Ouroboros Spine Behind every tree is a cutting machine

adrastus drew away, and kukutux, no longer consumed by the riotous experience of him so close, refocused her mind upon his seeking questions. here and there a nod, until he had come to the end of his speaking. for a short while thereafter, she was velveteen and still, choosing her answer with the usual care — but more than that, kukutux had never spoken at such length about the ways of her people. and here sivullik rested before her, attentive and watchful over the things that she spoke.

 she did not tell him that the lynx-skin was all she would have asked for a bride-price; she had whispered to her mother that she wished blue shells before, and she had told her father, and he had relayed this to the ear of the seal-hunter. and it came to pass that when the young man came to take his new wife from the ulaq of her birth, seven beautiful robinshue shell whorls were given among the fine pelts and the dried meat.

"all you have said is true, adrastus," kukutux answered wanly. "when it is my time i will lie only with you. when it is not this time, i will call to my right and choose who i wish. but this is not a marriage. you may have a wife and be sivullik also. it is only not likely that your wife would have the desire to share your name with children not of her body," the moonbow said softly. but the cloudberry painter was gentle, quick to understand her role within their village. she had the respect of kukutux and approval of sialuk. there was a little chance, then, that she would see this as the blessing it was to those who followed the moon and the star.

"if you have wife who bears young to you, and i also bring sons and daughters of your name into this world, it is mine who will follow you as firsthunter, if the land chooses them also. so you see," voice soft, meandering, museful, "you must trade for what it is you wish as sivullik."

"to be first means only that you lead the hunters. and in the name of hunter, i mean man. any wolf may hunt," and kukutux gestured to the hunting-mark she had received from the boartusk, high and plain upon her shoulder in scarred lines, "but only men come together as hunters, and speak of things that women may not know." but how was the snow-tooth to know these things? it was to kukutux that he had come for teaching.

"when a woman with no husband leads, when it comes to the warm moons and her time comes to her, she chooses the first among hunters. this is his right; he has earned the place. he will also be given this honor. but if he does not wish this, if he has a wife and she chooses 'no,' and he wishes to respect their bond, he will not take this gift. sivullik hunts. he leads. his name is called for these things. he may say yes or he may say no. he does not lose his title if the hunters still give him respect."

a selfish, jagged part of kukutux hoped that adrastus might see the wisdom of putting wife above the call of the moon; another desirous, wondering part wanted the snowhunter to bend beneath her newfound effect.