Ouroboros Spine vii. for each others' warmth

The dove had finally finished digging her dwelling and had packed the dirt of its floor down neatly, stashing the pelts she'd begun curing within where they wouldn't be disturbed. She'd soaked the stiff undersides of the furs, chewing away the excess skin and working at the rawhide underside by raking it with her claws but it would take several sessions before the skins were soft and supple. Still, her home was coming along nicely and that made the birdcaller proud. 

The afternoon had found her outside, sitting near the boulder that made up one side of her den, where she mixed a thick clay she had found within the rich loam of her burrow. It was sticky and gritty and did not spread well but the painter had managed to scrape some fat from the pelts she was working and now she mixed it with the clay, swirling the rusty orange substance with her pawpads. The texture might not have been pleasing to another but to Elenwë's daughter, it was soothing and reminded her of home, at least when it had felt like home.

The den he had begun to dig for himself was not so different from the one that Lótë had dug, which relied on using their habitat's natural architecture to create a stable roof for the den. Adrastus had found a place within sight of the lake where two boulders leaned against one another, covered in moss, so he worked on expanding the space in between them which was a small wedge to begin with. Now, though, he'd dug down and in enough so that he had just enough space for himself where he could sleep, completely sheltered from the elements. With the boulders angled the way they were, whatever rain or snow that fell would simply drip or fall down the sides of the boulders, without leaking in on him. 

But the den wasn't intended to be big enough for only him- Kukutux had told him to dig a den that might suit a family if he wished to have one- so he would have to put in the time to dig his den deeper and wider so as to allow room for company. He would line it with furs, which was the next step in improving his lodgings. Fortunately, finding furs could happen at the same time as finding a meal- so he went ranging, looking for something he could potentially eat and skin. 

He found himself following the scent of a rabbit, which led him through the area he knew to be inhabited by the beautiful painter, so he took the opportunity to wander just far enough away from the rabbit's trail to see if he could spot her. Sure enough, she was there- meddling with something on the ground, that looked looked like clay, but smoother, from a distance. He was intrigued; so he approached, uttering a soft chuff as a greeting as he watched her work, hoping she didn't mind the interruption.

Lótë glanced up with a muffled flinch from the rusted hue, not having noticed his approach until the gentle sound reached her ears. Familiarity settled itself briefly upon the shifting sand of her features, a smile hinting at her lips as she welcomed the hoarfrost hunter with the tempo of her tail beating against the earth. Silently, she wondered if it would become common for Adrastus to find her at her dwelling. 

"Adrastus," the morning dove greeted him by name, paws stilling as she gave a small shake of her fallow peltage to rid it of clinging moisture from the tree tops. "Do the spirits find you well?" 

He smiled softly when she spoke his name, as it came to his ears with gentle fondness, he thought. He found himself in awe of the women of their village who took such care to greet others with compassion. He felt as though sometimes, wolves could be distant and aloof, so as the potentially save themselves from attachment- but thus far, Lótë, Kukutux, and Sialuk had all been so courteous and friendly. She looked well; even if her paws were a mess. There was something charming about it, though.

"Yes, I am well," He said. "I was hoping to invite you to join me for a hunt...There are some rabbits nearby, I think, but..." He trailed off, as his amused gaze fell to her feet. "It appears as though perhaps your paws might be...Busy." he said with a faint laugh. From what he could tell, she was mixing some sort of compound that he assumed she might use as paint. It was well within the nature of anything wet to dry if left alone, so he supposed that he might have come searching for a hunting partner at an inopportune time if her paint mixing was time sensitive. Still - it gave him an excuse to come for a visit at least.

Her rabbit-pelt ears splay sheepishly, an apologetic grimace winding its way across her features as she glanced down to the burnt colors of the clay paint. "I'm a bit indisposed at the moment," the mouse demurred, chuckling softly under her breath at the inopportune moment that had presented itself. "I wouldn't want to keep you," the yearling admitted (it seemed she had been right in fretting over whether painting might keep him from hunting), "but you are more than welcome to stay for a moment if you'd like."

"How fares your own dwelling?" The gardener asked if he should decide to stay, tones light as she was trying not to pry. Still, she could not deny having noticed that the moonlit guardian was constructing a home of his own -- and doing a good job of it from what she had been able to tell from a distance. She glanced down at the paint, swirling her paws in the paste to busy her paws as they spoke. 

