Moonspear halloween

For @Jarilo! Set for 11/05, afternoon.

The qanglaagix had come back a few more times. Each time, it brought a bone. Not all were as delicate as the first had been, but Sialuk had amassed quite a collection. Each time, she offered it meat, and it flew off to find more bones. This, she thought, was a perfectly acceptable deal. She had wrapped the bones in the soft skin of a rabbit, tending to them carefully and spending every moment she could staring at them. A new week, a new obsession.

There was something special about these qanglaagix bones. She could feel it when she looked at them, when she set her paws on top of them. They were not to be eaten or buried like she so often did with bones from animals. These were special. Sacred.

She was sitting in front of the rabbit skin now, the bones laid out however they had fallen when she had unwrapped it. Something about it reminded her of her mother's work, and Sialuk tried to decipher what that feeling was that tickled the back of her mind as she let her eyes wander over them. Back and forth, up and down, round and round.

When the weather was mild enough to warrant it, Jarilo aimed to take his son (and any other willing youth) up and out to track, hunt, and learn more about the mountainside mostly--but sometimes, depending on what turned up, other places too. That was often his days, and with nights on patrol thanks to a big moon encouraging it lately, he felt like he was out and covering ground a lot both high and low. 

But he was tired of that and made a point to come back around common grounds much earlier today. It let him find Sialuk already, fresh on his arrival from higher up in the slopes--and hunts that today did not pan out. He stepped lightly towards her and flattened his ears in a fond expression right away. Hey Sia, he chuffed, noticing the bones, and not being shy about it--but his greeting for her came first, serving to further bury some of the unease over Kukutux's absence that wanted to rise then.

She had hoped for anaa, but it was her father's voice that drew her attention away from the crow bones (as she had taken to calling them). Hello taataa, she said, glancing at him only briefly before her gaze went back to the bones. Has anaa come home yet? she asked, wondering if he had seen her while he was out and about. Sialuk rarely strayed far from the ulaq, even as she'd gotten older and more independent, so it seemed more likely that he would have come across Kukutux.

In part, she was asking the bones themselves, but since they hadn't given her any answers, she reluctantly tugged at a corner of the pelt to cover them and keep them safe. It would have been nice if the qanglaagix had been able to tell her how she was supposed to use them better. Right now, she was in the dark on that.

As she greeted him, Jarilo moved to her side, and aimed to brush his nose over her shoulder before he shook his head. The sway of his tail gradually slowed. No, she has not. He tried to deliver this answer as plainly as he could, free of the worry that he knew she would pick up on--because of course she had asked about her mother. Even he was beginning to feel more than a hint of unease about it. With everything going on lately, good and bad, he was tense about the matter as her absence only grew.

Every hour of each day so far, he hoped it would need to be the last she spent away from them, but he could not be sure how much length to speak on it now with Sialuk. Especially knowing how close she was to her anaa. He curled his haunches into a neat sit next to her, and tried not to sigh too audibly. What have you been busy with here this afternoon? he asked, chasing swift after a change in topic before the other one had a chance to spiral.

Her father did not have an answer for her, at least not any more than the bones had given her. Anaa had not come home. Because her father did not worry, neither did Sialuk, even though she did wonder where Kukutux had gone. Thankfully, taataa was quick to change the subject, asking about her qanglaagix bones. This was an easy thing to talk about, even if Sialuk still did not quite understand what she was looking at most of the time.

They are the bones that the qanglaagix brought me. I think... I think I can use them to answer questions. She felt her cheeks warm at this explanation, even though she knew it to be true. She was not even sure anybody was going to take her seriously. Looking back at the pelt, which was now folded over the bones to hide them, Sialuk gently tugged the pelt back with her teeth until they were exposed again. They were a variety of shapes and sizes, from all different sorts of small animals. Each one was dry and bright white, picked clean by the crow that had delivered them to her.

Soon, he hoped he would have a better answer for her. Soon, Kukutux should return to their sides and in the meantime he had to try to keep things together in her place. Thankfully she took his guidance towards a new topic without any qualm and he was going to encourage her to run with it. The qanglaagix? he asked right away when he did not think he recognized that one. His tongue was slowly getting better at handling the language too, but he was far from a master.

