Ouroboros Spine Those lights

The moon had passed through it cycle many times since he'd been drawn away from the area, but he'd found his way back once he felt it was safe to do so. Through his ever thick pelt, the skin shone a dull blackish grey under the cool moonlight, new marks left behind by the battles he'd fought. A slight limp to his hind right, and perhaps a bit of stiffness to his hips but it was very much the same wolf who returned to the Spine that had left so soon after being wed.

His heart ached; he'd been drawn away not knowing if he'd left behind his new wife with children or if they had missed their opportunity altogether. It had been long enough now that he felt the agonizing pain of knowing that she might have already given birth without him.

If she would have him back was another thing altogether- so he called out from the borders, seeking forgiveness, if there was a chance he could be welcomed home again.

a pallor of darkness had fallen over kukutux, and moonglow also she felt. it was only a soft shadow, not the absence of true light. delight and anguish balanced in the village. moonwoman did not know if this was the new nature of things, or if they suffered.

and in an instant, her mind was made.

the voice of sivullik poured over the mountain. the chill of long sea ice coursed through the duck. she glanced to sialuk, who had guarded her sisters since the beginning of their breath, and slid from the den in understanding.

but kukutux did not leave her ulaq. the duck only watched the far ring of mountain and tree from which the spirit-call had come.

the tupilak. twins. and now the voice of a man who might be dead, returning to their sacred places.

six new children had been given in the hard time to moonglow, and moonwoman came alive with a wisewolf's protection.

her voice was not thunderous, but wondering; she called back to the piinalaak.

you have long been gone. we do not know if you are spirit or living. do not approach.

but her warning was not harsh, for she knew that the cloudberry Lótë had heard, and hoped that her own cry would be the first to rise.

aiolos had told to her of kigipigak's return, and she was thankful again that her kinsman had been so close at hand for all of these things. 

grateful now, too, for zane and lómëvása, for shikoba, who had been strong upon their borders. for keyni and lunaria, all who would hear her call rise over the spine.

and kiliutak — may he know that moonglow had harder teeth still.

there was hope for sivullik.

the death songs had not yet been sung, and his good soul had been drawn home by the birth of his children.

winging this, please PM me for anything<3 @Aiolos @Sialuk @Lótë @Keyni @Zane @Shikoba @Kigipigak @Lómëvása

just a cameo from me.

She heard the voice. The voice of the man who had left Lote to carry children. Perhaps Sialuk should not have been angry with him, but she found she could not prevent it. Why would he do such a thing to her and then flee? Whatever his reasoning, her heart had darkened toward the wayward man. That is, if he was a man at all and not some spirit come to haunt them.

It would be anaa's decision what to do with him, perhaps with Lote's input. Sialuk's ears strained forward to hear her Kukutux's voice on the wind from the comfort of the den, the two sisters at her own breast for warmth. She sat with them, cooing softly to quell any fears or discomforts they might have at anaa's absence.

still very much open for any and all to join in :)

The first voice to greet him made his heart twinge slightly. How good it was to hear from Kukutux and in the moment when he revelled in hearing her voice, he was glad to hear that she was still here, leading. But what he did not anticipate was something that could possibly force him to abandon his former home completely.

He hadn't thought that they might sing the death songs simply because he had disappeared. And he knew that if they had, they wouldn't accept him back and might believe he was nothing more than a spirit, a fate worse than banishment. She was taking what she felt was a necessary precaution but it riled him so to be denied the acknowledgement that he even existed. He didn't oppose Kukutux's beliefs before- but he realized now how unfair it was for her to assume that a wolf was a spirit if they returned after the death songs had been sung. He hadn't questioned it before- but experience, now, changed his perspective.

He felt protective of his mate and wouldn't accept anyone doubting whether or not he lived. He wanted to see Lótë desperately, if she would have him. And he wouldn't allow Kukutux to stand in his way because she wasn't sure if he was alive or a spirit.

He should respect her authority- but he knew he was alive. He tried to temper his frustrations. So his voice was strong and resilient when he answered, immediately.

