Great Bear Wilderness [wp] uuman kilausirakti • heart drummer

Group dance for the boys! Observers & other guests welcomed. One post reply. I was thinking this could be a fun way to spin off more meeting threads :) Maybe you see someone you like in the crowd! ~__^

@Vairë @Rodyn (@Raindrop & @Masa for visibility) @Iruna @Rokkur @Luhtar @Yngvi @Ylva @Pangur @Kalyska @Kinusi @Raen @Y'var'la @Hōkūlani @Stærk @Reilly @Cicero Dvořák @Velia

The ceremony of @Callyope’s union to @Solharr among the deep snow was more beautiful, more serene, than any wolf could hope to envision. Acts and words of devotion were accompanied by generous prayers, totems, symbols, and gifts as many pairs of eyes witnessed the bond become forged with @Kukutux’s as the officiant.

However, there was an undertone of bittersweetness perceived by those sat in the Moonglow’s pews. They were sending away a great beauty, the precious blood of Moonwoman and Sunman… of which there was little left.

When their vows concluded, Ipiktok merrily whooped and hooted! Then, the guests began to mingle towards the extravagant feast.

With their bellies full, the crowd became more animated. More jubilant.

Ipiktok began to gather the men together from different tribes. “I will show you the drumming dance of Sunshine men,” he excitedly explained to them in a huddle. He hit his chest with a broad paw. “It will show your strength! Perhaps you may catch another’s eye…” He glanced to where a group of women gossiped and grinned. “We dance together. Like warriors!”

Ipiktok began to rhythmically stamp his feet and chant. At first, he jumped high like a leaping deer. Then controlled rabbit hops followed. The cadence was like a strong heartbeat. Ipiktok hit the snow-packed ground with the strength of a bison and kicked up a spray of white up with each step. First, he turned in place… and then roved in a great circle.

Ipiktok jutted out his chin in a way that said, follow my lead! Every now and then, his gaze searched the crowd to see who watched...

newlywedded husband stood beside callyope, the oxen fur draped over his broad shoulders a reminder of the ceremony they had only just completed. his golden eye swept over the gathering, filled with faces both familiar and new, before returning to his wife with a glimmer of something mischievous.

he shrugged off the heavy fur, letting it fall in a heap behind him, and leaned close to callyope, offering her a sly smirk. we will share our own dance, soon. he murmured, his tone low and teasing, before stepping away.

his attention turned to ipiktok, the man’s rhythmic stamping and chanting drawing him closer. sólhárr’s movements were suave as he approached, his posture commanding but unhurried. he watched carefully, the warrior’s cadence mirrored in the chieftain’s golden eye as he studied the dance.

with a natural ease, sólhárr began to mimic the moves, the jumps and stomps flowing from his powerful frame as though he had known them all his life. his steps were measured at first, but soon his movements grew bolder, more fluid, his confidence building with each beat of the snow beneath his paws.

he followed ipiktok’s lead with a warrior's grace, his presence commanding without overpowering the rhythm of the group. sólhárr let himself become part of the dance, the energy of the men around him fueling his steps, their strength reflected in his own.

every now and then, his gaze flicked back to callyope, a glint of amusement and pride in his eye, as if to say, see what your sun can do?

kalyska lingered at the edge of the gathering, a quiet observer amidst the vibrant celebration. the deep snow cradled her paws, its chill sharp but grounding, as her hazel eyes flitted over the scene with quiet fascination.  

the ceremony had been unlike anything she had ever known—a union of love and choice, not of obligation. she had watched the exchange of vows with a reverence that stirred something deep within her, something unfamiliar and aching. it was strange to see devotion untainted by politics, unbound by duty to anyone but one another.  

her ears swiveled forward as she leaned subtly closer, curiosity overcoming her usual wariness. this was a celebration of life, of strength, of connection—so far removed from the rigid ceremonies of her past, where unions had been transactions and joy a mere afterthought.  

kalyska’s tail twitched lightly, the smallest ghost of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. for a moment, she let herself wonder what it might feel like to be in the center of it all—to leap, to chant, to celebrate without restraint.  

but she stayed where she was, her paws rooted in the snow, content for now to be a witness to something so profoundly different, so wondrously free.

Treepie hardly slept the night before, chuckling to herself as she wondered whether she might actually be more excited than the bride and groom! She got out of bed well before daybreak. Too impatient to wait and too unwilling to rouse those who preferred to sleep in to a normal hour, she departed from Moonspear to head toward the venue.

She didn’t intrude on the preparations, checking on them from afar until it was time for the celebration to commence. Pie’s heart leaped as she settled among the gathered crowd, eager to see what a wedding entailed. She could hardly decide where to look and began to feel a little discomfited, particularly when she realized she’d failed to bring an offering to lay at her family’s altar.

Then her grandmother’s gentle voice captured her attention. Tiuttuk stared at her familiar face, striped with crimson, finding comfort in Kukutux’s blessings. But she couldn’t quite push her agitation fully from her mind and soon all the excitement of the day began to completely overwhelm her.

