Ouroboros Spine Wading it out

"we will make a ceremony, when —" a kicking in her flank, and she gazed at the place where the small foot had pressed her, a soft look in her wan face. "it is kanimak, this thing upon me. and this one has been hard to escape."

a slow blink. aiolos would understand. the marriage of moonwoman to sun man must be done properly, and she could not be bent with illness. it would seem as though she meant the ocean-wolf to be her heir, before sialuk, that she had only made with him a kinship tie to obscure her illness.

it was not this. she would not let it be seen this way. and so they must wait.

but all would know she intended to be his own. all knew who would be taataa to the children she carried.

and swiftly, saltmist to veil her eyes, and she put her head against his shoulder with a low and ragged exhale.