Moonspear akunika ⛰

it was evening when kukutux returned at last to the mountain in her wrap of pale foxfur. yet she did not go to the ulaq, nor seek out one of her children for a short hunt. it was the scent of the dour @Desdemona she sought now. their rapport was aloof but not tense, and she trusted her intuition as she found the trail of the reticent woman.

following it to wherever the proud ears of the shadow lifted, the pale wife paused, seeking her words as she strode forward into the mountainwolf's company.

It was rare for another to seek out Desdemona, but it was well-known her patrol route, so she was quite an easy find. When she faintly could smell and hear someone trailing her so, her guarded eyes looked back, and relaxed upon the site of a white duck, "Kukutux," she turned around. The guard curiously looked at her so, a tilted head in questioning.

she was greeted, and kukutux slipped to the hard flank of the huntress. "it is my hope that the day finds you at peace," the duck greeted, motioning that they should continue as they were. "have you visited the great salt before?"

"I hope you are fine as well." More or less Desdemona was getting used to the white swans way of talking. She was a polite wolf, who spoke of riddles and rhymes, though the speech made her think much like a child who nicknamed certain landmasses. However she had realized it was simply due to where the other came from. Together though they would walk even if they were different. 

When she spoke about the 'great salt,' long ago would she be confused, but as Desdemona grew to know more about her, she could gradually assume what it was. The sea, "No. I'm aware our ally lives by it."

"yuelong," the duck said softly. desdemona was a direct sort of wraith, a fixture in moonspear for her cool and hungry intelligence. her beauty, also. ullugialijak: night of dark stars. would aiolos find her pleasing? kukutux knew the steps to forge such a bond, and they must be taken one at a time.

"aiolos of yuelong seeks a wife, desdemona. he rules the island with empress of the long water." her companion was not old, but she was beyond the girlish time. and, her pale counterpart thought quietly, maybe at a juncture in the round cycle of one's years where she might reconsider her resistance to becoming mate and mother. "he is kind," the duck added softly. "not a man who would command a wife."

The more she spoke the more did the guard's jaded eyes narrow, and she stopped in place to directly look at the white wolf. Long ago did the two speak of marriage, and even moreso Desdemona spoke the same to the daughter of Kukutux; the two were focused on marriage as so, to the point one offered to be a sister of sorts.. And now she was offering something else.

"I have no intention to leave Moonspear." Desdemona made it clear as so to the other, stoic and almost cold-like tone as the very thought of leaving the mountain for the sea was something to abhor.. Perhaps if the man was to move to here she would think otherwise if the Alpha's truly desired her to, but never once would she remove her loyalties for just a man.

desdemona rejoined in the way of kaliggak sharp sound upon packed snow. kukutux blinked once, lowering her head to the woman's pronouncement. "what is here for you, sister?" hydra had dirge; he had a fine strong wife in her, and the duck was certain that new children would be born to their hearth in spring.

she knew her boldness shone; her eyes roved to the earth, apologetic, but kukutux knew not why any would want the years to pass them by without the hope of stamping their name into one. "you are too good to be uiggasuk." not just a husband and hope of children; freedom from the expectations of moonspear. the ability to reinvent oneself elsewhere. as kukutux had felt upon coming to live in the green village.

"A stable home." Her birthright was full of toxicity and slavery, once an omega always an omega, as she was born and raised to think to the very death, and the same thought line still haunts her to the very day. Only to be used and to be thrown away like a toy, just as her sister was to be, a prize to another man's collection, and her poor brother protection so, to be killed by the same pack she sworn to.

Then to Morningside, where Alpha after Alpha discarded the little woodsy pack and so did the members as they fell one by one, a fateful encounter caused the guard to leave in the dead of night. Perhaps her fault, but upon coming back, and waiting, there was no one expect a fateful encounter. Even he too, was no where to be found in these wilds now.

"Loyalty that I was never given." As much as she thrown it was hard to obtain back as but a mere Omega. She had gained that delight afterwards, surely, but they all eventually left elsewhere, and to leave her behind. Moonspear's claim seems to be eternal, a neverending home and loyalty above all else; Desdemona values it both.

"I owe that all to Hydra who allowed me in."

And the guard, would die for Moonspear upon those words.

kukutux listened, raising a counter to each of the points that desdemona had made. yet she did not seek them; she thought carefully about the nuance of what had been uttered. there was no worth to angering the huntress; the gamma kept herself folded and still, deferent to the tone set by the other moonspear wolf.

"i was brought to this mountain as payment for a debt," the duck said softly. "now i am wife to a chieftain and mother to children who bear the name ostrega." silent a moment, thinking. "every day i am in moonspear i honor hydra." she blinked toward the snowy earth. "loyalty binds us both."

"make a kinship tie with aiolos. bind yuelong forever to moonspear. she is storm upon open water. go to the island not only as wife, but as a war-dancer who will create a path to the sea along which any ostrega might walk." breathless, holding it to herself, falling silent.

The others circumstances as.. Odd to say the least, as there was a time where Desdemona stuck to the shadows of the mountain, taking the nightshift and barely knowing the moments of politics that were happening. During so Kukutux was brought, but she never knew why, nor' inquired so. It somewhat sickened her that it was a 'trade' of sorts, deeply reminding the guard of how her sister was to be in the same way.

Except, she was happy. The thought still made her scorn whoever did, and desired to ask Hydra on the acceptance- for what reason to take a wolf as a trophy of debt?

Though despite circumstances, loyalty both tied them to the Queen of the wilderness. Everyone was either bound to her by debt and loyalty, or the blood that they shared. Her deeds spread across the land, and a claim made in the name of 'Hydra.'

Hail Hydra, so the mountain echoes.

Though as Desdemona looked away from the white women, her words made sense in a way that prickled her heart uncomfortably. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted to claim to stay and be among the mountain guards- but Kukutux's words brought a power that could be between Yuelong and Moonspear.

However she hated the idea.

But she knew better how to stiffle her desires.

"If she commands, I can only abide."

Without looking back, Desdemona was rather quick to move away from the other.

desdemona was silent for a long while.

kukutux could sense the consideration behind the impassive face, and it was with no answer at all that the warrior finally spoke. brow  narrowed, and the duck did not hesitate to follow. 

"you know and i also have the wisdom that hydra will not order such things." she sought to draw alongside desdemona, keeping apace. "it must be your choice and by your own command. go to build a great thing upon her name. you have more deserving in you than to be here moon after moon with no path."

a pause.

"i will speak no more. come to my ulaq if your mind is changed." with that she herself turned away, halting, turning herself into a distant snow-wraith, unheedful if desdemona sought her ear.

"I will think about it."

The others words held truth, that Hydra wouldn't order it unless she desired so. The thought of reigning tighter in an alliance with marriage would suit them tightly, but she scorned to think about being a sea-bound wife to the men of the sea. While she suspected Yuelong would not force her into such roles, Desdemona didn't feel ready to transfer, much less to prepare herself to not only be a mate, but a future mother..

She wanted to be selfish, but the guard who was raised as an bastard omega all her life, knew how to through away her desires.

She would have to think thoroughly about it.