Faelcu The old fae heard the calling loud and clear, having lingered at the Clearing’s edge in search of signs of other wolves. Her eyes would squint, ears perked forward as she looked towards the alpha’s stone. She saw the blurred figure of the alphess atop it. Quickly, she moved further into the valley, offering a low chuff to make herself known to the alphess and perhaps to any wolves she didn’t yet catch sight of in the area.

Nyverra The large white wolf, was resting on her side in the hunting grounds. She enjoyed the peaceful day, but her tranquility was interrupted by a distant howl. Curious, Nyverra quickly lifted her head, and her ears perked up at the sound. After a moment, she stood up and shook her soft, fluffy fur, feeling the excitement build inside her. Was this the meeting that the other wolf she had met before had mentioned? Nyverra’s heart raced with a mix of excitement and curiosity. She knew this could be an important moment for her. As she walked toward the source of the howl, her paws moved quietly over the soft ground. She felt ready to find out what awaited her, eager to discover what was in the works for her.

Kova Her eyes would befall the movement and motion of one wolf at first. Leora. The golden fae would break through the canopy of tree and meadow to start her way to the stone. Her tail ushered a singular wave as she bowed her nose and dipped it warmly. Ah, there was Leora. Kaia would be pleased to know she had returned well and safe, she looked to be? “Faelcu… Leora..” she chuffed warmly to the pair of fae’s who were within sight. She hadn’t taken note of Nyverra just yet but would no doubt in time if she withdrew from the forest to heed the call as well.

Kaia The fae was not too far into the hunting grounds to miss the. All that went up. A stir after such a silence was not easily missed. But she shifted up onto her paws and began heading for the clearing, it would not take her long to reach it, stepping out of the clearing’s Eastern edge.

Leora The dying firelight of the day brushed gold across her fur as Leora stepped forward, the hush around the empty stone parting for her like mist from rock. She moved with the grace of the wild, but her steps held the hesitation of one who has walked alone too long but equally as troubled. Eyes turned to see Faelcu, who was touched with surprise, and something warmer beneath. She smiled sweetly as she always did and ruuuuued happily.. “Faelcu!” she called out lightly before turning then to Kova as that distance was broken. “It’s been many moons,” she said, her voice low and edged with wind and memory. “Too many….” she bowed her head firstly to Kova. She looked no longer like a young wolf, but one now grown into the shape of her mother and father and perhaps something else.
“I wandered far. And I stayed silent longer than I should have. But the quiet wasn’t emptiness—it was healing. And longing…. but then… it was a discovery of something… dark. Something I must discuss with you, Kova. After this gathering.” she was rather quick to cut her greetings short and get to the point she needed. Oh, her point was needed and heard. There, on the wind, ever so subtle but true in her heart was the smell of her dear sister, Kaia. Her head spun and with the brightness this fae held and always shone, she’d smile and ruuuuu deeply. Paws flew up into the air as she’d wave them about and chuffed eagerly to Kaia as she aimed to seat herself beside her and Faelcu once the meeting was called by the Alpha. She knew well her manners and did not forget them.

Nyverra Not too long after, Nyverra made it to the clearing. She spotted the she-wolf she had met before, standing on top of a large rock. Nyverra felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as she watched from a distance. The she-wolf looked around with silver eyes, cautious, keeping away from the others nearby.

Kallik Though none may have noticed, a shadow was now sprinting across the melting snow of the clearing. Kallik could see and hear that a meeting of the pack had begun, and she did not intend to miss it. After all it was not every day that a new wolf committed to the pack! With panting breath Kallik approached the group, hanging towards the back as was her want. Her tail waved, a banner of excitement and she sat her rump so that she might pay better attention to the happenings.

Faelcu With the call of the alphess came the activity it sparked. As the old fae drew near the stone, she saw a familiar blob of light gold come into focus, headed straight for the stone like her. Her tail would sway in recognition. It was Leora! How long had it been since they last crossed paths? Too long, Faelcu felt. She could hear distant padfalls of others as well as traces on the wind of those nearby. Would she see the white coat of the newcomer arriving as well? Or perhaps her kin, Kaia? Faelcu quietly sat herself in front of the stone, simply happy to be with pack again after days of isolation.

