Firefly Glen the old haunt

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Osiris had finally mustered up the courage to revisit Firefly Glen. Despite everything that had happened, he had missed visiting the dell. Not only were his visits a welcome escape from his day-to-day duties, but he had felt particularly drawn to it because of the connection it had to Charon. He felt closest to his grandfather's spirit when he was in the glen. 

His first excursion had been relatively eventless, save for the scent of fox that he had happened across. Weaving through the untamed grasses, Osiris followed the scent-trail that the vermin had left behind. Although he knew that the path had led him a reasonable distance away from Moonspear's borders, he followed it regardless; he didn't want any foxes anywhere remotely close his younger siblings. Sure, his need to keep any foxes at least two territories away was a little excessive, but Osiris was determined to keep them all safe.

With her cousins born, Leta became all too aware that she needed to become... braver. Her aunt, her mother, her father... they each aided her in this journey, but she realized that this part of the journey she must do alone. Not permanently, of course. After talking with her mother and father, she explained that she wanted to see if she could go and find their allies to update them on their wellbeing and status. Last time they had not been able to do so successfully due to her own anxieties... but Leta felt ready now. 

Ready as she ever would be, anyway. 

After promising a hundred times over that she would be alright (and saying it so many times, convincing herself as well as her parents that she would be), Leta was on her way... not before offering her uncle @Siarut a snack to give to her aunt. 

She thought of stopping to see her aunt first, but the idea of running into the girl that lived there caused her to think better on it. Leta might not make it to Moonspear if she was made to cry, first, after all. It took longer to head there by herself; before nightfall, Leta would find a safe, quiet place to rest that was well secluded. Her practice was not so different than mothers finding a whelping den. Leta made sure her sleeping quarters were all but impossible to find. 

Several days later, Leta arrived in the Glen. Again. The first time here her memories were... fuzzy. No doubt her anxiety attributed to that. Before long she saw a strapping male; he was substantial in figure, like her father... his emerald eyes were quite captivating, and Leta stopped to marvel in silence at the impressiveness of him. Her stomach seemed to flip once, but when she recognized he was striding right toward her, dozens of anxious butterflies exploded from the center of the acrobatic knot that tossed and turned. 

It was not the anxiety she was used to, though. It was different in that it wasn't bad, but it did cause her to reel and feel nervous which was... familiar. Painfully familiar. Be brave, she told herself. Her family was full of strong, charming women. Her aunt, her sister, her mother. HEYLI!! she greeted, perhaps a little too loudly. Heyli???? she asked herself, her mouth and mind both betraying her inability to choose between which sounded best of "hey" "hello" or "hi". 

It took all of her not to grimace visibly. Her tail waved shyly, ears flattening atop her crown before being flung right back up to hear if he might even answer her (strange) greeting.

"HEYLI!", a voice said. 

Osiris spun around to face Leta, startled by her unexpected presence and irritated that there was another intruder in Firefly Glen. His initial thoughts had been brash and overbearing, but they vanished almost immediately once he saw her face; she was beautiful. His heart began to flutter, and he looked at her for a moment, unsure of how to reply. He wasn't used to being at a loss of words or having his heart race—but Leta had managed had managed to have that power over him with a single look. 

"... H-Hey," he managed awkwardly, letting out a deep breath. Even with his boyish feelings taking over, his sense of duty was still prevalent. "Do you know that you're trespassing?" he asked, less assertive than any previous intruder interactions. "If not... it's okay—" even though it wasn't, "—but... there have been some bad wolves lurking here. You... shouldn't be alone." he advised, swallowing a lump in his throat. "But it's okay now... I know this glen. You're safe."

His initial look had her wilt in place. There was something powerful about his presence, and though it was frightening it was equally exciting. In some ways, it reminded her of her own father. He was a dominant presence, and very strong... but he was not bad, and so Leta did not feel as though the tawny wolf before her was bad either. Likely surprised by her sudden and loud greeting, to which Leta bashfully looked away and said, 'msorry! having not meant to cause him a fright. 

