Firefly Glen it's planting seeds in a garden you never see

: Set for the night of 10/31.
: @Atlas, @Antares, @Bronco, @Leta, @Toad Amelia, @Fennec, @Lunaria, @Dhalia, @Meerkat, @Charles, @Hydra, @Dirge, @Jarilo, @Kukutux, @Desdemona, @Keres, @Nyx, @Opalia, @Alya, @Yama, @Moriko, @Lyra, @Tehama, @Norah, @Nikai, @Sialuk, @Mira, @Altair, @Ciri, @Elke, @Mintaka, @Saviguk, @Caleum!
: The BIGGEST thank you to, @Jarilo, for your collaboration in this post. I couldn't have done this without you!

Osiris sat within a moon-light clearing, and when he glanced down, he noticed starlight and fog rolling around his paws. The twinkling was unlike he'd seen earth-side, shining in brilliant tones of cobalt and scarlet. Osiris couldn't pull his gaze from them, transfixed by their otherworldly gleam, but he did begin to notice aspects of the ground underfoot that didn't sit well with him. The floor underfoot was devoid of any familiar terrain—it seemed dark and empty, yet somehow he remained seated and stabilized. 

Where was he? 

---

Underneath a heavy glowing moon, autumn's chill settled in, bringing with it a hazy darkness. This night, its cover, let her come closer than before. Never enough to touch, not in these realms of the after and beyond, but she always intended for it to be a familiar presence--not an omen, not quite tangible, but different. One in every fiber of the mountain, and one woven into their sacred blood. It was what allowed her this vantage, and this connection to them, after all.

An exhale of a sigh, and from the void, a familiar green found him. Her paws made no sound, her breath cold, but knowing as she raised her head over the scarred chest to see him in full. All with a poise much like the mother he would know--another piece she had left them all when the mountain's sanctity became their responsibility, an occasion they had all risen to, and Osiris a result of this success.

He looked all the part. Fondly she saw Hydra in him, and Dirge, so poignantly in his features it could've hurt. "It is a beautiful night," she spoke, a voice low and smooth as she came to him. A faraway thought, then: she remembered her counterpart's distaste of the silver-tongued knave, but she could see how instrumental he had become in the after. Hydra's place in the grand scheme had always been assured young, and he had simply risen to join her. The matron ultimately could find no qualm, and perhaps, the generations to come would keep his tact, determination, and his good eye.

But that was not why she was here. Osiris was, and he was not alone, though tonight, he was the centerpiece.

---

"It is a beautiful night out," a voice observed.

Osiris looked up, pulled away from his trance, and realized that he wasn't alone. He studied her for a moment, recognizing that there was a familiarity in her tone and appearance; for some reason or another, she reminded him of his family. "It is," he agreed, watching her with a careful eye. "But, To be honest, I don't even think I know where we are," he then admitted with a nervous chuckle. Osiris pulled his attention from her briefly to regard their surroundings with a sweep of his gaze; nothing had changed. 

"Do you?" he asked, looking to her expectantly. Obviously, they were not in Firefly Glen—or at least they weren't in any part of the territory that he could remember. This place was so newfangled—dream-like, in a way—and yet he remained at ease. 

---

Naturally, he would see it too, even with the unease that glimmered in him. She, however, nodded knowingly from where she stood. Their answers would differ, somewhat. He was home, real, but for now.. awake to past that in the dreams. She walked the edges, all space, in-between: the chase, the night, her own takamagahara--then its towering pathway there, the verdant Moonspear, its reach. "Exactly where you need to be," she answered with a slow exhale, and she chose to feel that welcome relief then; familiar. But Amekaze visually traced the features of his face, knowing he couldn't see it all for himself yet. Maybe he would. She found herself closer and he was tall, likely letting that set in.

True to herself, she let a silence hang a beat too long. "I think you have done well here," she appraised, even if might not immediately know where she came from in this. He was another step for what they had always dreamed, and what they deserved. The strength that the peak would build, then grow beyond. 

