Firefly Ravine there in the smoke

@Other Shore

she could not go north—the glacier was a threat.

she could not go east—what remained of the qeya? that would be too easy; anyone of the saatsine could find her, find them there. no.

the babe squirmed in her grip and she loosed a rumble, unaware of such a reaction in herself, but the child gives a little cry and sulukinak feels the urge to shake her quiet. no, she can't do that either.

and then there is nowhere else to run!
the sudden chasm in the earth cuts across her path, and sulukinak must stop to think; to catch her breath; to find a way to cross—and wildly, her wide eyes flicker with uncertainty.

No miracle came to scoop little Ghenaya from the jaws of the thief, so Other Shore kept chasing.

A child's cry sounded ahead of her, quickening her pace. Exhaustion had not quite caught up to her yet, so she sought to do whatever she could before it reduced her muscles to twigs.

Running, panting, pushing through the strain of chaos to save one of the few innocents in the war. She did not dare to think of what would happen if she lost Ghenaya. Star Eater would be devastated - beyond that, even.

Then - the woman stopped.

Other Shore felt a stumble in her pace as she, too, came to slow down, trying to find what had stopped her. A chasm opened up before them, but... why not run elsewhere? She shook away the thought and scanned the area - no visible threats, no other wolves. 

Slowly, she suppressed what fear she had as her gaze turned to Ghenaya, who was now still squirming. Muscles tightened; she hesitated, then took a step forward. And then another. Step by step, closing in on the thief. Claws prepared, body low, tail rigid. But she did not attack quite yet. No, she did not want to throw herself and Ghenaya in the way of harm so quickly, when the little one was so vulnerable and she herself had a woefully small sliver of experience in battle. 

So she did what she was best at. Asking questions. Turmoil still riddled her mind. Star Eater had told her what was happening, but she did not know why so much blood was being spilt in the heart of Saatsine. 

Step by step, she told herself. Step by step. Not too close now, but close enough to be sure that the woman could hear her.

Why? she asked, her voice exposing her genuine confusion as she tried to hide her fear. Why strip a mother of her right to be with her children? Is Star Eater wrong for wishing her children safety from war, for telling her husband to not engage in violence only days after she has given birth? Her voice lowered. Am I wrong for believing that is the wish of every mother?

there might have been time. she could not tell if anyone still pursued her, and could not hear any kind of approach, but her lungs burned and her heart thundered in her ears. even with her usual hypervigilance—no, there was only the panic in her blood. she paced, she looked over this edge or that edge, and scrambled up a ledge while the cub hung as a dark bundle ready to be loosed.
stumbling, sulukinak reverses. she finds a place to shove the small body of ghenaya, and holds her there among the pine needles until the child's squirming and weeping is forced in to quiet. she paces. she paces, and she looks again over the edge. she sees paths crossing down in to a narrow valley carved by a deeper river.
yes! yes, she can do this.
her head raises when a voice calls out behind her.
ghenaya, stowed somewhere near. hidden. dark. quiet.
the pale woman pleading—pleading!
war she called! danger she brought! sulukinak hissed back, flashing her teeth; standing rigid with the chasm before her, bristling, eyes wide and fierce as she looks upon the other woman.
child is lanzadoii! my family! mine. sun eater protects what is his.
and sulukinak would protect what was her's.

She flinched, then hated that she did. Her heart beat much more quickly than she wanted to admit.

Those questions would not sway the woman. But she would not stop here. She forced herself to release a little tension - to remind herself that there was still hope, however slim, that this would not escalate into a fight. That this woman did not want to fight.

Neither of them did, but they were willing to.

Silence lingered between the two for the moment. She watched as the Lanzadoii woman scoured the chasm below, and something flickered on her face. She must have found something of importance - something that would let her escape with Ghenaya.

No time for deliberation, it appeared. It would have to be words. If not words, then claws and teeth. 

Let me ask of you: what does Sun Eater seek? she challenged again, keeping her voice not aggressive but not gentle. Does he not bring violence where he goes? Does Ghenaya not deserve peace at such a vulnerable age? A pause. She did not know how her words would land with the woman, but what other choice was there but to keep going? You see Star Eater - Morwenna - as the bringer of the war, but was it not Sun Eater who went after Gjalla and caused the conflict to explode? 

