Ouroboros Spine imnaik ⩅

the call came from the old oak grove, a place that tulukiri had made a point to avoid ever since the last meeting there. she came now with trepidation and kept an eye out for any vessels that might carry the strange water, because she would not put herself through that ordeal a second time. when she could see none, she came, and she sat behind the other women to listen.

kukutux spoke to each of them and gave them gifts; talismans, stones, things that held meaning to the culture of the village - but nothing for her, and she was glad to be omitted. the talk was of womanhood and of motherhood, both being things she did not consider for herself in the same vein as these girls did. if she was to be a mother it was second to being issumatar, and tulukiri was too focused on her hunting and her work to think of the future like that.

she did one day think of herself as being issumatar - but only now, after hearing talk of these girls becoming mothers, and hearing the name sakhmet, and thinking of how different this place was to the march of tartok's warriors as they lived their nomadic lives. tulukiri kept silent; she did not have any great plans for her future, but the idea was now rooted there as a seed to be tended.