---

Amekaze's response did very little to rectify his confusion; Osiris didn't feel like he was exactly where he needed to be. He only felt lost and confused, knowing that he wasn't in Firefly Glen; his concern began to bloom. "I don't think that's true," he objected softly, searching her gemstone gaze; if only he were to realize how alike her eyes were to his. "How can I be where I need to be when I don't even know where we are?" 

The silence that followed grew uncomfortable, and it left him rife with concern. It was only when Amekaze spoke again that he felt he could breathe. "How do you know what I've done?" Osiris asked, not hiding his concern. "Who are you?" he asked, "And what are we doing here?" After all, she seemed content with their situation; maybe she knew everything that he wished to know. 

---

Testament to his grounds in reality, he expressed his doubts, but she remained unruffled. Maybe, a hint of mischief as she looked his confusion back in the eyes, then arced around him on slow, flowing steps--for she walked where time could not hinder her. He was thinking too hard, surely, but it was fine. In small ways, between the lines, he was reminding her of Charon too.

"For now, think of it.. like a dream," she murmured, and slipped beside him. "Like home, but with more too. It will not stay overlapped for good." A rare chance, she knew. Nature aligned just so. He likely couldn't feel it as well. A dreamscape was the best way to explain to him how, though it did not encompass enough. It may make him more comfortable about whatever she had to say however. "And trust me, I know what you have done." Her snout swept a gesture into the darkness despite the ominous undertone of the words. "I have seen--felt it, was there for it. It was my will to see it all be ours once, too." she drawled. A distant one, recognizable as greater than her own span, especially when such a turn had been needed, but she had helped nurture the earliest thoughts of these schemes to claim the wilds for their own.

But who was she? She leaned closer, ruffling her furs--hazy, here, but dark as ever--and a familiar piece she had left for them even now in the others. He might recognize it, and in his aunts, his uncle she had stamped too. "I am Ame. Amekaze Rikudou, though it is not my only name in my years and after. Importantly--grandmother to you lot born on my mountain," she said, happy to claim it from beyond for as long as her blood still stood at the helm. "Though unfortunately, we would never get to walk together on its slopes." It had been thanks to her actions, so a weight she would carry for good. Maybe why she still couldn't let them go.

---

They were in a dream-like state; Osiris could accept their environment's oddities, now that it was confirmed that they were far away from the glen. "That makes sense," he replied, feeling some of the weight from his confusion lift. "It feels so real, though," he added, stealing another glimpse around the moon-lit clearing, "I don't think that I've ever had a dream like this before." 

"And trust me, I know what you have done," she assured him. Osiris looked to where Amekaze motioned as if expecting to see a vision appear before them; they were in a dream, after all. "I have seen--felt it, was there for it. It was my will to see it all be ours once, too." Slowly, he lifted his gaze and regarded her suspiciously. He knew his family's history; their conquest had begun with Amekaze and Charon. Still—she couldn't possibly be Amekaze; he knew that his dream's will could not wake the dead.

Osiris was drawn to her nape and noticed the familiarity in their quill-like way as she leaned closer. Much like his fur, when he left it unattended for too long. She went on to reveal her identity, to confirm the suspicion that had begun to torment his thoughts, and he found himself starstruck in every sense of the word. 

"Grandmother," he breathed, searching her face as he took her all in. "How is this possible? You've been able to watch me?" he asked quickly, feeling the need to confirm. Osiris grew silent after his inital concerns, mulling through every thought that came to him. He was wordless for just a beat too long. 

"How did you know when to claim Moonspear officially?" he finally asked, seeking her guidance. The thought had weighed heavily on his mind; how was he supposed to know when the time was right? 

---

"Well it is a good point to start. You are young yet, the dark mother smirked at him like it was no big deal that dreams may be this way. There was always a chance he wouldn't remember it at all, it could be that unstable. Thus, why it was best simply put as a dream and over again, she marveled at the pieces of her mate's brightness that had been able to stay.

