The Heartwood aupaqtuq ⏜

a breath, trembling in the column of her throat. "it has been a great pain in all hearts," kukutux murmured, not knowing how much she might share of her adjacency to the anguish. at night the remembered sound of her friend's choking, the sight of her blood; they drove the dreams away until kukutux could only lie staring helplessly at the roof of the ulaq, until it had lightened enough out of doors to begin her daily work.

"sometimes we must make roots for ourselves, lane," the duck uttered, turning her face toward where moonspear's crown reared proudly against the sky. "you are traveller, but one day you may want to be mother as well, follow in the footsteps of the one who bore you."

a smile. "and being mother means you will understand birth. that is important to healing, the medicines to help mothers before they become with child, during the carry-moons, and after."