Firefly Glen tough love

Heading home from her brief visit to Sapphique, Sialuk rolled her shoulders back as she neared the spear. She was eager to get back and check in on Acrux again, to make sure that Maggak was okay, and to spend time with Elentari, and perhaps Talisman as well. The latter she barely knew, and she wished to learn more as the next two months wore on. She would also make a path to Brecheliant in the coming days to find Killdeer, to invite him to the spear should he wish to spend more time there.

Now, as the sun hung heavy overhead, Sialuk stopped to drink from a bubbling brook.

Dwin had sensed that Maia had her reservations about the Moonpacks, but there had not been an occasion to ask, why it was so. Had it been of great importance, the young Blackthorn felt sure that Brecheliant would know all of the facts, but in the absence of them they could simply hold a neutral attitude. That balance had been upset few weeks ago, when of their own had attacked a child of theirs. Ever since the incident there had been no sightings of Anathema and there had been no news from the pack that the victim belonged to either. Which was good in a way, because - surely - had he died, Alaric would be howling his head off at Brecheliant's doorstep again. 

However, when she spotted a white she-wolf with the Moonspear scent thick in her coat, near a creek, where she herself had decided to take a drink, she decided to approach the other, alerting with a quiet chuff.

Sialuk's ears perked up and she lifted her head from the brook to see a young woman heading her way. Perhaps not so much younger than herself, though without the telltale curves of motherhood molding her outline. As she drew near, Sialuk recognized the smell of village Brecheliant on the other woman's coat and relaxed further. She did not match the description given to Acrux's attacker, and so there was no reason to worry.

This woman greets you. You are from Brecheliant, yes?

"Good-day to you too," Dwin replied, dipping her muzzle politely and thus hiding a smile at the way the woman spoke. Moon-pack dwellers were odd folk, indeed. "I am from Brecheliant, our Auspex's daughter Dwin," for a moment she wondered, if she should use her full name to make herself sound more important than she actually was. But she realized that the woman probably would not care whether she was a Dwin or a Ceridwen. 

"How is your kid doing?" she asked next. "I am sorry to say that up until this very day we have not been able to find the girl, who attacked him," she told.

*crawls out from under a rock*

Dwin. A short, simple name, and one easy to remember. She was quick to introduce herself as the daughter of the Auspex, following that up with an update on the girl who had attacked Acrux. Sialuk's fur ruffled involuntarily at the mention of it, but it was in no way directed at the girl in front of her.

Acrux is healing, she assured young Dwin. Did you know the girl? It would be curious to find somebody who knew her well. Perhaps it would lead to some insight on why she had attacked her son and whether or not it was likely to happen again. It seemed so strange for somebody to go after sweet Acrux. The boy did not have a mean bone in his body as far as Sialuk could tell.

"No, not really," Dwin shook her head. They had had a chance meeting between one another, but the girl had mostly kept to herself and clung to Ponyboy like a thistle head to the fur. Had she had an impression that the girl had any sense of humour, she would have joked about it a bit. She was very tempted to say something more about her. Express her distrust of the girl and, how she did not consider her being part of Brecheliant family at all, but did not. Maia's words still resonated within her - Moonspear would not be the one to tell them, who to judge and how. She looked the woman in the eye, wondering, what was it exactly in this woman that her mother so despised, and did not see anything obvious. She averted her gaze, thinking that it was not really fair that parents placed the burden of old family feuds on the shoulders of their children. 

"One of our children met her in the wilds - all on her own - and with her being very young at the time, our leaders offered her a home for winter," she told. "I do not know her whole story and I don't think that she revealed it to anyone else either."

Ceridwen's gaze was laser-focused for a moment, and Sialuk wondered what questions lay behind those eyes. She would not ask, of course, but perhaps she could inquire the bones at a later time. The story of the girl who had attacked Acrux was not one Sialuk had expected. Then again, she had not know what to expect of a girl who would attack with no cause. She must have been troubled if she had been alone so young.

Some things will never be known, she said with a heavy sigh. So long as her son was safe, that was what mattered most. She did not wish to dwell on the topic any longer than needed, so she set her sights to happier things.

Will Brecheliant welcome more children this year? she asked. Sialuk could not be certain, but even Ceridwen seemed to be of an age where she could, if she wished to do so. She had met two of their children—rather briefly—from last year, though she was forgetful of their names. Friends of Seal's, come to see their friend for a playdate.

Either Sialuk was very bad with keeping a conversation going or traditions in moon-packs permitted to ask such tactless questions to those, who did not belong to their franchise. Dwin's expression spoke first of surprise followed by a brief - are you serious?! - which returned back to being neutral and polite again. 

"Gods work in mysterious ways," she replied and smiled pleasantly, simultaneously thinking that it was none of the woman's god-damn business. "I don't think that you can plan such a thing, really. You may want to, of course, but in the end it is up to the gods to grant you that wish. Be it children or anything else," she explained. 

"Will gods look favourably on Moonspear and their sister-packs this season?" she asked.

Sialuk remained unaware of her faux pax, rather used to speaking of plans to have children among the other villages. It was a thing often met with great happiness and hope. Ceridwen's response was curious, though Sialuk knew there were different ideas about when and how children came about. Planning had always been part of the excitement for her, after all.

I do hope so, she said with a soft smile. Considering she had given children to the village last year, there was no reason to think that she might not this year. Maggak and Acrux had been wonderful gifts, and Sialuk did not think having more children would be anything but a good thing.

"Well, may that come to a fruitition then," Dwin replied with a kind smile, but realizing as she said this that she was not entirely truthful. In regards of Dee. Who was also a moon-pack member. Who was getting married. And who would have children of her own this year too. Maybe. For her sister's sake she wished that she would get her dream fulfilled. But a small selfish voice in her heart hope that this would not happen. Her sister was so far away already, living a life that was so vastly different from Dwin's. With children in the equation, she would be even further. 

"We will keep you updated, if there are any news," she told then, snapping out of the earlier train of thoughts. "I wish that your boy heals soon," and with that she excused herself and was returning home. 

ty for the thread!

Long days and pleasant nights, Ceridwen, Sialuk said, watching as the younger woman slipped away toward her own village. She took another long drink from the brook before making her own path away toward Moonspear. Along the way, she would think of the girl who had hurt Acrux, wondering what had led her to do so.