Hoshor Plains [m] in the middle of the night in my dreams

pre-hunt!

Ariadne had ensured that she and @Kaluktuk had a private area within Moonsong's camp. She'd hung furs in the thicket, creating a makeshift room, and it allowed them some privacy even though they were surrounded by so many wolves.

What a day! she exclaimed, pushing into the area and holding the door with her tail so that her beloved could enter. Have you ever seen so many wolves? she asked, turning to him with excitement and bewilderment.

The man was laughing as he entered the makeshift section of their camp, and swept Ariadne close as soon as they were secluded.

This is what Tartok is like, always! He said this as he moved to kiss her, his antics both possessive and eager. I am glad we came to hunt. I can make connections with other hunters while you do the same with the women. Moonsong would grow stronger as a result.

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She kissed him passionately, unable to allow her excitement and excess energy to go to waste. We must visit Tartok then, she decided eagerly, pulling away with eyes full of stars. Who knows! I might never want to leave if it is like this! The gathering had an undeniable energy; she felt more alive than ever!

I also have some exciIiIiIiIiting news, she said after kissing him again and pulling him close. I think that my season is on its way, she watched him, wondering what he made of this. She'd been bloated, extra hungry, and extra horny—all indications of her impending period.

To hear her speak fondly of Tartok as a whole, was a good feeling. The news that she would soon come to want Kaluktuk in this deeper way was good, too; and he kissed her again and again, wanting to enjoy their time together now regardless of their privacy or the hunt; he would have let everyone watch them in their love-making as was custom in the north, because she was his issumatar, and those of Moonsong should know it.

I will bring Tartok to you! He answered with a hungry sigh against her, pressing her against the earth. You will be full of warriors and hunters, soon. They will be moon-touched like their mother, equipped with the hungry, eager teeth of their father!

He would kiss her again and again, ravenous.

Kaluktuk promised to bring Tartok to Ariadne, and although she was intrigued, she was far more interested in the talk of their future children. They will be perfect, she decided loudly, not particularly caring who heard their conversation. But, most importantly, they will be ours. And it was that that excited her most; they would be a product of love and passion.

She kissed him again and again and again and again, trailing from his lips to his chest, where she would begin to nip at him. We should practice some more, she suggested with a laugh. You know, practice makes perfect!

She didn't need to do much to get him going; Kaluktuk was glad for her affections, and riled enough by their talk to want to continue down the obvious path. Practice wasn't what they needed — they'd had plenty of that prior — but what Kaluktuk wanted now was passion, and connection, and he sought that out for himself when she gave her blessing.

[. . .]

Afterward he was laughing and out of breath, and his heart hammered in his chest; he thought of how the Moonsong camp most definitely heard them and maybe even those across the river — not realizing it was Moonglow that camped there, and not caring.

If only I could take you here and now, and bring the spirit of those giants of the plain to you. Our children could be strong like them! Powerful! Ah, he kissed her neck and held her close. They will be, though. They will be.

His laughter was infectious, and she'd caught his spirit with fervor; she belly-laughed and gasped for air when she'd laughed too much. It took some time for her to calm down, but when he pulled her closer and spoke again, she finally quieted.We will find the giants when my time comes. I doubt that they will travel far before then. She didn't know much about buffalo but assumed they meandered, given their size.

She smiled as he kissed her neck and held her close, and she leaned into him. Now, tell me—how many children are you giving me?

They would find a way to instill their children with the ferocity of the north, then. The strength and fortitude of bison, the power of the bear maybe, the smarts of those hellcats in the mountains; and Kaluktuk, while not believing in spirits or the like, enjoyed the prospects anyway.

How many do you want? How many do you think you could hold in that belly of yours? He did not know the limits of the body when it came to these things. It had been easy for his last wife, and he remembered how glad he was to see her fatten up because of him. Kaluktuk moved so that he could appraise Ariadne now, as if he could estimate.

He first thought, a couple of strong sons, but that came too close to his reality; and remembering his existing sons made him hurt. He chuffed and smiled at her as compensation. Do you dream of sons or daughters?

Ariadne was a small wolf and would probably be uncomfortable during her pregnancy, regardless of litter size. But this fact didn't stop her from dreaming big. I will carry as many as you give me! she declared loudly with a laugh; she wouldn't be laughing in a few months.

When asked about her preference, she thought about it for a moment. I prefer sons, but I would not be disappointed with daughters, she decided. How about you? she asked.

Sons! It stung him to think about it, but he would oblige her.

So long as they are healthy I do not care what they are. That was the truth; there was a difference he felt between Tartok and the sunshine people, again. That they favored their girls for some roles and their sons for others. Kaluktuk only wanted them to be born healthy and strong at this point, and hoped for love from them as they grew.

Deep within his heart he favored sons also, but could not voice this. He thought only of Kivaluk and Akkuma, and was burned by a bittersweet notion that he had failed them in many ways, yet they were their own people now, and they had lived because of his choices, and now he had a chance to do something different. To be better.

I think a daughter would be good, though. I would like to see how strong an issumatar-girl could be, with your spirit within her.

When mulling her answer, she hadn't even considered his sons, but maybe she should've. Still, she was oblivious to any hurt she might've caused with her answer, and smiled wider as he answered. Yes, she agreed, her tail wagging. I will do everything I can to make sure that they're well-protected and safe.

She nuzzled closer as he spoke of his desire for a daughter. A moonwoman is a mighty being, she agreed. I will teach her all that I know.

This talk only further reminded Kaluktuk of his ex-wife.

They had made similar promises. They had been equally enamored by the act of lovemaking, and the prospect of their future together. Their children had come and their lives had reached a level of perfection that could not sustain itself, and then things had faltered and crumbled apart, much like sea ice in summer.

A moonwoman is a mighty being, Ariadne was saying, drawing Kaluktuk back to the present rather than his past-life worries. I will teach her all that I know.

As will I, which was something he had pledged of his sons, yet failed to follow-through with. Gone were the moments of pure potential. Kaluktuk had once thought to raise his sons in the image that had been passed down to him by father and grandfather, by mother, by aunt and uncle; these moments he had let slip by once, and pledged now to himself, never again.

They will grow to know the ways of Tartok, and those of your sunshine people. They will be strong and fierce, as warriors and hunters, and as they grow they will take their own villages so that our legacy will rival that of your mother's. And he would make sure of this. They would know of spirits but more importantly, their own power.

Together, she promised, placing one of her paws on his and reaching up to kiss his cheek. As she lingered by his cheek, Ariadne's stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting the otherwise romantic moment. She threw her head back then and laughed, unable to help herself; how embarrassing!

I think I need some food—I have some jerky somewhere in the camp ... she rolled away and pushed herself onto all fours. Would you like to go and get some with me? she asked.

He wanted to grab for her as she rose up, and he wanted to continue with making her scream and laugh; but he would let her go. The hunt would begin in due time and they would both be preoccupied.

She went to fetch some jerky; Kaluktuk was about to offer to do it for her, when someone called for him from outside -- Aokatti!

Ah! Kaluktuk watched Ariadne go, eyeing her figure fondly and picturing her hips growing wide, and then sought the door to answer that summons. . .

An unfamiliar voice seemed to grab Kaluktuk's attention, and she watched him exit their room to greet a man she did not recognize. She watched them for a moment before her stomach rumbled again. Reminded of her hunger, she turned from them to go and find a snack.