Rook :Lore: Yellow flowers beside overgrown and unfrequented paths bloomed despite the shade of tall aspen trees that loomed overhead in a forest not so far from paw but now adrift in mind. The wind brushed atop and along the gentle surfaces of aspen leaves still too green to spark memory of trees of golden leaves let alone kindle a metaphoric fire of any sentiment or symbol therein. With what breathless voice it could, the wind spoke in the tongue of the silent, “I am the king of the forest…” and the dark stone paws that tread upon the leaf-littered ground answered in cadence. He heard the call as he had many others before. He smelled the scents and the trails, and he saw the world like the stone statue saw it: through the warmth of the sun and the chill of the moon. This time, however, he thought to answer, if for a night. So, southward he went from the darker places of the forest north of the clearing until his paws felt the earth as though one parched for memory. He’d find the familiar if not overgrown paths from places perhaps recently traveled to those now thick with fresher scent of wolves known and unknown, and only until he broke from underneath the canopy of tree shade beside the sound of a chatty stream would he think to stop and look toward the opens of the clearing to the south.

Kaia The fae beamed when she saw her sister, trotting quickly to brush herself along her side. Before giving a loud chuff before she did the same to Faelcu. “Too long has it been since I’ve been amongst my family, how are you both?” She said, she was paler now. But the black still clung to her pelt however much it shifted. Though if she spotted Nyverra, she’d turn and offer a chuff dipping her head “It seems we have another joining us?” “Greetings, I am Kaia, a subordinate of WolfSpirits,” she’d offer her name first, nodding her head to the new wolf. “Have you been welcomed here already?” Her nose would be asking the same question to see if any scent of the pack caught upon her pelt. Not asked from cruelty, only to know if the greeting had already been given.

Kova Watched Leora approach in silence, the crackle of the dying light framing Leora’s every word in shadow and flame. Her eyes softened. When Leora spoke of silence and healing, of wandering and discovery, Kova listened with the full weight of Leora’s report. The softness drew hard, only to convey she was listening intently. A seriousness fell over her and a sure nod given. “Many moons, yes,” she said, voice low, warm, and unwavering. “But not too many to forget your scent. Nor your spirit.” Her tail ushered a swing before stilling. She briefly rose her head up and eyes to see Kaia and Faelcu. Her eyes alight before returning to Leora. “You carry something. I see it behind your eyes, feel it in your voice. I will hear you after this meeting.” She gave a slight nod, her eyes never leaving Leora’s until she would await for all the wolves who would heed the call, answer, and present themselves. Among the gathered she saw the newest fae, Nyverra. A warm and welcoming dip of her head was given to her before she saw Kallik among them. She dipped her nose to the fae before her hues fell outwards. Her voice rang clear, strong as mountain wind: “Kin of the earth and the stars. Kin and guest of WolfSpirits, I welcome you. Tonight, you do not stand as lone howls in the dark, but as one voice, one pulse, bound by blood, bond, creed, and purpose. You have answered the call that alone speaks of your truth. The old stones remember and the stars hear all. Let me begin.” It would allow the time needed to make proper greetings before settling before the stone. But then…. she felt him before she saw him. Like the shift in the wind that carries an old scent on its back; unmistakable. Not loud. Not demanding. But certain. Her ears turned first, then her gaze followed. Now drawn past the circle of gathered wolves, beyond the soft murmur of water and the hush of trees that held more memory than bark. Her breath caught, not sharply, but slowly—like breath held too long and finally remembered. Was he truly there?

Kova Turned, her gaze already fixed on the approaching wolf. The clearing hushed further still. She did not call out but she waited, giving space for the act to speak first. Kova regarded her when she came beneath the stone. She stepped forward from the edge, her form firm but not unkind. Her voice, when it came, carried through the still night like stone sliding into place. “Nyverra,” she said, tasting the name like a new scent on the wind. “You step into our realm with courage—and no false mask. That is a beginning. Upon our greeting, you requested to join amongst my own. To be of WolfSpirit. But a pack is not a fire to warm yourself beside when it suits. It is not shelter taken in passing storm.” She paused, her hues fallen to the fae. “To join is to pledge—not only in words, but in bond. To defend with tooth and heart. To share prey, shelter, and burden alike. To listen when it is not easy. To be seen and to see others.” She would look down upon the fae with a kindness still therein. “Do you seek the path of the pledge, Nyverra? If so—you must speak it. Speak not to please, but to promise. And know this—your answer will be heard by more than those around this collection and kin.” The wind stirred the leaves again—soft, whispering. The pack waited. Kova did not break her gaze now awaiting her response.

