Ouroboros Spine I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now

she had nothing to give. sialuk was a child and kukutux wore a bone that would need to be mended. 

her heart longed suddenly, sharply, for her husband. "when i am reunited with my family, you will have your trade." surely he too had heard firefly calling and weeping into the night. she felt buoyed by their existence, it limned her with some inner confidence of relief she had not borne before. 

but the duck was suspicious he still spoke of sialuk; she moved her greenstone gaze over him. he was a young man, but he was not a boy. she had no intention of refusing to honor the barter. he had given her meat to live. she would give him something she felt was equal: her labor. "bring me skins and i will make pleasant things for your den. help me to dig a cache and i will dry meat for it."

she lifted her chin, attempting silently to emulate the aunts she had seen making a fast barter with traders coming down along the sea.

what did this raimo want? speak clearly, she wanted to tell him, but already she had stepped over several boundaries regarding her comportment with a strange man. and so kukutux was silent.