Ouroboros Spine muse

'all welcome' is really more for immediate family <3

Callyope's world was the plush of the pale furs of @Kukutux.

Along with the warmth of her sister @Ariadne and brother @Stratos.

Sometimes there was the warmth of a sunman named @Aiolos.

But truthfully, Callyope was not yet wise enough to detect these things apart from each other. She simply knew her world to be furs, milk and slumber. A beautiful combination that resulted in her silence most of the time.

There were times when babes simply cried, though. Callyope was guilty of this just as any newborn might be.

And so in the first light of morning, her voice would puncture the slumbering ulaq. Soft cries that threatened to grow in volume if she was not soothed soon.

He loved the vibrations his siblings made.

Stratos had been asleep when his sister started to cry. His ears, of course, were yet too young to hear the sound of it, but in the moments between sleep and awareness, he could feel the faint tremors ripple through Callyope's tiny body as he dozed beside her.

Like his sister, he had no need to cry, but her soft voice roused two things in the child: an instinctive want to soothe her, and a want to make vibrations of his own. So he nuzzled against her to try and solve her problem, as all the while he let out his own newborn voice in some warbled kind of infant song.

"it is time for me to give you the names of your spirit. you must not say this to another wolf who lives. and when you are old enough, i will speak them again to you."

kukutux nosed callyope. "the name of your spirit is tattilgat. crane bird woman." she smoothed her daughter's face and moved to stratos. he had matched the voice of his sister. "yours is aglakti. song-maker."

and to ariadne now, a kiss to a feathersoft head. "and your spirit will have the name of tlatehiin. shining water."

their ears could not yet hear her voice.

but the listening gods would hear it, and they would know that this children belonged also to the blood of the sea ice.

And she would be soothed.

Familiar vibrations acted like a cradle being rocked. Her brother against her offered swift comfort, a larger rumble overhead from the moon who whispered to the stars born from it. She did not know that her spirit had been imbedded into her in these slow moments.

All she knew was peace.

Was wholeness.

Tattilgat.

It would fall upon deaf ears, but her heart was open to receive it.

Softly, she would mouth around her brother's paws, another way to soothe herself. To bind herself to those around her.

Aglakti. Song-maker.

If the child could hear, he would have laughed at the names his mother blessed upon him - not because he would think the names silly, but because he would have thought them fitting, and worthy of his love. Truly, when Kukutux would one day whisper them to him again, time would prove her blessing right.

What he felt now was a greater compelling to continue his song, egged on by his mother's soft rumbles and his sister's gentle suck upon his toes. He murmured and gurgled in words incomprehensible to anyone but himself, and even he couldn't interpret what tongues he spoke him.

she watched the three of them move together.

learn together.

they spoke in their wondering baby words, and kukutux listened.

three! her heart was filled with love.

"you will have many to hunt with. you will be spirit-speakers and wisewomen." to dream! but the spirits would choose. her soul had no say.

Oft would the reddened whelp listen to the songs of both her brother and sister. However, unlike what could be assumed, Ariadne did not detest the noise. In fact, she was pleased by it. To hear voices that were not her own were soothing in any moment of stillness or panic. They filled in the moments of her own silence.

Many times, she could make out the vibrations of another as well — the one she recognized to be her mother. As frustrating as it was, the little creature couldn't understand what was trying to be said. 

Today, Ariadne did her best to hear as her mother spoke; but still, she could not. It seemed like the words were meant to be important, hence the strain.

All the same, the straddle of another warm nose eased her efforts, and again she dove back within between the warmth of those born alongside her.

Outside the den Aiolos basked under the morning light. It cast a glow over the burgundy, auburn and cream of his coat. He slumbered on his guard duties only to stir as Callyope cried out to the morning, on que as a rooster. 

His head lifts, turning round his shoulder to see his wife still in there with them. Her words are whispers, soothing their pups in ways he could not. His smile is soft as her words and he lays his back down to rest.

last from me i thiiiink <3

Callyope would be quickly soothed by the babbles of brother and the touch of sister. Eventually her suckling ways would be directed towards the belly of her mother, filling herself once more with the nectar of life.

Soon, she would fall silent entirely, asleep once more.

These fitful moments were brief despite their liveliness. Such was the life of a newborn.

and from me! <3

kukutux nestled them closer.

aiolos was close. she drew strength from his presence.

the woman began a soothing-song. it spoke of the polar bear mother and how she had taken a long journey beneath the sea ice.

they would know it when they were able to join her in singing the words.