Ouroboros Spine aliitchuk ⌖

open to all!

welcome, lovelies ≢

 

moonwoman carried a bundle of skins up from the lake. she had staked them there with stones for scraping, and now bore them back to the ulax to further strip and cure.

a sharp pain jarred through kukutux. she dropped her bundle; it fell to the ground. breathing now, eyes fixed onto the earth. it was time. she did not call for anyone; the duck took gentle steps, inhaling each time. but as she grew close, she called softly for @Aiolos, @Sialuk, for @Samani, for @Shikoba, for Lótë (@Wilwarin).

their children would be welcomed in the ulaq if they wished. birth was a portion of the cycle shared between all living things. the pain came again, and more harshly this time. moonwoman felt her throat tighten with a low grunt.

she did not bed down, not yet. kukutux began to pace, seeking the support of one wolf or another. the anguish grew harsher and moreso; time began to blur and to wind into a twisting maze. but her body remembered these steps, and so the duck remained afloat the black river of pain rather than sinking beneath it.

eventually she did seek the shelter of the den, curling herself against the furs as she closed her eyes and panted.

this birth is different, daughter.

the spirits of your husband's world have come to stand close.

they have brought with them salt and words from the ocean.

kukutux gave a strangled cry. the walls of the ulaq seemed to close upon her, and then it seemed as if they had opened, falling away to show her the expanse of land around the spine. snow melted. patches of green filled the world.

i have not yet walked here before.

her body contracted; she caught her breath in a long and low wail, and brought @@Callyope to first breath above the dark surface. light splintered the air and kukutux found herself anaa again, lowering muzzle to clean the daughter and bring her close. she bore her mother's pale coat, but there was a promise of hues to come.

@Ariadne followed in close succession, almost as if she could not be kept far from her sister. her coloration was similar save for markings like the inner wood of a coastal tree. if eyes looked upon her now, moonwoman was unaware. she gazed at the two little ones which had sprung from her body, and believed that this was the end of her travails.

twice she had borne two.

but this time her body moved again, and kukutux looked away from her daughters in surprise. the sea roiled and she parted her jaws for breath, arching against the furs of the sleeping place. but just as the agony heightened, vibrating into the very arch of her pelvis, a third child moved into the loving welcome of moonglow.

sun man had given moonwoman his spirit, and this child, @Stratos, carried this in his pelt, which already was the fierce color of sunset. a son. she placed him alongside ariadne and embraced them all for a moment. kukutux was wrung out, drained of energy, but delight limned every inch of her frame as she softly kissed each of the downy heads.

Callyope was a mimick.

To greet the world the way her mother greeted her, the sharp sound a babe's first cries as she repeated the long low wail her mother had summoned her from.

But it was short lived.

These moments would be her loudest in life as she fell into content silence. Mouth too full of sweet nectar to cry any longer. Body warming once more at the side of her mother and tucked along sister.

By the time brother arrived, she was drunk on the nectar. Prepared to settle into slumber alongside sister. Only to feel gentle jostles of her mother, sounds that were nothing more than vibrations to the deaf newborn.

Briefly, she squirmed, before she settled once more.

Mimicking the comforted silence in these post-birth moments.

Wilwarin did not enter. She feared for her stepmother but this was new territory, unknown to the pallid youth. She had grown familiar with the ways of women as her mother and Shikoba's sides grew and the children within them prospered. But the cries of agony and childbirth were a shock. She had faced a bear but could not face her fear of what lay within. 

Instead, the butterfly flitted to stand vigil outside Anaa's den -- ears pricking curiously to hear the mewling of her new siblings. 

As it may have been an unlikely occurrence, Ariadne was a quiet whelp. Any whines that may have escaped were hushed. But, for the most part, she saw no use of her sound. She only wished to hear those around her.

Rather than seeking the breasts of her mother so soon, a puny, keen nose swept about the nearest of her surroundings. 

First, the scent of her mother. Then her sister. And finally, her brother. 

Ariadne wiggled about until she'd had the chance to feel each of them. Both sister and brother were similar to herself, newly born and reeking a waft of former labor.

The warmth and honey-like sweetness of milk then flooded her senses. It was a tempting call, and one she intended to answer swiftly.

Making her way nearer the tits of her mother, the ginger pup nestled in alongside the body of her sister who had already begun to feast. A momentous occasion for them. It would only be right to celebrate. She would do so until full, drinking up until not another drop could be consumed.  

Soon thereafter, sleep would consume her. As much so as it could be, the newly born would press tightly against both mother and litter-mates, keen for their warmth.

Like lightning, the firebrand came.

Like thunder to follow, he wailed once and wailed again, until in this short time already proved himself to be the loudest of the three.

Stratos felt the jostle of others around him, primarily the poking of his sisters as they either greeted the world or settled against their mother to suckle. The scent of milk filled the whole of his puppy-sized nose, and with his puppy sized brain fixed foremost on feeding and quite possibly sleeping, Stratos decided it was about high time to scoot his puppy-sized self right into place alongside his sisters, who had already gobbled up more drink than he'd even yet had the chance to taste.

And this was quickly amended.

Hope this is alright! <3

It was the cries that brought Qadira to the birthing den. She didn't enter, smelling the scents of birth, but instead moved to stand guard nearby, giving Wilwarin a bow of her head. She rumbled quietly to Kukutux, "My Lady. I am here to guard you and your children, until others arrive." Or longer, if asked - her duty to the moonwolves had just grown substantially with the addition of new life. To Wilwarin, she gave a gentle smile, hoping to ease the tension.

