Ouroboros Spine uivigginattuk ⋬

ty! <3

"all that i have are your words, raimo!" she exclaimed. "i tell you, i give the respect of firsthunter. to your hearth i will bear children. and all of moonglow will know the trust i have given you. but i tell you, i will not have a husband. you are angry," recounting, recounting; "and then you say you will take sialuk, and make strong children. "that is what you have said." a breathless ending; she saw the shadow of him slicing upward 

"it would be a bad thing, but you have made it more bitter. i tell you, respect the choice and name of the star. so you put mine into a bath of mud. this thing," voice shaking now; she did not fear him, only the ire that grew and grew inside her, "atsinguak! i do not care that he pines. i do not —" a stumble, eyes welling with frustrated tears and misplaced anger. she did not want to hate raimo; she did not want to pull him from her bed.

he pines.

how did you not see this?

"you have helped to build moonglow. you are a skilled hunter. you made yourself first." it was hurt, kukutux saw now, welling against her bruised soul, hurt that she had finally allowed trust its eke into her corestone, and he had squandered it to pronounce his place among the hunters by bragging. "that is why i asked this of you. this offering was not yours to put dirt upon. sivullik would not boast. he would be silent."

abandonment. her jade-gaze skimmed his own, barren now with anguish "i made you my choice in all the ways that are known. now you are not respected by the other hunters. i told adrastus that this land chose you for firsthunter, for it is the truth. now he goes to make himself that. he will come back. this is not the circle for wisewomen to speak inside. and even if i had said no words at all, you have not caused him to see you as first."

a sob, curled outward from the edge of her mouth as the duck turned her face away. "do not have the thought that this is a thing which brings me peace. it does not. you have."