He smiled softly. She was dedicated to her craft and he could not fault her for that. She had quite the canvas that she wished to fill with patterns of her own choosing but to do so first would mean making the paints that she could use. He was just as happy not to distract her from what she was doing, as he was quite keen to see what she made of the boulder that created a portion of the roof of her ulaq. It pleased him to stay, so he nodded his head and sat down. He wasn't sure he could, or should, offer to help her- as it might get a bit too messy if both of them were to be dipping their paws into the mess of colour that she stirred, and he assumed she would want to save as much paint as possible. 

"It is almost finished," He stated. "Down by the lake; high enough and beyond the floodline, but you can still see the glimmer of it through the trees." He said. He figured she hadn't seen it yet. "The structure is made of two mossy boulders leaning against one another, and my ulaq has been dug down in between them. I think it will make a good home, though I need more furs to make it soft." He said. He paused for a moment. "If you ever end up looking for more boulders to paint on...I could begin pulling the moss off." He offered. Surely, under all that moss, there would be stone which might be fit to paint on.

Lótë gathered some of the cadmium paste up on one wine-stained paw, a smile gracing her stillwater features as she shifted and turned to face the stone wall halfwise -- allowing her to half keep Adrastus' glacial bulk in her eyesight as she worked. "It sounds lovely," she complimented. "I would be honored to help decorate your home -- I also have some furs I've been working on which you might take your pick from," the mouse uttered with the barest dip of her head, allowing her spruce-green gaze to wander back to him for a moment. "Many are from small creatures but compiled they might make good bedding for cubs ," the yearling suggested, turning back to the orange streaks she was swiping across the stone with hopes of mimicking a sunset's hues. It did not occur to her that the hunter of hoarfrost might not sire cubs this year -- he had come to replace the dark woodsman as Kukutux's lead hunter, or so Lótë had presumed. Perhaps painting the man's dwelling would endear his future woman to the hearth he hoped to make. 

The artisan admired the fiery colors, satisfied that they somewhat resembled the strokes of color across a twilight sky. She would need to search for something to lighten the ochre color at her feet, maybe some chalk if she could find a deposit amongst the creek gravel near the lake. Then the lighter paint might offer some depth and realism to the imagery she was currently working on. For the time being, the girl turned back to the lynx-bane with a heavy consideration in her unsettled eyes of summer.

Should she tell him? What would her warning even be?

"I do not pretend to understand the ways of men," the last word has a bite of sharp teeth, thoughts of Lóminórë pulling to the forefront of her mind. The herdstalker winces, ears sweeping back against her skull as she shivers faintly -- a muscle memory, useless in its attempt to shake away the prickling burn of teeth and claws against her skin. "But I know of the anger that fixes itself between you and Raimo," and here her eyes would fall timidly, auds nearly invisible as they pin completely. The cloudberry swipes an anxious tongue over her chops before continuing, "He has come here...and asked that I be his second." 

"I refused. It does not seem right that I be second hunter to him -- I am neither man nor hunter. It would anger the spirits of my home," she admitted uneasily, though it had more to do with the small omittance she still cradled close to her chest. She released it on rapid wings, fast enough to match the flapping pace of her heart: "He unnerves me." In the few times they had met, he had introduced himself by lunging towards her with aggression and treated her as a pawn. Now, Kukutux's touch had emboldened him enough to appear near the doe's sleeping place in order to conspire against the gentle giant of ice before her. 

The painter's peridot gems lifted to the fallow of Adrastus', wordless and wary with the things she could not communicate. Watch out for the man in black.

He wasn't entirely sure how to feel when she offered to help him make his den more comfortable. The idea of having her around, naturally, seemed like a wonderful plan as he enjoyed her company. He felt that she likely possessed much better skills at handling pelts than him as well, and that her contributions might be an asset- though he had to wonder if she was offering simply because she liked to help, or if it was her way of expressing that she wanted to spend more time with him. He was mildly flummoxed by the generosity of her offer, and his breath hitched for a moment. Bashfully, he dipped his head appreciatively. "I too would be honoured," He said in a soft voice. He didn't want to ask her about her pelts just then and there, though- she was busy, and had her paws covered in colour. 

He watched as she applied the mess of mud-like pulp across the stone, spreading it so that it covered the surface which would make it stand out against the green, forest backdrop the way a hunter-orange jacket might. There would be no mistaking the ulaq which belonged to the artistic painter. He did have to wonder if perhaps making such a brightly coloured statement might be somewhat of a risk, should any wolves ever intrude and take notice of the beacon in the forest and head for it. If there were pups in the den...It might attract a bit too much attention to the area for predators. Then again- they might also shy away from something so startlingly bright. 