The ceremony drew to a close. She knew feasting and fellowship would follow. Treepie had planned to make up for her absence at the fall hunt. But she could barely bring herself to eat and when she tried to distract herself with a dance led by none other than Ipiktok, Pie could not stop looking over her shoulder at Moonspear, yearning for the quiet safety of home.

Finally, she offered some polite excuses and muttered farewells, then departed with prickling eyes and a heavy heart.

Arrluk jumping into the group like...

if anyone would like a thread with velia during the wedding celebrations feel free to tag her in a thread and i will respond asap!

velia was not entwined enough in the knowledge of forneskja or the sunshine people to know of their traditions and festivities. though she did know this to be a day of great importance and above all, a day of great joy! she came adorned in dried petals to replace her usual display of entangled vegetation upon her neck. 

she offered joyous bouts of cheer for both the bride and groom, watching as the celebration turned to that of feast and dance. the men took to the clearing, and velia found her paws eager to join them. but she remained sidelined, watching with an energy fed from high spirts and an earthly rumble. 

her paws struck the ground with a heavy beat as the men jumped and swayed, her stomping an applause to keep the rhythm steady as they went about their warrior's dance. and all the while she looked on heartily, wondering if one might come ask her to join them.

shadow man would part from íruna so that he may engage with the men of the camps and dance as they did. rhythmic steps and bellowing chants would draw the shadow in, gaze curious, though a smirk upon his face as he watched their king move. he would assume a place nearby, and watched ipiktok carefully before he, too, would leap and bound and stomp, just as instructed. as if he were a boy again! not merely a man.

and so he would kick a dust of white from his heavy steps, snow spraying from his paws as he gave a quick glance upon his shoulder to his own wife, whom he had shared a private wedding. then he would turn his sights back towards his men, simply enjoying such a celebration. máni would look down upon them with humour! this would be a night of many blessings. he wondered if there would be any relationships stemmed from this gathering. how love could inspire similar unions ; such a thing was beautiful.

stomping and leaping like both bison and gazelle. strong, yet graceful! as warriors were.

There had been much celebration, all of which was unfamiliar to Ponderosa. Her mother had given her permission to explore after the main union, and it the most unlikely of wolves to be drawn in by the pounding and chanting of men. There was power in their voices, their movements agile, strength incarnate. It was from the edge of trees that she watched, her dark figure in contrast to the white of the snow, the golden eyes of her father following every movement. 

It was to a young man draped in brown that her eyes were drawn to, the one who must have been the leader of this group, who showed the most grace, but also strength, control within his movements. She moved closer, out from the shrubs, but not where she would be amongst the crowd of strangers. 

She was curious, intrigued by the brother hood that was evident amongst these men. She even caught herself moving to the beat of their chants.

Just a curious young woman watching these strong and handsome men do their thing. ;)

make way

luhtar barrels into the circle with all the enthusiasm of a charging bear, hooting and hollering as his deep voice bellows into the rhythm of the men’s chant. his paws hit the snow with heavy stomps, sending sprays of white flying with each jump. he leaps high, landing with a force that threatened to shake the ground beneath him, the thick muscle of his frame moving with surprising agility for his size.

his grin is wide, teeth flashing as he throws himself into the motions, his tail wagging in time with the beat. each movement is bold and unrestrained. his laugh a showcase of the pride he takes in the camaraderie of the dance. he lets loose another holler, his laughter booming as he claps his paws against the ground.

Pangur watched too, of course, along the side and in the company of the other women, a grin too wide for her face plastered across it. Hoots and hollers ring through the air, accompanied by the rythmic sound of feet stomping against the ground. She found herself impressed by the swiftness with which Forneskja's men picked up the dance, and those that did not made an entertaining enough spectacle on their own!

Pangur could not help but laugh from the pure joy of it all. She felt weightless as the celebrations began; wishing that she could've stayed in one night forever. All the more reason to enjoy it to the fullest while it lasted!

skippable! <3

they danced!

among them was moonglow; ipiktok, dashing son of stone teeth;

arrluk; her handsome orca's boy;

ponderosa, silent and watchful;

moonspear in treepie, quiet before the crowd swallowed her form to a furrow of grandmother's brow;

the northern wolves stamped and whirled!

the ground thrummed with the twining power of their gods, their spirits, their rejoicing.

aya! she heard her own voice shout!

kukutux trilled three notes of a birds'call to punctuate those dancing paws, her own body swaying to and fro with inspired rhythm.

The festivities of the celebration were a spectacle not just to witness, but to attend. Reilly kept mostly to herself, though the fleeting smiles and humor in her eyes were genial, and never guarded. It was the coming together of two different cultures—and the red-masked woman was feeling a spear of homesickness for her own, in that moment—a strange thing, given this was exactly the type of experience and knowledge she had left her own roots to seek.

Joyous was the gathering—murmurs of well wishes offered by her as she drew past others—her eyes falling upon the dancing men in their joviality and feeling a lilting smile pull at her lips to see two packs come together in celebration as one, if only for the moment—and the rapt attention of females as they eyed the warriors smooth motions.

To fight, she believed, was an art. Apparently, the fluidity of motion transferable to something entirely different, such as dance.