Too much came rushing into her mind. She filtered logic from instinct, pushing her urge to plead for Ghenaya down, down, into her chest and away from where the woman could see.

None of her words were perfect, she knew, but she was trying with whatever she could think of. Desperation, too much of it,

She tried to think, to keep words from tumbling out when they did not belong. Can a mother whose husband attempts to kill her sister moments after she gives birth have any trust in him as a father? The trek to the sea came back to her mind. And when the time came to march away from the war, was it such a terrible crime for her to let those she trusted carry her pups?

The pups are Lanzadoii, but has Sun Eater proven himself to be a better parent than Star Eater? Who is it with the milk, the warmth, the care of a mother, the will to march to infinity to bring peace to her pups? To bring peace to Ghenaya?

edit: forgot a word

words were not a thing sulukinak cared for. she did not have a strong grasp of words; it was only after many months of life with her uncle that she had learned lanzadoii, and before that the language of her mother had been sparse; commands, and rituals, and magic—but she learned, and she was a good listener even in moments such as this. perhaps especially in moments such as this.

the pale woman continue to plead. she showed herself for what she was: loyal to a betrayer, and ignorant, and young, all of which worked against her. sulukinak felt that voice grating on her last nerves as she heard it calling to her; back to the ravine, ready to turn on her heel and grab for ghenaya at a moment's notice.

so many words.

so many questions.

and finally sulukinak was too frustrated! she snapped her teeth as if the sound of her jaws might mute the stranger. that is what she was! stranger. as much lanzadoii as her uncle's betraying wife.

you don't know! she roared, at least to her own ears it was a roar; to anyone else it was merely the raising of a voice not used to shouting.
there was no going after! there was only law, and breaking, and the right of a chief to do as he wants! sun eater is chief. he is chief to the saatsine and if he says they must go, they go! if they do not, then teeth! then blood! he had every right to enforce his will, and to take the blood price from anyone not obedient.

it was this way in the everdark and it was this way here, in these wilds.
he broke law, once. he broke law and they took his eye. so do not tell me this is wrong, he is not alone! when you stand against the chieftain then you get what you deserve— she wasn't shouting now, but panting. emotional. exhausted. trying to make sense of it all to herself as much as to the pale woman.

you let me go. the cub is safe—she is safe with me. why did it now feel as though sulukinak was the one pleading? she stood firm before the ravine, feeling her heart pounding like a drum in one ear, while the other kept tabs on ghenaya in her hiding place, hearing her begin to squirm.
star eater is not one of us. she made her choice.
now other shore would have to make her own—but what would it cost?

sorry for the delay! this is about to go in an interesting direction lol

- And there went her passion. 

It would be quite amusing to watch this exchange from the eyes of someone with little grasp on the weight of each word. She and the woman, taking turns with flaming determination, before burning away as they each wondered why, why was this happening?

"You don't know!" the woman had yelled, and Other Shore could not deny it. She did not know the law of packs; Saatsine was the first one she had ever been in. She simply did not understand - did no one else have a say in the pack? But perhaps Saatsine was this way, and as long as Sun Eater remained chieftain it would stay this way. Sun Eater had not told her this when teaching her the ways of the Lanzadoii.

Could the stranger guarentee the safety of Ghenaya? Star Eater would not trust her to do so... would she? She had the choice to leave now, or push forward with words or claws.

For a moment there, she stilled, pondering. The stranger wanted a fight about as much as she did, and that was to say, not at all. In the event that they did come to untamed clashing, she would most likely focus on running away with Ghenaya, not killing or injuring her.

But if Other Shore did not even try to bring Star Eater's daughter back... the guilt and shame would kill her, and Star Eater's devastation would tear the heavens apart.

There had to be a chance.

A step forward. Then another. 

It could all go to hell after this. 

She began again, not with a challenge, but with a final attempt at persuasion. Ghenaya is safe? With you? No animosity - just echoing her words. But Saatsine is not safe. You have seen Sun Eater's wrath, and likewise the cruelty of the people called Darukaal. War has never been safe.

She saw the squirming pup, the star upon her crown bearing the mark of her mother. Ghenaya needs Star - Morwenna. The child remembers her warmth and milk. 

