Moonspear blinking in the starlight

Kira had just finished walking some of the border with Kindle. She could still smell his scent on her as she walked away. As she walked toward the sound of the howl, she sniffed the air for the not-quite-familiar scent that Kindle had pointed out to her.

The forest was quiet as she walked, mostly, she only heard the sound of her footsteps crunching leaves beneath her paws. Every once in a while, she could hear other sounds, which drew her attention for a moment, but she kept her focus and pace as she headed toward the sound.

She kept a light jog as she searched for Katmai. A sense of nervousness filled her as she made her way there, hoping that she'd make a good impression on the leader of Kindle's pack. Her tail twitched as she sniffed at the air again, searching the autumn breeze for Katmai's scent.

The howl had announced that there was someone new of Katmai to meet. He was eager, of course, always ready to make new friends and hear new stories, but part of him was beginning to worry.

When he'd first proposed claiming a territory to Kinusi, he'd pictured it as just them, plus some kids of unknown origins. Kindle had been a fine addition, and of course, Katmai couldn't imagine starting this without Treepie, at this point — but there were many others, now. Tikaani, Alaric, Cosmo, Haedwig... He didn't know any of them very well, and despite being open to each one individually, it was daunting to have them all in the village he'd hoped to claim for himself.

With such thoughts on his mind, he wasn't exactly looking where he was going. Just in the direction, generally, of where he'd heard the call. Before he knew it, he'd almost run into said stranger.

And, despite his devotion to Kinusi, Katmai had to stop and stare. The stranger was quite striking, even if she was a bit on the small side. He blinked at her, shaking himself from his brief stupor.

"Welcome to Dawnspear," he said, taking in Kindle's scent on her pelt. "Forgive me — are you hoping to join our village? Or did you need something else?"

He was not exactly sure why he'd been called, or why Kindle wasn't accompanying her with an explanation ready.

Kira had gotten distracted as she looked around for Katmai. Then, the scent hit her just as they almost ran into each other. Then, as he took a moment to stare at her, her tail flicked, until he spoke.

"Thank you," said Kira. "I am Kira Lazore. You must be Katmai. And, yes, I was hoping to join your village." Her tail flicked some more as she spoke, a hint at the nerves she was feeling inside.

"I met Kindle while he was marking the border," she said. "He is at his camp, resting now. But, he did tell me to tell you that you should have a meeting, with everyone."

Her tail stopped flicking as she continued, as if her nerves had calmed. "I have been on my own for some time now, and Kindle said that there may be a place for me in your village."

Katmai knew that Kindle had been working extra hard along the borders, lately — mainly to be sure that the area where Haedwig had holed up remained secure. He didn't begrudge his uncle cousin the extra rest, but he was a bit miffed to be sent such a message through a stranger.

"Perhaps not while he is enjoying his beauty rest," the Morningsider snarked, though his tone and expression remained good-natured. "But we are about due for something like that."

He thought that they ought to talk about the parameters for joining. They were still so new, and Katmai still so inexperienced with leading even a few wolves, never mind a large pack. Perhaps talking to the others would ease his anxiety.

But perhaps not.

"It's nice to meet you," he told her, perhaps a bit belated. "I am Katmai Morningside. Where have you come from, Kira? I don't recognize your family name."

Kira's head bowed in acknowledgement when Katmai said that they were due for a meeting of everyone. Through the leader's good-natured-ness, she could hear a bit of the snark behind it. The young wolf didn't want to be in the middle of a family spat. She was nervous about approaching Katmai alone. Wouldn't it be better for Kindle to introduce her? 

But, she pushed aside her nervousness as she spoke, answering about where she was from.

"I was born in Saskatchewan," she said. "I'm not from here." Her golden brown eyes held a sadness. "I was separated from my family a while back. I'm the only one left." She tried to pretend she wasn't saddened by the thought, and flicked her tail. 

"Like I said, I've been on my own for a while now. I was hoping that I'd be able to find a place in your village." Her tone was light, and the sadness disappeared from her eyes. 

