Blacktail Deer Plateau pasiaktuk

Things have been quiet upon the plateau. From what Kigipigak has learned of the people living with him, this family that belonged to @Sakhmet, there had been more to their group. A son or daughter had gone off without supervision and been lost. He felt a disinterest in the tale as soon as it had touched upon his ears; but Kigipigak could not speak it aloud, as he did not want to disturb his friend or those who chose the place as home.

It was heartless of him to find the story boring. It seemed only right to him that a child be tested and then taken from the family, for it would show them the strength in their bloodline or the weakness of it. As it stood now with their number reduced, they were a weak sort. Perhaps the child yet lived — to be returned to them by force of will, at which point Kigipigak's view of them would happily shift to something more positive.

There was nothing to be done. By the time Kigipigak had returned to the plateau and met again with the pale woman @Maegi, they had all been scouring the area until every inch of it had been studied. The child was gone. Kigipigak did not have the heart to tell them anecdotal stories of his own home; there, children were left alone at young ages as a test. Some made it back to become Anneriwok. Many did not. However, this did not seem appropriate nor helpful, and so Kigipigak remained silent.

He spent his days in the background while the family toiled. Sakhmet's mother was a sad thing again, but more friendly than the father, who kept a distance and was always adamant as he guarded the remaining children. The look of him gave Kigipigak chills. He wondered how such a man (down an eye, his voice too weak to cry for help, his body thin and ill-kept) could hope to be of use to the collective. Kigipigak decided after glimpsing the tattered creature that, despite Sakhmet's connections, he did not hold a fondness for the ghost.

All that aside, Kigipigak was eager to be of use to Sakhmet.

Whether she approved of his desire or not he began to patrol the heart of their would-be territory with an ever expanding radius to his route, until finally on this day, he had navigated the full expanse of the edge following the eastern ridge and down, to the west, which faced the plains of the valley. Kigipigak felt renewed as his heart thundered in his chest, pleasantly surprised by his own ability and the lack of intense pain to his ribs, which were still knotted by scar tissue (and would be, likely forever).

Please don't feel the need to match! I might make this RO if it goes without a reply for two weeks, lol.

In Lane’s (very liquid) timeline this takes place about five weeks after her pups’ birth, circa July 30. Couldn’t resist another thread with @Kigipigik. 

Perhaps it would not be surprising to someone with a little more life experience, but Lane had been caught off-guard by how much her sense of home in Duskfire Glacier had been tied to her feelings for @Rye.  She had meant for her trip away from her home territory to be a short one, but the more distance she put between herself and Rye, the more her spirits lifted. All the way out here it was as if he and his chosen companion, @Imaq, and the child they conceived together, all existed as fuzzy memories in the back of her mind. It was all a dream, a bad dream, its potency fading with every stride the Lane took away from the Glacier and toward wakefulness.

The icy slopes of the Glacier and the mountain it fought to consume had long since disappeared behind Lane. Before leaving her home territory, she had checked in with @Wintersbane with her plan: she would scan the surrounding territories for any sign of their missing beta, Iana, and then report back in short order. She had previously mentioned her desire to scout once the pups were weaned, and so her travel plans would likely have come as little surprise to Wintersbane.

Weaning Veteran and @Wayfarer had been a sour, messy ordeal, particularly with Veteran, who fought so desperately against every developmental milestone. In hindsight, Lane had probably forced too much change on the children too quickly. In the hours after Imaq’s delivery, when Lane’s heartbreak was at its most acute, she had yanked the pups from their whelping den, declaring that it was time they became “big kids” and moved to a rendezvous site outside. Of course, this decision had very little to do with what was truly best for the children, and a whole lot to do with Lane’s emotional turmoil. Lane could not stomach the idea of sharing space in the communal den with Imaq, Rye, and the child they had conceived.

Despite her fading attachment to Duskfire Glacier, Lane still felt strongly connected to the little lives she had left behind. Weaning them had been incredibly frustrating, testing every ounce of her (admittedly small) reserve of patience, but maybe she would let them nurse just once when she returned. For old times’ sake.

