Ouroboros Spine aftaim

Dragomir could not scrub the image from his mind.
Having finally laid to rest his conflicting emotions about Hydra and Arcturus, he stole away from his lone vigil in the eastern heartlands and sought to meet with the Moonspear matriarch, if only to catch up, and found it in ruins. It was like a colossal fist had struck the center of the mountain and caused its face to collapse inward, strewing rubble along every ridge he once knew. It was surreal, and the sight of it took his breath away and forced him to sit for a time.
A pack once so mighty in his regard, now erased entirely.
Dragomir went north after that, padding along on aimless paws that carried him to a squat ring of shorter mountains. Now what? There were no trails remaining to suggest the former Moonspear wolves had gone elsewhere, and he passed by the glen entirely without ever noticing the pack scent there. He was of half a mind to visit the ocean his father had adored, chasing away the haunting question of whether Isi had been there while the mountain shuddered and if she still drew breath, when he stopped dead at the collected scents of various wolves in the valley.
Although he knew only one among them, and only informally in passing, and not well enough to put a name to it, there was something familiar enough about the smell that he paused there a long while, conspicuously lingering and lulled into some faraway recollection of snow in the mountains.

"I greet you."
The dark figure was not a member of the group who had come from the Glen, as his scent had not belonged to the few who had come to rest on the Spine in the wake of the landslide. Adrastus was aware that they had chosen to settle close to the borders, and in wanting to get to know their new guests better he had decided to roam along the borders in the chance that he might get to cross paths with one of them. Instead, though, he found himself spotting a dark male, whose gaze and scent he did not recognize. This was a stranger, and he wandered along the borders with the sort of curiosity that hinted to the pale guardian that he was hoping for an audience- without necessarily calling out and drawing attention to himself. It meant that he was potentially either a humble creature, or one who intended to sneak- and Adrastus wanted to find out for himself which was the case.

Dragomir was shaken from his reverie by a voice that was both soft and deep, and blinked down at the thick white cloud of a wolf, lowering his head in the process. While Dragomir stood taller than Adrastus, he guessed the other was a fair bit heavier. In fact, with that thick winter pelt enhancing his size, the man looked a little on the chubby side, especially compared to Dragomir, who came out of the winter alive, but evidently underfed.
I greet you, Dragomir parroted back, brows furrowing in a silent question. Was he doing it right? He had met various cultures in his time away from the Teekon Wilds, but this was the first time he received a greeting like that.
He didn't need to wait for Adrastus to ask more questions. There was something a little expectant about the man, and Dragomir was well-versed in border etiquette, even if he hadn't committed to any pack since Moonspear.
He turned his ears politely back and gave his tail a friendly whisk. Is this where Moonspear went? he asked. There was no scent of Hydra, Dirge, or any other member of her family here, which left their fate as a giant question mark, but there was definitely something here that reminded him of the mountain.

It amused him faintly to see a bit of confusion and surprise on the male's features when he was spoken to- but like Adrastus, he conformed quickly and easily to respond in like. While he was aware of the fact that he had little sway over making decisions about taking new wolves into their village, it did please him to meet someone who was supple and courteous. Kukutux and Sialuk would be pleased, he thought, to meet someone who would share in their ways, or so it seemed. So a faint smile and a nod were given to him- reassuring him that his greeting had been appreciated and accepted. 

As soon as he mentioned the word Moonspear, Adrastus's lips parted slightly in surprise. "Yes," He blurted, and he felt his heart thrumming in his chest. Fate had brought them perhaps another survivor? Was this male a former packmate that Kukutux and Sialuk might know? The prospect of delivering them an old friend- or perhaps even a family member- excited him. The women had mourned for days- so there was hope that perhaps this man's return was a gift. "They relocated here after the star fell and struck the mountain. Are you of Moonspear?" He asked. Normally, Adrastus was a bit more calm and reserved- but he was eager to know if he'd finally chanced upon the opportunity to reunite his packmates with one of their lost folks.

