Ouroboros Spine aaĝuliigix̂ ⋣

for lótë but tagging @Wilwarin cuz of the characters <3

the duck rocked back upon her haunches, eyes closing as a swell of bitter salt filled her mouth. 

this time she knew. she did not question. aiolos' totem had warred with her own and overcome it a second time. the woman lifted a paw and placed it on her own belly.

the jadestone eyes opened.

she would soon inform the sun man. but first she went to the ulaq of her sister with a chuff of greeting. joy shone from her eyes.

<3

The infection had begun to abate. The cloudberry would keep her leg, for which she was grateful. It was shameful enough to have been such a burden upon the village as she healed. The dove could not imagine how useless she would feel, having to learn how to navigate the world and hunt again on three limbs.

She'd begun to venture from her sickbed, testing her limb and working muscles that had gone too long unused. The greenpaw was resting now, Wilwarin curled close against her underbelly in spite of the fact that she was growing into an adolescent. Their foray into the wilderness having drawn them closer together than before, though she cherished each of her children and stepchildren's place in her heart. 

This was how Kukutux found them, Lótë's head lifting as a smile unfurled upon her dusky lips. It no longer seemed forced, though there was still an occasional glint of melancholy in her gaze -- eyes glazing over every now and again when left to her own devices, as if her mind wandered to darker memories of its own accord. 

But there was no sign of the forlornness she seemed to wear draped about her shoulders like a pelt worn for warmth as moonwoman approached with shining eyes. 

"Sister," she murmured by way of greeting, "please, come in. Make yourself at home." It was not needed, both wives of sunman had flitted between each other's hearths and slept at the other's too many times for such formalities. Even so, she welcomed the snow-pelted duck in with a dip of her head as she gently untangled herself from her dozing daughter. 

"I feel it has been too long since we last spoke," the Nuiruk quipped with a light grin as she moved to seat herself near Kukutux, offering her a brush against the cheek in fondness. 

had kukutux known the heart of her sister, she would have spoken against such sentiment. she was wife to aiolos and her own sister. wilwarin slept. the moonwoman was curious to see the child slumber as an infant. she was almost to the age where she might go out upon the hunts. but it was not her choice to make, and it was good to see the daughter and the mother share such trust.

she settled across from lótë and sighed. "there have been many things that have happened. i hope that spring brings calm." she looked toward the cloudberry painter's limb. "the spirits protected you. they favour moonglow."

her heartbeat ticked up. kukutux inhaled the familiar scent of the den and only paused for a moment. "new life will come to the village when the sun returns."

The glance towards Wilwarin did not go unnoticed. With a small sigh, she divulged, "She has nightmares still. Of the bear and the winter. It was hard on her." It oft seemed it was the only way her butterfly could sleep soundly, by curling close to her mother's side. 

"Aya, she murmured in agreement, glancing down to the bear-mark that would forever brand her leg. "I had thought they meant me to walk their world. But I am glad they still watch over me, over all of us." The cold season had been a rough one, with the plague that descended upon the creatures their village relied upon for sustenance. But they were all still standing, still thriving here in the Spine under the promise of spring's return. 

Curiously, her pale peridots flitted to Kukutux's own jadeite gems searchingly. She had smelt the fever overcome some of the women of the village, even whilst tucked away to heal. Her heart fluttered as she saw the truth in her friend's eyes. "Truly? Does this mean..?" Lótë could not say the words for fear she was mistaken. Even so, a beaming grin of excitement lit up her wan features and her tail began to beat against the floor of the den. 

kukutux nodded. "if it is your wish, i will make a healing for wilwarin." and you, her jadestone eyes shone, though she did not speak these words. her sister knew what was within her heart. she let out a small breath and grinned. "it is early. but —"

it felt as though she should not speak her joy.

she felt that she would hurt the cloudberry woman. but she saw only delight in the beautiful face. "i have told only you. i wish to be ... stronger when i tell this thing to the sun man."

The doe's features softened gently with gratitude, a hint of sorority evident in her peridots as she dipped her head in agreement. "I would appreciate that, my friend. I would do anything at this point if it meant she might recover from what she saw," her octaves dropped to a wisp, gaze wandering to her youngest's pale pelt despite the fact that the child did not stir as they spoke. Lótë didn't wish for Wil to hear and think something was wrong with her response to the traumatic event. 

To hear her thoughts confirmed caused the second wife's face to color with happiness, embracing moonwoman out of sheer joy as a cheerful noise escaped her throat. "I am so happy for you!" And it was true, even if some small part of her splintered to think her first litter might be her last. She pushed that aside, wanting nothing to steal from this moment with Kukutux. And in a way, she would not remain childless -- not truly. Kausiut and Samani had become her daughters by law, she knew that this litter would be no different. She would love them as a second mother and help where needed.

"I will keep your news to myself, but I'm sure Aiolos will be overjoyed to know he will be a father again this year." A conspiratorial grin bloomed upon dusky lips, her head inclined with the northron's like giggling schoolgirls. 

it was good to laugh and talk with lótë as if they were new brides who had just met the hunters they would marry. her entire heart warmed with the beautiful sound of her sister's amusement. not for the first time she wished that aiolos and the cloudberry would put aside their odd constraints and come together.

but they wished to love. her sister's heart ached. aiolos' own was only for herself.

and so she said nothing of this. they had spoken. this agreement was their own.

"i will come early, before the sun one morning. and i will bring her to my altar." her words were more solemn now, speaking of the girl they both loved. she wished to see the child healed.

"i will tell you of his face when i speak these words," kukutux chuckled. the thought of how he might show his joy brought her much delight. but for now she looked into the greenleaf eyes of the paintwolf and kissed her soft cheek.

