Ocean's Breath Plateau dentalium

as difficult as he found it, chakliux listened until red leaf had finished. she spoke of bringing cen's wrath on herself, detailing the difference of caribou hunters as if it mattered. all he could think of was blood on that smug, shouting face, twisting the man as he had hurt his wife.
"what spirits would let you suffer, red leaf?" he asked, gently challenging this part of a culture he did not understand. "i would never raise a hand to either of my wives, nor would they ever expect it from me. in fact, they would flay me outside the lodge themselves," he grunted, eyes flashing. "and i would deserve it. husbands do not have those rights. the caribou men are wrong to say they do."
red leaf was focused upon taking the pain and the rage of that man into herself, while the seal hunter was rising slowly to his feet as not to startle her, filled with a rageful and pointed anger that slowly honed itself to a point.
he saw now that cen must be removed, both as a thorn to moontide and to dutch. but more than that: as a man who harmed those he should most love. "thank you for telling me these things, red leaf. you do not need to live with this, and in fact, you will not."
the muscles of his strong jaw leapt. "these are not things that can be kept from my leaders. if he struck you outside moontide, he will strike you here. i will not tolerate it. rodyn will not. heph will not." he cleared his throat. "your home here is beautiful and quiet. i do not want you or akiak to be left alone when he comes back. i must ask you to come to the lodges of my family while i go to speak with those who lead us."
and dutch, he thought fiercely within himself.