Ouroboros Spine Maybe we will, maybe we won't.

She made a decision about five minutes after departing the canyon back in the direction of the spine. But Towhee kept to her word. She thought about it the whole walk home, then as soon as she arrived at the borders, she called for @Kukutux. Hopefully the Alpha female would have time for a quick conversation.

Towhee sighed as she gazed up at the spine and thought of little Cowstep, of Shikoba, of the other wolves she'd met here. She liked them all. But they weren't family, which was what she needed right now. She still shied away from the idea of infringing on her kids while they were trying to build their own lives, but Ruenna was hardly a consolation prize. Every time Towhee thought about living with her again, it made her heavy heart lighter.

No homo, Rue, she thought fondly as she patiently waited for the "moon woman."

kukutux thought that the path of moonglow was clear.

though she had not shared words with shikoba, there was little reason to suspect that their sivullik would not take advantage of the rights awarded her.

towhee had been away for a short while. kukutux welcomed her back with a chuff, attending the potential secondhunter's summons with a nudge of her shoulder. "it is good to see your face," she said, jadestone eyes alighting curiously on the woman's features.

The Alpha female came, greeting her with words that surprised Towhee a little and made her insides twist with guilt. She took a breath, dipping her head to the "moon woman" and waving her tail. She managed a genuine smile.

"I just returned from Mereo, where my—our, I mean—friend, Rue, is the Matrona. She invited me to stay there." Towhee paused. "And I would like to go. Rue's actually more than a friend." She didn't even bother correcting how that sounded. "She's family. And she could use my help training soldiers. Apparently, they want to be prepared to wage war on none other than Nyra."

That was quite a lot to drop on Kukutux at once, so Towhee stopped herself there. Her orange eyes passed curiously over her fair features, wondering what she was thinking and what she might say.

kukutux stilled herself and listened carefully.

towhee wished to leave and live in the village where her close companion now resided. not a companion. she was close as family to the woman. she would go to seek war. her brows drew together but she nodded at the other's wish.

"it is good for the spirit to be close to family," kukutux answered softly. "it sounds to my ear that nyra has more bitterness with others, not only moonglow." her greenstone eyes were gentle. "go to rue." 

it did not even occur to her that this was ruenna of the clan redhawk.

"tell me-re-o that the son of kynareth is in these lands. alduin. he has become cruel in his eyes. he seeks ursus. his father and nyra were chieftains of the saints."

the woman lifted her chin. "will you visit us, towhee? i have the wish to see that you are happy." moonglow had become an established place of families. she did not fault the other for seeking her own.

"Go to Rue," Kukutux said and Towhee felt herself welling with quite a strange mixture of emotions. There was gratitude and an immense sense of relief. Her belly even did a little flip.

But the "moon woman" had more to say on the matter of Mereo, specifically some very interesting intel. Towhee's eyes narrowed as she hung on every word on Kukutux's lips. She nodded her head. Kynareth was the other name Rue had mentioned. This was the first she'd heard of Ursus. Was that a person? Or a place? She would have to ask her new Matrona...

Kukutux had a habit of disarming Towhee. She did it again now. Towhee blinked, then looked right into the pale woman's eyes and said, "I want to thank you. It means a lot to me, that you—well, you give a shit. And that you offered me a place. Even a special title."

Maybe an apology should be forthcoming, though she fell quiet for a moment before saying instead, "Of course. I'm not an expert on alliances but maybe we should strike one? Mereo and Moonglow? Maybe you could still send some of your older kids my way for mentoring...? I ran a boot camp once before."

kukutux looked fondly at towhee. "i think that you are not settled here, in moonglow." she had encouraged the redhawk to take a man and bear children, but it did not seem to be an interest that belonged to her companion.

the duck nodded. "moonglow has many hunters. and i have not hunted in the mountains for a long time. maybe i will come to visit with some of these wolves." 

but not yet. not while her bones cradled life yet to come.

"mereo and moonglow will have ... alliance now. i will tell this to the sun man." on impulse she leaned forward to brush the other's shoulder with her muzzle.

"where is this place?" she chuckled next, bemused at herself for not asking first.

She felt another jab of guilt at the "moon woman's" astute observation. It was true, though as she'd said to Ruenna, it was nobody's fault. It wasn't a good fit, that was all. Her stay with Moonglow had been valuable, as it had demonstrated to her what she needed most from pack life.

Kukutux mentioned her mate, which made Towhee abruptly wonder if they were officially expecting. Her eyes grazed over the woman's midsection, though there was no telling yet. She supposed it wasn't any of her business, much as she'd enjoyed her brief stint as Kukutux's kisisak.

"I'll let Rue and Germanicus know," Towhee said, nodding. "I didn't have a chance to get to know your 'sun man' well but will you tell him I said thanks? And if Shikoba or Cowstep wonder where I went, please tell them I said goodbye..." It didn't even occur to her that Cowstep wasn't the kid's actual name right at the moment.

"And," she continued after a pondering pause, "if any of my kids or anybody else comes by to visit, let them know where I am?" Caracal might come back, maybe Killdeer next time too. Maybe Meerkat or some of the older ones might drop by too. She didn't want to thwart any attempts they might make to visit her.

"Funnily enough, it's a straight shot east from here, just past the yuge lake," Towhee answered Kukutux's question, glancing over her shoulder in that direction. Of course, they couldn't see the canyon from here, just Sunspire's peaks against the skyline.

Facing Kukutux again, Towhee said, "I'll be heading out soon. Thank you again. If you ever need anything from Mereo—or, hell, just me—please don't hesitate to ask."

kukutux saw the way that towhee looked toward her body. she found no offense in this; if the other had asked directly, it would be the way of moonglow and of her people. they spoke in plain words to one another. 

rue and germanicus. cowstep? moonwoman quickly translated inside her own mind and thought that towhee must be speaking of her kausiut, daytime star. destined to be spirit-talker. "i will tell this to them," she said with a soft wave of her tail.

this rue, this matrona — these names meant high ranks, she felt, for towhee to offer the alliance of mereo so freely. it meant that she was well-known by these wolves, and trusted by them as well. 

it bode well for this new alliance. perhaps among their ranks might be found a suitable husband for sialuk and perhaps an ugi for samani.

"if your children come here, i will tell them where you are." it was the bond of mothers to watch over the sons and daughters of one another.

"walk with sedna," kukutux said in blessing to towhee.

she would watch the woman's frame disappear from view, sending a low howl of gratitude and affection scudding over the wilderness after the retreating heels.

and then kukutux would seek @Aiolos and tell him what had transpired here.