The Sunspire pick up where you left off

Attn @Summer, but anybody is welcome.

A month had passed in solitude. Tytonidae had come undone, and she felt broken and betrayed by her sister and cousin. That feeling, while just a dull ache now, had not subsided completely. But she had returned. Not to the plateau, but to Summer. Her body had grown thin and worn, her eyes were no longer the bright shade of emerald they had been last time she had come to The Sunspire. She had needed time alone, but hunger brought her back to the Teekon Wilds, starving and shivering. Some gamekeeper she was, unable to do anything more than scavenge a few felled beasts. Even then, she was usually chased off within minutes of arriving, larger, stronger predators clearing her out of the way.

Her belly ached as she approached the mountain where Summer lived, where her mother had once lived, and where she had last been spotted. The time between then and now seemed like an eternity, but she was here now. Even standing there, looking up at the peak of the mountain, she could not determine what her next move would be (if anything at all). She could stay here, hope that Hawkeye would someday return to her. She could go back to the plateau, face Osprey and Saena and the lot of them. She could go to Redhawk Caldera and seek comfort in her father's embrace. There were so many options, but none of them felt like the one.

Dusk was settling in when Tytonidae finally arrived, and the air had the same chill that had been present over the past few weeks. She stood there, silent, hesitating, until she finally gathered up enough courage to call out for somebody she hoped was still a friend.

HOLY CRAP I did not realize how ramblemonster I went with this until I posted it O______O

Only a day had passed since the wolf from the Plateau had been at their borders, searching for the apple-eyed girl. Their meeting had been brief, with little info passed between them besides that fact that she was missing, and yet Summer had spent the following hours with nothing else on his mind.

According to Lasher, she had been gone for four days. Four days, he'd said. And yet it had been a month past since Tytonidae had shown up at his borders, lost in her misery. Often since then had he thought of her. Often had he wondered if he should go out and search for her, even though she'd told him never to come near her again. But Summer was an obedient creature; one who often put the wishes of those he cared for above his own, even when it caused him strife to do so.

Four days. He couldn't get it out of his head. It made sense that after she'd left him, she'd made her way back home to make up with her family. But then why had she left again? Had something else happened? Had she come to Sunspire again for her mother and been told by one of their number that she no longer was there? If so, where then had she gone? Certainly not to search for her by herself? The thought made Summer's stomach churn painfully, for if Hawkeye had indeed gone after Ferdie, then that would mean Ty was searching for a woman who was, essentially, searching for a murderous cougar.

And then, what if the wolf from the Plateau had been lying? What if she'd been gone from the Plateau this whole time? What then? The Ostrega did not like to think of what could have happened to Ty on her own in the wilderness. Yes, he had been alone before, but he had been well trained by his father on how to survive. Had Ty's parents ever taught her how to live as a lone wolf? Summer somehow doubted it, particularly considering that her own mother had up and abandoned her, only to disappear altogether.

Needless to say, Summer had slept little that night. His mind simply would not allow it. Nor would his heart, as it had forced him to spend his time pacing the boundaries obsessively, ever watching and waiting, as though the visit from the Plateau wolf would somehow summon her to him, which.. as luck would have it, turned out to be exactly the case.

The black wolf froze as he heard the call, hardly daring to belive it. Even as he ran across the terrain and finally stopped to lay his eyes upon her weak, sickly form, he still remained doubtful. Certainly this was his mind playing tricks on him due to his exhaustion and the fact that he hadn't taken his medicine in too many hours. Shaking, he approached her, and then finally, with a soft whine, he reached to press his nose against the plush fur behind her ear and take in a breath. His nose was the one sense that he trusted, and it told him truly that this was her.

"Ty..." Summer said, stepping back to look at her, eyes swimming with concern. A flurry of questions brought themselves forward to battle for their places upon his tongue, but he remained silent. His main concern was her, and so he waited to hear whatever it was she wanted to say as opposed to directing her words to satisfy his own desperate curiosities.

You may as well write a mountain, grrl.

She didn't see him until he spoke, and her dull, green eyes searched to find him in the darkness. “Summer?” she replied, voice hoarse and dry in her throat. The juvenile had spoken to nobody during her month of solitude, and hearing it aloud startled her. It did not sound like it had before. Her voice was... older, to say the least. Perhaps it was just in her head, but she no longer sounded like a child. Tytonidae felt terribly grown-up now, and her gut turned at the thought (or was it the hunger?).

Without thought, without hesitation, the young DiSarinno rushed toward him with sobs, her chest heaving with each breath. “I didn’t—” she broke off, unable to finish what she wanted to say. “I’m so sorry, Summer. You’re my only friend, and I was so mean to you. Please, please don’t hate me. I’m not terrible, I’m really not.” Tytonidae pressed herself into him, feeling as though she could never get close enough to the Sunspire youth.

