Moonspear tangled

all welcome but she is thinking of @Sialuk ! :)

she felt some sense of shame that she knew so little of moonspear and the sister who led it.

it was not right to not amend this. so she had set out at night to miss the heat of the day, telling @Panuk that she had gone to see another moon village. that he was in charge if anyone came to the forest. she had faith in the young man and the security of their grove while she fixed these things.

yet at first light she heard a howling that excited her. she was not one of them but she could not deny the way it energized her! she imagined it helped too that the air was so cool and thin here, as if untouched by the heat of summer.

it had a chance to be improper perhaps, but as she stood on the border she let out her own voice now. then waited as her tail waved behind her.

*big eyes*

Sialuk was certain she had spoken Callyope before, though it had only ever been in passing. The two were sisters, but not in the same way others had been. It was more difficult to remain close to those who did not live in the same village as herself. Still, family was a strong connection amongst the sunshine people, and so the high sage answered the call with one of recognition and welcoming, making her way down a familiar trail to greet the younger sister with a smile and a friendly face.

What brings you here, sister? Sialuk asked, her head canted to one side.

her sister seemed like winter given life.

her eyes a radiant amber befitting sunshine. she wondered how much they had seen. she wondered if anything learned would be passed along to her.

you! she beamed with a bright smile. i wished to see you, and your village, if you'd allow it. i think i have much to learn of my moonspear sister.

Sialuk made a delighted "o" shape with her mouth, wagging her tail and happy to hear that Callyope was primarily here to get to know her better. One could never have too many sisters; Sialuk had decided that upon the arrival of her first sister. She thought fondly of those who had passed, and even those who were too far away to visit on a regular basis.

Of course, Sialuk replied, beckoning Callyope to properly join her within the village's boundaries. Tell me, what have you spent your years learning? Sialuk asked. Many wolves who were born of Kukutux learned healing, though Sialuk knew that was not true of all her siblings.

it was an easy thing to fall into. steps placed alongside a sister she yearned to know better. who she admired for her home location alone!

many things! a bit of a girlish laugh. it seemed the daughters of kukutux truly could be whatever they put their minds to. but i walked for a year in cold lands and found i wish to be a hunter, on top of my desire to tend to others' emotions.

she did not wish to mend flesh, but rather the spirit.

Sialuk was intrigued by Callyope's answer, even if it was vague in a sense. Every wolf was a hunter to some degree, though Sia knew some were better than others. The second desire was the one that piqued her curiosity the most, though. Tending to others emotions was a noble goal, and not one Sialuk could ever claim to have mastered. She had always struggled with her own emotional state, so it was hard to consider looking out for others as well.

That is a noble goal, she said, an approving smile on her face as they rounded a bend in the path. They were coming close to the healing ulaq now, and it would be a good time to check on the stores and clear the cobwebs.

noble!

she felt a warming of shyness creep up over her like a hood. flattered that her older sister might think such of anything she wished to accomplish!

the familiar scents of a healing ulaq wafted along the fresh, crisp mountain air.

have you any advice for it? her words soft and curious, like a child all over again. i know everyone will be different but — but maybe there are things that help you, when you need a listening ear. which made her wonder who played that role for her sister!

oh how much she had to learn!

Sialuk let the answer settle in her mind a moment, using her paw to sweep away a few of the cobwebs that had cropped up since she had last been here. A smaller creature—a raccoon, perhaps—seemed to have been rifling through things as well, and Sialuk gingerly set things back in their proper places.

Listening is the most important part, Sialuk said, pausing briefly before returning to her work. My own spirit has gone through good times and bad, but having reassurance that the bad would not last forever helped me to cope. There were ups and downs in life, she had found, and there was no reason to believe there was not another "up" waiting in the future ahead.

somehow that made her feel better.

to know she did not need to always have words of wisdom, that sometimes the simple act of listening was enough. her sister brought her peace in this advice.

i would like to help your spirit have many more good moments, she confessed softly. aware that despite their deep blood relation, that they still were relatively new to each other! callyope only just coming into her adulthood identity and her sister so strongly established here.

and it would be good for my spirit to see your face more.

fade here? this one is gettin' old! i should have sia come visit, too. :)

Sialuk did not doubt that she would have many more good moments in the future. It was too vast of a thing not to have that.

You are always welcome on the spear, Sialuk said, knowing it did not need to be said. Perhaps the verbal invitation would beget more visits from sistraa. The healing space looked much tidier now, and Sialuk took a step back to admire her handiwork. She was grateful that there had been little reason to use the space in some time. There would always be another wound to heal down the road, another patient to mend. It was one of the many things in this life she had come to expect.

Let's go find some food, she suggested. Now that work was done, a shared meal sounded like just the thing.