His question caused her to look back to him. O-oh! No, she rejoins, I would never intentionally... I... she sniffed at the earth then, noting that there was a certain concentration of scents. Like Alya's, she recalled. Is this also Moonspear? she marveled, head drawing up a little as she looked to the mountain behind him? Woah...

As for his next statement, Leta once again found her eyes upon him. Bad wolves...? She had apparently met one. Still, her memory did not permit her to remember it. They existed in this world, she knew... she hoped to never encounter one again. Leta would have to let her mother know of these bad wolves. With her head lowered, she darted nearer to him (though only a little bit). His statement of her being safe caused her to trust him, and even she realized she was being a little naive. What if he was a bad wolf? 

Do you know Alya? she tested then with a little wave of her tail, knowing Alya was a Moonspear native. A silly test, given he could easily say "yes" and she would take his word for it, but Leta did not know that. She had never tested anyone before, after all. But if he did, he was obviously trustworthy.

Osiris felt instant regret when Leta looked away. "S'kay!" he reassured her, musting a smile as his initial excitement simmered. To further prove his point, his tail gave a few, friendly wags. 

When Leta realized she was upon Moonspear's claim, Osiris nodded. "Yes, we use this area as hunting grounds," he explained. "But, a lot of wolves make the same mistake—I'm here to protect it and tell them otherwise." He was defender of the glen, after all. 

"Yeah, some woman attacked me while I was patrolling here. I was in my aunt Lyra's medicine den for some time," Osiris said in reply to her question about bad wolves. "She had black fur—blends in really good with the shadows." He quickly checked their surroundings for good measure. 

When Leta asked about Ayla, Osiris blinked. "Yeah, she's my aunt..." he explained. "How do you know her?"

His explanation was an interesting one, but not one that she refuted. While Leta had never hunted with the pack outside of Easthollow before, the bison living within the Circle, perhaps other packs had. Actually, come to think of it, the pack had looked beyond the Circle during the famine... perhaps finding an outer territory if more prey frequented there was a smart move? For those times, at least. 

Osiris explained to her his own situation with bad wolves; when he looked around, Leta looked with him, chartreuse eyes bright with concern. Once the coast was clear, Leta looked back to him. She didn't know him, but that didn't mean she wasn't relieved to hear that he had recovered. I'm glad you're okay, she breathed, tail wagging behind her, that sounds awful. Leta was lucky to not remember her own experience with a bad wolf, but she felt his pain in her heart in a way that caused her to recognize, to some strange degree, she was familiar with what he had gone through. 

It turned out, he was familiar with Alya; all caution was thrown to the wind, then. Oh! She is so cool... she came to Easthollow once! She and my brother, they're mates... Nikai, he lives with you, too! She explained, tail waving left and right in excitement. Somehow that he and Alya were related just made him even cooler in her own eyes; he had survived an attack from someone bad, was really, really handsome (not that she quite understood that, but it was hard to keep her eyes from him), and he was related to one of the coolest wolves (that she had met) in the Wilds. Oh, uhm, I'm Leta by the way! From Easthollow, she beamed now, all too ready to befriend him.

Osiris' stomach turned as Leta sympathized about his rehabilitation. "T-Thanks," he breathed, feeling the need to puke right there and then. "But, yeah," he managed, pulling himself together with a steadying breath, "I still get headaches because of it... but that's still better than being dead." Osiris was thankful that he was alive—esepically now that he knew Leta. She was just so pretty and sweet, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. 

As Leta explained the reason she knew Ayla, Osiris' eyes grew bright with recognition. "Oh! Uncle Nikai!" he echoed. "Yeah, he's really cool and strong—I couldn't imagine having only three legs." Easthollow was another familiar word, and his head bobbed as she explained that she was from there as well. "My Mom says that we have an alliance with you guys," he recalled thoughtfully; their respective packs were on good terms, thankfully, and that only strengthened his opinion of her. 

"I'm Osiris, from Moonspear," he said, introducing himself with a grin. "Did you want me to take you to Aunt Ayla?" Osiris wasn't sure of the exact distance between Moonspear and Easthollow, only that it was a few days travel. "If you're hungry... I can catch you something, too." he offered.

