Moonspear tatigaa ⚊

tags for ref! feel free to join <3 aw to those allowed near the den

@Jarilo had been raised to leadership, and yet with the cougar that had come, and the fever that had struck @Sialuk, kukutux had found no time for celebration. that had been the extent of their marriage thus far, however; each small moment followed by a large shift in the greatness of moonspear.

the young mother nosed her daughter for the fifth time, fussing somewhat before she arranged @Saviguk between her forelegs and begin to chew her dried raspberry leaves into a medicine she might need to administer if her child did not continue to rally. contemplative, tense, she called upon the trickster spirits and asked of them a silent boon for the health of the girl she had borne jarilo.

Oops, I forgot to update her signature after her last thread! But I can work with this, hehe.

Her fever had broken, at least for a time, but it had come back, leaving Sialuk weary during her first few days when she could finally see. Now, though, her body had slowly started to cool once again. Her mother's caring for her was welcomed (of course), and Sialuk looked at the white fur with wonder in her eyes. The new sense of sight was now commonplace for her, and she spent much of her time (when she wasn't fussing about) looking this way and that; taking it all in.

Sialuk's baby blue eyes then moved to her mother's mouth, watching as it moved to chew the crunchy dried leaves. Still unsteady on her feet, Sialuk moved toward it, eyes locked on the movement and enamored by the sight itself.

ope <3 ty

kukutux paused in her grinding to look down with a grin at sialuk, traipsing forward. "inuuniun," she murmured to the raindrop. "unnautairuk." when jarilo was close, she spoke to their children in the tongue they both shared.

but to her babes when they were alone, kukutux felt the vibrations of the sea-voice in her throat, and spoke such when moved to it.

She could see (and feel, when she was close enough) her mother's voice, although she was still a few days away from hearing it. That would come in a week's time (or around there) which would open up a whole new world to Sialuk, even if she wouldn't jump into it right away. The silvery little thing smiled up at her mother, curious as to what was going on.

"i make medicine for you, but you do not need it, sialuk, sia, sia," kukutux hummed in a low singsong. the bolus well-chewed by now, the healer spat some of it onto the earth near her daughter's paw, shifting the remainder to her inner cheek. "look well, sia, sia, medicine grows in the dirt and becomes magick in our hands."

More movement, and this time something foreign fell from her mother's mouth. Immediately, Sialuk went to investigate the strange substance. She touched it first with her three-toed paw, and it stuck to her fur there. Curious indeed! Then her little black nose came closer to the paste, sniffing at it. It smelled strange, but not all together unpleasant. Next came the taste test, but it didn't take Sialuk long to decided she didn't like that very much. She spat it back out, unknowingly mimicking her mother.

she blinked, and the pointed teeth of the greenslime monster loomed in her mind a moment. eyes blurred at the sight of sialuk's paw, and for a long time kukutux did not speak again. there were not words to describe the mingled sensation she felt. 

her spirits were lifted by the healer's method attempted by her child. "good," she grunted, shifting herself somewhat. "you mix first. it must be chewed well. you have it," kukutux praised gently. "your spirit is open to learning this way, so i shall teach you all i know."

Sia once again locked on to her mother's mouth as she spoke, unaware of the words, but somehow ingesting them as best as she could. The strange substance forgotten, Sialuk grinned and nipped at her mother's mouth, her actions an obvious ploy for attention. She ran awkwardly a few steps back, turned around, and wiggled her small, stubby tail.

kukutux was happy to leave off. she put her work aside, lifted up, stretched. a laugh escaped her muzzle, and she dropped into a bow of her own, tossing muzzle to and fro as she darted toward sialuk, a sharp bark thrumming in her throat.

I love them. <3

Sia wiggled and wormed, tumbling about as her mother darted at her and made strange movements with her mouth and body. The mood was playful and joyous, one that Sia would come to associate with her mother's presence along with the quiet that she so often found there. When she'd finally had enough, Sialuk began to slow, her head resting on the ground as she stared wide-eyed. Her legs were splayed behind her in a classic "sploot."

me too <3

they romped and darted until sialuk spread out her small body upon the earth to rest. lightly exerted herself, the duck sank to her haunches, tongue lolling. "you are fast wild ostrega girl," she remarked, muzzle lit with a smile as she looked toward downy sialuk. "maybe you will be one who races."

Last one from me!

Though she could not hear her mother's words, and she would not have comprehended them even if she could, there was a solid sense of soothing in her expression and posture that brought out all the warm fuzzies in Sialuk. Her once wide eyes began to droop, and soon enough, she had drifted off to sleep with her hind legs still splayed behind her.

<3

as usual, sialuk appeared to be lulled by her mother. kukutux was pleased at this, assured she had done well as mother. it was a private thought, and one she did not allow herself to have often, for fear of pride. but in this second the duck was content to think it, gathering the raindrop close for a time.