Ouroboros Spine uvona ◸

whenever! <3

she had not seen bronco for some time. to her knowledge, antares had not proclaimed what might be the future path of the fireflies. he was tormented from within; she had seen it in his eyes, sensed it somehow.

this sickened the duck, and she limped into the woodland, leaving behind at her ulaq a pile of half-worked leather. kukutux drifted from pinewood to birchbark forest, toward the fringes of moonglow, where she would seek @Vallkyrie. pikaluyik.

She smelt the woman far before seeing her and it soon dawned on her that the pale woman came for her. The huntress had more or less stayed to the outskirts, hunting and scouting for signs of others from the fallen mountain. Kukutux hospitality extended to Firefly Glen as their allies but Kyr was not even this, or was she now? She wasnt sure where she stood and even still her icy gaze cast out far, far away from this place with longing and sorrow.

Turning back towards Kukutux who was more clearly in view, Kyr began to help close the distance. All is quiet. She reported, having not heard call or cry of anyone else to save. Maybe after all this was what was left.

kukutux nodded as vallkyrie gave her brief report. but that was not why she had come, nor called for the glacier-woman. yet it was a good thing, and gave her more merit in the eyes of the moon. the duck was aware that antares had not yet made a decision, and as such, spoke lightly.

"if you have the wish to remain in moonglow, it will be your home," she said, knowing nothing of the other. and yet bronco had seen much in her, as had antares. she would trust the judgement of those she had known first.

You've been nothing but kind to us, She began as the pale woman before her offered her a home, which was met with a smile and dip of her chin. I particularly, as I was not of Firefly Glen, nor Moonspear. As surely Kukutux was very aware of the latter, being a part of the once mountain pack herself.

I dont know what Bronco nor Antares plan to do, She gives a heavy breath, shifting on thin and long runner's legs. A part of me wants to leave these lands. I've only been met with tragedy for too long. But so long as I am here, I will work to earn my keep.

"it costs no thing for me to be kind," kukutux demurred, though she found it interesting that vallkyrie hailed neither from moonspear nor the glen. to the duck's green eye, it felt as though she had allied herself with bronco, at least. she wondered where the scarred young hunter had gone, but suspected somehow that he was with meerkat.

"he has been defeated by the death of moonspear," she said plainly of her nephew, not wishing to undermine him for her affections were clear. but clear also was the loyalty of the fireflies to antares, and she would respect this always. "have you seen that there are ah, elk, in the valley?" kukutux ventured, stumbling somewhat as she sought to remember the word. the pain of loss lived too in the glacier-woman. perhaps going out into the land might be healing to her.

The Archer remains, taking in Kukutux' words and of her kindness. It did cost, at least, in Kyr's mind and in likely many others. Kukutux shared her food with them, her sanctuary, and if their were pups to worry over, risked their safety by the likes of a stranger. Then again, Vallkyrie was at least well accounted for. A stranger, but by no means strange enough she could not at least be trusted to be civil. Even if Kukutux kindness did come with a cost she did not seem to think anything of it.

I can't blame him... She murmured on behalf of Antares, wondering still if he would push the remains of what little of the pack was left to rebuild or if he would find strength better to merge his numbers with this woman's own. Firefly Glen and Moonspear were basically one in the same and the conclusion seemed best to Kyr. But would Antares remain?

And then the huntress perks, the pale woman speaking of the herds, pulling her away from dour thoughts. I have. I've been keeping track of there route. She had not bothered getting to close, to pick out one that would be good to hunt. Calling a pack hunt was not her place here, not as its member, so she had been sticking to smaller game on her own which she mastered in anyhow. When I was in Neverwinter I often hunted in the Chimera Fields. There is plenty of smaller prey there too.

kukutux, listening to vallkyrie, saw an opportunity in the mention of the trailkeeping. "there is one among us. she has the name of lótë, and has kept much knowledge of the animals here since we have come."

pikaluyik seemed to be a figure which preferred a solitary life, but maybe an interest that was shared might draw her from the edges of moonglow to its center. this sort of familiarity was what kukutux wished for her village, and for those who were guests within it.

neverwinter. "i knew a man who had the name of tuathal. we did not share hunting, however," she mused, thinking of how jovial his company had been. kukutux put aside the title of the place chimera and fell into a comfortable silence.

