The Sunspire And as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever

Haha, long title is long. The lyrics are from here.

She only spent a short while at the plateau, knowing that if she lingered too long, she might be tempted to stay. She couldn't do that to Swordfish, her Alphas or the rest of Thief River Falls. She was their leader and they needed her back. It took all of Junior's strength to say goodbye to Saena et al, yet she did, then headed east through the foothills. She would need to turn north eventually, once she passed the mountains.

The yearling stopped in the shadow of a particular peak to lap from a small brook that wound through its shadow, presumably meeting up with the river at some point. The day was cool, though she relaxed in the grass for a moment, panting and licking her feet. She had a long road ahead of her, so she wanted to make sure she was in good shape.

She had just flopped onto her side and decided to take a quick power nap when a breeze stirred past, rustling the grass and the long black fur at the nape of her neck. Junior leaned into it, breathing in the spring smells, then started and jumped to her feet when @Tytonidae's scent was among them, blowing straight down from the nearby mountainside.

*eases back into character*

Ever since Ty had come to The Sunspire, she had been listless, depressed, and reserved. Summer had stayed, and she had spent most nights with him—aside from the time he was away—being that he was one of the few things that could calm her nerves. Spring had been working its way through the Teekon Wilds, and Ty had actually begun to take notice. Where there was once mountains of snow, there were now only small piles of the white crunchy substance. Where there was once ice, there was now water. Prey was more and more abundant, and the young Redleaf-DiSarinno had started to come out of her hiding more and more each day.

Moving swiftly down the mountainside, with no more reason than feeling marginally better today, Tytonidae felt the wind blow across her charcoal fur, which had darkened significantly since she'd been a child. It was now even more difficult to tell where the dark grey ended and her black markings began. All that remained now was a very subtle difference in darkness on her tail and the patch on her chest.

She was so preoccupied with the positive vibe she was feeling that Ty nearly walked right over her sister. Instead of surprise, astonishment, or bewilderment, Tytonidae spoke in her characteristically slow, airy tone. "Osprey," she greeted, as if no more than a few hours had passed since they had last seen one another. "How have you been?"

Tytonidae herself appeared and Junior almost sprang forward to embrace her just like she had done with Saena. She held back, though, uncertain of how she would be received. The last words Ty had ever spoken to Junior had included a particularly strong one: hate. Although the feeling was not mutual and Junior only wanted to reunite with her sister, she had no idea how Ty felt about it after all this time.

No one had called her Osprey in a long time, though Junior did not correct her sister. "Ty," she said warmly, tail wiggling tentatively as she closed the space between them. She reached out to lightly nudge the other wolf's muzzle. "I've been good. I don't live here in the wilds anymore but I came back to visit for our birthday. I just came from the plateau," she shared, then asked, "How about you? Have you been here this whole time?"

Tytonidae made small mhmm-ing noises as Osprey explained where she had been and why she was here. While she had not exactly forgotten the horrible things that both of her sisters had said, Ty had forced herself to put it aside. If she was to say horrible things about them, it made her just as much of a monster. Ty was an extremely forgiving character, and she probably would not have made it through life without being as much. Most (if not all) of her family had gone, and expending the energy to hate them was too much work. Healing and forgiving from afar was far easier.

"I have. I live here with Summer. He's a boy," Ty explained. There was nothing romantic about their relationship (yet?), but Ty had grown close to the Ostrega, and he was as good as family to her now. He had been her rock to lean on during the winter months, and she would not—could not—forget that. "Where do you live?" Ty asked, head tilted to one side. If Osprey was no longer living in the area, where had she gone? "Is Mom there, living with you?" Hawkeye had not been seen in months, but Ty would have welcomed her back with open arms (legs?) if she ever showed up again.

Her sister did not react to the brief nuzzle, which Junior took as a good sign, even if it left her feeling a little hollow. She took a seat, her two-toned eyes roving over Tytonidae's familiar features. You look darker, she thought to herself. It wasn't just about the color of Ty's fur, either. It was as if there was a cloud lurking over her sister's head, invisible but casting some sort of shadow over her.

