Cedar Sweep umniratki

Well. The way Kigipigak explained things seemed simple enough. Ariadne had left home, as they all had, and had found a husband in the north, not so unlike the moon people themselves, if his sister could follow Sedna and devote herself to the ways of Tartok at the same time. In fact, they even sounded like his kind of guys. Warriors and hunters. Kigipigak certainly looked the part.

If they had stopped at that, Stratos would have given his sister a good ole "well, good on you!" for finding her way in the world - starting a family, and a village, to boot! And so far Kigipigak seemed like a pretty solid guy, considering he'd agreed to a hunt and meal together even while being total strangers.

But Ariadne continued.

She didn't ask for a bride price! he said, louder than he'd meant - and as she continued, the only thing that kept him from speaking his mind was the fact he was a guest here... okay, moreso his sister's hunter warrior husband bedside them.

Hey, hey, come here, he said when he saw her tears, and reached out to pull her into his embrace, if she'd let him.

All the while, his mind worked churned on double time. 

Anaa, refuse a bride price? Allow the moon people to spurn her own daughter at a women's circle? He remembered how happy anaa had been when he brought her new of Ani and Dee, but perhaps she was stricter on her daughters...

Or maybe, there was good reason she hadn't celebrated at the news of Ariadne's betrothed.

That sounds like... a lot.

In a different place and with different company, Stratos would have confronted her. He didn't trust her, because clearly anaa and tataa didn't trust Kigipigak. But she was here, pregnant, with her husband, and who knew how many new mouths they'd soon have to feed?

But I trust you.

He didn't; he trusted anaa and tataa. Stratos didn't think they would force Ariadne away. This must have been a choice of her own. And he knew what they would want him to offer her, if they knew he was standing here right now. 

I have no village of my own, he glanced to Kigipigak, then to his sister, but if you let me, I can help build yours.