Spotted Eagle Mountain ein sturm brecht an

Sphyra trekked east after her visit to the hot springs. She still was not sure where she was headed, but that was alright. Other than a few skirmishes with coyotes, Sphyra'd been doing well and she was holding up alright on her own. The mountains to the east had drawn her attention. Redhawk Caldera wasn't a mountain exactly, but it had a lot of its features, especially near its borders which Sphyra frequented a lot in her later months living there. Sphyra longed to stand tall and overlook the lands around again sometime, and so she was drawn into the mountains.

Just as she headed into a mountain path that would lead up into the spotted eagle mountain, Sphyra noticed a rabbit in the snow. She held quiet and approached slowly. Then, as the rabbit noticed her and started to run, Sphyra quickly set in her pursuit. She neared a corner and expected to catch the rabbit just as she rounded it.

After visiting his mom, Caracal headed back to Emberwood to hang with @Killdeer and company for a day or two. Then he grew restless again and dragged his buddy along with him as he headed toward the nearby mountains. Caracal thought it would be funny to abandon Killer while he was busy taking a dump somewhere near The Sunspire, so he galloped south, snickering under his breath the whole way.

Something caught his eye and he slowed. Caracal blinked at the peculiar dappling on the nearby mountain’s flank. Driven forward by curiosity, he ascended. He discovered many blackened trees, most of them felled but plenty still standing upright. He had never seen evidence of a fire before, though when he pressed his nose against a charred trunk, the smell made his skin crawl.

A sudden burst of noise saw him drawing away from the dead tree to watch as a rabbit appeared from behind a boulder. Before Caracal could even think of pursuing it, another figure materialized right behind it. Surprised recognition registered pretty quickly.

Without missing a beat, Caracal echoed his past self by hollering, Get him, Tierra! Finish him!

Just as she rounded the corner, Sphyra heard some shouting not too far off. She filtered out most of it, focused on the chase and the hunt and the kill. This voice could've shouted anything at her and she would've ignored it completely — even her own name, probably. Anything, except maybe her sister's name.

An ear slipped towards the voice. Sphyra was distracted and she slipped on some loose rubble she'd missed, causing her to slide off the path she was on. Thankfully it wasn't a very long way down — maybe one or two wolf's lengths —, but she landed in some prickly bushes, which caused her to yelp out.

Not two seconds after he shouted, “Tierra” lost her footing and went tumbling—his shoulder came up around his ears as if bracing for impact himself—and landed in a bush bristling with bare branches. Caracal’s ears flattened at his sister’s yelp. He hissed sympathetically through his teeth, then scrambled over toward her.

Oh shit, Tierra! Fuck! My bad! Are you okay?! the boy hollered en route, leaping down the slight outcropping and mildly twisting his ankle. Ignoring its smarting, Caracal nosed toward his sibling and let out a snort. Ohhh shit, Sphyra, my b, my b! Fuck! You’re okay, right? Because, out of the twins, she was definitely the most unshakably indestructible.

Sphyra let out a high-pitched yelp as she crashed into the prickly bushes. Crackle's familiar voice echoed her sister's name again, but this time Sphyra was too busy getting out of the bushes. It was mostly her butt that had gotten a few sharp thorns in it, so once she managed to wriggle herself to her feet, it didn't hurt very much. Not until she had to move, anyway.

As Crackle arrived at the ditch and started nosing her — finally using her own name — Sphyra pushed his head away with her shoulder as she said, What does it look like, Crackle?! Get out of my way! And then she tried to climb back up the not-very-challenging slope, past her brother, though every step hurt a little. Sphyra realised, much to her annoyance, that she might need some help with those thorns in her butt.

She shoved him away, which reassured him. Of course she was fine. This was Sphyra. Caracal stayed out of her way as she righted herself and tried to walk. His nose told him there was blood on the air just seconds before he spotted several thorns embedded in her hindquarters. He winced on her behalf.

Pointing a red toe, he asked sympathetically, Do you want me to help with those?

Sphyra wasn't really looking forward to asking Crackle to help her sort out those thorns, but she knew she had no other choice. Well, actually, she did have a choice, and she decided as she reached the path that she would try to do it herself first. If all else failed, then she could always ask Crackle. Then again, he'd be laughing the whole way through, whether she succeeded or not. Maybe she should just accept life with thorns in her butt.

Before Sphyra could actually set any plans in motion — whether it was walking away without having the thorns removed, trying to do it herself, or asking Caracal — Caracal offered to do it. Sphyra scoffed and said, What do you think? She was sort of glad that Caracal had offered, honestly, but she didn't want him to know that. Sphyra shook her body — and winced as it sent a spike of pain towards her hindquarters — and then turned her butt towards Crackle, waiting impatiently while getting ready for a spike of pain. She'd fallen into brambly places more often as a kid, she knew the drill.

If he had to choose just one word to describe his sister, he would probably pick “combative.” But Caracal had grown up alongside her and served as her punching bag too many times to take any personal offense at her attitude. Her resemblance to a porcupine was kind of funny, though he kept his mouth shut; only his eyes laughed.

I think those look like they hurt, he answered her, moving closer and squinting at his sister’s butt. Man, there’s, like… a lot. This might take a while, at least if you want me to do it as carefully as possible. If you’d rather I just sort of quickly yank them out, I can do that too. Uh, any preferences? Caracal had a feeling, but he waited to see how she’d respond.

