Moonspear blood makes atonement for one's life

revui straightened, and his eyes bored into kukutx. she felt her throat constrict, but felt herself too weak to rise, to do more than lift the eyes her father had once compared to ivruiyak upward. but she did not look at revui; kukutux finally pulled herself to mirror him and gazed at a flock of sparrows winging their way across the cold heavens.

"did i tell you why i am here, revui," the girl breathed out, even as her cheeks began to dampen. in the corner of her mouth, the sea. "i wanted a husband and jarilo offer ... jarilo is that to me, now." oh, she could not look at revui. she could not begin to comprehend the way the weight of his stare upon her would change.

but still, kukutux knew she must, and shifted at last the haunt of her barren gaze to the hunter, the sound of her name in his throat splintering her brittle heart. "i cannot be who it is you want." nor could she ever. words struck themselves from her jaws; lips only trembled mutely.

he would hate her now, and she would bear the shame of it in a deserved quiet.