Ouroboros Spine Wading it out

Mention to Kukutux, but any welcome to pop up!

Aiolos had been keeping mostly to himself, he felt. Not unfriendly, as he introduced himself to those whom passed him up. However, his focus was predominately on knowing his new home and, of course, @Kukutux, whom now began to show signs of a pregnancy in a very difficult manner with how sick she had become.

Aiolos was no medic and knew what little knowledge he had of healing wounds would not be of any use to Kukutux in the manner which she ached. So, he reverted to food. Something to replace all the nourishment she was more often then not throwing back up.

Within the heart of his new home, the lake swelled, engulfing all the forestry around in. The land became softer and into land that reminded him somewhat of his birth home in the Bayou. Then opened the great lake and it was here he waded in the shallows as he had many, many times before to fish.

adrastus had not come back, and the duck felt her heart break for the cloudberry woman. she carried his spirit along her flanks now, as did moonwoman carry that of her sun man.

the heat remained harsh, though much cooler than the handful of days before. kukutux found the strength to leave her ulaq, to pad along the scent-trail that aiolos had left behind. his brilliant frame cut through the face of the waters, and for a long moment she only watched.

and then she too entered the lake, breathing out a sound of relief. "moonglow must have a firsthunter." 

her muzzle rested against the shoulder of aiolos, dripping and weak.

He remains still there in the shallows, poised. A Greek statue. He would hear another's approach and his crown tilts enough to see Kukutux from the corner of his eye. If she was out and about today, it must be a good day for her, as far as her sickness went. Still, Aiolos was filled with much concern. As she comes to him, resting her chin to his shoulder, he places his muzzle atop her own.

Yes. He agrees quietly, the answer but a whisper over the waters. He would not argue with her that no pack needed man as Leader in order to strive. They both came from two totally different backgrounds, this pair. Aiolos did know, however, that while no men held position next to a woman where he had grown up, there was a top male whom kept charge over the rest. Aiolos had strived for such a position once and though he had become Leader in Yuelong, had never thought himself comparable to the word of his Empress.

Do you think Adrastus will not return? He asks, concern on his brow. He knew one of the women to be pregnant with his lot. Had smelt her change, had smelt him upon her and vis versa up until he left. Aiolos felt for the woman now and the loss.

she was silent.

"his wife, lótë. she grieves. she has made his spirit part of the children she carries, and she is full of sorrow." not quite an answer to what aiolos had asked, but she only thought of her sister now, and of how long the man had been gone. his loyalty to moonglow, eternal.

"i do not know."

kukutux heard the low weakness in her own voice, drawing a breath and placing herself more firmly against the sun man, steadying her shaking limbs upon how unwavering his strength had always been. "but this village has need of sivullik now. and zane, he does not want it."

zane, whom had been second for so long, now would not take up the proper mantle.

she felt a pang of bitterness; it smoothed, for they had always known the want of the other, and worked even beyond that. zane was honest. it was the one quality he had managed to sharpen. surely her illness was making her more uncharitable than ever before, and kukutux sought to quell her whirling thoughts.

"they need a hunter. i need a husband," voice; brazen suddenly, clear after all the days of faintness and silence. "it is not right that i make you sivullik after," gesturing to the soft-swelling roundness of her flanks. "i make a path for you to be siqiniq instead, if it is your want, aiolos."

Kukutux speaks of the woman Aiolos had been thinking of-Lótë and the loss she carried for her mate whilst equally caring the weight of their unborn pups. The red wolf could not imagine leaving a woman with his pups willingly and so, could think something not so well had become of Adrastus to have left so sudden, unannounced.

Her words are weak, filled with uncertainty and defeat. Maybe she did not think him to return, either. For Aiolos, so many came and went from Yuelong as though it were a revolving door, a far cry different from the strict laws from which he once knew in youth. Perhaps others now took advantage Moonglow's kind, accepting and offering nature. The thought made Aiolos stiffen, but he would have hope that Kukutux only saw this as standing more firm as she presses to his side with quaking limbs.

She spoke of Zane then, unwilling to step up to position. Some did not have a taste for leadership and the work put into it and feeling of guilt and failure when something went wrong which surely always would. No light without the dark. There were leaders and there were subordinates, both important for the strength of the pack. Zane was not leader. But who? Savor Zane and the omega pup, Aiolos was all that remained of the men's ranks circle.

He opened his creamy mug to speak but, "they need a hunter. i need a husband,". He froze, his breath hitching as his heart skips a beat. He could not help the large smile which spread over his mug and the tail which waved behind him as he looks out over the lake waters. Still, far unlike standing facing the open sea.

I would like that very much... He whispers, stealing a glance to her at his side. Her affections for him were obvious and before then they had become good friends. Though after loosing her mate... or even the way she spoke about him when they once talked of 'love'... Aiolos was not sure if she wanted him as her husband because he knew him to be a 'strong wolf, good wolf, good father' and that she quite fancied him or... maybe, she she could love him, endlessly? Hopelessly? Aiolos thought a moment. Thought how he had wanted too much of Ruo. How maybe this was why she had been pushed away.

Aiolos decided not to dig into it, not now, at least. He was happy with that which he had of Kukutux, he knew.

