Moonspear where'd you go

Everything had been alright on Moonspear. Nikai did long for a family of his own, but it hadn't happened this year. He wasn't quite sure why. Did Alya fear becoming a mother? Did she fear losing her life and her freedom? She'd always said... She'd always said that wherever they went, their children would simply come with. But now things seemed to be different, ever since they had returned to Moonspear. Their stay had become permanent and it seemed that Alya's bond with her sisters had grown stronger.

It wasn't that their relationship was bad; Nikai enjoyed teaching the many pups of Moonspear and telling them stories, and though their initial deep bond and love had waned, Nikai appreciated the time that he spent with Alya on Moonspear's slopes.

It was a few days now since her scent had suddenly disappeared from the pack and she hadn't sought him out. That wasn't like Alya at all. Nikai wasn't entirely sure why she would leave, and he worried. He felt mildly embarrassed to ask her sisters for her whereabouts -- besides, they might think that he was not taking good care of her, that she might have got hurt, protective as they were -- but there was no other way. Nikai searched for @Hydra and @Dirge first, considering her disappearance concerned his alphas, too, and if anyone knew where she may be it was likeliest Hydra.

Sialuk did not know all of her aunts and uncles equally. She knew Hydra fairly well, Lyra and Alya to some degree, but Yama, Nikai, and Dirge were still mostly shadows in her childhood. As she aged, she found that she wanted to seek them out, to see what it was that made them tick. Not only that, but it seemed like good a social practice to be well-acquainted with her family, even those who tended to linger near the back of the hubbub.

When she happened to run into Nikai, she had a mouth full of charcoal she was transporting back to the ulaq for her mother's medicinal purposes. She had been told it could cure poison, so when she came across the tree struck by lightening, it seemed like a good thing to add to their stores. With cheeks and teeth full of black soot, she pranced up to her uncle, wagging her tail. She dropped the contents of her jaws onto the ground, although her tongue, teeth, and gums were still covered in the black substance, making her into quite a sight (although she could not see this).

She knew better than to mention her uncle's leg (or rather, lack thereof), but she couldn't help but glance at it momentarily. Hello, uncle. Do you want to help me gather more charcoal for anaa? Because surely he wasn't busy, right?

Upon Sialuk'e approach, Nikai wondered what was wrong with her at first; her face seemed to be covered in something dark and he wondered if something was wrong. However, as she put down the charcoal he realised what was going on and he exchanged his cool, internally worried expression for a friendly smile.

She asked if he would help her gather more of it, and he nodded. Of course! What does she use it for? Nikai leaned down to pick up part of her charcoal load, though he paused before picking it up to listen to its intended uses.

Kuku tag for reference! Thought you might enjoy incorporating the discovery of Sialuk's hard work into another post. ;)

He seemed up to the task, and his cheerful reply made Sialuk smile, blackened teeth and all. Her uncle asked what it was for, and Sialuk was quick to respond. It was nice to just know these things, having been born into her mother's work. It helps your stomach when it feels bad, she replied, feeling the grit of it in her teeth. It was only then she realized that there might be some of it stuck there. Hopefully not much! (Spoiler: it was very much.) If you eat something you shouldn't have, it will make it all better. That was the gist of it, anyway.

The Omicron snatched up the other half of the charcoal, unable to talk with her mouth full of it as they went back to the ulaq. Anaa wasn't there, but Sialuk deposited the soft chunks of blackened wood near @Kukutux's other supplies. Nobody else was present at the ulaq, so the raindrop didn't feel inclined to stick around.

I think we could go carry one more mouthful, she said before she realized (with some horror) that the inside of Nikai's mouth was completely covered in soot. That meant that her mouth looked like that, too. And she didn't even have dark fur to help it blend in! Think quick, Sialuk! Or maybe... maybe not.

cameo! <3

sialuk was an industrious and dutiful girl. kukutux heard the voices of her raindrop and the man nikai rising upon the wind. she herself was away, locating sunlight in which she might dry her mouthful of berries. nikai. kukutux knew nothing of him, only that through hydra he too was a relation, a husband to a sister she scarcely knew. perhaps it was good that they knew one another, and she made a thought-notch to seek him out herself when duties allowed.

Oh, that's good to know, Nikai said after she explained what the charcoal was for. He smiled at her and leaned down to pick up part of the charcoal that Sialuk had dropped. That'd make it a bit easier to carry, too, since it seemed she had picked up quite a lot for just one mouth. They moved towards Kukutux' supplies where Nikai followed Sialuk's lead in dropping down the charcoal.

When he saw the expression on her face, Nikai chuckled; he realised that it must be about the grizzly look the charcoal gave. Don't worry, it makes you look cool. Hey, did you know that tonight's the all hallow's eve? Some wolves believe that the spirits of their ancestors show up on this day. Others like to make themselves look scary. I think we're qualifying for the latter use of this day. Nikai winked at her. We might as well go all-in now that we're already on our way. C'mon, where did you say the rest of the charcoal was? He made to leave back in the direction they'd come from with an encouraging wag of his tail, his body making a few awkward hops because of his missing limb as he turned around.

