Ouroboros Spine the knife cuts only so deep

there they were, the promises that inutsuk would try and keep to his wife. and shikoba would have to pray to her gods that this would be true, that there would be no more secrets and no more disappearances of her family. the storm within shikoba would stay content, with nothing more than a rainstorm that lacked lightning and thunder. This would keep her calm and her husband afloat in her mind.

when he mentions their son, the woman grows curious about how inutsuk will plan to handle this. it was true (and she was quite pleased to know he was willing to admit it) that her husband was not there for mojag during his younger days. and shikoba knew that there was fear within her heart of him growing up without guidance from a father figure. and while the village stepped in to raise him, shikoba always feared that this was not enough.

she wasn't even sure if she wanted to have another litter in her hearth considering that mojag had returned. when was there ever a good time to talk about having more kids? and certainly the woman feared that inutsuk would grow more attached to the later children as he would have been more present in their lives. she would not allow for such a thing, and she would not allow mojag to feel as if he is inferior.

"mojag will need time, the village was his father in your place." her tone lacks bitterness, hoping to show that shikoba has learned to let this piece go. "but mojag is forgiving. as well are the others in the spine." the pieces were all there, it was just a matter of putting them all together. "have you spoken to moon woman since being home?" perhaps that was the biggest burden to bear, though of course he could have already done so.