Hoshor Plains tinnun ⊹

no posting order! <3

there was only one who approached kukutux, and it was a young woman she had not yet seen. "i greet you," moonmother said softly, her eyes joyed to have such direct words given. "i have brought you together to know things that are not for men. please, sit," she invited, standing as the others began to arrive.

first, the mother of dutch, who she had only met. the jadestone eyes were pleased to see her. the moondoe of moonglow was next, seeming sickened and out of sorts; kukutux let her gaze linger here before it welcomed a woman she did not know, of a pack she did not know. she too was rather reserved.

pleased to see young ajei join the stranger, she smiled at the girl and looked warmly toward chickadee, who would soon marry. amalia was given a nod of her head, heph a broad grin, and the seawoman an interested look.
ariadne was next to come, and kukutux met her eye with a steady look and a welcoming incline of her muzzle. what had gone on did not exclude her from among them.

the woman of the mountains was given a soft touch of her eyes, the young bronte was offered a curve of mouth, and lastly the shy sulukinak showed herself.

there was hope for others to join, but at length moonmother waited for any voices to die away and then spoke:

”i am kukutux of village moonglow, mother to many. keeper of women’s secrets. in this place, you must know men cannot come and the things of which we speak are not for men to know.”

”among us, women are changing. when you have seen twenty-two turns of the moon, your body will grow in a new power. you will call men to yourself. and if you stay close to them, you will conceive children.”

”if you are not yet to this age, you may still feel the energies of this season. it is good power. it is our power, and it must be guarded.”

she watched them all for a moment. ”the first of these is choice. a woman’s body will urge her to become pregnant. but what if you are alone? what if you have no others to guard you as you grow with child, who will hunt for you when you are alone with your children? it is your decision then to be pregnant.”

with her she had yellow herbs, and now showed them to the women. ”antelope thread,” she said of the dried marigold. ”in this is the potency to stop life from ever beginning. take it each day through your fire-time.”

after a long pause, she went on; ”the second is this: to protect yourself from men who would only make you a mother, but not a wife. this is your choice, not his. perhaps you bear children at his hearth but you do not tie yourself to him in marriage. suppose he shows himself not to be worthy. do not let him fill your mind with sweet words. once life has begun within you, your own will change. this is not so for men who are not ready to be husbands.”

another stop now, for any voices that might rise.