Blacktail Deer Plateau explosions in the sky

The sky rumbled for a long time before finally unleashing another rain shower on the lands. Having been delivered to the rendezvous site by now, Junior spent a few moments running joyful laps and splashing in the puddles that accumulated at the clearing's fringes. Eventually, she sought out her dad's favorite spot beneath the sycamore tree and fell onto her haunches, tongue lolling from her black muzzle in a wolfish smile.

She hoped others would soon join her. Osprey Jr. wanted to see everybody in the pack; she had missed each and every one of them. As she pictured their faces, some others found their way into her head: those of Ragnar, Thistle and their three pups. Her face fell a little and she felt a sudden stab of guilt for just leaving Thistle there on the riverbank after the confrontation with the cougar.

Junior rose onto all fours, prepared to jet right back to the river to find Thistle and thank her this very instant, when the sound of voices nearing the rendezvous site gave her pause. She realized the stupidity of her plan—Thistle had probably already gone home by now—and sank back onto her sleek haunches. Hopefully it was her daddy coming back. She would convince him they needed to go directly to Stavangar Bay to visit its royal family.