"That's cool!" Junior said enthusiastically, happy that Ty had found someone special. "I live a few days north of here in a pack called Thief River Falls. I'm the Beta. I have a boy too. His name is Swordfish." She cracked a smile, though it fell when Tytonidae asked about their mother. "No... she isn't. I haven't seen mom in... an age," she said. And, honestly, she didn't miss either one of their parents.

"Will you tell me more about Summer? And your life here?" she requested in the next beat. "Happy birthday, by the way! We're one... or we will be soon, anyway." She shrugged a bony black shoulder. She couldn't recall the exact date (and she knew Saena's and Pura's was technically different) but she did know they'd been born in early spring, which it was again now, a full year later.

Osprey, a beta? And she "had" a boy? It only made Ty feel more like she'd always felt: behind. Her sister had always outshined her in every regard, and the distance between them had grown and grown. Tytonidae felt it even more now, and it made her heart sink. She would never be like Osprey, nor would she aspire to. What would their father think if he knew that Osprey was off doing big "adult" things while Ty had merely been lingering at The Sunspire and moping for months on end?

"Summer's gentle and nice," Ty admitted with a soft smile. "He keeps me company. Life here is..." Ty paused thoughtfully, trying to think of the best way to describe The Sunspire. "simple." She woke, hunted for food, spent time in Summer's silent company, and lived her life. Nothing drastic had happened since the plateau daughter had come here. So much of her childhood had been turmoil, so the yearling was glad to have a break from it all.

"Gentle," Junior repeated, "just like you." She smiled fondly at Tytonidae. Simple described her sister pretty well too, though she stopped short of mentioning that because it could be taken as an insult. She had always appreciated Ty's airiness and carefree spirit. Despite the queerly overcast look of her, Junior hoped she never lost those traits.

"Are you happy?" she wondered lightly. "I want happiness for you, Ty. I love you, you know? I know we both said some mean things the last time we saw each other but I just wanted you to know that. It'll never change, even if we're far apart and stuff. Sorry for the sap," she apologized with a lopsided grin. It definitely wasn't typical of her, at least with the wolves around here, though it was one of Swordfish's many effects on her. He had really softened some of Junior's sharp edges.

Ty smiled at her sister's observation. Aside from the one time she had flung out a slew of insults toward Osprey and Saena, Ty had been quite reserved. Even if Osprey had called her simple, Tytonidae would not have been insulted. It was much easier to be simple than it was to live a complicated life. In all likelihood, Ty would remain a simple creature, content to live out her days uneventfully.

Osprey brought up the past, and Tytonidae tensed, but her sister's intentions did not seem hostile, and the girl relaxed just as quickly. "I love you, too, Osprey," she said (gently, as usual). Gingerly, Ty stepped forward and gave her sister a lick on the muzzle. "Sometimes we say things we don't mean."

She felt such relief when her sister returned her sentiment and even gave her a lick on the muzzle. Junior's tail thumped and she felt a strange lump in her throat. Ty hadn't answered her question but she didn't even notice; she was too busy feeling relieved that their past spat had not permanently destroyed their relationship. Junior merely nodded to acknowledge the wisdom of Ty's sage words.

"Do you think you'll have a family here someday? With Summer? You would be a good mother, if you wanted that," Junior opined. Although Tytonidae hadn't asked, she added, "Swordfish and me, we've talked about it. We don't want pups. We want to be free to travel and basically... do what we want, instead of getting tied down with a family. But everybody's different."

I had to, because I get this shit ALL THE TIME.

Ty rolled her shoulders. "Summer and I aren't together," she clarified. Summer was... well, he was her friend. She did like him, that much was true, but she was not sure if they were going to settle down with one another. Tytonidae wasn't much of a catch, and she had a feeling that Summer had more grand aspirations for what he wanted to do with his life. He could soar high, and Tytonidae was happy to be along for the ride... but she'd just be loping along on the ground.