Lótë hurried to moonwoman's den, heart pounding with excitement and fear -- anything could happen during delivery. The cloudberry was reassured by the fact that this was the Nuiruk's third litter, she was an experienced mother and the spirits watched over their clan. 

Wilwarin and Qadira lingered outside the ulaq when she arrived. The cloudberry offered her village sister a smile before turning to her youngest daughter. "Come. Do not be afraid. You will be a member of the women's circle soon. Our place is with Kukutux, to protect the spirits of the new children." She nuzzled her daughter's ears in encouragement, hoping her presence would be enough to lay the fledgling's nerves to rest. It would be good for her child to see what went into becoming a mother, should she ever decide to whelp her own cubs. 

She chirped a low greeting to the matchmaker, requesting entrance before slipping inside with Wilwarin. "They're beautiful, Kukutux. Absolutely beautiful," she murmured in congratulations, tail swishing in joy as her eyes pricked with the salt of tears. More daughters and a son to add to the growing hearth of moonwoman and sunman. 

"Is there anything you need?" She asked softly, moving to settle just inside the entrance of the den with Wil, prepared to keep vigil over the new souls as had become the way of Moonglow. 

They were all busy wolves, but they were welcoming tasks. His wives off and on hunted and made skins of their kills teaching the children who wished to learn it. In-between, Kukutux might greet newcomers and Lote would paint the rocks and trees of their home, marking the territory uniquely as their own. Shikoba and her mate guarded, Sialuk readied her remedies for birth to come. Aiolos fished often and guarded the den sites.The newest members filled wherever was lacking. Everyone shared the burdens, everyone had a place. They were whole.

Aiolos only wished Kausiut had stayed long enough to see the birth of her youngest siblings.They were coming now.

Kukutux call was an odd one as he heard it from under the waters. He lived his head from the shallows of the lake and bounded out from it. He shook his coat and made way quickly towards their denning.

He had seen Kukutux rounded with children three times now, though he was not there for Sialuk and her brother's birth. Still, Aiolos' worry was not faded with time and experience. He paced too, same as she and he quietly prayed to the Goddess Moon, to Mother Sea, that their light and waters wash over Kukutux- cleanse her, guide her.

Aiolos peeks within. He is the witness of two daughters, this which he is happy for- one pale and creamy, one similar but with undertones of sand and wood, colors which would come fuller as she aged. They are mostly quiet and calm, settling into their new place in the world easily. He, too, believes this to be the ending of Kukutux pain. A third time of two healthy children. Two more young girls to grow to strong and proud women of Moonglow.

He thought back to his younger days, when he would daydream as he thought of what he would name his children, should he the right to. What he would name his daughters- his sons, should they be spared. Names with words of Greek.

Then, Kukutux cried out again. Aiolos nearly jumps from this, so unexpected. He moves into the den now and comes around to the back of the den, along Kukutux backside as she lay. What was happening? He whines, Kukutux cries and their sounds are then joined with a new voice- the loudest of them, demanding their attention with vocals and a blazing coat of red. Both Kukutux and Aiolos single son they had before now lost to them, the Goddesses sought it fitting to bless them with one they'd created together.

Aiolos whines now one of joy, his tail thumping the den floor.

three at her side.

kukutux scented qadira outside and was grateful for their guardian.

lótë next. the duck lifted her muzzle for her sister's touches. she wished fervently in that moment that both she and the paintwolf could lie side by side in this time, giving milk to the children of one another.

but it was not to be.

and she had made her peace.

wilwarin was given a grin. kukutux shifted so the three could more easily be seen for a moment, then lay her tail across them. "shikoba." her voice was tired but insistent. "she is ... close. be with her, sister."

aiolos. kukutux leaned against him, eyes closing gently. she did not speak; she only drew strength from her sun man as their children drew their own from her body.

Not two, as she and brataa had been. Not two, as Samani and Kausuit had been. This time, a third came with their siblings, and Sialuk peered at him with wonder just as she had at the first two of her new siblings. He was bright like the color of Aiolos. She breathed in their scents and licked anaa’s forehead.

No words were needed now. Everyone was safe, and now they would grow.

cameo! and slight pp of inutsuk (can change if needed) 

she had been fast asleep during this entire event, the warmth of the furs and the body of her husband next to her was enough to let the woman doze peacefully without any terrible nightmares.

though when she hears the call, the woman is there to stir and nudge inutsuk awake to the best of her ability. a whisper to him.

"kukutux calls for shikoba. go and answer. she may need help." while the first hunter wanted to join the duck in her time of breathing life into the newest generation of Moonglow, the sivullik found her swollen stomach to be too overbearing for her to try and get up.

hopefully, there would be little resistance from her husband, though if his doting nature tries to argue with her, shikoba would provide him enough of a push on his rump with her nose to send him the signal that she would be fine sleeping and resting while he picked up her duties for her.

This is the last from Qadira <3

Others arrived with speed, and Qadira greeted each one with a nod and a small smile; she was happy for this new life, happy to have to chance to guard and protect them. Even so, once Aiolos arrived, she knew she was no longer needed. Bowing to the Sunman, she would then turn to leave, so that the family could enjoy their time without her presence.

pping Wilwarin but last post from Wil/Lótë :)

Lótë dipped her head in understanding, casting her sister and newest stepchildren a last glance -- assuring herself that everything was alright -- before backing out of the ulaq and making room for Aiolos and Wil to keep vigil over their growing family. A last sweep of her gaze over her daughter revealed that the pale youth seemed to have forgotten her fear of moonwoman's pain, the girl's honeyed gaze one of adoration now. 

Relieved that everything seemed to be going well, the cloudberry broke into a steady lope -- likely bound to cross Inutsuk's path humorously -- to go check on Shikoba.