Leora When Kallik joined Faelcu and herself alongside Kaia, she leaned into the dark fae and greeted her with a nosing and lick to her cheek fur. She would have to ‘decorum’ herself now and she looked rather stoic and serious when Kova addressed the new fae, Nyverra. Oaths. Stories. Lore. Bond. Her eyes did not leave the new fae’s frame for she awaited, with breath held in, to her answer. How would she respond? She was so eager for new blood and new spirit she could taste it on her golden breath. The air shifted in that way it always had—when the weight of his silence joined hers. Like two stones placed at opposite ends of a river’s bend—separate, yet undeniably part of the same flow. Hopefully her brother would be prepared for the moooshing to commence! Her eyes remained forward, fixed on Nyverra’s form beneath the glow of night and promise. She would not steal the moment from the newcomer, nor would she dare disturb the sacred hush that followed a pledge. But her heart— :wolf_sad: :dawwwolfie: Her heart leapt like spring thaw over ice-slick stone, a rhythm not felt since moons before his departure. Her ears twitched once, betraying her stillness. And then, she leaned firmly into Rook’s frame and licked feverishly at his chin. No words needed to be shared, not yet. She’d allow the moment of praise for the new pledge be given and shared! She stomped her paw “Welcome, Nyverra!”

Nyverra Still had her head and ears low, showing both her respect and her nerves. She watched closely as a face came closer to the edge of the rock. Slowly, she gathered her courage and turned her gaze upward. The white wolf’s ears perked up as she listened carefully to the words being spoken. She noticed Kova’s stance, which showed her firm but not unkind. After a moment, Nyverra raised her head, feeling a bit more confident. Her silver eyes locked onto Kova’s light amberish silver gaze. Nyverra took a deep breath before exhaling, “Yes ma’am” she stated with a soft motherly tone, “I seek the journey of the pledge, this I promise.” Nyverra’s silver gaze didn’t leave Kova’s eyes, sparkling like frost on a bright, snowy day. She gently lowered her head in a slight bow and said, “Thank you,” her voice soft and filled with sincerity as she answered Kova and any others. Nyverra felt a spark of determination inside her; she was ready to keep her promise. Becoming a pledge was important to her, as it meant embracing her true self and joining a new path. She imagined the journey ahead, filled with challenges and opportunities to grow. Nyverra wanted to learn, to support others, and to be part of something bigger than herself. With each passing moment, she felt more excited about this new chapter in her life.

Rook :Lore: There was a cruelty in being as he was if one measured the rains to an ephemeral stream as an unkindness. That was far too simplistic and homogenized to be anything more than a crude facsimile, and despite forever fighting the nicknames and pseudonyms that came with his aloofness, he knew the feeling of absence as one who could and had felt it. The sentiment weighed upon the scale of his decision to either take up his sister’s offer or remain upon the river’s shore as if to be swept up in Manannán’s wake so soon after arriving. In the end, he decided to part the riverbank’s grasses and make his way to sit beside his sister and those faes that had kept her kin much better than he. He’d do nothing to interrupt the focus upon a new wolf taking old steps…a new spirit treading upon a path so many had taken before her. Rook listened to a sharper determination in his mate’s offerings to a newly named pledge and wondered upon all that brought it forth. He could count the wolves and mark them against those of memory, but such was memory that those before would always outnumber those of the present. Had he enough foresight to see the wolves that would be, then he wouldn’t be much of a storyteller but more of a fortuneteller. Instead, he counted one more named and with the naming he would stomp his paw to the ground as his father had before him for those brave enough to find their first pad fall upon a long journey ahead. That pad fall would no doubt be after he leaned into his sister’s affectionate greeting. Had she the inkling to take tale from his scent, he smelled much like cedar and earth.

