Snowforest Taiga aggun ≓

moonglow's official leaving thread! dated for dec 30th. prob just one post apiece (optional!) <3 no posting order @Lane @Issorartuyok @Aiolos @Shikoba @Sialuk @Kigipigak @Inutsuk @Foxfur @Nyra @Towhee @Samani @Sabah @Kausiut @Zephyr @Muttn (@Wilwarin for visibility)

moonglow gathered on the taiga.

she had directed that stacks of hides be carried closer to the glacier, cured and ready to be used for anything duskfire devised. her village stood near the northern lands as she called for their leadership.

the wasting sickness had taken much from these territories. it was why she had left three altars tucked into the rolling waves of the taiga-land: one for cleansing. one for strength. and the third for protection. bits of caribou bone, feathers, and smooth white stones lay upon bare rock. they would be covered with snow when the wind rose again, but when spring arrived, water would flow around the altars into the earth.

kukutux did not wish to leave lane in such a place. but she knew that the woman was strong. she had the power of the icewolf here.

the duck still did not know what kigipigak had chosen.

her own wolves would carry skins and meat of their own back to the spine.

moonglow stood prepared to leave. the duck stood at the side of her mate. there were three stacks of hides several deep, and between their layers she had tucked dried caribou meat. gifts for duskfire, ones she hoped would last. the snow fell softly as the assemblage waited. they would not depart without first sharing words.

in her heart she was pleased to return home. but there was a heaviness here also, for she had come to love the wolves of the glacier.

when they arrived, moonwoman smiled. "these things are for village duskfire. we have left a cache of meat at each camp. this land will be whole once more," she said softly, looking to lane most of all. "i hope that we are able to have another winter hunting when the snow comes again."

moonglow and duskfire might mingle for a short hand of minutes, exchanging a murmur. a word.

but at last kukutux and aiolos would turn their village northwest, intending to follow the coastline back to the spine.

As the pack gathered together to disembark, Towhee thought of Sialuk. They were returning to the spine much sooner than anticipated, due in part to the sickness sweeping through the herds. Was the young woman happy about this development? Towhee wasn't sure how she felt about it yet. It was so strange, having no say in anything. It was freeing and frustrating in equal measure.

She wondered if Meerkat was nearby and might come to say goodbye, though she didn't see her daughter anywhere. She thought about their talk at the feast and wondered if Meerkat had heeded her advice. She'd urged the young woman to reconsider locking it down with Issorartuyok, partly out of selfishness; she would love more grandchildren. But Towhee also truly believed that guy would give her daughter a good life.

But, of course, it was Meerkat's life to live. Towhee wondered if she'd already gone into season, as she suspected, and that was why she hadn't seen her since that night. In any case, the former Sovereign also had her own life to live. She pushed Meerkat and everything else from her mind and braced herself for the long walk ahead.

with the others of moonglow, shikoba attempts to carry as many of the hides as her body permits, spread against her back to help even out the load and avoid strain on her neck. the task requires time, but thankfully there did not appear to be a large rush within Moonglow to depart from the taiga. the native thought of it as polite to create such wonderful offerings of thanks for the glacier wolves; shikoba appreciates how thoughtful kukutux is.

words are exchanged, though shikoba finds herself in a bit of a haze after the event with the tartok man and with inutsuk. she stays quiet, only to join the group as they depart soon after for the spine. there is much to think about for her.

Sunman had helped at his wife's side in building up the piles of meat and skins. When he was distracted by his children, he would meet the side of his second wife, Lote, to help in rounding the six of them together.

At its finishing, he stands at Moonwoman's side once more, silent and obedient as ever to her. Her still and burning protector.

When the Duskfire wolves arrive, it is @Veteran which Aiolos offers the most of his attention. He hopes and says that, when the boy becomes a young man, he was free to visit them as his mother sought it fitting.

For now, Aiolos sets his sights to the coast once again.

It seemed that adults brought nothing but disappointment in Kausiut's life lately.

During her time at the plateau that little, ugly, spiteful puppy had grown into a larger, hardly any prettier older version. Entering teenage months had not improved Kausiut's character. If possible, it had made it worse. She was fiercely independent to the point of stupidity, but deep inside she realized that she still needed adults for food, shelter and protection. That there were bigger things in life that her willpower alone could not yet conquer.

This made her angry constantly. The only time there was not smoke fuming from her ears and that frown of hers disappeared from her youthful features was, when she slept.

Once awake everyone was to blame for all the things that went wrong. And this decision to move again had upset and unsettled her deeply. She had distanced herself from the preparation work, as if turning her head away could make the inevitable fact disappear. It was very likely that most of the pack would be happy to leave this impersonation of devil himself here, and she would not mind were it not for that fear of being truly, really left behind.

Therefore on the last day, she set aside one particularly dear treasure of hers and hid everything else under a heap of snow. With her mummified fish in her jaws, she mournfully followed the pack on their long way back to their original home.