Does anything help for the headaches? she asked, wondering if he could take anything to lessen the pain if there was something to even take. Leta was no medic, so she had no idea. I hope one day they just go away for you. I used to get really bad headaches, she admits softly... and more, she recalled. That had been after... after something she really could not get to the root of. Strange that she tried so hard to now, but the blockade was strong and it was an area she had no access to. I don't anymore though. One day they kind of just... stopped, she shared. Sometimes she still experienced random bouts of anxiety, though even that had lessened these days. It had taken plenty of time for her to get to that point. 

Plenty of time for her to even leave Easthollow, too. 

He was very brave. She didn't know how she knew that, she just did. Leta imagined herself in his shoes. How could he be here, where he was attacked...? And be willing to protect her still, even though he had been the one who had been hurt? Smart, too, to see her uncle was strong even despite having three legs. She smiled and in answer said, yeah, he really is, agreeing wholeheartedly with him aloud. As for the second point? Yeah, we do! That's why I came to visit, to see how Moonspear is doing, and say hi from Easthollow, and to be brave, also. This felt very brave, and she felt braver still for being in the company of someone who was willing to protect her. That definitely helped. 

She realized she would do a very poor job at protecting him... but she would try her best. 

Osiris was his name; she quite liked that. Osiris, she repeated, the brave! Her tail waved as she gave him his title with a grin. A girlish little game, but one that helped her in remembering names. Spica the rude; Charles the great(est stick finder); if she knew others outside of her family, they surely had such titles too. It would be cool to see her again, she answers with a nod, is she having any puppies this year? Last year she didn't, she remembered, but hoped this year she might. 

On cue with his question, her stomach rumbled a little. It had been a long journey... she looked to the sky and watched the colors shift. Leta had been about to answer him when something glowing caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw several more, and she gasped. Stars???? Are these stars, Osiris???? Leta turned to look at them and marvel, awestruck by the phenomenon she thought she was witnessing.

"Sleep," Osiris replied lamely. "And avoiding daylight—whenever I have them, I'm really sensitive to light." he added, wondering if she could relate. It was promising the hear that she no longer had them. "But, I'm glad you were able to get rid of them," he added, softer. "They really stink." There wasn't much else to say; headaches had ruined his days before, and he was sure that they'd continue to. 

Osiris was ready to take Leta to Moonspear—her story was believable, she seemed trustworthy, and she was nice. "I'm glad you came," he said. "I'm sure my parents will appreciate hearing from Easthollow—they're the Alphas here. Their names are Dirge and Hydra." Osiris wasn't sure how much Leta had known about Moonspear, and he figured that a quick lesson about the pack wouldn't hurt. He turned in the direction of Moonspear as Leta spoke again, and he froze mid-step as she complimented him. Her opinion of him humbled him, and he smiled lamely; he liked the sound of Osiris the brave. 

"Well, if I'm Osiris the brave, then you must be Leta the brave," he replied sincerely. "I've never traveled as far as you did to get here," alone, no less! "That's something a brave person does.". When asked about Ayla and Nikai, and their litter, Osiris shook his head. "I haven't heard anything yet," he said. "But if anything changes, I'll be the first one to tell you." he promised. 

Osiris' attention turned towards the night sky, as Leta regarded the stars with excitement. "Yeah, they are," he confirmed, his expression softening; her enthusiasm was infectious. "I have a ledge on the mountain that gives me a view of the sky, sea, and everything else—do you want me to show you?" Then, as a caveat, he added, "I... don't really know too much about the stars... but I'd be willing to learn, you know, if you do."

Leta preferred nighttime, though felt bad he had to avoid sunlight because of his head injury. Truth be told, during this time Leta had avoided getting out much altogether. She had isolated, and kept alone, and missed a lot of life because of it. It had not been a good time, those days. They had not been the worst either, strangely; they bled into one another, and other than the headaches she had just felt... numb. Not good, not bad. Just... existing. Feeling like she should do more, but not being able to do so. 

Dirge and Hydra, who were his parents. Her parents led Easthollow too, and Leta always appreciated having something in common with someone. I can't wait to meet them, she rejoined enthusiastically. Leta tried to recall if she had known their names, but coudn't really focus on that... she was much too thrilled with being in this moment in time with Osiris, and it was hard to think of much else. 

