Noctisardor Bypass into their punching bag

from praimfaya, mahler learned something he had not known about kigipigak: the sense of abandonment. it gave a new roundness to who the white hunter had been, and had the effect of removing some annoyed measure within him. but mahler was nothing if not observant, and heard the way that praimfaya's tone had changed when speaking of him. 
"not forever," he assured. "you are graf now, and perhaps vill be mother. these are things which may draw others, and you vill be upon proper footing to give or to deny." if she chose no other, or found no other man that would fit her standard, then she would still be leader and mother.
mahler had simply chosen to assume that both she and sequoia would fall pregnant this year; they were young women in their first season, and he saw no other way they could somehow evade the normal outcome of spring, especially if they had searched for it.
"have you met the healer speedy?" he inquired. "she brings vith her here a daughter, malila, and a strong sense of medicine."