Osprey's words caused her eyebrows to lift, though. "How can you know already?" she asked. They were both so... so young! Certainly there was a chance that her sister would change her mind. Maybe once she spied some cute little pups rolling around, she'd get the urge to have children. Ty hadn't given it much thought, if she was being perfectly honest. It was still another year—another lifetime—away from now before she could even consider such a notion.

"Oh," Junior replied, not sure what to say to rectify her misapprehension. How come? didn't seem like an appropriate response. Before she could formulate one, Ty posed a question that made her smile patiently. She had been through this with Ira and Bones, though they hadn't put any pressure on her. It wasn't really in their interests to encourage their Beta pair to breed, after all, since their pack was relatively small and they should reserve the privilege for themselves when the time came.

"I just know," she said with a shrug. "We both do. And, yeah, there's a possibility we'll change our minds but I just don't see it happening. I have, like, zero interest in puppies." This was definitely due in part to her age old distaste for Peregrine's future pups with Fox... which were probably much more present than future these days. The thought made her stomach clench. "I'm too flighty to be a mom!" she added lightly.

"Hey, do you still hang out with all your woodland friends?" Junior suddenly wondered. She did not refer to them as imaginary, of course, because what if Tytonidae still spent time with them? There was no telling if she had grown out of that phase, though perhaps she had and that's why her sister sensed a darkness and hollowness around Tytonidae.

Ty still couldn't quite wrap her head around her sister making that decision so soon. To be perfectly honest, the Sunspire wolf didn't know if she wanted to have kids or not. It wasn't something she'd given any thought to. Her mind was much too focused on other things, like trying to become a better gamekeeper for her pack. Osprey did seem rather flighty, but all of their family seemed to be. Even Tytonidae had sprinted away from Blacktail Deer Plateau to live here. Could it be genetic?

"Not anymore," she replied with a shrug. They had come around less and less when Tytonidae had met Summer, and now she didn't see them at all. Perhaps she should have been sad or upset, but she merely thought of them as old friends. Everybody left eventually... that was just the way of the world. "Do you want to meet Summer? I can call for him."

Ty's reply did not surprise her and Junior did not pursue the subject. When her sister asked if she wanted to meet Summer, she bobbed her head and said, "Yeah, I'd love to." She remained blissfully ignorant to the fact that she'd already met him once, long ago... and that her sister's friend was in fact the reason Junior had eventually run away from Ankyra Sound without ever looking back.

Oblivious to the turn this encounter was about to take, the black yearling waited for Tytonidae to call for the boy before inquiring, "So do you think this is where you'll stay for good? I just wanna know so that if and when I come back to visit again, I know where to find you."

Well... I effed up and already implied that Summer wasn't able to meet them in this thread... so no surprise twist for us, boo!

Ty's tail whirled about excitedly, wondering how Summer and Osprey would get along. And really, why wouldn't they get along. There was the small fact that Ty had told Summer both Osprey and Saena were horrible wolves, but that was long ago, and Ty had long forgiven both of them (at least in her mind). Hopefully Summer would understand that. Without missing a beat, Ty's voice filled the air around them, summoning her friend and hoping he would come running. What she didn't know was that Summer hadn't heard her call (for one reason or another), and he would not be coming to meet them. Mostly because Rem's a dum-dum who didn't time things correctly, boo.

"I don't know why I'd leave," Tytonidae replied when Osprey asked if she'd be here later. Life was an uncertain thing, Ty had come to learn, and she was not sure where it would take her in the coming months (or years, for that matter). "Maybe someday, I'll come visit you in... Theif River?" she asked, not sure if she'd gotten the name correct.

Haha, that's fine. Maybe next time! ;)

"Well, if you ever do take off to greener pastures, just leave a forwarding address with someone here or something," Junior quipped, then nodded. "Thief River Falls. It's a few days north of here. Our cousin, Bones, leads it with her mate, Ira. She came to visit us when we were really little, though I know I don't remember it." She shrugged a bony black shoulder. "She actually saved my life, though. The reason I left the plateau was because I went into the mountains and hurt myself by accident. She found me, took me in and, well... the rest is history."

