Moonspear o frabjous day! callooh! callay!

Back on her own again, it took Sugar a day or two to pinpoint this overwhelming feeling weighing in her gut: she was homesick. She didn't want to abandon her mission, yet at the same time, she craved a place to return to and rest her head when she grew weary of the road. It had also occurred to her that she might benefit from someplace permanent to build up a medical cache. She could carry some items with her on the road, yet it would be best to put the rest in storage.

But where was home, these days? There was Triquetra, where she had spent several months coming back from the brink of death. Maybe for that reason, it didn't feel like home. She would go there, to visit Tegan, Bat and the pups, as well as to deliver the bad news. Yet she knew she didn't want to stay there, much as she'd come to love her older brother and his family.

That really only left the Firebirds, yet any time Sugar thought of the copse, it put a lump in her throat and she found it difficult to breathe. She had come to terms with her parents' deaths now but still had a lot of emotional processing left to do. She could barely stand the idea of visiting right now, much less staying there. Perhaps she would change her mind one day, though Sugar doubted it. There were still some lovely people living there, of course, but the ones who had primarily made it home were dead and gone. Too many bittersweet memories resided there now.

Maybe, she thought, she should turn back and join Raleska at Rusalka. She had grown fond of little "Elwood," as well as his sister and their mother. The wolves there hadn't seemed so bad, despite the Empress's words. The thought stirred up some more turmoil in her chest and Sugar sighed, still plodding away from the coastline. Whether or not she eventually decided to establish a home base, right now she still had a mission to complete.

She had never been here before, yet she knew the peak from a distance and the scents of wolves confirmed she had reached the right destination. Sugar stayed well back from the borders, peering up at the formidable "spear," catching her breath. She forcibly pushed down all of her inner turmoil and focused instead on her task. Unfortunately, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of this Praimfaya but Sugar had promised she would check in with @Opalia regardless. Maybe she would have good news about Fennec and Penn. The yearling tipped her snout skyward and called for the tawny she-wolf.

Title from "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

Over a week since her return, and she had begun to ease back into a semblance of a routine close to the peak: she stayed low in the forests, occasionally scouting past into the valleys below on short half-day trips, sometimes a bit more, but she had gone enough miles lately that it was all the motivation she could find so very soon. Besides that and her brief solo hunts, she rested a lot.. something that brought with it a ping of guilt, as there were puppies on the Spear that had not been when she had left on her searching and the guardianship of the territory should be at its finest. But, the pale Drakru did feel the need to restore what she had lost in time before she could reintegrate properly, and hopefully, in full.. despite the vast wound she still felt beside her.

But while she stalked for maybe a rabbit, or another easy pounce of about that size, the voice that rose up was not a familiar one to her ears despite the nature of the note. Thankfully she found herself relatively near, considering her usual haunts lately, so she could get there in good time. Opalia soon had it click into place, though, once her thoughts reshuffled away from hunt, prowl, and provide; had it been a moon already? Time really flew, lately, she realized as she turned and slipped through the trees to answer with her presence.

Concentrated and zeroed in, then eventually spotting her, Opalia's tail found a soft sway as she approached. Sugar Glider, she greeted, expression softening when she saw the small wolf and her bold markings--looking no worse for the wear than the last time they had met, at least on first inspection. As the greeting left her, the notion occurred that maybe that was a formal, whole name. Was calling her just Sugar more appropriate to greet an acquaintance? Case for later, however. Glad that you made it. How have you been? she asked, all while having stepped close enough to try to bump her nose on her companion's shoulder--but realized, was that too far? Too much, too soon? They'd only met once and she did not exactly have wonderful news to report herself, but, Opalia was stuck in a strange place these days; any shade of camaraderie felt worth reaching for.

She didn't settle, remaining on her feet, watchful. Sugar expected a guardian or possibly a leader to intercept her call, though that didn't happen. Opalia herself arrived shortly and the young medic felt two emotions rush over her at once, both disproportionate to the situation: joy at the overtly friendly reception and guilt that she had come bearing no news.