Kova When Nyverra raised her head and met Kova’s gaze, the firelight caught in her silver eyes like starlight on frost. Her voice—soft, steady, and laced with that rare kind of gentleness forged in hardship—carried across the circle and into the roots of the forest. Their forest. The corners of Kova’s muzzle lifted, not quite a smile, but something close. Something warmer to her acceptance. She nodded slow and deliberate, then stood firmer. Her voice, when it came, was louder now—meant for Nyverra, and for the pack gathered, and for the earth beneath her paws. “Then by your word, let this moment be marked.” she would rise her paw and place it firmly against the Alpha’s stone. “You are now seen by the pack,” Kova continued, voice echoing through the still night. “Not as a stray, nor stranger, but as one who dares to step forward. You have pledged. And we….. we will watch how you walk that promise.” “You will learn our ways. You will earn trust. And should you endure with heart unshaken, the WolfSpirits will not only welcome you—we will claim you as one of our own should that time come.” Kova raised her head, and her voice rang clear across the pack. “Let it be known. Nyverra walks the path of the Pledge.” she grinned. “Welcome, Nyverra.”

Kaia smiled, a promise of life brought back into the pack, with only the hope that it would cling. She gave a heavy stomp of her paw in respect but did not raise song, only closed her eyes to listen to that which was sung here. She’d give Rook a nod of welcome still silent in respects, her attention given to the Alphess. But she held great respect for the brute, who’d taught her much and brought her far—whether he knew it or not. But her grin would turn back to the circle. “Welcome” she did not beam the way Leora did, nor did she shine. Kaia’s light was duller but kind and calm.

Faelcu She’d watch as the newcomer was called up and given the chance to pledge. She’d briefly tear away her gaze and look to Rook who had seated himself by his own kin. The fae gave him a nod of silent respect and greeting before turning back to Kova and Nyverra. As soon as she was named a pledge, Faelcu would firmly stomp her paw on the earth and let out a low, loose howl to congratulate her. For the first time in a long while, the pack saw a new pledge, and she would welcome that new pledge warmly with the others, even if she hardly knew the white fae as of yet.

Kallik too, stomped a paw in celebration and respect. Oh, was this new wolf in for a ride. With the thaw of spring and gathering of wolves, what new challenges would arise? So long as the threat was not as short as a badger and rough as a bear, Kallik decided the pack would do just fine. “Welcome to the pack,” she said brightly as her tail wagged free. They were now seven, seven strong and the valleys would cower. Or so she hoped, at least. Kallik assessed all who were here, and felt gladness in her heart.

Kova The rejoice and support for the new fae, Nyverra as a pledge, would be felt far and wide. In the close circle near the stone to beyond and outward across the clearing. She would give a firm dip of her head and a warm smile. “Before I continue, is there anything any desires to bring forward to the pack? Before us all and before family now gathered?” Eager eyes cast now along those gathered. How close and warm it felt, and equally as warm did her heart feel. The shift in movement would cause her hues to follow its owner. Kaia would stand and nod in her direction. “Kaia,” she said lightly and welcoming. “The circle is yours to share within.” She invited. Curious hues would follow as she would draw her ears forward, fully perked and eyes fixed. Kova stood still as the words settled into the soil between them all. Words spoken not just with flourish, but with truth, the kind that cracked open the heart. She did not interrupt. She let the silence hold space for the weight of it all between Kaia and Faelcu. Her eyes would fall to the older fae and awaited her response.

Kaia had thought on this for some time. And though she’d wait to see if another spoke up before her. If there was more important news to be shared. But it had hung on her mind for some time and she believed perhaps now, when wolves wore thin, was the time. A reminder—not that she needed it—but so it was there for a time when she did. But if others remained silent she’d shift to her paws and give Kova a nod, but there was still a quiet patience. She was in no rush. Kaia nodded, there was perhaps slight hesitation in her, she still was not used to standing in the light. No wordsmith and no great wolf. But it mattered. So she stood. Perhaps she should have spoken of it before the meeting, but in so many ways they already had. So when she reached the circle and glanced out with a faint wolfy smile before she looked back to Kova. “I seek in your eyes and in that of the pack’s recognition to a bond formed a long time ago.” How to say it that made sense? That was always where she struggled. Then she took a deep breath before her eyes settled on Faelcu. “Though only if another permits it first.” She dipped her head to the first fae she’d come to know as family. “When I came here I believed I had lost all that I’d once held dear, and any chance for that again,” she breathed. “From the beginning there was a softness to your strength. From teeth that picked thorns from my legs, to stories shared in both pain and comfort.” “You taught me how to live again.” She breathed a pause. “You are my mother, and I would be your daughter if you would have me.” She was nervous in a way. But she wanted it said. “In spirit, and all but blood you are my family.” Her eyes had a weak hope in them. She wanted it known and remembered. And for just a moment her smile settled on Leora. What fortune she had to have found such a family.

