Ouroboros Spine In from the snow

there was no price moonwoman could ask that would be worthwhile. there was no price kigipigak might pay that would come close to ariadne's worth. that was the portion of bride-price that perhaps vairë might understand today: worth.

and kukutux did not think the trader had any.

there was shame when aiolos spoke, coupled with the understandable sense of hurt that now spiked along her daughter's energy. it was the first time that she had not given a want of her own, for she did not desire anything killed by kigipigak.

sudden, and her springjade eyes saw the hardness limn the winterhawk's jaw. sudden, and she felt, believed, he did not feel as if he must answer in any way to the father of the woman at his side.

kukutux almost added her own! stay a year. make him father if this is your want, ariadne, but never husband until he shows that he will stay within your village. withold power and see if his anger comes.

of course ariadne would only know love from the man! two moons, if that. she had been bound to the glacier with a healing leg; kigipigak had obviously used this time to charm her while she could not travel so easily. he spoke for them. he said nothing while she insisted he could love. insidious.

and yet she needed say nothing

sivullik came now, and moonwoman looked up toward the strong young hunter in time to see the expression upon his face. inexplicably, dread struck her belly; kivaluk was speaking, and his words damned the pair further. kukutux, again sick to think that kigipigak would try to share a wife and then a daughter with her, was coldly grateful that firsthunter had said this and that she did not need now to say anything on its matter.

ariadne would be devastated when she departed moonglow. not once had such a sharing of words been so poor.

her daughter's unhappiness was anguish to the mother, and she glanced in open reflection of this to ariadne, in love; do you not see? love this man if he speaks to your heart. do not marry him!

aiolos had set a bride price. kukutux set her eyes now upon the scarred face of kigipigak, direct. if there was truly love, he would give it all the same.

but he would blame moonwoman for this.

and she would gladly hold his blame.

"the son of our hearth is angry. the first time his father returns to his home, it is not for him. it is to say he is taking another wife and will have more children." she spoke to both kigipigak and ariadne in this. "the son of our hearth is angry. he was a boy when his father left him. now his father has returned for a sister of the hearth where he was abandoned those many hands of time ago."

it was a story to tell again and again. she needed no falling snow nor lightning voice to illustrate the controlled anger in kivaluk's words.

kukutux felt certain that kigipigak would lead ariadne to blame her as well. already he seemed to believe that kivaluk was a small boy. this hour he had learned another thing. this too she would accept.

"when his father came back, he took a different name to say he was trader. it was as if by replacing kigipigak, he would replace natigvik and all that had happened. he became kilgitsuk. why would his sons look for kilgitsuk?" moonwoman's tones remained even, soft. "now his father takes a new name and brings a new woman and surely intends to have new sons."

it was not a good match. she looked only now upon ariadne. "my daughter, your father is right in all things. you are not a child. you know what it is you desire. you are head of your own village and your husband too, should be beside you. but your taataa knew me for much time before we married. your taataa and i have raised fifteen children in the same ulaq because the thought has never come to his mind to make a path away from our hearth and leave us behind. your taataa holds his place in moonglow for what he has proven, not what he has said."

and if kigipigak had found sun man in that forest fragranced openly by the body of his daughter, calling taataa to aiolos, more scars would be upon his face. aya!