Moonspear helpless

There was much to digest since her visit to Mereo.

Sialuk set her thoughts aside when she had returned, greeted by @Njord and his description of another wolf who had come to their village. A hunter and a soldier, though Sialuk did not think Moonspear would have use of the latter. Njord told this man that she sought a partner, and she wished to know if Argent sought one as well.

The raindrop returned to her ulaq briefly, storing away some herbs that she had collected on the journey home. They did not grow near to the spear, and they were good to have in abundance. She placed them on the natural shelving that lined the wall, took a moment to fuss with her small bone shrine, then took herself outside.

The sun hung low in the sky, and Sialuk spotted the ripe moon hanging lazily far above. She took a deep breath and called for the man named @Argent.

Nose to the dirt and snow, the man finalized burying the muskrat carcass to a cache closer to @Njord and his wife—an offer of his gratitude and the hunt and enabled him to ease some of his tension that lingered in his muscles. Stirred by his unease, he assumed—the unknown stretching before him a little longer as he waited for a she-wolf by the name of Sialuk to assess his worth to her home.

The moon waned in the distance as the shadows spurned by the sun stretched further—his time here had been short before a call beckoned to him—his gaze drifting upward to the direction she called.

A flicker of recognition that this was the moment he had waited for, the silver man moved with a serpentine grace that had been bestowed upon his father—streamlined, much like the basilisk before him.

With the sun dipping further in the horizon, Argent’s silver and blue eyes fell upon the mountain’s regal—fur blanketed of porcelain and pale marble—intricate as the stone.

Njord’s words of course rang in his mind—still trying to determine how to decipher the man’s intent and settling only upon the fact the man hoped to encourage more members to their borders. Sweeping his form lower to the ground in a display of his submission to her, Argent waited to be spoken to—the culture of what they called a village still unknown fully to him.

Argent spoke no words, and Sialuk waved her tail when he approached. I greet you, she said, I am called Sialuk Ostrega—alpha and starwoman of Moonspear. The latter was a title given to her by anaa, and the raindrop felt worthy of it standing upon the slopes of her birth home. To see another display submission in front of her was a sensation she had not felt often before. Even in Moonglow they did not always display such things so openly.

What is it you seek of village Moonspear? she asked.

Her tail a banner in the winter air—her eyes were fast upon him, though Argent made no move to read the expression written on them—as far as he knew, he was a guest in her lands, and he did not wish to press his chances. An ear gave a flicker of recognition to her voice, and so his icy gaze did settle then to her cheek, his stance remaining humbled in her presence.

“Welcome home, Alpha,” he quietly rumbled—uncertain which title she preferred most and thus adopting the one he was accustom to in his previous pack. “I’m Argent Sandraudiga.”

At the question she pressed on him then, his eyes would drift casually to the direction of the Sunspires, contemplation writing itself on his features. “I spoke to Njord about the desire to… find myself,” he offered, though the explanation felt inadequate, particularly after Njord expressed the she-wolf's desire to find a mate, and so he averted his eyes to her once more, this time, daring his gaze to draw across her lips and the fine curve of her nape.  “And I found myself drawn to your mountain.”

His family name was long, and Sialuk did not attempt to speak it. Someday, she would. "San-drow-dee-ga" was how she said it silently to herself. Moonspear calls to spirits she desires, Sialuk said, a grin pulling her lips upward, She called to mine as she did for yours. She caught his glance, watching him watch her. Again, that feeling of being something desirable was thrilling.

Njord told also of what I seek? she asked, canting her head innocently to one side. Sialuk did not intend to chase those who did not wish to be chased. Argent had not been there for the meeting of free spirits, but that did not mean that he was not one. Perhaps he sought a similar thing.

Sialuk’s comment regarding the mountain gave him a moment’s pause—eyes flashing as his gaze drifted from her to look in the direction of the Sunspire, far in the opposite distance—a place that his father had once believed would be his inheritance. Claiming a chain of mountains was quite the lofty goal—and the pallid man was uncertain he held the same ambitions as the man before him. “Perhaps she knows more of myself than I do,” he considered openly, wondering if indeed somehow fate had pointed him here.

And so when his gaze fell toward her once more, her honeyed eyes were upon him, openly looking to him—and just as boldly, she spoke of Njord, and what the man had told her. He was surprised—pleasantly so by the forwardness of the woman before him—but certainly feeling he lacked an awareness of the culture he was stepping toward. “He has,” Argent confirmed, treading carefully—or so he hoped. “Is this one of the reasons Moonspear has called to your spirit? To begin a family?” It made sense—a dispersal wolf, looking to begin her own legacy.

What better place to do so than on a beautiful mountain?

She felt in Argent a kindred spirit the way he spoke of the spear. Many times Sialuk had come to her for guidance, and each time, the mountain answered. Not always in words, and not always clearly, but the spear told starwoman what she needed to know. A knowing grin pulled at the corners of her mouth at his question.

Aya, she confirmed. The spear has spoken of sons and daughters that will be born to this village—to me. It is where I took my first breath, saw my first light. My children will do the same on these slopes. Sialuk paused, watching.

There are many men and women in sister village Moonglow, also. Sialuk thought of her many sisters, of the woman Nasamik, and even Keen, here on Moonspear. She thought of Chakliux, the slick-speaking man, and Kannoyak, who wandered freely still.