She let Tytonidae digest that for a moment before saying, "But I'd love it if you visited! You can meet Swordfish, Bones, Ira... the whole gang. And I do plan to visit here again. I'll try to bring the boy toy with me next time. You'd like him. He's really sweet... and gentle," she added because it was a term her sister had used to describe Summer.

"Think he's coming?" Junior asked after a few minutes, as they'd received no howl of acknowledgement and no handsome young man had yet appeared to join them.

Ty listened with rapt attention as Osprey explained in more detail about Bones, Ira, and Thief River Falls. She was happy to hear that Osprey's boy was sweet and gentle, just like Summer. And while Ty didn't have those kinds of feelings for Summer, she hadn't had them for anybody. Perhaps she was like their aunt Osprey, and she wouldn't ever be involved with anybody in a romantic sense. But, of course, Ty was still young and did not believe her current state was set in stone. The world was fluid, and she was a part of that fluidity.

Osprey then asked if Summer was coming, and Ty bit her lip, looking back up the mountainside. He hadn't called back, and he was gone occasionally, so perhaps he was outside of range for the time being. "Maybe not. He is probably busy," Ty replied with a sheepish look. "If I come visit, I'll make sure Summer comes along, too." Ty didn't account for the possibility that Summer might be hitched by that point.

"Do you want to hunt something while you're here? It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I've been working on my hunting skills, though." She was no true gamekeeper, but Ty had never stopped trying. In fact, she was pretty sure she'd been putting off seeing their dad for that very reason. She wanted to have something to brag about when she finally made her way down to Redhawk Caldera.

It appeared she would not meet Summer today. Junior was disappointed but only because she knew it would have meant a lot to Ty. "Next time," she promised in a low but vehement voice, nudging her sister's chin. "That would be awesome," she added genuinely when Tytonidae mentioned visiting with Summer sometime.

Truthfully, Junior was already exhausted and she had a long journey ahead of her. She would rather eat carrion than waste energy on a hunt. But she was not about to turn down an opportunity to spend quality time with Ty. So she would be a bit more tired on the trip home and she might have to make a few more pit stops. It was well worth the sacrifice.

"Sure!" she said, giving away none of her thought processes. "Let's see those skills." Junior almost made a comment about their father, knowing he was big into hunting, but she refrained. Why spoil a perfectly good conversation with mention of Peregrine?

Hope you don't mind me wrapping this up!

Happy that her sister was willing to hunt, Ty licked Osprey's chin, then yapped excitedly in the direction she thought the nearest prey was. She had a good feeling that they would catch something easily. They'd hunted a time or two as children, so it couldn't be that much different than it had been back then. Tytonidae's tail continued to whirl like a windmill on a blustery August afternoon as she made her way toward their intended food.

"I'm really glad you came to visit," Ty said after they'd gone on in silence for a few minutes. She meant it, too. Family was a precious and seemingly fragile thing. Tytonidae had been distanced from many of them for a long while. Perhaps it was even time to venture to Blacktail Deer Plateau and make amends with Saena. Maybe Pura would be there, too. First, though, she wanted to earn her official gamekeeper title and visit their father.

The hunt would undoubtedly go smoothly, and then Osprey would be on her way back home.

C'est parfait. :)

Tytonidae took the lead and Junior fell into step beside her sister. They scouted forth in mutual, companionable silence for a while before Ty broke it. "I'm really glad you came to visit." The slightly darker of the two smiled sideways and nudged her sister's cheek. Of course she'd come. It was their birthday. And although her life had moved onto bigger, better things, Junior wouldn't just walk out on her loved ones like their father. She couldn't do that to them.

They proceeded side by side and it wasn't long before Ty got the chance to demonstrate her prowess. Together, they felled a small fawn and enjoyed a birthday supper. When they were finished eating, Junior kissed Tytonidae's cheek goodbye, then plucked up the fawn's feathery tail, which had been tossed aside. She would take it back home with her, as a memento of her visit to the Teekon Wilds.