"Me too," she replied simply but warmly, her own tail waving. She paused, eyes roving over Opalia's face a moment, taking comfort in the familiarity, even though they only barely knew one another. "I've been well. Busy," Sugar said with a twitch of her lips before they fell as she admitted, "Unfortunately, I haven't seen your Praimfaya."

Her ears splayed for a moment before pricking again. Sugar knew she should ask if Opalia had seen any sign of Fennec or Penn, though an altogether different question suddenly leapt from her tongue. "Hey... could your pack use another medic, by any chance?" As soon as the words left her mouth, her heart began racing in her chest, equal parts anxious and excited by her own impulsiveness.

Content to see she was not out of her bounds, it was easy to just carry on forward. Attentive, and definitely interested in what news the traveling medic may carry, she soon canted her head--her curiosity effectively baited. Hopefully a good sort of busy at least? she asked, though did not need to pry for the finer details; a good busy just meant the days passed, fulfilling.. at least by her standards, who enjoyed dutiful times spent productively. But, that was just one note--Praimfaya's mention here did give her a momentary frown and fallen ears, though she picked it up into a somber nod soon after. I understand. I have not seen Penn or Fennec yet, either... she added quietly, as if this may soften the collective negativity here and just get it all done with in one fell swoop. Neither of them had good news on their searches, so that was that, all on the table.

Which.. she didn't need to take long to dwell on that. Sugar Glider veered it towards an unexpected angle, and not in a bad way. Oh--maybe. I don't see why not? her expression lifted more, very much under the impression that medics were valuable thanks to her mother and the Drageda upbringing she had behind her--a thought sealed for her by what had undone Dacio in the end as well, not that she believed his case would have turned out differently with more medics on the scene. They had one here, true, but the mountain pack certainly seemed sizable.. there could very well be room for two, and really, what could it hurt? It could take pressure of their one, and all could benefit, potentially. Were this back in her time of Roangeda, there would be no hesitation. Although it's ultimately up to Hydra and Dirge.. and they had a litter born while I was away, and so did another pair in Hydra's family, she mentioned, feeling as if she had missed quite a bit in her wanderings, as these were facts she had needed to glean from one of their older sons.. a dark one lurking the borderlands not long after she had returned. If you would like to meet them, we can see..? she offered, seeking that last confirmation.

Her skipping heart dropped when Opalia answered the unspoken question about Fennec and Penn. Whatever she did next, Sugar knew she would continue keeping an eye out for them. But that particular search couldn't be her first priority. She wanted to hone her skills, truly lean into her calling as a traveling medic... even if, as it turned out, she wanted to put down roots somewhere.

Opalia mentioned the names of her leaders, presumably, and Sugar bobbed her head, feeling suddenly apprehensive. Was she really going to pursue this errant impulse and look into joining a totally unfamiliar pack? Aye, the voice in her head whispered, though of course a lot would depend on the outcome of her rendezvous with this @Dirge and @Hydra.

"Aye, I think I would," Sugar said, the little hitch in her voice giving away her nervousness, "like to meet them, I mean. Could we call for them?" Despite her nerves, she smiled and tacked on a, "Thank you, Opalia. However this goes, I won't stop looking for my friends or yours."

She could work with that--so said the nod she answered with first, and in sensing a hint of nerves over the decision, she suddenly rallied up herself in full for the unexpected twist. Though not at all unwelcome, she was not unfamiliar with the uneasiness of joining a new pack but she would be sure that Sugar wouldn't have to do so alone--not that she did not feel the medic capable, or that Opalia considered her word worth a whole lot here but it was something, and she would stand beside her through this.