But, maybe watch was too forward. Ame didn't have it so clear, and she was wandering elsewhere too in the end, with eyes not like his. She couldn't name their faces each day, or always see their markings that he knew them by. It was a sensation, a flow, a pattern, and knowing that energy beyond was what she could still perceive with her own. A wielder of more patience than most, she still didn't want to explain these finer details to a wolf yet to see his second birthday. In time. For now, trust her was all she could truly suggest. It didn't matter. "In a way." she answered vaguely. "How--is not easy, so just do not think about it too hard. Nature has its power, and sometimes, reality is not all just what it seems," she sighed to brush it off. "Too, because not all of me will ever be gone, and even when it is, I will have others, maybe strong ones like you, to carry on in my place." Her place in what, precisely, he couldn't know but it was words for him to keep for later.

His other question took her back to Moonspear's inception. It had been this time of year, roughly. Very different times, though. The Sunspire had shrunken in her care, and in Ferdie's absence. She had failed to settle down, take a mate, or let pups be raised on the mountain--her own, or really anyone's in the end of it all once the control was all in her cold paws. But a wounded speckled wolf had turned up from the sea and everything went tipping into motion then as he healed, all into what was her most selfish move to those around her, but so necessary.

Charon was still very young back then, his brother too--but all very willing and fierce enough to impress her. Jace had been apprehensive, though loyal to her, and her closest friend. Thistle, a previous alpha and mother, stayed reluctant and unpredictable at first. Atreyu difficult to read, but steadfast for his comrades. Rain and Nishu had been practically gone to her though. Summer had left, others with him.. but some had still come. "It was time when knew where it had to be, and alongside our previous packs, others had newly joined too. I knew when it started to just feel like even more than just something to be hopeful about, but certain of its worth. When it was worth fighting for." And important for her inner duality, when Charon was finally someone she could allow to stand beside her and share the weight of it all.

"It just felt right. It had to be, said my heart, when I asked myself why every day. The autumn was getting colder--our moon was but a sliver then, but our work to come together was worth it, and we deserved to raise our voices as one for the first time." So it was a winding answer, but she peered his way--did he feel that way? Could he say he would agree, on any level? She did not want to see him doubt himself just because his foundations had not come from nothing because even she had the scraps of Ferdie's Sunspire, and the remainders of the cursed Stavanger Bay's viking family. It was time, and he had all the support from here and beyond.

The months of senescence had been important to her thanks to this. It was a good time for Moonspear to rally and show their strength.

---

Amekaze's reply was enough to sate Osiris's concern, as he reasoned her ambiguity to nature's influence. The semantics were something he had many years ahead of him to come to learn about, as his life had really only just begun. Osiris nodded, leaving it at that; he trusted her. 

Hydra had told Osiris Moonspear's origin story on more than one occasion—and something he felt he could recite from memory. As Amekaze began to speak, he followed along with ease, nodding every so often as she said something he remembered."It just felt right. It had to be, said my heart," she then said, causing Osiris pause; it was how he had been feeling, too. Their borders were secure, their caches filling quickly—they had only just begun. Still, they already felt like a functioning pack. "That's how I feel too," Osiris said, feeling excitement raise in his chest. "But I've wanted to be cautious—I didn't want to rush us into anything we weren't ready for," Maybe this was the sign he'd be waiting for. 

As the realization hit him, Osiris felt an otherworldly force began to stir down below. The starlight intensified, swirling around at a brisk clip, as the void that held the lamps into place began to crawl up his body—pulling him into nothingness. Osiris quickly realized that he was waking up; his time with Amekaze was almost over. 

Helplessly, Osiris looked to his grandmother, feeling an uncharacteristic wave of concern hit him. "I'm not ready to go," he lamented in a winded whine, the darkness had nearly consumed him at this point, "There's so much I still have to ask you..."

---

He seemed to listen well then, less concerned about how he could hear her now of all things thankfully. It was up to him when it would be sure, ultimately. "Good," she replied, tail flicking, as he said he could claim the feeling. That assurance would help him stand taller and this was what she wanted. To protect the mountain, he would have to. "And patience can be wise," she agreed there towards him not wanting to rush it, but there was also no point in delay by now. Osiris had good support around him, and this was only the start. "That early caution may make for a strong foundation one day," Ame supposed. She had always stressed that the basics were important too, and everything had to start somewhere.

