Wild Berry Meadow kingullimik ⨵

maybe an ivory rose wolf? :o

the moon searched for her hunters.
 
the depths of early morning were paling when she found herself with the spine far in the distance, and a field of berry-bushes stretching out before her. here the birds had gathered to eat the early fruit; they chirped harshly, and one swooped in anger to pluck fur from the duck's tail.

she laughed and shook free. "go away, little brother!" kukutux called, before she turned back to the berries. slipping the foxpelt from her shoulders, kukutux began to search for the small dark roundnesses of those she could crush into a syrup for the dry cough that sometimes accompanied summer heat.

-slides in cuz El needs more posts lol-

 



The Seer decided to wander today, stretching her reach to the meadows neighboring her Woods. 
She glided through the terrain on silent paws, like a ghost, like she always has. 

Eldritch had been out here for maybe an hour, and caught the scent of another wolf as she continued to haunt the outlands. 

Coming upon the Silverpelt, the witch tilted her head softly, slowly, watching with an inquisitive white gaze as the other seemed to be searching for berries. 
The shadow-pelt was also making no effort to stay unseen, nor to be noticed. The silverpelt would see her, in her own time.

<3!

when kukutux turned, it was to startle at the sight of a woman as blacklit as she was pale. for a long moment the woman only stared, and then breath returned. alabaster tail waved once, a tentative gesture. "i am kukutux, of moonglow," she said softly, pitching her voice to carry across the small distance.

the duck inclined her head. "i am here to look for fruit that will be medicine." the silent offer to join as she turned softly back to her task, though ear kept a close listen for anything the other would say.

Eldritch didn't mean to startle the duck, but it was of little consequence in her mind. 
The Seer inclined her head idly in return to the new wolf's introduction, giving her own with ease. 

"I am Eldritch, of Ivory Rose. What fruits are you looking for?" The blackhound asked with genuine interest, calmly joining the Alpha with an obvious willingness to learn. 
Her ears stayed perked, for there is always more to learn from others.

"niviiakutuq," kukutux said quietly, gesturing to the red-orange roundness of a growing cluster. "it helps the throat," the duck said. eldritch. ivory rose.

"i have not heard the name of your village before," moonwoman commented, though she peered curiously at the ituukinik.

"niviiakutuq" The Seer tried to repeat, hesitantly testing the word on her tongue and of course butchering it at least a little. 
She assumed the whitefur was speaking a language other than common tongue, but she couldn't place what exactly.
It certainly wasn't Daedric, that much she knew, or she'd have understood completely.

Perking up some as the Luna inquired to her home, Eldritch's white hues drifted to the Blackfeather Woods.

"We haven't been around for very long; Our claim became final through the winter. Ivory Rose is a safe haven for all who desire it, to practice their arts." She explained softly.
"There is also the option to worship the Daedra, deities that lurk within the forest itself." The Darkling furthered. 

Rowan was a better fit to explain all of Ivory Rose, but the Witch hadn't been seeing him around very much recently. It was making her worry, if she were being honest

kukutux listened, dropping currants one by one onto the skin. eldritch's attempt at her language was welcome, even if the sound was not perfected. her head lifted, however, greenstone stare fixing upon the dark wolf, at the mention of this daedra. "they are gods?" she inquired, not sure of what her companion meant by forest-dwelling deities.

a sacred place then, this ivory rose. "i am healer in moonglow. i have trained my daughter to be so, too. perhaps we share this knowledge between us," kukutux said affably, thinking of how she might bring these rose-hunters closer in friendship.

The darkling nodded eagerly as Kukutux guessed at what the Daedra were. 
"Yes, that's correct." Eldritch confirmed. 

To the extent of sharing knowledge between the packs, the Seer paused for a moment. Rowan should be the one to officiate an alliance of any sort, but...he was gone. 
Where, she didn't know. But the fate of her pack was left in her paws. 

