Ouroboros Spine Sweet Summer pie

Ajei moved through the pack lands with a smile. She had gotten a little braver, but it was still pretty scary. She was never far from her mamas den. And she wanted to play with the other puppies. But they were bigger than her and they made her a bit nervous. But there was a want to play.

She found her way towards the river and she stayed far away like mama and pop said and instead she juat watched. The sound delightful. It sounded like fairy singing.

C'MERE BABYYYYYY <333

days were growing longer. and shikoba could feel herself growing older.

she had told herself and even whispered to Kukutux that this may be her last litter. motherhood was something she had come to appreciate in her time, despite only giving 3 children to the world. she thought about her 2 spirit walkers in the moments that she walked the spine alone, wondering if they watched over their siblings.

and as shikoba would come to be graced with greying hair around her eyes, she could see her children were becoming braver and bolder. little Chiteo and Ajei were taking to exploring wonderfully, and while their mother did not lose her sense of protection over them, she indeed fell into the pit of letting things happen because they weren't her first litter. it was very much akin to when parents are germophobes with their firstborn, and then let their secondborn eat dirt because it keeps them from crying.

shikoba was working off her mom-body, though it felt like there would always be the little pouch to remind her that she has brought life into the world. so when she comes across her littlest creation, she is pleased to see that her lessons of safety remain intact.

"ajei," she calls to her softly to avoid frightening her, "do you watch the river?" she comes to ask her in the primordial tongue she had been so desperate to teach her children. navajo was an incredibly difficult tongue, and yet her kids were picking things up at a good pace. every day, it brought a strong sense of joy to shikoba.

Eep <333

Ajei knew her mama was a very busy and important lady. So she tried not to bother or ask for too much of her time. And when she did see her outside of home it was all the sweeter and cherished.

Ajei wasn't as brave as Chi or Mama or Pop, and she probably never would be. A shy little one she was growing fast.

A wave of her tail and she rushed towards her mother to bury her face in the soft furs of her chest. A purl in her throat as she smiled up at her, bright eyes turning green.

She nodded her head. Her mothers tongue jumping to her maw easier than others. Yes. It soun' like fairy song. It is pretty

shikoba adored her children, certainly, this was evident in how she spoke to and of them, as well as how often she loved to spend time with them. but her little daughter held a special place in her heart.

she was so different from shikoba when she was of that age, so quiet and shy, yet perhaps with the biggest heart out of anything she will know. there is a thrum of pride shikoba feels for knowing she has brought such a delicate flower into the world.

"the rivers are sacred to us," she comes to tell her softly, "we give them offerings for the well-being of our families." this river was certainly not of the traditional 4 that shikoba knew of, but all the rivers brought life into the earth, and she would not be daft to ignore this fact. "the mountains whisper too if you can listen to them closely."

life teemed around this in spring and summer, and eventually, these voices of their ancestors may grow quiet as the colder days draw in. but ajei would learn all of these things the more she grew beside her mother, as her brother had once done before her. "what have you been doing, my ajei? have you been finding your place within our village?"

Ajei leaned into her mama again. Lidtening to her words as they fell on her ears liked whispered windsong and river dance.

Mountains whisper? Like fairy bables in de river. What do we offer, mama?


i met moon brother Mmmassaraq and Aaarrluk. We play by river an fire modder. Den moonwoman show me how sing an bitey furs.

"they are quiet, not so loud as the rivers. one day they will tell you all their secrets when your ears are ready to listen. we offer food and prayer so that the water flows and keeps us alive." a tradition shikoba kept when in the spine, moving a collection of crushed pine nut meal among other offerings to the riverside to honor the life the river continued to bring into Moonglow and into the heart of star hunter.

"moonwoman is your atchaga, in her tongue. an aunt, and her children are your cousins, your moon brothers and sisters. moonwoman and i are spirit sisters, she is very important and very wise." it made her heart glow knowing that her daughter had finally gotten to meet the other children. Ajei was such a shy little creature, Shikoba always worried that she wouldn't come out of her shell. and yet here she was, full of surprises. "did Massaraq and Arrluk play nice with you, my little Ajei?"

Ajei listened with wide eyes as her mother spoke of mountains and their quiet secrets. Oh how she wanted to know of them, someday. Hear them. 

What is a prayer?

