Moonspear Shiver to that broken beat

In their first days of joining the village Moonspear, Nasamik did her best to take time for herself. Time to rest and process. But even this amount of time could not shake her away from reality. Nor would ignoring her husband.

From the makeshift lodge she had put together while Kannoyak built a more permanent one, the woman lumbered slowly to the healing place where @Chakliux had been placed. Quietly, she entered, unknowing if those within were in the midst of slumber. For if so, she would return another time as to not disturb them.

nasamik came to him then. chakliux reached to touch her face in the soft darkness. "wife," he said in tones that spoke of longing for her presence. "i have asked kannoyak begin to build a lodge for us, a proper place of seal hunters."
he wished nasamik to know that he had not forgotten. "have you been asleep? have you eaten?"

Wife, he greeted her, offering a warm gesture of affection. Something they should have shared often as a bonded pair.

Coming nearer now, she returned his touch, then to nudge his uninjured shoulder with great gentleness. I have seen it, She answered, knowing of Kannoyak's steady work. He does well with it. And in time, it would do well for them and their children.

A proper place of seal hunters. The words rung like a soft bell in her ears. She had first been northern hunter; and now, she was seal hunter alongside her husband.

Chakliux asked how she fared. Had she ate? Had she slept? Children. She remembered, having momentarily forgotten. I have eaten some, yes. But as for sleep— not so much, A soft, swaddled chuckle shuddered from her lips. They will not let me do much of that... Nasamik's muzzle turned toward her growing belly, looking upon it with sudden fondness. The time had not been long, and yet it had not felt so.

chakliux grunted a little at this in his way of accepting. he must trust in kannoyak. after all, the hunter with the deep twilight eyes had helped he and nasamik come to this place.
chakliux would believe in his brother's investment.
the seal hunter stared at his wife's belly. to his eyes nothing had changed. he was charged with desire for her and renewed his determination to heal.
"tell me the things for a lodge that you would find useful. or only beautiful."

Words of the lodge once more. A question unexpected.

Gravitating closer to him now, Nasamik allowed herself a moment to think.

Plenty of space to prepare and cure furs... fresh flowers and herbs for a pleasant aroma..., She eventually answered. But few ideas came, for she was too tired to think of more.

pelts. herbs. flowers. he kept these things in mind, motioning nasamik closer into the crook of his arm.
at last he reached a warm paw and touched the soft swell of her belly. 
he was not ready. and yet something came to lodge along the back of his mind. 
"this will be a good place to raise them?" he asked, meaning respect toward the mother of his children to come.

The two, closer than they had been in the last few days. It was comforting, but it also filled her with the same emotions she had pushed away. Or so she thought she had.

The question he asked echoed, not quite registering for a few, silent moments. When she realized he had been looking expectantly towards her for an answer, her face grew flushed, body shuddering. It will be. Nasamik tried her best to sound confident, mostly for his sake. But even she could not tell if she believed it.

the seal hunter could tell that his wife was not yet settled. perhaps she missed the village of moonglow. "the moonwoman is close. you were not disgraced. she will accept your visit," he encouraged. "and soon you, kannoyak, and i will live in our own lodge."
chakliux smiled. "you must learn to depend upon my hunting-brother. he is a good man. he will take care of you while i heal."

His words brought warm breath to linger upon her fur. Eventually, she would give in to her hesitance and sink into his embrace, muzzle resting across his chest.

I do miss her... And how could she not? Kukutux would the closest thing she could ever know as mother, aside from the one she had at birth. ... but I will not walk among a people that look down on my husband, or my children. Sunman had not openly shamed the growing life in her womb, but she knew that as long as they existed as a piece of Chakliux, they would never truly be favored in the eyes of Moonglow.

I am happier here, where you are. Now this she could surely say with more confidence. It was he that had given her new purpose, along with the beginning of a family she had always wanted. 

When Chakliux spoke of Kannoyak, she regarded his words thoughtfully, thinking of the hunter with a sudden fondness. I will seek him out in the coming days. Get to know him better, perhaps. After all, she would be seeing much more of him from now on.

nasamik spoke of devotion. chakliux knew he had been right to marry her. of course it was the way of his people, to marry the woman he had gotten with child. but it was a good match. he touched his muzzle to her own in quiet acceptance and brimming pride.
and again, his heart moved with anger toward the sun man.
"good," he said of nasamik's word upon kannoyak. an ear flicked. 
it would not be now, or perhaps even soon. but the best way to keep a lodge peaceful was to share all things. "seek him out, wife. he may have wisdom to give you."

I will. He is good man and good hunter. Nasamik knew this well, even if she didn't know him as closely as Chakliux did. His presence will bring great blessings to us, and perhaps even to our children. The idea made her smile sprout just a little bit larger. To have another so close and able to support them... what could be a bigger blessing than that?

chakliux grunted at this, eyes beginning to slip closed.
"stay until i have gone to sleep," he pleaded affectionately with nasamik, even as he pillowed his head against the softness of her lovely pelt.
here he would dream. here he would heal.

Stay. He asked of her. 

So, stay she would, letting him lean into her. But unknown to her, she too was exhausted. 

Rather than wait for the signs slumber had taken him, she would let it take her as well, eventually to fall asleep beside the seal hunter. Until they woke, Nasamik remained this way, content to be so near to her husband.