YOOOOOOOOOOOO This is ofc AW but I would love it if chan could reply!
There's no need to match this length because I'll definitely never be writing as much again lol
The last days of spring brought back a feeling that Pyro had fought against for moons after his departure. It was home sickness, and it was bad.
The young Rochester had found the world to be a wide and wonderful place, and he didn't regret his decision to leave home even for a second. He'd crossed steep mountains and deep lakes, followed streams down to the coast and traversed thick forests that drove back inland and opened into vast plains carpeted in the silkiest of snow. And the hunts! Oh the north was rich with herds of all kinds of incredible beasts, each harder to track than the last and more thrilling to catch! But at some point all of that was bested by an itch Pyro couldn't fight back.
He knew he was back in the Teekon Wilds at the sight of the Glacier, and for days he walked across the wilds until he reached the Sunspire range. That was the first stop in his travel schedule (which were usually disregarded). Vassa— Err...Tryp was —despite their childish differences— still by far Pyro's best friend, and Northstar Vale was the last place he'd seen him.
The trek up the mountain was just as much fun as the young wanderer expected, except he found absolutely no one at the vale... Pyro sat back right at the lowest point of the range, staring at the distance trying to figure out what to do next. That lasted about five seconds because his legs couldn't stay still for too long and decided that the Sunspire looked like an awesome place to look at things from a different perspective. So he trekked up that bitch as well, and oh surprise! What did he find? Well, no other than the scent of Mr. @Rannoch himself! Excitement took over the young Rochester and he picked up his pace to reach the smelly borders with loud barks and howls to announce his return. Perhaps Tryp would hear him first and they would reunite in a warm (and awkward after about three seconds) embrace!
Tag for reference!
Pyro's call had reached Rannoch just as he had arrived at the stockpile nearest to the den he shared with
@Liffey. She was feeling peckish— read:
HANGRY— and Rannoch quickly assisted with her request. As the familiar voice of his former packmate sounded, the Alpha paused, perked his ears, and turned towards the direction from which the call originated from; it was undeniable that the cry belonged to Pyro.
Excitement consumed him, and almost instantly, the Alpha responded—
I need to do one thing, and I'll be right there! He turned then back to the cache, rummaged for the plumpest piece of prey that he could find, and quickly completed his delivery. Upon returning to their shared den, Rannoch explained what was going on, and why he was so out of breath; he broke into a jog the moment that he left his wife's side.
The sun was just beginning to descend as Rannoch spotted Pyro in the distance and upon seeing his friend, he barked,
"Pyro!" in greeting; the remaining distance between them was traveled nimbly. When Rannoch stood in front of Pyro, he greeted his old friend with a look of surprise as he attempted to catch his breath.
"You're here— and you've grown!" He couldn't help but say between labored pants.
Pyro's enthusiasm only added to the foundation of emotion that Rannoch had established on his own;
he did a jig to shake some of his excess excitement.
"Some guy named Vaati ambushed me out in Firefly Glen while I was looking for Cypress," Rannoch explained.
"But, it seems like you've been in a few fights yourself, am I right?" The nicks upon his friend were prominent.
Rannoch did not linger on the topic of scars for long— the two men had almost a year of catching up to do. But, before they could even begin to recall their respective experiences, Rannoch couldn't help but ask,
"Are you back here to join Sunspire or, just a visit?!"
Although Pyro's reply wasn't entirely what Rannoch had anticipated, he acknowledged the thought with a nod. Before he could elaborate on his perspective, a question was asked that caused the Alpha to frown.
"He isn't," Rannoch replied. "Tryp left shortly after you did, and did so without letting anybody know."
Deliberation went into Pyro's next thought, and while he considered his words, Rannoch waited patiently. After a recess, and when a conclusion was given, Rannoch couldn't help but beam at the response — Pyro was staying!
"Of course!" he replied with enthusiasm. His next bout of the dialogue was almost automatic, as if this portion of the recruitment process had been engrained in his brain. "You'll begin as a Theta but, I know you'll contribute and climb the ranks." He paused then for a moment to see if his friend had any objection. "And I can show you around now." Rannoch motioned for Pyro to join him within Sunspire's borders with a jerk of his head.