Herbalists' Cache hoof trundle

the den was quiet.
new, but familiar. the earth still held the scent of those who had made it before her—layers of lives long passed, now covered by the musk of saatsine. her scent, sun eater’s scent. the faint, warm trace of their unborn children.
star eater lay curled within, the curve of her belly brushing against the cool dirt as her teeth worked carefully through the caribou hide draped over her paws.
she smoothed the fur, plucked the knots from its edges, and pressed it close to her face to inhale the wild scent of the hunt. it was a ritual. a way to steady herself after the long march.
the world beyond the den was still shifting. new paths, new resting grounds. she knew this was their way—follow the herd, let the seasons guide them—but still, the ache of travel lingered in her joints.
her eyes flicked to the entrance, watching the faint play of light across the snow.

Nutuyikruk was near.

Eyes upon the horizon, sat outside plucking bits of grass between two digits of her paws. Her head hung low, obedient to the Saatsine people. Now to the woman of the chieftain. But upon close look, the girl was air-scenting, taking in the scents of the ground and feeling the earth rumble beneath her feet. 

A way of new life. Already, seeking ways to fit in. 

Ways to appease who was her.. "Shall I bring you anything," the girls tongue wobbled, before, "Master?"

the word stirred something sour within her chest.
master.
her eyes, sharp and pale as the morning frost, lifted from the caribou hide she groomed between her teeth. it was a fine piece, gifted from sun eater’s latest hunt. its fur was thick and warm, and she had been working to rid it of blood and loose strands, smoothing it into something worthy of their den.
but now her attention snapped to the girl. a captive. but not to her.
star eater, she corrected, firm but not cruel. her voice was steady, as though there was no room for debate. you will call me by my name.
her gaze softened, just a touch. she did not see the girl as lesser. she did not believe in such things. not in the way sun eater did. not in the way others might.
i need nothing, she added, returning to her work with a gentle flick of her tail. but you may sit. if you wish.
she hoped the girl would stay. she would be safer that way.

thank you for joining!

cameo; will probably only respond if Other Shore is addressed <3

Other Shore took a long breath, and with that breath came the smell of pine needles and hidden herbs. A scent she had long forgotten.

Star Eater had warned her, back in Qeya River, to always stay by her side, and Other Shore had every reason to trust her words. Entering Herbalist's Cache now did not give her reason to disobey Star Eater. She soon decided that she needed to rest for a little while longer, maybe even chew another herb bundle if Star Eater insisted. With that thought, she turned towards Star Eater's new den, hoping to ask the woman if she could assist her in laying out and cleaning the caribou hides.

She was instead met with a pair of unfamiliar fern green eyes and a pelt that she had only seen among the Saatsine. A passionate youth still lingering on her, despite the chieftan having subdued her to the role of a slave. Star Eater appeared to be conversing with her now, and Other Shore quickly decided that it was best for her not to enter the den at the moment, hoping they had yet to notice her.

Other Shore stepped back, and turned away to immerse herself in the undergrowth once more.

"Star Eater," she repeated, quietly seeing a greater picture of the stars above them being swallowed whole. Really, in her little lifetime, she thought the stars were spirits who had risen from the ground to guide out paths from the sky. 

She had lost her way long ago and did not recognize them anymore.

"Yes, ma'am." Nutuyikruk did not intend to move. No, she would not meet the teeth of the wife's husband! Upon the uptilted jerk of the girls muzzle, there came into view the legs of another fading away. 