Even when the peaks of the Sunspires loomed directly overhead, Lane felt no desire to turn back. She had come this far; she might as well see how that budding pack was doing on the plateau. She knew the way, having scouted this route shortly before the children were born. She was traveling lighter this time around, and so descending The Wall felt more like vigorous exercise and less like a perilous tempting of fate.

Lane lingered at the base of The Wall, wondering if she ought to do things the official way and howl for an audience. She stood, panting, trying to catch enough of her breath to call out.

Aside from the lingering scent of Sakhmet's step-father crossing his path from time to time Kigipigak did not find any sign of other life for a good long while. It wasn't something he minded except that it seemed somewhat odd that Sakhmet was nowhere to be seen. Making the presumption that she was preoccupied with her mother, her younger siblings, or some other task that would reconnect her to the family that had only ever left her behind, Kigipigak pined for her company and left it at that.

He slowed his pace when he thought he heard something moving among the trees, only to spy the shape of a raven's wing unfurling; its shape slipping behind some trees and away. It gave Kigipigak a chill. Some measure below on a harrowing segment of rock cleaving baldly from the hillside, he saw something else - something more terrestrial.

The shape was decidedly canid; the way it moved, sort of sulking, with a rasping sound that grew stronger as Kigipigak came closer. A panting sound. The ginger-brown of the stranger's agouti pelt wasn't all that remarkable and neither was their size; he didn't immediately recognize Lane. She was not as wide as he remembered and there was a myriad of scents clouding her natural musk.

A boof coughed from his jowls, and as Kigipigak drew in a fresh breath, he journeyed down to meet her where she stood. After about twenty minutes he emerged from among the ferns, yellowed by pollen and otherwise a beige-white, carrying himself with the focused look of a tired warrior with no time to spare.

At least, until he saw her face and truly recognized her. Well hello again! He all but bellowed, heartily surprised. The woman had been a hunting partner and a fine one at that.

Lane stood, panting, breathing in the scents at the edge of the plateau-- or rather, the lack thereof. Where was the Blacktail woman's marker? Her scent had been so much heavier last time Lane came through. Lane's brow furrowed in concern. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a cough echoing in the distance. The following stretch of time was marked by occasional shuffling sounds in the underbrush, slowly drawing closer to Lane's location. Once she caught her breath, the Duskfire woman would also move to close the remaining distance between herself and her unknown company, with no particular attention paid to moving quietly. She didn't want to appear as if she was sneaking around in someone else's home, after all. 

Eventually the two wolves came face to face, and each took their time in recognizing the other. Pig-Man's appearance had also changed markedly since their last encounter. It had been dark at the time of their hunt along the coastline, but Lane was certain that the man hadn't been sporting those claw marks along his sides and hips. His pelt looked darker too-- in her memory he was a white wolf, but the man who stood before her resembled more a dirty blonde. 

His voice, however, was unmistakable. 

"Hey..!" Lane chirped back, eyes lighting with recognition. She just barely stopped herself from saying, "Hey, Pig-Man!" knowing that some might find the implication behind the epithet offensive. The nickname had nothing to do with his looks or behavior, promise! The "pig" part was just the only part of his name that had stuck, probably because they were hunting pigs when they met. 

But that hadn't technically been when they met, had it? 

"We meet for a third time," Lane noted, lifting an eyebrow in a teasing, I-know-something-you-don't sort of way. The memory of their side-by-side fight through the blizzard had come to her only after they parted ways following their hunt.

Kigipigak was pleased that the woman remembered him. He felt a little bad that he had forgotten her name, but, it wasn't important enough for him to fret about for long. He was not the kind of person to worry over things like that.

A third? He parroted, brows sagging together before rising, following the expression on her face. While Kigipigak looked confused the woman looked -- well, he couldn't tell exactly. Amused maybe, as if she were privy to something clever.

You have come a long way, which was true regardless. Kigipigak remembered what she had said about her home. That she came from a mountain village further north. Did you miss the taste of pig?

A third? Lane took his questioning tone as her invitation to reveal her little tidbit. 

"Yep. The first time was back at the glacier, during the blizzard. We never got to talk, but you helped me.. It was you, right?" Admittedly, the dirty blonde, scarred wolf standing before her looked quite a bit different from her memory of her spirit guide from that snowy day. It was that low, booming voice that was unmistakable. 