He found himself nervous in her presence—perhaps merely from the implications Njord had dropped to him prior. She spoke of this as her birthright—and it rooted within his chest, then, that perhaps she lived a version of life that he too could have tried to do. There was time yet, if it seemed the fates had steered him wrong.

She mentioned other men and women—a sister pack. The mention of other women after stating her own desires seemed almost a casual mention to him--was she testing to see if he was interested in others? He chuffed softly, muzzle tilting. “I was unaware Moonspear was affiliated to another—the packs are to work in unity, then?” His eyes careful upon her now, he felt a slow grin beginning to warm his features—kindred, indeed, as she revealed her story. “I was born on a mountain, too,” he offered, his muzzle swinging to nod toward the smaller mountain in the distance. “Perhaps that is why this place called to me.” That he could feel the promise of hearth and home here.

My mother Kukutux is moonwoman of village Moonglow, just as I am starwoman here, Sialuk replied with an easy smile. She could not imagine a world where she did not work alongside anaa. Their spirits were entwined in a way that Sialuk did not see often—even in her travels.

Perhaps she called to you for me, Sialuk said, her eyes alight with amusement. Do you seek a wife? she asked. Perhaps if he did not know it consciously yet, or perhaps his spirit was not prepared for such a thing.

A rumble escaped him—a gentle crooning of consideration to her words as she toyed with the idea that the mountain had beckoned him to her, and he smiled, heated amusement displaying upon broad features as his eyes finally did scour her, wondering.

“Perhaps she did,” he returned, trying to navigate such a forward woman with the concept of discussing ‘forever’ with a new man. “But I’ve heard many have been seeking your company,” he also noted, icy eyes drifting over her before scanning the mountains. Her question was loaded to him—not as simple as she seemed to present it—but, perhaps… it truly was?

“I seek the life my parents would have had if my father didn’t die,” he finally offered, his features sobering, thoughtful. It terrified him—to love someone so wholly and with such longing as his mother had for his father—that it had broken her in the end. But.. nothing else would compare—how could it? "Passion. Irrevocable, undenied passion for one another, for their family, and for their legacy."

She had experienced this tension with many men and women on her journey. Many had wished to keep her in their village, to make her a wife, but Sialuk had known that Moonspear would never truly stop calling for her. She had let each one know that her calling was her home, and none had been willing to leave their own village. Sialuk knew well the feeling of disappointment when they had chosen to stay, but she did not begrudge them for it.

The raindrop listened as he said words for his parents, weaving a story of their fierce desire for one another. To hear that his own father had gone to the dancing lights without his mother mirrored Sialuk's own story, and she felt a kinship for the silver man.

Many seek company of starwoman, she said, more solemnly than before. It may happen that I find the company of more than one, she added, again looking for a glimmer of understanding in Argent. This happens in some places—if the spirits dance well together—and it would be nice to happen on Moonspear. She thought of her mother, of Aiolos, of Sakhmet. Was love a finite resource?

Many seek company of the starwoman.

Then I will have to use my time with you as preciously as possible, he teased, his eyes flashing as he traced her once more, finding himself relaxing more in her friendly company. He did not know what to make of her implications she might take more than one lover—did not know how to feel of the fact aside that he digested it, accepting this was the culture he had settled in to, at least for now, and he would learn what he could in his time here, whether it be short or stretch on in to the length of his life. 

You strike me as a romantic at heart, he observed, his figure shifting in the cold winter wind, though he found himself warmed in her presence. Or am I wrong?

She felt a tension release itself from Argent, as if she had found companionship with him. Sialuk saw his shoulders lose their rigidness, and his ears no longer appeared strained with worry. It pleased her.

Even more-so when he made an observation of her as a "romantic at heart." She laughed. You are not wrong, Argent Sandraudiga. This woman has seen value in intimate bonds with other men and women. It brings strength to a village, and protects the people from one great loss when one of their husbands or wives must go away. There was an extra layer of support should something happen to one of them. And when the days were good, there was an abundance of love among them.

When he had spoken of being a romantic at heart it certainly hadn’t been with the assumption that polygamy reigned upon these mountains. His gaze swept to her, and surely she could see him trying to unpack the questions and thoughts that had all but imploded at the concept that when one’s husband or wife was away, it was nice to seek physical appeasement in the arms of another.

She had spoken of taking the company of more than one—he just hadn’t considered that to mean outside of a marriage, unless he misunderstood this, now.

And then: “I will be honest and say that your culture is new to me and… I will have much to learn. But I am happy to, if you will let me.” She spoke of free love outside of marriage, ulaqs and spiritualism. Everything in this regard was unfamiliar to him—spare for the fleeting moments he had when he had shared a she-wolf’s bed, usually only for a stolen night or two.

we can prob fade here and have an updated one!

Sialuk could see his mind working through what she said, and the woman smiled. Despite their clear differences in upbringing, Argent was open to these new ideas—some even relatively new to Sialuk! She thought to take him to warm her ulaq soon. Perhaps Keen another night. And if Kannoyak joined them, she would see that he spent a night with her as well. These thoughts set a fiery smile to her face.

Come, I will show you more of the spear, she said, gesturing for him to follow.

She didn’t seem resentful that he came of a differing background—if anything, she welcomed it openly, and at her offer to show him the moonspear, much as Njord had also done, the Sandraudiga took this as consent to him staying and becoming one of theirs. As such, he trailed after her, content in her stolen company given he knew so many craved it.