Predictably, Katmai was moved by what little of Kira's story that he learned. He thought of Kinusi and Leonore, Treepie and Tikaani. Everyone seemed to be missing family in large swathes.

"Then you should stay," he said easily, "And see if you find your place here."

His own smile was sad. Troubled.

"Many wolves in this place seem to have lost family," he told her, turning his head to look out over the valley. "It is very strange. When I was younger, these lands were full of packs and villages. Now there are very few. And our village in particular is made up of wolves all the same age as you and I. We only have two elders among us."

It worried him, but he didn't want to bring down the mood.

"Tell me about yourself, Kira," he suggested. "Are you a singer? A dancer? A teller of tales?"

His priorities, clearly, were different from Kindle's.

"Thank you, Katmai, I'd love to stay," Kira said, a sense of relief washing over her body. It had been a while since she'd felt this level of acceptance, anywhere.

Kira listened as Katmai talked about how there used to be a lot more packs and villages. "That's so sad," she said, looking around her a bit, as if she could find the answer by looking at the wind.

Katmai's next question confused her. After her conversation with Kindle, she had expected the leader to prioritize more "useful" abilities, like hunting or scouting.

"I definitely can't dance, but my voice is rather good, if I do say so myself." Her tail twitched with her confidence. "And, I do enjoy telling stories."

Katmai grinned, glad to hear that there would be another singer on the mountain with them. He hoped that they could gather soon not just for business, but to join in song.

"You'll fit right in, then," he assured her, though in truth, only about half of their number truly seemed to love the arts. "What about hunting? Mountain climbing? Healing?" he asked her, his tail waving idly. "We need hunters most. Especially as the spring comes. I expect there will be at least one litter to care for. But if there's anything in particular you excel at...?"

In particular, he realized they lacked guardians. He and Kindle had some training but little experience, and of course there was Alaric, who Katmai had been told was a fearsome opponent in a number of ways —

But Haedwig was old, and their women all seemed so little. Katmai trusted Kinusi the most to handle herself in a fight, but with spring coming soon and, hopefully, pups to protect, he thought they ought to be more prepared.

His head sometimes spun when he thought of it. There was much still to do before they were a truly functional village.

Kira felt a sense of excitement as Katmai said that she'd fit right in. 

But, now he was asking about the "useful" stuff. It made Kira nervous. She'd been on her own for so long, she hadn't taken interest in too much, except for surviving. "I can hunt. I had to learn that pretty quickly," she said. It was true. She probably wouldn't have gotten very far after getting separated from her family if she hadn't figured out how to hunt.

Was there anything she excelled at? That was a tough question.

"I don't think there's anything I excel at, but I'm willing to learn about almost anything." Kira's stubborn tone was back, and she hoped she came off willful and curious.

That wasn't too unexpected. They were all so young, after all. But it was still worrying to him. He felt wildly out of his depth, and a part of him was annoyed that starting his own village wasn't all the fun fantasy castle he'd built up in his head.

"That's alright," he assured her, backpedaling when she seemed to bristle at the questioning. "Hunting is the most important, and mountain climbing sort of goes hand in hand with that. Alaric or Treepie should be able to give you some pointers, if you'd like. You'll meet them at the meeting."

Hopefully.

He began to walk the same way he'd come, intending to show Kira some of the sights a little further up the mountain, toward the rendezvous site where he intended for this meeting to be held.

"I don't have much experience with mountains, either," he admitted, conversationally. "I grew up on a plateau by the sea, and then I spent a long time on the plains." He peeked at her pretty face. "What was your home like?" he asked her.

Kira nodded as he told her that it would be okay and that Treepie and Alaric could give her pointers. "That would be great." Her words held some excitement. "I can't wait to meet everyone. Kindle pointed out everyone's scent while we were walking the border." She thought about the names, and remembered most of them, but didn't want to ramble them off.

"A beautiful forest," Kira said, remembering. "My favorite spot was near the river that ran through. I would play there with my siblings. We would chase each other. From the moment we could run, we ran along that river."

