The Sunspire all wrong

@Summer

She'd thought she could change herself. Pretend to be somebody she was not. Unfortunately, nothing had gone as planned. When she'd gone to the caldera, she was met by a stranger who insisted that her father would not talk to her. Confusion still bubbled in her chest, and she still had no idea what had happened to cause such a thing. So, of course, she blamed it on herself. He had been disappointed in her, and she hadn't been as good as either of her sisters. So he'd shunned her. None of this was rational thinking, mind you, but Ty (or was she still Hawk?) did not know what to make of anything.

So she called for the only friend she still had: Summer. She could not return here, not to The Sunspire. But she also could not live without him. She knew that now.

With the prospect of leaving still hauntingly close to the horizon, Summer had done all he could to make the best of his remaining days at the Sunspire.  He had thrown himself into his work - building up caches, remarking the borders, and chasing off any potential threats to the pack's well being.  He still had not approached Ame or Jace of his decision - mostly because he wasn't even positive that he had really decided yet.  Every day, Karveila remained lurking in the nuetral lands just beyond the pack's territory, reminding him without pushing that there was another life waiting for him if he wanted to take it.  But every day, he realized there was one thing that held him back - one thing that kept him from going to the pack's leaders or just running off into the night without a word.


Tytonidae.

No matter how bitter the boy's heart grew, he could not deny the one thing that made him an Ostrega more than any other characteristic he held - unequivocal, irrevocable loyalty.  He had it a great deal of it for his father, and a great deal for Ame and Jace as well.  But none of it compared to what he had for the dearest of his friends.  It was for her that he stayed, though he often doubted whether or not he'd ever see her again.  The Sunspire was the only place she knew to find him, and thus he would remain there till the end of his days, just in case she decided she needed him again.

Fortunately, that day finally came.

Summer raced towards the borders as quickly as he could the moment he heard the sound of her voice on the wind.  She could have been saying anything in her call; whether it was 'I hate you', 'stay away', or 'just dropping by to say hey, bye again', he would be doing just as he was now - dashing to her side as quickly as he could.  When finally he spotted her on the borders, he slowed his pace only enough so that when he rushed to her and pressed himself against her, he didn't harm her.  He wrapped his neck around hers and laid his head protectively against her shoulders, sighing deeply as though he hadn't breathed his whole life until that moment simply from the feel of her heartbeat against his again.  He said nothing, just held her for a moment before drinking in her scent, making sure that it was her and not some mirage.

He came to her, and they shared the exact same sentiment. She had not realized how much her heart ached for him, but it was clear to her now. "Summer," she breathed, head pressed to his chest. "I don’t… I don’t…" but it wasn't even worth explaining. She just wanted to be here with him. Ty, Hawk, whoever she was, continued to breathe in his musk, thinking that if this moment lasted forever, she would be content with eternity. But she couldn't stay here. She did not belong on The Sunspire. Nor did she belong in Blackfeather Woods.

It pained her, but she pulled herself away, sucking in her breath as she did so. "I can’t stay here, Summer. Will you… I love you." She hadn't meant to say it. It just slipped out at the most inappropriate time, and she looked at him with a shocked expression, as if he had said it to her. But then. Would she have been so shocked?

She pressed herself against him as though afraid to let go of him; like he would disappear before her eyes if she released him.  Summer was not complaining for he felt just the same way.  He was done with the days he'd spent waiting for her, hoping and praying that she would come back to him.  He didn't want to wait anymore.  He wanted to know without a doubt that she would always come back - that it was to him she belonged, and she'd never leave him again.


Ty began to stammer at him and he pressed his ears forward to search the tone upon her tongue.  She pulled away after a moment and he immediately searched her face to see the pain and conflict there.  He had never liked seeing her like this.  For a brief moment, Summer felt certain that she was slipping back into her darkness.  Desperation plunged into his heart - he wouldn't let her go there.  She couldn't leave him again.

She loved him.

Summer's brows raised in surprise when she uttered the words.  He definitely had not been expecting it at all, but now that it had happened... He saw nothing inappropriate with the timing.  Nothing awkward or strange or the least bit disconcerting about the sudden, random confession.  It was perfectly quirky and passionate, just like she was.  Summer's expression softened as he closed the distance she'd placed between them, and a low growl rumbled in his chest as he kissed her muzzle softly, his muzzle running in a line to place a kiss then upon the bridge of her nose, then to her each cheek, and finally to her forehead before he swept her back into his embrace and whispered...

"I love you too."