From his loveless dam, Dragomir took two things: the recognizable colour of his nose, and his perceptiveness. These were granted to him by nature, and they belonged wholly to him now. It was thanks to the latter that Dragomir noticed the change in Adrastus beyond the simple parting of his lips, which was explained moments later.
Not for some time, said Dragomir softly, turning his face back toward the towering mountain in the distance. I lived there when I was younger. Hydra was my guide, and Arcturus was my mentor.
He took for granted that Adrastus would recognize these names. Arcturus left a long time ago, too, so maybe his was less familiar, but Dragomir couldn't imagine Hydra ever leaving the mountain. It left little question as to her fate that her scent couldn't be found anywhere near it, but that was not something Dragomir wanted to think about. There would be time to learn the truth. Now was not it.
It smells a little like Moonspear did here, he explained, but I don't know why. I can't put a name to any face, but... There are survivors? I was on my way to visit Hydra when I saw it.
He felt certain he didn't need to elaborate. It was impossible to miss the fallen rocks on the mountainside, and the absence of a pack that had been there for as long as Dragomir had lived left the place feeling hostile and empty. This valley was warmer, somehow, more welcoming, and he was glad the former wolves of Moonspear found a place nearby to comfort their souls.

He tried not to show disappointment when Dragomir didn't mention the name Kukutux or Sialuk. He mentioned other names, ones which he had not known, though he assumed they belonged to wolves who had potentially been a part of the pack when it had been destroyed. He'd hoped that the hazel-eyed male might have come in search of the two women, so that he might bring joy to their lives. He also knew, now, that his response might be just as disappointing to Dragomir. "I do not know those names. I am sorry." He said. 

In response to the familiarity of the scent, Adrastus assumed perhaps that he might have recognized Kukutux's scent. Sialuk, being only a year old, might not have known this fellow, if he had left the pack some time ago.He nodded, in response to Dragomir's question. "One named Kukutux, and her daughter, Sialuk." He said. "Kukutux is the Wisewoman and leader of our village, now known as Moonglow. Do you recognize her name?" He asked. Like him, this male had seen the catastrophe from a distance, though Adrastus expected the impact it might have on Dragomir might be far greater than it had been on him.

Sialuk avoided her cousin, if he even was that. Instead, she stuck to her duties. She made a sweep of the borders several times each day, checking for signs of anything amiss. Anaa was more able to move about, but she still had much healing to do, and she could not cover the same ground that Sialuk could. The raindrop was doing one of these sweeps when she caught wind of Adrastus and another conversing near the border.

She approached quietly, her head dipping once in greeting to the white bear before her eyes roved to the dark male before her. Like Raimo, she thought, but did not say. Appearance had little bearing on whether or not she would enjoy his company. She had not heard any of their previous conversation, so it made most sense to give her name.

I am Sialuk, second of this village, Moonglow. My mother, Kukutux, is first. As for the others, the girl did not mention them. She presumed the white bear had already introduced himself.

Dragomir dipped his head in a silent and respectful gesture. Adrastus did not know the names, which meant Hydra wasn't here. He knew Arcturus was elsewhere, possibly still with that wool-headed trespasser friend of his, though for the man's sake, he hoped not. But Hydra was not here.
There could only be one place for her, then, and although he hadn't seen eye to eye with her in the end and had chosen to believe Arcturus over her, grief strangled him.
Adrastus offered some names. One tugged at a frayed string of memory, but no clear recollection came. He only knew Kukutux in passing as the wolf with the hides, the one his sister told him about, but that was all he remembered about her. Not even her name, but it name was oddly familiar, but until he saw her with a softened fur slung across her shoulders, Dragomir wouldn't draw the connection.
He gave his head a shake. No, he did not recognize the name, not yet.
Then there was another, smaller than either of them but with a promising build and a flecked white hide that drew no memories. She introduced herself, and he knew she was not at Moonspear when he was. A soft inhale brought her scent to him, along with the realization that she was significantly younger than him. That explained that.
It's nice to meet you. I am Dragomir. I came from Moonspear, too, once, he said, bringing his head even lower, level with his shoulders so that it might hang lower than hers. He flicked his further back. She was young to be a Beta, but then, he'd had aspirations like that when he was younger, too. Hydra meant to groom him for leadership, once, before everything happened with Arcturus and drove him from the path.
What is this word, village?

He did not see what he hoped to see in the man's face when he mentioned the names of his leaders. It could be assumed then, that perhaps he had been gone from Moonspear for some time before it had fallen, and that he had beem brought back out of concern for wolves who potentially, no longer lived there. Perhaps he might find Hydra and Arcturus yet, if they had escaped the landslide unscathed. 

His beige gaze swept to land upon the gentle and poised Sialuk, who presented herself to Dragomir with the calm, wise air of one who had known dignity for as long as she had known the feeling of the earth beneath her paws. She was born a star, he thought; and even through grief and loss she still managed to shine. 

