Great Bear Wilderness tuvaaktuk ⧜

this is the official leaving ouroboros thread! the pack forum will not change <3 the journey should take about a week and IC factors around their welcome by the taiga packs will influence the rest! it's about 3-4 days, so moonglow wolves can arrive at their own pace/scout ahead/etc. expect kukutux to arrive at their destination nov 21st. feel free to tag kuku in any threads between here and there, and also there :D this thread can be read only or one post apiece, and no posting order! <33

route map

qanipalaat.

her sister had not returned.

hope remained in her heart.

perhaps no one else might understand it, but moonglow must leave. the spirits had ordered this to be.

the day prior had gone in a flurry of activity. she accepted that their absence might invite the teeth and hunger of others. or perhaps it would attract wandering spirits, grateful to rest in an empty village for a time. the meat of their caches and their old skins would be offering to either. it was the way of the island. it would be moonglow's way as well.

the duck fussed with samani. both her daughters were old enough for a small cutting of pelt to be wrapped around their shoulders. "stay with your angajuk," she instructed the sea girl. sialuk would keep her eyes upon this one. kausiut would be carried. her sisters and the hunters would help her. it was their way also. she intended for her daytime star to be a sacred being. her silence and her body spoke for itself. she was the child of the moon and the sun. and now kukutux knew to treat her as such.

her breath was a pillar of steam. the ground beneath their feet was not yet covered in snow. but their world had become a slight blurring of green against white. it would only become heavier.

"this is the time that my village left to live closer to the sea for a time. when the world became dark, the hunters went out upon the sea ice." she blinked at them all, face softening. "but we are together. and we travel as one village. tuttusiugiak!" moonwoman exulted. "we will live beside them and take the gift of their bodies. and then we will return home, where the spirits might bless us again."

aiolos, burning beside her. kukutux warmed to his strength.

in a short while the column of wolves filed from the spine. she remembered the words that @Wintersbane had spoken, that moonglow would be welcome in duskfire.

it was this that formed the path of the moonwolves forward.

@Aiolos @Shikoba @Sialuk @Kigipigak @Foxfur @Inutsuk @Kausiut @Samani (@Wilwarin) (@Nyra @War @Xynos, assume a passing familiarity w kukutux as she would have visited them w medicine at least a couple times by now)**everyone else shall be PMed

Their safe haven would be laid out to abandon, the home cradled by a protective ring of low lying mountains. Out into the open wilderness they strode, along a path which Aiolos had walked to and from for years now. He did not know what would be in store for the lands left behind and so had used the day prior to walk the lands of his home one last time.

This day, he wore one of the many pelts created by its Moonglow members. Unsure who it was made by, it was as white as the snow and stood out well on his fiery and cream coating as well matching the wife at his side. He touches her shoulder with his nose, to bring warmth and confidence into her further.

They would make a journey which would allow them to come near the sea, but they would not stay, not this time around. He would wait to have his daughters stay any lengthy time by the coast when they were older, stronger, wiser. 

Until then, to the north-east they went.

Nyra and her mate, @War, and their guardian, Xynos, had reluctantly been accepted into the fold.
Up until Moon Woman, Kukutux, returned home, the Fallen One kept mostly to herself with War, as was requested by Sun Man Aiolos. 

Now, everyone was gathered, and beside War and perhaps @Xynos, she listened to Moon Woman speak of the leave of Moonglow for the winter. 
With an affectionate nudge to War's shoulder, Nyra filed out from the Spine with everyone else, looking around at the scenery as the pack began their journey.

The Eta glanced once back to the Ouroboros, and from there would keep her smoldering gaze on watching out for the rest of Moonglow, helping assure they all made it safely.

War had a hard time adjusting to circumstances. The veteran was adjusting to the world of love. So unfamiliar, so strange, yet warm. Just as they had found home in this strange pack, speaking a strange language, just as they had arrived they were leaving. War didn't understand why, but she did see Nyra leaving with everyone else and so she followed.

Nyra touched her with affection and War could only look at her, her stone grey eyes saying everything they could. She was not yet adjusted to public display of affection, but it seemed to matter and so War would return the affection with a gentle nudge. It felt so strange to her to do this, it was an odd feeling within that stirred, told her to do it, but she had been trained for combat, not the war of love. She tried her hardest to be better.

The single file of wolves was forming in the cold and War followed next to Nyra for some time, passing the leaders of Moonglow. When Nyra looked back, War would stop, keeping her gaze fixed on her mate, until she realized that Nyra was ensuring everyone was following.