She had always laughed off the notion that she and Summer would be an item. It had always been a foolish thing to think of herself as anything more than a little girl who had woodland friends that nobody else could see. But now... now all she wanted in the world was Summer. She wanted to wrap herself up in his embrace and never, ever leave. With him, she was comfortable. With him, she did not have to worry. With him, everything was okay. With him, she could be happy.

He returned the sentiment, and she dove right back at his chest, licking the fur there and letting her emotions run through her freely. This was right. When everything else in the world was confusing and strange, she knew that nothing about this was wrong. "I want to be yours, Summer," she whimpered between grooming his jet-black ears. Her identity crisis was all but behind her. She was not Hawk, no matter how much she tried. She did not even know if she was Tytonidae. But she knew that she belonged to Summer. "I want to be an Ostrega," she murmured softly.

How strange and wonderful it was to realize the depth of his feelings for the best of his friends.  Summer could hardly believe he could possibly be this blessed, after all he'd been through in his life - all of the hardships, all of the pain of losing over and over again.. To think, it was all leading to this moment.  There wasn't a doubt in his mind that it had all been worth it.


Summer's growl was almost a purr as he nosed her fur affectionately here and there and wherever he could.  He tilted his head and leaned into her ministrations upon his ear, enjoying the feeling.  He listened as she breathed more confessions to him, smiling softly.  "You are mine," he stated, leaning back so that he could look at her face - her beautiful, sweet face.  "Tytonidae Ostrega," he repeated with a gentle wag of his tail, "I like it.  It fits you."

And so she was named. Born again. His. She fell against him (yet again), drinking in his scent as if she was dying of thirst. Ty had not had the easiest life in the world, and yet Summer had always been there. Her rock, her savior, her everything. She could not believe she had ever been as stupid to think that she should leave him. He was her purpose, not some silly pack that she knew nothing about. Her life was meant to be spent with Summer, not with anybody else. And yet... she did not think her place was here.

"The Sunspire…" she trailed off, not quite sure where she was going with that sentence. "I don’t know where I belong, Summer, but I will go wherever you lead." Tytonidae did not know if her place was there, here, or somewhere else. But if Summer made the choice, she would not have to decide upon it. If he decided they should stay here, she would do as he suggested. If it was his prerogative to stake his claim elsewhere, she would happily follow. If he thought it best to return to Blacktail Deer Plateau, she would do that. As long as they were together, she did not care where they landed.

Ty fell back into his embrace, and he lifted a paw to wrap his arm over her back in a wolfish hug, smiling.  He had always been devoted to her, since the first time they'd met.  Never would he have dreamed of leading a perfect stranger into the heart of his home, nor would he have offered to lie to his alpha for just anyone.  The moment she'd looked at him with those eyes, she had him.  Summer would have followed her anywhere, and the only reason he hadn't those times he'd lost her was because she'd told him not to.  But now, she'd never ask him to stay behind again - they were one, for better or worse.


His ears perked when she began to speak again, mentioning the Sunspire before again asserting that she was his and that she'd follow him anywhere.  Summer furrowed his brows thoughtfully - it was almost as if she knew exactly what had been on his mind the past few days.  "Actually..." he said slowly, pulling himself away from her so that they could talk, "A wolf showed up at the Sunspire - Karveila is her name.  She said she's from Sedona, which is where my father always said my extended family all live.  She said too that... my dad is still alive.  He lives there.  She came to tell me that, and that he wants me to join him there."  He paused then, watching her face for a reaction and waiting to hear her thoughts on the news.

For a moment, Ty worried that Summer would backpedal on his confession. What if he loved this woman—this Karveila—more than her? But as quickly as the thought had come, it vanished. Tytonidae had learned from her father (and Lasher) that love did not need to be exclusive to one being. Instead, it was something to be spread around to those who deserved it. And even if Summer loved this other girl, it did not mean he did not love Tytonidae.

"Yes," Ty replied, though Summer had not explicitly asked the question. "Of course I'll go with you." The girl paused, emerald eyes falling on Summer's bright yellow ones for a moment longer. "We should tell Amekaze. I would feel... bad if we did not." The leader had given shelter to Tytonidae for so long, and she could not imagine leaving without at least giving her notice.

She didn't even ask him to tell her what his thoughts were on the subject - she just knew.  She knew even when he hadn't been willing to admit it to himself.  He wanted to go.  He'd never thought he'd see his father again.  Summer had always known that when Dhani left him, it was to leave the world entirely.  His heart had been devoted fully to Summer's mother, and without her in his life, there had been no life for him.  Apparently, Dhani had found something worth living for - perhaps it was his own parents, or his siblings or whatever other extended family was there in Sedona.  Maybe it was Summer's Uncle Chakra - a wolf that Dhani had always described with such incredible fondness and devotion - his best friend, his most loyal and adored partner... his brother.


