Sunbeam Lair And even though you're scared, you're stronger than you know

It was with a very heavy heart that Maia left the wolves of the Sunspire, and Terance in particular, behind.  She  didn't say goodbye to many, just her brother.  It wasn't the best thing but she hated goodbyes.

She eventually meandered her way back down the way they had come, doing a fair amount of moping and flailing, but now that she recognized the mountain, the prospect of meeting with @Wraen again put a spring back in her step.  She really didn't enjoy this whole traveling solo thing, and she was doubly happy she'd made the smart decision to come along.  Wraen was probably miserable by now.

Feeling a good deal better, she sat in a patch of light and looked about, cocking her head.  Where did they say they were going to meet again? Shoot.  Ok, well..... she lifted her head and howled.  Better just to ask anyway.

Wraen had not wandered far from Sunspire the past few days, waiting for Maia's return and wondering, if the arrival at the Lost Creek Hollow might have changed her mind. She was still undecided on, whether her sister's decision to join her in voluntary exile for God knew, how long, was the wisest thing to do. But it was time to realize that the tall and strong girl was not a child anymore and could do as she wished. 

By the time Wraen heard her call, she had almost given up on waiting and was making plans about, where to head now. The temperatures had dropped once again and she had to think ahead in terms of providing food. The number of small prey would dwindle significantly in the following weeks, therefore she wanted to have not only a plan B, but C, D, E and F as well. 

She was further up the path that led from Sunspire to Rising sun valley, when Maia howled for her. Unable to reach her in that instant, she tipped her muzzle and howled in reply. Not far, but not near enough.

<3 after next week I'm hopin to be a little quicker!

For a minute she worried she'd gotten the wrong mountain.  She'd lived here how long? But mountains all looked so similar, and staring at it, she felt a small edge of panic set in.  If she'd gotten turned around then Wraen wasn't here, and if Wraen wasn't here that meant she was stuck alone longer, and Wraen might leave, and then she'd never....

Just as she was goin full blown panic mode, a howl cut through, immediately washing relief over the younger girl.  Her reply was exuberant, a quick yell of "COMINGGGG" and an immediate run to find wherever the heck the noise was coming from.  Her sister wasn't here, exactly, but she was close, and that was more than enough to send her flying.

When she eventually met her sister, she'd be a barrel of greetings, exuberant to be around anyone who wasn't herself.

This probably means that you will cut down the number of times I have tagged you. :D

Unlike Maia, Wraen was not prone to panicking. Figuratively speaking, you could throw her in a pool of cold water, she would probably be confused and gulp down some water first, then she would resurface and take a look at the situation, weigh out her options and start swimming. She could get frustrated, if things seemed to be hitting a brick wall, no matter, how hard she tried, even shed a tear in anger or explode, if everything spiralled down. But this was as close to "panicking" as she would ever get. Osprey and Dante had raised her to be a survivor.

And, hopefully, with more life experience, Maia would take some of Wraen's pragmatic approach to unexpected situations as well. Now, however, as Wraen was running down the slope, taking dangerous short-cats and with her feet slipping on the rocks and mud (it had rained recently), all she could think about was her joy of having her sister by her side again. No more loneliness, companionship, friendship and adventures. Galore of them. 

And finally she caught sight of an equally excited form barrelling towards her. She met Maia half-way and unable to slow down that instant, crashed into her and tumbled to the ground. Despite the bruises that would remind about them later, Wraen was grinning at her sibling and her tail was wagging.

When Wraen tumbled, Maia was quick to shower her face with happy licks, grateful to see her and a little over-exuberant.  She was heckin lonely ok?  

How's it going?!  I feel like it took forever to get here!  she sighed dramatically, though didn't go into it.  Getting turned around on her way here probably wasn't the best start to a trip but hey, that's why Wraen was gonna show her the ropes.  She'd learn fast of course.

"Oh, I am doing fine. Really," Wraen summed up her almost two or three weeks' worth (she had lost count) of adventures out in the wilds in few words. She could, of course, mention all the people she had met and got to know, tell that they had at least two friendly packs to turn to on the other side of the mountain range, just in case things turned for the worse during winter, and recap all of the days she had spent looking for food, hunting and resting. But this was not the most exciting stuff and she knew Maia would get bored easily. You can't someone's thirst for dragons with oatmeal porridge. 

"And I have so much in plan for us - places to go and see, stuff to do," she continued, still smiling and wagging her tail. Honestly speaking, there was not a set plan, but freedom to choose. Teekon wilds was a big place. "How are the others? Have they settled down well?" she asked, curious to find out about the doings of her former pack and wanting to hear that they were doing well, even without her. That there weren't any sour feelings towards her now that she had left her post as a leader.

Maia would definitely have listened to whatever boring tales Wraen had to tell, but she wasn't about to pry for them.  Her sister's brevity allowed her mind to skip easily and immediately to the next most interesting thing; what now?

Awesome! Even mention of the others couldn't curb her enthusiasm, though she did quiet down a tidge when she asked.  Terance was sad I think, but he's gonna be fine.  Everyone's good. Enjoying the new spot it had seemed and hardly going to miss her yeah? Since, well, she hadn't exactly said goodbye to anyone but Terance anyway.

What kinda stuff? back to the fun part, and away from all that sad stuff.

Terance would be sad and blame himself and Wraen suppressed a pang of guilt for putting him through this. There seemed to be no end to her brother's misfortunes and at times, when she was in a humorous mood, she wondered, whether a curse or hex had been put on him, while he had still been in the cradle. Because no such bad luck seemed to chase after her. Or maybe she simply had a different point of view on the same events and it had nothing to do with bad luck or magic at all.

"I am happy to hear that," she answered, hoping that, while they were busy settling in and accumulating new members, they would not have much time to think about those people, who had left them. "We are going to have an adventure! You did not get to travel as much as I did, when I was a cub, therefore I am taking you all across the flatlands and wilderness, we will go and spend time by the oceanside, maybe even find the place, where our parents lived once - I heard it was located somewhere in the vicinity," she told of the events that they were to face in the coming weeks.

"I have already spoken with Blacktail deer plateau wolves - if are up for a bigger game for our mealtimes, perhaps, we can arrange a bigger hunt together. But if the weather is going to treat us nicely, then we will get on by on our own," she explained. "Let's go then back to Sunspire, we can stay for a day or two, while you take a rest and then plan our paths from there. Does this sound good?"

Talking about this and that the two sisters reached the shelter for this night, in order to rise late next morning and start their adventures together.