Sun Mote Copse smashed

@Treepie @Tikaani @Killdeer — tagging y'all since you were in the thread where we talked about this, but any moonspear folks are welcome! :D

let's do 3-day rounds, no posting order, so things don't get too bogged down. oh, and feel free to break off into smaller groups if that's easier!

Sialuk had promised the children a trip to Sun Mote Copse to visit Towhee, and today she intended to make good on it. She gathered the children, explained that they would need to stay close for the journey, and gathered up whoever wished to go—along with an adult or two to help. The trip would take slightly longer with children, but Sialuk was glad for the brief departure away from the spear.

When they stopped at the border, Sialuk pointed out how they could still see their own mountain's peak from here through the canopy of leaves overhead. Soon, she knew, the leaves would begin to change from green to orange, red, and brown. It felt like a new era, a breath of fresh air, and she was eager for the cool winds of autumn to bring longer nights to the world.

Towhee cannot use her ears like we can, Sialuk explained, but her villagers will let her know that we are here. Who wants to call for her? She peered at the little faces, waiting for one of the babes to volunteer—and already guessing which one would be the first to do so. Of course, her own voice would rise alongside the younger one just to be sure they were heard.

He still burned for Sialuk, but the feeling was tempered, at least, at the excitement of visiting Towhee again. He hadn't been to the Copse since before he joined Moonspear for the second time, and he was looking forward to seeing how Seal and Towhee Jr.—the latter of whom he didn't know well—were faring.

Sialuk spoke to the children in her own tongue. Privately, he thought of it as the 'moon-language.' He barely knew a word of it, and so remained quiet; maybe she would teach him, sometime. 

She had already taught and given him so much.

Killdeer gave her a smile, then turned the expression to the wriggling bunch of kids, enjoying their excitement.

In case there’s any confusion (and to orient myself, lmao), Towhee gives birth on the 31st, so this takes place prior to that.

From the peak of Njord’s Craigh, Towhee watched a flock of geese wing past in the classic “V” shape, black bills pointed due south. She drew in a breath and dropped her eyes to scan the copse, where the tips of all the leaves were already beginning to fade. Autumn would be here soon. Meerkat and her family would surely return before winter. It didn’t seem such a long wait.

Now her eyes spied another sort of flock, this one also moving from north to south, albeit along the ground. Towhee watched them a while, lips curving into a smile, and rose to all fours. As she strode downhill and passed The Taigh, her lower back twinged almost constantly. It was kind of impossible to ignore, causing her to slow in Orca’s Forest.

But she made it to the borders, shortly after the howls echoed through the woods. Towhee’s orange eyes bounced from face to face as her own bloomed into a smile of welcome. It flickered a little at the edges as her teeth clenched against the continuing proctalgia fugax.

She was so excited by the notion of a trip to great grandma’s house, Treepie barely ate any breakfast. When they set out shortly after the morning meal, she skipped at Sialuk’s heels. She noticed the way Killdeer walked close beside anaa, the two of them sometimes exchanging looks. Pie couldn’t quite read them, though the sight made her heart smile.

Sometime after they passed Alpine Lake, Pie suddenly felt dizzy. Her stomach knotted with queasiness. She swallowed and tried to keep up with the group as they made their final approach at the copse’s northern border. Tiuttuk’s yellow gaze panned over the exquisite views as everyone gentled to a halt.

When Sialuk called for volunteers, Pie naturally wanted to do the honors. But she was afraid to open her mouth. Not that she had any choice, in the end. Spectacularly and without warning, Treepie threw up what little breakfast she’d eaten right at the approaching Towhee’s feet.

Treepie was practically buzzing with excitement the entire morning, and Sialuk watched Killdeer with steady eyes as they traveled toward his grandmother's home. She replayed their last conversation again and again in her mind. Part of her wished that he had not said those things, but the other part of her was glad he had spoken his mind. Now she knew where his heart was, and she knew that he would be difficult do deal with if she did take another man to warm her ulaq. But what was he to do about it? Killdeer could not control her any more than Argent ever had. At least now she could steel her heart against loving him.

The Ostrega called out for those who would hear them. Little Pie's bodily functions did little to surprise Sialuk, who patted her daughter on the back with a gentle paw. Are you alright? she asked quietly, not wishing to embarrass her.

As she looked up, Towhee was coming toward them, and Sialuk flashed her an apologetic smile.

She did not eat well before we left, Sialuk explained.

Swapping turns with myself for flow. :)

Treepie could find the silver lining in most things, though throwing up was just awful! And she still felt terrible after her stomach emptied and her abdominal muscles stopped clenching. Although she fancied herself a big girl these days, she shuffled closer to her anaa, instinctively seeking comfort from this unpleasant business.

I frowed up, she croaked unnecessarily, looking down at her paws before her yellow eyes lifted, settling on Towhee. -Sorry,- she motioned at her great grandmother, her cheeks flushed beneath her black fur.

Shit, Towhee said without thinking, recoiling.

But kids threw up sometimes; that was a fact of life. When Sialuk explained and Treepie apologized, she shook her head and smiled. It quickly turned into a grimace, though that had a lot more to do with the pains in her ass than the puke on her feet.

-“It happens. No big deal. Do you want to go grab a drink? And if you feel up to it, I’ve got snacks in The Taigh.”- Towhee said, looking mostly at Pie before sweeping the rest of the group and adding, -“Let’s head that way, shall we?”-

She pivoted slowly, heading back through Orca’s Forest in the direction of the family’s cottage. Her teeth gritted as a spasm darted through her tailbone. Was it gas? Did she just need to take an enormous dump? It was hard to tell if it was a musculoskeletal pain or something else, though Towhee couldn’t help but compare it to contractions.

