Kildeer Rest red paint

kuku tag for reference!

Sialuk's spirit did not glimmer any brighter than it had the months before, but she found herself with a task. She wished to seek out Meerkat's mother and speak with her. Sialuk had no real reason to except that she thought it might be expected of her. @Kukutux had informed her that Towhee was deaf, so the raindrop knew it was of no use to call for her.

Instead, she had sent Sixsix to search for @Towhee. Sialuk did not know whether or not Sixsix would be able to complete the task, but she was pleased when he returned, circling above her and singing his creaky song. He swooped down, and then he began to lead her some way. The Gamma followed, and not so long after, she saw the black, white, and red wolf in the distance. If this was not Towhee, it was at least a wolf she did not know.

The other was facing toward her, and Sialuk opened her mouth to shout but realized how foolish that would be from this distance. Anaa had said that Towhee listened with her eyes, and she could not do that from here. So instead, Sialuk waved her tail more than usual until she was closer. Sixsix made his way to her shoulder blade, gripping his claws in gently there.

I greet you, she said. Are you Meerkat's mother, Towhee?

Towhee had killed a fox raiding one of the caches and wasn't sure exactly where to put it. She was too busy trying to figure out what to do with it, she didn't notice the bird circling overhead. Normally she would dump the carcass right into the stockpile it had robbed but she had seen these wolves curing skins and figured someone around here might get use out of this one.

For now, she stashed it atop a rock and considered finding Kukutux to consult her. Wiping dried blood off her paws, she began to make her way toward the woman's ulaq but hadn't gone more than five steps when she found her path blocked by the Alpha female's lookalike with a blackbird on her shoulder.

Towhee stared at the crow for a beat, then realized the she-wolf was talking to her. The corner of her mouth twitched upward when she was asked if she was Meerkat's mother. She wasn't Towhee, longtime Sovereign of Redhawk Caldera anymore, but this title made her just as proud.

"I am," she replied, "who are you? And who is this?" Towhee asked candidly, pointing a toe at the crow.

Often, Sixsix felt like an extension of herself. He had come to her when the strange storm had taken her home, and he had not left. He supplied her with the means to ask questions of the bones, and he provided other services, too. All he seemed to require in exchange was the occasional scrap of meat from the caches, which Sialuk was always willing to provide.

This is Sixsix, Sialuk said. By now, the crow knew his name, and he cawed at the mention of it, fluffing his wings. And I am Sialuk, daughter of Kukutux. The girl glanced to the hide laying atop the rock behind Towhee. Are you... hunter? Sialuk asked.

"Hi, Sixsix," Towhee said without hesitation, the way he perched on Sialuk's shoulder filling her with a bittersweet nostalgia for her old friend. Even their names were similar, in a way. Her eyes danced when the bird fluffed out his inky black feathers.

"And it's good to meet you too," she added, eyes shifting to Sialuk's face. "Meerkat's mentioned you a few times." Everything she'd ever said about both Sialuk and Kukutux had been positive. For that matter, the same went for Ruenna. Towhee couldn't say why she'd let Wraen's singular opinion stand out so much.

Her gaze followed Sialuk's and she laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, not really. I'm more of a guardian. I killed her because she was raiding one of the stockpiles, actually. She was so busy stuffing her face, I was able to ambush her. Do you know of anyone who could use the skin?"

Towhee's eyes fell to the bird, and Sialuk felt worry that she might try and attack Sixsix. It had happened before, though he was always quick enough to fly out of reach. The village-sister did not attempt, and Sialuk relaxed when Meerkat was mentioned.

Ah, Meerkat! She is sweet village-sister. It was easier to speak now that she could focus on something happier. Towhee explained that she was only able to kill the fox because it was distracted, but it was still a smart thing to do. Sialuk did not consider herself a hunter, though she did know how and had made some decent kills of her own.

Kukutux and I, we make them into soft bedding. I can make this for you, for your ulaq. This is 'den' in our language. Have you found a place for sleeping?

Everyone spoke so highly of Meerkat and it made Towhee's heart tap dance on her rib cage. She found an errant thought crossing her mind. Would she have pups with Issorartuyok in the spring, giving Towhee more grandchildren? The thought made her heart really bust a move.

But she refocused on the conversation at hand. "Oh, ummm... I haven't really picked a spot," Towhee admitted. She missed the Hobbit Hole dearly, though that made her think out loud, "I guess I'd rather just sleep wherever, if the pack intends to move eventually. I don't want to get attached to a den I don't intend to keep. Does that make any sense...?" She hoped wasn't offending Sialuk somehow. "Think your mom might get use out of it? I kinda like the idea of giving her a little gift for her hospitality."

Sialuk nodded. We will be here until the days grow warm again. This is why we make winter ulaq from snow. When the melting comes, we know it is time for home. And oh, how she longed to return to the spine. To see the spear each day again, to whisper silent greetings to taataa and braataa.

When we go back to spine, you will bring skins with you. Make a warm home for children. Sialuk knew that Towhee was old enough to have them. She also knew that, when the world became warm again, she too would be given that opportunity.