Leora The fae was a happy sandwich, oh yes. Kaia would feel the full ‘wraith’ of her missing and longing to be with kin too. A lick and nuzzle to Kaia’s chin and frame was given then to Faelcu, too. She snuggled herself between the wolves as best a wolf could without being overbearing. Pressing her head under chins, muzzle against shoulders, tail wagging like she’d never learned restraint. She could get that way sometimes… Full indeed. In this moment of togetherness she’d almost forgotten the worry, fear, and chaos in her mind from her encounter in the wilds. She would pick up on the trails and stories of Kaia, Faelcu, Kallik, and her brother. Cedar and earth. A low ruuuing sound was given before her hues fell back to Kova, waiting for the remainder of the meeting. She leaned into her brother, then sister, then Faelcu, and Kallik. When her sister Kaia rose she would look with curious hues. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! If the sun could show many bursts of gamma rays, surely it would reflect in Leora’s eyes to Kaia and then to Faelcu. A true bond was forged between the pair and she could see it as clear as she could see the rise and fall of the days between them. Her paws bounced in place, her tail a wild blur behind her. Her eyes sparkled like moonlight dancing on the surface of a stream, and if she’d had wings, she would’ve been airborne. She waited Faelcu’s response. 🐺💖

Nyverra  ‘s tail wagged happily as she felt welcomed by everyone around her. The warm smiles and gentle voices made her feel safe and loved. She took a few steps backward, laying down. Her gaze wandering, Nyverra felt truly happy to be included in such a friendly group. Nyverra remained silent, laying in her spot as she watched a she-wolf move forward to the circle. Her ears perked and her head tilted slightly out of curiosity. Nyverra stayed silent, laying in place, listening to the others speak, her silver gaze wandering over the one who spoke as well as the others. Her tail twitching as it moved to her side, her front paws crossed delicately.

Rook :Lore: The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Despite grass and weeds growing across paths now only worn in memory, his sister seemed to always contain the youth that escaped him. Light… she was always light. Solas… He would remain corporeal and not a memory later unsure of. He’d lean just enough against Leora to keep her from tipping him over while waiting now to hear what Kaia had to say.

Faelcu The fae remained quiet, having nothing noteworthy to really add when Kova offered that chance to those gathered. Though, did Kaia have something to say? Faelcu would look towards the fae curiously before back at Kova. Her ears perked forward, her pale gaze shifting to the speckled fae who stepped forward and faced the crowd before her. But her eyes were on Faelcu, and she felt her heart race at the following words. Rising from her seat, Faelcu looked at Kaia, her gaze equally soft. Were her eyes turning glossy? The old fae’s tail would wag slowly as a soft smile came upon her face. “Kaia,” Faelcu began, her voice shaking slightly with emotion. “You were the driving force that kept me here, even as my paws wandered away, they always came back. Even on dark days where I couldn’t see or where you couldn’t move, we were there for each other. Through blood shed on hunts and battles, warmth lent, strength given and stories shared, you reminded me of one thing I had lost almost two years ago.” “I may never truly replace your real mother, and you may never truly replace my real pups, but in spirit and in heart, we are still connected as if we were truly bound by blood,” Faelcu said softly. “Yes, I will have you as not just my kin, but my daughter. My light in the dark,” she finished, dipping her head slowly before taking a step forward. Gently, like any mother would, Faelcu would tenderly lick Kaia’s crown to symbolize their bond that had now grown more than ever.

