Silvertip Mountain I got guns in my head and they won't go

She was supposed to scout with Gracious and find Dutiful's pack so she could continue her training. She hadn't forgotten that goal, but somewhere along the way June's distraction had risen to record levels and she'd managed to lose Gracious. Without a sense of where she was going, the only thing little June could do was turn back and return to something familiar, although it took longer than it ought to have. Her paws sent her chasing flitting birds and her eyes caught on glistening fish and shiny rocks far more readily than was productive, and so her travels were prolonged without Gracious' guiding hand. But eventually she made it back, and none too worse for wear thanks to her relative proficiency hunting small animals.

Her focus sharpened for the first time in weeks when her eyes caught the familiar outline of Silvertip Mountain in the morning mist. Yipping gleefully, the coltish yearling picked up her feet and made good time—the sun was only just starting to set when the land began to slope in earnest. As she reached the place where the soil and air were charged with the scent of Silvertip wolves, she very nearly pranced right over the line in her haste to reunite with @FitzDutiful and especially @Mason. It was budding instinct that prevented her from making that poor mistake. That, and there was a little mouse flitting over a rock in the near distance and June, distracted yet again, began picking her way toward it, further from the borders, rather than howling her location as she ought to.

It was good that FitzDutiful was a Guardian-to-be; it meant that when he had to give Zaria some space he had something to entertain himself with and felt as though he was still protecting his family rather than wondering if there was something wrong with him. Whether Zaria's detachment from their offspring also affected him or whether it was just because he barely knew them he couldn't say. He was supposed to put his children first but somehow ensuring Zaria was okay and she wasn't stressing out with them was his top priority. FitzDutiful was looking forward to the time when Zaria could go hunting again and resume her own interests, leaving the pups with him or one of the budding caretakers.

For not the first time he was glad he only had to worry about these four, as he wandered his eyes presented him with the other than had preoccupied him a lot the last year - June - and he had to shake his head to clear the vision as he meandered along, picking out the weaker points and strengthening their borders. It appeared she was distracted by something in the rocks; such a June thing to do, but she was safely with Gracious at his father's pack.

So instead he watched his chimera play out for a moment before resuming his duties, feeling sorry that he may never see her again but ever so glad she was safe.

June carried herself with long, limber strides in the direction of the skittering mouse. In response, it began to scurry faster and was soon fleeing, and the yearling followed with a yip, her mannerisms reminiscent of a half-grown pup rather than a full-grown one. That wasn't to say June was behind in all areas or always behaved thusly. It was whenever her attention was pulled by something very compelling that June showed her youth to the world, and not only that, but the result of her early birth and stunted development as well.

She trailed the mouse a little further before her head whipped up in response to another distraction at the edge of her periphery: a flash of grey-white conspicuous against the mountainous terrain. Nose a-quiver, June stood tall momentarily and when she recognized the dappled back and the rich brown of tail and ears, she hurried to catch up, running parallel to the borders. Without noticing that she'd already been spotted, the yearling breathlessly called out, "dad!"

Joo could have sauntered right up to Mason’s den in the centre of the packlands and never been shunned. Not by her family. Even Zaria was doubtful to be anything but accepting of June – her simplistic view on life made her easy to love, if not easy to understand. She was like a perpetual child but Mason always took care to treat her like an adult, but with more simplified terms and explanations.
 
Their bond was strong, but not supernatural. It was a chance trailing of his Dad’s scent that led Mason to the pair of pale wolves. As soon as he spotted her, unlike his Dad who thought she was a hallucination, Mason knew it was really her. He darted towards them with a joyous call emitting from his muzzle. He didn’t know whether they had already spoken – it looked like they had just met up, but Mason felt too excited to care. June looked fine. As he bore down on his two favourites, Mason aimed for June, hoping to rear up and enfold her in a wolfish embrace.

As he wandered past his imagery, he was well on his way with her behind him when he heard the noise. He thought he had heard her calling him. It sounded so much like her, more so than any other dream he had ever had. His dreams had never quite managed to replicated her voice as hard as they had tried. It caused him to stop and to glance back over his shoulder.

She was running parallel to the borders to catch up with him and at once the realisation came that she was here overwhelmed him. He felt a fledgling of fear but it was quickly replaced with joy, doubled once Mason arrived and bounded straight towards her. "You back!" he exclaimed, happiness throughout at the thought of his youngest knowing their sister too. "Are you here to stay?" He glanced around, just in case someone else was with her - forgetting that Gracious ought to be.

Not for a second does June doubt her father will acknowledge her, and when he turns at last, she reacts with an overjoyed beam. Her paws pick up their pace marginally as she races toward FitzDutiful, but she is only halfway there when her head turns sharply and she spots her beloved brother charging down the slope. Tail waving, the girl turns just in time to lift her slim legs partway up to meet Mason as he collides with her.

But Mason is quite a bit larger than his svelte sister, who crumples under the weight of the collision with a breathy giggle. She hits the ground hard, but this only chases further laughter from her throat to the air, for although she is briefly inundated with the pain of such a collision, June knows it's a good kind of hurt. To be pummeled by family in the throes of affection was one of her favourite things.

As she fights to regain her breath between giggles, Humility squeaks an affirmative, "yes!" at her father. If you'll have me, but June doesn't doubt that for a second, either.

June rose to meet him but her fragile form collapsed beneath him. Mason rolled over the top of her laughing – sure he had not caused any serious damage as only the ‘attacker’ can. Dad was saying something but Mason was too gleeful to pay much attention. It was like they were five months old again and Dad was trying to give them a life lesson whilst they lost concentration and play-fought.

June clearly listened to Dad because she responded. Mason rolled over and got to his paws, then pressed in to nudge June more tenderly behind her ear. “What happened? Did something change?” Mason’s tail still wagged slowly, because June didn’t seem in distress, and Mason assumed she had simply changed her mind about wanting to travel.

FitzDutiful smiled to see his eldest two so close again and his grin only widened as she said yes. "Of course we'll have you!" he exclaimed before a headache hit him suddenly and he grimaced ever so slightly - hopefully his offspring wouldn't notice.

"I'll let you two catch up, I need to go check on Zaria; I'll let her know you're back" He spent a moment or two watching them, a smile on his head as the headache raged on. It was seemingly getting worse so he made a mental note to stop by the herb supply on the way back and eat some of those pain relief herbs that Mason had taught him about.

With another widening of his smile - still more a grimace from the pain - he moved away and headed off in the direction of the den.

June's tail windmills behind her as she rights herself, accepting her brother's nudge with a nip of her own. Her whole body wriggles with the effort of her joy as she basks in the company of her family. She's most pleased to see her brother and remains close to him as FitzDutiful offers to give them time. So wrapped up is she in being reunited with them that June doesn't notice her father's grimace, and is unaware of any problem as he departs to check on Zaria, whom June has also missed dearly.

She turns fully to Mason then, beaming, and rolls her shoulders in a carefree shrug. "I lost auntie Gracious," she says, "so I came back." That's the long and short of it, anyway. With no hope of finding Dutiful's pack on her own, June had no other choice but to return. That's not to say it went against her wishes. Her desire to travel was short-lived and now her desire is to be home with her family.