Just Another Day

The girl lead Shanku to the outskirts of the collection of wood and hide hovels. She had the snowy wings Shanku had come to notice the Arctics had. Her hair was a glossy black like Dakota's and she also bore tattoos. She had the two stripes on her chin like Dakota, but only one of the stripes on her cheeks.

"You may stay with me for now," the girl stated as she opened the flap to her wigwam.

"Thanks," Shanku looked inside. "Oh, very nice! It reminds me of the homes some of my friends had on the plains. They had pretty paintings on their houses too."

"Thank you," she paused. "I am Huata. May we talk, lady to lady?"

"One might argue whether or not I'm a lady, but sure!" Shanku smiled. "What would you like to talk about?"

"I am not the most... accomplished one of the clan. Frankly, there were expectations I would never have a mate," Huata paused, and then continued. "But Dakota chose me anyway. I want your word that your time with him was innocent and you have no affections for him."

Shanku blinked a few times, as she processed what was being asked of her, and then held her hands up before her defensively as realization dawned on her. "Oh, golly, no!" She exclaimed, taken aback. "Ma'am, I assure you, my intentions do not lie that way toward anyone yet and I still find the notion quite disgusting. I've barely seventeen winters to me."

Huata looked relieved, and then surprised. "Only seventeen? But you're so big... I thought surely you were older than I was, nearer thirty!"

"Heavens no," Shanku shuddered. "I'm mostly certain I'm of normal young adult height for my kind. It's been about nine years since I've seen 'em, but I'm still mostly certain."