Kova Her voice, when it came, was low and steady, like the roots of an old tree: “I have never known the sorrow of losing offspring or the ache of not knowing of their absence.” She stepped forward, her warmth calm and sheltering. Her gaze fixed not just on the two wolves before her. Between them, an understanding had taken root. Not forged in blood, but in trust, protection, and quiet love. “Some bonds are written in blood, but others, in choice… but the rarest of all are written in spirit—threads that no claw can sever, no season undo. To this… I offer.” She looked to Faelcu, the older wolf whose blind eye had seen more than most with two. “You have walked long roads. Faced darkness. Carried silence. But you have never let the world take your gentleness. In Kaia, you did not see weakness—you saw someone worth sheltering.” Then her gaze turned to Kaia. “And you—Kaia—you looked to Faelcu not with fear, but with reverence. You listened. You learned. You loved. That is no small thing in a world so quick to turn cold.” Kova lifted her head, and her voice filled the clearing and would ensure their bond made whole. “Before the pack of WolfSpirits, before the eyes of the circle, and beneath the witness of the old stones, as Alphess, I recognize this union of Mother and Daughter. Not by blood, but by bond. Chosen. Sacred. Seen.” She stepped back, giving space to the two wolves now forever bound. “Let the pack honor this kinship. Let your names be sung together in the same breath.” And then, quieter, with a glimmer of warmth behind her silver hued eyes. “May your bond carry you through the seasons yet to come and may you never forget the moment you found family in one another.” A low, steady howl began to rise around the clearing from her parted muzzle. It would weave through the trees like a lullaby. Kova bowed her head, just slightly. The fire had spoken and a new family had been made. There was a softness in her hues and a warmth in her heart. A longing slowly being quenched by a stoked fire. Leora’s reaction would not be surprising and was rather infectious. She chuckled, warmly, heartfully, and happily in kind as she dipped her nose and smiled. “Yes, congratulations Faelcu and Kaia.” She swung her tail high behind her and in those moments of congratulations, her hues fell to her mate and hung there like a gentle feather atop a calm pool. A knowing look. “Before I conclude this meeting, is there anything else any wish to bring forward to the pack?”

Kaia And that was bliss, relief from so much dread. To see and be seen. Not as a replacement but as something new, and worthy. And she brushed her muzzle along Faelcu’s pelt, “Thank you,” she murmured quietly. Before she pulled back enough, raising her muzzle and her song alongside Kova’s. Broken, and hoarse. And sung with a certain ache but so much love. Not a mother lost but one found. With all the weight and worth that came with it. When Kaia’s howl broke off she let out a warm hoarse laugh. Her voice roughened by the strain, but it had been well worth it. So she gave the Alphess a nod, “Thank you Alphess,” and she bowed her head. With a smile. Her voice was still a little raspy, before she waited for Faelcu to walk back, and Kaia would be joined along the fae’s side. Then she’d settle herself back between the bundle of joy that was Leora, and her mother. And she’d give Nyverra a smile, “There is time, and if you remain you will learn. If you need aid, I will be here to lend all knowledge I’ve learned.” She would say more but there was effort enough in that. She’d forgotten the ache. But it did not hurt her in the way it once had. The memory was a little easier to bear now.

Leora AHHHH! She couldn’t contain herself! Her heart would be fuller now as the shared words of Kaia and Faelcu were given to not just the pair, but to the pack. As Kova would give her blessing too, she stomped her paw and howled! “AwooOOoOoOoOoooOoo!!” “I knew you were meant to be hers the moment I saw the way she watched you when you were pretending not to be nervous—and then you pretended not to cry that one night by the birch tree and—eeeee!” Was she just making things up now?? She twirled in a small circle, unable to hold still, practically glowing. “These are the best moments! I mean—the best! Like, fate-stitched, spirit-woven, moon-blessed kissed kinda best!” Leora leaned in close to Nyverra with a grin so wide it nearly overtook her face. She’d not forget the new fae, oh no. “Do you know what this means? Now that you are officially pledged you have to come to everything now. Fire bug stories. River games. Howl nights. Oh! And I’m making you a flora-stone. You have to have a flora-stone!” Then she blinked, gasping as if she’d forgotten to breathe. Oh, Kaia and Faelcu! And just like that, she was laughing, bright and wild and pure, spinning in a circle like a leaf caught in a sunbeam, the joy in her heart too big for her body to hold. “Congratulations, Faelcu and Kaia!”

Faelcu If a wolf could shed tears, then no doubt would Faelcu have been crying a river. Perhaps a whole ocean on Kaia’s part. She’d nuzzle the fae back, her tail wagging with pure joy before she lifted her head back, her voice joining with her daughter under the evening skies, carrying far and wide to announce this special day—this special moment that time had lent her, and she would be ever grateful for it. Ever grateful to have someone to call “daughter” once more. Side by side, Faelcu would return to her previous spot with her daughter. Her tail continued to swish and sway happily before she finally settled back in her previous spot. Lightly, she leaned against Kaia as she looked on. Did anyone else have any surprise spirit bond requests?