It was strange to be called brave by someone. It was the last thing she felt, but as he went on, Leta smiled shyly. I never... I never thought myself brave before, she whispered faintly, tail twitching behind her, I... I am trying to be braver, though. If I have little siblings this year... I want them to... to feel safe. To really be brave enough to keep them that way, she admitted. Getting here was a big part of that battle. If she had known there were bad wolves out there though, she would not have come here herself... but it was a bit too late for that. Now she'd just have to be even more careful, which she was good at at least. 

Leta was glad to hear he would relay to her the news on if her brother and Alya would be having kids; she wondered if she might be able to find out this trip, too, from him. 

His offer caused her to look back to him, her eyes bright. She looked then to the mountain behind them... it was so high. She wondered for a moment if Osiris had ever touched one; she wondered if she would be able to get to. Yes!!! she answered, perhaps a little too ecstatically. I have a bunch of stories about the stars. And names for them, too... I name them myself. We can find your stars up there, I bet, she gushed, gaze lifting up again toward the stars and searching already for the shape of him up there. 

It was then glowing green specks caught her attention, floating just behind him. Fireflies, but she did not know that. Now that Spring was turning to Summer, they would be out more... but they winked in and out of view, just as the stars did. There are... are those stars too, behind you?! Leta could not help but draw to his side as she spotted several more with wide eyes.

"Same," Osiris agreed. He did not anticipate that their meeting would go poorly, as there was nothing but good things to be said about Leta. "I'm sure they'll like you, too," he added for good measure. Although it was late, he knew that either Dirge or Hydra would be out and about; they were as active during the day, as they were the night. 

He was surprised to hear that she did not consider herself brave. "I think that you're already brave," he reiterated. "But, I do know what you mean about wanting to be even braver for your siblings—I feel the same way," he admitted. "I was afraid for the longest time to come back into the glen... but now that I'm out here and met you, I'm glad that I did." He smiled then and glanced away shyly. "But I think you can only become braver by facing your fears and experience new things..." Osiris couldn't help but wonder what scared Leta, but he didn't pry for now. "I-I can help you with that kind of stuff, if you want." His gaze returned to her. 

"That's impressive," Osiris replied, feeling the immediate effects of her infectious excitement. He regarded the sky overhead for a moment."I didn't now that I had a star..." he added, his words coming as she spotted the fireflies behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and recognized the twinkling bugs. "They're fireflies," he explained. "They're the namesake of this glen," he regarded their surrounding with a sweeping glance. "My grandfather, Charon, claimed this land as Moonspear's hunting grounds when was Alpha. My mom said that he like the fireflies here."

That they might not like her never occurred to her. But Osiris faith was enough for her to think he was right and not worry over it; he knew his own parents best, just as she knew hers. As far as bravery went, Leta smiled as he expressed he was happy he came out... she was, too, for much the same reason. It was a good stroke of luck for her, she felt. I think the same! she answered, ever enthusiastic that they had something else to agree upon. But... it took me only up until now, really, to even leave Easthollow at all. I... I went out once, with my sister, and that was okay... but that was it. I just... my mom told me a story, about when I was little. I don't remember it happening to me at all. I was attacked too, once, when I was very little. And uhm... even though I don't remember it... now and then... I just get very afraid, she does not know why she feels so free to tell him this all. Maybe because he had underwent something similar, but he remembered it. For a while I just... I couldn't really do anything. Leta had let her fear cripple her for too long; she realized that when Newt had left. She had missed so much. 

Still she blamed herself. Wasted time. Time she could have spent doing something, like... like making Newt happy enough to stay. Like seeing what was even going on around her. 

Leta couldn't even pinpoint what made things different now. She still felt a strange residual heaviness that she could not really escape, but it was not an unbearable weight anymore... and as she looked to Osiris, she felt the burden lessen some to think he understood. Leta had felt so alone; her brothers had not understood her, and the one she thought might had left them and had more or less confirmed she was just... not normal. Weird. 

