Ouroboros Spine saagaktuk ⊎

it was hard to see @Ajei and @Arrluk go, but kukutux would be to visit before many hands of days had passed.

cold winds moved through the familiar evergreen forests. she stood amid them, haunted by the reality in which she lost shikoba.

words, whispering; she must gather herself; she must be moonwoman a while longer.

a red foxfur wrap about her shoulders, kukutux sought that returned sweet-one, @Galana, eyes comforted by the anticipation of seeing the young woman.

galana had waited for the greetings moonglow had offered to their moonwoman to slow, as she was not the only one who'd missed her. now, she wanted to speak to her more than ever; arrluk and ajei had gone away. regardless if it were far, a bitterness built within her stomach. she wished they'd remain here, but knew better than to fear the situation as one of sakhmet's exits. she hardly knew the woman; hell, she did not know the woman.

"hello," her eyes shone with concern as she looked upon her. "are you alright?"

galana had become sakhmet and aiolos, together. it both warmed and pinched the heart of kukutux.

in her red daughter there was springtime. rebirth. renewal. galana had become an aspect of the never-departing firemother, even if neither of them could yet say this.

and she thought of moonsong, and morningsong, and how the glacier might yet wish the touch of a moondaughter.

softly she put this aside for now, for she must know the heart of galana first.

"i am well, saktataiyak." the jadestone eyes watched her daughter. "are you?"

she was good. galana thought that she might never feel that way again. though it had taken time as she filled her days with short travels away from the spine to occupy the space of painful thoughts. the village kukutux had built showed itself to be a place of healing, a home. no matter where she went, it would always be here. 

"yes. i stopped worrying myself with the past. i am here now." galana did not know how to say that connections she once felt broken and lost remained in front her.

she saw them now. why else would be she afraid? arrluk had made her feel strong, as she viewed all the women of her blood. no longer did she consider herself a victim. galana survived. 

"i'm sorry about shikoba, anaa." she frowned, her nervously swaying tail slowing as her ears turned outwards.

i am here now.

kukutux exhaled; she wanted to ask galana to never leave, but saw now it was the pain of losing their sea-walking-woman and ariadne both, in what seemed like two blinks of an eye.

time must go forward, with or without her wants.

shikoba.

"i have the thought that our star hunter is ready to walk the dancing lights, galana," was all the duck said for now, opening pale arms to the comfort of her daughter.

galana moved forward to embrace her, her eyes shone over with sympathy. she took in a shaky breath, comforted by the brush of her mother's fur and herbal scent that lingered with her. the girl once had looked upon shikoba's reaching greys in wonder of all the things she must of done. now it only made her sad. the mottled woman was to join the stars she hunted.

"she is loved." was all could she say.

apologies and words of understanding did not seem right. kukutux knew.

and then briefly, galana thought of sakhmet. was she dead- or did she walk in guilt, afraid to come back and look into the faces of her children, of kukutux? death, a guarantee in everything made the girl think of it all. shikoba would not die such a death, the girl liked to imagine. a life of love, loyalty, and pride.

"she is loved."

they held one another. kukutux considered the unfairness of losing two daughters and a sister so close together. she had not seen ariadne die, but if her daughter meant never to return, then she would cut her own name from the next generation of sunshine people who would never know her.

she had not known her spirit names. and so her children would not. this bothered kukutux immensely, set her heart astir with angst and worry.

it would not be so for the daughters of the spine. "ajei will need you close, even if she is farther. be like a sister to her, galana," and then, even through her grief, a smile, "she may become this to you in the time that will follow this one."

the moonwoman was stirred by many things, galana imagined she knew only the surface of it.

"i will be." ajei still had an ocean to see with her! "arrluk will not have all of her attention."

an poor attempt of a joke, she pulled away with a smile to look into kukutux's jade eyes. galana wished to have deeply rooted connections, just as this woman did. ajei would only be one of the first. a sister, in joy, grief, and life.

"soon, when they're settled into their lives there, i will visit." she paused, mouth open without words as the weight settled once more. "but not now, i would like to be here with you."

joy; delight; contentment. "i like having you here with me, galana."

she embraced the girl, and thought of sakhmet. "your firstmother is always on my mind." the green eyes searched the beloved face, so much like both her sun man and her fire-starter that it caused the duck's heart to ache.

"is it so for you, my daughter?"