Ouroboros Spine Alas I cannot Swim

For months, he had been travelling along the coastline in spite of the racing winter winds, only to find himself drawn inland when a flash of light caught his attention. In the darkness, it lit up the surroundings so suddenly that he'd had to squint in order to make out the blazing meteor's trajectory. The light faded, and darkness fell back over the land- but for a small spark that framed, momentarily, a lone peak in the distance. Seconds later, a dull rumble- and he knew, then, that the star had fallen. Still etched in his mind was the silhouette of the peak in the distance- and it was there, he assumed the star had landed. Then it was in that direction he would go. 

He moved through an open expanse of what would be grasslands, once the snow melted, girdled on either side by forests. But he was a wolf who had come from mountains and tundra, and had no fear of passing through an open valley. Even the small herd of deer grazing in the distance watched him pass through without startling and running away. He hadn't even spared them a glance- as a lone wolf, he knew better than to waste his energy chasing the sort of prey that required a full hunting party. 

A ridge of smaller mountains stood in his path, and he wouldn't have thought twice about simply crossing through- he was nimblefooted enough that he considered mountains of this size to be little more than a mere jaunt- but he could smell wolves, and spotted what he believed was a scent marker. He sniffed at it, and huffed softly. At this point, he had lost sight of the lone peak he sought- and faced what he believed were the borders of a pack, even if it didn't smell to him as though they had more than a couple guardians. So began to pick his way along the base of the mountain range, hoping he might be able to slinge around the borders, and find his way toward the mountain where he believed he might find the fallen star.

Tag for reference!

A white figure moved, away from the ulaq, and Sialuk tensed. Could it be anybody they knew? She reached into her memories, trying to pull the faces that she had known both on the spear and in the glen. She felt like the faces of the spear and glen wolves were fading already. The raindrop was so accustomed to seeing them each day, greeting them with a howl in the morning and with soft touches throughout the day. She did not know them, but she reminded herself that there was no taataa or brataa to enforce the home she had made for herself and her mother.

So down she went, saying a soft, I will be careful, to @Kukutux before she made her way to the edge of their small claim. She did not call for him, but merely observed, ensuring that he obeyed the boundaries she had put up around the ulaq.

the next sunrise would mark five since the great light had come to bathe moonspear in destruction. kukutux had grown stronger upon the meat brought by sialuk, by norah. and by raimo, though she was too wary of him to think gratefully at every time. it felt he meant to take something from them when the time had ripened as if it were rich berries.

she looked upon moonspear. how long had her own anaa said someone must be gone before they were lost? but it had not even been a hand of days. her husband gathered more of moonspear. hydra was dead, she knew somehow. jarilo would come for she and for sialuk when he had found where they resided.

then why does he not answer?

she limped a short ways from the ulaq. her own smell had become too rancid, her pale fur too filthy to allow any longer. affected as her movements were, the duck rolled in an untouched mound of white, seeking desperately to clean some of the tragedy from her pelt.

movement. how close had she come to the borders set by sialuk? the woman looked up, jade eyes searching as snow tumbled from her shoulders. her daughter's willow frame was in the distance. she watched silently.

He had every intention of passing by without drawing attention to himself- but when he caught a scent that was fresh and close, he paused, lifting his nose to scent the air with the calm, careful motions of a great polar bear. With a demure gaze he cast a glance around until he spotted what at first looked like a snowdrift, until he focused in on it. Lissome and slim, the wolf couldn't have been more than a yearling, if she was even that. She had a watchful look about her, but he didn't sense any hostility. So he paused in his travel, and huffed a soft breath. 

He met her gaze for a moment, and then looked to see if there were others. He wouldn't want to find himself surrounded, as he wasn't interested in spending energy in a useless fight. So he dipped his head to show deference, even if she was only a young thing. For all he knew, she could have been the daughter of a warlord- and he had absolutely no intention of disrespecting her parents.

The wind carried the scent to her. Another man. It was as if anaa and she had cast out a call to the lands far beyond. The call had been louder than she had wished. This was now three strange men who had come to them to the three women who knew one another, even if she did not know Norah that well. Had the strange storm taken all of the men of the spear? The thought struck her hard, wishing it to be untrue.

He paused, and Sialuk knew she had been spotted. It was better to approach him than the other way around, so she made her way toward him. I greet you, she said, trying to keep her mind open, but wary of his presence. He was large, and it would be unwise to risk her body against his own.

When she began to move toward him, he remained where he was, still wary of the boundaries he believed that existed between them. He didn't believe he was being impolite by remaining where he was; had they been on neutral territories, he likely would have crossed the distance to greet her as well, but he felt it was best to be respectful of her boundaries and remain where he was. She had a fluid grace to her movements, indicating that she was relaxed enough to be peaceful. It was an indication possibly of good breeding, and potentially of a confidence she had from being backed by a strong pack. He felt it was best to yield to her, regardless what her reasons were for being this comfortable when confronted by a stranger who outweighed her by a considerable amount. 

