Moonspear im not sure, honey.

@Meerkat perhaps?

There was tension she could sense. The prominant presence of the Saints and Ursus, alongside with the disappearence of a particular child. She could only sigh at such chaos, and wondered what else would appear. Though she could not exhaust herself, as Desdemona was prepared to head further out from Moonspear to find said-child.

She munched on a small hare, cracking of bones between her jaw as the woman was lost in thought.

Sialuk was, for the most part, her own wolf now. She traveled alone throughout the territory frequently, and she was doing her best to make herself known among the others. Now that some of them had vacated to a nearby territory, she considered herself the top dog among the youth. She pined for the day she would meet her ugi (having cleared up that Toad was not her husband-to-be), but she knew she must be patient. Her mother had taught her as much, and Sialuk did her best to keep that wisdom close to her heart.

She knew that Mira was missing, but Sialuk felt little loss there, as much as she knew that was petty and unkind. Mira had never been kind to her, so why should Sialuk be kind in turn? Her brow furrowed and head down as she traveled, Sialuk looked up when she heard a crackle. It was a wolf she did not know well, Desdemona, but one of Moonspear's own, so the girl considered her kin as much as her own immediate family.

Normally chatty and approachable, Sialuk was at a loss for words. She wasn't quite sure how to break the ice, so she stood there awkwardly for a moment, wondering if she should continue on her way and not bother her packmate's mealtime.

There was a child, standing distances away. It was not one of Hydra's, for they were light like snow, and the Queen's were as dark as the night. She knew Kukutux had children with Jarilo, and could only assume this was one of them. With a loud crack, her bone split into two, and fell to the ground.

"Hello," the guard greeted.

Your name is Desdemona, Sialuk said, trying to put on a braver, more confident face. I'm Sialuk Ostrega, she added, feeling like it was better to add her own name rather than assume her pack mate already knew who she was. Then again, who wouldn't know the girl who woke everybody up every day at the crack of dawn? Stranger things had happened.

What do you do here on the mountain? she asked. Sialuk was getting to an age where she would need to find some direction with her skillset. Healing was an obvious choice, due to her mother's knowledge, and her mother had said she would learn how to hunt someday, but Sialuk was interested in what others did as well. Perhaps there was something she didn't even know she wanted to do just yet.

"Yes it is." Desdemona nodded with a confirm, suprised a bit the small white child remembered her name, but held a calm facade. She heard her vaguely in the mornings when she as closer to the den, but as a woman who sternly focused on the borders, it often flew beyond her ears. She concentrated her large bat-like ears elsewhere, for any intruders. She didn't mind much.

"I am a guard," she so said, "defending the borders and making sure there was no intruders."

A guard, like taataa. Sialuk smiled, thinking of her father and how he had once shown her how to patrol when she was younger. But alas, that was not Sialuk's calling, she did not think. She wanted to be a hunter, perhaps learn more of her mother's traditions and lore. Saviguk, he would make a good guard.

Desdemona did not seem the type for polite conversation. Or any conversation at all. Sialuk got the feeling it wasn't wanted, and not wishing to be rude, she nodded. That is very brave of you. I will let you return to guarding if you do not wish for me to bother you.

"I do not mind," Desdemona said to the young girl. Especially since originally, the guard was simply eating. She was not at the moment tending to her duties, nor' minded the curious children of Moonspear. As soon, they too would find their abilities for the mountains. However, she also could not stop the other if they wished to leave.

Desdemona said she did not mind, but... it didn't feel that way to Sialuk. She shifted uneasily on her feet, no wishing she had made some excuse that would excuse her from the conversation. But alas, her mother had taught her to be polite and generous with her conversation, and she should get to know her pack mates. Especially the ones who had not been there as much when she was younger.

After a stilted silence, Sialuk let herself lay prone near the delta. Do you have an ugi? she asked. It was the only thing she could think to talk about. Hopefully it would not be another dead end.

Desdemona truly didn't mind, but she was not a woman of many words. Rigid and cold as many would claim, but she was dutiful in her loyalty to Moonspear, and preferred nothing else. So when the small child of Kukutux asked a question, she could only tilt her head a bit confused, "I'm not sure what that means."

Foreign languages were not her forte.

Right. Sialuk constantly forgot that not everybody switched so easily between the two languages. A husband, she clarified quickly. If she did not, Sialuk wondered if it was okay to ask more about that. Something told her Desdemona would not mind such questions. Something about her seemed rather level-headed, but maybe that was the personality type that was most suited for guarding. That made Sialuk also wonder if every girl was wed to her ugi when she came of age. And if she wasn't, why not? More questions, more questions.

