Moonspear and watered heaven with their tears

White Elk knew he didn't owe anything to these wolves, and that they likely weren't interested in any sort of repayment form him. He'd never even met any of the wolves from Moonspear, as far as he knew. But they were kin to Callyope, and even now, he clung to her memory.

He wondered if they did, too.

So he did as Valiant bade him and hunted, scaring up a measly trio of hares to bring to Moonspear's front stoop. It wasn't much of an offering, but it was a start. Here, wading in the scents of this much more active border, he noted that their numbers did seem incredibly few, just like Moonglow's.

With a quiet sense of foreboding, White Elk lifted his head to call for an audience.

@Treepie and/or @Alaric

Still reeling from the confrontation with her sister, Tiuttuk tried to keep her mind off it by staying busy. She doubled her patrols and spent any spare time trying to hunt. The Regent made a point to leave several kills outside the ulaq @Pala shared with her sons, though she never lingered.

The summoning howl was still echoing off the mountainside as Treepie descended to intercept the caller. She spotted him from above, pausing on an overhang to quickly assess the distant figure. The Regent then resumed her descent, her tail arching over her back as she approached the pale buckskin male with breathtaking blue eyes.

Pie rolled to a halt, sniffing at the air between them, and said somewhat woodenly, Greetings. What brings you to Moonspear?

The erstwhile herald was startled by the appearance of a young female, whose coloration was striking whose coat pattern was pleasingly chaotic. He did not see a resemblance between her and Callyope, exactly, but he concluded that all members of his beloved's family must be striking indeed.

She looked, he thought after a moment, a tiny bit like the late Ariadne. And all three had carried the same sort of mystery and grandeur — that unnameable quality that he'd not yet found outside of this family group.

"I want to stay here," he blurted, unwilling to say that he'd been sent merely to bring meals, but having failed to plan any other clever responses. He fell back on the overwhelming sentiment he'd felt for Callyope, and the desperate wish he felt to turn back time and say the same words to her — and to actually follow through.

And then he decided to say something just a little less unhinged.

"What I mean is that I would like to seek a place in your ranks," he amended. "I have met some of your moon wolves in the past, and I know that you are well deserving of my loyalty. So. I would like to offer that."

He took a step back, ceding control of his rabbits.

"And these."

He thought now that he understood why Valiant had sent him here instead of inviting him to Moonglow. Their ranks were similarly depleted, but there seemed to be a more marked lack of men in this place. Just one adult, as far as White Elk could scent.

He warmed quickly to his new task. He'd been a man all his life. He could easily do that for these wolves!

Her yellow eyes drifted down to the three slain hares at his feet, though they quickly shot back to his face at his answer. Her lips parted as Tiuttuk mentally sifted through the assortment of questions she had for him, though before she could begin voicing them, he tacked on an addendum. Her ears flicked. She exhaled forcefully through her nostrils at the word “loyalty.”

What’s your definition of loyalty? she challenged, adding, And what’s your name?

She didn’t acknowledge the rabbits, not just now. Every bit of her attention remained fixed upon him, awaiting his response even as she continued her earlier assessment. He looked strong, but then so had Glaukos. Pie’s lips thinned at the thought, the tip of her tail flicking like a cat’s. She pushed it aside, wondering just who he’d met to leave such a good impression.

The herald's ears flipped back against his head at the question. He did not like being looked at in this way — the same way that Kukitux once had, he realized. She'd had a more kindly disposition, though.

"My name is White Elk, son of Andes," he replied, answering the simpler question first. As for the second, he took a breath —

"Loyalty is aligning your goals with someone else's, and thinking of their needs and well-being as often as you think of your own," he replied, the answer coming to him easily. They'd spoken often of loyalty in his natal pack. "It's adding to the cache. It's digging a well together. It's investing in someone you trust to invest in you —even when you have little to give. Even when they have little to give."

Loyalty was at the core of any pack, he thought. He had no notion that others might think differently, or that they might even think him wrong or naive for these staunch beliefs. He gazed back at the young female, uncomfortable but wholly without guile.

Her head canted ever so slightly when he introduced himself. Was she meant to know of his father? Before she could think on it long, White Elk dove right into answering her question. Her eyebrows raised in slight surprise at his eloquence. She was impressed, though those same brows suddenly furrowed.