She knew well what food was and she wondered if perhaps she knew what a prayer was too and just didn't know the name. That happened a lot to her, because she was still learning, everything the world had to offer and at the moment it was a rather small world.

Ajei tilted an ear forward, the floppy end right above her eye. Moonwoman was important. So then her children were important too. Did that mean that Ajei maybe shouldn't seek them out? Let them look for her? Because maybe they didn't have time, she would have to share their time like she did mama's and pop's with their duties. That was a little sad to her, but she could do it. She would treasure the time they spent with her then as she did with her mama.

She nodded. Mmmmassaraq he scare me at foist. He give real loud HELLO! I jump, but den we be good, he tol me he be my friend so i say okay me too. Den we go to see firemodder.

Her little face lit up in delight at the next topic, because Arrluk was a bit like her and he soothed her with his calmness. Arrluk and I we just walk and roll in meadows. He want be fissherman when he get big. Him talks a lot about him's brothers and sisters. He loves them and his mama so I talk about how I have best mama and best brodders for me!

children always had the power to ask some of the most riveting of questions; the kind where we never actually think about the answer until they get asked. and so shikoba thinks for a few seconds about her answer.

"prayer is... when we ask for help. but not from those around us." that sounded pretty decent? "instead of asking for those you can see to help, you ask the spirits. they walk the earth with us and guide us to our destiny." shikoba expected that more questions may come from that answer, but for now she pushes those thoughts back.

it certainly brought joy to know that kukutux's boys were able to separate their rowdiness from ajei. and while shikoba did wish to slightly toughen up her littlest, she had no problem letting her grow the way she was. the world was cruel, and she would do what she could to protect her from such unkind trails.

"moonwoman is your atchaga, aunt in her words. i am happy to hear you have met her sons. they will be your friends, and always your family." another comforting kiss to her daughter's cheeks. there was always something to appreciate in the world, and today, it was Shikoba's own flesh and blood. "what does my ajei wish to do today?" it was an invitation to an adventure, or perhaps just a day to do what brings her the most joy.

Ajei listened closely and she didn't fully understand, but she knew that there were spirits and the like. She had heard the adults talking, but what that entailed. That was where she was confused. But they could ask for help? But did all spirits help everyone or just certain people and did they help with anything. Say she wanted to win in a wrestling match with her brother would a spirit help her?

Ajei was not opposed to roughhousing. She just needed to know you well and often they had to remember she was smaller and sometimes other's had trouble with that. She was a delicate little creature.

Ajei giggled and pressed two paws to her mother's cheeks giving her a lick of her own to her nose. And then oh happy days delight. She was able to choose something to do with Mama. Mama had taken time from her duties to spend it with just her.

Can you teach me about de river? How to walk it? And fish? I know it be dangerous, but we have to cross sometimes right?

the river and fishing! a gleeful smile comes over her face as she nods her head to her daughter. hunting is an everyday task to some, but one for nobility in shikoba's mind. and for a moment, she must wonder if her daughter could ever take the position of first or even second hunter. perhaps she could talk to Sialuk about some bone readings for their futures, if she ever grew deeply interested.

"the rivers," she comes to say to her softly, "can be dangerous if you are not careful. they have a current underneath, where the water may pull you down if you are not strong enough." thankfully, the river present in the spine did not harbor one of such strength, but there was a bit of a tug that could be felt by even the steadiest of legs.

Shikoba would come to stand at the edge before walking in just deep enough where her toes are covered. and she looks back to Ajei to invite her to follow and stay close, if she chose to. "can you feel how it rushes over your toes?" she comes to ask, watching as she sees the water divert over her paws and create a slight drag in her tawny furs below. "the current is the life of the river, the heartbeat. it keeps the fish happy too."

Ajei had yet to decide exactly what she liked, other than the river and fish. There was something about the river that helped to ease some of the anxiety and shyness in her mind. Probably the noise. She was overjoyed to see her request brought a smile to her mama's face.

Ajei listened and nodded. Yes Raq tried putted his paws in one day. I tol him I say mama say don't cross without adult, but he putted his paws in anyway. And they pulled on him. I cry out and check on him, he okay. So den i say we call adult. He say call Chickadee so we do.

(Don't know if Ebony will have time to answer before the thread closes so being vague here. <3 )

Ajei followed her mom and she squealed quietly as the water first touch her. Then lifting her legs higher than need be, she walked towards her mama. She'd get the hang of this someday. Ajei looked down in and giggled at the feeling of the current. She'd been too nervous last time to just stand.