He wasn't even terribly aware that he was still standing there, watching her with quiet patience and interest when she turned to him, her countenance much changed. All at once, she seemed somewhat hesitant and reluctant. When she spoke of men, he became concerned and he'd leapt to the conclusion, quickly, that either he had done something wrong- or that she was speaking of Raimo. He felt the pressure of mild anxiety fit itself between his shoulderblades as she spoke of the tension between the two men, and he wondered if she disapproved. He would not pretend that there was no tension between them- and he imagined that by now, the pack could feel it. Heavy, resonating, like the static in the air before an electric storm. He knew he was at least partially responsible for the tension- but he did still feel as though he was right to doubt Raimo, and to challenge him. 

The fact that Raimo had asked her to be his second did not particularly phase Adrastus. He had no qualms with women hunting alongside the men, and he knew that she was a capable hunter and tracker. If it wasn't for the defined gender roles and circles that Kukutux had explained to him, he likely would have also chosen her to be his second, once he became sivullik. She was an easy choice; skilled, capable, easy to work with. But it was quite obvious that she did not wish to go against her upbringing and beliefs. And it had obviously made her uncomfortable that Raimo sought to pull her free from the roles she felt suited her. And it brought him a devilish flush of pleasure to hear that she, too, was unnerved by the shadowy panther. 

"You are an excellent hunter and tracker. I would also have complete faith in your abilities and judgement, and would welcome you to hunt with me as you have before," He said. After all- he'd agree with Raimo on one thing; she was an asset to their pack. He sighed softly.  "You are not the only one who is not comfortable with him, and I appreciate that you have spoken to me about this." Yes, he did, very much. This was exactly what he needed to strengthen his defense. "I will be speaking to Kukutux about him very soon. I do not trust his judgement and will not follow him as sivullik." He said. He felt it might strengthen their connection, to be honest about how they did not trust the wolf who had been chosen as firsthunter. He stepped toward her, so that he might speak with a voice that was softer. "Has he done anything else to make you uncomfortable?" He asked.

think i got my timelines mixed up buttt run it lol

The birdcaller felt warmth blossom not unlike the unfurling petals of a primrose set in each cheek. It was not that her skills were appreciated that had made her wary of the man's intentions. Lótë truly couldn't word what exactly about the pantherine woodsman disturbed her so. It was a sense of something withheld, some ulterior motives that the deerstalker couldn't quite puzzle out. A sense that in every time she had spoken to the man with the shadowskin, she had never truly glimpsed his identity in the least -- that perhaps no one had. The yearling had felt what it was to be judged and measured for usefulness, to be used for such and disregarded as an individual entirely. Raimo reminded her entirely too much of the wolf who had inflicted such upon her. 

"It is not that he would seek to make me his brother-in-arms that bothers me," she clarified. "I believe...he would mean to use me against you. I'm not sure; I try to stay clear of such things. But I am no fool. I have seen the conflict that brews and I know what it means that he seeks me out, a woman he has mainly disregarded until now," the girl tried to explain, tones dropping as if afraid someone might overhear. But she was adamant in that she would not be used as a weapon or for anything else, ever again. That was the reason the vagabond had fled to these lands in the first place.

"He was...unkind, when we first met," she admitted. "But I have avoided him for the most part.." 

I may have as well, heh, sorry!

It seemed that the elegant painter was not simply aware of the tension between the two males, but that she suspected that Raimo had an ulterior motive for choosing her. This made him growl softly; Lótë's skill as a tracker ought to be acknowledged and rewarded of course, but not as a means of making another wolf jealous. It wasn't a ridiculous notion, for him to consider Lótë as an asset to the pack, and to the hunting team, even if she preferred to remain as a naturalist and tracker. But he did not like the fact that she thought Raimo might have been trying to flatter her, in order to win some popularity. 

It wouldn't be a far cry from the truth, of course, for Adrastus to feel at least some relief knowing that she was choosing to be honest with him about this, and that it in turn gave him a bit of popularity over the dark, pantherine hunter. He'd been given a title that Adrastus wasn't sure he deserved- and now, it was his job to make sure that if he did challenge the male, or make his own claim to the title of sivullik, that his packmates would support this decision. It seemed as though he had at least a bit of an ally in Lótë though naturally, it was not good to see the pack beginning to divide. 