Were I a spirit, I would not abide, and would steal past the mortal borders to see my wife, heedless of your cautioning. He sang. She wouldn't have been able to stop him, if he'd not been mortal. But as it is, I live. And I will await judgement at the borders as all the living must. You will see. His voice rumbled fiercely. He'd obey her plea- but he was also quite ruffled that rather than simply judge him for his absence, he must prove that he even existed, first.

the song of a stranger fills the air, a song contorted with sadness and an ode for forgiveness. shikoba wonders about the identity of this man as she makes her way towards the border from where the loner may be. but before she approaches, she soon hears the call of kukutux.

the man is not welcome. while the duck's message is not threatening, it holds a very clear sign that this visitor may not cross. now that shikoba is sure of what is wanted by moonglow's matriarch, she stands in place as a guardian of kukutux's words.

she approaches distantly from the high ground of one of the spines that surrounds the sacred land. as the native peers down, she sees the pale wolf below who asks for passage. a hardened look over her face, she slowly descends from her platform onto flat ground. however, the man responds to kukutux in a seemingly frustrated manner. 

no matter the identity of this man, he poses a threat to the new mothers. father, son, lover, or mere friend -- it doesn't matter to her -- he will be met with the same teeth for any title he may hold. she approaches quickly now at a lope, tail and hackles raised. 

disrespect is not something shikoba will ever take to lightly. when she approaches, she expects him to submit or back away from the border. no words leave her black lips yet, for feral actions will speak louder in this moment. should adrastus be cautious and submissive, perhaps he may then earn some grace from the warrior woman, as well as a few words.

She was not angry and she was not afraid. 

When at last, Adrastus finally returned to their village, Löté was dreaming, curled around the tiny forms of her slumbering children. She dreamt of winter: frozen air tearing the cries from her lungs, white whirling around her and obscuring her vision uselessly in a torrent of white, of the wind howling in her ears as she smothered beneath red fur and blood. 

The wind was screaming, whipping against her ears with the pressure of an avalanche as words formed and whispered from within. 

She woke with a wrenching breath and if wolves could sweat, she would have been. But the ghostly voice did not belong to sleep, its message echoing through the pines and stopping her heart in its tracks -- only to fire it up again in an irregular rythm borne of a different terror. 

Did she still dream? Was he tupilak come back to wile her down the mountain, confuse her into risking the precious lives at her underbelly? 

Kukutux's response affirmed reality and Adrastus' was all the convincing she needed. Had she been able to, Lótë would've run to him. As it was, she could not leave the babes who murmured against her in their sleep -- they needed her warmth and instinct would not let her abandon them, not even for the spiritbear. 

Heart pounding as if against time itself, her own desperate plea broke against the press of silence that followed -- begging unto any who would listen.

The death songs go unsung. He is Adrastus and he is my heart; sivullik to our village.

The world was coming back together. He watched as a tawny form picked its way toward him with the hurried pace of one eager to greet the male who was causing such a hubub on the borders. He remained where he was, as he was, figuring that it might simply be enough to allow her to poke and prod him to tell that he was real. He was prepared for a few questions, and for a few pushes and shoves just to prove a point- and then he could be on his way to reunite with his wife.

And as she continued to belt toward him he heard it- the crooning plea of his cloudberry wife, whose faith in him persisted still, and caused his usually stony features to soften into an eager, and grateful smile.

But the figure hurtling toward him had her hackles up, and looked more keen to charge at him and chase him off.

"Stop!" He called, across the distance swiftly closing between them. But his eyes were bright, his tail swayed from side to side and his expression was both relieved and eager. "That was my wife, Lótë and she accepts me. Do not charge me; I greet you." He advised her, before he tipped his head down in a respectful acknowledgement, before he lifted his head, and braced himself for whatever decision she made.

the tearing within her was horrible.

the cloudberry woman sang out from where she had borne children to sivullik's hearth.

kukutux breathed. she wished to put aside the taboo, to bring the icehunter into their village.

and she knew that if she stepped forward upon her path, hurt would come to her sister's soul. and the snow wolf might not find forgiveness.

the one who was sivullik to moonglow kept our ways. he learned them from my own words.

the duck's voice was vivid with exhaustion.

if he is not a spirit, then he will find peace in knowing it is for moonglow i do this.

she put her paws more firmly against the earth. 

lótë speaks for you.

he had heard. now it became the responsibility of moonglow to continue speaking for him — or against.

thankfully for this man, the voices of löté and kukutux enter the breeze once more. the gamma speaks for her husband, and it seems the matriarch is content with this. while this may put many at ease, shikoba is not quick to let her guard down. her pace slows as she reaches adrastus now, though his words do little to calm her. had there been no interference with the two new mothers, shikoba may have done more than just try to chase him off. but mercy and luck is on his side.

she does not lower her position when she stands in front of him, despite his softer words of greeting her. but, the hardened expression over her face grows just a bit softer for a moment. if moonglow trusts this man, then shikoba must put her faith into her pack and let him through. she dips her head to him in a manner of respect.

"follow. löté gave birth 2 nights ago. she in her ulaq." with this said, she begins to trot off and hopes the new father will follow her at her shoulder.

also a cameo <3 one post

Zane didn't know what the fuck was going on. He knew she had talked about all that ghost shit before, but holy fuck, this was the real deal wasn't it? He listened with absolute baffled amusement as the howls rang out, first barring the dude from entry, then maybe letting him in?

