The Sunspire just know you’re not alone

Weather: 22°F, clear.
Note: Set for March 3rd— it's time to claim Sunspire! Please allow Liffey and Terance to post first.

The sun shone brightly upon its dwarfed namesake, offering the three leaders a sense of warmth that had not been felt in quite some time. They had gathered in Willow Grove to discuss their future upon the very mountain they sat upon.

"It's decided then," Rannoch declared as his gaze bounced from @Liffey to @Terance, "We'll settle on Sunspire with Liffey and me as Alphas, and Terance as our Beta." Although there had never been a different variation to the plans, Rannoch felt the need to voice the conclusion that they had come to. The discussion had come to fruition after Rannoch and Liffey had addressed their desire to declare ownership of the mountain; their settlement couldn't have been finalized without Terance's input.

Allowing each wolf to offer their final thoughts, Rannoch looked to his friends with sincerity. "If you have anything else to consider in us claiming this mountain, this is the time to speak up." 

"yes," terance said with a dip of his muzzle. he kept his tail stilled, trying to appear as diligent and professional as he could-- but he was very excited. he couldn't wait. he would protect this pack with his life-- this was his family now. it was hard, really hard, to leave hydra and lyra and all of moonspear behind, but terance knew this was better. and with the responsibility of beta now on his shoulders-- he knew he'd be okay. this was what he wanted, and he'd be great at it. he just knew it. 

terance didn't speak up, he had no qualms with settling here. "this is where i want to live-- with you guys," he added with a smile, letting his tail wag a little bit at his hocks this time.

Liffey had felt nervous at approaching Terance with the idea of staying at Sunspire. She wanted desperately for him to be just as happy with this location as she and Rannoch were, but she knew that if he wasn't, then she would have insisted on finding someplace that all three of them could be happy. Terance seemed to have been the one to give up the most in leaving Moonspear, so she wanted to do everything she could to try to mitigate his regrets, even if that meant creating a few more of her own.

But, all was well. While Terance remained dutiful in his acceptance of their proposition, Liffey couldn't help but feel as though he was more excited than he was letting on. She smiled and gave a nod of her own, glancing at her mate, and then back at Terance as he added a sentiment that made her sigh with internal relief. "Me too. I want to be here, and I want you both to be here with me," she said softly, feeling somehow shy about it. Her gaze went to Rannoch again and with a thrill of excitement, she asked him, "You want to do the honors and start the announcement, Mr. Alpha?"

The final vote was unanimous— they would claim Sunspire. A rush of excitement consumed the newly-crowned Alpha as he tilted his head back, and summoned the wolves that had followed them. Rannoch invited them to lend their voices, and support him in notifying their neighbors that this mountain was theirs. He poured everything he had into his melody and allowed his excitement and pride to weave into his timbre; this was a call for celebration.

Wraen was awoken from a slumber, which she co-incidentally had taken in an abandoned badger den not far from, where the trio had decided to meet, discuss the important matters and howl loudly. Therefore out of respect for the group of leaders and sense of duty, she extracted herself from the underground hiding-spot and blinking her eyes against the bright sunlight, let out a little sleepy and grumpy howl as well.

When it felt like she had done her part well and enough, she disappeared in the den again and fell asleep on the spot.

how pretty this part of the mountain is, new and wondrous and it's amazing to find that even after all her running around there's still parts of the teekons she has yet to see. it makes her want to run more, explore the rest of the mountain but this spot is pretty alright and she don't mind settling for a bit what with the establishing and all. thinking sleepily maybe she'll try to find her brother soon, witchbaby's grooming herself and enjoying the slow spring sun when she hears that strange melody. a wolf's howl, oh! right, right! throwing her head back the starlet adds her own crackling flair, her lilting call ringing out alongside her new packmates.

It didn't feel right making the claiming howl without @Olive by her side; the young mother-to-be had made settling in much more agreeable. Not only that, but her pregnancy had given Forrest a reason to want to stay and give up her days of searching (for now). With a sigh, the elder lifted her head and began the victorious song, only stopping once the coughs building at the back of her throat became impossible to hold in any longer.

and so, finally, terance nodded alongside his two best friends-- that's what they were, there was just no one else like them, not anymore-- and smiled broadly. this would be hard, it was most certainly an adjustment. but terance was ready for it-- welcoming it. he was happy, and would be happy. sunspire. that would be their home.

as soon as their heads tilted back, terance's own crown fell backwards, and his muzzle raised skywards. he let loose a howl into the air, loud and proud and filled with hope. because that was what terance was these days-- hopeful. hopeful he'd made the right decision and hopeful that only good things would come from it. this was the first step, claiming this mountain. claiming sunspire. this was their home. this was their home.

