Ravensblood Forest ketos

his neckfur, blading. the boy retreated a step. kukutux did not approach, only clucked her tongue. aya, a large strong boy. but look how heavy his legs seem to be! her mother's voice, reverberating somewhere beyond her own ears.

it was upon the tip of her tongue to call to him, to soothe him by the raven-name. but he did not act like a proud obsidian bird. and so her mind made a place for him with the word of takkiruk: the act of waiting.

the duck sat down in her place, slipping rabbitpelt from her shoulders to reveal a single bite of ocean-fish left in its fold. boys were hungry. heart seared suddenly, to think of her lost young moonhunter.

"once a long time ago, there was tulugaq: raven." she gestured to the sky, then pushed the skin and its offering forward. "but at this time, tulugaq had no voice."

"one day, storm brother came to say that dove woman had been trapped by lightning mother. 'please,' he asked of all listening. 'she must be saved.'"

as she spoke, kukutux flicked her claws against the rich dirt of the blackbird forest, describing the scene in small minimal strokes. 

"when tulugaq heard this, he was very upset. you see, his heart had pined for dove woman. he told no one where he was traveling, and used his great wings to leap into the air. he flew and flew until he found lightning mother and dove woman."

"lightning mother had singed her! she cried out. tulugaq rushed down down down, into the fire, and pulled her from the flames."

if by now the silent anxious boy had gone, kukutux remained in the telling of it, solemn and gentle in the woodland.

"they escaped, but lightning mother's power burned raven's voice. that is why he makes the sound that he does. he calls dove woman's name, but his voice is ugly now. yet tulugaq does not mind this. he is content to continue his love."