In the back of her mind, though, she knew that she must return to the plateau. It was her home. The Ospreys and Junior and Lasher would be worried about her, along with Dante and Blue Willow. That is, unless they knew how terrible she was and thought her a deserter. It made her sick to think of going back, but she knew it had to be done.

Allow me to make amends with this piece of crap

Her reaction to him was not unpleasant, but quite surprising. His legs stiffened as she rushed to him and pressed against him, his hackles raising upon his nape. He was quick to melt against her, however--the sound of her sobs the fire that warmed and relaxed his tension. Summer pressed his head down against the side of her neck, whining softly to quiet her distress.

"It's fine, you're fine," he murmured, closing his eyes, "I'm so glad that you're safe." He did not move to break away from her, simply stood still and strong--a pillar for her to lean against for as long as she needed.

He accepted her apology (in so many words), and she was infinitely thankful for that. He did not burden her with questions, with anger, or with anything else that might have turned her away. Instead, he embraced her, and she wanted nothing more than to stay there until the end of time. She knew, of course, that such a thing was not possible. Still, Tytonidae continued to lean against him for at least a minute, perhaps even more, before she finally drew a step back and shuffled away from him a foot or two.

“I have to go back to the plateau,” she announced, her voice not exactly reeking of confidence. “Will you, could you go with me?” she asked. Ty was not even sure that such a thing was allowed, but she needed him there, one way or another. She loathed to think of the moment when she would have to face her sisters again, and she would need his strength to get her through that ordeal.

Tytonidae leaned into his embrace, and then all too soon, she stepped back to look upon him with sorrow in her eyes. Her request was not surprising to him. Of course she would want to return home. He had known it was an eventuality before she'd ever returned to the Spire, and although he had prepared himself for it, Summer couldn't help but feel the sting of disappointment as she said the words.

"Of course," Summer replied quickly at being asked to join her for the return journey. He could not have let her leave on her own in the poor shape she was in, nor could he pass up the opportunity to spend more time with her while he still had her. "Do you want to eat first? I have a cache not too far, you're welcome to any of it that you need," he offered, hoping she'd accept.

Lol what is that banner even.

Even now, as she asked Summer to accompany her to the plateau, Ty did not know if she would stay. Much of that would be dependent upon Osprey and Saena's reactions to her return. There were so many uncertainties that it made Tytonidae sick to her stomach. She swallowed, hoping that would somehow thwart her body's rejection of what little food boiled in her stomach. Ty did not want to eat a single thing, as much as she was happy that Summer had offered her something. The mere thought of it caused her stomach to make a gurgling noise, and she shook her head.

“Let’s just go,” she decided suddenly, not wanting to linger at The Sunspire for long. “Do you need to tell anybody you’re leaving? I can wait here if you need to, but you won’t have to stay long at the plateau.” And depending on how things went, Ty wouldn't be staying there long, either. If he could go and come back without being gone too long, perhaps they could leave right away.

LOL .... I'm sorry what where? x:

Ty turned down his offer to allow him to feed her, and as little as Summer liked it, he accepted it with a nod. Perhaps along the way, he could catch her something while they rested. At the very least, he would make sure when they got to the Plateau that whoever came to greet them was given strict instructions to make sure she ate. She might not be hungry, but Summer knew well that lack of hunger did not necessarily mean the body did not need to eat.

"No, we can go," he replied. If he were missing for a few days, then Ame and Jace might begin to worry. But he had been gone for a couple of days at a time before without issue so he was certain there would be no problem with it now. "I'll explain when I get back, it won't be a problem," Summer added to comfort her.

He took a step forward then to push his muzzle lightly against her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Ty," he murmured, sharing with her a small, reassuring smile. The bond of family was stronger than any, that much he was certain of. Her family may have been angry with her when she'd left, but anger was not a lasting emotion, especially not between loved ones.

Oop, it disappeared. It was showing some jpop dude for awhile instead of The Sunspire banner. Weird stuff.

Tytonidae did not plan on stopping between here and Blacktail Deer Plateau. Her mind was set on going there as quickly as possible. Even though she had spent nearly a month away from them, she felt an urgency to get back and assimilate herself back into the pack. It was a relief to hear that they would be able to leave right away, and Ty was already itching to get moving. Without waiting, she began to march toward the plateau, Summer by her side.

She did not think that it would be okay, but she appreciated his words of comfort. Before they even reached the plateau, she would tell him to turn and go home, thanking him for his support. There, she would walk into a real shit-show. But that was then, and for now she simply continued toward her birthplace.

Ty wasted no time to turn and start their journey towards her home. Even with her sweet, meek personality, there was strength hidden beneath. Those moments when it showed brought a smile to Summers face in spite of the overwhelming melancholy of their situation.

Summer was a dominant wolf. It was a truth he tried to keep at bay, but one he nonetheless was beginning to recognize. Yet as the little female took charge and led the way, he fell easily in step behind her, and something told him that that was exactly how it would be for as long as long as he knew her.