Then her eyes moved up - dared to meet the gaze of the stranger with a promise. Morwenna will not threaten the rule of the Lanzadoii here any further. We move to where the pups are safe. Where no war will threaten them.

That is the true wish of every mother. I hope you are kind enough to understand. 

The moment the woman moves even an inch closer, Sulukinak steps back and back again, so she stands over the hidden Ghenaya; but by now it was obvious where the girl had been put down, and she squirmed, her star-touched face briefly visible to the open sky. Sulukinak thought quickly - if necessary, she could kick the thing free. It would be like a pebble gamboling down the side of the ravine. A shrewd look in her eye threatened the other woman as if they shared a mind.

Is she safe with you?

She needs a mother.

Wild-eyed, Sulukinak flashes her teeth but there is little heart in it. She needs to be away. It was what the shadow girl felt deep in her spirit, repeating from her own trauma. Nobody needed their mother - not really, not when it mattered. She was rescuing Ghenaya from a horrible fate of being used, abused, abandoned and devoured.

Bristling and unsteady, borderline manic, her eyes flit between the woman who drew a step too close, and the ledge which could be climbed — or ignored utterly. There was a choice here and time was running out.

The look on her face said it all: Try to take this child and you won't like what happens.

Cameo, I just don't want her to drop.

She wasn't cognizant of the chaos until she was the focus of it: the shouting voices piercing to new ears, the snapping teeth blurry, shining white scythes in the dark. Coiled against her siblings and mostly asleep until the grapple of foreign fangs upon her, the feeling of being airborne—and then the arduous transit in to the wilderness, where nothing smelled familiar, and she was too scared to open her eyes. The heavy breathing around her scruff might have lulled Ghenaya to sleep had it not been so frantic.

When they stopped, it wasn't because the shadow had wanted to stop. Ghenaya is summarily thrust among bramble and fern, hidden in a damp recess in the tangle there; free, finally, she does what comes naturally and begins to crow and squeal—but the shadow swoops in to quiet her.

She is tired, she cannot fight it.

The shadow smells like home.

Soon there is a voice—a shouting, which makes her bundle tight in her hiding place at first. Ghenaya does not know words yet. She barely grasps at the tone in the voice, the pleading edge, and only when the shadow shouts back does Ghenaya rouse enough to expose herself. She ambles a step, and then is blocked by the heel of the shadow as they come to loom from above.

Mother? She smells the caribou musk that dominates all of Saatsine, despite not knowing what to call it; she sees the dark shape and smells her father, but also there is the hormonal scent of her mother—a mother—and Ghenaya pleads in her own way, crawling over Sulukinak's toes.

Mother, please! But that is not her mother.

"She needs to be away."

And it was in that moment that Other Shore realized - this woman could not see reason the same way she did. She did not see motherhood the way she did. And unless she could open up the woman's mind and twist it, no words would find the rationality within her.

She saw Ghenaya reaching, pleading, and there she saw Star Eater - Morwenna, as they called her. Too close. Too close to a stranger who did not know the meaning of motherhood. She turned around for a moment, hoping, wishing Star Eater would be dropped by the heavens behind her to aid her when she did not know what to do herself. 

But when no such miracle happened, she realized - if the heavens would not return a child to her rightful mother, then she would do it herself.

She snapped and thrust herself forward.

Other Shore sprung to one side - lightly, quickly - then twisted away, lunging to the other side for Ghenaya, hoping her first turn had been enough to divert the woman just for long enough. Eyes sought the little dark shape on the ground; jaws found grasp on Ghenaya.

She did not wait for the woman to rip this opportunity from her. She bolted.

If she was to choose, she would not know what would be the right choice. Would she choose for the child? No. For herself? Maybe. But that meant putting herself first, beyond even Sun Eater - and she could not do that. Sun Eater would want the child. Sulukinak should have bolted; she should have run another way, not to be trapped by this ravine before her. She should have never put the girl down.

Hindsight.

As she deliberated, the talkative woman was lunging. Snapping. Sulukinak braced for impact and snarled — but the teeth sought the child! The stranger had Ghenaya and was running! No - no no no she could not have her!