Jarilo followed her gesture with interest, and peered at the bones while he mulled this over. Hmm.. so have you tested them out yet? he wondered first, sensing in her phrasing that maybe there was still some theory here. How do they tell the answers? he added too. There was a lot else he could ask, but he was curious to hear what she might share--if he could be privy to the secrets of the bones.

Crow, she clarified when her father asked about the word. He did not seem to know anymore than she did about the bones or how to read them, based on how he was asking questions. This seemed to be more anaa's territory. If only she were around to ask... but that would have to wait for now.

I don't know how to use them yet, she replied, glancing up at her father from where she sat. Sialuk did not think she would reach his height, even fully grown, but her eyes were closer to his now. This must be how anaa sees him, she thought to herself. Where is she?

And that was the question she really wanted the answer to. Maybe if I... she trailed off quietly, picking up all corners of the pelt, gently shaking them, and laying it back open again. This time, as she stared at them, she did see something.

The raindrop's eyes widened, and she looked back to her father. This one, she said, pointing to a mouse's skull, I think it means prey. See how that big sharp tooth is right next to it? Maybe... maybe something to do with hunting. She furrowed her brow, looking back at the bones. Others were scattered, but those two had landed apart from the rest. Do you think that's where anaa went? Hunting?

While that was perhaps the most complex word for crow he knew yet, all the same, noted. But.. it suddenly back-tracked his thought a second: the crows had brought her this many bones? He did have more to learn here, it seemed.

So did she, as he was gradually clued into more about this, and realized how new it might be still. He peered down at the small pieces as she fiddled with the edge first, then more. First, he just blinked slowly while watching her, pondering how best to see a meaning in a little scattering of bits--then a studious silence as she pointed out her connections.

He had not thought of it as a hunt before, but that was not to say. It was not his venture. Is that what you asked them, about anaa? seemed to be the first thing out of his mouth. Very much his concern lately too but there was only so much he could do right away besides trust her--and believe she was doing what needed done, then would be back to them soon. He just didn't know how to measure how long that was going to be, but he was keeping a long vigil in her absence. I don't think it was a typical type of hunt, maybe not exactly.. he tilted his head just a bit, but he couldn't discredit them entirely. Maybe there was more to the story. Over and over again, he studied the arrangement of fine bones with a squint. But only she will be able to tell us for sure if that's true when she gets back. Jarilo reasoned with a sigh. So how do you ask them? Have you tried asking the bones something twice to see if it's the same? he wondered, hopefully not encouraging some odd taboo unknowingly.

Sialuk nodded when he confirmed the question she had asked. He seemed to think the hunt was not the usual type, though Sialuk was not sure what that could mean. What other types of hunts were there, besides typical hunts? Wherever she'd gone, the raindrop hoped that she would return soon. Taataa asked how she posed the questions to the bones, and Sialuk furrowed her brow, trying to put it into words.

That time, I held the question between my ears and pushed it through my teeth when I shook them, she replied. Admittedly, she was stumbling her way through this, trying a few different ways until something made some sense. Maybe she would take the bundle to the witch in the glen and see if she had any advice for her. I have been trying a different way every time, Sialuk said, Still learning.

He listened, and he heard her, but it took a mental repeat to get that to make sense. He had to slow down the thought before ultimately deciding he had an inkling about what it meant--never having thought to hold a question between his ears, in the literal sense, at least. But Jarilo was still doing his best to follow.

Yeah? Sadly I don't have any good, for-sure pointers on its secrets.. he said, knowing who might out of anyone else that was usually here. Still, he thought it was good she was trying different things to see what worked and recognizing she was still learning (without much apparent rush that he could find). It felt like a route to good progress, he thought. Maybe they needed to figure out just how it was replying, or what all it could know about. There was a lot left to sort still and he could learn with her. What's something else easy we can ask them about? he wondered, hoping for something that he could at least answer too.

Her father had a good test, even though Sialuk was uncertain it would work. She did not know if the bones could, or rather should, be used that way. It felt like they had a mind of their own, a personality. She was only just beginning to get to know the bones and unravel how they worked. It felt as though it would be a process that was never truly over. And maybe that was why the quanglaagix had chosen her. If nothing else, when she put her mind to something, Sialuk did not give up until she was satisfied with the outcome.

Maybe I could ask it something about you, she said. But then, what would she ask? A question too pointed would be hard for the bones to describe, wouldn't it? And a question too vague might not give her a concrete answer. She was coming to realize that finding the right question to ask was almost as difficult as reading the answer.