It would never be the same, but out of habit, and she nipped at his shoulder before reluctantly arcing away a few steps. Pinning a sincere look on Osiris then: "I think you will be ready.. was spoken just a little softer, and for whatever worth he could apply to it. Not as the strategist, but as an ancestor proud of him--and if only she could be there to tell him in the fur and flesh, she knew she would. He could do it, it was time.

But too, hers loomed as well, and this was already plenty. Pressure was shifting, with it old dark winds roiling, and night deepening. He was needed elsewhere, even if he was not ready. She wasn't ready to see him off either, and shook her head softly, sad to say it. It felt like they had only begun but his story had a long way to go yet. "I know," she sighed as she memorized all the sight of him she could, even as a familiar blackness swelled. Who knew how long until she could see him so clearly again, and where their travels would take them in the meantime. She would've fielded his every question, kept his every word.. and made sure, somehow, that he knew how important he was to her if only she could. "Until next time." Though, she doubted he would hear that piece by then.

Ame looked up to where she knew the moon would be in some fold of reality. Hopefully, he could keep it with him.

---

Osiris held onto what he could as his world turned dark, forcing himself to remember that last thing he heard before the void took him: "I know."

The leap from sleeping to conscious was quick, jarring, and thankfully, Osiris could remember everything—his memory served him well tonight. He woke with a start, his heart racing, and his gaze darting about the moon-lit den. He was home now—far from the reaches of interaction with Amekaze. Her message lingered, consuming his thoughts as he came-to; undoubtedly, it was time to claim the glen. Sound reason stressed that it was the middle of the night and that claiming now might not be the best idea, but Osiris ignored logic for now.

He stumbled onto all fours and wiped away the sleep in his eyes before exiting the den. The moon-light outside was bright, and his eyes took a moment to adjust to the light; Osiris couldn't help but wonder Amekaze was watching now, letting him know that she was there. It helped bolster his confidence and allowed him to move through the rendezvous with ease. He weaved through the woodlands with haste, seeking a tall bolder her had happened across a few days ago. It seemed to be the perfect stage for him to address everybody that could hear him, and he sought to utilize it now. Once he found it, he scaled it with ease and didn't stop until he reached the top.

Under the light of the full moon, Osiris cast his head back and howled—inviting the members of Firefly Glen and Moonspear to chime in. The time to claim the glen was now—under the watchful eyes of the Ostrega matriarch.

"Join me in claiming this glen," his stong howl announced. "For Charon and Amekaze, for Dirge and Hydra," Osiris saw the impact of his lineage and how he was able to fit into the grand scheme of things as well. "For me, and for the generations of Ostregas to come—for our past, present, and future—Firefly Glen belongs to all of us."

Nikai was wandering the borders of Moonspear with Caelum when the howl sounded, loud and clear. That's your brother, Nikai explained to the boy while other howls started to chime in, Let's congratulate him and his. With a soft smile Nikai lifted his head to the sky and chimed in with a howl of his own. Caelum lifted his head and his voice joined in, too, to congratulate Osiris on his achievements.

When the howl finished and Nikai glanced up at the sky, he could swear he saw something there -- a glimmer of a white wolf, a proud smile on a scarred face directed at Firefly Glen, freckles that mirrored his own. Nikai looked up and blinked, but the image had gone as soon as it had come to him. He must have imagined it.

The first note of Osiris's howl made Meerkat twitch in her sleep, her one working ear stiffening atop her head. As other voices began to join the song, the youth slowly opened her eyes, lifted her head and blinked blearily. The fur along her stippled spine raised as the voices hit a crescendo, bringing the Halloween night to life with their unearthly melody. Still half-asleep, she tipped her own head toward the full moon and joined the chorus as they officially declared Firefly Glen theirs.

Fennec was still up when the song started, stepping along the ravine near the river she'd chosen to stay by.     Her ears twitched as she listened, and she waited a beat.  She had not confirmed, nor had she spoken to them about it.... and it was possible they'd decline.  But Bronco's invitation hung in the air as more howls joined.

