Dawnlark Plains lvi. ‘cause all that remains

im officially back y’all — recovery time has passed! I’ll be getting caught up in the next few days but this particular thread is to explain what Lótë’s been up to with Wil since she disappeared from MG. :) I’m not sure what date would work best but this is set for some time between Nov. 17-19ish? Whatever works best for everybody’s timelines. @Kukutux @Aiolos @Sialuk (also any other MG members who might be traveling with the pack are welcome too: @Shikoba @Kigipigak @Foxfur @Inutsuk @Nyra (really looking forward to threading with you once again btw! <3) @Xynos @War @Kausiut @Samani. gonna be vague about her injuries since I’ve not had a chance to start that thread yet but Lótë has been attacked by a bear and will have several deep gouges on her left haunch. After being attacked in the Sunspire area, she would have fled north to make her way around the mountains back to MG’s territory.

aiwë had flown too far from her nest.

the loss of one child had wrent her soul into a mangled mess of infectious terror, bleeding into every thought with the inescapable grip of paralysis. the second had driven her from the embrace of ouroboros and the village, even from the nestlings that had remained in their clan’s circle. 

pale specters haunted her peripherals, ghosts that went shunned. the spiritbear was not truly there, the exhausted fragment of her mind rationalized even if to look upon the mirage directly still struck her heart with a dagger of petrifaction. they whispered of inkalorë as they danced in her line of sight, of how the white tupilak had stolen the precious little ones he so scorned. lótë would not have put it beyond the reach of horrible deeds he could commit. 

”come, butterfly,” the cloudberry rasped falteringly to the child she had recovered, though she could not bend to bump her chin to wilwarin’s shoulder as she might have wished. it took all effort to remain on her feet — the three that remained steady. she did not wish to look back at what hindered the fourth; it was an all too frightening reminder that they may not make it home. 

”we will find the little creatures — those whom the great spirit have called to sleep in winter’s arms. they will fill our bellies,” she continued on in the tongue of the land named starward. it seemed a great thing to shape the words with her tongue. 

an even greater concentration of will to paw clumsily through one of the many diminutive dunes of snow that blanketed the wide expanse of the field in search of hibernating game. lótë feared to stop. she feared she would not rise again. each time, it grew harder as the hot, tight skin of her left flank swelled and stretched with the bear’s mark. 

even that too was pushed aside in favor of adrenaline. 

she had failed ink. lómion and vairë  too, for not being there when they needed their mother. she could not fail her youngest daughter too. 

it was with a brave face and forced smile that mother dove smothered the pain, a talent she was newly discovering with the trials of the past moon phases, to scour something they might eat before trudging onwards.

They had come to the plains in good time. Kigipigak was thrilled, and tired, and cold, but mostly he forgot himself as he ran across the grass and through the snow, which fell steadily.

He was like a boy again — tempting others with playful chuffs in to a game of tag across the expanse, or visiting with the children that were not his own, or with Kukutux, as he made his rounds of their most recent camp. In another few days they would reach the glacier and their hunting would begin.

It was happenstance that put Kigipigak on the trail of Lote, who had not been searching for her at all, and had been distracted by his own whims moreso than the path she carved across the plain. He had found it easier to run a particular route as he explored; it was one already predetermined by some large animal or a group of them, and his mind was focused on the herd, which he might manage to see if he could climb high enough upon these hills.

As he hiked he found the trail split somewhat, with smaller creatures having taken steps around one larger one, and stopped to finally investigate the trail properly. This was when he found the scent of Lote in earnest, and was surprised, but also invigorated. Aiolos had told him that first hunter had vanished some time ago and then Kukutux had said his wife, Lote, had gone missing with the children.

Kigipigak moved with a more determined force down one hill and along where the path continued, sweeping in an arc across the plain, until he spotted something moving distantly and called out with a brief, sharp howl — something to alert the others, as well as warn the shape of his approach. There was a strong blood scent the closer he got as well as something altogether different: oaken, like a wet forest, and bitter like smoke. The smell of bear.

she could not hear the call for her heart pounded in her ears, louder than the stomp of many paws drumming on the stone terraces of her first home. it was wil who alerted her to the fact that another approached, the child turning and stiffening as she watched the horizon alertly. 

at first, lótë thought him to be another of the white shadows that occasionally flitted in her peripherals — feverish paranoia. but as the form drew closer, her digging forgotten as she squinted against the snow’s glare, and took shape, her peridots widened with clarity and shock. 