No, A 'no' but he was speaking in agreement with Kukutux as she mentioned the pregnancy. It wouldn't be right. I would want to earn the position, if it is right for me to have it. Not just because their Moon woman had chosen him, but because the pack had, because he deserved it.

I am not familiar with your terms... but I hope to be, soon. After all, it had taken him some time to understand Hua and family's language but when he did he was able to call himself Shàngjiàng proudly. But now what would be his strange title next? Before you had called me 'Sikinik', Sun Man... A nickname by her own language for the color of his fire, he imagined. What is Siqiniq? What is this compared to Sivullik if this is your First Hunter? Aiolos had known Adrastus not exactly to be leader, but leader of men. Something akin to men's hierarchy among the sirens and yet still very different. The two circles which Moonglow held were not exactly far from Aiolos understanding.

kukutux had made offerings of asking to the spirits and gods, for the safe return of adrastus. it was all that could be done, save for dispatching searchers here and there, or asking for them to be sent. the summer heat was long and terrible. may adrastus have found himself in the high snows, far from this malaise.

aiolos filled with starglow and love; she saw it in all of him, in the manner that his eyes were upon her. acceptant, wanting. kukutux did not understand; she had been consumed only by her swelling sides and too-lengthy sickness. not at all a fitting wife. not at all a new young bride, preparing to move to the ulaq of her husband.

and yet all this did not seem to matter to aiolos, not when he responded in kind, and with moonglow in his mind. kukutux could ask for no more than this. "it is right because you have the trust of the moon. of taqqiq," the duck murmured in velvet tones. "i am moonwoman. sialuk is ulloriaq, star. and you will be siqiniq. sun. sun to moonglow, my sun man, to me."

a smile that recovered most of her good humour. "if adrastus returns, he will still be sivullik. he will choose hunters. he will make a path forward. if there are angry words between men, it is the sun who also listens. he and firsthunter make the choice of what to do."

"but if he does not come back," and here she drew a pained breath, full of anguish for poor lótë, "then you must be both sun and sivullik. there are no other hunters here to be both."

the duck thought of iḷitqusiq, a somber shadow coming to roost in stormcrow notes upon her face.

He had the trust of the Moon...

Aiolos smiles again and casts his firey eyes down upon her with adoring affection. She was Moonwoman here but to him, having the affection of the Moon had more meaning. He, which worshiped both the Moon and Sea Goddess.

I like the sounds of that. He speaks as she finishes in explaining. He stirs the waters as he shifts, to brush the length of his ginger and cream muzzle along the healing scars of her cheek. Her Sun and Stars... and she? Moon of my life...

He listens still, Kukutux explaining the position of their title here.. As far as he could think, moonwoman (taqqiq) and sunman (siqiniq) of Moonglow were like listeners of their pack, guides to them, Advisor. They took a back seat when it came to making calls on the day to day tasks like when calling hunts, as she mentioned. He nods deeply, a sign of his understanding and if anything he knew he would learn more of it in time.

Until we know then, for sure, I will be Siqiniq for the pack and always sun man for you.

"we will make a ceremony, when —" a kicking in her flank, and she gazed at the place where the small foot had pressed her, a soft look in her wan face. "it is kanimak, this thing upon me. and this one has been hard to escape."

a slow blink. aiolos would understand. the marriage of moonwoman to sun man must be done properly, and she could not be bent with illness. it would seem as though she meant the ocean-wolf to be her heir, before sialuk, that she had only made with him a kinship tie to obscure her illness.

it was not this. she would not let it be seen this way. and so they must wait.

but all would know she intended to be his own. all knew who would be taataa to the children she carried.

and swiftly, saltmist to veil her eyes, and she put her head against his shoulder with a low and ragged exhale.

A pause in her speaking of ceremony, Aioloa gaze follows the moonwoman's own and a small smirk plays at the corner of his mug. His amber eyes follow to the features of her face once more as she speaks of her pregnancy, of this one being hard upon her. He knew some pregnancy was harder on one female them another. Sometimes it was because the litter was large or the pups themselves large and healthy, draining more from the other. It was a trial in which most women went through, one he could not begin to understand himself. One he could not compare, only sympathize.

I had come here to fish, put food in your stomach. If you loose your meal, you must replace it. He nudges at her crown rested to him and begins to move back to dry land, willing her along with nudges. Come rest here, in the shade... you can watch? He offers, hoping she might enjoy to lay but not be shut away in the den, but observe him hunting for her and their lot within her.

kukutux gave a small nod in agreement, following aiolos from the water. and when her sun man had settled her back against smooth stone and soft grass, with shade falling over her distended figure, kukutux felt truly comforted.

she would wait here, allowing her jadestone eyes to take in the breadth and might of aiolos. protective over her, and theirs, already; the duck might only have hope that he too would allow her to raise them in the proper way.

With no objections she lays and even if she had objected Olo would have never forced her. He licks he crown between silken snow ears to further comfort and then to lick her swollen sides where his pups nestled within.

To the waters he goes, back to wade in them. Still, silent, patient. A Greek statue frozen in time until the right moment when he'd strike with swift precision.

his touch roused kukutux. she was thankful when he moved into the water, for she did not know how she would be able to resist his arms. even now, deep in the throes of her day-long sickness, the sun man moved her.

the duck watched aiolos with pride shimmering in her heart. she too waited for his strike, shadowed from the day and filled with the delight of his presence.