Qeya River Pink nose, pearly toes

Amalia shifted and woke with a start, staring all around her. Trying to discern what had woken her. Though she couldn't quite figure it out. There was something to be said for the quickness with which she moved. Though now she simply drowsily began to pace around the area.

She headed towards the borders, it was late, but she was very aware that she wouldn't be sleeping now. It was impossible to get back to sleep after such a wakening, especially when she didn't know what had startled her awake.

Her mother had used to whisper of spirits roaming more during winter and fall months. Perhaps that was what it was, then she laughed quietly to herself, at such an absurdity.

all that shikoba could think of was mojag.

inutsuk truly must have only returned in spirit form, as he did not seem to stay past the 9 days of waiting before reentering the village. and because of this, her heart only aches more. the lone mother often found herself laying awake at night, often traveling around when she can to call for him to come back home. and each time there was no response, she could feel a piece of her own heart die with her call.

she is tired, in more than one way. run a bit thin with the travel and stress, it is easy to see that shikoba's age is catching up with her. despite her promising muscles and speed, there is no way to stop time. she embraces each day as a chance to change her fate and find her son. but today is meant to focus on their time at natigvik. 

thankfully, the river-dwelling pack would receive another border enforcer. shikoba is seen walking along the edge of the territory, nose low and searching for any signs of her son. and while she tells herself that it all may be hopeless, she still tries. for him. a cold wind blows through her body, and the older woman does her best to not shiver.

assuming that the timeline works with the arrival of mg, lmk if not so I can change! <3

Amalia did not know the burdens that Moonglow had suffered as of late, and she didn't ask. There was a difference to the wolves from the mountain. All seemed a little more subdued than most. But this was what happened with time. Things changed and not always for the better. There were some missing from their numbers than the days so little ago, yet so far.

Amalia saw the multicolored wolf coming towards her, and though she didn't know her well. She recognized her as a wolf of high rank among the Moonglow wolves. So she approached neutral and a bit lower than the other.

Hello. She waved the brown spotted plume and smiled. Couldn't sleep either?

It does. Thank you for joining :) <3

a large girl appears before shikoba, saturated in ink yet running out on her tail where brown hair remains instead of black. peculiar and slightly familiar to shikoba, she could remember her face from the last time that kigipigak and his family had ventured towards the spine. her greeting is returned with a smile that shikoba must fight to offer, despite her feelings of dread for her son.

"yes, sleep is hard these days." nightmares often still plague the native, though now her dreams are filled with new terrors as those who are closest to her are often the victims of her sleep demons. she shudders at the thought for a moment, feeling another cool breeze blow against her.

"can't put name to face, what's your name?" she asks, her own plume swinging behind her in a friendly manner. shikoba may not be able to sleep with these demons roaming her head, but she could at least have the company of the family of kigipigak.

There is sadness to the she wold like a second skin. Heavy and leaden against her agouti self. It makes Amalia sad in return. But a smile is offered in return and though it doesn't meet her eyes it is nice there.

Amalia nodded. Here also. Mother used to tell me spirits walk harder at night these seasons. I don't know how true it is of course, but well you understand.

Amalia smiled and dipped her head again. oh goodness I'm sorry. I'm Amalia. I'm afraid i dont know yours either.

she seems a healthy amount skeptical with all of the talk of spirits, though shikoba can't judge the girl. often it requires patience and the will to believe in the things that are not always so present to the eye. "they talk too if you learn to listen to them." a small word of advice, thinking back to the spirit fo her husband who has disappeared since his 9-day trial.


"no apology needed, amalia. shikoba is happy to meet you finally." her use of the word "i" is still becoming a habit, and shikoba needs more practice to stop referring to herself in the third person. but for now, the woman is happy with the progress she's made thus far. 

"moonwoman knows the way of spirits more if amalia is ever curious about them." sometimes shikoba always wondered how kukutux managed to retain all of the information that she has and how she manages all the ethereal things in the world.

