Moonspear [m] fear, itself

"this is not so known to me, but i was a boy who listened to what i should not hear, and saw also what i should not see." a jest; his laugh ran low and smooth in the half-light of the shelter, and he drew sialuk closer.
"seal hunter women, when they have seen so many long long darks, they are considered mitsilillik: those between. the oil father may speak to them then. in the summer, they go out with the women and — well. i do not know all that happens. i know they dance. i know they are taught sacred songs. and i know that the shaman woman gives them a tea to drink, and through this the oil father comes to them."
"for a moon they do this, and then after their visions, they too, are scarred, in secret places. i have not seen it done. i have only loved seal hunter women, and so seen their spirit-marks." these were meant to draw the eye, to delight the lover, to bring the fertile energies down into coupling.
"this is meant to be tied to the spring where they will become women. a season to be in-between, the final long dark. a girl may seek unscarred boys her age, but men do not touch mitsilillik. it is a time of greatest power, and in the months of scarce food and angered storms, one does not violate taboos. it is said to be a between-time because evil spirits wish to possess a body for the winter, so those who stand between two worlds of life are bare to such forces once again."
chakliux had spoken much, but he was pleased that sialuk wished to know so much of his village.