Nimbus Summit flown beneath the wings of little birds

spring was in the air. antha felt a familiar restless stirring in her bones, a surge of energy that lightened her steps as she sought @Lane. though the upcoming arrival of her own season was heavy on her mind, the witch meant to discuss the other women of the village. the preparations that would need to be made. lane, being a medic and the feminine presence in their leadership, was the natural choice for this discussion. antha hoped that this might also be an opportunity to grow closer to the woman; she saw the promise of sisterhood in lane as much as she saw it in wayfarer.

Lane had been alpha long enough now to be able to tell when someone was tracking her down. She noticed Antha approaching with that familiar on-a-mission look about her, and she stopped to turn toward the woman. She wagged her tail invitingly. "Hi, Antha. Looking for me?" Come to think of it, she'd been meaning to speak to her and Tessa about something...

lane was not difficult to find; one of the hallmarks of a good leader, in antha's mind. she smiled and dipped her head as the fellow medic greeted her. hello lane. i was, actually — there's something i'd like to discuss. but first, how have you been? i hope peace has found you now that our journey has ended, the matter of preparations could wait a moment. for the blackwood witch, the well-being of those currently living would always come before whatever lives were yet to come into being.

"Okay," Lane agreed to hear out Antha, tail wagging. The golden woman asked how she was doing, which was kind of her. 

"I'm not sure about peace, but at least I'm well fed," Lane joked. As much as she had wanted the Summit to be a place of tranquility and bliss, somewhere in the back of her mind she had known there would always be stress, always tricky situations to navigate and impossible decisions to make. It was the life of an alpha. 

"Are you and Tessa settling in alright?" Lane returned the question.

a hint of a frown tugged at the witch's features as lane spoke, implying that trouble had already found them at nimbus summit. antha found some small comfort in the easy way the alpha moved on from the statement; perhaps it was nothing serious.

we are, thank you. there's much to be done, and never a dull moment. i've dedicated my time to mapping the territory around our summit, and tessa has already begun the early stages of preparations for spring, with any luck, atautsikut would be ready to nurture children by the time the flowers saw full bloom. which is actually what i meant to discuss with you. but if misfortune has found atautsikut again... should we have this conversation another time?

the question was genuine, her gaze slightly imploring; lane would know the answer far better than she would. was now a bad time?

Lane shook her head. If whatever was on Antha's mind was  important enough for the gilded healer to track her down, despite being so busy, then Lane wanted to know it. 

"Spring will come, no matter how much misfortune we encounter. We should be prepared for it. I'd like to hear your thoughts, and we can circle back to Atautsikut's woes later." Lane lifted a brow in amusement, which was pretty much her default expression. Antha would find that Lane rarely wore a serious face, even when discussing serious matters.

this is the valley she's referring to, i've been referencing it as a secluded little area with a stone arch entrance toward the eastern end (further into the territory)

her approach was more sensible than antha had expected; in her experience, leaders often felt more comfortable controlling the situation than accepting that life might have its own plans. it would take time to get used to the reality of atautsikut's leadership style; these wolves were cut from a different cloth altogether. the gilded witch nodded her assent, her approval clear in her expression.

in my homeland, child-bearing women have arlathans. spaces made safe and beautiful in preparation for spring, so their children will have a place to flourish. the name means 'place of love'. they are made to accommodate all lifestyles, with both communal and private areas. medics and midwives are welcome to reside in the arlathan as well. and women who do not desire children are welcome to utilize the space for safety during their heat. i would like to create an arlathan for atautsikut, a shy smile crossed her features briefly as she confessed her desire. and i would like to invite the women of atautsikut to participate in this endeavor. i have a place in mind... have you been to the small valley at the southwestern end of the mountain? there is only one entrance to it. i would like to make it into a garden, perhaps fortify the entrance with ferns and stones.

Antha painted a sweet picture, and Lane smiled. "We had something similar at the glacier, inside the central caves. It was extremely helpful to me, as one of the mothers myself. We will make the southwestern valley our arlathan. I would like to help, and I know @Imaq and @Calida would too." Lane expected the same of @Taktuq, but she did not know the young woman well enough to speak for her.

"Just one thing though-- the fathers will need to be allowed inside. Our pack has traditionally had very involved fathers," Lane noted, thinking of @Rye. When Antha had described the artlathan, Lane hadn't gotten a good sense of whether or not men were ever permitted within the boundaries. If not, Atautsikut's arlathan would just have to be different. Atautsikut translated to all together, and Lane meant to make sure they lived up to that name.

lane's agreement was immediate and effortless; unexpectedly, she had experience with such things. perhaps antha's own ideas were not so outlandish, then. even in these lands, it seemed, women needed their own space. but it would be different, as the witch had predicted. that much became clear as lane went on.

men have never been barred from arlathans, antha reassured the alpha with a gentle smile. the men of her homeland would never accept such a decree. in my homeland, they simply chose not to visit. but it's clear the men of these lands are different, and for that i'm grateful.

i confess, i have yet to meet imaq or calida, she gave an apologetic dip of her head. perhaps you could introduce us when you have the time? i will bring tessa, and we can use the opportunity to begin planning our renovations to the valley.

Lane wagged her tail, glad that her words could reassure Antha about the strong character of the Atautsikut men. Lane was no matchmaker-- she would leave that responsibility to Kukutux-- but she did wonder if Antha or her sister might show an interest in Issoratuyok. He had been looking a long time for his match, and he deserved a strong pairing with someone like Antha, who clearly had a gentle nature and steady heart. 

"They haven't made it to the Summit yet, but I'll introduce you as soon an they arrive," Lane promised, speaking of Imaq and Calida. Imaq would be travelling slowly, as both she and her son were physically disabled. And Calida had been delayed in leaving the Glacier, hoping to locate her lost friend before departing the Taiga. 

"Sounds like a plan." Lane smiled her characteristic half-smile. 

A thought crossed her mind. "If you have a moment, I'd like to show you the caves beneath the mountain. I've found a path that leads to an underground hot spring, which I thought might interest you." As Lane had learned from Kukutux, there were all manner of medications that could be brewed with access to hot water. 

Lane would lead her new friend away, and they would continue to chat about their plans as they made their way toward Lane's discovery. 

Going to fade this for us, but would love a new one at any point!