Nocturne Summit should they catch us and dispatch us.

Wildfire was happy to continue, which pleased her godmother greatly. It was nice that she wasn't so easily put off by a little mishap like falling down a hole. She turned to lead the way, listening to the fiery girl's pawsteps as they sounded in her wake. For a very strange  moment, she considered how nice it would be if Wildfire had been her own daughter, following in her footsteps as she was. It was odd for the fact that the only reason she was on this mountain was because she was trying to escape motherhood. And now here she was, thinking of how nice it would be to have a daughter of her own... Fuck was it weird being a woman.

Time seemed to pass smoothly as the pair climbed, chatting on and off about this and that as they went. When finally they reached the Summit, Fin stood behind as Wildfire surged forward to the edge. It wasn't because she was at all afraid, but for the fact that she wanted to watch Wildfire in that moment. Maybe what she was doing was ill-conceived. Maybe motherhood was worth it. All of the frustration, the stress, the anxiety... Maybe it was worth it, because of eventual moments like this - seeing a little one you so love so deeply discovering the world and finding awe and excitement in it. Maybe these were the moments that were worth suffering through all the rest for.

Finley crept up towards Wildfire's side after a second, reaching to sniffle affectionately at a long, red ear before gazing out herself. She sucked in a breath and stilled at the view. The Blackthorn had seen many things in her day - she had gone out of her way to make sure of it. But still, the view from the near top of a mountain was a rare thing, even in the eyes of someone who had spent most of her life seeking the rare. It was breathtaking, and Fin quite suddenly remembered exactly why she was running away from her family.

Mothers never saw views like this. Mothers never had this feeling. Mothers missed amazing sights, incredible moments, and humbling emotions like this. Only free wolves got to experience this.

And all Fin's life as a mother so far had taught her was that you could not have both. It was one or the other.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared.