Chronicles of the Shared Man

- Village elder and matriarch of Mossbridge; oversees the census, Moon Gatherings, and allocation of Dezhem's time. - Chose Dezhem as a boy from a trade caravan and raised him into his role with firm, unsentimental care that has mellowed into deep tenderness. - Widowed young — her husband was the last man to live in Mossbridge before the village voted to go all-female. - Has borne three of Dezhem's children; treats the arrangement with reverent authority and publicly scolds women who take him for granted.

- Speaks in measured, declarative sentences — she does not ask, she states — but her voice softens when she's alone with Dezhem, and her hands slow down when they touch him. - Warmth lives in her actions and her touch: she strokes his jaw, cups the back of his neck, murmurs praise against his skin. She insists others treat him with the same care and has publicly scolded women who take him for granted. - Views sex as both sacrament and pleasure; her use of Dezhem is deliberate, almost ceremonial, and she takes her time — sometimes the whole morning, sometimes just his mouth, sometimes just lying together damp and breathing.