---

a gentle tumble of rocks sank into the thin layer of snow as she pulled herself back onto the ledge, peering warily down the side of the mountain. she'd decided to tackle a particularly challenging slope that morning, and her breath came heavily as she eyed the next ledge. her next leap was interrupted, however, by the melodious call - and soon came others adding and growing to the song.

finding steady footing, she tilted back her own crown - lending her own low voice to the low, rising and falling alongside the others, a haunting sound filled with something akin to hope.

---

Olive existed, at that moment, teetering in a fragile balance. Life, at that moment, was all so beautiful and poetic — so much so that she expected it to slip from between her grasp as would sand between her paws. Something must so wrong, must tear down all this wonderful personal growth she’d made, because that’s what happened when things were going good, right? It always eventually stopped, because nothing in this world ever lasted forever. Oh, and there were so many reasons for everything to simply fall apart!

Still, the druid couldn’t help but easily find cheer in the here and now. She coexisted with her daughter once more, she had friends who [for all intents and purposes] seemed to like her, and come spring, she would bear offspring. What more could she ask for? If it were all going to be torn away from her, at least she could take solace in having known heaven, at least once, at least for a moment. Olive’s call joined the raucous song of the small Sunspire family, her lilting tone rife with equal parts love, relief, and uncertainty.  

Treason was on the lowest slopes, checking on the borders that had slowly appeared over the last little while.  Even if it was only a temporary pause on a longer journey, she was going to make sure that no intruders came along to mess with them.  So far, nobody had.  A sound, though, drew her attention, quickly building into the howls. Her ears swiveled, listening to the harmonies for a moment or two before she raised her head to join in.  There were all these howls that were happy, hopeful, whatever.  

Then there was Treason.  Hers was more like, 'So yea don't mess wit us or i fite u' in comparison.

Nara had been following a small bird hopping along a slope. Interestingly, it wasn't afraid of her. She lay herself down on a rock bathed in sunlight, watching as the bird picked at the ground, before it flew away with a price in its beak. She followed it with her eyes until it became a bird-shaped silhouette and eventually a small dot on the horizon. Then it disappeared from sight forever. She wanted to lay there on that rock eternally in this serene mountain-paradise. 
Nara pricked up her ears when she heard a passionate howl and later, more joined. The claim had been made. Nara lifted up her head and added her own voice to the harmony.

she had been sunbathing, her scarred side bared to the sun.  it had been a long time since she had felt comfortable with being seen; but she felt safe here.  for the most part.

as howls started to ring in the air — terance, liffey, rannoch — she raised her maw to the air with urgency and joined with them.  this was it, then.  the sunspire was home.

Rannoch lifted his nose to the sky and sang out the announcement. Terance was soon to do the same, but Liffey held back for a moment. The yearning to join them was powerful and hard to resist, but just for a moment, she wanted to just listen as one by one, the other members of their pack raised their voices to sing as well. There was hope and excitement in each of those voices, and pride. It warmed her heart to think of something so good coming from something so terrible.

So, when she could not take it anymore, Liffey turned her own head skyward and added her soft, musical voice to theirs. And somehow, in spite of her honest, wholesome joy in that moment, she couldn't stop the little voice in her head that heard her singing alongside of her mate and thought to itself This is mine and sent that part of her song across the Wilds to the black sisters of Moonspear who had so incorrectly judged Rannoch to be theirs and sent her on this path so long ago.

When the songs of his leaders rose to announce their claim, Arrakis flickered a raven ear and pointed his muzzle skyward to listen. One by one, his other comrades joined in with their own howls, strengthening the message that was delivered across the mountains and beyond.

Initially, he was hesitant to offer his own. Sunspire would be good for him, he knew, and presented an opportunity for the new beginning that he longed for. He remained silent for a few long moments as he contemplated, before closing his eyes and including himself in the united howl of his pack-mates.

He had nothing to lose, and decided then and there that it was about time that he stop living in the past. 

The wolves of Sunspire unified to create a song that could be heard from miles, their message clear— Sunspire was theirs. 

When their verse of solidarity died, Rannoch regarded the wolves in his company with an expression of contentment. "We did it," he breathed, "Sunspire belongs to us." 

There was a call for celebration, and the three leaders ceased the opportunity; they feasted until their bellies were full. Once their meal was done, Rannoch and Liffey stole away to their den and consummated their claim with a good 'ol bang. (da dum tsk)