Ouroboros Spine The Kingsroad

arrluk had come home.

kukutux closed her eyes in relief, turning to kiss the round jut of aiolos' shoulder. much work had demanded the attention and arts of moonglow, but never had they forgotten the effort of their son far beyond the protective domain of the wilderness.

together they stood, and she smiled with purest love and joy up into the adored face of her sun man before they moved to meet their son.

and ajei, it seemed. kukutux watched the young wolves greet one another, and in her heart her mind was made.

her eyes beheld the new scars upon arrluk's face, and she remembered when rodyn had come back to the village in hunting triumph and the fear of dismissal.

"speak to her, my son," moonwoman urged. "tell her all that is in your heart." she did not remind ajei that the choice was hers to refuse; this was known among moonglow, and arrluk would honor it.

already tears stood in her eyes, as she cast them with approval over his gifts and waited for the tall son of their hearth to speak for the one he had always loved.