Ouroboros Spine the fall of the house of usher

present dating this for everyone's benefit/comfort!

it takes longer than she had expected to reach Moonglow. she had stayed a while with Ursus, for she was unexpectedly weary after the journey there and all the commotion surrounding her little sister's disappearance. she rested, hunting some, keeping scarce company.

finally, one brilliant sunset, she departs with @Ashlar.

they travel by night, and reach the mountain by dawn. she has no desire to take them by surprise; unlike her previous covert mission into the territory, this is all formal business. a brother, or so they will claim, coming to take his family back.

as they pull closer to the border, she glances over at the singer. you cahhl, Avicus directs. it has to be him. they will not take kindly to her voice, her face—but she's merely a bodyguard.

for now.

Ashlar allowed Avicus to set the time and pace of their travel, and as he went he resolved himself for what they would do. He would tell them of his brother, and that he belonged with his family in Ursus. That he would do what it took to resolve this peacefully and to fix whatever reason they held him for. It was hard for the naive wolf to imagine why they'd want to keep anyone who did not wish to be here. Perhaps Karst (they had worked to a name he recalled) did not want to come back?

They would find out. Ashlar nodded, then took a steadying breath and lifted his muzzle. The call that he gave was respectful and contained that signature, sweet innocence. He was eager to have a conversation, and strangely, felt no nervousness. This was right and this was helping - there was nothing that could have felt more suited.

on her borders, again, the tupilak.

if kukutux had known the scent of ursus she would have known them as enemy to her village, but in that moment it was the remembered salt and stone in that bloody chunk of flesh ripped too horribly from a screaming mouth;

moonwoman went down to meet the demon, calling in the words of snow and ice for @Kigipigak, for the winterhawk to be her teeth; if he heard or if he did not, kukutux arrived and filled with the silent promise of a hunter's wound.

the boy at the red girl's side tempered moonwoman, and she halted her clawed step at a distance, jadestone eyes burning for the evil one alone. "you will never have your tongue again," kukutux spat, hackles speared into glacial points.

Called by his kin, Kigipigak would of course oblige and be used as necessary. He was not often brought to the outskirts of the village in this way; he had done his scouting of the area by now and otherwise kept to his work in private.

This felt different - and upon arrival, Kukutux shouted, which was not like her. The message was clear to Kigipigak; he understood that there had been some trouble before with the captive boy and a girl, though nothing too specific. Odd that they would come here - and odd too that they would call, as if expecting kindness.

Alongside the woman, Kigipigak took up the familiar posture of the warrior - this iceberg of a man, scowling through his scars, ready to launch himself at the strangers with one word from the moon woman.

pp kigi and skip as necessary!

every nerve within her, every fiber of her being, burns upon seeing the woman. she manages, somehow, to stay still, her jaw clenched against any snapping and chattering that could ensue. at the question, she says nothing, only inclining her head toward Ashlar.

this is beyond her, now. their forgery is afoot. whatever blood she has with the moonwoman can wait for the right time.

she scans the mountain and then pauses, stiffening, watching as the scarred alabaster man approaches. her sternum heaves slightly with breath, square shoulders belying slightly her tension as she stands. but she is here diplomatically.

speak, Ashlar, speak!

Taken aback was an understatement. Ashlar hadn't really expected to be met with this much animosity, especially when he came with nothing but a greeting! His stomach clenched anxiously but he swallowed in the face of their stares.

She says you have my brother here. Ashlar began, focusing most of his imploring attention on Kukutux. Avicus had said that she was in charge. Or, at least, a 'she'. We don't mean you any harm, we just came to take him home. I'm sorry if.... if we're intruding. His tail tucked a bit more with that, in an earnest desperation to show his good faith.

Then he fell silent, waiting for a reply before he continued. He didn't see why they wouldn't just let him leave if he wanted to, but just in case, he was willing to do pretty much whatever it took short of violence. Ashlar had little pride to protect.

the young warrior was given a new look. the jadestone softened to see him act in such a way. with fear. but he was already the age of a hunter.

kukutux drew a breath and cut her gaze away from the tupilak. "he is not her brother. he is nuak to me and to moonglow."

she straightened. kigipigak's presence gave to her strength. "he has hurt us. he has brought bad things to us. he will be marked. punished."

it was to the red girl that she gave her speaking now, the hardened green upon the demon once more.

"but he will not be killed. and so after this, he will be free for your evil to fill his mind once more."

she looked at the boy who had spoken. "i will say to you: leave this place.  i have taken her blood one meeting. i will have it again if you stand still."

good, she thinks as Ashlar speaks. he's doing it all according to plan—

her eyes snap back to the moonwoman. she's misheard. Karst is Ashlar's 'brother,' not hers. does her ire cloud her judgment so much that she completely gets the situation wrong? she shakes her head briefly, teeth set hard enough to feel the molars grind.

"he will not be killed. and so after this, he will be free for your evil to fill his mind once more."

so. . .that's it? it's that easy? she doesn't believe it. she ignores the threat the priestess tosses upon them and fixes her indigo gaze hard upon the mountain leader. whehh' ihh he? she demands.

he could be dead; she could be bluffing. Avicus believes nothing beyond seeing Karst's face.

No. She didn't understand and Ashlar had, somehow, found his courage. He took a small step sideways, placing himself between Kukutux and Avicus. They did not come here to fight, and if she was going to attack, then she could attack him.

He belongs home with us. If... if you need payment, then I can give it. Whatever he did. Just let him leave with us. He won't come back. Ashlar kept his head up but his gaze lowered. He didn't want to challenge her on her own border, but he did not like the way she spoke to Avicus.

It was something like anger stirring, an emotion that was rare for the gentle bard. But she'd taken his friend's tongue, made her suffer, and now wasn't even listening. He had patience in hopes of getting through, but he would not back down yet. There was a way to make this right - he was sure of it.

kukutux stared at the dark young hunter. "do you not have the knowing of what he has done? of what that tupilak has done?" 

moonwoman's anger was the cold shimmer of nightfall. "i have given you my word he will not die. that is all i give."

beside her, kigipigak tensed.

kukutux flared forward with a snarl, a warning on stiff legs with the scarred hunter surging to match her movements.

her eyes widen slightly as Ashlar pushes back. she hadn't expected that. a new appreciation for the singer blooms within her mind as she watches him sidelong, afraid to take her peripheral vision off the two moonglow wolves.

and she's right to do so, for immediately following moonwoman's rejoinder, they charge.

go, Avicus tells Ashlar, jerking her chin in the direction toward Ursus. she flashes her teeth at the woman—her face scarred; oh, it gives her great pleasure to know she had marred that pretty visage—and then turns on her heel,

though remaining slow enough to not leave Ashlar behind, should he freeze.

the singer has done his part. now, they wait.

He did not want to fight. Ashlar felt fear invade the confidence he wore when the woman moved forward, but he still did not back down. For the fight before he had not been able to be pressured into drawing blood, but he would have stayed for this. He might have even fought for this, though chances were just as good he'd have frozen and been at their mercy.

But this time it was Avicus who told him to run. He was jerked out of indecision by her beginning to flee and, turning on his heel, he was only a short distance behind.

He'd failed. He didn't know how, but for some reason, they hadn't listened.

moonwoman was heeded. she did not pursue the two, only tasted the air and watched the shrinking of red and earthen into the distance.

"follow them, kiggavik. see that they go far." the tupilak had returned to them three times now. she must have the borders sanctified. 

kigipigak heard. kukutux watched her kinsman stalk after the interlopers, and her heart was heavy as she turned back to the den.