She suggested turning it back onto him as a topic. Maybe if that was the case, he could at least give a solid answer. Well, it felt more likely. Yeah that could be something, he replied with an eager nod, but sensed it wasn't that simple, even in his limited knowledge of this subject. Not only was it a matter of deciding what to ask, but how to phrase it properly too... What about me is there to ask? he wondered what even might interest her. He didn't think himself that curious of a subject, honestly. It felt pretty straightforward to him but that was coming from his own perspective.

He knew where he was, and had a pretty good idea for his upcoming routine but also, he suddenly thought about what direction did these bones even prefer to look in--was it a future-telling thing? Or did they recount the past? That probably would help him know better what to ask, but neither of them had that kind of answer's dexterity just yet.

A funny thought occurred to her. She could ask the bones what to ask. And how to ask it. Somehow, that felt too... well, too something. Sialuk wasn't sure that was the kind of thing she was supposed to ask it. It was too roundabout, too meta.

Maybe you can think about something you know the answer to, but I don't. Then I can ask it what you're thinking about, Sialuk said. If they went that route, taataa could help her because he would know the answer. Sialuk would know what question to ask: "What does he know that I don't?"

Assuming he agreed, Sialuk swept the bag of bones into her mouth and began to shake them gently back and forth. She held the question between her ears, silently repeating it with her eyes closed.

What does he know that I don't?

The bones clacked together, making a rather soft, pleasant sound. When it felt like the question had fully formed, she pushed it down into the crow bones. Letting it simmer there until she dropped the rabbit skin open where the bones now laid out.

She brought along a good point, and a sound way to test the bones' knowledge by comparing with what he did know. Hopefully he knew a good variety of things that the bones could potentially answer about. It can't hurt to try.. he agreed. Right? Not that he knew an ounce of anything about what bones a bird brought would tell. He was curious so many levels (down to why these bones and what were they exactly?) and went silent to watch the process from start to finish.

Quiet, and unmoving, except for a roving glance, he didn't want to disturb anything. Anticipation was thick and he waited for her analysis of what she saw.

Tarot draw: Six of wands, two of wands [R], five of wands [R]

The first one was a triumphant. The second was more scholarly. Perhaps it indicated learning or teaching. The last was more of a tussle, game, or minor spar. Sialuk paused over them, wondering what they might mean in the context of her father. There were plenty of things that he knew, that she didn't. Most of those things would have been before she was born.

She wove the bones into a story, mashing the three ideas together until something came to her.

When you were first learning to spar, did you win a lot? she asked. That was something she could not have known for sure.

With possibilities open, he couldn't have anything to expect. He looked over each piece, trying to think about its position, but it invited nothing profound in him. Way too soon for any of that, he tried to reason.

At first? No, not really, he shook his head gently, not too proud to admit it either. Slow to come into his own, even slower to truly find the right confidence befitting him when he didn't always want what was most obvious. I was usually evenly matched with my sister, but she could be more fierce. Jarilo recalled, as she had been his first, earnest spar partner that he had stood a real chance against. And I lost often to my mother, then your aunts of course. Especially in the beginning. He admitted over the weird hole in his heart thinking about that left him, and how many of those facets of his history were now gone.

Was that was the bones were talking about?

Sialuk furrowed her brow at her father's response. She, of course, blamed her misinterpretation rather than anything he might have done wrong. It was frustrating, these bones, but she felt like there was so much to learn from them. Their answers never seemed cut and dry, that was for sure, and she pondered over them a moment longer, remembering the second meaning.

Maybe it is not you, then, but whoever was teaching you? she half-asked. Perhaps the bones were speaking not from her father's perspective, but from his mother's. It reminded her of her discussion with Nikai and about the ancestral spirits.

He did have to agree with her there. If that was the message, it was not talking about him. Following her train of thought, he shifted towards a slow nod, after a low hm. Oh. Yeah, I could see that being much more true. Mostly I learned from my mother, and she was mighty. I would guess my father too, though I never exactly asked him if he won a lot.. he supposed. Never in so many words, but it was easy to picture a very young Charon finding his way to victory based on the personality that had carried him onward, upwards to Moonspear. He knew his mother had dominated her littermates early from her stories, so that probably did translate to success in fights early on. Maybe they were spars, or maybe a little worse than that. He wanted to guess the latter, also knowing her.

