Ouroboros Spine utukanaat

I meant to post this before the departure so... slight backdate.

Their return was imminent. Kigipigak would eventually call together his family and they would say their farewells; there was a day or so before that, and Moonglow buzzed with life.

Kigipigak was alone. He had found a quiet place by the lake's edge (a favorite of one absent Wilwarin, not that he knew) and feigned the work of a fisherman so he could be undisturbed with his thoughts.

He could see @Kukutux journeying the ledge with a fur across her shoulders. The sunlight caught in his eye and he squinted as he smiled to her, and looked away to the water. There was tension in the lines of Kigipigak's face and a wild, ruffled manner to his coat today.

winterhawk was near.

kukutux went to greet him. she pulled the fur from her shoulders and showed him the dried sticks of fish she was carrying.

moonwoman offered him one. her jadestone eyes flickered over his face. "what is on your mind?" came the tones of her village words.

The woman was somehow so familiar and so different at the same time, from what he knew of women in power, and yet Kigipigak did not fault Kukutux for her differences; she meant so much to Moonglow because of how industrious she happened to be. The heart and soul of the place. He wondered if Natigvik would have such a strong leader within Sakhmet; right now Kigipigak did not feel strong at all.

We will be departing soon. Some days ahead, I think. And... We will be one less. It was ominous the way he said it. Kigipigak was so bothered by what had been said, it flavored his words with an idle frustration.

The man I trusted, the seer. He spoke of a woman bedded and some insult we paid him. That the woman may be with child. A sigh. Had he failed as a leader for letting this happen? It is a woman of the forest, Lotë's people.

What did Kukutux the matchmaker know?

kukutux listened.

her face was filled with emotion for him. it was a hard thing to hear, and surprising besides.

"the only other woman in winterglade is keyni. she came to me some hands of time ago and said she wanted to be anaa. but it was not my choice. only my sister's choice."

her face mused. "and i shared words with cerne. he told me he was not to take a wife. i told him natigvik's ways were different, and he must speak with you and with sakhmet."

she sighed. perhaps her acceptance and encouragement had done this. "what does he say the insult is?"

For a moment he did blame her; but it was temporary, flaring and dying away like the shaft of sunlight over the hill. At least now Kigipigak had a potential name. He could seek out Lotë on the path home and have words with her.

A small scoff came after Kukutux asked her question. That we do not respect other cultures. His. It was not wholly wrong. Kigipigak was not a spiritual person nor were his origins, but did that warrant such betrayal?

If he has wanted a wife, he never said as much to us. but the seer had gone to Kukutux, who was better suited to matching him to a woman. It felt like an insult to Kigipigak that no words were given to himself or his wife, and it was Sakhmet's decision ultimately. She was closer to the seer, too.

It all felt wrong. Another sigh, this time with a shrug to loosen Kigipigak's tense shoulders. I am Sangilak and still it is not enough.

kukutux saw more as kigipigak said other words.

cerne had come to her.

not them.

"he gave you disrespect. if he will not see you as sangilak and will not speak his wants aloud, then he will always give dishonor."

now that she knew about this man, she was glad he would not be near amalia.

"if he comes to this village again, i will tell him that he has given natigvik offense, and so he has done the same to moonglow."

It felt good to have someone on his side, someone who knew how the world was meant to work. Kukutux was not his blood but he felt their kinship had grown very strong; they may as well have been shards of ice cut from the same glacier.

To dishonor one village was to dishonor all.

Thank you. A sigh.

I only wish I could be a better leader; someone respected, trusted, or even feared enough to be followed. It was not a wish he had ever openly expressed, not even to Sakhmet. It was something Kigipigak was slowly learning about himself.

kukutux listened to her kinsman.

"but those are three things, kiggavik."

her voice was contemplative.

"you have the love and the trust and the respect of many. but you do not have the fear of many." her eyes were upon him. "is this the true wish of your heart? to be warrior before hunter and taataa?"

she recalled the talk they had shared when natigvik had first come. kigipigak had spoken with great firmness on the subject of sacrarium. it was his strength.