for
@Adrastus if you've got the time :) (assuming by now they would both know about what Kukutux has planned but I'm not sure if Lote would know about the possibility of Adrastus and Kukutux having kids together too yet.) a bit of pp, lmk if I need to edit!
She'd been meaning to go see Adrastus at his new home regardless but this did not mean she was without nervousness as she gathered several of her finer pelts (a raccoon, a wolverine, a muskrat) -- though she supposed it would not matter if the wisewoman's matchmaking worked out and she was destined to move into the spiritbear's den with time. Lótë had never been engaged, if that's what the duo was now, or anything close to the sorts -- she'd never even kissed a boy, having spent most of her first two years of life focused on keeping alive. She had no clue how she was supposed to act and had determined to merely act as if everything were completely normal though, of course, she knew they would have to speak about it eventually.
With the furs draped over her shoulders, similar to how Kukutux often wore her rabbit skin, the wren sought after Adrastus' scent, grateful that it led to the nestled boulders he'd claimed for his own hearth in the moors of the lake. The mousy girl lingered a few respectful feet from his threshold, letting out a soft chirrup of noise to greet the brumal Sivullik if he happened to be within and awake.
After having been out on patrol for a few hours earlier on, he had returned to his den for a rest not long before he heard a soft summons from just outside his den. At first, he thought it might have been Kukutux- he had yet to visit her, to retrieve the lynx pelt she had been working on, but part of him was still unsure if it was right of him to have brought her something so beautiful- only to take it away from her. So he'd left it with her a little while longer than was necessary, perhaps because he thought she liked it, perhaps because he also liked having something he had caught to be a decoration which lived in the home of their alpha.
Raimo had not returned from his voyage yet- so Adrastus' life had been relatively peaceful. Now, in hearing a gentle question from Lótë, he picked himself up from the few furs he'd used thus far to line his den, and exited out into the light, blinking and smiling lightly at her. She was weighed down by several furs- the most striking of which, he thought had once belonged to a wolverine...A fantastic predator, and quite a foe to be reckoned with. He tilted his head to the side slightly, not quite understanding why she would come to his den, with three pelts draped across her shoulders.
"Lótë; please, rest." He said, knowing that pelts could be quite heavy, and wishing to offer her a bit of a respite from carrying them. He was a little bit flummoxed as well, given the fact that she had come to his den, and he hadn't quite finished making it look quite as extravagant as he'd hoped for it to be. Perhaps with the lynx pelt, it would look more refined, finished- and he had not pulled the moss from the stones yet, as he had intended to do so that Lótë might paint them...But other businesses- hunting, patrolling and checking in on the Glen wolves (who had since decided to join them, for the most part) had taken up the majority of his time. "Welcome to my ulaq," He said, quietly. He wished that it looked better than it did- but he had not had the time to spend simply making his home look better. "Have you been well?"
At his offer, the dove gave a small shake of her shoulders and the thick warmth of the pelts fell away -- striking the earth with soft thuds. She offered him a shy smile in return then, dipping her fallow crown in greeting. "Hi," the herdstalker lilted in wisping tones, tail wagging gently where it hung low at her hocks. "I have been. And I hope the spirits have smiled upon you, as well," the artisan dipped her head in a formal gesture, albeit one tinted by undertones of diffidence, as the old saying fell from her lips of its own accord -- as rehearsed as the act of pulling air into her lungs. With a blink, she buried again the girl who had been Aiwë.
"It looks lovely," the fawn agouti chirped softly as she glanced to his home with a kind smile -- not bothered by its spartan state or the moss. Even if Kukutux's match for them worked out in the end, she did not expect the spiritbear to provide her with a perfect home. Rather, she looked forward to helping him build it. "I brought pelts for you," she mentioned then, gesturing with a small sweep of her tawny muzzle to the pile of cured pelts. Some of her larger pieces, more suitable for lining a den.
"The wolverine is not so nice," she admitted as she bent to nose at the worn, frayed fur along its edges -- nose wrinkling at the faint odor of rot that she had been unable to wash out of the fur. "I scavenged it off a carcass rather than killing it fresh but wolverine fur is nice, regardless. It will not freeze or crust with frost even in the harshest winter," the mouse explained.
With a subtle shrug of her shoulders she let the pelts fall to the ground and he found his gaze caught on the skin of the wolverine in particular; such a rarity to see. He'd never seen a wolverine pelt- and had only glimpsed such a creature once or twice in the distance, and had been warned enough times to stay well away from them. Those creatures were tough, smart and wildly dangerous. Wolves with claws like a bear, he had been told- and a bear's jaw strength as well. Perhaps more stretched legend than fact, but he had never taken his chances with the creatures and one of his encounters had involved abandoning a kill of his, peacefully, when he caught sight of the dark creature lurking in the distance. He took the advice of his elders and hadn't taken his chances- he ate what he could and left the rest.
So how she ended up with a such a thing was a surprise to him. He was pleased to see that she approved of his densite, but was mildly surprised when she confessed that the pelts were for him. He was silent for a moment, not understanding why she would have brought something for him without having negotiated a trade. "For me?" He asked, surprised. She explained how she'd come across the wolverine pelt, and her story made enough sense. He wouldn't have expected for her to have killed the thing- and it was an intense stroke of luck for her to have even found one that she could strip of its pelt. Such a thing was a coveted gift- and an honour to be offered. Still- he felt a bit out of place accepting such things.
