Firefly Glen up all night, you wore your falling heart

@Thuringwethil

Though she had a home now in the Vale, her wandering heart would never change. And without any solid ties to her new pack, she found herself out and about quite a bit, mapping out the lands around the mountains. She tried to keep it fresh by exploring new places, but one place in particular beckoned more than others.

In the velvety black of night, Miyako crept into the glen, finding herself surrounded by lightning bugs. Little bioluminescent creatures, lighting on the branches and leaves all around her. No pack had laid claim to this place, so she often found herself alone with her thoughts, her audience the fireflies and no one else.

Once, she had taken Tsukiko to a similar place near the beach. They had found a safe place to descend the cliffs and nestled in a clearing, the crashing waves a gentle murmuring counterpart to the gulls squawking overhead. The sun would set, and the fireflies would emerge, flitting around them. Tsukiko, who had been young, then, stared with wonder. Miyako felt a strong sense of wonder herself.

And she still felt it here, even after all that had transpired. She wondered how long it would take for Tsukiko to have lost her childhood innocence. Was she still under Ichiro's rule, or had she left, with a mate or a friend? Wherever she was, Miyako uttered a small prayer to the fireflies in the hopes that her little sister was safe.

"You know, you guys are excellent listeners," she mentioned to one bug in particular, who had landed near a forepaw. At her sudden breath, it departed, blinking furiously away. She smiled and rested her head on her paws, waiting for sleep to overtake her.