It tickles.

shikoba has taken notice to the new young lady that has been sticking her nose around the children, but with the comfort of knowing that moon woman sees her as a trustworthy being, shikoba feels no need to intervene.

"that's very brave of you to call for help," she says to her daughter thoughtfully, "decisions like those can save lives." she is glad that there is no seemingly fear for asking for help, at least not yet. Mojag had seemingly picked up a tiny bug about not wanting to be a bother, so now shikoba must have a tiny bit of worry that her other children may come to inherit it too.

she is perhaps too young to learn to swim, but shikoba would test to see just how far she could get with ajei's own willingness to learn and please. a small laugh is given when she hears the high-pitched giggles, and shikoba comes to nod her head at the comment. 

"when you travel deeper into the river, you will feel the current pull at your legs." a few steps deeper now to where if ajei followed, the water would come to perhaps the middle portion of her legs. the pull of the current is present, but until they went deeper, shikoba had little fear of the consequences. "most times, you can fish in the shallower parts if you are still enough to not scare the fish."

Ajei didn't know Chickadee as well as the boys it seemed, but she knew her enough to greet her when she saw her and she felt safe leaving with her to some place. Probably not outside of the pack lands that was for Mama or Kukutux or Pop.

Ajei wrinkled her nose. You said always ask for help and be careful. She nodded her head in affirmation. Yes i be sad if something happened to dem. And she would be perhaps she didn't know them well. And she preferred the quiet energy of Arrluk than Massaraq though she seemed to find herself often more in the company of the other brother than the former. Not that she liked either one less than the other. Sometimes she felt as if she were holding Raq back with her shy nature and cautiousness.

Ajei hesitated and looked to her mama. But there was no way she'd take her somewhere unsafe not ever. So Ajei stepped towards her into the deeper part. The tug got stronger and she made a little Oh. Sound.


Really? You don't have to go deep deep?

there is safety in these slow lessons, and perhaps in the fact that ajei harbors enough sense to be careful. "when you fish, you only need to be where the fish are happy to swim. you just need patience, they can be scared to come close." solid ground is certainly something all the fishing wolves needed as they lacked boats. with enough stillness, there is a good chance that something will come swimming by.

"stay here, watch your anaa." a soft ask of her daughter, shikoba comes to step deeper into the river where the water comes to nearly tickle her chest. she would come to side step, making sure that her mom sense could keep a partial hold on ajei as the rest of her focus comes to look for fish below. it's not long before a smaller fish comes by, a little rainbow trout curiously coming to inspect the floating debris that sweeps past shikoba's legs.

and with a quickness of a trained eye, shikoba comes to dive quickly into the water, mouth agape and soon closing around the scales of a terrified trout. a tight grip keeps it from slapping her in the face, and now she comes to see if ajei is watching!

rolled for success in the discord! <3

Ajei wasn't sure if it was sense or pure fright that kept her toeing the line, but the adults seemed to like that she preferred pleasing them. So she kept at it. And it filled her with a sense of purpose even though she didn't know that's what it was yet.

Ajei lay her little ears to her skull. I know about being scared.

Ajei kept her green eyes trained on her Anaa and waited with baited breath. There weren't many moving below, but Ajei barely breathed as she waited and watched. Her tiny body wound tight in anticipation. There was no doubt in her mind her Anaa would catch a fish. It was just a matter of when.

An audible gasp left Ajei as her mother suddenly drove her head under. And though a part of her wanted to rush to her, the other part told her to stay as Anaa had bade. 

She giggled in delight when her mother resurfaced with a fish. Good job, Anaa she crowed and did a little messy dance in the water.

would you like to fade this on your next post since you have a lot coming up ? <3

totally fine by me! i'll probably snag one of your AW threads if any are open <333

there is glee in the time that mother can spend with daughter. it is an untold story of bracing against the winds that refuse to change their courses. there is something beneath ajei that blooms, and shikoba can see it. her daughter grows braver, stronger, perhaps more than she is ever willing to say out loud. the star hunter worried that her daughter started off as nothing like her.

but perhaps that are simply becoming similar to each other, sharing their own shards of identity with each other. shikoba grows softer, kinder. ajei, she grows older and smarter. through all of this, there is beauty in a mother's pride.