No one had explained that particular detail, though it was fascinatingly pragmatic. "Fair enough," she replied, still unsure how she really felt about establishing one, only to watch it literally melt away come springtime.

She had to laugh under her breath when Sialuk insisted she keep the skins, which she could take with her when they moved back to the spine. That also made sense, though the mention of Moonglow's home base distracted her.

"Can you tell me more about the spine? While you show me how to prepare this skin for my ulaq?" Towhee could only hope that pronunciation came out correctly. Whatever their native language, she noticed it had a lot of what she considered "clicky" words.

The spine! Sialuk said, her breath catching in her throat. It was only the second home she had ever known, and she missed it more with each day that fell behind her.

Yes, bring the skins; I will teach you, she said. But Sialuk paused, wondering, Can you walk and also hear my mouth with your eyes? The raindrop did not know if such a thing was possible, like talking and carrying a piece of meat.

Towhee couldn't hear the tone, though she sensed some lamentation in that little cry. Her brow arched curiously, though before she could prod Sialuk about it, she surprised her with a question. Kukutux must've told her about Towhee's deafness. She didn't mind at all—it was pretty valid, actually—though the phrasing tickled the former Sovereign's funny bone.

"Yes, if you make sure to face toward me, I should be able to keep up with what you're saying," Towhee assured, swallowing the snicker bubbling in her throat. "Lemme just grab it," she added, moving to pluck the cooling fox carcass off the boulder where she had draped it earlier.

Rejoining Sialuk, it only then occurred to her to question, "Wait, where are we going?" Did the Gamma want her to lead the way to a ulaq? Towhee really hadn't picked a particular spot. She didn't even rightly know where she fit in among the camps just yet.

Sialuk could have sworn she heard a small laugh in Towhee's throat, though she did not understand why. The raindrop dismissed it as her imagination. Towhee's words were muffled through the pelt, but Sialuk's ears were keen enough to hear.

To flowing water, she said. We first clean the skins.

Ah, but Towhee had asked of the spine, a subject that brought much peace to the Moonglow child. Sialuk was careful to turn to Towhee as she said her words, moving toward the flowing water.

My home, the spine, Moonglow. You can see the peak of Moonspear from there, where I took my first breaths. It is where taataa and braataa—father and brother—now rest. I think of them often, speak to them as if they are still among us.

It was hard to be away from them.

Ah, that made sense. Towhee acknowledged the words with a nod, then tightened her hold on the dead body and motioned for Sialuk to lead the way. It would likely take some practice to find their rhythm, yet Towhee was far from inexperienced when it came to walking and talking.

Sialuk heeded the deaf woman's suggestion to face her and it made it rather easy to follow what she said. She couldn't really respond at the moment, though she grunted to let her know she was listening with her eyes. That thought made them dance a little, her gaze only a few shades more fiery than the pelt in her mouth.

Something stilled in them when Sialuk mentioned Moonspear. She wondered if the girl had known Hydra well at all, though of course losing her father and brother eclipsed the deaths of her extended family. Towhee thought briefly of her own birthplace, also a misshapen mountain and ghost town now...

There were things she wanted to say, would say, once they reached their destination. For now, her jaw clenched around her kill as she looked for any sign of water.

Sixsix shifted on her shoulders for the first few paces, but he never much enjoyed staying there for long jaunts. The raven spread his wings and flew off, likely to sneak a scrap from their caches or search for more seeing bones.

Sialuk sensed a change in Towhee's pace at the mention of Moonspear. Had she known taataa, too? She did not ask, knowing that it was hard to speak while carrying. Instead, Sialuk filled the silence with descriptions of her home.

There is a large stone close to anaa—my mother's—den. It is called 'Grandfather Stone.' I like to have thoughts there. There sits a large lake in the middle of the spine that makes for good swimming when the sun is too warm for our bodies. Three big trees—we call them 'Three Sisters'—make a good spot for having meetings.

Oh, how Sialuk yearned for her home!

The bird's sudden movement made Towhee freeze and stiffen, though she relaxed a moment later and continued walking. She peered after Sixsix, then lowered her gaze, realizing she had missed some of Sialuk's words.

Towhee made sure to pay close attention to the rest of what she said, picturing it in her mind as best she could. She didn't have to hear Sialuk's voice to intuit the way she yearned for the spine. It made her wonder how each wolf in Moonglow felt about their currently nomadic lifestyle.

"Look forward to seeing it," Towhee tried to say through the rolls of fur and flesh in her craw. It felt like a pretty generic response, though the sentiment behind it was genuine enough.

we can probably archive here! it's good to be finishing threads again, lol.

Sialuk smiled, wishing she were at the spine now, rather than simply speaking of it. It is better when seeing with eyes, not words, Sialuk said wistfully.

But they had arrived at the small stream, and Sialuk instructed Towhee to set the pelts down so she could begin to work on them. First, there was washing. Then, there was drying and softening to be done. The softening took the most time and would require several intervals throughout the next days. The pelts would need to be gently kneaded with their teeth in order to become supple and proper bedding.