he had been taught as a man, and he was very good at it. While they continued to speak between themselves, he took the hide and carefully placed it elsewhere within the ulaq so that it could be laid out for viewing, and was busy with that as the women had their moment.

He looked up briefly to the sight of white and red embraced, and quickly averted his eyes as if he had seen something intimate that was not for his eyes. His mind was buzzing, but he held his tongue and kept his distance as much as he could.

kilgitsuk seemed to burn.

ariadne was within her arms.

moonwoman kissed the thoughtful eartip.

in many ways, she was grateful to the pale man for remaining silent. this was indeed a place of women. he was allowed here to listen, and kilgitsuk did not violate the sanctity of the woman's circle.

"you mean to ask for me to find names?" kukutux asked, drawing away to seek first her daughter withj thoughtful gaze, then the tartok man himself.

"You mean to ask for me to find names?" Kukutux asked.

Ariadne hesitated and then shook her head. No, not yet, she answered, catching Kilgitsuk from the corner of her eye. I will request names if I have not found a prospect in one moon phase.

He catches Kukutux' gaze first, and when the two part with the voice of the moon woman speaking of names and matches, his eyes find Ariadne's; there is something unreadable within his expression and then he drops his gaze away, to the hide, and he turns to appear busy with tidying it, smoothing the hairs, and such things.

It is obvious Kukutux holds disdain for him, and Kilgitsuk does not think she would ever approve of—well, it did not matter at the moment.

kukutux saw the look, the flicker of eye to eye.

and mother's heart knew what moonwoman's spirit did not wish to accept.

in rejection, in denial, she stayed for some time longer, laughing with ariadne over other things.

"do not forget to visit home," she murmured, kissing the beloved face a last time before she slipped from the ulaq and turned her path for the spine.

kilgitsuk was given a single slant of ear before moonwoman was gone.

I will not, she promised, nudging anaa's cheek. I will do my best to visit before the nights grow longer. Despite her broken leg, she intended to keep this promise.

When Kukutux left, Ariadne turned to Kilgitsuk and exhaled deeply; it felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her chest. That is quite a nice doe pelt, she asked as she pushed herself onto all fours and walked towards him, wanting to get a better look at them both. Nice work, she complimented, checking around them before she kissed his cheek.

Moonwoman lingered! Kilgitsuk thought she imposed too much, but really he was craving his woman and believed her mother was ignorant to the goings-on of the ulaq. When she finally departed there was a breath of relaxation shared by man and woman, and Ariadne came to him with a kiss.

Kilgitsuk looked to the entrance of the space for a moment before moving swiftly to catch Ariadne and hold her, pressing her to the doe fur, boldly! He was rough but playful and did not care if they were seen; although Kukutux was gone, there were others of the village who might pass by.

You could have told her. The man smothered her with affections, wanting a taste.

Hey! Ariadne growled playfully, holding on as Kilgitsuk swept her against the doe's fur. She did not let go as she returned his affections in full, kissing, growling, and giving the occasional gentle bunny-kick to his belly. It was all great fun until he spoke.

"You could have told her." he said.

I know, she replied with remorse; she should have. I kept wanting to ... but I didn't know how to bring it up, she bit her lip and glanced away for a minute, thinking. Next time, her eyes were back to him, her words strong. I will tell her about our intentions.

Mature Content Warning

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They played like children; Kilgitsuk felt relief as she spoke, and his concern eased away swiftly to be dealt with later. Arms around her, he drawls with his deep voice in one ear, —at least we are alone again.

The suggestion is plain. It mattered little that Kilgitsuk had worked hard to get this doe fur, or that it would soon grace her altar; first it would be broken in.

She smirked—yes, at least they were alone again.

There are many things for us to do, she said, playing into the suggestion. She wriggled against the animal hide she lay upon, eyes bright and smile devilish as she looked up to her lover. But, first, I think we have to break this in?

They had their fun together; the doe furs soiled, needing another soak and a proper cleaning. Wrapped up in one-another and atop this hide, resting in the afterglow.

---

Kilgitsuk's low laughter carries through the ulaq long after, as both himself and Ariadne have assumed the mostly-tidy looks of people who definitely were not distracted by one another five minutes ago. He kisses her again and again, as if the fire inside of him was freshly lit rather than eagerly fed — reminded by Ariadne that he still had work to do!

Parted then, Kilgitsuk checked the entrance for any wandering villagers and then ducked out, to go back to his patrols.