Ouroboros Spine Moon son

kukutux grinned. "you are bound to the sea as a sunshine man," and here her eyes said she still shared the hurt of samani's passing, "and he is bound to the sea because he is a seal hunter, and seal hunters are driven lustful by the sea water, that is what us sunshine girls were taught."

now her gaze said this was a joke between sun and seal, and that rodyn would come to know more as the seal hunter grew prolific.

"we have many things. i have hides still from our winter hunting with duskfire glacier. old caribou hides, tanned well and very rich. only two would need to be taken. i will send your choice of these pieces which kassuq has brought to me. three elk-bellies of dried meat, six marten pelts, and three otter pelts."

moonglow had its own wealth, and rodyn would share in this. "moonspear too has sacred things which can be taken from inside the mountain, and spirit plants which grow in the heat beside the hot springs."

"the place of moonstones, rodyn. go there and gather too. this is our land, the land of the moon people. you will have all that you need."

presently, she did not speak to his plans for another hunt; she only nodded to say she would help him with all things, then reached to place a paw on his shoulder, small but hard with strength from her long years of travel and hidework. "i hear you say many things, rodyn but i have not heard you speak of yourself and your own heart. these things can all be done. let us have such your gathering in the place of fireflies, which is near to moonspear."

"but while you think of these things, i want you also to think of another: ariadne has left kigipigak. i do not know if he will stay in the village. but she has come back to be a sunshine woman, and she wants a sunshine man who will keep the ways of her people."

"i ask only that hold this in your mind, rodyn. i know your heart. i know where it has made its home. and i do not wish for you to think i have the want to change this for you. i cannot." but he had been alone, this sunshine man who was as loyal to his family as if he had been born to another siqniq village. and perhaps she felt her sea-going-girl might approve.

the duck brightened, and moved on. "you wish to have this when the sun is hot, yes? or when the leaves begin to fall?" how many seasons did she have to plan?