Ouroboros Spine I walk my days on a wire

Having brought his portions of the caribou carcass near to where he had last seen Kukutux, Raimo decided to bury it all for safe-keeping rather than disturb her, wherever she was. He could have found her with some hunting but that was the last thing on his mind; the mother did not trust him and seeking her out in her safe place would not help that.

The larger pieces he had dragged were deposited in a shallow grave before having loose, hard dirt packed across the top and then snow messily replaced. He had also glut himself of the remaining bone marrow and harder scrap pieces Sialuk had left behind; these he could have regurgitated, but it was the first substantial meal he had consumed in a while, even cold and tasteless as it was.

This he kept for himself, and when the work was all done, he sprawled nearby in the snow to recouperate. The nap lasted a long while; Raimo did not notice if anyone passed him by however, he was enjoying his time laying in the sunlight.

Someone's supposed to go with her but I'm not sure who yet so I'm going to be vague...

Deep golden eyes survived the looming slopes as Meerkat approached the spine, her partner lingering somewhere behind to answer nature's call. When her gaze dropped back earthward, she startled at the sight of a dark shape on the ground. The black fur made her think of countless Moonspear wolves and her heart clenched in her chest.

She did not approach, instead casting her eyes about rather arbitrarily. Where were @Sialuk and @Kukutux? Where was her companion, for that matter? They were meant to meet the two pale women face to face to discuss what came next. Namely, Meerkat intended to invite them to accompany them to Redhawk Caldera, if Kukutux was up to the trip.

The scent on the wind reminded Raimo of the forest he had crossed in coming here. It differed only vaguely from the black-barked forest of this mountain, not enough to earn much of a reaction from him. One of his ears turned upon hearing something rustle in the branches overhead and when he finally opened his eyes, the sight of a ginger-coated stranger prompted him to raise his head.

Having been laying on his side in a shaft of winterlight, Raimo adjusted so he was in more a sphinx-pose. He stretched his forelimbs out as if to reach towards them and splay his toes, listening for the satisfaction of his elbows popping; then, settling again, he crossed one limb over the other.

Are you from the star-struck mountain? He asked of the stranger, sounding more indifferent than anything. Raimo watched them carefully and noted their size and gangliness, which told him all he really needed. Young, small, not a threat.

Basically slipping in a read-only post in here, hehe.

Without the bones, Sialuk found her spirit more lost than it had been in a long time. While working with them had been exhausting in its own rite, it had also calmed her mind when life was hard. To be without them for this long made her feel weary and lost. She had seen Sixsix this morning, and he had allowed her a close look at his wing. It was healing well, and she thought that he would soon be back to full health.

He had brought her no bones since they had fled the mountain, as survival was likely more important to him than collecting her trinkets. She did not place blame upon him, but she knew she must craft another way to talk to the spirits. Perhaps they could tell her the fate of taataa and brataa.

She pulled bits of bark from different trees, collecting the small pieces until she had the same number as she'd once had bones. To each one, she assigned a meaning she had known. There was no skin to wrap them in, so instead she took mouthfuls of the bark and made a place for them in the snow near the ulaq. But here, she was stuck. Normally, she would channel the question as she shook the bag of bones, then let them lay out however they fell.

She would think on it, but for now, she had at least been able to craft a new way to seek truth. Sialuk buried the tools beneath the snow, keeping them safe from prying eyes (or noses).

---

Sialuk departed from the ulaq, coming across Raimo's scent and curling her lip at it. She still did not trust him, but perhaps that would dissipate with time. He had done them no harm, though he'd had the opportunity to. Perhaps he was waiting for the right opportunity.

Her gaze lifted up, and she found Meerkat. Joy fluttered in her chest, and she let her feet hit the ground faster so that she might join her. Raimo was forgotten for a time, and she touched the glen sister's shoulder with her nose.

Meerkat! Do you come with news? she asked, pulling away.

Keyni had lingered behind momentarily, as she had some...personal needs to take care of. After relieving herself, the tundrian gave her thick pelt a good shake and hurried in a brisk trot to catch up with Meerkat. The slim, golden eyed female was one well known in the Glen, but not one she knew on a personal basis. As much as she would have liked to change that, with a number of common interests in mind, with all the turmoil that had befallen their family, now simply was not the time.

She kept a sharp eye out for any other Moonspear or Glen wolves on their hike towards spine, making sure neither of them strayed far from the other. Ahead now, she spied her partner's tawny form up ahead, at a stand still. Had she found Kukutux yet, she wondered? The sooner they did, the better, with knowing she was injured. Drawing up behind her silently, Keyni's eyes were immediately drawn to a figure of stark black, and the other, reminiscent of her mother, eagerly greeting Meerkat. She could only assume this young girl was the dove's daughter she had heard about. Keeping her posture neutral and non-threatening to try and alleviate any tension, she shook her head, answering Ramio's question. "No. We come from the Glen to their east. But we are still family." She affirmed.

When he raised his head, the stranger's resemblance to Atlas was breathtaking. Meerkat stood there dumbly, her breath literally caught in her throat, as Keyni sidled up beside her and answered his question. She kept staring, specifically at his single yellow eye, until Sialuk appeared on the scene as well. The call of her name, coupled with the cool press of a nose, snapped her out of her momentary stupefaction.

