Ouroboros Spine strigidae

It is the rising shriek of the owl that again guides Kassuq home.

A glistening caribou pelt is slung across his shoulders, his hard won trophy in a deal that he had taken three days to negotiate for. It is soft, thick and warm, and he swelters beneath it but he doesn’t take it off.

In his mouth is a carrying-pouch made of toughened caribou stomach, carrying an assortment of goodies and small trinkets, baubles he hopes to give to his mother, and the one she summoned him for.

Ataninnuaqï accepted the toss of a piece of meat up to them as Kassuq hovered at the border, licking his lips for a few moments to get the taste of stomach from his maw, before he raises his voice high for @Kukutux .

"my son! how good to see your face!"

kassuq had traveled swiftly, wearing the proud trade-goods of the long-hunting caribou clans. she kissed him and embraced the young man tightly, then stepped back to beam up into his handsome face.

"you are ready to meet this woman from the big camp on the red sand? i will send a messenger when you have rested for a day."

He laughed with the laugh of a man when his mother appeared, throwing a leg around her shoulder in a gruff hug he’d learned at the side of the caribou hunters.

It is good to see you well, anaa! Kassuq backed away to look her over, a gleam in his eye that didn’t reach his tail, for all he could move it. It was mostly scraggly bits of fur and muscle, barely a stub at his back.

As ready as I suspect I will ever be. The camp on the red sand, he had seen it from a great distance while escorting Salaksartok. Pensive, his face pinched, before he gave a big, wide smile.

Here, look, look! I traded for these, for you! He nudged the stomach, letting pieces of shaped quartz, sea stones, and the preserved scales of fish spill out.

kukutux exclaimed as the glittering items fell from the carrying-skin. her eyes were bright and she perused them almost girlishly, murmuring over one or the other as it caught the light.

"you have brought much delight to my heart with these gifts," the duck said jubilantly, "but the warmest of them is that you are here, and well."

he was still sunshine, this son of hers, but some part of him also had become caribou.

in two days, an owl-message would be sent to @Racharra of akashingo, asking that the young woman return for a meeting with the son of moonmother.

"tell me! how far did you go?"

Kassuq smiled at the joyous words, bashful with the praise.

As far as the eye could see. To the places where the sea is more ice than water. Mountains of ice, anaa, higher than I’ve ever seen. I’ve met so many. Fierce and timid, quiet and loud, as many wolves as there are days. I learned so much. He gestured to the stomach holding-bag and the pelt upon his shoulders.

These took the longest to trade for. I am proud to have them. The hunters did not wish to give up their prices, but he had learned to wield a silver tongue like a dagger.

seas of ice. spires of frozen water. many villages and many people. she could see the elongated shadows of wolves bobbing along the ice as they traveled in one line through those places of danger.

again with admiration she looked upon the stomach pouch and the caribou hide so exquisite she could see this before she had even touched it.

"come! i will feed you. and you will tell me what you traded for such fine things. ariadne and stratos are home. but massaraq left. he has not come back."

her face showed her worry for a moment.

Ariadne had come back and he arched a fine brow to hear it, but didn’t comment more than a soft hum. He plucked the pouch from its place upon the ground, resting it carefully between his neck and shoulder blades to free his mouth.

I had to trade with several others to gather all the things I needed. What really made the deal was a red feather, from somewhere unknown. I do not believe the other trader had ever seen such a feather, on top of everything else. And that was just the skin! He chortled a low laugh.

For the bag, I had to trade six shining stones, pulled up from a riverbed and polished until they glowed. I also gave the skins of ermines I had caught myself, with aid from Ataninnuaqï He used his nose to point at the owl, following their steps with an uncaring circle overhead.

a red feather! she leaned forward in shining eagerness, trying to think of what exotic bird kassuq must have seen to make such a large trade.

his skill with the shining-stones, with the hunting-bird; these things drew a large smile to her face.

"what a man you have become!" suppose this girl of akashingo did not desire so strong a companion. his mother already in her mind gathered names.

but for now, she only looked at him in the meeting of spirits, and was pleased.