Nevertheless- he was by nature a gentle soul, and his posture remained softened as she drew nearer. He felt he had no reason to fear her; she made no sudden movements. They were simply two snowflakes, falling lazily through the sky together. He heard the gentle chime of her voice, and bowed his head in acknowledgement. He felt that while she wasn't necessarily welcoming him, she did indicate that his presence was in the very least being tolerated. "I greet you," He responded, hoping that it might appease her to be addressed with a formality she had already established. "I am Adrastus Icarus Baptiste; I am travelling in search of the star that fell." His gaze roved past her for a moment- before it returned to settle calmly below her sunrise gaze. "Did you see it?" He asked.

He mimicked her salutation, introduced himself, and explained that he sought a star that had fallen. Sialuk did not at first understand what he meant, but the realization made her stomach drop. The strange storm, she whispered to herself in anaa's words. It tore at her that this strange wolf would seek out the thing that had destroyed her home, but he could not have known that. Unless he was the one who had sent the star to fall... but then, he would know where it had landed.

Sialuk glanced over to the spear as long as she could stand to do so. Looking at it reminded her that taataa and brataa had not found them yet. Had their spirits joined the dancing lights?

It struck the mountain, there, she said. Pieces of it fell to the forest below. Sialuk did not mention her association with the place, and she took care not to let her voice waiver. She could not show weakness to this man, lest he be untrustworthy.

Her reply was informative, but he was somewhat curious to see that she did not seem to be enthusiastic about this topic of the falling star. Perhaps it was something she had seen before, or perhaps it had effected her so little that it was simply another natural phenomenon- akin to rain or snow- that deserved little attention. He mused, then, that perhaps the fallen star was a much bigger deal to him than it was to her. "Is the mountain claimed?" He asked, then. He was not interested in trespassing on a pack's territory, but it would also be a shame to have come this far, only to find out he would not be able to search for the fallen star because of all places, it had landed in a pack's territory.

Is the mountain claimed? That was a harder question to answer. All her life, her blood kin had protected the spear. To say it was not claimed was to say that her father and uncle no longer lived. Their fate was not yet known, so she could not say. If they survived, it would be they who took aunt Hydra's place. It was they who would make the decision whether or not to permanently relocate. She could not know.

If any survive, my blood kin claim it. My mother says dear aunt met her death there, and she was our leader. But my father, Jarilo, and my uncle, Dirge, may yet still be there, not sure where to find us even though we have called for them endlessly.

It was still five days until they would stop calling and change to singing the songs of death. Those were songs Sialuk did not wish to learn so soon.

With dutiful poignance, the young lady informed him that the mountain was potentially claimed- though there was a possibility that those heirs had been buried beneath whatever destruction the falling star had caused. Immediately, he dipped his head and dropped his gaze. 

"My apologies," he blurted. He felt shame, knowing he had set his sights on exploring a place that was formerly her homeland, which was now potentially a gravesite. Still- he wished to find the star, and yearned to see it for himself...But perhaps a compromise could be found.

"I offer my help- in searching for your family members. I come from mountains to the North, and I have no fear in exploring another," He explained. "With your permission, of course...I would search for them, while I search for the star."

He offered his body to help, and Sialuk thought of Raimo. He seemed to slip himself into every thought. She did not like this about him. He asked also for permission to search, and he would search also for the star that had brought the strange storm to the spear.

In three days, I will catch a meal for you so that I might repay your kindness, she said. She could not promise a great meal, but stashing away one days from now was not a terrible ask of her. And if he did not return, she would owe nothing. If you find them, tell them Sialuk—this is me—and Kukutux survive on the ring of mountains. In three days, they would know whether or not to sing the death songs.

She offered him food in exchange for his service, and he nodded. He would agree to that; he was not one to turn down what he believed to be a fair trade, nor was he one to turn down a meal when it was offered. She revealed that there were only two present- herself and one called Kukutux- which made him optimistic that surely, there would be enough others wandering the area that he might perhaps find another one of them. He didn't need any more information- he would simply search for all other wolves upon the mountain, and surely if they were one of the ones he was meant to find, they would know the names Sialuk and Kukutux.

"Three days. I will search," He said, and gave her a solemn nod. Knowing that the pack had been fractured by the landslide, he wouldn't have to worry, necessarily, about territorial wolves patrolling the borders. And if he did find any, he felt certain he could use the names he'd been given to bargain for safe passage. He turned, then, and would continue on his journey toward the mountain, in search of the fallen star and any of its victims.

Last from me; feel free to archive. <3
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Adrastus turned to leave, the white bear, and Sialuk watched him go toward her home. On the third day, she would find him a meal. On the third day, he would return with or without news of taataa and brataa. For a moment longer she stood, watching him bob toward the spear, until she pulled herself away and back to the duties that were required of her here.