Nocturne Summit I wish you

On her way home from the caldera, Wildfire took a detour, heading toward the foot of Nocturne Summit. The instant her little red feet began to climb, she felt a calm come over her. Her mind emptied and she simply relished in the exertion of the ascent. Soon enough, she found one of the many hidden, shadowy plateaus draped in hazy gray shadows. She slipped into the gloom, walked a few yards, then abruptly stopped and slid onto her belly with a sigh.

She couldn't help but fret about her family at the caldera, particularly her little brothers and sisters who weren't even born. But the weight of the past day or so was becoming a bit much, so Wildfire made a conscientious effort to focus on something more positive. Of course, Floki's face swam into view in her mind's eye and she smiled, the expression lingering on her mouth even as she drifted off to sleep.

Wildfire didn't dream often but a vivid nightmare came to her now. Floki was blind, deaf and dumb. He couldn't taste or feel either. He was sitting there, alive, but there was no way she could get through to him. No matter how loud she screamed or how hard she pushed... Floki couldn't sense a damned thing. He was dead to the world. He was dead to her.

She woke with a muffled shout.

*deleted other thread and recycles*

Her second birthday had recently passed, and after a large celebration amongst the traveling Corvidae— one of fertility rites, stories of love and passion, and a great feast of caribou stag— Magpie felt a fire awaken in her. She was still young, but the awkwardness and uncertainty of her teenage years had passed, and she was suddenly intrigued by the thought of settling down and having a family of her own. She had always liked boys, but now— now, she wanted more from them. It was certainly possible for her to stay with the nomadic pack, and raise her in the same tradition; but she thought of her sister's life more and more often.

Stable. Magpie wasn't so sure about committing herself to only one eligible bachelor, as Fox had, but she was curious about the rest of it. It had been quite some time since the Corvidae had last seen the fiery woman, and she supposed she owed both her sister and her sister's mate an overdue "thanks", anyway. Not entirely positive that she wanted to stay (and, actually, unsure that she would be welcome), Magpie at least wanted to visit— and selfishly ask all the burning questions she had about family-making and life as a leader.

As she neared the Caldera, the woman paused; it was tradition, now, that she would bring a gift of food to the reigning wolves. Her snout lifted, and she tasted the breeze for hints of game, remembering— almost fondly— the times that Peregrine had taught her to hunt. She doubted he thought of her at all, let alone with fondness, but he had been a prominent male figure in her childhood.

It was then that she heard a muffled shout echoing over the foothills, and she glanced at the mountain that loomed above. Well, neither Fox or Peregrine knew that she was on her way to visit— so a small detour wouldn't hurt, much. Exploring was in her blood, anyway, and Magpie wasn't one to pass up an opportunity to see something new. Trotting swiftly towards the mountainside, she shouted, "Hello?" as she scanned the craggy wall for footholds.

:D

She bolted upright, chest rising and falling rapidly. Fortunately, the dream quickly began to fade and reality set in. It only took a moment for Wildfire to gather her bearings and steady herself with two consecutive deep breaths. Still, she remembered the nightmare fairly vividly. Floki had lost all five of his senses. She shuddered as she recollected her desperation to make contact with him. It had been like a living death.

"Just a dream," she murmured aloud, the sound of her own voice startling her slightly and then causing Wildfire to break into a quiet laugh. It was cut off abruptly by a shouted, "Hello?" Swallowing, the young she-wolf fell quiet, rotating her head to pinpoint the source of the voice before tentatively replying, "Hello... back?"

The voice responded just as Magpie found purchase and began her ascent; she exulted at the strain against her muscles, different from the stamina she was used to on relatively even ground. She soon realized that it would be near impossible to find anyone, for the mountainside was covered in shadowy overhangs. If not for the disembodied voice, she might have shrugged off the idea and either explore of her own accord, or return to the hunt.

It seemed rude to just leave at this point, so she searched for a place to sit out in the open. Finding a rocky outcropping that stuck out in the sunlight (or moonlight if Emalee got the time of day wrong), Magpie moved to stand upon it. Hopefully the (assumed) stranger would see her there and come out, but she belted, "Caaaaaniiisssss!" Amongst the Corvidae, pups would play games to test their hearing; one would shout 'canis' with their eyes closed, and the others would shout 'lupus' in return, dashing about to avoid the "blind" pup's grasp.

It didn't occur to her that this game may not be universal.

When a reply came, Wildfire didn't know what to make of it. "Canis?" she mouthed to herself. Was that a name? Had she misheard? Brow scrunched in confusion, she climbed onto all fours and threaded through the dim and hazy shadows, back to a ledge to peer up and down the mountainside. She wasn't sure what she expected to find, though it wasn't her long-lost Aunt Magpie.