Lane laughed after he asked his question. "Nothing like it," she commented, referring to the taste of pig. "But actually, I was curious about how you were coming along with your pack, you and.. uh.." Damn it, what was that Blacktail woman's name? Had Lane ever known? 

"Okay, I suck at names," she conceded, "I don't remember hers, and I don't remember yours." Lane's smile took on a bit of a sheepish look.

The blizzard had been a formative moment for Kigipigak. He hadn't known it at the time, but the way the snow purged the landscape of life, and then melted away to reveal new greenery, was very much a transitional point for his own life. Done away with Greymoor and unbound at the time, Kigipigak had found his way to greener pastures — had he not survived that week of white-out conditions, he would not have the opportunities he now held so dear.

Yes! I did not realize, clearly he had forgotten their first meeting. That did not matter; they were both here now, having survived - and in Lane's case, thrived. The man laughed again, amused by the way Lane spoke so openly.

I do not blame you, my name can be a mouthful. The people of these southlands often struggle -- I am Kigipigak. The woman, she is Sakhmet. In thinking of her, Kigipigak softened. We have a growing number, I suspect our village to be founded soon! Granted that the majority of their adults were half-there, and the rest were children trying their best to scatter in the wind like dandelion seeds.

How are things with you and your village? He could not remember the name of it, had she shared it before. Only that she had been quite pregnant during their hunt and now, although bulky, not quite so solid. You are looking strong! I suppose the pig meat helped.

The hunter responded jovially, and Lane's admission about her faulty memory was also received with humor and high spirits. 

Continuing on their high note, Kigipigik had good news to share about his budding pack. Lane was a bit puzzled by his claim of their growing numbers-- she couldn't smell much of anyone at the moment-- but then again, perhaps these lands she stood upon were too far outside of Blacktail's current claim. It made sense to Lane that the pack would follow the herd closely, more heavily claiming the parts of the plateau that were occupied by deer. 

"Village!" Lane repeated, eyes lighting in recognition, "..that's what Kukutux calls it!" Did they know each other? She wagged her tail at his compliments, noting that he didn't make any mention or inquiries regarding her recent pregnancy. That earned him some points. During her pregnancy, Lane had been astonished by how many wolves-- perfect strangers!-- felt it necessary to comment on such a personal topic and ask all manner of intrusive questions.

"Duskfire Glacier thrives," Lane reported, although her face fell a bit as she said so. Lane wished she possessed the same enthusiasm for her home as Kigipigik projected about his own, but it seemed the spell was broken for her. "Wintersbane took a mate and raised her to alpha. Other wolves paired off and produced young." A sore point for Lane, to be sure.

  "Many of my packmates have professed caregiving trades, and I.." Lane hesitated for a fraction of a second before bulldozing forward. "I have wondered lately if my own medical know-how might be more useful somewhere else." Well, there it was. The door was officially open, thanks to Lane's ruthlessly forthright nature. She'd kept uncharacteristically quiet about her feelings for Rye, and as a result he had slipped through her grasp. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice. From here on out, Lane was an open book.

The name of her village was impressive. The way Lane spoke of it, with some measure of pride, made Kigipigak glad for her; however there was no mistaking the shift in her attitude and tone when she spoke of it. Kigipigak did not know the name of her leader until she spoke it, along with the news that there were many other mothers within the village.

Within Kigipigak's narrow world view, only the strongest should be parents - and even then, it was the Issumatar which chose from among the men. That was how his mother had done things, how Tartok had done things for generations, and how he would have followed suit had he the desire.

We could use such knowledge, Kigipigak did not miss the opportunity presented by Lane's comment, finding nothing wrong with making this offer. Except he paused a second, thinking of her children. But would your ice-home miss you? And what of your children?

They could not have been very old; would Lane pull them from the life they knew, among the wolves who were family to them? Kigipigak did not know if he could handle more children upon the plateau - he had already distanced himself thoroughly from those that remained of Maegi's brood.

Kigipigik took the bait, initially at least. He seemed to rethink after a moment though, bringing up exactly what Lane didn't really want to discuss. 