War did not feel like she belonged yet, nor did she feel like these wolves were part of her family, at least not now. They had been told to stay out of sight (and maybe out of mind?) and War had obeyed because Nyra had done so. Not because she was compelled to get to know these people, but she respected them for taking them in in their time of need. But War was curious, she wanted to know who their hosts were. She stepped to the side and let those behind her walk past her as she kept her gaze at the end of the trail. She would then make up the tail of the formation as if to reassure Nyra that she would keep watch.

If Nyra was here, this was home. If Nyra wanted to protect these strangers, so would War.

Yet again, they would be forced to travel. The trio had now become apart of Moonglow and so were obligated to join upon what ventures they may take.

While the move wasn't much in his favor, Xynos was aware of what promises he had made. Despite the fact Nyra was no longer his liege, he had once vowed to follow where she led and guard her path. Promises were always kept by the shadowed man.

Those of the group were quick to depart. Kukutux and Aiolos were at the head, all else in tow.

Xynos fell to the rear, seizing a part to play with his new role. Although there was now a larger group he was to watch, the man's eyes kept close to Nyra and War.

shikoba would ensure that she would stay with kukutux and her children so long as moonglow traveled together. while she did not know much of the new wolves that came, she disliked the stench of blood that clung to their hair. whispers of wind tell her that they hold a story of something great, something that needs to be heard. but she is no reaper of tales, she is only first hunter. so long as the new members stay in line, she will fall silent and only focus on the journey.

her coat bristles against the cold breeze, sulfur eyes gaze over the others before she continues on. moonglow will remain strong during these times. she will fight for it.

Samani pulled her head away from her mother’s fussing, knowing that she only did it with love in her heart but disliking it, nonetheless. She had been busy watching the gathering of villagers, preparing themselves for the journey they would take to the glacier. There were many things to take in. The girl of the sea did not want to miss them, not even one thing. It was an important day. It would be a memory that remained with her until she had grown.

Kukutux instructed Samani to remain with her older sister. The young girl nodded her head in understanding. Her jade eyes floated along the other wolves, searching for familiar faces and newcomers. The child knew that the importance of their journey would show when they had arrived and were accepted on the glacier. What she did not know was the journey would not be an easy one. For a young wolf who had only ventured within the spine, it would be a taxing excursion.

Samani moved to press herself close to Sialuk. She was comforted by the pelt that was draped across her shoulders, pleased with the warmth that it would give. The child of the sea was ready for whatever would come next.

Odd as it may have sounded, Inutsuk was excited for this trip. The opportunity to see different lands and experience the lives of a different pack.. who could say no?

As all fell in line behind both Moonwoman and Sun Man, the warrior wove in and out between those present, ensuring all were accounted for. Once having reached closer to the head, he sought out the agouti tunic of @Shikoba. Trudging up towards the woman's flank, the man gave a light tap upon her shoulder with his nose, requesting permission to walk beside her. It was a privilege, he thought, so it was only fair to ask instead of assume.

Regardless of by whom he tread, eyes would be sharp and ears alert, wary of who or what may draw too near to the travelers.

Migration was the way of the wolf. It was not a new concept to Kigipigak and in fact, he was excited to see what the world outside of the village was like, as he had been among the people here for many days.

As preparations were underway to prepare everyone for departure, he was kept busy. The day came that they were to leave and he was at the flank of the group, keeping his eyes peeled for danger.

The children were with their parents for the most part, while the newcomers — the gravely injured wolf, the redcoat and the shadow — were watched often. Kigipigak did not know these people and he did not trust them, and was made wary as they took up a defensive perimeter around the village-folk, but he did not stop them either.

Eager to see the snow and the ice of the north for the first time in many months, Kigipigak felt a sense of freedom as they moved together, leaving the village behind. In time they would return and retake it, but for now, winter awaited them.

While her parents were all for ceremony (and her sister played along gladly), Kausiut had no interest in any of that. Fiercely independent, she refused to do anything she did not want to do. Virtually anything that she was taught, instructed by or commanded to was met with a deep skeptical scowl, a silent "Why?" written across her features and refusal to obey right away. At this point the only way to trick Kausiut into doing something was manipulating her to believe that it had been her idea in the first place.

She sat patiently enough during the speech phase, though her gaze wandered around constantly and she did not hide the fact that she felt bored. The moment they began moving, she did two things - she ripped off the piece of pelt draped around her shoulders and carried it in her jaws as a prized toy. The second - any person, who even attempted to pick her up from the ground was met with hositlity - bared teeth, snarls and growls, snaps even, if they insisted on bidding her mother's command. 

She was going to walk on her own four feet regardless of pain and exhaustion.