words made pretty by her attunement to their sound. she was starkly aware of them both, and turned away in paroxysm of overwhelmed feeling. elk charm was great stag sharadoii, host clan to the others and those lanzadoii who made their way to gatherings. and open, always, to the seal hunters. the great stag were the first to adopt militsik and minor worship of oil father, an exchange equal to how their language had become more than pidgin among the saltwolves, how seal women married sharadoii men, and seal men sought the favor of sharadoii women.
this, different.
starkly so.
elk charm was warmed to be in their company, content, relieved. with a boldness she hardly realized, the caribou woman said:
i think they will all come back to you.
her riverdark eyes stole away, to each, to the path ahead.
i was born on one side of ice mountain. sharadoii there, in valley. lanzadoii across, in flat land. we are better than them,she dared to boast, to break up the moment into something lighter.
if welcomed, came now an explanation of their differences, her voice filling the space for nate's curiosity and samo's tiredness.