She had accepted that up until now, because Osiris... he wasn't weird. And while she was not one hundred percent accepting of her own self, and her own circumstances, she realized that she was at the very least not alone. I do want that, she murmurs, voice faint. Leta might not be as strong or as stalwart as her father, or as swift and as reactive as her mother... but she could be brave like them. Leta so desperately wanted to. Whoever hurt you... and me... we can't let that happen to our families too, her chartreuse gaze looked up to Osiris. 

Helpless was how she had felt for so very long. And with all the other things weighing on her, she knew that this was one thing she could work at stripping away. 

When they talked of stars again, Leta smiled. Well, we make them yours, she said with a wave of her tail. Leta turned around so she sat beside him, and looked up at the sky with searching eyes for a moment. They landed on her fathers constellation, before drifting back to the earthbound stars. Fireflies, actually. Leta smiled a little, my dad... he calls me his firefly, she thought aloud fondly. She could see why, now; they looked so much like the stars she so adored. Leta gestured up to the sky, trying to point out the shape of where her father was placed. That's him up there, do you see the shape that kind of looks like a bear? Those stars that kinda... come together? She looked to him to see if he saw it, and smiled. A lot of people are scared of him. My brother left because he thought he was gonna get exiled by him, she shook her head, but my dad, he's a really fair guy. You'd only get exiled from the pack if you deserved it, her bias was clearly with her father there, and she understood that too. Rules, to Leta, ought to be followed. 

But then Osiris spoke of his grandfather, Charon. Oh, wow! That is so awesome. They're... they're like stars, how they twinkle... she wondered if they had shapes too, she would have to watch. But after a minute, Leta spoke again: ...I never got to meet my grandparents... she suddenly realized. Nor had she heard very many stories about them, as she thought about it. She would have to ask. Looking to Osiris now, she asked, what is he like?

"I think the same!" Leta answered, and Osiris smiled. They continued to stay on the same page, sharing similar thoughts—he was enjoying her company the more that they were together. Leta then went on to reveal the reason behind her less than brave feelings, and Osiris listened. "I'm sorry that that happened to you," he said. "It couldn't have been easy growing up like that." Seldom did Osiris sympathize with non-family members, but there was something different about Leta. "But, I'm sure that you've gone out and explored, it will become easier, now," he drawled, drawing his tongue across his chops. Perhaps Osiris needed to branch out and face his fears, too. 

Although Osiris' expression remained neutral, he was thrilled that Leta had agreed to his offer of help. "No, we can't," Osiris decided. "We have to do what we can to keep them safe, and I have no doubt in our ability to do so," he added with a wave of his tail. 

When Leta sat, Osiris followed suit. He could feel her pelt brush against his, and he found himself unable to focus on anything else. Osiris came-to as Leta motioned overhead and began to describe her father's constellation. "Yeah!" he replied once he found the cluster of stars. The mention of exile was a term that Osiris had only learned recently, and his ears flattened as she explained the situation. "Is he the leader of your pack?" he asked. 

Leta's description of the fireflies brought a smile to Osiris' face, and he nodded in agreement. "I never thought of them like little stars, but you're right," he drawled, his eyes searching the night sky to find a firefly. "I never met him," he said, as a nearby firefly twinkled in and out of existence. "But he and my grandmother, Amekaze, found Moonspear a long time ago—joining their respective packs to make a new one. They were both strong leaders, and helped raise my mother, Hydra, to be the leader she is today." Without their combined efforts, Moonspear wouldn't have been as successful as it was. "I was told that he was a proud man..." he drawled, returning his gaze to Leta; Osiris knew of the events surrounding Charon's death, but decided not to share for now. "And that he was very fond of this territory—he considered it an extension of Moonspear." 

"I hope that one day, my legacy is as successful as his." he added after a pause.

He might have no doubts, but she had several. For one, Leta had never fought in her life. The very idea of one was nervewracking, but, well, she understood that she needed to get over that. And as for things being easier, she sighed a little. No, it isn't... not yet, anyway, she admitted. It wasn't something that could be resolved so quickly as that, but she wished that it were. Still, that she met Osiris helped. He further inspired her desire to be brave. He understood it. 

