Ouroboros Spine in hopes that i'd decline

for @Nasamik

the afternoon carries a chill that runs bonedeep, felt keenly even through the thick, coarse wintercoat kivalk had grown as the months of frost hold tight to the wilds. on and off all morning a light snow fell, blanketing the spine in a fresh coat that had made hunting for his bride price not impossible but not easy either.

he finds he still a little more clumsy in the crunching snow than he'd like.

but the rabbit foot he'd left on a flatstone near his den to dry and the bits of meat he'd been able to stow away in the nearest food cache had been a boon all the same.

most of his days are now filled with hunting and practicing sparring with whomever he could cajole but the scent of strangers upon and crossing into the borders, mingled with leadership do not go unnoticed by him as he makes his patrol.

it is from such patrol he heads now, towards the heart of the spine, hoping to grab a meal from one of the caches and, with any luck, catch up with a packmate along the way.

Assuming this would be dated after this thread. Let me know if you'd like me to change anything.

The skins Kukutux had gifted had been finished and prepared. Now they were lain as decor within Nasamik's new ulaq. One she even wore upon her shoulders — a pale fox skin, of pale brown and cream.

But now she had the idea to return the favor and make one for moonwoman. It was the least the girl could do to show sincere gratitude.

There was nothing but a small scent she tracked through the snow. Unsure what it was, she followed carefully. It could have been a bear for all she knew. But around the next bush, Nasamik realized she had been following a faintly familiar scent.

Oh! She exclaimed, caught in her native tongue. Her cheeks became warm then, realizing that she'd almost run into him. 

Hello, kingullimik. Nasamik offered warmly, recognizing the man by the title moonwoman had before used. He had earned the title; thus, she would use it.  

that's perfectly fine! <3

plans to grab a quick meal are temporarily put on hold as the familiar figure of nasamik comes towards him. his steps halt and she is greeted with a soft, amusedly light chuckle. hello nasamik. kivaluk returns her greeting, frostbound gaze dancing with his quiet mirth for a moment. he hadn't had a particular packmate in mind but he is warmed that it is her fate made him cross paths with.

how are you finding you ulaq? is it what you wanted? he asks, genuinely interested in her response.

Ears falling back a bit against her skull, Nasamik passed a sheepish smile his way. How embarrassing! If her eyes hadn't been so blind to follow only her nose, perhaps they wouldn't have run into each other this way.

Seems I was in a bit of a rush... She answered for her "crimes", a small chuckle to follow.

He asked of her ulaq. Then the memory of their trip together returned.

It is everything I wanted, and more! I've already begun to lay out my skins and areas have been marked where more space can be dug. Of course, expansion won't be needed so soon... Was she being too hasty in doing so? But I had to be sure it was even possible. Besides, it's better to plan now than to wait and it be too late.

Tipping her head a bit to the side, she turned a bright gaze upon him. Part of her had begun to feel glad they had crossed paths. Company was certainly something she needed, and his was especially pleasant.

no harm done, kivaluk tells her simply, offering her a boyish grin in an effort to communicate that even if she would've collided with him: he wouldn't have been upset. sometimes we're all in a bit of a rush.

listening to her exclaim about her ulaq and delve into what she's decorated so far and what she intends to do warms kivaluk. he finds himself grinning, happy that she's happy. it's a simple thing: finding joy in someone else's joy. small. but felt by kivaluk keenly all the same.

right. kivaluk agrees, finding his breath catching in his throat for a moment as her bright gaze focuses upon him. he looks away after a long moment, almost bashful, unsure how to processes why he felt like she might be able to see into his soul if he didn't.

another heartbeat moment passes before kivaluk speaks, maybe i can bring you some skins from my hunts now and then. he gives a small pause. i need to keep some for my bride price but you're welcome to the rest. another pause, more awkward this time because she was the first aside from kukutux who knew he was planning on marriage.

an easier thing to admit to someone he does not know as well as those that he does. if you want them, of course. he says with the hopes of communicating that there was no pressure to take the skins that he didn't choose for his bride price.

Secondhunter was polite; understanding instead of angry.

It would appear that way for me more than anyone else, She chuffed between a laugh.

Thank you again for helping me. He'd been thanked once already, but she felt some sort of obligation to do so again.

He then mentioned offering some skins of his own. Oh! That would be greatly appreciated, Her face beamed, full of warmth and sincerity. Such a kind thing for him to do. If you want, I could prep and cure some of the ones you intend to keep, as well.

Bride price. The term had slipped his tongue, but Nasamik did recognize it.

You speak of a bride price... what does this mean in this village? It may have been something similar from her own former village, but the names were different.

i appreciate the offer, the unspoken but hangs in the air like something dreaded. ajakuluk says it must be me that preps and cures them. which, to kivaluk, makes sense. it wasn't much of a bride price if he didn't do the work.

kivaluk offers her a sheepish grin of apology. the last thing he wanted to do was reject spending more time with her because he enjoyed her company.

bride price is gifts that i collect to offer my potential bride and family for the right to marry her ...if she accepts. kivaluk explains. ajakuluk tells me to wait until the frostthaw to begin looking for a bride. i have earned the title kingullimik., so all that is left right now is to work on my bride price. he offers with a small grin.

the whole thought makes him a bit nervous: if only because until kukutux had brought it up to him romance and marriage had been the furthest things from his mind. not even a true consideration until that point in time. but now that it is, it consumes a part of his waking hours, leaving him to try ( and fail ) at imagining what married life might be like, what his wife might be like.

if he decides he is bored by it (which i figured he might not, lol), the rest of the process explanation can be disregarded

An offer she could accept from him, but not he from her. She understood.

