Herbalists' Cache prayer of the stars

maybe @Star Eater ...

it felt good to be home. to walk among lanzadoii once more. loneliness no longer had such a tight grip upon her heart. all faces unfamiliar, but faces she was eager to greet. to understand. to hunt beside. her bones ached for the thrill of the hunt, for the sacred kill of the caribou she would follow once again.

first, she was to meet cen's wife. to witness the woman he'd chosen to walk beside, and perhaps to forge a kinship. her howl rang through the spring air; a beacon for @Star Eater to follow, should she choose. black hawk would sit and wait, as patience was a virtue she'd long achieved.

the summons reaches her from across the frost, and though the weight of her belly makes movement slow, star eater rises. the snow shakes loose from her shoulders as she approaches, steps measured but graceful.
she greets the woman with a small, knowing smile. i am dzaeyaqsaa, she offers gently, voice smooth as wind across the ice. wife to the chieftain. you are family to sun eater? there is warmth there, curious and welcoming, though tired around the edges.
forgive me, she dips her head in apology, i do not leave my snow shelter often these days. her gaze drops briefly to the swell of her stomach before lifting again, steady and patient. but it is good to meet you, at last.

the woman who stalks from the frost is not what black hawk had expected. she's beautiful in a way that makes the lanzadoii woman's gaze linger with nothing but awe. kissed by the night, blessed by the stars. she clears her throat, suddenly feeling too...brutish. with a respectful bow of her head, she offers a smile. crooked and imperfect, but amicable none the less. "he is my cousin. his mother and mine, they were close." she stated with a sway of her thick tail.

"i traveled many moons to find lanzadoii. the pleasure is mine." she hadn't forgotten her manners! a woman as commanding as  dzaeyaqsaa would deserve such. the woman is round with life; it thrills black hawk, knowing there were more kin to come! more mouths she would happily provide for. "my name is keokuk, but my title is black hawk."

cords of dense muscle shift beneath the skin of her shoulders as she shifts. "i should apologize. you should be resting." she admitted with a chuckle. "how close are you to birth?"

star eater’s smile softens, a faint glimmer of pride threading her voice as she answers, it’s quite alright. about… oh, a week now, give or take. she exhales through her nose, breath curling in the cold. her gaze sweeps briefly to the snow-packed earth beneath their paws, as if the ground itself is counting down the days with her.
your name suits you, she remarks, offering keokuk a glance of quiet approval. black hawk. strong. sun eater must be pleased to know you're here. her tail gives a slow, idle flick behind her, though already the weight of her own body urges her not to linger long in the cold.
you honor us, traveling so far. a small, tired laugh follows. and forgive me, but rest feels impossible with little feet kicking my ribs night and day. there's warmth in her tone, as if the complaint is more affection than grievance.
her gaze lingers on keokuk, thoughtful. stay. walk with me a moment. it has been some time since i've had the company of another woman.

mo the woman that you are < 3

a week? it seemed so far, yet so close! black hawk could picture it now; pups storming about, trailed by laughter and chaos. it'd been quite some time since she'd been around little cubs. "so close. you must be excited." or perhaps relieved. 

her toothy grin widens, the compliment sitting just right in her chest. "thank you. he was excited to meet lanzadoii, as was i. i missed my people." she hummed roughly. it was a joy she couldn't possibly explain properly; as if a missing part of her had finally been found.

her lady wishes to walk, and who is black hawk to deny her such? she steps closer until she's at her heavy side, ready to trek. deep but warm laughter rumbles inside her chest. "fair enough. i imagine it's tiresome, carrying around cubs. but the reward is greater."

there is so much keokuk wishes to ask, but she did not wish to bombard the star-woman. and so, she'd simply provide her company, and perhaps a listening ear.

