Ouroboros Spine Sister mother, river styx

Ajei found herself near the river again. The sound, the rush, the cool mist that splashed up. They way the rainbow fish slithered through the blue gray depths. She loved it.

She lay near it, but not to close and watched it racing by. A small smile on her face, her tail curled around tiny rear paws. A scrunch of her nose, a small humming song.

@Kukutux

note to self: set before she leaves to saltshore <3

the child was often near this water.

kukutux found it to be a good omen. she called now to the child of her star-sister.

she had found a piece of elk-hide, and now had spread it in the grass with stones on its edges. kukutux stripped the membranes in easy pieces from the underside.

"come and help. i will teach you another song."

Ajei heard a call and at first her tiny ears went to her head and she lost her smile and the hum stuck. But once she realized whoit was tiny paws lifted her to her feet and she trotted over.

She watched a momwnt and then mimicked what she'd been shown. Pulling the membranes. It felt good on her teeth and she salivated a little but there was a small wiggle in her tail.

[

"the rabbit mother listens.

the rabbit mother runs
the rabbit mother sees the dawning of the sun
the rabbit mother knows
the rabbit mother sings
the rabbit mother makes her nest inside the heart of leaves.

a singing-song, a tale of the world in it.

kukutux watched ajei work.

Tiny paws against the elk and slowly she adjusted to pulling and depositing in time with the song. 

First she hummed, then she sang though the words were still a little butchered.

The wabbit modder listens.
The wabbit modder runs
The wabbit midder sees the dddawning of the sun
The wabbit modder knows
The wabbit modder sings
The wabbit modder makes her nes insie the heart of leafs.

ajei mimicked back the words.

kukutux laughed out in delight. "song-making girl!" she praised happily.

"do you want to know another song? or do you want to know what we are doing with this?" she asked, gesturing to their work.

Ajei giggled as her village mother laughed. This woman would have a soft place in her heart, though her mother would always be first. She smiled again and rolled her little paws.

She pouted, for aminute. She sort of wanted to know both, but a part o fher knew she wouldn't be able to sing and talk. It ust did't work.

So she furrowed her brow. Yous tell me what we doin' den 'nother song?

"that is good, ajei," kukutux said in the words of her home.

"today we take this skin and we make it clean." the underside of the hide was still marked by bits of dried blood and long swathes of tissue. the duck demonstrated how to tear the latter in strips, piling it aside.

"we scrape. and then we soak," kukutux added, motioning toward the lake. "and then we chew, for many days, until the hair is gone and it is only soft good nulak."

She knew her name and enough listening to Moonwoman and the puppies to be able to piece together what was said. She beamed.

Ajei watched and then tried to pull strips she couldn't get as big pieces as moonwoman, but she tried.


what do we do with it, work?

"we work and work until it is very soft. then we will be able to make a toy for a child, or a wrap for you."

her eyes shone at the thought, ajei with her first shoulder-pelt from skins she had worked upon.

Ajei listened continuing to pull strips. Her little mouth was growing tired. And she wasn't grasping as big of pieces but she was trying none the less. Stubborness showing itself in the shy little wolf's eyes. She would do her best at all she did.

A wrap? She looked up, and then at her little shoulder or she tried. Why did they need wraps when they had fur? She was a bit confused, but it did look nice when she saw them on the shoulders of the women in the pack lands. Though she didn't think her mama did that often.

"a skin like the one i wear. it keeps your shoulders warm. it is soft to touch."

"sometimes you wear a wrap to show the work that you have done, to show that you are skilled," kukutux said, continuing her explanation.

Ajei took another long minute to think or try and remember the wraps that were around. She could imagine it would be nice when it was cold. Not that she had dealt with anything cold, other than water, but mama had told her of snow and ice.

Ajei nodded. I dink i want to make one. Am I awowed?

"yes. you are of village moonglow. so it is your skill to learn, and one day teach to the daughters of your hearth."

"what skin do you have the want to use?"

Ajei blinked the thought of children when she was a child herself was a bit daunting and yet a small comfort. To know she could have love in spades. For this shy little thing loved to love. 

What if i has sons like Ana had Mojag and Chiteo. I be only gwirl.

She had to think about that. Mama had told her of deer and rabbit and brother otter. She had seen sneaky weasel and mean mink. Fisher's had snapped at water edges eating birds with precision. Mama had told her of big brother fox and sister coyote, but she had no idea what to pick. Though she knew to thank whoever she did.

Softess one, but dat I can get wet. I like de river.

kukutux smiled. "some years you might be given sons. other years, daughters. many, you will be mother to both."

skins, to keep in water.

"we will use the parka of brother otter." her eyes glowed. "he is made to swim in lakes and in rivers."

The thought of many children though comforting was also daunting. She was only a pup herself after all. Things like love other than friend and familial was beyond her scope of understanding. But she and Chi seemed to make ana happy so she imagined she'd be happy too.

She nodded. I see de brodder odder. He sneaky sneaky play ting.

"very sneaky!" kukutux laughed.

eventually she put their things aside, and settled back on her haunches. "it is hot. we will rest."

kukutux would bring ajei back to the ulax, and offer the girl a meal while they waited for shikoba to return.