But it couldn’t be labor pains. Besides, they were in the wrong part of her anatomy. All jokes aside, since when did women shit out babies? Towhee was dead certain these pains were originating in her sphincter, of all godforsaken places.

See it? Towhee said, pointing ahead through the trees at The Taigh. Go on ahead. I’ll catch up in a minute, she said to the little flock.

While they continued toward the destination at the territory’s heart, Towhee ducked behind a tree to see if popping a squat might solve the problem.

A drink would do us all well, Sialuk agreed. Even if Treepie did not end up eating, drinking would at least take the edge off and perhaps clear the taste from her mouth. Killdeer seemed more or less unfazed by the surprise!vomit, which Sialuk supposed she could be thankful for. At least, for now, she wouldn't have to worry about rehashing their conversation in the presence of polite company.

Sialuk kept Pie close, checking in on her often through glances as they made their way toward inner rings of the copse. Towhee excused herself behind a tree, and Sialuk ushered Pie along with Killdeer toward the creek for a good, long drink.

Pie’s stomach churned at the thought of food, though she wouldn’t mind a drink. Her mouth tasted awful. Towhee’s easygoing attitude put her at ease, though her cheeks still felt warm as she trailed after the woman, her concerned parents flanking her. She mostly looked at her own shuffling feet at first, though soon enough she began noticing their lovely surroundings.

Towhee motioned toward what looked like a huge ulaq in the distance, its mouth yawning beneath a snarl of tree roots. Pie’s mouth formed an “o,” though before they headed that way, her great grandmother pardoned herself and Sialuk motioned the pup toward a nearby creek, a small offshoot from a little pond they’d just passed.

Tiuttuk bent down to lap at the water, gargling a mouthful before turning to spit it into the grass. She then took a proper drink. She swore she could feel it trickling down her throat to her stomach, cooling and soothing the last vestiges of queasiness.

Is taigh another word for ulaq? It looks so neat, Pie said, licking droplets off her lip as she stared at the cottage over yonder. -“Great grandma!”- she added excitedly when the woman emerged and strode toward the lair. -“Hey! Hey, can’t you hear—”-

No, Pie remembered suddenly, feeling silly. No, Towhee couldn’t hear her. She felt a little rush of embarrassment as she peeked sheepishly at Killdeer and Sialuk, right before she started giggling at herself.

She knew straining couldn’t possibly be good for her innards, so Towhee didn’t try for very long. When popping a squat proved fruitless, she straightened up with a sigh. It morphed into a sharp intake of breath at a particularly shooting pain, after which Towhee stepped out from behind the tree and began heading toward the cottage. At least she could sit somewhere comfortable.

In her distraction, Towhee didn’t notice Treepie flagging her. She walked hastily into The Taigh, taking stock of the interior very quickly before peeking her head back out the door. Only then did she notice her giggling great granddaughter. Towhee cocked her head and smiled, wondering what was so funny.

-“Come on in!”- she called, gesturing grandly at the little group. -“I’m glad you seem to be feeling better. A drink helped?”- she said to Pie in particular.

To Pie's question, Sialuk shrugged. She could not remember what the word's origins were. The water felt cool and soothing on her throat, and it seemed as though it helped Pie as well, who made a mistake that Sialuk had certainly made herself several times over in the time she had known the Redhawk matriarch. They moved to the Taigh next, invited in by Towhee.

Sialuk did not wish to answer for her daughter, so she let Pie answer the question Towhee asked.

Either Towhee didn’t realize her faux pas or it didn’t bother her. Treepie couldn’t stop laughing, so she simply smiled at up at the woman and rapidly nodded her head. She felt much better now, though she quickly realized her stomach felt achingly hollow. Despite her earlier revulsion, she realized she was hungry after all!

-“You said something about snacks, Great Grandma Towhee?”- the babe signed slowly. -“Maybe just something small, to be safe.”-

It wasn’t long before she was presented with a few chunks of what tasted like elk jerky. Pie signed her thanks, then ravenously bit into one of the morsels. She feared that her stomach might reject the food, though she actually felt better as soon as she swallowed. She took another bite.

-It’s cool that I can sign when my mouth is busy,- Treepie signed. -Is ‘taigh’ just a fancy word for a den?-

This feels like a natural place to wrap, iffin’ you’re so inclined. :)

The instant Treepie requested snacks, Towhee dug up a couple of chunks of sun-dried elk meat. She placed them in front of the little girl, who took a tentative bite before more properly indulging. It pleased her that the youngster’s appetite had returned so quickly, as an empty stomach was the likely culprit.

-There’s plenty more where that came from,- Towhee signed, adding, -I think that word means ‘cottage.’ Since it’s so large, the idea is that the whole pack lives here together. At least, that’s what Meerkat and Njord envisioned when they founded this place. Would you like to hear that story, about how they raised this village?-

The cramps were a little more bearable now that she was in the comfort of her own home. Hopefully focusing on the story might distract her otherwise. Towhee breathed through yet another spasm that felt uncannily similar to a contraction, albeit further back in the plumbing, so to speak.

Wait. Could this…? No. No fucking way. It can’t be, her inner voice argued with itself. Look, I don’t know what this is but I know what it isn’t: labor, Towhee vehemently refused to entertain the thought. S-T-F-U, she inwardly signed at herself, becoming fast friends with denial.