Moonspear uuliutik ◯

Although Treepie watched her grandmother’s handiwork avidly, it was her voice that captured most of the yearling’s attention. Kukutux spoke of her birthplace beside the sea, then her first home beyond it. Her talk of husbands and heats elicited a flush, not out of embarrassment but out of a sort of desperation. Would she come by these things, in time?

Well, she knew she loved the idea of romance, though whether she wanted a husband or wife wasn’t something she’d yet decided. But it was her anatomy that gave her pause on everything. Every day, Tiuttuk quietly worried that her dream of becoming an anaa was out of reach. She was, after all, Tapitsik. Sialuk had whispered the name to her upon their parting.

These thoughts were set aside as she retained her focus on her grandmother’s story. It took Tiuttuk a moment to piece together what she knew, her yellow eyes widening a little when she realized Kukutux spoke the names of the dead. Blackfox, she found herself repeating in her head. Jarilo. Sialuk’s long-dead father, never named to her ears until now.

I know about the strange storm, she murmured, her only interruption as she let Kukutux finish.

That was when her grandfather—Jarilo, she repeated silently—had died, along with many others. Their names danced through her head. She tucked them into a pocket of her heart, wondering if Arcturus might still be alive somewhere. She didn’t think her anaa had ever mentioned him or his fate…

Thank you for telling me this, Treepie said, clutching Kukutux’s paw again and squeezing it.

After exchanging a glance with the pale elder, she helped herself to an oyster. Her eyes widened at the umami taste of it. Part of her wanted to spit it out, another enjoyed the wild flavors swarming her mouth. Not to mention the odd texture. She had never eaten anything quite like it. She swallowed, unsure if she ever wanted to again…

You spoke of searching for a husband. After… grandfather passed away, how long was it before you found Aiolos? How did you meet him? Pie wondered, still licking her lips. Did you ever take multiple lovers at once, like mother?

She wondered out of true curiosity about Kukutux’s life, though she asked for herself too. What if she would rather take a wife than a husband? Treepie had no idea if she would want more than one lover, having never even had that much. She knew a bit about Sialuk’s love life, though not the formal customs of her people, she realized. Pie hoped her grandmother might impart some of that knowledge now.