And that light she bore with her did not go unnoticed by the tall, dark Moonspearian who had already positioned his head so it might be lower that Adrastus's, and now did the same to Sialuk, acknowledging with ease her authority. He took kindly to those who treated the beta with respect. Perhaps here came a man who was worthy of his comradeship, so long as he treated the women with respect. 

The question he posed was one he felt might be explained a bit better by Sialuk, who was the authority not only due to rank, but due to her knowledge of the pack as well.

He spoke his name, and a word that brought grief to the surface. She breathed in, not knowing if he knew what had befallen the mountain. He asked of the word "village," and Sialuk silently thanked him for the distraction away from what had been taken from her.

It is a gathering of wolves who work together. Some may call it 'pack,' she explained. These are my mother's customs, which she brought to Moonspear from an island far away. If he had lived in Moonspear, some time before she was born, surely he had made words with her aunts and uncles. She did not speak their names, fearing what would come if she did. My aunt ruled Moonspear for some time. My father, her second. They did not survive the strange storm, she informed him, her eyes downcast.

Antares lives, she said, wondering if perhaps his name would bring light to the stranger's face. Her cousin had but a year of life before the raindrop, but perhaps they knew one another.

He would learn what he could from Sialuk's information, trusting full-well that the girl was an excellent wisewoman in the making. He was pleased to find out that if he had given what he'd thought was the right definition for the word, that he would have been correct. Perhaps not as eloquently spoken, though. Still- allowing one of the founders of the pack speak seemed to be the best option. She would likely be the judge of the male as well, if he showed interest in joining with them. 

He learned now, a bit more about the young woman and her family which had once lived on Moonspear. He had never asked for specific information about who had been lost, and who was still missing. He hadn't even asked for the names of the ones who had led, or the ones presumed dead or missing, as he didn't feel it was appropriate to speak of such things whilst the women mourned. He still did not feel inclined to pry though he received the news that it had been Sialuk's aunt who had led Moonspear, and her father who had been her second and that made his heart ache. The effect these losses would have on the girl were, inevitably, profound. And yet, while it grieved her to do so, the young leader swallowed her own grief to inform Dragomir of the wolves who had not been found following the landslide. 

He remained silent; this felt like somewhat of a private matter between Dragomir and Sialuk, who likely had common connections amongst them. But one little bit of hope was offered- when she named Antares. He didn't recognize the name- but thought it was likely one of the Glen wolves who had come to join them.

While Sialuk explained the concept of a village, Dragomir began to weave connections in his mind. He knew it as a pack, but his late father referred to it as kru. A collection of wolves whose lives and paws were aligned.

Dragomir had been alone since Moonspear. Not strictly alone; now and again he kept companions, hunting partners, but it was never a permanent arrangement. More connections: if Sialuk was Hydra's niece, that meant either Jarilo or Arcturus was her father. It could be Revui, too, but Dragomir liked to think that volatile man who once came for Arcturus' seat would not be granted such rights.

A memory of his sister telling him of the one who Aurewen brought to Hydra like a meek lamb to trade for favours. I remember now, he breathed. Your mother, she was brought to Moonspear by... Someone.

He would be damned if he referred to her as mother.

Sialuk confirmed that neither wolf had escaped, sounding a gong of grief through Dragomir that made him suck in a shaky breath. But one lived: Antares. He tasted the name and tried to remember which wolf that was, and found a vague memory of a younger boy on the other end of a pelt that Dragomir wrestled with once. One of Hydra's. What of the other three?

That's good, he breathed. Is he here? He licked his lips and added, if your mother is who I think, I... I owe her a debt. To make up for her treatment, he supposed, at his volatile dam's hands. What would I have to do to join your village for a time?

A bit slow these days…

He is, though only for resting before he returns to the glen. Sialuk did not understand why he would not stay, but it was not her place to ask. Antares was not a cousin she knew well. He has always been present, but she had not grown close to him.

Pledge yourself to Moonglow, and we will have you, she said. You are welcome here. There was no reason to turn him away, and she believed that he did know the wolves who were once of the spear.

A bit slow here too, sorry guys. Going to archive this, but would be happy to thread again in the future :)

So it would be his ask that he could join them- something Adrastus felt fell within Sialuk's jurisdiction as an authority within the pack. Quietly, he would remain as her support and servant, curious about this newcomer who had a link to the past iteration of the pack. If he would fit within them, time would tell; but it was encouraging, to say the least, to see this missing puzzle piece's return to their midst.