The young wolf was lost in thought as she talked about it, but she was able to keep her focus enough to follow Katmai and not run into anything.

"I was the fastest in my litter," she said, obviously a bit proud of it. "And I was the best at running along the river. It could get slick. Elowyn fell in once while we were racing." A chuckle escaped her lips as she said it, and her tail flicked with excitement from talking about it.

Another memory surfaced, and her tail stilled. "But, then the river flooded. We had to leave."

Katmai smiled at this recollection, a warm, wistful feeling surging in his chest. That was the sort of thing he wanted to see here. Children playing carelessly, heedlessly on the slopes. It reminded him of his own childhood — and so did the flood.

He was lost in thought for a moment, remembering the way things had been when his family had left Moontide. He thought of his seal hunter uncle with a quiet pang.

"I hope that this village will be a place like that, one day," he told her, his tone contemplative. "Where children run and play. I am sorry for the loss of your home, Kira. Perhaps you may find it again here."

He gave a little wag of his tail.

"Did Kindle tell you much about everyone?" he asked, curious about what his uncle's take on the others might be.

The warmness Kira felt as she remembered her childhood dissipated as the memory of the flood rushed back. It was a nice moment, however short, to remember those times in her childhood. Her and Elowyn running alongside the river was always a favorite. Her thoughts wandered, thinking about both the good and the bad until she realized that Katmai had spoken.

"I hope so, too," said Kira. "On both counts. It seems like it'll be a lovely place for children to run and play. And I'd love for this to be my new home."

The young wolf noticed the tail wag just as Katmai asked about what Kindle had told her about everyone.

"He didn't tell me too much," she said. "He said that you're his nephew. I think that was about it."

Katmai finally found reason to be annoyed. He tried to downplay it, though, and made his tone nonchalant when he corrected, "More of a cousin, really. He's only a few months older than me." That wasn't how that worked at all, but Katmai didn't want his uncle hanging around. A cousin, he could take.

"I have heard that home is what you make of it," he told her. "I'm not sure if it's really true. I've found myself in many places that don't feel like home, despite my best efforts. But I hope that this one will become that for you."

It was starting to, for him. Kinusi and Kindle and Treepie helped with that. Perhaps, one day, Kira would, too.

"Do you want children?" he asked her, coming around to a question that had been at the back of his mind. Rather abruptly, actually. "Sorry — I just wondered. I don't know that we can support too many litters, being still so new."

"Ah, okay, your cousin," said Kira. Maybe he had said cousin, and not nephew. Kira decided not to worry too much about it for now. 

"I don't know how I'd define home, honestly," she told Katmai. "I haven't felt at home anywhere in a long time. I think I'm chasing a feeling I won't ever be able to get back again. The feeling I had with my parents and my siblings."

Perhaps it was too sad. Kira realized this a moment too late, after she'd already said it. But, Katmai had asked another question.

"Children? I hadn't even thought of it, really. Perhaps someday, but I'd have to find a mate first."

Katmai dipped his chin. This was sensible. So did Treepie, for that matter, unless she wanted to raise her children without a father around. Which would be fine, Katmai decided — they had men here, after all! But Katmai still hoped she'd find someone she wanted before her season came.

Pointedly, he did not let himself think about Kinusi, and what her plans and desires might be.

He smiled at Kira.

"I would be happy, one day, to see your children in this village," he assured her. But it was just as well that that day would not be anytime soon.

"Please, take your time and settle in," he told her. "We will have a pack meeting in the next few days. In the mean time, we are working on digging caches and marking the borders."

He would leave her, then, if she had nothing else to add. He wanted to find Kinusi and speak to her about the way that their village had so quickly grown.

Kira nodded. "One day. It'll be nice." She said. It was...odd to say the least, to think about the future and having children, one day. Though, it was nice to realize she could stop to think about it, now that she could call somewhere a home.

"I will see you at the pack meeting," she said. Internally, she planned on meeting as many of her new pack mates before then as possible. She watched as Katmai left, her thoughts running just a bit wild as she finally had some time to think about her future.