Ouroboros Spine uivaksaat ⨆

gonna say this was set ummm july 17 :D, two days after this!

kukutux was stained with tears and tasted her own bitter anger.

when she returned to moonglow, any who looked upon her would see the emotions of moonwoman.

for @Aiolos and @Shikoba she called; they would meet beside the lake.

"a man who has the name of atlas ostrega has come back to the mountain which sialuk wished. he is filled with anger. he wishes to take the mountain for himself." her eyes flashed. "he is my kin through ostrega name. i tried to reason. but he is disrespectful. i do not want him near this village. he has wickedness inside him."

she looked at them. "it is wickedness that can be cleansed. but until he is free of this rage, he cannot be chieftain, and not in a place that is sacred."

upon the call of moon woman, shikoba is quick to leave behind her patrol of the borders. a hurried lope overtakes her body as she sees the figure of the matriarch become closer in the distance. upon further investigation, shikoba could see the tear-stained cheeks and the raw feelings that emitted from the duck.

her heart swells with anger for whoever caused this; it infuriates her even more to see the emotional ties of pain rather than physical upon the brow of moon woman. and as shikoba reaches her, she is quick to nuzzle the woman's cheeks and offer her comfort and reassurance.

when sun man would make his appearance and the meeting would start, shikoba listened intensely. it was clear that this man was unwanted and too close to Moonglow. even more so, his presence disturbed the sacred place of moonspear. 

while shikoba did not understand the large significance of moonspear, she did not need the information. what mattered was that kukutux found it to be important, and thus it would be important to shikoba.

"then we decide how to rid Moonspear of wickedness." any man who bares his teeth in the presence of his own kin is worth nothing to shikoba. he might as well be another pelt she sleeps on at night. however, her own cruelty stems from her strong desire to protect her family. 

"does kukutux value his life?"

Kukutux called out to both Shikoba and he, to which Aiolos followed eagerly, as always. But he was not met with a happy woman, but a sorrow and righteous anger. 

She spoke of an Ostrega, returned to the homeland with want to reclaim it as his own. He did not wish to bargain and Aiolos trusted Kukutux to have been level, to try to find reason and middle ground. 

Ginger ears press to his skull and he moves to brush his black nose along the wet cheek of his mate. Pulling back, amber eyes turn upon Shikoba as she speaks and questions... His nod is firm and attention dances back to Kukutux. Whatever it is you wish to do, it will be done. He does not think she will send out a death wish upon the man, though she very much could. Moonglow has a great many friends and allies. We have all we need to drive him out.

moonglow was strong.

she felt herself unwind from the tightness almost down to her bones.

shikoba spoke with the feral nature of a warchief.

toteega whispered.

"i value his life." he spoke hot words. but he had no one yet with him on the mountain. "i say we keep him prisoner. as nuak was kept." she looked to aiolos as she said this.

they would wound him and bring him.

"sacrarium asks for warriors from winterglade and moonglow. your cloudberry wife and me, we say no," she said to sun man. "but maybe the man who has the name of vagabond will help us in this."

she gestured in the direction of the glen where fireflies lived. "i offered stories in the place of bright lights flying. but maybe it is time to share words of this man upon moonspear."

it was true that shikoba was quick to jump toward the violent nature of her own body, but there is always a reason behind it. acts of violence with no purpose are useless and disgraceful to her. with a man that threatens the peace of Moonglow and the prosperity of moonspear, shikoba will not be able to rest easy.

instead of skinning this man for his pelt, the moon woman would rather spare him and keep him prisoner. perhaps even mark him too. and if that becomes the case, shikoba will not be as merciful as she was before with nuak.

"he might be coward and run if we bring more teeth," she says, hoping that the voices and the presence of others will be enough to cause this man to think twice before trying to lay claim by himself, "if we need help, we will have to return it later." this part she says with a tone of caution,  not truly knowing if this vagabond would be worth the trouble of working with in order to secure moonspear.

kukutux nodded.

"i will ask them to come with us to winter hunting. then we will be on the same place of standing."

it was an honor that they patrol moonspear. and it would be returned with a feast of friendship.

she nudged shikoba gently but said no more.

They wouldn't kill the man. At least, not yet. Aiolos would rather drive out the wolf and be done with him, but this also meant in time he could bring back reinforcements. Housing him here meant keeping an eye on him, but for how long? What if he should never change? 

First Hunter is right, we will be in debt to Sacrarium, but maybe they will prove a strong ally. Though they had been in a time of peace for quite some time, life needed balance. Battle would one day come again. 

Then, Kukutux spoke of them joining their winter hunting, allowing them to join in the festivity and take food and pelts home for winter. Aiolos nods, though like Kukutux, says nothing more.

paying back debt was something shikoba was always keen to get off her plate. she never liked the idea that she had to owe anyone anything, she'd rather make sure that any action made was made by her own conscious. the mention of inviting them to the first winter hunt causes a nod from the first hunter. perhaps this would be the best way to introduce a sort of friendship or allyship. however, shikoba wonders what this sacrarium has to offer, and what they secretly need help with.

"that would be good," she says lightly, "but if this man burns inside, he will not be a prisoner for long. like nuak, he will try to escape or fight." it was apparent that this man would already be trouble upon moonglow's shoulders. the path to atonement could only be followed by the few who are willing to admit their sins and reconcile with themselves and others. shikoba has little faith in the man already.

"but for now, moonglow can focus on the hunt."

kukutux listened.

at last she spoke.

"in the place of burning spirits i will tell to vagabond that we will give warrior wisdom between our packs. in this way, our owing is not large. we will give them meat from winter hunting and it will be settled."

if a marriage happened to bind the villages, then debt would not part of things.

she looked between them with a small smile. "yes. moonglow will dream of the hunt."

Shikoba's words were true. Aiolos did not like the idea of a dangerous man needing constant watch in their home. Even more so, with Aiolos being father to much of Moonglow. Second wife now established herself elsewhere now (assuming this is before they are MIA not sure), too, making keeping a watchful eye on those he cared for more and more difficult.

They would share their skills, share their kills and this would be payment for the watchful eyes on Moonspear. Aiolos wondered if one day their two packs would be bond by that of his daughters. Sialuk had yet a want to marry and Samani's eyes already looked to another. Soon, it would be Callyope and Ariadne that would find their match.

Then it is settled. He spoke, firey eyes passing between both women. I'd like to travel with this Vagabond on our next scout of Moonspear.

fading!

she smiled.

her eyes flashed for the strength of moonglow.

"then it shall be so."