Moonspear In all my years of living

More often then not, Hakumele took to sitting outside the healing ulaq when he was awake. His fatigue was fading, the life returning to his bones, and yet he was not happy.

He was left to wonder if he would ever be as strong as he once was, or if he would remain the shell of a warrior. He felt as though he had been wronged, and yet he was the only one to blame. Taking in a sharp breath, he remembered why he was here.

Soon he would find a trace of her, and soon his labor would be over. If the coming of age came first, then it would be over all the same. She would no longer be his responsibility; no longer a curse for him to break.

Lifting his head, he found that he had been staring off blankly for some time.

She returned from another foray feeling immensely proud of herself. She’d gone all the way to Big Salmon Lake with nary a misgiving. Treepie was happy to be home, though her heart was light as she approached the foot of Moonspear. She couldn’t wait to tell Sialuk and Tikaani about her progress. She wondered if either one of them would like to plan a trip with her sometime, a notion which made her heart flutter against her ribs.

She caught sight of the healing ulaq and paused when her bright eyes clapped on a familiar figure. Tiuttuk angled herself toward the hollow tree and the man sitting just outside it, her tail waving as she approached. He looked like he was far away in his thoughts. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she slowed, wondering if she should avoid disturbing him.

In the corner of his eye he spotted a unfamiliar figure, though he may be more recognizable to her. He had missed quite a few faces in his rest. She appeared young with a dark coat.

His ears twitched, and with a gesture of his head he called her over. You - are you busy? And idea popped into his head and he spoke, and suddenly he was back to ignoring his sore joints.

He wouldn't leave on his own, but he was hungry.

He looked at her, motioning her nearer. Treepie resumed her approach, her lips parting to offer a greeting when he spoke first. Her mouth shut with a quiet click as she met the query with a blink. She supposed she wasn’t doing anything particularly pressing. Pie shook her head.

Is there something I can get for you? I’m Pie, by the way, she offered with a slow swish of her tail.

Hakumele. He offered his own name in return. I'd like to hunt, but I'm not sure how far this territory goes. He could feed himself - he was sure of it, but he knew that wandering far was not safe on his own. The shark would never admit it, but he knew very well that his legs could collapse at any time.

He tilted his head, checking the air for any intriguing scents. Something small, maybe, while he was regaining his strength. Maybe it was wrong to attempt to involve a young'un in his less than intelligent plans, but he was not content to roll over and take what life was throwing at him.

He gave his name, then asked about the territory’s breadth. Treepie glanced over her shoulder, then up the nearby slope. She knew the borders by heart, though she wasn’t entirely sure how to describe them to him. It would probably be easier to show him, though she wasn’t sure the patient was up for that much walking.

We’re right at the far eastern edge. That’s Firefly Glen, Pie said slowly, gesturing at the neighboring glen. The whole mountain is ours, she continued, making a sweeping upward gesture. There’s plenty of game, if you know where to look. Have you hunted on a mountain before? If you haven’t, we can always just hunt in the glen.

Her head tilted. This was far from the only question she wanted to ask Hakumele. Who was he? What had happened to him to bring him to Moonspear’s doorstep? She filed them for later, waiting inquisitively for his response.

He shook his head. I've only slept since I arrived. Couldn't do much more. It was a pain in his ass. He hated to be seditary for so long. I'm fine now, though. He reassured with a grunt, unwilling to consider that he may not be.

Glen or mountain, it doesn't matter to me. He just needed to move, to get the blood pumping through his veins again. Hakumele saw no benefit in lazing about. If he was here, he wished to feed himself at the very least.

Being an ill, injured, aging man was not pleasant. He felt like a burden, and to strangers? That was simply unacceptable in his eyes.

His answer puzzled her for a moment before Pie realized he must have misunderstood her question slightly. No matter, she thought, smoothing her brow and maintaining a friendly smile. Hakamele didn’t seem to have a preference and he insisted he was feeling up to anything.

Let’s stick to the mountain then, Tiuttuk decided. The terrain is a bit more difficult to navigate but I know my way around pretty well, so I’m sure we can come up with something. If not, there’s always the caches, she added, naturally oblivious to his inward sentiments.

She pivoted smoothly on a black heel and began her ascent, hopefully with Hakumele in tow. She would normally run up the slope with the grace and speed of a mountain goat but she kept the pace much slower to accommodate her new pack mate.

What happened to you? Like, how did you get hurt? she asked as they climbed, hoping it wasn’t too nosey a question.