You didn’t mention anything about fealty. If you were to join our village, would you promise to stay? I’m tired of watching wolves come and go. She paused, her mouth curving downward. Mostly go.

The young Regent stopped herself there, her gaze pointed as she waited. Of course, he would probably tell her what he thought she wanted to hear. Or maybe he would be honest. Tiuttuk shifted her weight, weighing the words he had spoken along with those he hadn’t. It had been a solid answer, she had to admit.

This was — awkward. But dealing with others had always been awkward, aside from the loveliness and social grace that Callyope had always shown him. He knew she had bridged a gap for him each time they spoke, and she'd always seemed to do it without straining or stumbling.

Here, all he could do was answer honestly, unable to guess at what sort of test he was taking.

"Fealty is different from loyalty," he said, haltingly, unsure if she would resent this correction. Coming from a place where his worth had been based entirely on his generosity and devotion, Fealty had always been something that felt beneath him. What was anything worth if it was not freely and lovingly given? What was the point of a promise that had to be extracted?

But it seemed fitting, right then. She did not know him by his works; only by his words. And she did not know what his lack of loyalty may as well have wraught. If he had been a better man, perhaps her kinswoman would still be among them.

"If you want it, then I offer it," he decided. "I am not too proud."

This was a sin, in his homeland. A man without pride was hardly a man at all. He wondered what Andes would say if he could see his son, now.

Her eyes narrowed slightly when he refuted her, though she waited, sensing an elaboration. But White Elk didn’t provide one, skipping right to the chase and offering the fealty she demanded. Treepie’s gaze remained shrewdly fixed on his face for several seconds after this vow left his lips.

I guess it’s all semantics in the end, she eventually said, but I think you know what I’m asking. The Regent shifted her weight, peering sidelong at the mountain above and behind her. I’m Tiuttuk Ostrega, she introduced, thinking to tack on, daughter of Sialuk. But you can call me Treepie, or Pie.

Her gaze returned to him, settling on his face. He was quite pretty, for a male, and of course Tiuttuk considered the merits of adding another unrelated man to their ranks. But trust would take time to build. She knew that went both ways too. Moonspear would offer much to White Elk in exchange for his loyalty, though all of it would be superficial at first. Only in time would it become something true.

You mentioned you’ve met some others from the Moon villages. Who? Pie asked even as she motioned for him to follow her as she spun on a heel and prepared to climb the mount. I’ll show you to the rendezvous site. I can give you an extended tour if you like, though I encourage you to explore on your own.

She had one of those odd names — a sound name, or perhaps just a name in another language. He liked Treepie better, even if he could not divine what such a name might mean. He wondered if the soothsayer that had named her was a different one than the pack of Moonglow employed.

"Pleased to meet you," he said, though he supposed they had done more than meet on this day. "Before, I — I met the moonwoman. And her daughters, Ariadne and Callyope. And Valiant — her son in law? He sent me here. I asked what I could do for them, and he said that I should hunt for Moonspear."

He was babbling, relieved beyond measure to be unpinned by her eyes. Feeling much less like a bug on a board, he was eager to follow her deeper into the mountain. It reminded him of his natal range, though Mountain Home had never looked quite so steep or high.

"What do you hunt here?" he wondered aloud. Certainly, they could not be living off rabbits, could they?

The names were familiar, one in particular making her throat ache. Pie didn’t bother replying beyond a nod of acknowledgement as they climbed, though she wondered why Valiant had thought to send him this way. How was Moonglow doing, anyhow? She still hadn’t acted on her pitch to Alaric.

There’s lots of small game to be found in the outcroppings, she replied to White Elk’s query, and then there’s mountain goats. Are you an adept hunter? Treepie wondered.

Skills were a common metric by which many leaders measured recruits, she knew, but actions spoke louder than words. He would prove his loyalty and skills—or he wouldn’t—in time. And that thought made her suddenly realize something, the realization pulling a puff of laughter from her mouth.

I guess I skipped the part where I welcome you to the village. But you’re in, in case that wasn’t already clear, Tiuttuk said to him, eyes meandering over the side of his face before she looked forward—upward, really. Do you prefer White Elk or do you ever go by Elk?

