The Sunspire I know you're making magic somewhere

Wraen had been so busy with hunting and scouting lately, that she hardly had time for anything else. She would start early in the morning and finish very late and often she was so tired that she did not even make it to her den, choosing to sleep in the dryest spot there was around.

This afternoon and evening she had been working diligently on making new caches - the place for them had seemed perfect after a thorough inspection. The ground consisted of soil, sand and rocks, making it difficult to dig, but a good place to hide something, because the would-be intruder would have just as much trouble extracting food from it. 

She had brought some remnants of a swan carcass she had found by the Greatwater lake, chopped it down to smaller pieces and dispersed it in the caches. After the job done, she took a nap next to her working place and awoke with a start in the middle of the night. Blinking and looking around for the source, her green eyes met a set of bright yellow ones, which belonged to a small, agouti pelted canid.

Although Rannoch did not often frequent the borders past sundown, anxiety had driven him to patrol during unusual hours. With all of the adversity that had happened as of late, Rannoch did not want to take any chances. 

The scent of vermin diverted Rannoch from his intended path, and soon, the Alpha scaled up the mountainside as he tracked where the creature had gone. In time, Rannoch spotted the disturbance in the distance. He froze, realizing that the canine was in the company of one of his packmates. 

Rannoch posture straightened, and he stalked forward with a new purpose— to protect Wraen and the cache she had so diligently crafted. A savage snarl ripped from Rannoch's jowls in hopes of distracting the creature from whatever it was doing.

The night-crawler in question had been as much surprised to see Wraen, as she had been to see him earlier. Therefore after the first shock was gone, it grabbed a piece of flesh it had unearthed and went for the hills. The hunter gave a quick glance over her shoulder, acknowledged Rannoch with a curt nod and then ran after the marauder. Had she not worked hard for the past few days, she would have caught up with the thing, but since things were as they were, she got tired after the initial sprint and stopped eventually to watch the thief disappear in the darkness.

She turned around to meet Rannoch, wherever he had got this far, and greeted him with a smile. "Not a biggie, but we will have to watch out," she told him. "Have sensed others sneaking around - now that the food gets stashed here."

Wraen's response to the criminal's retreat was immediate, and although Rannoch had reacted as quickly, he was not as swift as his packmate; he remained a few paces behind her until the end. When it was decided that the pursuit was futile, Rannoch slowed to a stop. 

"We'll be careful," he agreed. "Especially with children being born so soon." Although Rannoch did not know precisely when Olive was due, the progression of her pregnancy was evident. "I don't want anything lurking too close to the whelping dens." 

"Yeah, we must be careful," Wraen agreed and fell silent - from her expression it was clear that she was actively thinking something over, since the matter of children was a sensitive one. Terance's recent news, as well as finding out that there was another pregnant female wandering in the ranks, had been a topic of growing concern to her. And she was even more surprised that no one else seemed to bother. 

"About children... Terance said you... had nothing against his mischief," funny, how she could be very direct and rude at times, and at the same time feel entirely awkward about the whole business that involved making children. "And... I have not failed to observe that, well, you have been favourable to another wolf. And you - of course - will want to have a family of your own," this was followed by another silence.

"Rannoch - is this wise?" she decided to stop beating around the bush. "I mean, with all due respect to your good heart, but Sunspire cannot sustain so many litters of puppies. I have had my scouting done around the area - great as it is - there are not enough resources for so many hungry mouths. And I do not speak about puppies only," she said, happy to have this out of her system and she was looking directly at Rannoch, waiting for his response.

Something was peculiar about the way that Wraen receded into a thoughtful silence; Rannoch couldn't help but feel anxious. He didn't think that his comment had been thought-evoking, and Rannoch couldn't help but wonder what had suddenly crossed her mind. After all, he had only mentioned children, and Rannoch didn't see anything wrong with the subject matter. Waren, on the other hand, seemed to have a different opinion on the topic. 

"Not wise?" Rannoch echoed with evident concern. Rannoch felt blindsided by her information, and it was hard for him to comprehend what he had been told; he had been sure that there was enough food to go around. "Do you think there's a chance that things might get better with the warmer weather?" Rannoch asked after a pause. He was desperate to find hope in this seemingly negative turn of events.

