Moonspear the usual

Desdemona walked through the Moonspear with ease, a routine of circling the lands. She marked, she guarded, and watched the outside. Every sound of uncertainty and rustling of unknown was met with a glare of jades, she was unusually wary at the time. Perhaps nerves were stoke and became restless, especially of sparring partners recently, she secretly wished for more, as it felt nice to not be the beaten stick of many, but an equal in arms.

For now she let off the pent-up steam by running around the mountains.

the promised husband had not been readily forthcoming.

today the frazzled girl hunted paluktak, trying not think of what she had lost by leaving courtfall, and what she had not gained by coming to moonspear. she had found a stream and cornered the unlucky beast. it had been granted the unfortunate notion of venturing out in daylight; the xi now unsteadily perched upon the edge of its dam, mouth watering for the fatty tail she had not tasted in a long time.

for now, the earthstorm went unseen and unaddressed.

A pale figure, white as the moon and as lonely as one. Something seemed amiss with the unfamilar wolf. She smelled of Moonspear, yet Desdemona could not recall who they were. Perhaps new, she thought, for they were no intruder as the scent was clear. Though the other was in the route of her jogging as she patrolled, and momentarily stopped, watching.

Though she was not noticed, as the other had attention elsewhere. Jades followed to where her greens watched, and noticed a morsel in the midst. Were they perhaps hunting? She did not wish to interrupt, and remained afar, watching, but Desdemona did not hide herself and remained in the opening. Quiet, letting the other focus.

kukutux had kept herself alive on small game in the past summertime, but she had grown accustomed to caches, to agana bringing back kills for her to prepare. it was another reason she wished a husband, and set her jaw with a jealous determination.

the creature chittered angrily, slapping its broad tail against the surface of the dam. the girl's hesitance was apparent; moment by moment, kukutux flushed pinker with shame. how could she live here among these warriors and not even defeat an animal this size? how could she ever hope to measure in hydra's eyes?

desperately, she darted forward, jaws flashing hopefully.

Jaded eyes studied the figure, watching them eye the prey. Though she also knew what a desperation looked like, a woe within one's body, to release it outwards onto the world. She knew very well, watching the figure seemingly so emotional- it made Desdemona wonder if she could catch a prey with all the tension.

The spider hoped they would catch what they desire and more- but not here. Somewhere else perhaps, what the other wishes would be sought. Undisturbed, Desdmeona remained still.

her aim, surprisingly, struck true. kukutux was now faced with the daunting prospect of how to kill the struggling beast while keeping it from entering the water.

it was then that she felt the weight of another's eyes — a woman with piercing verdant gaze watching her. the girl prickled with embarrassment, but she refused to let her kill be lost, and so kept her focus upon the struggling mammal.

Desdemona moved forward, "do you need help?" She didn't wish to interrupt the others hunt but saw the struggle, and asked the other. Some were too prideful to accept and wished to do it alone, but she did not know who this wolf was, or how'd she act. 

She pressed forward to help, and was getting close enough to where the spider could snap and help the white wolf catch this beaver, if she so granted the permission.

green eyes cut to the cunning feral cast of the stranger's face. she wanted to say no, to do this alone, but her ineptitude was growing by the moment.

and so kukutux gave a sharp nod, blinked, braced herself against the beaver's struggling as she waited for this moonspear wolf to aid her.

The other accepted, no words spoken, only a mutual hunt. Desdemona lunged forward to grab at the beaver entering the water oh-so desperately, but she would not let it. Even with such a faint grab, she would hopefully let the nab yank the fellow backwards enough, that the other can lunge for a neck-kill, and if not, simply drag away from the water. An aid she hoped would be successful.

the other woman came forward then, but kukutux could only admire her grace a moment before her turn arrived. the beaver struggled, arching its thickly pelted neck, and here the girl struck, jaws closing in a final, bloodied struggle before she looked toward her companion.

she was the color of the earth, and the eyes that beheld the girl's were yet another shade of green. moonspear suraaktuk, came the amused whisper of the spirit.

The capture was splendid, as the two caught the morsel in peace, "I am Desdemona." Once the job was done, she ended their eternal silence with a greeting, and dipped her head to the stranger. Perhaps there was a time the two briedly saw each otherbut never formally met, as most Moonspearians seemed to be with the spider. Nontheless, she would make more effort to know of the wolves in the land.

"i am kukutux." the meat was sweet, rich with marbled fat that melted beneath her tongue. she stood aside, inviting desdemona to join her in the kill they had taken together. hunger could not wait, but the duck was pleased to have such a wolf in her presence today.

The spider accepted the invite to the meal and stood beside the pale one, taking a bite. She actually never had the meal before, as it felt tiresome to wait for them to swim out, and even more-so reluctant to swim toward them. It was good.

"Where are you from?" As the two ate, she thought to push forward for a more social setting. It felt awkward, maybe even heard within her tone of voice, but Desdemona wished to push herself to be more sociable, as she had learned from Alya, and Morningside alike. 

Though couldn't help deny that it felt so unnatural.. She enjoyed the silence between the two, but needed this push for herself.

melkor was not here, and so kukutux was not ashamed of giving desdemona the same explanation she had given the courtfall man. "by the sea. the dark water. we hunted seals." there were different versions of what it was to head north, she had found, and wondered what the woman alongside her would think she meant.

"and you?" she inquired after a shy tick of time, lowering her muzzle back to their joint kill to cover a lingering wariness. the wolves of moonspear were foreign to her, and kukutux to them. only time would spell the names of those who could be trusted.

"I never seen the sea." She was not sure what a seal looked like as well, as Desdemona has always been a wolf who stayed inland. She only knew that there was a great body of water by the coast, that was not drinkable nor' smelled the same. It would be a lie if she wasn't curious, but it wasn't a priority in her life.

"Pines, many pines." Her previous home could be counted the same where most come from, a flatland of simple pines and caves. Where bears and foxes joined together in a rivarly of hunting. There was no close mountains to where she particulary was at, but there were afar, "I was in Phoenix Maplewoods at some point."

"i do not know the maplewoods," kukutux admitted sheepishly between bites. "but pines. yes. i know them. we call them napaaktuk where i am from. was from," the girl corrected, pain dragging briefly at her spirit.

rocking back onto her haunches, she sighed, and smiled sidelong at desdemona. "that was good. i thank you. please have the rest."

Desdemona felt dull, only now realizing perhaps the other spoke a foreign language. She didn't know many who spoke of a different tongue, and felt a bit fascinated by it, "interesting." Awkwardly, that was all the words she could pull forth.

"Thank you," and dipped down to take a bite out of the prey, as offered.

not understanding the sudden cool between them, kukutux pulled her gaze away so she would not be assumed to stare as desdemona ate her fill. "are you an ostrega?" she asked quietly after a moment, pondering the body of the beaver and wondering how best to cure its waterproof fur.

Desdemona shook her head, and licking off the remaining frigments of the preys blood from her maw, "I claim no last name." Even the one she carried long ago, was something she wished to never have again. They were damnable foes, and she doesn't want to share a name with them.

"do you?" though some were quite proud of their lineage, the spider was the opposite.

"no last name," she murmured softly, "but i still practice the ways of my people." it was another sort of lineage, kukutux decided. 

she reached out a small paw to touch the beaver's tail gently. "would you like to keep this?"

the trade completed, kukutux was pleased, for it gave her happiness to return kindness toward others in moonspear.