She knew this was a stable place compared to many others with a lasting core.. complete with a backbone, unquestionably. The Drakru couldn't say how important that might be to Sugar Glider, but, to her and her original kru, that had been paramount.. and why she had found them worth returning to, and continuing to serve even with herself being the last of their original three. So, she was coming to find an eagerness to have a new friend there with them as well. Perhaps they could range together for Moonspear, and Opalia could return to her mantle of proud guardian--and familiar niche of helping to protect medics, even on their trips abroad.

But, all of that aside so not to outpace herself: We can, she agreed, gently waving her tail. I don't know how much sway my word will have but, you will have a good one from me for them... but you're welcome. And.. same here. Though I have traveled less lately. I needed the rest. It was a long two months.. she replied quietly, expression sobering a moment but she did not let it last. Soon, though. I want to be back to it all in full, she tried for a soft grin, then gave another short nod to Sugar before she raised up a call asking for the alphas of the mountain to come meet them if they could be free from the pups, @Hydra and @Dirge. Opalia thought this could be good news for all of them.

Hope it's okay to throw in a little assumption here to free up SG's timeline! :D

Opalia promised to vouch for her, which made Sugar's tail stir. They weren't much more than acquaintances, though perhaps if Sugar came to live upon the mountain, they could strike up a friendship. She hadn't ever had many friends outside of family, so the thought made her chest feel warm and fuzzy. She favored the other she-wolf with a grateful smile, then bowed her head as she howled for the leaders.

At first, Sugar opted to remain silent as they waited, ears attentive for any sign of the Alphas' approach. But when the minutes stretched and there came no footfalls, she began to wonder if they hadn't heard or were simply too busy to come just now. She didn't fault them for that, especially if there was a new litter involved, though those moments of anticipation made Sugar realize just how impetuous she was being. Suddenly she felt as if she never should've asked Opalia to bother them.

"If they have new pups, maybe now's not a good time," Sugar thought aloud, nibbling at her lower lip as she broke the silence, eyes tracing over Opalia's face. "Maybe I should come back later." After I've had some time to actually think it through, she added, albeit only in her head. "In the meantime, put in a good word for me and I'll keep searching nearby."

Her note faded and she settled to wait, but there was little to be said for it back--maybe she could've been louder, or in fact, maybe the pups were demanding for any of the leaders at the time. She couldn't say for sure, considering her low-slung position here and the fact that she had been in a weird funk for months now, much of it not even spent here. Opalia was awfully removed from Moonspearian culture right now, though she did set out to remedy this most days.

Sugar, perhaps, had a good point afterward. Though, it threatened to fall her ears, she kept up her graces. Sorry, I understand.. I will do what I can, though, she offered a small grin in show of good faith, on her best to keep her spirit up. The traveling medic probably had plenty of uses out there wherever she would go, as much as Opalia didn't really want to part ways, not entirely for good, anyway. She could handle a rain-check, though. You know where to find me. she added, a soft gesture to go with it; the Spear was difficult to miss from many directions.

Opalia apologized and Sugar shook her head to say, Not necessary. She returned the other woman's smile and nodded her head. Whether or not she located Praimfaya, she made a mental note to swing by again to maintain this tenuous friendship. She couldn't say whether or not Moonspear would be a good fit, though she also hoped to return and get her chance to follow up with the leadership.

"I'll see you again soon, Opalia. Take care," were Sugar's parting words before she turned to go. As her feet carried her away from the mount, the homesickness swept over her almost immediately. Despite herself, she decided to turn her toes toward Sun Mote Copse. She'd promised she would check in with her older brother. Seeing his sweet face would be worth the sorrow of going so near her parents' remains.

The pale Drakru answered with another nod, and lifted her muzzle to return the sentiment sincerely. You too. Safe travels, she bid her in a note that felt familiar enough between them, for she truly hoped the road was kind to her, wherever it would lead--and she did not doubt that she would do her share of covering ground, good, bad, or anything in between.

Opalia lingered to see her off, but soon enough, returned to the forests of the mountain.