Sometimes, it was strange to think that her father had a mother and father of his very own. She knew their names, and she knew they had reigned over the mountain before Hydra, but she did not know much beyond that. It sounded as though Amekaze was more of a warrior than Sialuk's own mother, probably a lot more like Hydra, who was much different even from Jarilo.

It must be about her, then, Sialuk concluded. She sighed, taking her eyes off the bones and feeling a little tired from putting so much energy into reading them.

Will you tell me about her? Your anaa? she asked.

He should have known it could easily open the path for such a question, though it still made him turn back an ear for a second--and he had to quiet the frown. Largely, it was only as the histories needed to tell that he had spoken about his parents. Sorrow had always seemed to find its way in still, so somehow it was just easier that way when his heart still missed them so badly; they could've been here today, he dreamed. I suppose.. though know it is not too easy to sum her up, he blinked, determined not to be sad.

She knew very many things, and taught me some of them--about how to fight, the mountain we protect, weather.. anything. She was.. all dark like Hydra, but with eyes just like mine. I still do think I look a lot like she did, like.. in shape, he chuffed and shook out his fur as he shifted a bit--into a pose that would further remind him of her, head low, body long and he flared his hackles for the emphasis that would probably haunt him for good but Sialuk probably couldn't catch all of its finer details. But he laughed lightly, a gesture more his own, less Amekaze's then. I don't know, besides that I wish you could have met her yourself.. he sighed, fondly though. What else would you want to know about her? he asked.

For a moment, Sialuk thought he had meant dark in personality. When he mentioned her eyes, however, Sialuk realized what he had meant. She had been black like Hydra and her two sisters. While her father was dark, he did have shades of gray in him. The three aunts had no such thing. Sialuk’s mother, of course, was an entirely different coloration, though she vaguely recalled that she looked something like her grandfather as well. The speckles, perhaps?

Clearly, her father had been close to his anaa. Sialuk could see that in the way he spoke of her. She, too, wished she had been able to meet such a fierce figure, but it was not meant to be. She had gone even before Sia’s own mother had come to Moonspear, from what she could gather.

Did she meet anaa? she asked, figuring she might as well get clarification while the subject had already been brought up.

There was far too much he felt he should say about her, and in the very same breath, he knew anything that would come out of his mouth still wouldn't seem like enough. She did not get to meet her, no, he shook his head gently. Both of my parents were gone well before your anaa even came to join us here on the Spear, the older Ostrega sighed. Though he hated the circumstances that had taken them from him, Kukutux had come at an invaluable time for him to mend afterward..

Sometime in the spring, once the greenery returns, I will show you the place where I honor my anaa. he said, or perhaps revealed. He didn't often share any of that with his family, and in fact, had been busy otherwise and not left to dwell on it often within this last year or so. But now more than ever, both Sia and Savi were of age to retain anything he passed on to them about the family spanning before them. And maybe, where she kept some of her treasures too... She liked to collect certain things over all of her years--and I managed to find out about a few, he added with a smirk, though it was nothing that exciting to see. He recalled some particular rocks,  some he could just note as irregular or pretty, not by any actual name. Also the star fragment, too. Some feathers? Bones, of a particular distinction for her to keep them... Maybe Sialuk could make something of the collections her grandmother left them to find with this newfound bone-reading track.

We can probably fade here or with your next post! We need a new one. <3

Sialuk thought that was unfortunate. But maybe they would not have gotten along. Or maybe they would have been very close. It was impossible to know, even though she very much wished she could have met her grandmother (and grandfather).

The conversation had taken her mind off of her own mother for now, which she was subconsciously grateful for. The bones still lay in front of her, and she looked back to them momentarily, wondering if she could ask them more about her grandparents.

The mention of other items brought her gaze back to her father, and the girl smiled. I would like that.

Jarilo answered with a soft, pleased nod, and reached to press a soft lick onto her cheek. Truthfully, he thought he might like that too. He wondered if it would be good for all of them in decidedly different ways. It was something he wanted to feel ready to bridge the gap about.. without hurting himself in the process. This had been an easy way to dip in.

Nevertheless, he was quite content with the company, and whatever else would come of it--questions, conversation, or otherwise. In no rush to change any of this, he had a few more pieces to impart, if she was willing to listen...