But that coat was unmistakable, a real throwback to Wildfire's childhood. "Aunt... Mags...?" the dumbfounded Wildfire called, beginning to stumble down the slope already. She was so focused on her prodigal relative that she paid no attention to her feet and, naturally, completely lost her footing and slid a good five yards. She managed to dig her heels into the scree and get some purchase, the friction burning her paw pads a little and the sudden descent leaving her slightly breathless.

But... Magpie! "It's really you!" she shouted (quietly) now that she was closer, being only slightly more careful now as she closed the gap and eventually joined her young aunt on a sunlit outcropping. "I've been thinking of you a lot lately... and now here you are!" Wildfire blurted, grinning from ear to ear.

Her own name was the unexpected response to her cry, but it offered the same result— she spun around rapidly, in time to see a red blur move rapidly down the mountainside. "Caref—" Magpie started with an instinctive step forward, but the wolf was already regaining purchase. "—ul," she finished quietly. For a split second, the dark woman thought she was seeing her sister— that same, fiery coat— but it dawned on her that Fox wouldn't have called her 'aunt'.

"Wildfire?" she queried incredulously, a white grin splitting her black muzzle. She felt a pang of guilt— so focused on seeing her sister, Magpie had nearly forgotten about her nieces and nephew. As the young Redhawk joined her on the outcropping, she moved to bump shoulders affectionately, amazed how much Wildfire had grown since they last saw each other. She was a bit relieved, too, that the youth didn't seem to harbor any bad feelings. "I've been thinking about all of you a lot lately, too," Magpie began to explain, "I was actually on my way to the Caldera to visit."

She thought about exclaiming aloud about how much Wildfire had grown over the autumn months, but thought that was decidedly old and uncool.

Magpie's incredulous tone caused Wildfire to grin all the harder. She couldn't remember when exactly the yearling had disappeared from the caldera, though it had been several months ago now, when she had still been just a child. She had missed her Aunt Mags, yet Wildfire simply wasn't the type to hold grudges. She was quite different from her parents in that way.

"I just came from there," the youth chirped, only for her face to cloud very suddenly when she remembered why she had just come from the caldera. "Things aren't going well there. Dad lost an eye and now his nose. I'm pretty sure his days as Alpha are over," Wildfire said quietly, biting at her lower lip and meeting Magpie's eyes for a beat.

Her lips then twitched faintly at the corners as she explained, "I live at Moonspear now," and pointed at the neighboring mountain. "I was bringing mom some food, since dad can't hunt. I'm working on becoming a trapper—you know, a small game hunter." She paused there, hoping her rabbit-killer of a young aunt would be proud of her.

Wildfire's response confirmed that the Caldera still existed, at least— and Magpie was surprised to realize she hadn't thought of the possibility that it might not always exist until that moment. The Corvidae were travelers by nature, never keeping to one territory for too long, but Magpie had come to believe the Wilds operated differently. That once a claim was had, it remained there endlessly. It was odd, but it sort of upset her to realize that it wasn't the case.

She almost missed Wildfire's next statement, lost in these thoughts, but her own brows furrowed in concern. That sounded... bad. The urge to race to her sister's side was nearly overwhelming, then, but she settled for asking, "I'm sorry to hear that, Wifi. How's your mom holding up?" Of course, she was worried for Peregrine, but her blood demanded more concern for Fox.

Her niece moved on to speak of her own life updates, and Magpie's tail swept softly with gladness— but the sobering news left a shadow over the atmosphere. "That's great," she still managed to say, enthusiasm tempered but apparent. "I'm not sure how long I'll be in the Wilds," particularly now that she felt the need to be there for her sister, "but maybe you could show me around Moonspear sometime, and I can help you practice rabbit-hunting."

Magpie, herself, had abandoned the hunter trade upon leaving the Caldera— becoming a hunter always seemed more Peregrine's decision than hers, and she thought she'd go for Outrider and Naturalist if she were to settle here in the Wilds. They were much more a reflection of her true self, and she was determined not to allow anyone to keep her from it.

Magpie inquired about Fox rather than Peregrine, though Wildfire didn't question this whatsoever. "She's having a hard time with it. I think she's afraid he'll be crippled by his disabilities. But if I know dad, he's not going to let them get him down, at least not too much..." Truthfully, she didn't know how he would recover from his sudden inability to hunt and provide, yet wolves lived in packs for a reason: to support one another at times like this. "She has the rest of the pack to help her. And there will be new puppies soon and hopefully that will make things better," although it was just as likely to make matters worse, she knew.

