Totoka River aniruk ✿

small teeth shone in a bright smile. "it is a den. what makes it different is that in my village, each family had their own ulaq," kukutux explained. "there were eight ulax when i was a child, nine to count the one where we brought our dead." she dug alongside tokha, excavating the dome more clearly.

"when a man married away from his family, he paid her father a bride-price, and built an ulaq for his new wife. there they raised their children. and pups," kukutux added, flushed with the deep pleasure of speaking about her people to another, "could wander between each ulaq, and be fed at every one."

some part of the little duck wanted to invite tokha to stay with her upon the tributary, for what was the point in loneliness? but she was afraid it would be seen as rudeness, and besides, she had no store of meat to offer the other. "it is only hard, the song, because some of the words have no meaning in the common speak. but it is something like — 'river, stream, rain, and stone, let me not stray far from home. evil spirits stay away, in the sunshine i will stay.'"

another beam toward the other girl. "what is a lullaby?"