The other hunter was mentioned, leaving the floor of opportunity for Vallkyrie and so she took it. I should speak with her. And she would, should she decide to stay long enough to have the time to do so. Her hunts would be more successful with a partner anyhow. It was true that for too long Kyr had practiced a solidarity lifestyle, even far before she had left the claim of Neverwinter.

Tuathal... She mused over the name, muzzle tilted upwards a brief moment. He had joined our ranks not long before I'd left. Blackthorn blood like our two other members, Aibreann and Jackalope...and Bronco. And where had he gone, anyhow?

it seemed their thoughts aligned upon a similar note. "his sister, meerkat, left us to return to their mother. she told to me that she and bronco shared words before she chose to travel." a gentle suggestion in the way of women. bronco of the blackthorn. "the fireflies were ready to follow him," moonwoman observed, ear tilting once in remembrance of their songs.

who was the strong hunter to vallkyrie, she wondered. blue ice woman showed little and shared nothing. but she had been loyal first to antares, and then to bronco. moonglow could not satisfy so strong a pull. 

she drew herself back to present. "you were leader in neverwinter?" vallkyrie was careful and direct, aspects fitting for the head of a clan.

Kukutux shared with her information, that Bronco and his sister spoke with one another before Meerkat returned back to their mother's pack. It gave Vallkyrie a heading, that maybe this is where Bronco had gone. They were... She admits. But I think that Bronco wanted to wait until Antares was ready to lead them again. But Antares suffers too much, he cannot lead them if he doesn't even know yet to lead himself. Out of the suffering, the turmoil, the self loathing of being the survivor...

Her brow crinkles, understanding of the dark knight's pain the best she could. She had lost those she knew, yes, but none particularly close to her, packmate or not. He had lost many, many and she felt her attention drifting from Bronco who had moved on and onto Antares, who had yet not. Antares was lost in the darkness and she would stay there with him too, it seemed.

A soft and almost sheepish smile then and she shakes her crown. No. And then a thought if the pack would have held better odds, if she had been. To her, Mal was a good wolf but not particularly a strong leader. I was Gamma within the ranks for many moons. Mal lead the ranks on his own. Vallkyrie was a huntress of many things- food, other wolves, information... Little did she speak up about herself and little did any ask.

kukutux agreed. antares had become lost, and she would pray that he found his way from the death-dark. it was a terrible place to wonder, the land between life and sedna's throat. and she was not yet ready to sing the songs again.

a shiver raked her spine. she set her thoughts upon this mal, who she had never met, but whose name she had heard while the blackfox lived as chieftain. "he did not see your worth, then," she chose to state. blue sea ice woman was understated, but this was a choice. her strength's lack would have seen the fireflies disbanded far sooner than now.

You know i failed at this one. Other priorities ya know. ;) Gonna wrap this up!

Kukutux shivers, the name perhaps not bringing her good memory. Kyr takes note of this but speaks not. Mal was always a friendly fellow but had seemed to rub those formerly of Moonspear the wrong way and vis versa. This Kyr had not forgotten.

Perhaps not. She agreed, giving a 'hmph' bit of expression as she took to agreeing with the woman. Though I do hope you will, so long as I am here. A small smile then and dip of her muzzle to the pallid woman. So long as Kukutux allowed it, the huntress would dismiss herself and get back to her worth.

<3 fading!

kukutux smiled, showing small teeth. she had indeed seen the worth of vallkyrie, and had the wish that the blue sea ice woman would remain in their spine-forests.

for now, she dipped her head and watched fondly as the muscular wolf moved off into the packland.

kukutux chose this moment for rest, lying chin across unaffected leg and drowsing in the budding warmth.