Nyverra would wag her tail happily as she watched a sweet moment happen before her eyes. Her shiny silver gaze followed Leora as she spoke, her words full of excitement. “That sounds so much fun!” Nyverra said softly before she returned her gaze to the pair.

Rook :Lore: Upon being released from holding up a leaning Leora, he’d take a few pad falls, shake himself out, and howl a low but genuinely joyous howl for the bonding of Kaia and Faelcu. His howl was not long for the world, but what he spoke in it was as it needed to be. All this made him feel as though he had not missed all that much time, but somehow he knew otherwise. Fire bug stories… it had been nearly a year or so since a Lore Night, or had he been gone for longer? He would recount the days later. For now, he listened to his sister glitch out.

Leora She twirled once, brushing her cheek playfully against Kaia’s before nudging Faelcu with the reverence of a young pup greeting an elder spirit. “Did you feel that? The fire heard it. The wind heard it! You’re family now—real family! That’s the kind of magic the moon writes songs about! Congrats again—” Her voice caught just for a moment. She froze mid-step, like someone had pulled a string tight within her chest. Her golden eyes flicked upward toward the treeline—toward the dark after Kova asked about another to bring anything forward. The celebration around her softened, and the joy on her face faded like mist beneath a rising sun. She took a breath, then another, steadier this time. The firelight flickered across her fur, but the light no longer reached her eyes. She turned toward Kova, toward the pack, and her voice, when it came, was almost entirely different. Unlit. Quiet. Weighted. Does she bring it up now? “I… I want these moments to last forever…” She paused. The silence in the clearing thickened, expectant. “But I’ve carried something back with me. And I—I can’t keep it anymore.” Her entire demeanor seemed to shift. Now guilty for what she was about to report, but it needed to be and she would seek shelter and guidance as well as support from all the wolves present. She stepped forward, ears slightly back, no longer spinning and glowing, but grounded like a stone beneath the tide. She felt the nudge of her sister, Kaia, and offered her a gentle nosing in kind. “North of the Ridge, near the hot springs and great crossing… is where I left it.” she said, her voice barely above a whisper almost. “I went chasing lights. Chasing a feeling beyond the great crossing. Chasing loneliness. Beyond the north… Instead of answers, Something wrong found me. Something sick.” She looked to Kova, then to Rook, then to Faelcu and Kaia first. Her next words were sharp with memory. “It moved like a boar but its eyes were hollow. A… darkness, like the darkest mud you’ve ever seen, burnt, poured from its tusks, thick and black, and the ground died beneath its steps.” “It didn’t bleed like anything living. And it didn’t feel like it belonged to this world. I watched it tear through trees after me like bones.” A shiver ran down her spine, her voice trembling now, not with fear—but with the sheer horror of remembering. “It saw me. It smelled me. It wanted me like a hunger I’ve never known. At first it didn’t chase. It waited. Like it wanted me to come closer. Like it was listening.” She looked around the others, her expression no longer young or radiant—but carved from something older. “I ran. I ran home. I managed to cling to a ledge to the north ridge and wait. The boar thrust itself into the mountains side until I thought that too would break, but the creature succumbed to the mountain’s unbreakable stone. I left it there… dead, and I ran home. Here.” She lowered her head then, her tail still, the joy of moments before buried beneath what she knew had to be said. “I’m sorry.” She recalled that night. Driven by wrath deeper than instinct, the Ichor-boar threw itself against the mountainside again and again, each impact shaking the stone, each bellow a sound of unraveling. Black mist burst from its hide with every strike, staining the air, dripping like tar from its gnarled tusks. “The mountain gave nothing in return—no crack, no mercy, just death.” Dead… dead is how she left it. Her ears turned to Kaia first and she nosed her sister warmly and lovingly, then her brother, then Faelcu, Kallik, and dipped her nose kindly to Nyverra. “T-thank you. I am home again, and whatever it is… we’re WolfSpirits.” is all she said for the moment until she felt her brother’s touch and words. She turned to meet his eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting with quiet warmth. “You always make the shadows less sharp, dear brother.” She bumped her shoulder gently against his. “Thank you for reminding me of my strength. I didn’t return with peace, but I came back with purpose. And maybe that’s enough—for now.” She nudged him and whispered. “I thought you’d gone full spirit and just walked into the trees forever. I thought maybe I dreamed you. I missed you so much.” She pulled back only long enough to look up at him, still grinning through glistening eyes. She nudged him again, affectionately, like she might melt into him. “When time allows we can walk the old path back to the stream. The moss still remembers us.” She smiled then. Small and earnest. The kind of smile only a sister could give. “I never stopped leaving space for you there.” And in the hush that followed, their shared silence no longer felt like distance. It felt like home. All at home felt right, right now. There would be a softness in her voice and demeanor. She leaned in and nuzzled him. She couldn’t hog him all to herself. There where plenty who missed the Lore Master and when Kova dropped off the stone and concluded the meeting she nosed her brother sweetly. “That path will be ours to walk together soon enough. Rest up and get your belly ready for the biggest, best fish…. I’ve gotten good at fishn!” she smiled, nudging him again before she turned and would make her way to Kaia and Faelcu (if Kaia moved to be with her newly appointed mother), to rest beside them for the evening.