Oh, I see... Slowly, she nodded, thinking on this new concept. 

Here, it was different. And as he went on to explain the "bride price", this became even more-so clear.

The air had grown a bit colder. But she did not want to declare this and decide to return to the ulax. Instead, Nasamik gently gestured for him to join her in a walk as they spoke. This way, they may warm up and still be able to enjoy one another's company.

In my northern village, the way this is done is a bit different, Nasamik began. Now that he shared a bit of his known culture, she thought it only fair to do the same. We do not call it bride price; but instead, it is known as a courting dowry. Instead of man giving to woman, they must both provide. Pausing for a moment, she waited to be sure he could keep up with the information.

Then she went on. Various things will be shared throughout the process... but in order for it to continue towards the end, each gift must be first accepted by the reciprocate. The dowry begins with man declaring his affections for said woman by leaving a bed of carefully selected flowers by the entrance to her ulaq. They will usually be her favorites. This way, she knows he truly speaks with his heart. If she chooses to accept to his shown affections, then she must leave some form of sign at the entrance to his ulaq. This is usually done through micturition. Now he will know she accepts, and they can move on to the next steps. Silence fell her for a moment. Quietly, she thought of something to herself before passing him a glance. It is a tedious process, and much to explain... please tell me if I am boring you. 

She had hoped this was not the case. For if not, she would continue to explain.

With her mark of acceptance, the man will then go on his first hunt of the dowry. He must kill two creatures — those big enough to skin out pelts for both him and her. She will receive these and then skin and cure them. If all goes well, both man and woman will wear these during the marriage ceremony.

When she is finished with them, she will present them to her courtier. If he is pleased with the one intended for himself, then he will complete the final step: a final hunt for meat that is to be served as the two dine before they consummate the marriage. And again, like the furs, she must approve of the meal before all is done.

There had been much to explain. Nasamik watched him closely; softly, but still intently curious as to whether he had enjoyed learning these things. As things in their villages differed, it wasn't overly important for him to know. But she found it intriguing and exciting to share cultures amongst others. 

she explains to him the difference of the courting stage between moonglow and her birth pack. though they are different, there are enough similarities that it doesn't sound too arduous. and, in fact, he finds that he likes her's better ( though he would never admit such to kukutux ). his mind flashes back to rodyn's grand proposal and feels that familiar soft stirring of second hand embarrassment.

it had felt like it shouldn't have been for the whole pack to witness.

besides that, nasamik's way shared the responsibility instead of it being solely upon the man's shoulders.

i would never tell ajakuluk this, but i like your pack's way of handling courting, he admits sheepishly. marriage is meant to be a partnership, yeah? it makes sense that it's split between the two to express their interest and devotion.

but these were just his thoughts.

a soft flush rises in his cheeks at the word 'consummate' because he is still boyish enough to find it a bit awkward and embarrassing despite that he knows how cubs are born and that it's expected of marriage couples to have cubs. eventually.

you're not boring me at all. it's interesting. i like learning about other cultures and traditions. he offers in what he hopes is reassurance.

He understood this way—liked it better, even.

Nasamik couldn't help but brighten with a warm, sincere smile.

There is no shame in finding one culture more pleasant over another, even if the former be your own. Others may think different, but she did not. 

Kivaluk saw the culture of her people in the same way she did. This brought even more delight upon her.

Yes, you are right. Such is the reason our elders of origin made the rites of marriage in this way. Man and woman live with different tasks; but together, in marriage, they are two souls combined. They will share an ulaq, and later, children. It is only fair that when selecting their partner, that they do so together and with their own wants.

maybe, kivaluk drawls, contemplative; ears fluttering back against his skull in thought. ajakuluk will let me make those changes to my bride dowry and the courtship. it sounds better, too, than price. calling it a bride price makes him feel like his future wife is meant to be his property and everything in him rebels against that idea. she didn't say i couldn't make changes to it while courting.

but first, the frosts needed to thaw and then there was the whole: finding a potential wife to court.

which was a bit of a daunting task but for now he forces himself to focus upon what he could do now: keep working on things he could offer his possible bride.

sorry— bit of a short reply! trying to catch up on some threads.

The hunter man certainly had a liking to the traditions she had explained. This pleased Nasamik. Not only did her people prefer it—others beyond them did too.

I am sure she will understand your desires for the change. Who you choose to marry, and how you decide to court them, is within your jurisdiction. She is your family and her teachings and traditions are important as well... but, in the end, these choices fall upon you.

no worries! <3

there was a lot to unpack, a lot of things for kivaluk to consider, a new way of courting that she had presented to him.

but, admittedly, this is something he preferred to mull over while he deer tracked or patrolled and not necessarily while in the company of someone else, despite that he bounced potential concerns off of her in the hopes of garnering her opinion.

for a reason he cannot quite place: he wanted her opinion. it mattered.

which was a whole other thing he needed to unpack.

right, kivaluk murmurs; contemplative. in truth, he was afraid of upsetting kukutux — whom he had come to love quite dearly in the past few months. her opinion mattered to him, too. as much as his mother's own; surely. i should probably seek her out and at least let her know of these changes, a mental note spoken aloud for himself. thank you for introducing them to me, nasamik. a boyish grin is given to her.

i had thought to grab a meal from one of the caches ...but do you have any interest in hunting with me? word vomit tumbles out of his mouth, wondering if a simple invitation of hunt with me? might've sufficed.

she gives her answer and kivaluk tries his best to focus on the hunt and not on the ideas she's filled his head with.