Amalia was no more skeptical as she was a bit frightened of the unknown. The spirits her mother had whispered of, had made cold fingers curl around her throat and chest. She hadn't liked it. They made her nervous.

Amalia shook her head. I'd rather not.

She realized how she probably sounded and wasn't sure how to continue with what she wanted to say, the words would not come. She tilted her head and latched upon the next words of Shikoba.

It is a pleasure to meet you finally too.

Amalia bowed her head, as they circled back to what they were speaking of and she furrowed her brow.

I am curious, but I.

She grew quiet her voice not working. Finally, she pushed the words out. It scares me a bit, the unknown. Not knowing what could hurt me, something I cannot see. It doesn't sit well with me. It is not that I do not believe in them. It is simply I don't wish to mess with them whether benign or not. I will leave that to those that know better than me of what they are and what they can do.

her answer is one of logic and shikoba cannot argue with the girl. those who go conjuring and hexing without any knowledge are those who reap what they sow. perhaps it was best to be politely cautious and nothing else. a small nod is given to her counterpart. "Amalia sounds very logical," she says gently, "spirits can be scary at times. some can have the faces of those you know."

perhaps it may even be in shikoba's best interest to stop hoping for inutsuk, then, if his body does not return to her but only the intangible parts of his soul. "it best to be careful during these winter nights. not always know what really is out there wandering." winter nights often were a time believed where the veil between the current world and the spirit world would have a deeper connection and a greater bridge between the two. hopefully, nothing uninvited would be accidentally invited within the family of kigipigak.

"does amalia have other interests to pursue?" now shikoba would give the girl a break from the current conversation, assuming hat it probably didn't sit that well within her belly to be talking about the thing that politely keeps her on her toes.

Amalia smiled. I try to be though i must admit, my imagination does tend to get the best of me and i grew up with many stories.

Amalia had a healthy respect for those who convened with spirtis and the like. Some she avoided though still respected. She didn't wish to get tangled in some shadow magic.

Amalia nodded her head. That's what mom always said.

Amalia's tail wagged. I am a hunter, a scout, i dabble in some medicine and i like to tell stories. I'm not nearly as good as my mother at spinning a tale, but i try. What about you?

stories are often thought to be only a pacifier to children, to keep them from screaming into the night when shadows grew big and mother was no longer around. shikoba gave the girl a small smile. "stories are just as important as anything, they're just easier to remember." true, parents may through in bits that aren't 100% true, though if it keeps those from misbehaving, there truly was no harm done. 

it seems the girl has many talents, including telling her own stories and traversing the land like rodyn. when asked about herself, shikoba almost feels embarrassed to not have as many things under her belt. "warrior, protector of Moonglow. and first hunter, sivullik of village." there was not much more than that, but for a moment she does think. what would mojag say about her?

"mother, anaa, and storyteller to my son." she looks off to the distance for a moment, wondering of mojag would know she's always thinking and speaking of him, despite his absence. and she could only pray that he knew that she dearly missed him and still loved him with all her being. "does amalia want to become mother, one day?"

Amalia's family would have argued, even her father had they heard auch thoughts. But they did not and she had not so she focused on the words.

Amalia gave a soft smile, sometimes. It was how my fathers family lived. They traveled and told stories or offered healing to packs. He however chose to settle

Amalia's smile brightened. You are important an honorable wolf in your pack, then. I hope i can hold such honor someday.

Amalia grew quiet as she thought. My mother would have said the last two were the most important. Nothing is more so than being a mother.

Amalia frowned as she thought. I havent had much thought on it truthfully. And i think if i chose to. I would need to leave Natigvik. They have said it is only Sakhmet who has the honor of motherhood here. Lest they were to change their mind.