She'd known for a while, but she'd wanted to be sure.

Fennec lifted her muzzle and joined in, howling a clear note that soared to join the rest.

WC: 88

A blue moon.

The chilled air sent shivers down her spine for more reasons than the temperature. She could feel something. She knew that Kukutux would likely know what this sensation was, this otherworldly pull that buzzed through her flesh. It was as though a song was being sung that she could not hear. A great red star, too, was just beside the moon. It glimmered with a peculiar light.

Osiris began a rallying howl. She felt it in her bones. A rattle came to her chest. Others began to join. She felt their spirits lift up to the heavens, to that great red star, the odd brother of a full moon. Together with them, Toad Amelia raised her voice to the sky under the willow she sheltered beneath. Their melody was simple. The moon, bright and glorious, calmly watched over them. Toad found her body carried away with the autumn wind. For at least a moment, she felt with them fully and completely in spirit.

Tag for reference! HELL YEAH HALLOWEEN HOWL LETS GOOOOOOOO!

Lunaria's dark audits turned at the sound of a howl in the territory and was quick to catch up to it, arriving a few feet away and realizing it was Osiris who had summoned her -- along with many others who were soon to come. There was no need for rocket science to know what the howl was about and she smiled upon seeing other pack members gather to chip in. 

T'was a song of claim -- the new bodies who pronounced Firefly Glen as their home.

Being born into a pack from the get-go, Luna almost felt a little out of place being a part of something so freshly established. Not only that, but most members of this glen seemed to already have connections elsewhere; friends, family, mabey even children -- who knew. The thought made her stop to wonder if there was really a place for her in this mix? Well, she certainly wouldn't be a newbie forever, that's for sure, and as intimidating as it felt to be apart of something like this once again, she was excited to see what the future held. How many friends she'll make, how many that she'll feel comfortable enough to call family....

Luna looked over her shoulder -- away from the glen -- as if expecting to see her freind @Taikon behind her. She wondered where the sire was, if he was doing okay since the last time they'd met, and if she'd ever be able to steal him away to live in the glen with her one day. Again, only time would tell if they'll ever meet once more, and hopefully there was somewhere he'd found solace in by now. Because honestly, the guy deserves a fucking break.

Luna moved in closer to the group and tipped her head up to howl along with them. A promise to be apart of their history and pour her soul into aiding them -- with these scars on her chest being proof of Luna's duty as a huntress till the day she dies...

Jarilo stuck to the valleys tonight so he could have open skies, all content in the eerie glow of the moon even here in a lengthening night. He was trying to tire himself out, think about winding down properly, but he had given in to restless paws already and kept going on more anyway. Best to stay busy when he knew right where an idle thought was going to go on a night like this.

When Osiris' howl rose up from Firefly Glen, he wholeheartedly welcomed that distraction and did have to stop and add his own say. That was, after a solid sigh. Relief? Mostly. Over his years, he had watched the gradual growth of things, helped it where he could once he was able, and as such, this was just another culmination of it all so far. It even added in influences from beyond, from Easthollow and the Firebirds--probably more too, those were just the noteworthy ones to him. They were able to be loyal to not only Hydra and Dirge, but Osiris too.

The dark Ostrega was impressed to see it happen as he stood among them, taking it all in. Now it was theirs entirely.

He howled his best, brightest tune of congratulations for the official expansion of their claim and caught sight of the moon again.. then the darkness and its stars as his voice rode the note, then quieted. Where his family concerned, Jarilo was sentimental enough on a good day. They had suffered so much, lost plenty, but it was not all bad. They made sure of that and this was coming to him as great and powerful reminder

After, he settled to listen for a long time to the chorus of voices that joined them that night.

wc:205

Not unlike his mother, Bronco was an exceptionally sound sleeper and had fallen asleep with his back against Meerkat's. Without their amazing cave den, he felt it was even more important to stick with her as a quiet guardian while she slept, oblivious of the fact that he did occasionally snore exceptionally loudly. He was in the sort of deep sleep state where his paws and whiskers twitched slightly in accordance with his dreams when the chorus of howls began to ring out. His twitching quieted slightly when Meerkat shifted beside him, but he didn't wake until she lifted her head to howl.