Wildfire bobbed her head at Magpie's suggestion. "I don't think I can take you inside the borders but I can definitely take you there and tell you all about it," she replied agreeably. "And I'd love that. I'm getting pretty good but I got nothing on you," she said admiringly, giving her aunt a nudge. She remembered sitting by the warren near the caldera's borders, watching Magpie slay bunny after bunny...

"How have you been?" the young adult chirped in the next breath, eager to catch up and linger on happier topics. "And where have you been?" she added, her inner scout showing.

"He was always tough as nails," Magpie agreed. Perhaps that's why she wasn't so worried. It wasn't uncommon for elders to continue to travel with the Corvidae, even if they were deaf and blind— they had spent most of their lives working for the pack, and were treated with utmost respect even after their physical usefulness had faded. The only true worrisome thing was that Magpie didn't think Peregrine was that old... and with puppies on the way, the timing seemed horrible. The older wolf wasn't as sure that they'd make things better— probably worse. She fell into a pensive silence.

They pivoted the conversation to lighter topics, and Magpie grinned at the memories. Rabbits had been her specialty, but she had also made the poor choice to go after a mountain goat— and drag it miles home with a concussion. She couldn't remember, probably due to the same concussion, if that had been before or after Wildfire and her litter mates had been born. "It's a date," she promised her niece, with a mischievous grin.

"I've been well," Magpie answered next. "I went home— well, back to the pack I was born into, anyway. They never stay in one place for long." It occurred to her that she had never really told Wildfire about where she came from, likely in part because she was pretty flakey back then. "I think that's why I get so restless; it's just in my blood."

Magpie's answer made her curiosity burn brighter. She belonged to a nomadic pack originally? That sounded like it was right up Wildfire's alley. Her lips twitched when her aunt mentioned a restlessness with which she, too, was quite familiar. They shared blood through Fox, so maybe there was wanderlust in her bloodstream too, even if it seemed to have skipped a generation.

"I know how you feel. I'm most happy when I'm running around exploring and stuff. Well, that and hunting now," she allowed. "Maybe we could travel together sometime. So, are you heading back to the caldera to stay...?" Wildfire queried next before remembering aloud, "Oh, wait, you mentioned you were only visiting," and that she didn't know how long she'd be in the wilds, for that matter.

Magpie grinned at her niece's response, wondering at how alike they were— and seeing her now, she absolutely believed that Wildfire would be home amongst the Corvidae. Her traditional parents, on the other hand, would likely have a lot to say about that. Fox had never opened up to Magpie about her beliefs, but in her time amongst the wolves of the caldera, the young woman could guess at most of them. In particular, the Corvidae beliefs about love and mateship seemed to fall squarely in the Redhawks' "no-fly" zone.

"Life is boring without a change in scenery every once in a while," Magpie agreed. "I'd love to travel with you if there's ever an opportunity," she continued, suddenly regretting that she hadn't stayed to see Wildfire grow into the youth she was now— but grateful for the time she had spent with her in the early days.

"Yeah, I wanted to take a little time to catch up with her," Magpie explained, referring to Fox. "But I think it's best if I look someplace else to settle this time around." She didn't quite elaborate, thinking it inappropriate to talk to her much younger niece about mating, children, and other ambitions. Hopefully, Wildfire would attribute it to the afore mentioned wanderlust.

Wanna fade this since we have another? :D

Magpie confirmed that she would not be planting roots in the caldera, mentioning that she thought it best if she settled elsewhere. Wildfire cocked her head slightly, wondering if there was a particular reason, other than the yearling's general wanderlust. She decided not to pry. After all, it didn't really matter to her if Magpie stayed at the caldera or elsewhere. It was all the same difference to her.

"Somewhere close, or...?" she questioned before glancing around herself and randomly thinking out loud, "You should settle here. Have you ever been before? It's called Nocturne Summit. It's my home away from home." Her lips twitched and then an idea struck her. "Wanna have a look around with me? This really is a neat place. I once spent an entire day running around this mountain with Finley. It's like my go-to destination when I wanna get my scout on with my aunts!" Wildfire quipped.

"Somewhere in the Wilds," she confirmed easily— though she wasn't sure where. Wildfire was quick to suggest this very summit, and Magpie grinned. It seemed her niece had at least guessed at some of her internal thoughts, and though the dark woman wouldn't elaborate on some of the more "mature" reasons for her current wanderlust, it couldn't hurt to admit to what the red youth seemed to already sense.

"I'll need a few more that are willing to follow me before I can make a claim to anything," she said with a wink, "but I'd love for you to show me around." With that, Magpie allowed her niece to lead her on an excursion upon the summit. They would part ways after a time, when Wildfire was ready to return home, and the Corvidae would make her way to the caldera.