"it shows trust moonglow has in me, big responsibility. but shikoba is sure that amalia would make fine sivullik, if she chose to be." trust was something that was hard to come by nowadays, and shikoba would never be able to fully articulate ow thankful she is to have moon woman's trust to keep the village moving forward towards flourish. shikoba can only hope that no one comes to challenge her again, such as the tartok man who made her fearful of losing her title.

the girl's frown is caught by the woman, which she offers a small nudge of her nose against her shoulder in a comforting way. it was true, the traditions of kigipigak were often harder on others who were not affiliated with the culture. shikoba did not know much between the relationship between moon woman and her winterhawk, but she did know that tension was held when the tartok man had come for kigpigak. she wonders to herself if their culture truly is as rough as it comes off.

"if amalia becomes sivullik, then anaa may come as a gift. but kigipigak comes from a different land, it is hard to know his culture." she would hope these words would give amalia some form of comfort. "but being anaa is not everything, young amalia. amalia must be whole first, before giving parts of herself to her cubs." trying to be a mother to fulfill a primitive role is something that shikoba has lost sight of since she as young. being a mother was taxing and required a strong minded individual who can handle the trials with raising children. a mother who depends too much on her hearth is not respectable to the native.

Amalia was at best naive, at worst stupid when it came to trust. Ahe trustwd easily, too easily. But she was finding it out. As she grew up.

Thank you. she smiled at the older woman.

Amalia accepted the nudge with a soft sigh. And took the comfort for a momwnt. The motherly vib that Shikoba gave off, if was clear she loved being a mother and was probably good at it. Amalia wouldn't know she hadn't seen her interact with her youngling.




Amalia nodded her head. I am learning this. To be myself. To, to grow into more than what I was. It's scary, but also umm...i can't think of the word. It makes me happy, and calm to see how I am growing. Does thia make sense?

Amalia had lost her thought process trying to find the right word, but she hoped she had explained it well enough.

a smile and a nod to her ramblings, often more words are given than what is needed for the native to understand what someone is trying to convey. considering how far her english has come, shikoba likes to think that she can understand more abstract words and their meanings, even more so be able to use them in her own context.

"it's many feelings, and a big journey to take," she looks out towards the outerlands beyond natigvik, "but in the end, amalia becomes whole. that is something most lack."

a cold wind blows through shikoba again, and despite her coat and burning blood, she can't help but shiver. "shikoba is tired, and cold," a little laugh is offered, "bedtime for me. is amalia staying up?"

Amalia wasn't sure what to say, or more so what she was trying to say. But thr kindly she wolf knew what she meant and understood. That was a gift upon itself.

There was a gentle look to her maw now and her eyes a little misty, but she gave a soft smile. ,this is true.

Amalia nodded. Yes I'll be up for a time. I feel the need to watch over my found family. Thank you for passing a few moments with me Lady Shikoba. I hope you have a good rest.

amalia is dutiful, and shikoba likes this, among other things, about her. this young lady was driven, knowledgeable, and knew her place and the work required. often times shikoba did not give enough credit to those younger than her, often thinking that they can get lazy if not given enough tasks to do like she did in her younger years. though, amalia has seemingly restored her faith in the newer generations of wolves that roam the world. 

"if something happens, call for me. i will respond." a promise to the girl. shikoba never sleeps that well anyways, most things that go bump in the night cause her to stir and stay awake. and with that, the woman offers one last reassuring smile before turning to head towards a temporary sleeping site. the lack of furs would make it harder to sleep tonight.

last from me, both shikoba and I are apart of amalia's fan club <3

Amalia was learning, how to be a good wolf, a good pack mate. She had been spoiled before she had realized with having familial pack. Now here she was with a new lease on life so to speak, but still trying so very hard to hold on to her happiness.

A smile lit up her green eyes and she nodded. Okay, thank you.

Amalia made a mental note to grab some rabbit furs and gift the she warrior and hunter. They should have had more furs for their visitors. She would need to remember that in future.

Oh thank you so much. I adore Shikoba. <3

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