Nodding, a harsh swallow came, wishing to not see the face of the chieftain, and knowing not where her limits resided. Safer here. "I will sit with you."

star eater exhaled, slow, deliberate, the weight of their surroundings pressing into her ribs. the air here was thick with the scent of pine, earth, and crushed herbs, a whisper of something familiar, something distant.
her gaze lingered on nutuyikruk, the sharp angles of youth still clinging to her, though weathered now by a life not her own. the girl was learning. slowly, but learning all the same.
good, she murmured, dipping her head slightly, allowing the smallest gesture of approval. you are safer here.
her ear flicked, catching the faint shift of movement—other shore, retreating into the undergrowth.
she did not call out. did not need to.
other shore, her voice was quieter now, but firm, expectant. come here.
it was not a demand. not quite. but it left no room for disobedience.
her eyes flickered between them both, measuring, calculating.
we will clean the hides together. a pause. and then we will talk.
because there were things that needed to be said. things she could no longer allow to go unsaid.

Other Shore blinked. She thought she had heard her name - she knew she had heard her name - but she did not believe she had hear her name.

She looked down at her paws, then at the forest floor beneath her. There, it seemed, that she been spoiled by the quieter, cushioning snow of Qeya River, the gentle ground that was far less prone to betraying her stealth. Here, the snow gave way to twigs and needles that made sharp, jarring noises when she did so much as step lightly on them.

Carefully, quietly, she peeked back into the den and again was met with the sight of Star Eater. The girl, whose eyes were a distinct shade of green and her pelt a snowy white dappled with ginger, remained next to the woman. She hoped to confirm whether or not Star Eater had been addressing her - even when she knew she had - but just by the atmosphere she sensed that her presence was expected.

She slowly padded into the den, trying not to disturb either of them, keeping her head low but her eyes curious, and asked, You called for me, Star Eater?

Other Shore. A girl emerged in follow of the title, light fur and rich earthy eyes. Not much older could she have been than Nutuyikruk's own self. In the tribe of the lanzadoii, they held foreign names with their own meanings. Star Eater, Sun Eater, Other Shore. Each of these, committed to memory and examined sharply as they came and went. 

Sun Eater, vicious.

Other Shore, cautious.

Quietly, the Nutuyikruk shuffled just behind Other Shore, unsure of how to clean pelts, but would figure out quickly how to by both watching and beginning. So, the captive began with a caribou hide, taking quick note of the bare patches on one near the chieftains wife.
She still could not tell who Star Eater was.

yes, star eater affirmed, her gaze settling on other shore as the girl stepped cautiously into the den. i called for you.
she shifted slightly, allowing the flickering light from the den’s entrance to cast across nutuyikruk’s pale form.
this is nutuyikruk, she introduced, voice even, steady. her tone was not unkind, but it left little room for uncertainty. she will stay here now.
her eyes flicked between them, studying the subtle differences—other shore, hesitant but willing, and nutuyikruk, unreadable, wary. both had found their way to her, though by different paths.
you will work together. the words were not a request. her gaze held other shore’s for a moment longer before she gestured toward the hides. i will show you how it is done.

Other Shore dipped her head in acknowledgement of Star Eater’s command, then quietly found a seat a little distance from the green-eyed girl. Nutuyikruk was her name, Star Eater had said, and she let the name prance on her tongue for a moment. It had an odd rhythm to it, a sharp yet soothing tune that she found herself unable to grasp. It was most certainly not quite like most of the Saatsine’s names she had met thus far, though it did remind her of the Lanzadoii names given by the chieftain himself.

But it was Nutuyikruk’s pelt that she found more intriguing. Never before had she seen that shade of ginger laid upon a wolf’s fur. Other Shore herself had a light coat with no particularly remarkable colors, and she had met many with similarly dull shades, but the girl’s vivid patches were quite eye-catching. Not to mention the green eyes - they were a beautiful type of odd to her, that fern-green shade.

She caught Star Eater’s silver eyes lingering on her as the woman instructed them to work together on cleaning the hides. Work... together? With someone she had yet to even speak to? She had nothing against the girl, but also knew nothing about her. Other Shore shot a glance towards her partner, attempting to salvage any sliver of her thoughts by reading her expression, but her face presented little that could be read.

Other Shore turned back to Star Eater and quietly responded, Yes, Star Eater.