Whatever had frozen Sulukinak to that spot broke, and she made reaching steps after the woman. They ran in tandem together away from the ravine — and then with a final lunge, Sulukinak tried to grab for the woman's face, or the dark bundle hanging there.

She felt something; her teeth met flesh, and she bit, and she pulled. Only the screaming of the child reminded Sulukinak of her true purpose; and perhaps it was the budding maternal instinct, or the hormones of her changing body, but whatever the case - something stopped her from shaking the child like a ragdoll long enough to curve away from the betrayer.

Away, away, and north, to where the earth was scored with its own scar.

She did not know where to go - just - where her panicked mind told her. Where was safety, where was Star Eater? she asked herself, and she found the answer in the west, towards Winsook, towards the sea. 

But no time to consider directions. Quickly now! Quicker! She tried to urge her legs to go faster, faster, as she became aware of the dreadful thump of footsteps by her - 

But no! No! Too slow!

The woman reached and gripped too quickly for her to react; she did not know if it was Ghenaya's scream, or the strength of the woman, but she failed to keep the child in her jaws. And before she knew it the woman was running back - back to the ravine - too swiftly, much too swiftly!

No moment of deliberation reached her in the midst of chaos. She managed to at least not be thrown back by too many wolf-lengths, then, before logical thought could give her command, she threw herself at the woman, trying to tackle the thief, to bring her down so her teeth might find the child's flesh again. Anything - anything to get Ghenaya back.

The babe swung in her jaws and it's screeching grated in her ears.

The pounding of her steps, scrambling over loose stones, hugging the earth as she went—to the ravine; in to the earth!

Behind her raced the woman.

Sulukinak found the edge and without thinking further, as there was no time for thought, she tried to claw her way to a ledge.

The babe squealed—and the betrayer was there, snatching her at the last moment. An unholy sound erupted from Sulukinak as she saw the woman and the child retreat back from the edge.

GIVE HER BACK TO ME.

Other Shore tried to impede the woman - diverting her focus in any way - but she did place enough strength in any form of attempt to attack or block the woman. Not even a touch was made between them as she, in her wild panic, lunged in and threw herself towards the thief, hoping she could do anything, anything, to halt the woman in her tracks, to find the pup within her claim again.

Too quick! Everything was happening too quick! She had no time to think! Panic was ripping her apart inside more than ever before. Already the woman was making her way out, down the ravine, down to where Other Shore knew only failure or death awaited her.

She saw the approaching cliff; heard a squeal from Ghenaya. 

She knew the question -

Now or never?

And then came the answer -

Now.

A click; a switch in her mind, then she lunged for the child. 

Flesh! She felt flesh! The dark shape tore from one to the other, and Other Shore secured Ghenaya in her jaws. She turned; turned to the west again, internally pleading the heavens to not let the woman take the child again, then decided that was where she must run.

Her desire to be free, either within the ravine or beyond it, was so powerful that when Sulukinak made her last reach for that cursed little girl she was certain that she would either grab the little one or the bitch that grappled for her.

In the end, she missed by a hair.

Her reach was great — her passion to keep a family intact, insurmountable — but it wasn't enough.

Her teeth closed and she thought she tasted flesh, maybe blood; she pulled and made herself fall back.

But her teeth had not met the girl child.

The blood was her own.

And as she fell, her eyes went wide with this final betrayal.

Something brushed against her side, somewhere... she could not tell what it was, she prayed that it was the wind -

She flew on legs wrapped in numbness, near-shattered hopes now renewed - 

The sound of a body crumbling to the ground behind her -

And she kept running, the little child with her, fast enough for fate to have to sprint if it were to catch them now.

Ghenaya would see her mother again! She would feel the love of Star Eater again, would be returned to the only person Other Shore knew could provide Ghenaya with the kind, nurturing warmth that she needed. Would not be torn from her mother's love again. 

She titled her head around, ever so slightly, just so she could know if the thief was back again - and no, she was not. Relief slammed into her like it had never before. Safe, safe, safe - they were safe. 

So off into the west she ran. Not quite piercing into the heart of Winsook yet, no - but Star Eater, Morwenna, would be there, waiting. 

exit?
enjoyed threading with you <3 sorry for all the delays and confusions I caused along the way