"I would love to exchange knowledge with you and yours. If it suits you and your clan's best interests, I think an alliance would be beneficial as well?" El offered. 
She was genuine and well-meanibg in her question, and held herself in such a way she hoped her benevolence wouldn't be second guessed.

a vibrant bob of her head. " i have knowledge of how to bring babies into this world." it was her greatest skill, this guarded knowledge of medicines passed down year by year even by ones whose names she no longer knew. the ancestors guided each step, and she knew with the season upon them, a midwife would be of use.

"we will make a trade?" she queried politely, wondering what the dark shaman had to offer. much, the duck supposed, much in the ways of spirits and spirit-talking. this thought reminded her of the months she had spent alone upon the mouth of the totoka, and the ghostly man who had come to her there.

The enthusiastic nod earned a smile from Eldritch.
Babies? 
Ah, midwifery. Of course!

To the question, the Seer offered her own nod. 
"I'm more of the spiritual sort myself. In return for medicinal knowledge, would it be of equal value to share my knowledge of divination and entities?"

Her tail swayed softly in friendly gesture, hopefulness held in her posture.

a spirit-talker. it was forbidden for women to know these things, for they carried life. they could not also carry death. a particular fear touched the duck's eyes with a pointed flicker, and she glanced away.

it would be good to have this knowledge. but it was better to be protective of oneself.

"what is the word of divination?" the duck inquired cautiously, wishing to know but afraid her own spirits might hear her question and find insult in it.

Eldritch wilted some at the caution that flitted through Kukutux. 
Perhaps the white woman's beliefs were different?

"To me, divination is just a way of interpreting messages from the spirits, and from gods as well." The Seer smiled warmly. It was genuine and wholely meant for benevolence, though the white hues of Eldritch's face flickered with worry that Kukutux no longer felt safe...

the atmosphere between them had shifted with kukutux' wariness. she stepped forward with apology. "in my land, only men were given the path of spirit-talkers. sometimes women. i spoke once to a man who was spirit, but i do not understand this."

a switch of her plume. "you are shaman, then? woman who speaks with the dead?"

The blackhound is quick to forgive, listening with open ears as to Kukutux's ways.

This explained her caution, in Eldritch's mind. Perfectly understandable.

"I suppose that's one way to put it, yes." El chuckled softly.
"Before I came to these Wilds, I was once part of a large spiritual group. I've always had a strong bond with entities that don't take the form of flesh." She shrugged her shoulders some, turning her white-silver gaze to the berry bushes Moonwoman had been looking through.

she had always done this.

it made kukutux cold to know; it put fire into her heart as well, to see a woman be so powerful. "i thank you," she said, voice oddly formal, small to her own ears. "i will bring you something in trade for the secret words that you have learned."

jadestone eyes following the line of the other's own.

"perhaps first, i help you carry some of these to your village?" the duck politely suggested.

Being given thanks for her path was...
Unexpected. 
The surprise was brief, taken over by a soft smile at the confirmation of a future trade.

Then the offer to help carry some of the red berries back home? 
Eldritch smiled gratefully and shook her head once "That's okay. I may come out here later and grab some, but for the meantime I should probably find some prey to cache. Thank you, though." 
The kindness shown would sear itself into the Seer's mind. She felt a heavy pang of guilt at declining
Kukutux's offer, but with small numbers already, it felt best to focus on filling caches and keeping everyone at home fed...

moonwoman nodded, dipping her head in a signal of respect. "i have hope we meet again." her voice, genuinely feeling; she smiled upon the darkwood woman and set her eyes upon the nightfall pelt one last time before she turned, waiting to hear what the other might say. she saw little reason to stay; they were amiable with one another and she felt as though their moments had ended.

her path would arc toward moonglow, then away, tail curved in an affable way as she went on.

Moonwoman spoke one last time, to which Eldritch echoed the sentiment. 
"Me too." She smiled then, and as the Moonglow alpha went her own direction, so too did the witchling.

All would be revealed, in due time...