Instinctively, he did the same, though it wasn't until his voice had reached the top of its arch that he realized what he was doing, and that he was even awake at all. His voice hitched for a moment, before he coaxed his vocal chords to ring out again. It was official, then; they were a pack. He was happy to hear that they were officially established- but tired enough that once he ran out of air, he drew in his next breath with a loud yawn, and slumped back to the ground alongside his sister, falling almost immediately back to sleep.

Desdemona was not part of Firefly Glen. Many of the warriors were taken to the plains, but even when they sleep under the fireflies of the summer night; in the end, they were always Moonspear. She was bit one of the many guards that remained in the mountain, and watched afar as the group formed into what they were.

She was proud, of the younger generation to form. But also a void within her heart; for they were so close, but so far away. She found little means to help guard Firefly Glen, when such an abundancy did their duties. Desdemona knew none would slack, and so she was left to the borders of Moonspear.

Congratulations, to the generation to form. A howl of a cheer, for may they grow into even something bigger.

firefly glen had come to be. kukutux smiled, lifted her voice from where she had been burying her last fish catch in the coldening earth. 

in her mind, osiris would follow in the trails left by his mother and his father. he was young, but not foolish; he had been reared well and was equipped for his first foray with the other youthful hunters. and her notes twined around that of jarilo, singing of their aunt's love for them and her visions of their plentiful futures.

The twilight had fallen, the moon shown bright, unblocked by tree nor rock as she lay high upon one of the many cliffs of Moonspear. It was not Nova Peak, it was warmer here then the Taiga which she so missed. But here was family. Far more then she had held in Sagtannet and family which actually claimed her as such. She was Ostrega a name she would learn was a powerful one and not to be hidden as @Mahler had been forced to. Not to be shunned as @Wylla thought it so. And so, though heavy with heart, her snowy crown did lift, singing out to praise those she would come to all learn as family.

In his thoughts along the borderland between the mountain and glen, he heard the rallying cry. An uncertain emotion stirred in him to hear Osiris raise his voice—was it pride? It may have been, to know that what had started as a flirtatious conversation had turned into an achievable goal. It had once been easier to consider Hydra’s siblings for such stations, but to find his son at the helm of one made the hairs along his spine prickle; it was a sensation that felt out of place, but it was a reaction to the sonorous call that was lifting up all around him and nothing more.

He felt the pull of it too as he listened to other voices join in. Some of which that were familiar to him, others that were not from deeper within the glen itself. His emotional uncertainty was eclipsed by the fact that this was no ordinary rallying call; this was something much more concrete, much greater than any meager thought or concern that could have crossed him. His muzzle went skyward then, and his voice joined in with the clamor that was beginning to rise from the mountain.

Beneath the full moon, on the cusp when the veil between seasons and the world was the most thin, they had taken the glen. There would be no turning back now, and no room for doubt or failure to slip in like a ghastly, unsavory resident in their dreams.

244 words

Altair, like others, was stirred to wake at all the ruckus.

Groggily he tried to piece together what was happening—howls weren’t really out of the ordinary by any means, but to hear so many voices joining together so late was bewildering. It wasn’t until someone much closer to his designated sleeping spot raised their voice that the synapses fired in just the right way to remind him of what was the present and not a dreamlike state.

Osiris had left. Atlas had left. Antares and others too, they all had left for the glen and this was their cry of success over the nighttime din. His nose scrunched up at first, displeased at having been woke, but soon he found himself lifting his head from the earth to join them. It was quiet at first, interrupted by a yawn that cut him off noisily to any nearby listeners. But as soon as he had made it past a series of yawns, he joined back in with the chorus just past its apex.

It wasn’t like he could fully ignore it anyway, so it was better to join in.

And he didn’t want to disappoint any of them, either.

199 words

From an eastern outpost deep in the fullmoon's night, as soon as he heard the song, Antares stopped his doings and gave it an ear. He had known this was coming after all. Even if it all settled into place faster than many of them could even really imagine, it had come naturally to them, and this was as they deserved.