star eater smiles, warm and slow, as if the very mention of her children stirs the heat beneath her ribs. yes… excited. and tired, she admits with a breathy laugh, her tail giving a lazy sway behind her. the days feel long now. but soon, they’ll be here. and then the real work begins.
she glances sidelong at black hawk, studying her in that quiet, thoughtful way star eater often does—curious about the woman who has come so far to stand among them. it is good to have you. the lanzadoii feel stronger with your steps among us. and she means it, too. there’s a steadiness to black hawk, a weight that seems to anchor the air around her.
when the woman draws to her side, ready to match her slow, careful pace, star eater leans gently into her for a moment—just enough to show she welcomes the company, appreciates it more than words might convey. you’ll stay for the birth? she asks, softly, a flicker of something hopeful in her voice. it’s... good luck, you know. to have a hawk watching over newborns.
a playful glint finds her eyes, but the truth sits beneath it, calm and steady as the snow underfoot. come, she murmurs, motioning ahead with a nod. walk with me. tell me of the others you left behind.

their sides meet for only a moment. something playful maybe, something budding. the fur on her spine ruffles and rises with delight; it wasn't often she was blessed with an enchanting woman's touch, no matter how innocent or unassuming. her chest wells with pride, her smile crooked and true. 

"to walk among kin again is an honor i do not deserve. a blessing." she conceded. star-woman was family now, too, and would have been considered such even without the lanzadoii life inside her womb. hawk is truly grateful, to have been ushered into saatsine with open arms. 

hawk's steps are careful, measure. slow in order to match the woman's beside her. her tail sways at her hind with contentment. star-woman asks then, with a voice so hopeful, if she would stay for the birth of new doii. 

the answer leaves her tongue faster than her brain could comprehend. immediate, instinctive. "yes. if cen cannot witness his cubs birth, i will be there." not exactly as a substitute, but as a guardian. a shoulder to lean on. her flesh warms beneath her cheeks, a flush unfamiliar but certainly welcomed. "no one will harm your children. this i promise to you."  

star-woman's curiosity to hawk's story is only natural, and it is welcomed. she looks ahead as they trek, her eyes fond, her smile less sharp. "i was chief once. my band hawks peak. strong huntresses; you would have fit right in." she spoke thoughtfully.

"plague took them from me. too soon, too quick." her tone slightly solemn now, her eyes closing as she whispers a prayer for her fallen. "i mourned for many moons." her gaze shifted back to star-eater. "i will not fail you, as i had failed them."

her ear flicks toward black hawk, curiosity piqued as the name falls from her tongue. cen? she repeats softly, tasting it as if to commit it to memory. ah. so that is his name. a slight smile ghosts across her muzzle, pleased to have a piece of the man who had brought black hawk into their fold. i did not know. only sun eater.
the admission makes her feel almost small, in a way she rarely does—humble, touched that black hawk would share such a piece of herself so easily. her ribs swell with quiet pride as their sides brush, the contact sending a ripple of warmth through her. i do not think myself much of a hunter these days, she murmurs, voice tinted with mirth. two moons now since i felt the chase beneath my paws. i fear i may grow soft.
but it feels good to walk beside her. safe. comfortable in a way star eater has not known with another woman in some time. the vow black hawk makes is met with a soft, almost reverent hum, and star eater’s gaze lowers as she murmurs, thank you.
the words feel heavier than they should, as though they are pulled from somewhere deep, deep within her chest. it eases me. knowing someone as strong as you will stay. her eyes lift, seeking the woman’s face as they walk, admiration there like a gentle tide. they will be glad to have you near. as will i.

star-woman had not known her husbands name? this confused her—how could a husband not give something so personal to his wife? perhaps her cousin had motives she could not understand; they came from different bands, afterall. perhaps that was simply their way. 

and yet...it did not sit right within her chest. 

a husband should not hide a part of himself from his wife. not some as important as the name he was born with, doii moniker aside.

"i thought you would have known." hawk mumbled, eyes gliding forward. she does not know why it bothers her so. 

the woman beside her, so regal and commanding without even having to lift a digit, spoke as if she missed the thrill of the hunt. hawk grinned crookedly, her tail swaying as an idea sprung upon her. "you are not soft. you are mother; strong, sturdy. not many know that strength." she spoke with a conviction she never knew she had. and she tells her then definitively, "when your kids are weaned, we will hunt together." 

they would feel the thunder if caribou stampede at their feet; they would bask in the victory and tradition of a hunt successful. 

star-woman turns her gaze upon hawk. eyes gentle but strong, peering up at her with something hawk cannot name. a feeling that sinks its teeth into the tough hide of her heart. the skin beneath the fur of her cheeks feel warm and her chest fills with pride. 