Small game was not his forte — his larger frame made tight turns a bit difficult, and he always seemed to pull something scrambling after them in the mountains. Mountain goats, though? He was an old hat.

"I am," he replied, as close as he ever came to curt. His parents had made sure he grew up to be a good provider. A good husband. Three was not yet too old, but... 

He ducked under a branch as they traveled further up the mountain. His lungs adjusted easily to the strain.

"Thank you," he replied, a smile in his voice. He'd assumed already, considering he'd been bade to follow the young woman, but it was nice to be welcomed aloud. "I will endeavor to make myself useful." He imagined himself to be quite a boon to this pack, though he did not say so to Treepie.

"You may call me by either name," he told her. "What of the others here? What are they called?"

She smiled, albeit a little wanly, as she replied, Alaric is our Sovereign. You’ll want to seek him out at the first possible opportunity and introduce yourself. I’m the Regent, in case I didn’t mention that. Then there’s my sister, Tikaani. Normally, she would’ve said more about her best friend, though she quickly moved on with the list. Then Pala and her sons, Ludo and Ignace.

It went without saying: they were a small village. Normally Tiuttuk thought of them as strong, though she didn’t feel quite as certain of that today. She felt a little like all her tethers were fraying. She hoped that wasn’t true, that it was just a fleeting feeling, but in any case, she set it aside and focused on leading Elk to their destination.

This is the rendezvous site, she announced when they arrived at the mountain clearing snugly positioned between the peak to the left and most of the ulax to the right. There’s a spring that way, she said, pointing in the same general direction as the dens, and probably an ulaq or two for the taking.

Did he know that term? He’d said he was familiar with the Moon villages, not that he’d necessarily been part of one. Pie wondered though. All of the names he’d mentioned came from Moonglow.

Did you live in Moonglow? Or only visit?

It’s not marked on the map but I thought this visual might still be helpful!

Ulaq was familiar enough to him, but the herald was caught up on sovereign and regent. Those words were far less familiar, and he wanted to ask which title ranked higher —

But he did not want to ask Treepie.

"I will avail myself, then," he replied with a wave of his tail. He did not usually sleep in a den or any kind of structure, but he wanted to fit in, here. He would adopt their customs as best as he knew how.

The question saw him go quiet for a moment. He pretended to sniff for the stream while he arranged his thoughts and calmed his creaking heart.

"I was a guest," he said after a moment, his voice unusually subdued. "My family had sent me on a quest in these lands. I was honor bound to return home to complete it. I wish, though, that I had stayed. And now that there is nothing keeping me from doing so..."

There was nothing keeping him here anymore, either. Nothing but a memory.

"This is where I want to be," he said, hoping they could be done with the topic.

The question seemed to hit a nerve. Tiuttuk’s upper teeth pressed into her lower lip as Elk answered. Nothing in his response explained the suddenly somber tenor. It made her very curious, though she wouldn’t push. He lived here now; there would be plenty of time to learn more about his backstory.

So, what’ll it be? Guided tour or solitary exploration? she asked instead.

Pie wasn’t entirely sure which option she hoped he took. She could certainly use the distraction of a guided tour, though part of Pie felt like withdrawing. It had nothing to do with Elk, of course. It was just that her social battery could barely hold a charge these days.

Although he was normally eager to spend time with new faces, the interaction had drained White Elk as well. He smiled wanly, grateful to the young lady for giving him the option to retreat.

"I should go back for those rabbits, and find a cache to store them. But I will surely seek you out when I am ready for a more expert guide around the territory."

He was eager, too, to meet the rest of the pack. Just... Not right that second. He needed a moment to put himself back together after a long and tumultuous week.

She started when he mentioned the rabbits, feeling a little foolish as she glanced down the mountain. It wasn’t just about leaving behind perfectly good food, she hadn’t meant to overlook Elk’s obvious offering. Pie could only hope he didn’t feel snubbed by her lack of attention.

Ah, right. Thanks for those, by the way, she said by way of response, bobbing her head. Make yourself at home. Call on me anytime, Treepie added, withdrawing to give White Elk the run of the mountain.

Elk agreed to do just that before turning and making his way back down the mountain. He found that, despite his heavy thoughts, things seemed to be looking up.