It didn't take much convincing for him; not long after first hearing Osiris, his nose was up as well and he raised his own voice to the chorus. Even alone for now, he was content to revel in his pride for this, especially as he listened to all who joined them and felt the same for their cause. It was all too good that it got to be official now, he believed. They would make the best of this as their piece of the wilderness grew.

The howls rose up from below the mountain, near the lake where Tehama had met Tahoe.  Now the lady lay upon a north-facing outcropping above the treeline of Moonspear, where she had been watching the stars, bathed in the light of the full moon.  She let the calls of many both close at hand and further afield mingle, absorbing what she could of their message, but it was clear that this was a family affair with much that the newcomer could not yet understand.  Layers upon layers of significance built up within the howls.  Despite her position as outsider to all of it, Tehama couldn't help but feel pleased and comforted by what she heard.  She had not yet heard anything to dissuade her that Moonspear--and now, by extension, Firefly Glen--was a powerful pack with strong roots here, and that she had made the right choice to settle upon the mountain and and make a home amongst its wolves.  She might for now be outside of this family, but she knew from her own birth pack the importance of tradition and blood-bonds in keeping the pack vibrant, healthy, and strong.  So she lifted up her head in her own brief message of support, and knew that Moonspear had allies in their new and nearest neighbors, Firefly Glen.

Hydra had been returning from a patrol to lay with her family for a time; she was most active throughout the night, but with Winters impending arrival her hours would adjust to receive the daylight hours more often. Her husband was in her line of sight when the call rose over the quiet of the night. A hush overcame the world for the briefest of moments before other voices joined. 

She thought she saw what she was feeling mirrored in her mate, but it could be her own imagination running rampant as she heard her sons voice. And then, another—and the voice of all of her family, joining his in solidarity. Hydra turned to dart toward a nearby ledge, but from this great height Osiris was indistinguishable. 

Her gaze turned to the sky, and her heart lifted in her throat—in the white face of the moon, she likened the craters to freckles for a brief moment seeing the very same thing @Nikai had, perhaps unwittingly. A streak of green then, before a meteor shower began. 

It was almost as though her mother and father were among them then. But like Nikai, Hydra thought she must be imagining that much. The pride within her was real, though not her own. She could feel it in the song of Moonspear and the Glen. All around them would know, now, of their latest achievement. Moonspear had grown. Hydra lifted her head and joined in on the song; her pride, her joy, their strength. Not for a moment had she doubted them, and it was no wonder with Osiris at their helm.

Saviguk did not completely comprehend the meaning behind the assorted voices that rose into the air tonight. It was not lost on him that Osiris and others of his extended family had been forming a group of their own. Not to branch off from Moonspear, but to expand it. To make them as a whole, stronger.

He was too young to leave his mountainous home yet. And he had no desire to. The Ice Crystal still felt there was so much he needed to do, needed to learn and absorb. Firefly Glen wasn't far away from home, and his parents had affirmed that he was permitted to travel back and forth between the two packs. Nestled in the security of Moonspear's folds, as their voices joined the chorus, he was compelled. Tipping his head back he released a proud cry, entwining his voice with that of his kin.

When the howl woke him up, Charles initially tried to keep sleeping, because a) Who cared and b) Osiris' ego definitely didn't need inflating further. However, the song just kept going on and on and on, ugh.

Eventually, Charles wriggled himself out of the small makeshift den he'd been sleeping in and lifted his nose into the air to join in the call.

After it died down, Charles crawled back into the den and curled up again.

There, you happy how, you windbag?

And he was surprised to find himself actually kinda hoping that Osiris was happy after thinking that. Weird, since he was such a douchebag. Charles' night was continued with a very confusing dream after that...