The young girl made the decision, and on shaky, limping legs Hakumele stood to follow. He knew the climb would be tough on his joints, but who was here to stop him? He would climb it if he so pleased!

She questioned how he had been injured, and Hakumele supposed the curiosity was only natural. However, he wasn't too sure himself. It's just a winter cold, hard on a traveling wolf. He responded, lifting his head to check the surrounding scents. My injuries are old, as far as I know. The winter had always made him ache.

He wasn't really sure how much of what he said was true, and he wouldn't mention his failure to feed himself. It was obvious from his thinned state. I stay close to home most winter days, but my daughter ran off in the autumn months. I haven't found her yet.

He wasn’t injured, he was ill. Treepie nodded her acknowledgement, yellow eyes flitting to his face before refocusing on the climb. Although she knew the mountain well, it required concentration to navigate its steep flanks safely. Besides, she continually course-corrected, navigating the path of least resistance for Hakumele’s sake.

His mention of a daughter—and a home—caught her by surprise. Pie paused, ostensibly to catch her breath and rest a moment. Her brow knit as she motioned for Hakumele to stop too. She would give them a minute before continuing upward.

Where is home? she wondered.

She’d made a lot of assumptions about this fellow, she realized. First, she’d assumed he was hurt. Then she’d assumed he was part of the village. But it sounded like he belonged elsewhere and he was only stuck here until he recovered. Pie couldn’t say why this disquieted her some, though for his sake, she hoped Hakumele mended quickly.

Where was home? The question painted a frown across his face, an expression softer than his usual stoicism. In his mind, only one answer felt right. Kai Ahi. And yet, he had not been there since Loelani fell pregnant. Speak of a cursed child caused her to flee, and carrying his brood she had convinced Hakumele to follow her.

Witch Island was not his home. It was the birthplace of Puamele, Hokulani, but it was not the right fit for him. It never had been. He missed his family, the warm climate and the cool ocean water - but he could not return. Never again would his proper name be spoken, never again would he have the luxury of hunting alongside his brothers or participating in the rituals of his mother.

But such thoughts would not be spoken to a child. When I find Hokulani, I will find a new home. That seemed the best solution for him. If she is not found before the passing of the next moon, I will do the same. That is when she reaches womanhood. That was when she would cease to be his responsibility.

She didn’t recognize the words he spoke. I bet it’s very far away, she mused to herself. Pie sensed there was more to say and remained silent, letting Hakumele continue after another few breaths. Hokulani must be his wayward daughter, she supposed. Her brow knitted when he spoke of giving up on his search.

Hokulani is your daughter? she verified before pausing and inquiring, What happens when she reaches womanhood? I mean… aside from the obvious, Treepie added a little haltingly.

She felt a familiar ache in the pit of her belly, which she did her level best to ignore as she tipped her head and picked up her feet again. Treepie distracted herself further by attuning her senses to their surroundings as well as their course. Idly, she wondered what sort of prey Hakumele might like to pursue, though it all depended on what opportunity presented itself.

He nodded to her question, confirming the name of his daughter. It means she's old enough to go off on her own. The kinder way to put things. She came with other's, so she is not truly alone. He had tried to convince Loelani with such facts, but well.. here he was. She was ever-persistent when it came to their children. A good trait, but Hakumele supposed that he saw the worst in his daughter. He knew the sort of wolf she was; often she made him wonder if the curse was real.

Eyes searched for a rabbit, or another small creature. Something relatively small. He could smell a bear nearby, but suspected it would be hibernating by now.

Does this mountain get many larger animals? A question about the bear, but prey animals too.

She gave him a curious look when he answered. Here in Moonspear, many young wolves dispersed far before they reached adulthood. Pie rather preferred Hakumele’s custom though. Her eyes dropped to her paws as she thought of all the youngsters who’d disappeared from the village, many much too soon.

His next query brought her gaze upward again as she posited, It’s mostly smaller game, except for mountain goats. She thought it went without saying that such prey was too much for the two of them. I know where we can find some peekers. At least, that’s what I think they’re called. They look kind of like a mix between a mouse and a rabbit.

He was older. Perhaps he’d seen one before, even if he hadn’t had an occasion to hunt in mountainous terrain. Either way, Treepie began leading them past the line where the trees began to thin. There were many boulder fields up here. She picked the least fraught of them and approached with ears pricked and nose wriggling.

He followed after the girl, a puzzled expression crossing his face. Peekers? He repeats. He hasn't heard of such prey before, and supposes that he may be trying something new today.

