Ouroboros Spine uvlakuun ⋳

Her lips parted slightly as she allowed the moonwoman’s touch, a ghost of warmth she had not realized she longed for until now. How much she had missed this; she would never truly know. Agana’s gaze drifted toward the deerskin now resting in her arms, a memory woven into its fibers, recalling the ones Kukutux had gifted her when she had set out for Moonspear.

And yet, the story she thought she knew unraveled before her. It was not solely Andraste’s ambition that had led her there—at least, not entirely. A part of her had chosen it as well. Hadn’t she always known that? Then why did this sorrow settle so heavily in her chest? Why did it sting to hear it aloud, when she had always been aware that Kukutux had sought a husband?

But the fragile mirage shattered before her very eyes. She had never asked to see Courtfall again. Not once had she truly thought of her—of all the tenderness they had once shared. „I understand,” was all she managed to breathe. Her heart ached, even as she knew she had no right to feel this way. No. This pain was hers to bear, just as the blame was. She could have gone to her in Moonspear, could have raised her son by her side. And she did not.

Her golden eyes lifted, meeting the pale glow of the moonwoman’s face. A sorrowed smile ghosted across her lips as she took the deerskin from Kukutux’s arms, laying it gently across her back. A gift she would cherish for however many years remained to her. Even if Kukutux’s heart belonged to another, she would guard her own; keep it safe, in case she ever had need of it. If she ever did.

„Aiolos is a good man,” she said at last, voice steady despite the weight in her chest. „A good husband for you. I am glad you have built your life.” Better than I ever could. A pause. The air between them thickened, the silence pressing. She searched for something—anything—to shift the moment’s weight, to smooth the lingering ache between them.

„Moon villages?” she asked, grasping at the first thought that surfaced. „Are there more?” A question. A lifeline. Something to tether them to the present and dispel the ghosts of the past.