Moonsong Glacier new moon rising

It was no surprise when Ariadne agreed to take on the task. Sialuk suspected that her leg would be well and healed by then, making the gathering of flowers much easier for her. It was not as though winter had many blooms to offer, and the wreaths would be best worn fresh and fragrant. Sialuk thought that, once dried, they would make nice additions to the ulaq, too.

I know you will, Sialuk replied when Ariadne promised to make her proud. No matter which flowers were to adorn them that day, she knew that the wreaths would be special merely because her sister was the one to make them.

Tell me more of your village, she said. Are many young men—or women—seeking your company? Sialuk said this with a lilt to her voice, eyes prying for the gossip that Ariadne surely held. She was a moon daughter, eligible to wed whomever she wished, and Sialuk thought it likely there would be many suitors lining up to impress her as the days progressed.