Eyes graze over the boulder field, searching for the sight of any strange rodents as they move along. Have you caught one before? He asks, the intention partially to create conversation above all else.

Already he can feel the pain sparking in his legs, and yet he continues. He is determined to finish this hunt.

Not many, she told the truth. I’ve tried hunting them quite a few times but they’re really quick. Anaang says it’s normal to fail most of the time, regardless of what prey you’re hunting. But practice makes perfect and all that, right? Maybe we’ll get lucky.

She shot him a smile, then turned the whole of her attention upon seeking the rodents’ scent among the boulders. Treepie tried to creep as silently as she could, an ear twitching at every unwanted scrape of sandpapered paw pad against shale. From experience, she knew that if one “peeker” spotted her, it would let out a loud cry to alert the rest. Then it would be a lot more difficult to catch one.

Pie approached the foot of a particularly large boulder wedged in the mountainside, its sloping flank spanning perhaps ten feet. She eyed it, assessing, then leaped. Her claws left visible scratches in the stone as she scrabbled toward its pinnacle, though fortunately they didn’t make too much of a racket. As soon as she reached the top, the young she-wolf went very still to listen for any scurrying noises among the great big rocks.

He gave a light 'mmhm' to her words as they moved along. The shark supposed that it was an optimistic way to look at things.

Hakumele watched as she rose to the top of the rock, and chose to wait below. He would trust her to take the lead on this hunt, for she surely knew more than him when it came to this particular type of prey.

The older man remained still, ears perked to listen for the familiar sound of scurrying paws.

Moving gingerly, Treepie folded herself down against the rock so she could not be spotted so easily. She glanced at Hakumele at the foot of the boulder, then scanned the field with not just her eyes but her other senses as well. She saw nothing. And the only sound her ears picked up was the noise of an easterly wind buffeting down the mountainside.

Her lips pursed as she shifted her weight. Tiuttuk knew hunting required patience, though sometimes it was so hard sitting still. She drew in a deep breath, pushed it toward her belly, held it as long as she could, then let it out in a slow whoosh. You got this, she told herself, mustering all her patience.

In the corner of his eye, he sees something moving within the rocks. A slight click of his tongue, nearly mimicking a small rodent, is made; quiet, only to grab the attention of his companion. A way to say 'look'.

From where he stood, he could not see what it was. On higher ground as she was, he assumed the creature may be visible.

A strange noise hit her ears, causing Tiuttuk to go rigid as she listened. It did not repeat. By chance, she glanced down at her companion. Only then did it dawn on her that he had made the sound. He was trying to catch and direct her attention.

Following his eye line, her own gaze panned over the field. She saw a flicker of movement near the base of a rock pile. Her heart beat a little faster as she squinted, then dropped when she heard the telltale warning call.

Shoot, she muttered, ears pinning to her skull as the pika repeated its shrill call.

As others took up the cry, Pie heaved a sigh and climbed to her paws. Carefully, she descended the boulder’s sloped face and dropped down beside Hakumele. She shot him an apologetic look.

We’ve been made, she stated the obvious.

His ears twitched at the sound of the strange call, mimicking the apologetic look offered by the Moonspear girl. It happens. No reason to linger on it. She was pretty young, and he was hunting a new prey. There was bound to be a bump. Something for me to learn from.

He looks back to the way they came from now. My legs are starting to get sore. He decides. We'll try this again another day. He was determined now; he would catch one of these strange rodents before he left the spear.

Yeah, that’s true, Pie replied, appreciating his reassuring reminder. It’s not my first bust. Or my last, she posited with a small snort and a switch of her tail.

Hakumele indicated he was done for the day. The younger wolf nodded her understanding. Even if she’d wanted to try their luck elsewhere, she wanted to defer to his comfort level even more. He was still recuperating, after all.

I’ll walk back with you, Haku. May I call you that? Tiuttuk said amiably as she prepared to accompany him down the mountain.

Feel free to wrap or just plop it in the archives! :)

He nods, bumping his shoulder to hers before beginning their trek. Only because I dragged you all this way. He snickers, tail curling the slightest bit at his tease. It had been a long time since another had called him that.

It was a good try, good to get out. Successful or not, he was better off for it. Soon he would be strong enough to resume his journey; and yet a part of him was hesitant. Moonspear was good, a place that had allowed him to relax for the first time in.. well, a long time.

Releasing a gentle breath, his eyes faced forward. 'Noe i ka Lani, where are you?'

Thank you for the thread! Treepie is so lovely <3