"has your heart found healing, lótë?"

Lótë sobered slightly, willow greens drifting to her child again. Dipping her fallow muzzle in agreement, she murmured, "I have faith in you." Kukutux was a wise moonwoman, she had taught the herd-stalker much about the spirits and their ways. 

"I look forward to seeing the Nuiruk family grow -- and hearing about Aiolos' reaction," the dove smiled gently, tail sweeping lightly against the earth. She tried to picture their current clutch of children as older siblings and chuckled beneath her breath. 

Lótë embraced her sister in return, pulling back with a slightly surprised expression -- not expecting the question. "I think so."

The botanist glanced between first wife and the bedfurs where one of their children slept. Her ears fluttered to rest against her skull, considering the question. "There are moments every now and again where things get...sad." It wasn't the easiest thing to admit, but Kukutux was probably the only person she could ever tell. She needed to confide in someone, lest the truth smother her. 

"But I have you and Aiolos. Sialuk, all of our children. Shikoba and Inutsuk. The whole village," the doe added softly after a moment. The smile she turned towards the spirit-talker was reassuring. "There is so much more happiness than sadness. So much love in this place." 

kukutux smoothed the cheek of her cloudberry sister. "there is much love here, aya, yes. you are right. but it is in all the feelings of our heart that we find love is first." she was grateful that the second-wife had confided in her. she treasured the bond between herself and the green-eyed painter. 

"i think shikoba will be aanaa this year." she was pleased. the good things that had come to the sivullik would only make moonglow stronger. the scarred woman had earned her place.

"i wish that sialuk too would be aanaa. but she is not ready. there is a heavy way in her eyes." it was her turn to turn with hushed breath and muted voice, speaking a great fear aloud.

sorry for the wait on our threads! <3

Lótë smiled, thinking to herself that the euphemism was true. There were times when the pain of what the pale bear had done still stung. There was just simply too much joy to be found in the village and their blended family to dwell on it overmuch. It was easier now. 

"I had hoped so -- she mentioned she might become a mother this year," the second wife dipped her head happily, smiling as she took in the interior of her ulaq (where it was quite obvious that six children were always wandering through), excited that Shikoba would get to experience motherhood for herself. The firsthunter had always been wonderful with Lótë's cubs and had even become an aunt or third mother to them. 

The light in her features dimmed, ears lowering worriedly as she turned back to Kukutux. Sialuk had always been somewhat reserved and solemn but the artist had never truly known whether it was something to be concerned about. 

"I wondered...she is so very quiet sometimes that I never know if she is okay or not," the cloudberry murmured anxiously, wishing she'd asked after the raindrop sooner. "I hoped she was doing okay. Is it what happened when the star fell...or something else?" The Nuiruk's octaves dropped hesitantly, uncertain whether it would make Kukutux uncomfortable if she asked.

There had always been certain customs in what Kukutux's people could speak of in regards to loved ones who had passed. Lótë hoped she hadn't blundered across some boundary.

literally no worries whatsoever! <3

kukutux let out her breath. "sialuk has not been the same in her skin since the falling star."

it felt horrendous to say aloud. 

it felt right to say it aloud.

at long last tears pooled in the duck's jadestone eyes and she swallowed. "i think that she will not find healing inside herself until — until she returns to moonspear."

"maybe i am wrong. perhaps kausiut is here in this place. and perhaps it is sialuk who is meant to walk with spirits."

she could say no more.

Lótë drew near, dropping her shoulder beneath the pale woman's as she curled towards her in a comforting hug -- as if she could support the other woman in her pain. 

"Perhaps that's what she needs then," the dove mused softly. "Maybe it would be good for Sialuk to return to Moonspear and get closure."

"What of the woman you mentioned at Duskfire -- Eldritch? Maybe it would be of some benefit to seek her out, for Sialuk to speak with her."

she nodded.

"i think i will do this thing. sialuk must be healed. it is not because she must take the path of wife or of anaa. only for her own spirit. she has carried much in her heart."

eldritch. kukutux swallowed. "there was much death upon the taiga. i am not sure where the spirit-talker has gone. but — moonglow has its own. kausiut."

for a moment she only leaned against lótë.

Lótë dipped her head in understanding. "Of course." Silently, the dove beseeched the spirits -- those of Moonglow and her own ancestors. Sialuk was her daughter through the tie she shared with sunman and moonwoman but she had always loved the younger woman as a sister. She desperately hoped the bone-wolf could find comfort. 

"Ah," Lótë sighed with a regretful frown, "I see." It was unfortunate. Plans for Kausiut and Inkalorë would change then. The cloudberry could only hope the she-wolf was alright, much as she hoped Sialuk might someday be at peace. 

"Is she of an age to help her sister with such pain?" The two-year turned to Kukutux, not unkind as she asked. She had no doubt that Kau's one-eyed vision could see that which her mother did -- those things that the earthbound Lótë could not. But she was still only a girl, one who had not known the suffering the Ostregas had. 

cool to wrap if you are! <3

"no. i do not think kausiut even knows her own mind."

she drew a breath and pressed her head gently to that of her sister.

"i would like to walk beside the lake. will you go with me?" water, to drive out the bad spirit which seemed to have lodged beneath her breastbone.

kukutux had great love for her daughters. and yet suddenly she felt bowed and heavy with the weight of standing as the village's moonwoman.

"I would love to," Lótë agreed with a small smile, though her gaze flitted to Wilwarin's pale form fretfully. Yet, the girl could not be sheltered forever. The doe would have to let her go at some point. There were others, their kin, within the village as well. The butterfly would be fine. 

Thus, the cloudberry rose and followed alongside her sister -- content to leave their troubles behind, if only for a bit.