"I don't think so," Wraen shook her head. She had lived as a nomad long enough to know that wishful thinking did not help you to change the harsh reality. It had been hard enough for her two parents to provide for three puppies and there had been many days between meals. Small game could last you only this long and they had been constantly on the move. 

"Rannoch, there are no herds living permantently here, mountain goats are not easy to catch and when we do hunt, this happens on a dangerous terrains, and with a number of puppies equaling the number of adults, we will sweep the whole population of small game in a matter of a month or so," she said.

"Besides to keep everyone fed - including the mothers, we will have to hunt constantly," she continued. "For many months - until puppies are efficient hunters themselves. And I fear that this might have dire consequences not only on the children, but the pack as a whole. Where will we be, if people decide to bow out of the group?"

"I'm not sure," Rannoch admitted; despite his troubled mind, and the many intrusive thoughts that had come with the news that Wraen had given him, Rannoch knew that a conversation with the rest of leadership was essential. 

"We just need a plan to make sure it doesn't get as bad as you foresee." And that was all that Rannoch had the mental capacity to say for now. It would take some prompting to get his thoughts in line.

"Please, do so," Wraen was relieved that Rannoch seemed to take the matter seriously in comparison to Terance, who in the beginning had not wanted to think about it at all. Though she was not very happy about the upcoming puppy boom in the pack, she felt responsible for their safety and well-being and would hate, if she would fail them in any way. 

"We will have to consider moving around, if food becomes scarce," she offered her five cents. "The plains down there might attract deer in the spring and summer months," she said beckoning in the direction of Hoshor plains. "There are birds by the lake and then there is always the other side of the mountain range. I recently found a passage that leads there. "

Wraen was one of Rannoch's most trusted friends, and he had no reason to doubt her news. The information that followed was invaluable to Rannoch, and he nodded with every new fact that she presented. "Thank you, Wraen," Rannoch replied with evident relief. Suddenly, he felt more positive about the possible predicament— they had options, and hopefully, it would be these options that would save them all in the end. The entirety of Sunspire would need to work together as a team to ensure that everything went accordingly. 

"A tunnel?" he then asked, pinpointing that particular matter for a moment; this was the first that he had heard of the passageway. "Can you show me?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Kind of, but not really - I would rather say that it is an open path that is secured by big boulders above one's head occasionally," Wraen explained, got to her feet and stretched all limbs and back thoroughly, before leading Rannoch to the place, where the path lied.

"It is perfectly safe, but it takes some time to walk down and reach the other end," she thought it best to warn him beforehand, in case he had other business in mind for later.

Rannoch's expectations of the pathway were adjusted accordingly. "Sounds good," he replied as he dropped his chest to ground and stretched. Rannoch held the position for a moment and savored the sensation.

"That's fine," Rannoch replied once he was on all fours again and following Wraen's lead, "I'll trust that Terance and the others are on the borders, so, I'm good to take all the time that this needs." 

"Excellent," Wraen replied and led the way. She did not talk much, because finding the path - even though she had walked it at least three times already - was a task that she did not accomplish without making some mistakes on the way. In the end, however, all the landmarks told that they were heading in the correct direction and her step grew more confident. 

Eventually they arrived to a ledge, where two people could comfortably stand and have a look over the Rising Sun valley and the Snowforest taiga hidden by bluish-white mist in the distance. "See for yourself," she told Rannoch smiling.

Rannoch followed Wraen silently and without question. He trusted that she knew the way, as he was oblivious to when she misstepped and made mistakes, and eventually, they arrived. 

Rannoch was taken aback by the view that greeted them at the end of the pathway and he drank in the lush scenery for a lengthened moment before speaking. "It's incredible," Rannoch breathed, and he looked at Wraen with a smile. "Thank you for showing this to me. It'll be beneficial to all of us to know about the path."  

"Takes me every time," Wraen shared Rannoch's amazement about the view and the vast lands in the valley below waiting for them to explore. Besides she had already made some new acquaintances there and rekindled friendships with older ones as well.

"I think it's nice to have options, where to go," she added, "and there is simply something wonderful about being here and seeing it all from above. Makes you wish for wings and be able to fly and see more."

