Ouroboros Spine The Heart is a resilient creature

Mostly for @Kukutux, but all welcome.

Rodyn carried with him some sea meats and furs. Sea otters, a few gophers, sea lion fat luckily that one had been old and angry and he had been reckless because his chest hurt. He still bore a cut above his eye and one upon his paw from the beast. The one on his paw and leg particularly frustrating. It was deep and kept breaking open the scab. It would surely scar.

He found himself at the edge of the territory and sighed as he howled to let Moonwoman know he was entering her pack lands. And he headed straight for her Ulaq. Normally he would wait by the territory. But these meats were heavy, the furs pressing against his shoulders. His maw ached from carrying and his leg needed rewrapped as it bled freely again.

rodyn came to her, injured.

he was alone, and her heart was sobered to see him. her law-son was not a forceful man; he was a kind man, a wolf of good soul despite the fact that his great wealth entitled him to be whatever he wanted.

did he suffer for this?

he crossed their boundary-lands and she moved to greet him, silently asking to take up some of the salt-smelling delicacies he had brought.

in silence, the duck felt. they would keep it until rodyn spoke.

His feelings upon seeing Kukutux's kind face were two fold. Shame filled him for the injury he bore, for it had been a moment of recklessness of which he usually did not do. And he felt relieved. Because she was constant.

I maybe moving The pack. Another child was stolen. She has been since returned, but she is traumatized. But I grow weary. We are mostly women and children. I do not have many fighters, nor did I ever think we would need them, but.

He sighed and shifted. But also I must speak with the rest. I do not know if the rest will want to leave. Even part of me does not. But two children.l, Moonwoman. Two.

He cleared his throat. I visited Neverwinter Forest. I left gifts, then returned home. I had promised Panuk and Callyope I would help woth moongrove. But these wolves are not moongrove. So I will no more. and that part he left quiet after that. She would know what he meant.

surprise crossed moonwoman's face, followed by a resigned understanding. rodyn had stood alone for moontide in all this time.  "you have made them strong and kept your village safe. no man is able to say he has done more."

her words were meant.

two children. this she understood, but to see rodyn removed from not one but two places he had loved. her sigh was gentle. "where will you go? perhaps i will walk with you, rodyn."

but her eyes said she sensed his pain; they proclaimed her own. "no. they are not sunshine. but i will make them part of us."

Rodyn had done his best. But his best simply wasn't good enough. He couldn't keep the children safe. He hadn't been able to keep Samani safe. He hadn't been able to make Callyope happy in then end. He just was not as good as he strived to be. And he did strive.

Rodyn smiled softly, sadly. This is true. But it is a hard truth to swallow i'm afraid. I am struggling with it. My heart knows that I did my best, that I always do my best. But my head. It argues with me that I could have done, should do better.

He frowned. There is a plateau near the coast, further in the valley. It isn't far. But it is populated with deer and small game. There are many herbs and old caches. It was once a place for packs I believe. I think it could be given more life again.

He nodded in thought. I know you can do it, moonwoman.

"it is you the land needs, rodyn," the duck murmured gently.

"and it was not you."

what had callyope chosen?

"place your spirit in this new place. let it grow. you will heal away from here, though my heart has sadness to see you leave."

to see him suffer as he had since samani.

A small boyish smile. You have never been wrong so I will trust that in this to you are right.

Rodyn shifted and lifted his head. Dare ge to believe her. It was not him. Such a simple statement, but one that felt almost like a lie. Were he a braver man. He'd ask her to simply arrange a marriage for him. Pick someone he could care about. And yet if the girl herself did not like it. He would feel he had trapped her. No better one or none come by choice not arrangement.

We will still be moon village. Intwine our ways. We will still do hunts amd so forth. I will still keep watch over my peachy queens resting place. I just will do it from afar now. And perhaps some of the seal children or Nantahala can make a home of the shores where I could not?

rodyn adapted. kukutux admired this. "you will always be a moon village," she declared. "and now that nantahala is there, a daughter of the moon also brings life to your home. it is as it should be," the duck said with soft pride.

"say what help you need. i will give it, rodyn," kukutux assured, touching his paw with her own. the process of building was weighty, fierce. he would not need to do it alone.