Man, what a fuckin trip.

He wasn't saying shit. This wasn't his run to dig in and if Duchess was on that ghost shit he didn't really feel like his input was wanted since... uh, ghosts.... didn't exist. C'mon. She expected him to believe hot n' stacked was some kind of spirit, bellowing like that?

He hoped he got in, at any rate. Not only was he a decent guy, but Duchess asking his advice had him a little antsy over the whole 'hunter' whatever hierarchy. Andrastus had seemed to like that game - let him play it. Yawning, Zane settled back to listen to all this play out.

When Kukutux deemed Lótë's words to be an acceptance, he felt himself relax, watching the approaching guardian slow her pace and become a bit more neutral as well. Still as fierce as a mountain lion, but tamed by the civil ways of the wolf. Obedient and respectful of the pack's alpha. He had no doubts she would have met him like a chinook sweeping across the plains in winter had their leader not called her off.

He dipped his head in appreciation and followed her with the demure disposition of a weathered plow horse still fit and considerate enough to be led by a child.

Her voice had a bit of an accent to it that he was unfamiliar with, and she was fairly curt. No small talk, straight to information and she picked up a trot to lead him. He had more questions, so he picked up his gait to move to her flank. Hearing that Lótë had delivered brought him a pang of regret- he'd missed her entire pregnancy and labour- but great joy and pride as well. "She is well?"

last post from me <3 this is just to establish a timeline & role for what is happening!

there was quietude upon the border.

the duck had been defeated by the cry of her sister. she knew the cloudberry woman had long suffered for her husband. 

how could she keep sivullik from his children?

her first test as moonwoman! and it had not been carried out.

you would not have made a path away from our village for a small thing.

that is why i must know for myself who has returned.

when you have given six days and nights to the den of your wife, you will be sivullik once more.

the icehunter would come to her before this time, however. kukutux did not request it. she must only believe that he would explain to her ears what had happened.

and if in six days he changed, shifted. if he became a tupilak, if he showed himself as a qalupalik;

you must not allow this to happen, the inner voice whispered fiercely within her mind.

kukutux turned to disappear within her darkened ulaq.

hopefully, adrastus may forgive shikoba for her quick and sharp behavior later once he settles back in to see löté. but perhaps no one could blame the native for wanting to protect her home and all of its inhabitants. it is a responsibility she takes upon her own shoulders to guard all of moonglow. the newest additions to their family makes the native woman even more protective of those who dare to step foot into the village.

kukutux's last words drift through the warrior woman's ears and she slows her pace only for a moment to call back for all of the members of this pack. 

"he returns with shikoba to see löté." 

hopefully, the duck and her own kin may feel at peace to know that this man is not alone as he travels through to see his vulnerable wife. speaking of which, his question about her current state causes a nod from shikoba towards him. "pain first, like all births. tried to wait." she tosses a gaze towards the tundra man, wondering if he is to blame for her restrictive actions. 

"but pups came, 3. löté cares for them." this man ought to thank every single lucky star he has, for all of them poured into him all of their power to allow him reentry home. shikoba, thankfully with all of her patrolling, is able to take adrastus through a shorter path until the dens grew in their line of sight. she would continue until her pace slows as she draws closer and closer to the entrance of the gamma's den. 

and when they would reach it, she would motion for him to enter. shikoba would stand outside for a moment, to ensure everything would end well. if adrastus and löté mend their broken hearts together, then shikoba would leave the couple alone to settle and mourn over the lost time together.

He thought he understood what Kukutux was asking of him, and he would abide by her demands. Six days was nothing compared to the amount of time he wished to spend with Lótë. It had pained him to be away from her, but freeing himself from a temporary bond and finding his way back to them had not been easy- and he had to use both his strength and his cunning to avoid the fate which befell the others he'd met.

His companion- who named herself as Shikoba- led him though he already knew where to find the Ulaq he had made for himself and Lótë. Still, perhaps she had moved to be with Kukutux, and he believed it to be more polite to simply trail at her flank rather than to bolt past her.

He caught her glance and he nodded. Natural for Lótë to have wanted him there, and it was of course natural for Shikoba to be judgemental of him as well. But he was not phased; Kukutux and Lótë would be the ones to pass judgement, and Sialuk as well.

He'd not expected to be granted the title of Sivullik when he returned, but was pleased nonetheless that that was a part of the offer as well. It also meant that Raimo had not come back.

Three children...A healthy number, something to be proud of. He followed in silence as they approached, and gave Shikoba an appreciative nod as he approached. He did not dare to enter the den until @Lótëë beckoned him. Softly, though, he whuffed a greeting, Hoping she might give him a chance to prove himself real and tangible, and worthy of returning to her side.