"Yeah," Rannoch agreed, "It does make me wish I had wings." The ability of flight would allow them to discover much more then they would on foot. 

"Have you journeyed much on this side?" Rannoch asked and glanced at Wraen; all he knew about the region was that Valette lived somewhere out there.

"A bit," Wraen said humbly, though ever since the discovery she had done some multi-day "safaris" in the unknown land. There was enough of it to quench her adventurous spirit for a long time. 

"And I have met some of the friends there as well," she added, thinking about Sunny and Indra. Acquaintances were the key to success, even if you did not know in the beginning, what good they would bring you in the future. 

"Want to take a little journey yourself? I guess that the whole alpha-business can be very tiring. Liffey and Terance will manage without you for a day, wouldn't they?" she asked.

"New friends?" he echoed with obvious interest, "Who are they?" Like Wraen, Rannoch knew the advantage of having friends.

Rannoch hesitated to reply to the question that followed. "I would," he replied after a pause. "But, it isn't as simple as Liffey and Terance taking over for the day." Rannoch wasn't sure how to delicately phrase what was on his mind and it was apparent by his expression that he was choosing his words carefully. 

"Liffey's heat hasn't arrived yet..." he elaborated, "And I'd much rather take the trip when that's all said and done." Unless there was a way to ensure that Liffey was safe, Rannoch would be sticking close to Sunspire for the time being.

"There is a guy from Morningside and then there is sort of a distant relative from Bearclaw valley," Wraen was vague about the names and identities of her friends. Let them be useful, when they actually needed them. "I understand that the Easthollow - the one pack we have alliance with - is in the vicinity as well, but I have not run into any of that folk."

When Rannoch began to explain, why he did not want to leave Sunspire just now, Wraen did not suspect that the rest of the reason would be so embarrassing. Therefore her expression went from "oh, I understand" to the incredulous "what?" and blushing beneath her fur. She stood silent for a long time, unable to find suitable words to get the conversation move forwards. 

"Oh, wow... eh... I have been turned down for many reasons, but you are probably the first, who turned my offer down, because of sex," she said finally - a half-hearted joke in order to at least partly retaliate for the very awkward situation he had put her in. Rannoch was her friend and all, but even then she did not want to know personal matters of that level. He could have easily lied and she would not have minded.

A particular portion of Wraen's knowledge intrigued Rannoch. "Morningside is near Bearclaw Valley and Easthollow?" he asked with obvious wonderment. "I've met a few wolves from there. They're a good bunch. I just thought they lived further away." 

Rannoch hadn't realized what sort of position he had put Wraen in until her expression reconstructed dramatically. "Oh," he exhaled with a sense of embarrassment once he realized what he had done, "Wraen, I-I didn't mean to." His ears fell, and his head stooped as his fixed his friend with an apologetic look. 

"Sorry about that." 

"You should be," Wraen said, bumping her shoulder against his lightly, "otherwise I will take it as a voucher to tell you all and everything about lady business some other time. And you don't want to have that, do you?" This was said with her smiling now - the momentarily awkwardness had crumbled and been whisked away. 

"Though... I might tease you mercilessly now?" she said in a contempletive tone with a cheeky glint in her green eyes. "But that would be very disrespectful, wouldn't it..."

Although Rannoch wouldn't be able to relate, he wouldn't have minded being a resource for Wraen to vent about her lady problems. He was, for the most part, an open book in regards to his issues and hoped that others could approach him in a similarly transparent manner. 

"Oh, yes, that'd be very disrespectful," Rannoch agreed with a similar glint in his eyes; he was relieved that Wraen's discomfort was relieved quickly. "After all, I am the big, bad Alpha that demands respect all the time," he reminded her with a light-hearted growl.

"I will have to watch out then," Wraen replied and was about to say something else, when three sneezes in a row interrupted her line of thought. There came a fourth one as well, but she muffled it by keeping her mouth shut. This, of course, did not make it sound any less funny as it had been.

"All the dust - ugh," she remarked, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a forepaw. "Let's head back then," she told him and turned to go.

Fade out and have a newer one? She can then tell about Moonspear.

Although the dust had yet to get the best of Rannoch, he realized that its presence was profound. He nodded at Wraen's suggestion and stepped turned towards the heart of the mountain and lead the way back.