sitting waiting wishing

In all of Summer's time at the Sunspire, the boy had rarely ventured outside of the safety of its borders. He did not feel the drive that others did to explore and hunt for adventure. The mountain was self-sufficient and its many inner-territories satisfied what little desire he did have to experience anything out-of-the-ordinary. He was a creature that enjoyed comfort, however. Going out of his comfort zone often held a great many dangers for a wolf with afflictions of his sort, so he kept to his ordinary days and his ordinary experiences, quite contentedly.

Except for today. It was a day that circumstance required him to step outside of his comfort zone. The prior alpha of the spire was missing, and the new leader who had stepped into his place had asked of her pack to begin the search. Although Summer wanted to do his part, he was not yet mentally prepared to search too far from his home. Instead, he took the more comfortable option--Northstar Vale. It was not the Sunspire, but nor was it far from the mountain's reach. This was a compromise he could handle, and though he stepped through it with a tightened heart, the triumph was that he was capable of taking those steps at all.

Ferdie's scent did not seem to be anywhere in the Vale, which grieved the boy to discover. Summer knew of the potential drama that could unfold if the man were to rejoin the pack he had founded, but this was a wolf that he cared for. He did not like to think that anything bad had befallen him. Also twisting the knot in his belly was the guilt at having failed to come up with anything that could assist his pack in accomplishing their goal of finding the wolf. This was not something any of his packmates would blame him for, but the guilt was there nonetheless, ever sucking away at his confidence as it always had.

Summer was about to return to the Sunspire when the scent of wolf caught his attention. It was not Ferdie, but nor was it the Spire, and so the boy went on alert and trotted off to learn more. He came upon the dark-furred male after a little while, pausing once he came within the man's presence, eyes of bright sunlight trained upon the ebony face.

"Who are you?" Summer asked pointedly, his nerves twisting his heart in their claws.

The man didn't share his name, but was respectful enough as he bowed his head and disappeared from Summer's presence. The boy watched warily as he went, then finally turned to continue home to the Sunspire.