Redtail Rise was not the land of her childhood that Moon Runner remembered. It was like a thick fog had been cast about the land. Confusion in the ranks left all feeling discontent and a wake of stress ebbed at every wolf’s spirit.
And so it was up to each wolf to choose their path.
Father had shown Moon Runner the Maplewood.
She ruminated this as she dragged an elk femur, with a partially attached tibia, and looked for
@Mulherin.
Though Redd willed for peace between the two families, it was unsure if they would stick together. His connection to Augur, New Snow, and their daughters was worth the cost of leaving Masquerade’s side. In the end, he hopes it hadn’t been for nothing.
The boy ruminates on this as he walks. With patrols completed, he has nothing to attend to.
He sees a pale figure in the distance, heading his way with a hefty bone in tow.
Like his namesake, Moon Runner spied Shadow’s dark figure against the white snow. He had grown large since she had dispersed – a formidable Bjern trained to protect and guard the Rise. It was ironic that few threats bothered their borders these days. All of the violence came from within the beating heart of their tribe.
Moon Runner’s steps quickened, head turned to the side as she labored to drag her prize through the deep snow. When she drew near, the young woman dropped it for a moment and approached Shadow.
She stood before him and reached out to sniff his pelt, his face, his maw; the leather of her nose hovering just above his fur to glean scent -- where she inspected him alluded to their close familiarity. Her low tail wagged slowly from side to side and she emitted a calm energy.
Are you alright? The spirit asked as Moon Runner’s soft eyes regarded the young man she had known since his boyhood.
He’d nearly mistaken her for New Snow, but it was instead Moon Runner who approached.
The both of them had grown considerably since her departure. He still wonders where all she had gone, the sights she’d seen and the new faces she may’ve met. In the end, he knows she wouldn’t be here if she’d found something better. Or maybe she was willing to abandon it all for the Rise.
His tail wags as she draws near, leaving behind the trophy she brought with her. He walks a few paces ahead to meet her. When she sniffs at him, he politely does the same. The familiarity of her scent was soothing.
As she sweeps by his face, he reaches to offer her a lap of the snout. She pulls away then, and her eyes pose a question.
He offers a thin smile in response, then offers a slight tilt of his head.
Been better. And you?
Moon Runner was prepared for Shadow to be emotional or stressed. The pack had been through a lot. He had been through a lot. A mother dead, a sister troubled, and a clan divided. Yet, when he offered a small lick to her maw, Moon Runner felt everything would be okay. The gesture of touch reconnected their spirits, despite the time apart, and reminded the young woman of the Rise she had once known, now forever changed.
Then, the cadence of her tail picked up when she parsed Shadow’s expression. He had a kind face and a steady presence despite his weathered facade.
You are tired, the spirit observed.
Her head ducked slightly as she studied the press of his mouth. Then, she licked her own nose to show him a calming signal as her gaze momentarily diverted to the nearby forest.
I did not expect things to be this way, the spirit said.
Moon Runner's amber eyes sought Shadow again. Her mouth opened, smiling, as her face relaxed.
But I am happy to be home.
However, her lids fluttered and Moon Runner looked away, telegraphing the disharmony she sensed within their pack. Her family was tenuously tethered here and Moon Runner feared this feeling of peaceful relief would lapse.
Even without words, Moon Runner seemed to see right through him.
He appreciates the tranquility in her presence. There was no need for explanations, no need to verbalize what simply could not be said.
The boy observes her curiously.
Though notably affected by the tension, she seems content here, which warms his features. Glad to have you back.
but the future weighs on his mind.
Her gentle eyes evade him now.
He follows her gaze to the woodland, his focus flicking between her and the distance, before they finally return to her. All as if to softly ask,
Do you plan to stay, or go?
Moon Runner feels Shadow’s gaze upon her. Her head does not move but her amber eyes peer at him from their corners. One ear swiveled.
I do not know, the spirit said.
She was loyal to the Rise, yes, but the bonds of blood directed her instinct. If her parents were to mate, was it not the responsibility of the litters from years past to help raise the new generation? As a yearling, Moon Runner would care, feed, and protect the young alongside Sister. If her family left the Rise, Moon Runner would follow.
Stressed by the dichotomy, Moon Runner huffed a sigh, and a plume of vapor puffed from her nostrils. Then, she shook her furs as if to release the heebie jeebies.
Her jowls curled in a smile as her body bent, tail wagging between her hocks, as she assumed a playful posture. Then, Moon Runner pounced upon the bone she had carried all this way. After all, she had intended to play with it together with Shadow!
The look in her eye is unmistakable; she was guided by blood. Though the thought of living without her was saddening, he feels more respect for her than anything. His own allegiance has been in flux. It swayed between a staunch refusal to abandon the Rise, to answering his own whispers of wanderlust.
Sensing her emotions, he offers a reassuring bump of the nose to her cheek, which she seems to accept with her usual grace.
The bone catches his attention now. He croons a raspy whine, encouraging her to take ahold of it. A game of tug-of-war is on his mind.
Shadow noticed the bone!
To be engaged in play was a good change of pace. A welcomed distraction.
She picked up one end and began to drag it through the snow with staccato motions to entice him. A low, playful growl hummed through Moon Runner’s throat, daring him to try and take it from her.
The bone leaves a trail of upturned snow in its wake, like a ship on water.
Mulherin trots after her at a deliberate pace. His muscles are taut with tension, waiting for the right moment to strike. Moon Runner growls, which he meets with his own.
Finally, he dives, seizes the bone, and yanks—trying to pull her along with it.
Shadow was strong and Moon Runner liked the challenge. She dug in her fangs and growled playfully when he snagged the other end of the femur. She set back her weight, tail whipping like a rattlesnake. He would not have a victory so easily!
Moon Runner is eager to play with him.
The boy thrashes his head, trying to writhe the bone from her grip. He repeatedly tugs, nearly losing his own grasp when the sound of a crack from the bone is heard. It throws him for a loop for a moment, before he quickly realizes the bone has not broken. Perhaps a piece on the inside had fragmented.
Such a nice thread~ wrapping this for us!
The spirit is pleased to strengthen their social bonds through play, and so when the bone cracked Moon Runner became emboldened.
Neither youth surrendered. Together they thrashed their heads, growling jovially like wild, feral beasts. Eventually, the bone could not endure the pressure placed upon it. With a crack of finality, it sundered into two.
With the juicy marrow exposed, Moon Runner gestured to a distant dell where they could enjoy their treat together.