Honestly, her question had been rhetoric, but she let it pass when Caracal started to offer his honest advice on the prickly situation. In the end, Caracal offered her a choice — fast and painful or slow and careful. Sphyra's first thought was slow and careful, but then she thought it would only hurt for a long period of time. Maybe fast would be better after all. She'd be rid of it quicker that way.

Make it fast, she commanded her brother, and the young warrior closed her eyes and grit her teeth while she waited for the floodgates of pain to open.

Okay, he said simply, nodding as he shifted even closer, assessing Sphyra’s situation. Here goes.

He peeled his lips away from his teeth and nipped at the first thorn. He didn’t quite get it the first try, though he quickly reattempted. Caracal pulled it out without fanfare.

Did you, he said before pulling out the next one. Know that. And the next. Mom’s living. Three, four, five… In Moonglow now? And Fennec and Bronco are camping out in some woods on the other side of these mountains. Oh. He got back to work.

Sphyra grit her teeth and clenched them briefly every time that Caracal pulled out a thorn. Meanwhile, he was giving her a totally unasked for update on everyone's lives. Well, it was kind of good to hear about them, she supposed, though Sphyra rolled her eyes to herself nonetheless.

Fennec and Bronco were somewhere, and their mother was at Moonglow (which was no surprise to Sphyra). It sounded like Crackle'd gotten around. What about — Sphyra clenched her teeth with a withheld grunt as a thorn was pulled out. — Aunt Rue? She wondered about Tierra, too, but didn't ask for now. It was likelier that her twin was far away than aunt Rue.

He didn’t answer her until he pulled the final thorn from her hindquarters. Caracal knew he should clean the wounds, especially if Sphyra couldn’t reach them. He didn’t care to do that for her, though he wondered if his sister would mind his tongue on her bum.

I’m not sure about Auntie Woo. Mom didn’t say, Caracal replied ponderously. Have you heard from Tierra? he wondered in the next breath, unaware that he’d unintentionally read Sphyra’s mind. And do you want me to clean these, or can you reach them?

It seemed to take forever, but finally the grueling task of having the thorns pulled out was done. Crackle didn't answer her until then. He didn't know where Ruenna was, either. He asked about Tierra. Sphyra visibly hesitated for a second or two before she said, I dunno. I haven't seen her. She wasn't with the Frosthawks when I visited. She hesitated to tell Caracal that Tierra'd confided in her she didn't plan to stay with the Frosthawks back when she had left, but what was the point now? She wasn't with the 'hawks, and Sphyra had no clue where she was at. Seemed pointless to linger. I take it you haven't seen her either, then. Though it was kinda nice seeing Caracal again (a thing she'd never admit) it was different than seeing Tierra.

I can reach them, Sphyra said when Caracal asked if she needed help cleaning the wounds. She'd see if she could actually reach them later, but they weren't very big or painful anyway so Sphyra didn't expect them to get infecty or anything. The thorns'd been the worst of it.

She insisted she could reach them, so Caracal took a step back to give Sphyra her space now that the task was complete. His attention drifted from his sister’s butt to her face, his tail waving leisurely as he savored this moment of reunion.

So, you visited the Frosthawks? What else have you been up to? he wondered with genuine curiosity.

It was a relief to be facing Caracal by face now rather than butt. Caracal asked what she'd been up to, and honestly, there wasn't a lot to tell. She'd had some run-ins, of course — with Hymnal, with the dude who'd stolen from the Redhawk Caldera caches — but nothing worth noting, really. Sphyra shrugged casually as Caracal asked the question, and answered, Eh, nothing much. Just exploring a bit. How about you? Anything interesting happen?

She was probably downplaying the measure of her adventures, though Caracal didn’t push. He just nodded and said, That’s what Killer and I have been doing: exploring a bunch. Wait, have you been all on your own, then? he queried even as the thought hit him.

It didn't surprise Sphyra that Crackle was with Killdeer. They'd been pretty thick with one another since they were young, so it made sense that they'd end up travelling the world together. Caracal seemed surprised that she was on her own, and Sphyra lifted an eyebrow as she said, Yeah, I'm on my own. Why the surprise? She was practically an adult anyway, Sphyra thought, so she didn't think much of it that she was on her own. It seemed natural for young wolves.

She seemed surprised by his surprise. I’m not, really, Caracal replied honestly, knowing that if any young wolf could take care of herself, it was Sphyra. It just sounds really boring and lonely. Have you thought about tracking down Tierra? He was about to invite her to hang with him and Killer, but then it occurred to him: maybe she liked roaming solo. Unless you’re good? he tacked on, eyes searching her face.

Sphyra was getting a little annoyed with how Caracal was calling her current life boring and lonely, and how he suggested she track down Tierra. What was he, her mother? Sphyra's annoyance showed on her face, but just as she was about to respond that she didn't need Tierra, Crackle gave her (and himself) an out by asking if she was good. Sphyra's stormy expression calmed and she nodded as she said, I'm good. Maybe some time away from the family was good for her. Who knew, she might meet new wolves to get along with. Her experience with her family was that they tended to just leave when they wanted, anyway. She wanted to be the one to leave, this time.

Thanks for the help, Crackle, Sphyra said with a lopsided grin. Take care. She nodded at him and started to head out, not sure where she was going, but knowing she had to strike out on her own.

She insisted she was good. Caracal gave her a long look, then nodded his acceptance. Cool, he said returning her lopsided smile. No problem, he added. You too. He waved as Sphyra turned to go, a bit sad to part ways but strangely certain they would bump into one another again someday. In the meantime, they could both take care of themselves.