Ouroboros Spine salumaruk ⇑

raimo grew angry, a thunderhead with a storm in its chest. ah, she had her answer. and his ire roused her own. 

he spoke of her daughter.

greenfire snapped in her gaze; she gathered herself up to her full height, diminutive but bristled with snow-white spikes. "you disrespect the name of sialuk by saying it in this way, raimo," kukutux seethed, low and distant. she had never before known such anger; she shifted quickly from the lingering sorrow to a fervency on behalf of her raindrop. "she is child no longer, but you will wait twelve more moons for children. and that is if she chooses you."

but both she and this hunter knew that the star in moonglow did not look with favour upon him. "she is not something to be taken, and this is something of which you have no understanding. a woman makes the final choice in who will be her husband. but sialuk will be given moonglow when i am elder." she would not need a husband unless she found a man who bore her respect and would make a good leader.

"she is hunter. she is healer." her hackles smoothed as she spoke. while there was no denying the rage that had sparked sharply in her, it had calmed into simmering scrutiny now. "you will work harder to win her favour." 

wind catching her nape, lifting it into a pale halo. she looked upon his hardened, handsome face. "i mean to honor you above all other men, raimo. i have given you firsthunter name in my tongue. i would even speak kindly of you to sialuk, that she too begins to see respect for you. i have told adrastus that you are first. you keep your place by honoring each role that is held in moonglow." 

despite this, kukutux was not sure at all that raimo had fallen in her eyes. had he not always been so? he had changed not at all, and she had changed much. pine needles, cascading from the curves of her shoulders. incensed, insulted. "maybe i was wrong to ask this of you. maybe i want you in my bed and that is all."