Lane was quite certain that her packmates would be extremely unhappy with her if she departed, although Lane was jaded enough at this point to doubt whether she'd be missed in the true sense of the word. Wintersbane and Tzila had each other. Rye and Imaq had each other. They would be fine. Iana had already bailed, likely for greener pastures somewhere else, and Lane was of half a mind to do the same. She felt like she'd been edged out of the club, and she couldn't help but wonder if Iana had felt the same way. 

"Wayfarer and Veteran," Lane hummed the names of her children thoughtfully, "..belong in Duskfire Glacier..." The pack was their namesake; Lane couldn't very well take it from them. Lane would keep the promise she made to Wintersbane where the children were concerned; they would be raised with him, whether or not Lane was also included. 

"But their mother does not. And someday the children will no longer need their mother so close by." Children grew up fast and wanted for less and less from a mother, but daring hunters like Kigipigik would always need a medic. Those scars of his could attest to that. 

Lane shrugged. She could play the long game if she had to, for the sake of the kids. It would just really help knowing she had options. That there was a way out. A light at the end of the tunnel, leading to a place where she no longer had to see Rye's and Imaq's blissfully-in-love faces every damn day.

Kigipigak wondered about what kind of woman Lane was. He did not doubt she was powerful, as he had seen her work to take down the boar alongside him, and she was tenacious enough to survive the white-out of the blizzard. By all accounts she would have made an excellent Issumatar that even his mother would be proud to know. Yet here she was, beholden to none, distancing herself from children freshly born.

Having never been a parent himself, nor connected in such a way to another person or place, Kigipigak did not know what went through Lane's mind. He presumed, with his own bias, that Lane abandoned the children for their weakness. It was only right. He did not speak further on this subject as it was not his place; his thoughts well contained.

And when the day comes that you are not needed there, you can find me. He smiles, tail swishing with a pleased bounce. Perhaps by then the village will be ready for you. It has been a strange time for us - more chaos than I am used to. It is a good energy though, I think. From chaos comes change.

As optimistic as Kigipigak made himself out to be, in truth he had begun to doubt the strength of Sakhmet's extended family, and by proxy the strength of their claim. As Lane had noticed as she crossed close to the plateau, their ownership over the expanse was wearing thin.

Hers was a complicated grief; her unplanned pregnancy had cost her freedom, chaining her to the land of her litter's birth until they grew old enough to release her. On the other paw, the children had opened her heart in ways she'd hadn't previously thought possible, and it was only due to their existence that she was able to truly appreciate her moments freedom when they were granted. 

Lane smiled, appreciative of Kigipigik's offer but otherwise noncommittal. Any further plans they made at this point would just have to be remade later, because no doubt the rest of the year would present them both with circumstances that were unforeseen as of yet. 

"We dealt with that too, in Duskfire Glacier," Lane commiserated as Kigipigik mentioned the chaos on the Plateau. Hell, they were still dealing with it in Duskfire Glacier. "It takes some time for each wolf to find his or her place among the others." As Lane had learned the hard way, some wolves do not have place at all.

"If you ever need anything, you have a friend at Duskfire Glacier. Just ask for Lane." The medic's gaze lingered on Kigipigik's fresh scars. She felt certain he would have a need for her, sooner rather than later if he continued to attract the likes of cats, boar, and blizzards.  

The words she had just spoken held an air of finality, so she rolled with it, tacking on a farewell. "Good luck to you and Sakhmet, and your village." She would wait to hear his parting words before beginning the arduous journey back up The Wall.

He was surprised to see her go so soon. Kigipigak noted the finality in her tone and the shift in their conversation, wondering if he had somehow driven her away with his eagerness; but then he remembered that they both had lives and commitments of their own, and it was not so easy to leave a place when one was as loyal as the two of them.

It was good to see you again. He mentions as she finishes wishing them luck. Kigipigak does not believe in luck; had he been a purveyor of such things, surely the calamity that was the puma's attack would have stunted his self-worth. He accepted the sentiment all the same, wishing in return: And you, I hope the ice-village is kind to you. And if it isn't, you are welcome here with us.

Another smile, watching as she departed.