Ouroboros Spine and down the road I'd go

valiant held a comfortable silence as dutch and kukutux shared words. he offered good ones, the sound of them golden as always. "i have happiness, that moonglow will once more ring with the sound of children, as it has every year."

while away, the duck had not allowed herself to truly feel the impact that her absent fire-time had bestowed in her. there were more moons of time, she knew, but it had not happened before. and now that kukutux had come home to her village, she felt keenly the ache of empty breasts and an empty womb. each cycle, she and aiolos lay together as the snow still was upon the ground and their children were born when the sun returned.

but she would not allow any of this secret woman's pain to touch her eyes as she embraced dutch radiantly with them. "i think i might say the same words to you," the duck said slyly, alluding to simbelmyne but not yet saying the name of the moonspear woman. it was dutch's to tell, she felt, though she was eager to know how they had come together, and invited them both back toward her ulaq.