"Hey," she rejoined, forcibly tearing her gaze away to look in Sialuk's direction. "Sort of. There's a small group of us. Some are going to conduct searches of the area, look for more stragglers. The rest of us plan to head to Redhawk Caldera to take refuge there. Do you think your mother can travel?"

The arrival of Sialuk does not draw Raimo's attention for long. He glances at her as she sweeps towards the ginger wolf, then settles on watching them interact. A second stranger arrives on the tail of the first and Raimo glances at them too, giving Keyni more of his attention as information is shared. Not only was the mountain affected by the starfall, but so was the glen. Raimo nodded in understanding, adding this new information to his collection. It would help him in retelling this tale in the future.

The ginger wolf — the one Sialuk called Meerkat — spoke of forming a search party or an exit strategy. Raimo did not like the idea of Kukutux or the daughter moving on from this mountain; beyond the fact Kukutux was injured, he did not want them to leave him. The question Meerkat posed was for Sialuk and so Raimo did not respond; he did stand to his full height and take a moment to shake the snow from his shoulders, as if he were about to leave.

Since these appeared to be friendly individuals towards Sialuk, Raimo saw no reason to linger. She needed no protection (and probably would not appreciate him intervening even so). I will do another patrol. Maybe more survivors are making their way to us. He remarks towards Sialuk, and then strides through the trees, dispersing from the growing company.

Raimo would not seek out any survivors, in truth; he sought more hot meals and smaller, cache-ready morsels to solidify their hold upon the mountain. If he did find anyone he would be more inclined to segregate them from the pair — and now he at least had a place in mind for redirection — this Redhawk Caldera.

I could pull Raimo here if you guys wanna have a catch-up thread?

Another approached, smelling of the glen, and Sialuk relaxed even further. She did not know her name, but she came with Meerkat, and so she could be trusted. Sialuk reminded herself of what anaa had said about letting Raimo show that he was as he said he was, but she still could not shake the feeling that he was something else. Having others here was comforting in a way she had not known she'd needed.

He excused himself, and she dipped her head at his suggestion of searching for survivors. It was, perhaps the greatest kindness he had shown so far. While his other motives appeared to focus only on food, this one extended another feeling, and she gave him a small smile of appreciation. Her attention returned to Meerkat, drinking in the news.

The raindrop was vaguely aware of the caldera, although she had never traveled there. They were sister pack to the spear, and it was where the witch had come from, wasn't it? At the glen sister's question, Sialuk bowed her head and shook it slowly.

She cannot. Her foot needs a full turn of the moon to heal. Longer before she can travel beyond a day.

And so, she realized they were on their own. Nobody from the spear survived, or so it seemed, except for the mother and daughter. Is there no sign of my father and brother? My cousins? she asked, thinking of Antares, Caelum, Mira, Altair, Atlas, and the rest. She had not known of the latter's departure before the fall of the spear.

Keyni's ears slid back, a flicker of worry crossing her face as Sialuk informed them that Kukutux was injured and unable to travel. Should she catch the softness in her jade eyes, that would be more than a telling sign of the tundrian's own feelings towards the pale duck. It had been a while since she had last seen her, and it seemed that she too, also had endured her own form of suffering lately. "I will help out where I can. It is the least I can do."

Sialuk mentioned family and their whereabouts. She did not know who was directly related to the girl, but did know well enough that the Ostrega's were a large family. She ticked off the names of those she knew in her head. "Atlas ran off, I heard..." She glanced at Meerkat, aware that she would know more details than she, concerning him. "Antares was still within the heart of the Glen when the chaos erupted. He is still around...somewhere."

Atlas's lookalike excused himself and Meerkat couldn't help but track his retreating figure with her eyes, a slight lump forming in her throat. She didn't catch herself until Sialuk spoke again, her words jarring Meerkat and causing her head to snap in her direction.

A month...? she thought with more than a little dismay. That was a long time to be laid up in any situation but especially this one. It sounded like the caldera was out of the question, so Kukutux was stuck here. Certainly Sialuk would remain with her mother. Meerkat's brow furrowed, her ears falling back as she mulled this information.

Keyni jumped in to answer Sialuk's question, mentioning Atlas by name and earning a sharp but thankfully silent intake of breath from Meerkat. She let it out slowly, trying not to let her pain show as she offered a single nod of affirmation. Maybe she should be grateful Atlas had run off before this disaster, though that was some very cold comfort.

"I wish we had better news for you," the young ambassador found herself murmuring. "Hopefully the search parties will have more soon. Any and all survivors will have a place at the caldera, I'm sure." In the meantime—while the rescuers sifted through the rubble and Kukutux's injuries mended—she supposed all they could do was hurry up and wait.

Wrapping up here as discussed! <3

Antares may be alive, then, if Keyni's word was true. Atlas as well, as he had run away. Something in Meerkat's reaction was strange, but Sialuk did not press further. Sialuk sent her energy out to those who were in the search party, wishing them good luck and good findings.

Meerkat mentioned that any survivors would be welcome at the caldera, but Sialuk felt in her heart that she would not go there. Anaa was here, and the caldera felt far from the spear she had lived upon for much of her first year. To move away from it, and in with what were mostly strangers, did not feel adequate. Perhaps she should not be so choosy considering the circumstances.

Come, both. Rest yourselves here for now. They could make further decisions when the time came. Sialuk led them near the ulaq so they might know where anaa stayed.