Shadowwyn Moor petnaest

if u have the space <3

she did not call, she did not summon.

as the day drew on, she gave long thoughts. sun eater had his wife. she expected them to keep some distance from the rest. to hunt and eat as one. to see the sights and roam with confidence. the woman would be safe with him. ice diver could mind the herds and hunters while their chieftain indulged.

yet before they possibly traveled too far, she had the desire to look upon this face longer and with more voice. after all, ice diver had not said much when they had swept her away.

she looked for @Morwenna now.

morwenna's gait was slow as she moved through the territory, her nose close to the ground, occasionally brushing the frost-kissed earth as she inspected the herbs she had begun to collect. it was a meager cache, but the thought of pregnancy, of the future, had spurred her into quiet action. she knew the seasons would turn, and with them would come new life. she wanted to be prepared.

when the war chief's shadow loomed near, morwenna lifted her head. the woman's presence was commanding—buff, broad, and resolute, her form a stark contrast against the muted tones of the moor. morwenna felt a flicker of hesitation, then curiosity, blooming beneath the surface. she was no stranger to the weight of a leader's gaze, but this one carried something different, something she could not yet place.

you seek me? she said softly, her voice calm, as if her words had been carried by the wind itself. her green eyes swept over the war chief, studying her.

was there something you needed? or do you simply wish to see me? there was no edge to her tone, only an openness that belied her guarded nature. morwenna waited, ears twitching slightly, ready to hear what the other woman might say.

she let her ask her questions. all very good ones, none of which ice diver carried much of a weighty answer for.

i should know you, she told her with a soft wave of her tail. warm despite the intense thing she is about to say — did he take you from a husband?

it is a heavy first question and yet she found it pressing to know. the men had seemed so disgruntled despite one declaring that he found he did not care.

morwenna felt a soft flicker of warmth rise at the war chief's straightforwardness, so reminiscent of sun eater. it was a language she had learned quickly, one of sharp edges but clear intentions. her tail swayed faintly, a quiet acknowledgment of the question posed.

no, she answered firmly, her voice calm, though a trace of something wistful lingered. no husband there, but there is one here now. her gaze briefly flicked outward, toward the distant traces of where sun eater might be, before returning to ice diver with quiet steadiness.

and you? she asked, her curiosity genuine. do you have one? or does the herd claim all of your time? her question was soft, not prying, but carrying a note of sincerity. she found herself wanting to know this woman better—the one who held sun eater’s trust as his war chief.

she snorted, amused and warmed by the answer she had been given.

ridgeback, she said his name with sunshine warmth. one of the ones who waited near. he is a bloodhunter for saatsine. pride! she had picked such a good man for her husband! or had he picked her? regardless, they held each other.

but the herd is always ours to claim and i am its, as well.

morwenna smiled, the warmth of ice diver’s attention settling over her like a comforting mantle. she felt a rush of admiration for the woman—her straightforward nature, her strength, and the pride she held for her place among the saatsine. ridgeback, she repeated the name silently to herself, committing it to memory.

congratulations, she said, her voice gentle but sincere. it sounds like you’ve found someone worth sharing your strength with. it’s no small thing. her eyes flickered, a soft glow of appreciation within them. and to hold your place here, as war chief—it’s something to admire.

she shifted slightly, her tail brushing the snow behind her as she tilted her head toward ice diver. i’d like to get to know you better, if you’d allow it. maybe you could show me some of the ways of the saatsine—i want to be strong. stronger for the chieftain.

then, with a small smile, she added, in return, i could teach you about herbs.there are remedies i’ve learned—things for healing, for soothing. useful things. morwenna let her words hang, hopeful but not pressing, her curiosity genuine.

sharing strength. she recalled everything they had endured together with a sudden swelling fondness. it was enough for that sly grin to linger on her face for a moment. she washed it away when it came to talks of learning, of teaching.

morwenna would not be the first to turn to saatsine and not born to it — ice diver did not think it would be the last.

he will teach you much about saatsine, would he be a kind teacher to his new wife? would he be rough? she ushered on the thought with a quick glance out towards where hunting parties surely ranged. but me? i teach you how to change, to become saatsine. here she meant to give a glimmer of herself now. i am it now in all ways, but it was not my first life.

an idea in her mind.

after you fill your days with sun eater, come walk herds with me. you tell me words of healing and i tell you words of caribou.

for if she bound herself to his wife, she bound herself further to chieftain. in these ways they would all tie one another closer together.

morwenna's silver eyes lit with warmth at ice diver's words, the kind of warmth that reached deep into her chest and kindled something joyous. it had been some time since she had felt the particular ease that came with speaking to another woman, and now, here, it was offered to her freely. her tail swayed softly behind her, the flicker of excitement unspoken but unmistakable.

it is a gift to hear you say this, morwenna began, her voice carrying a thrill she could barely keep from trembling in it. to change, to become saatsine—it feels as though i have taken my first steps into a forest i have long dreamed of, but never touched. and now, you, ice diver, you are offering to guide me further.

her gaze softened, a smile curling on her lips. it is something i will treasure—to learn from you, to walk with you. she tilted her head slightly, curiosity and eagerness intertwining. and if you are willing to show me the way of the herds, then i will tell you every word of healing i know. sun eater has filled my heart, but it is you who will help fill my mind with the wisdom of saatsine.

morwenna leaned forward slightly, her tone dropping into something almost conspiratorial, but still kind. and perhaps, in time, we will show him the strength of what two women can build together. not just for him, but for saatsine.