"I...I have nothing in return at the moment," He explained. The lynx pelt was still with Kukutux- so he wondered if perhaps she'd come with these to trade for that...Though it wasn't like her to come with pelts in hand, expecting him to offer her the lynx pelt, which was a treasure indeed. Part of him had in mind that he would use the lynx pelt as a part of his brideprice- and Kukutux had indeed mentioned to him that she felt he and Lote would make an excellent couple- but he had not passed the topic by her yet, and had wanted to see more confidence from her, before he made any assumptions about making an offer. "What could I give you, in return for these?"
"Yes," came her tinkling laugh, "I promised you some of the pelts I have cured for your ulaq." The cloudberry shook her head in denial of his modesty and his stammering refusal. "Your friendship has been payment enough. I was...very lonely when I came here," the birdcaller admitted, albeit hesitantly, hoping it wouldn't inspire him to pry into her past too deeply. Lótë wasn't sure she was ready to share that just yet.
"Kukutux speaks of bride price..of making a match between us. She says I should ask you for something. Is this what you mean?" The two-year asked softly, head cocking as her peridots softened. Perhaps he only meant to trade for the furs. "But truthfully, I wouldn't know what to ask for," the girl lilted with a breath of a chuckle, gaze dropping demurely.
"Would you help me find something for Kukutux? She seems...forlorn at times. I would like to see her smile even if for just a moment," Lótë explained as she posed her favor to him.
It surprised him, but his heart began to pound softly in his chest as he awaited her response. She reminded him that they had discussed, much earlier in their friendship, a trade, wherein she might supply him with pelts, and that he might help her with finding colours for her paints. He had yet to fulfill his side of the bargain, and he felt a bit bad, knowing that he had fallen behind. He wasn't exactly sure what to look for- and as Spring had come around, he'd found no charcoal or trace of past wildfires to lend him a bit of dark colours. But he decided, then, that he would begin looking for other things that might brighten her palette. He owed her, now.
And the wolverine pelt- while it had belonged to a creature which had been a corpse just long enough for a hint of staleness to yet cling to its fur- was truly something to behold. He imagined it in his ulaq then, alongside the lynx pelt and he thought of what that might look like, as a status symbol. No other wolf, he thought, would have both in their possession- that realization made him wonder if he was even worthy of such a thing.
So kind and gentle was she of spirit, that she seemed content with their friendship as an exchange, and while he still wished to supply her with anything she needed for her art, it did touch him to know that she was happy here, and that he had had a part in making that happen. "I was, too," He admitted. Loneliness had been his only companion while he had travelled, but his life had changed a great deal since he'd come to Moonglow. She was one of the first wolves he'd met after joining the pack, and had made quite an impact on him.
So when she mentioned the bride-price, his eyes widened a bit. As far as he knew, Kukutux had spoken with the painter, but she hadn't mentioned the fact that she'd informed her of her vision. This was a bit of a surprise to him- and it came as a shock that she also seemed more than willing to begin negotiating a bride-price, which meant that she likely felt in favour of their match. To be fair, her other options were Raimo- though the dark horse had seemingly begun to wander a bit more lately- and Zane, who was an amusing character but perhaps a bit immature. There were the Glen wolves as well- though he wasn't sure how close she was to Antares, yet. It seemed he had little in the way of opposition so it was likely in her best interest to secure a relationship with him.
"I wondered if she had spoken to you of that," He said. It had seemed that what was spoken between the women was largely kept amid that circle- though the fair painter had seen fit to approach the subject with him now. He was silent for a moment. "Think of what you might ask of me. Then, when you ask it, I will do what I can to give you what you ask for." Given the fact that she was willing to entertain the thought of it, he felt it might be appropriate enough to voice his own interest in this match that Kukutux had made. He was still unsure what he should do when Kukutux asked him to give her a name in terms of a father for her own children- and he did not want to deny her children of her own- but this was something he thought he might be able to sort out another day.
His betrothed seemed to have picked up on a sense of melancholy from their leader, which caused his lips to purse slightly. He'd noticed, of course- but had there ever been a time when she hadn't had some sadness in her eyes? She had lost so much in the spring of the year- he didn't begrudge her any for taking her time to recover. "I'd be glad to help...Though I'm not sure I have an idea what to suggest we find for her." he confessed.
The breath hitched in her throat for a moment at Adrastus' suggestion, at how easily he agreed to the unspoken bride-price that Kukutux had mentioned they should negotiate. Surely it meant he was in agreement then, that he wanted the cloudberry painter for his wife. It had been staggering enough to think that anyone should want to 'pay' to marry her, let alone that the brumal spiritbear would readily meet that price even before it had been determined. The herdstalker only nodded, swallowing faintly -- momentarily touched that he wanted her back -- and let her evergreen gaze drift to the earth. Now if only she could figure out what she should ask him for as a dowry of sorts.
It seemed the winterwhite huntsman wished to circle back to the topic once she had decided, moving on to the task she had set forth if he felt the need to truly repay her for the pelts. (Even if there was a chance that they would all end up in his den anyways once the artisan moved in.) She considered for a moment. Kukutux was a wonderful craftswoman, her ulaq was already furnished with many fine, serviceable items. "Maybe just something pretty. Something to brighten her home a little bit."
"We could go look by the lake if you're not too busy?" the dove suggested with a swish of her fawn-colored tail, thinking things might feel a little less awkward if they just spent time together.