”kigi,” she murmured in familiarity when the tribesman was close enough, too sluggish with pain to croak out the entirety of his name. ”i’m very happy to see you,” she grinned despite the throb of her leg and the wisp of her words, honest and utterly relieved to see a recognizable face. 

it was good to be in the wild lands.

there was much to see. already aiolos had shown to her and their daughters the long place of the sea. she remembered it, for she had run away from cry toward the salt. and she had not returned to that forest.

she was suddenly struck by the breadth of all that had happened. the duck found that her kinsman had left the place that moonglow had settled for a rest upon their journey.

ensuring that kausiut, who had fought to walk their whole trail, and samani were in the protection of their kin, kukutux followed. whatever she had expected to scent, it was not the heavy chilling oily smell of bear.

nor was it lótë.

kukutux could not help the strangled cry which broke from her chest; she sped on and past kigipigak, taking the cloudberry woman into her arms with a horrified glance at the burning wounds. wilwarin was with her. "the spirits have led you both back to us," she gasped out.

She saw him. In her surprise her eyes flew wide, then narrowed, and she breathed his name with relief within her voice. Kigipigak had never noticed before how starkly green her eyes were; like new growths in a springtime forest.

She all but fell against him, and Kigipigak braced for it. He looked stunned because he felt stunned—then anxious, smelling the rotblood of her wound and the oilslick of the bear, but he did not move from her.

Kukutux was there suddenly, flanking him. Rounding upon them both. Hugging Lote close which freed Kigipigak from the sudden comforting role he had been thrust in to; he caught his own breath and began to circle them, watching for danger.

in her jubilation at having been accidentally found, lótë didn’t even realize she’d closed the distance between them. nor did she stop to think before pressing herself to the curve of his shoulder. there was a ripple of tension through kigipigak, which made her remember herself.

she shifted to step back, lips already parting to spill some apology or cordiality when another pale being engulfed her in a fierce embrace. kukutux! 

she squeezed her sister close, best as she could, with a burst of bright laughter. at the duck’s words, she glanced down at her daughter — whom had pressed in beside her to receive her own portion of affection. 

”aye. but i did not think they would lead us all here,” she quipped lightly, with a grateful smile. she did not care to question the spirits’ choice; they had survived and found their family again. ”are you hunting?” the botanist’s evergreen gaze moved from kukutux to kigipigak curiously, wondering what had brought them to the taigas.

she kissed wilwarin's soft head, marvelling at how the child had grown. the cloudberry woman's voice was exuberant and filled with relief. "we are moving to winter hunting grounds, following the pannik." she gestured to the grand expanse of land between them now and the edge of the tall and beautiful glacier. "there will be many hooves. we will have much meat to share with duskfire village."

"wintersbane is chieftain there. he is friend to moonglow. we will ask him for a 'yes' to settle nearby."

her eyes could not keep from lótë's wounds. "we searched all paths beside moonglow. i had fear in me that —" but she bit her lip and told herself it did not matter. "you are here with us now. come. we will bring you to rest."

Aiolos had remained vigilant. He was in open and unknown territory now, with winter's approach, his twins to keep eye on, the newest three members he didn't trust and still searching for those which were lost. The Sun Man's attention was pulled in many directions though the bonding of traveling together as a whole had even great for the village of Moonglow.

Aiolos would not be far from his wife. Now, from either of them. He came to Kigipigak's alert, to see Lote against him, to see Kukutux sprinting forward and to her. Aiolos trotted on, a stark red flame in the new snows. He woofs, sounding his approach until he could become closer near.

There she was and to her side, their missing child. Aiolos breathes deep, revealed, though his second mate had not gone unscathed. She is presented with a new scarring, a large and nasty one to her flank. Aiolos knew quick that it was not their former First Hunter which had kept her from them all. A cougar, a bear? Lote was but a tiny woman and had yet survived these odds all the same. Now, both his mates bore scarring, just as he and be smiled at the strength which they held to survive.

Bless the Goddesses! He proclaims, tail at wide waves behind him. As he draws nearer, he listens to Kukutux explanation, his ginger ears folding and he comes to stand at Lote's open side and to nose her shoulder. He'd press to her side, to encourage her to lean against him for support. We were so very worried... He breathes and though he stands near Lote, his eyes look over their young deeply, to see to it that the pup is well.

I'll pull Kigipigak here, he can be referenced in the background patrolling around them!

The women spoke with exasperated, happy voices. Tears oiled the corners of their faces. Kigipigak drew away to properly scout the path Lote had followed, and paused when Aiolos came. He looked bear-like for a moment and that sent Kigipigak bristling until he recognized the aureate fur of the sun-man, and heard his voice.

With the two of them there to protect the women he felt more at-ease, but still alert in case there was danger. Silently he moved around them so that they could have privacy in this moment, serving as a scout and guardian, which was only right. He felt more like himself when engaged in such actions — proudly Tartok.

There was no sign of bear aside from the lingering defilement of Lote, the stench which carried upon her and her child. Kigipigak would not return to the gathered wolves until called, and even then, it would be to escort alongside them in guarded silence.

gonna fade this, please PM me if we should reopen! <3

there would be time for much rejoicing.

the cloudberry woman would be borne back between the efforts of sun man, moonwoman, and winterhawk.

she would give meat to her sister and to wilwarin as soon as they had settled once more in the valley.

and she would begin her search for medicine.

moonglow was given a blessing to see these two once more.