Summer reached to kiss her muzzle again, a gesture meant to tell her how desperately grateful he was for her understanding.  Her words about Amekaze were full of sincerity and wisdom that he himself knew to be true.  It didn't make the actually doing of it any easier, though.  "You're right, we should," he admitted softly before - in a move very much unlike the usually reserved and silent young wolf - he continued, "I'm afraid of telling her, though.  And Jace.  They have been my family for so long... it feels so horrible to tell them I'm leaving them."  He knew that she did not share the same depth of feelings towards the Sunspire's leaders, but that she knew him and understood him on a deeper level than any.  He probably needn't even have told her his feelings on the subject and she would have known.  How had he never realized before that he loved her?

She nuzzled him gently, invisible sparks whirring in her chest. It felt so right with him, and Tytonidae once again questioned why she had not done this before. Perhaps she just assumed that he was too good for her (because he totally is, ok?). When Tytonidae withdrew, she looked him in the eyes knowingly and then turned away from him. Her voice echoed throughout The Sunspire, calling @Amekaze and @Jace to them. They never strayed far from their mountain, so Ty assumed it would not be long before they arrived.

In the meantime, she huddled close to Summer, silently enjoying his presence (as she so often did). Eventually, on their trek to Sedona, she would tell him of her short adventure to the south, to Blackfeather Woods, and to Redhawk Caldera. For now, though, she wanted only to bask in the happiness of their newfound love.

Quick cameo sorry guys it's finals week here for me.

Jace heard the howl and was surprised, It was the she wolf Tytonidae. He had ended heir last encounter badly, she probably thought him strange. He smiled softly, he hoped that she and Summer could have a small laugh about it, for even Summer knew what kind of curious wolf Jace was. Looking about him, he trotted towards them and stopped ice blue eyes studying them. you called?

She arrived not long after Jace, jogging to the small gathering which had requested her practically on his heels. During her approach, she glanced between Summer and Tytonidae and noted their nearness. But of course, she found herself relieved that the latter was here and in seemingly good condition, but confused as to what brought the leaders to them now. This kept her expression unclear, hovering in-between the two as she angled her ears eagerly towards the yearling duo. Her tail wagged softly, though, and as she came to a halt beside Jace, she chuffed softly. 

They would explain.

Ty gave no verbal response, but none was truly needed.  She knew well how difficult it would be for him to tell Ame and Jace that they were leaving, but it made little difference in regards to the need for it to happen.  He listened as she lent her voice to the wind, asking for the Sunspire's leaders to attend them.  With that, the pair settled in together to wait, enjoying each other's company just as they always had only with wonder now at the new intimacy they had between them.

Summer heard the leaders before he saw them and he turned his head to watch them approach one after the other.  Jace cut right to the chase, good-naturedly asking for their reason for calling them.  He glanced briefly at Ty before sucking in a deep breath.  It was his family they were leaving for, but it was for far more reasons than this to let the Ostrega know that it was his responsibility to share the news.  "I'm glad you're both here," he started, his heart already twisting in his throat as it sank in quite suddenly that this was his time to say goodbye.

"I know that you both know how I came to be here," he explained, "My father knew that he was dying, so he left me upon the borders in hopes that the pack would take me in.  I always assumed when he left that he had passed on, but recently a wolf from my family's ancestral pack to the South came to let me know that he's still alive.  He's living with them in Sedona and... He asked that I come join him there."

Summer paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing.  "And since this little bird here has just agreed to be my mate," he said casting a flicker of a smile back towards her, "She'll be joining me."

In support of him, Ty pressed closed to Summer. For once, she was on the supporting side of things. So often, the roles were reversed, and Summer was lifting her up. She felt her heart leap when he referred to her as his mate, and she pressed the top of her head against his chin. Together, they would travel to where his father lived. Together, they would make a life.

And yet, she did feel she owed Amekaze and Jace... something.

"I know I have not been the best," perhaps at anything, "but I thank you for letting me stay here for as long as I have." Many months had been spent in a cloudy darkness with brief moments of light when she was with Summer. None of that would have been possible without the generosity of both Ame and Jace. The pack had been quiet long before this day, and Tytonidae assumed it would continue to be so. The Sunspire was not riddled with drama like the plateau had been, something Tytondiae had been ever-thankful for. "I hope we leave on good terms," she added, trying to gauge their reaction, but failing to do so. In the end, it wouldn't matter. Their decision had been made, and Tytonidae and Summer would go to Sedona and (re)start their life together there.

Throwing in a conclusion here, since I'd hate to leave it hanging too much!