As she gazed skyward, she was filled with glee that he saw what she had pointed out. Yeah, she answered, gaze not leaving the constellation she had found for her father, he is. And honestly, I don't think he was wrong to do what he did. It might be a little harsh but... I believe in my parents, and in their leadership too. The reasoning mattered little to her, because she had been too young to understand and look at things objectively. But if she disagreed with it, she would talk with them before running off without a word. 

Her gaze fell back to Osiris as he explained his lineage. It sounds like he deserves to be proud, she breathed once he had finished. Hydra. Had she heard that name before? It sounded like a powerful and intimidating name; she had no idea that this was a twin of Alya, too. Her eyes then flit around the place they lingered, her voice light as she answered with, well, I can see why. It's... it's beautiful. It's like... you get to be with the stars, even though they're not stars, she laughed, feeling a little stupid for saying so and planting her gaze on the nearest firefly. Naturally, it's light dimmed, so they turned right back onto Osiris, her features bashful. 

As he spoke of his own legacy, she perked up a little. I bet you can manage that, she piped up, tail waving, I mean, it's in your blood. Your mom is a leader still, too, right? she queried, thinking of her own blood. Leta had never thought about her own legacy, truth be told, or that of her family. Leta herself had no ambition to speak of, submissive in nature thus far... but again, she found herself inspired. What did she want her own legacy to be?

"What happened?" Osiris asked, intrigued by the bits and pieces of Leta's story. "I feel like you have to do something really bad to be exiled," he added as an afterthought. Although Osiris knew very little about Greyback, he had assumed that he was as impartial as Leta; something terrible must have happened. 

Osiris nodded, feeling suddenly bashful under Leta's stare. "Yeah, I think that he does, too," he agreed—Moonspear thrived under his parent's rule. Without Dirge, Hydra, and their combined efforts, the pack wouldn't have been as successful—that much Osiris knew to be true. 

Leta's excitement, coupled with the enchantment in her gaze, allured Osiris considerably. "Yeah, it's cool," he replied lamely, finding words difficult; she was so distracting, in the best way possible. Attempting to keep what little composure remained, Osiris rolled his shoulders and exhaled slowly. 

"Yeah, my Mom and Dad are both the leaders," he replied, feeling inspired by her encouragement. "But... we'll see about me," Osiris wasn't sure where his future would lead, but he hoped it was enough to make his family proud.

It was a long time ago, she admitted softly, I don't really remember the details. But... I think that someone challenged my parents authority, or something like that, Leta expressed. And whoever had done it was not right for that. Her parents were good leaders; Easthollow had been around a long time, and not for nothing either. Because of her parents leadership, she imagined. I just think that... that was stupid. They should have talked about it or something. Why just challenge? she asked with a squint of her hazel eyes. This was asked by someone who implicitly trusted her parents, but the bias was not clear to her. Leta rarely got up in arms, but for her family she was quite passionate. 

As far as he went, Leta grinned. If you want that for yourself, I bet it is possible. You just gotta work for it, I think. Actions speak louder than words there, I think, she said with a laugh, and then, I mean, look at you now! Protecting your family. That always makes for a great leader she commended with a wave of her tail and a broad grin. Leta then looked back to the fireflies, watching them twinkle in and out of sync with one another. Ripples of light, creating strange and beautiful waves, caused whatever else she might have said to never come, awed to silence for a moment.

Leta's story reminded Osiris of Arcturus and of when he had challenged Hydra's position. He frowned as he listened, disagreeing with both his memory and hers; communication could have easily prevented such drastic matters. "I think that your parents made the right choice," Osiris decided, his bias palpable. Although he didn't know the entire situation, he trusted her judgment. "My Dad said that sometimes emotions get in the way of logic, and wolves act on impulse," Osiris recalled carefully. "It doesn't excuse their behavior—not to me, at least—but it is a good way to explain those kinds of situations." He hoped that she would find solace in it, too. 

Osiris grinned at Leta's encouragement. "Yes," he confirmed; actions did speak louder than words at Moonspear. Her kind words stuck to his ribs and warmed his heart; he would continue to work hard. Especially if it meant she'd continue to compliment his abilities. 

When Leta looked back to the fireflies, Osiris studied her. He was also awed, but for an entirely different reason. Leta was beautiful, and Osiris couldn't help but stare.