Like mother like daughter, she supposed. If that phrase was correct in way, it was surely showing now. A time she met Kukutux also had the discussion of a husband, a mate, motherhood in the mixture. But her stance always remained the same; she did not deserve the chance.

Desdemona shook her head, not dwelving too far into the reasons, "there are some who take in one, but there is some who remain alone. I do not intend to take one." Nor' expand any of the bloodline she has.

The quiet stoicism of Desdemona was something hard to decipher for a girl as expressive as Sialuk. She was much more used to bustling activity, cheery dispositions, and light-hearted chatting. Desdemona was none of those things. She was a book locked tight, and Sialuk found herself itching to read the chapters inside. The dark, older maiden did not appear to hide things on purpose, so maybe somebody had locked her book without her permission; perhaps even without her knowledge.

If it is okay to ask, why would you not? Sialuk was still learning social skills, picking things up as she went along. She had picked up much of it from her mother, but here, she knew she was pushing boundaries. Sialuk found it impossible not to do so.

"It is alright." Desdemona did not mind asking such questions, rarely was she asked anything too personal. Though of recently the talk of her own life was slowly coming forth, and while she did not mind, there was a part of her that feared if she revealed too much, would she be scorned?

"The Ostrega blood runs deep into you, honorable and powerful, but my own is not so blessed. I am dirty, disgraced, and I do not wish to spread that bloodline. I would not put a male to that life, to be fatherless." She also found herself to be rather unlovable, and while it did not bother her; Desdemona knew.

She knew her smile intimidated others, and her cold nature drove away. However, it was simply who she was, and she couldn't simply change to a cheery wolf of the clouds. She was grateful, just to remain as a shadow guard to Moonspear.

Desdemona was not flustered by her question, and instead answered it in a way Sialuk did not expect. In fact, the answer downright confused her. What made her dirty and disgraced? She did not appear to be the former from what Sialuk could tell from here. And disgraced? She was highly regarded in the pack, wasn't she? Only Sialuk's own mother was above her in the chain of honor, at least as far as regular members went. What a peculiar thing for Desdemona to say, then.

The raindrop thought on this further, wondering if there was something about the dark wolf that she was missing. Perhaps she could ask anaa or taataa what Desdemona meant by it. Maybe she had done something wicked that the leaders did not know about, or perhaps she could not (or would not) carry children, and that was what had disgraced her. But then, why did she soar through the ranks? It gave the young girl a lot to think about.

"You look as if you have questions." Her posture laid in relaxation, feeling no dread or anxiety toward the questions the young swan was giving to Desdemona. The other only seemed to sunk in a silence, perhaps pondering her words that easily could damper in any situations. However, it simply felt like the truth about herself.

She would not mind if the other continued asking.

She had become too ponderous, and Sialuk felt her cheeks flush at Desdemona's statement. The girl shook her head. They weren't exactly questions that she had, more curiosities, and she already felt as though she had asked too much of her elder. There was much to learn about husbands, wives, and the children they created. Many traditions Sialuk was not aware of, both from her mother's side and father's. Although, admittedly, Sialuk had always been drawn more to her mother's way of things. Taataa's traditions felt more foreign to her, even though those were the more prevalent ones in Moonspear.

For now, Sialuk sat in a comfortable silence, a rare sense of ease falling over her. Occasionally, she did not feel the need to ask every question that fell into her head. An itch distracted her, and Sialuk lifted her hind leg to rid her ear of it, the "scritch scritch scritch" the only sound she made for now.

The other remained in silence, comfortably scratching her ear and did not go further. Perhaps she was wrong, but nontheless felt much had been said today. Not too many times does the guard talk about her own personal life, especially her home pack. The most she had touched was about Morningside, for that was a familiarity with a few in these wilds, but now it was but a distant memory that no one does except for herself, and the Cerberus.

Momentarily does her thoughts drift to Jay, Aditiya, Aviana, and the children.. However she has not heard any signs of them nearby, even the willows they once lived in were taken by fairies. 

"I'll be returning to patrolling, you are free to call me if you ever need assistance." The guard stood up as she looked to the white duck.

Desdemona excused herself, and Sialuk watched as she departed, giving the older wolf a friendly wave of her tail. She was, perhaps, the strangest wolf Sialuk had met so far. And while she did have more questions, perhaps anaa was a better person to ask. Sialuk had a feeling that whatever Desdemona's history was, it was not pleasant. And if she really was this dirty, disgraced person, then why had she risen so far in the ranks? And did that mean that Sialuk should purposefully avoid her?

For now, though, she would sit with her thoughts, mulling things over in silent contemplation.