it was an honor to have her trust. and hawk would do whatever it took to keep it. 

her smile is less sharp and more genuine now, and she holds her head higher. "whatever you need, dzaeyaqsaa. i will provide."

star eater hums, a low, velvety sound, and leans in to press her muzzle into the thick ruff of black hawk’s neck. it is not often she shows affection so openly, but here, with this woman who has walked beside her and spoken such words of unwavering devotion, it feels natural. right.
you are kind, she murmurs, voice soft as snow falling through night. too kind.
the air around them is cold, but the warmth shared between hides and bodies—between women—makes it tolerable. her belly is heavy, tight and taut, but even so, she finds herself wanting to linger longer in this moment. wanting to keep black hawk here, where she can look upon her and feel safe.
she draws back only slightly, gaze lingering on the sharp lines of the other’s face, the crooked grin that doesn’t leave her thoughts even when the night falls.
we will hunt, star eater promises, quiet but sure. i will not be soft. not for long.
and there, beneath the weight of her own growing legacy, she thinks there might just be space for this, too—for the promise of more than survival, more than loyalty. something like belonging. something like pride.
her tail shifts, brushing against black hawk’s in passing as she moves forward, leading them into the snowfall. stay close. i would have you near.

the touch to her scruff, gentle and enticing, sends a traitorous quiver down her spine. an affection she was not used to. one she felt the overwhelming and greedy urge to return tenfold. her muscles tense for just a moment, before they relax beneath the huff of warm breath star-woman blesses her with. 

her tail sways faster at her hind. she had not always been kind. the world is cruel and often did not smile upon kindness and soft words, and so she met it with muscle and valor. but with star-woman...

perhaps being kind was not so bad. she leans over, slowly, to brush her nose against the dark woman's shoulder. grazing her soft fur, nostrils flaring to subtly inhale the scent that wraps around her mind like a vice. 

too soft and too luxurious for the likes of her. 

and then she's gone from beneath hawk's touch. already, she misses it. she knows she shouldn't. it is a weakness that she will struggle to fight. 

but for tonight, she would follow her star-woman. she would remain at her side without a word—her presence was enough. strong and resolute at her cheiftesses' side. 

"always," she promises, voice low and almost intimate.

star eater hums, the sound low and velvety, something only meant for them. her eyes, half-lidded and drowsy from the weight of exhaustion, still find black hawk’s face with startling clarity. there is something... terribly easy in the way she looks at her. terribly dangerous, too. the way her tail flicks softly at her side. the way her shoulders lean, just a fraction, into the warmth of her companion.
you are warm, she whispers, as if the words are secret. as if saying them aloud might ruin them. a truth spoken like a prayer. star eater had not known the tenderness of another woman in a long time. not like this, not steady and enduring, not without expectation. and for the first time in many moons, she finds no desire to raise her guard.
when black hawk’s nose grazes her shoulder, star eater's ears flick once, betraying her pleasure. she exhales softly through her nose, capturing the scent of her in the same, quiet moment. her touch is fleeting, but star eater already feels the loss as keenly as if she'd been abandoned to the cold.
she rises then, slow and careful of her belly. snow brushes her ankles as she moves ahead, but not too far.
come, she says, gentle as dawn. we’ll sit where the wind can’t find us. her gaze lingers over her shoulder, inviting, knowing black hawk will follow. tonight, they need no titles. only warmth, only company.

fade?

you are warm, came star-woman's gentle song. hawk's heart seized and throbbed; feeling two sizes too big for her ribcage to hold. heart of steel and ice melting beneath her molten touch and words. 

it is dangerous, as it is enchanting. hawk has never been a woman to fall so easily for temptation...

but star-woman is more than that. so much more, in a way that frightens the woman who pledges she cannot be. 

"and you, my lady," the moniker felt right. "are too kind to me." came her rasp, voice thicker than before. heavier. eyes of burning amber lit with warmth she shouldn't feel. 

black hawk couldn't remember the last time a woman had made her feel this way. it is a feeling she is greedy to keep, less it swallow her whole and chew her up. star-woman could spit her out and even then, she would still follow.

fade!