"What can I do to help you?" He asked. He could offer suggestions, of course, and he had his own ideas about how to approach this matter. He'd take this up with Kukutux, and made sure that she knew that Raimo was causing discomfort amongst the others. He would approach Raimo as well, if necessary. But he wanted Lótë to know that while he would do what he could for her, based on what he believed was right, that he also cared for her opinion and boundaries as well.

sorry for the wait on this (and their other threads) i've had covid for about a week now and it sucks big time lol

The dove shook her head gently, extending a muzzle of fawnpelt to touch her nose to his pale cheek -- grateful for his concern. But she had not told him of what had conspired with Raimo because she worried for her own safety. "I'm fine. Don't worry too much about me, like I said -- he ignores me most of the time. I just wanted to warn you. It doesn't seem like he likes you very much,"  Lótë explained with a slight frown, evergreen gaze falling to the side as her ears splayed in consideration. There was no way to tell for sure, and maybe it was only that the darker male intimidated her still, but the birdcaller thought the Spear might be dangerous. 

The last thing he'd want to hear was that he'd done something, or hadn't respected her boundaries. Still, her testimony did not aid him well in bettering Adrastus' already poor opinion of the male. He would have to bring this up with Kukutux, he thought, if he had more reason to speak out against the male's presence within the pack. A small smile, wry, tugged at the corners of his lips. "No, I can not say I think he likes me much either," He said. To say they were at odds with one another was an understatement. Still; he'd give Raimo the benefit of the doubt for now, though he was beginning to doubt Raimo more and more as time went on. Her featherlight touch reassured him somewhat, though. At least she seemed to feel comfortable enough around him. 

"If he does decide to confront me, I will be up to the task of meeting his rebuttal," He said, Just in case she feared that the conflict might escalate. If it did, he would be ready. He wanted to relieve Raimo of his position regardless, so he might even make the first move himself. Only time would tell. "But I appreciate your concern...And the fact that you have felt comfortable enough to speak with me about this."

"Of course," Lótë murmured shyly, dipping her fallowskin diadem in a bashful measure to subconsciously cloak her features with some hint of the still composure she typically attained. Her tail gave a few slow wags. "I think of you as a friend, Adrastus. I would not feel right if I knew he had it out for you and I said nothing," the birdcaller explained. She hated feeling torn, like she had to choose sides between the two hunters but she could not deny that Raimo made her spine prickle with unease and her hackles lift. Adrastus, she felt she could trust. He had never acted aggressively towards her nor power-hungry. She could only hope that nothing too serious would come about as a result of the two males competition for the role of lead-huntsman. 

Cool if we fade this here where it's a bit outdated? :3

It seemed as though Lótë was the sort who was compassionate and loyal- and one who had a conscience. He felt that whatever confrontation might eventually occur between himself and Raimo would likely be a good match, if it came to blows. Yet he didn't perceive Lótë's apprehension to mean that she feared he might lose, or be terribly injured- it seemed simply as though she wished to warn him, and spare him the surprise which might have given Raimo the advantage, and it pleased him to know that perhaps, this meant that she had more faith in him. Exactly what he would want as Sivullik. He wanted others to have faith in him, the same way he felt he should also have faith in them. 

"I think you have done the right thing," He said, wanting her to feel at ease with having decided to speak up. A peacekeeper at heart she was, perhaps; and the pack would benefit from having her in their midst. "Well. I should let you be- and try to catch up with the rabbit I was tracking earlier. A pleasure, as always...And please, let me know if he ever makes you feel uncomfortable again."

The dove inclined her head, rueful to think that she might have kept him longer than he meant to stay. "Apologies, I didn't mean to talk your ears off," she chuckled lightly as she said it. "May brother sun smile on your hunt," the yearling murmured the blessing softly, almost beneath her breath, as she turned a smile in the spiritbear's direction.

"I will," she promised softly but truthfully, the deerstalker didn't know what she would do if Raimo scared her again. Or if he tried to form some strange, secret alliance again. The artisan watched the pale woodlander disappear into the woods, turbulent thoughts brewing around the subject of the two men for some time even after he'd gone. She hoped desperately that she could avoid becoming involved but feared that she may have already immersed herself by warning Adrastus.

At last, with a deep sigh designed to expel the tension knotted betwixt her shoulder blades, the painter turned her attention back to her art -- trying to forget all about it.