Ouroboros Spine katjanik ⋖

he would learn.

kukutux watched adrastus for a long moment; she meant to look behind his eyes, as her mother and aunts and grandmother had said was possible to do. look behind his eyes. look for the spirit there. you will see it if it is good.

the duck could see nothing that was not genuine in the ice-man, though she did not yet know all the sides of his face. and so she drew back, motioned to his kill. "the woman has last choice. this has the meaning that no matter what a man might wish, she can deny." the words, at first weighing upon her tongue like stones, soon became more rounded as she pulled the lines from memory: recitation of each role within her world.

"he comes to the ulaq of her father. together they decide what is proper bride-price. furs. meats. it shows you are ready to make a good life for any children born to your hearth. a man gives these things to a father, for he is not only taking a daughter from her home, he is taking a healer. one who makes furs. one who knows secret things. it has the meaning of respect, both to her home and to his new wife." how many times had she seen such done? "here i will be mother, and it will be at my ulaq that such things are decided. i have only one daughter, and she is not ready. therefore, i will say, give this bride-price to the woman who has chosen you." it was a position of power that sickened kukutux with thoughts of failure, but it was one she must hold despite her own wants.

"build a place for a wife to live before you ask to take one," she said softly. "if you are good in spirit, she will have chosen you before we make our meeting." 

kukutux searched her own aching spirit for the last remembrance of the blackfox speaking her own name in that way.