Leta had been asleep, dreaming of violently yellow eyes and their wicked stare. It was paralyzing, that, and Leta had thought she had escaped such things. It had been a long, long time since such a vision had come to her... but it rendered her immobile. She could scarcely breathe to see them, unblinking, watching. Who they belonged to Leta did not know, but in the place where fear never rests Leta could feel that familiar heavy dread squeeze. Leta was not at all aware of the reasoning behind this; why did she feel as though someone was breathing upon her? Rancid breath upon her nape—

The howl of Osiris dispelled this vision, this feeling. Leta woke with a start, able to move again (breathe again), coltishly rising to all fours and blinking away the sleep as she looked all around her. No one near to be watching her, but soon the reason for searching was swept away by wakefulness. What had she dreamt of? She could not remember, and the harder she tried to recall it the further it went from her grasp. 

Osiris sang again, and she heard all the voices join with his own. It was without thought that Leta set off in his direction; he was safety, he was comfort, he was home, and so was this, and these voices singing. All of it, home. And when she saw him there, Leta felt the song fully in her heart as her voice joined to tell of it and echo the sentiments of Osiris. 

A little breathless after, Leta looked to him; he was bathed in moonlight, and surrounded by a canvas of stars—it was then she felt a peaceful, and warm, calm settle around her. And so she drew nearer to the tawny Ostrega and asked softly, would it be alright if... if I stayed with you, tonight? too tired to think on perception, his or hers—only wanting to be close to him, and this feeling that contrasted entirely the frozen terror she had unknowingly endured in her sleep.

When triumphant voices rose from the lowlands, joined swiftly by those belonging to the mountain dwellers, Nyx did not chime in at once. She simply listened, still reeling from her whirlwind emotions and apparent inability to cope with change. Ignorant of her king's attempt to lay claim to the glen until then, the tawny Ostrega lifted her muzzle and cast her gaze skyward.

A bright star shot across the dark void as she did so, and she couldn't help but wonder if @Mahler had seen it too - all the way from his side of the wilds, from the place that was sure to have thrived without bearing the weight of her sorry existence. 

Nyx sighed, felt tears prick behind her eyelids as she closed them over, and steeled herself against another wave of emotion. Not wanting to dwell on the life she hoped she could've made in Sagtannet, Nyx inhaled deep to release her low song alongside those of her siblings, her daughters. It was a hopeful note, one tainted with sorrow, but present nonetheless. 

The blackbird rested quietly that night, curled close to herself in a hollow of the mountain, but sleep did not come for her. Alone, Ciri took that private hour to yearn for the only part of her previous life she'd regretted leaving behind: her father.

Mahler, once a presence almost as constant as that of her mother, had suddenly become nonexistent. He'd promised to visit, an occasion that Ciri and her sister longed to come around, but part of her had begun to doubt the truth behind his words.

Moonspear wasn't all bad. She was still worried about fitting in, naturally, and continued to keep mostly to herself, but she was trying. With her mother's clear struggles and her own dampened spirits, it was the best that she could do.

Several voices rose in song from close by and, curious, the young Ostrega pricked her raven lobes to listen. There was pride in this cry of unity, and the sound lured her from her hiding place and out into the open. Ciri, unable to resist the instinct to join, did so tentatively at first. Her howl came softly, weakly, as though she'd never used it before. Taking a moment to swallow her heartache, she made a second attempt that came stronger than before, sent unwavering with hope for a promising future.

Countless voices rose into the night to announce Firefly Glen's formation. He was overwhelmed by it (in the best way possible) and fell silent to admire the collection of howls for a moment. Osiris would never forget this night—for more than one reason.

The sound of nearing footsteps briefly drew his attention away from the chorus, and he was surprised to see it was Leta approaching him."Hey," he said sheepishly, his tail wagging gently behind him as his heart began to race.  Nervously, Osiris licked his chops as Leta started to speak. 

"would it be alright if... if I stayed with you, tonight?" she asked. 

"Of course," he replied without hesitation. 

Their rallying song had begun to die, and Osiris lead Leta to where he usually slept. Once they arrived, they curled around each other, and she promptly went to sleep. He stayed up, still energized by the multiple events that had occurred in the past hour. He laid awake for hours, watching the night as it turned into morning, wondering if Amekaze was still watching. 

Osiris hoped that he had made her proud—Charon, too.