Ouroboros Spine the blade you left in my bleeding heart

for @Inutsuk for a more present-day thread, the challenges to win back the wife will now commence! 

she knew that he wanted her forgiveness. but forgiveness was hard to give when all that is felt is pain. she was star hunter now, one who could demand more than what sivullik once did. she knew that being greedy and cruel was something that would be looked down upon by both sun man and moon woman. and shikoba must turn her head and heart away from the whispers of hurt that lingered within.

instead, she would call for her husband, a call that would be heard throughout moonglow. difficult tasks would lay ahead of him. she knew of the tasks set by rodyn from moon woman in order to court a daughter. the bride price was difficult, and the man came back with scars.

shikoba would not send him that far. but she would expect him to try his hardest, should he want to return to the ulaq of his wife. she remained by the grove, noting the colorful leaves of fall twirling about her. this was her home, and she would not allow the presence of this man to bring her any more shame. he would work, and he would earn his place back or forever be chased away.

Star Hunter called. Inutsuk did not miss it. How could he?

And to think, he would now see her with eyes larger of respect than before. Oh, how ecstatic he had been when the news flew to his ear. Shikoba had put much effort and love into Moonglow. It was she deserved. No... she deserved more- but for the time being, this would do.

From the small ulaq that had been his place of recuperation, the newly named omega traipsed as quickly to her as he could. The man had no issue with his new status, knowing full well it was what he had earned. But from here on, an eager goal was at mind to do everything he could to prove himself once more. He required no high title, but only to have returned to him the love of his mate and the trust of those he called family.

Star Hunter, He greeted softly, dipping his muzzle. There was pride in his eyes when he looked to her; it would not fade, no matter her feelings for him in this moment. But of course, he need focus on the tasks to come. I take it my tasks have been chosen?

he would come, with an expression that normally shikoba would aim to always have from her own husband. while it does little to soothe the feelings that still run rampant within, she does her best to remain still and at least return a nod to him for a greeting.

"tasks have been picked."

she had to think of this for a while and had even wondered what would be the best for a single wolf on his own. shikoba had little doubt about inutsuk when it came to his hunting talent. however, shikoba knew the fact that her tasks would send him away again. and while this may seem counterintuitive, it may be her last result. 

"inutsuk will go and bring back 3 different animals," she started off, "one from land, one from sky, and one from sea." 3 ought to not be too difficult of a challenge, though it would require traveling. thankfully, many have walked form the coast to Moonglow, and would hopefully not take too many days for inutsuk. even more so, he would not be required to care for the meat or hide as rodyn did. instead, he simply had to come back with proof of his successful hunts.

if he proved his worth and came back successful, he would return to his title beyond omega and instead rejoin his wife within the hearth. if not, he would forever be banished from the spine.

The tasks. He had thought eagerly of them since it had first been brought up. This was his chance to return to the heart of Moonglow, and to the heart of Shikoba.

Land, sea, sky. 3 hunts, 3 kills. It certainly wasn't a difficult task. Inutsuk couldn't help but wonder why they were indeed so simple. Was she taking this easy on him? Part of him hoped so, while another did not. As a man looking to prove himself and his presence, he wanted her to know he would do just about anything to achieve that. But he wouldn't blatantly question it. This task was chosen by her, so he would fulfill her wishes.

I can depart now? The sooner he could leave, the sooner the task could be fulfilled and he could return home.

perhaps he thought of this as easy, but shikoba was not one to ensure that the challenge would be something so swiftly done. "yes, but there is one more thing that inutsuk must bring back with him beside the hunts." she withheld this part last, wondering if the challenge would sprout unwanted arrogance in the man before her. the meat meant little to her, the blood shed by his teeth would fall upon a woman who could care less about trivial tasks.

"my son, mojag." she didn't dare call him his. he may have fathered him, but mojag knew of no man in his life to be his father, perhaps only the village itself. she'd refuse to call him the father until mojag himself could recognize the relationship. until then, shikoba would hold the title of tataa distant.

she swallows and feels her dry throat that would cry for her son every night if it still could. "he has become lost in the wilds. inutsuk will look for him and bring him home." this would be the true task, the hunts would be something to prove perhaps to the man himself that he was still useful. but shikoba and the village could hunt, she did not need another set of teeth for that. she needed her son.

and if shikoba knew the reason for her son leaving, perhaps she'd tear the throat out of the man who stood before her.

sike shikoba's giving him a hard quest mwahahaha <333 if you have any questions about planning/timing, feel free to pm me!

Inutsuk did not quite expect what the starhunter would say next. 

"Bring back Mojag." she demanded. He swallowed hard. This was far beyond a few simple hunts.

A question hung on his tongue. He almost dared not to ask, but he needed to know the answer. And what if I cannot, or he is unwilling? Would Shikoba say he could not return if this added task was not met to the standard?

her demands were high, perhaps even unfair.

but a mother's love would push shikoba eve to the brink of cruelty. upon the voice of concern from her husband, the woman must do her best to not allow her own gaze to harden.

"he will not be." her voice remains stagnant, though intends to reassure him. through all the time she tried to spend raising him, mojag had never been an unruly child. he was always so dutiful and at a young age had accepted the fact that he didn't need a father to raise him. that in itself was something that would forever reflect the character of her own son to shikoba. 

"inutsuk will not return unless mojag comes home too." perhaps he thought of her as unfair, but for all the nights that shikoba spent mourning the loss of both, she will not allow herself to fall victim to sadness or guilt anymore. her jaw tightens as she looks towards him now, ears flattening a tad. "the hunts give inutsuk chances to search the wilds in all its places," this was meant to guide him to different areas of teekon in order to search, "mojag may not know or remember his tataa. but he will never forget his anaa." 

this is said with the confidence of a mother that forever holds onto hope for her child. and now she can only hope that this is not misdirected or misguided. and now she waits, to hear if there hold the opposition to this task or if he simply accepts.