Ouroboros Spine Cinders in the Hearth and Fire in the Home

moonglow had come home. when the meat had been distributed to caches and welcomes remade, when she had stretched bison hide in the clearing and exclaimed over the deep richness of the pelt, kukutux sent her mind out to kassuq and massaraq once more.

she did not mean to worry and yet she did; a soft chant rose on her tongue, and she offered a piece of bison fat to the spirits of air.

and when moonmother lifted her head again, it was massaraq she saw.

changed.

wounded.

a great sob rose in her throat; a great gratitude rose in her spirit, and kukutux was upon her feet before she realized, hurrying down the last feet of the well-worn path to throw her arms about him.

"my son, my son has returned! a man. a hunter." but he had come back differently than arrluk, and when she filled her eyes with his own, she searched behind them for the secret places where the spirits had whispered to her son.