Moonspear And the chickens how they rattle chicken chains

her springjade eyes watched with pleasure as bronco bent over her work, tasting the water with an eagerness she had not expected. elated at his earnest reception, kukutux thumped her tail twice against the wet earth. "yes. moons. in my family, we called them that for the span of a night-cycle," she explained, "for the moon changes often through four weeks' time."

kukutux had only recently learnt the word 'week;' she was happy to show it off, to compel bronco into believing she was not so foregin as she seemed. for despite her acclimation into moonspear, despite the fact that she had added two children to the ranks of the ostrega family, and a son especially, the snowbird remained poignantly aware of her differences.

not so young then, at a full year and a half, kukutux remarked to herself, and a man's body besides. uncomfortable with her thought, for she was old enough to at least be elder sister if not aunt, the little bird motioned toward bronco.

"how do you feel?" and she sat forward to inspect him. the burnished boy had complained of no discomfort, and if this continued, kukutux would credit the tea her mother had taught her to make. "i suppose you have not thought of a wife yet." a tease, the glint in her eye visible a scant moment before she lowered her lashes over the humored expression.