Ouroboros Spine pijannituk ⩅

she could see how happy this made her sister. the doe could not help smiling when the duck painted the future in her melodic turn of phrase. 

she would need to speak with aiolos. she wanted to be sure this was something he wanted, that a second wife and four stepchildren would not be a strain on him -- or his marriage to the moon. more than anything, she wanted them to be happy. aiwe's heart would only splinter further if the islander wed her out of pity and her own malfortune spoiled her friends' joy. as she had said, their village had many hunters and guardians -- not just men either. she could be mother to her children and the village would help her, regardless of her marital status. they could learn the secrets of hunters and women from the moonwolves, there were many here who could teach. they might even learn the ways of spirits from eldritch in time.

she had meant what she said to be a metaphor but as kukutux spoke, she mentioned that they all might share an ulaq in the coming spring. there was often hidden meaning to the ways women spoke in the village; the dove wondered what this might hint at. but it was no use fretting over what might be. she had decided. only time would tell what the spirits had in mind for her future. 

"thank you," she murmured the words again, dipping her head slightly. they did not seem to be enough, they could not convey how grateful she was for their kinship.