Sialuk wasn't sure she wanted to look "cool." It was not a word she enjoyed for herself. When Nikai spoke of the spirits of their ancestors, though... that was far more intriguing, and she was quick to forget her grotesque appearance. Sialuk wasn't particularly keen on looking "scary" either, but she did remember that her mother had another way of carrying things: skins. Not only would it mean they wouldn't have to look "cool" or "scary," but they could also carry much more that way.

These will make it easier, she sad, slinging two of the pelts over her shoulders, giving her the appearance of wearing a shawl. Once they arrived, they could place the charcoal down, then pull the corners together with their teeth and carry it back. This way would also allow them to talk as they walked there, which Sialuk began to do. Will you tell me more about the spirits? she asked. Having grown up with dozens of myths, she was a sponge for anything that resembled one of anaa's stories.

While 'cool' didn't seem to strike a chord with her, the talk of the spirits of the ancestors sure did. Nikai smacked his lips a few times to try and get rid of the charcoaly taste in his mouth. He didn't care much about how it looked, honestly, which was why he hadn't told Sialuk about it or minded when he offered to carry half of the charcoal, but the taste was dry and bad. It made him want to take a drink. Sialuk had a solution for it though, finding skins among her mother's things that made it easier for them to carry things. Smart, Nikai commented as they set out again.

During their journey back Sialuk asked to be told more about the spirits, which Nikai was happy to do, considering his interest in telling stories. Of course, I'd love to. Some wolves believe that the spirits of their ancestors dwell among the stars, looking down on them. Some think they are more like particles in the air, always around us even after they have passed. And then there's those who think the spirits of our ancestors live in a far away place where they go after they pass away, unable to visit us except on special days like tonight. What about you? He hoped to figure out what she thought of them, what she believed or maybe wanted to believe, so that he could latch onto that and tell her some more about the spirits, but in the right direction for her.

Warmth spread across her cheeks when her uncle complimented her intelligence. Sialuk was very much a "monkey see, monkey do" type, and she had spent plenty of time watching her mother work. She just happened to be very lucky that her mother was smart, too. Her uncle humored her question, explaining the different thinks that wolves thought about ancestral spirits. It was strange that there were so many different ways that others thought about the dead.

Anaa does not speak of the dead, Sialuk admitted matter-of-factly. Her mother's ancestors, perhaps her whole family, was gone. While Sialuk did not know the whole story, she did know that her mother was born and raised on an island, and something terrible had happened there. Kukutux had survived, and now she was here, wife to taataa.

Do you think there are ancestor spirits here, living on the slopes and in the forests? Sialuk asked. She was vaguely aware that her father and his siblings had been born here, but it wasn't until now that she realized they had once had parents, too. Where were their parents now? Were they dead, like anaa's family? She peered around, as if she might be able to catch a glimpse of one of these dead relatives.

Nikai couldn't help but wonder if it was because Kukutux had bad memories of her family. She had adapted into the Ostrega family so seamlessly; was it, perhaps, because her own family held nothing but pain? He did not know her well enough to ask such things, and he definitely did not want to talk this over with her daughter instead of herself, so he decided to let his curiosities rest.

Sialuk asked if there were ancestor spirits here as well. Nikai nodded at Sialuk's question. Assuming that there are ancestor spirits among us, yes, I should think so. Your grandparents were the ones who founded this pack, a long time ago. They may no longer be with us in person, but they are still with us in other ways. Nikai wasn't sure what he believed himself when it came to spirits. He liked to think those who passed away were still with them in some way, even if they no longer walked among them.

Sialuk now wondered what her grandparents might think of her. And they had founded this place, Moonspear? It was hard to imagine that there was a time when it was claimed by nobody. Her father had lived here his whole life, hadn't he? Sialuk had always assumed so, and the same went for her father's siblings. But then, where had Nikai come from? Was he brought here for aunt Alya to be her ugi? Sialuk realized she didn't know how he had come to be here.

I hope they are, Sialuk said, just as they arrived at the charred, fallen tree. Once there, she laid both pelts flat on the ground and began to pile charcoal on one of them, leaving the other one for Nikai to fill. And once, that was done, they could pull the corners together and carry them back to the ulaq.

I think we can wrap up with your next post if that's cool with you! I love the direction this thread took. <3

yes, i enjoyed it too! :D i'll archive this <3

Sialuk said that she hoped they were, and Nikai smiled softly to himself. He loved working with the youngsters. The wee tiniest babies weren't really his thing, but he definitely did enjoy hanging out with those who were old enough to have their own personality and interests. He was happy he'd run into Sialuk today so they could get to know each other a bit better.

When they reached the charcoal again, Nikai filled the other pelt. Once they were done they pulled the corners together — Nikai had never seen such contraptions, so he let Sialuk instruct him and lead the way on this — so they could carry it back for Sialuk's mother.