Moonsong Glacier be the moth to my flame

She answered promptly enough. The chief's nostrils flared to take in her scent; he stepped a little closer to do so. There was no sign that she was with child, nor that she'd brought any men with her. These things could be remedied, of course — but he was skeptical.

"We are in want of a young couple to bring new life to the mountain," he said, wondering idly at the girl's upbringing. Dutch had been raised by a single mother himself for the most part, so it was not as though he disapproved. "Do you seek a husband?" he asked her. "A family?"

He had not missed the way her gaze skated to Sulukinak. The unrest there did not puzzle him, and he was inclined to let women sort out their own hierarchy. He wondered, though, if her presence would cause lasting strife.