Kova Her eyes fell to the light-hued fae, Leora, as she suddenly shifted her entire demeanor and spirit into something else. As Leora’s words fell from light, the warmth in the clearing seemed to recede. No wind stirred. No bird called. Only the soft crackle of words remained, and Kova’s silence was measured, heavy, but alive with thought. She stood slowly, her body composed but her gaze hardening with every detail Leora gave—the ichor, the hollow eyes, the waiting. The kind of stillness that only came when a predator listens not with fear, but with clarity. She did not interrupt. Not once. Only when Leora stuttered, she’d offer kindly, “Go on Leora,” she encouraged. And when the final words “I’m sorry” broke from Leora like the crumbling of an old dam, Kova stepped forward. She met Leora’s gaze and held it. Not unkind but steady. Her eyes fell to Kaia and she gave a firm, strong nod of her head in agreement to her. “You came back.” Her voice, though low, carried the way stone carries through a riverbed… deep and moving. “You saw what perhaps others were never meant to live through… and instead of running, you returned.” She glanced to the rest of the pack—young, old, new, and weathered—making sure every pair of eyes was open. “Let none here mistake what she brings. This is not a story for fearmongering. This is a warning and it was brought with courage.” Inwardly she had feared something was on the horizon but she couldn’t place what. She could not feel what was off for the absence; many things had clouded her better judgment to know the land. To feel it. To know if something was off. She turned again to Leora and lowered her muzzle. “You were not made to bear that knowledge alone and now you don’t have to. Thank you for bringing this to all of us, Leora. Allow me time to investigate and we will figure out what it may be together.” Kova’s voice grew firmer, slicing the air with a quiet authority. “We prepare. We investigate. We do not dismiss this, but we do not panic.” Her gaze swept to Rook with a knowing expression before turning back to the rest. “I will go north to confirm what Leora saw. We question all that comes in from the outer realms until we know more.” Then, quieter again just for Leora alone: “Your voice carried truth tonight. That is all we ever ask and it will always be enough.” Kova stepped back, standing tall. The night deepened but pulsed with life. Not with fear but with readiness. “I conclude this meeting and we will gather again soon.” She dipped her nose, now shifting her expression to that of a lightness. “Celebrate together, rest together, and enjoy another’s company for there is much to celebrate and rejoice within.” Slowly her eyes fell to her mate’s before she stomped her paw to the stone, then turned and made her way down and off it. Seasons had passed like rivers through stone, and still she’d kept hope alive. When he stepped from the edge of the trees and she saw him—solid, quiet, unmistakable—something inside her cracked, and breathed well before the meeting. After removing herself from the alpha’s stone, she crossed the space between them in silence and allowed the conversation between sister and brother commence. Like earth drawn to gravity, she moved in once Leora had departed. A soft kind expression given to her to offer a “rest well”. Her eyes, light and brushed with silver, never wavered from his now. When she stopped before her mate, words did not come quickly for she’d held too many in her heart, for too long. Her voice, when it emerged, was soft with memory. She blinked once and then reached forward to press her brow firmly to his, closing the space that time had carved. There was a tremble beneath her calm, the faintest shiver that passed through her limbs and stilled only when her body met his. Her breath caught in her chest, then exhaled like a storm passing. She pulled back just enough to look at him, to trace the lines age and time had etched into his face, and still he was him. “You found your way home. I have missed you my heart.” She herself had aged for whatever time passed between the pair. Perhaps the only note was the fresh scars to her frame and slight limp to a fresh wound still healing.