Quietness engulfed the small copse of trees I stood within. Nature was edging towards her yearling hibernation, autumn quickly preparing to give way to winter. Even the stream that trickled through the woods seemed to barely whisper in its movement. I stared down at my broken reflection in the creek as the water washed over pebbles and rocks. Moments like this seemed to come far more often these days, where I had fell into a moral debate about going out and searching for him, telling him to come home. Perhaps it was the fact that our continuous mental beating of one another had finally turned physical that kept the desire at bay. In the days that had followed the storm I had thrown myself headlong into all the duties of alphaship, joining Sleekwing on patrols and seeking out different members of my pack to assist them in any way I could. Distraction was key. For in silence I fell into this state of mine where I allowed myself to miss him. I did not regret the actions I had taken that night, but that did not make the sting of losing him perhaps for the final time any duller.

It was a beautiful set of howls that made me flinch out of my daze, ears pulling back towards the sound before my head spun around to look over my shoulder. Eyes of mahogany widened and my tail soared into the air, waving back and forth like a banner in the wind. Could it be? Had they truly returned? Was this even possible, for all seven of MoonGlow and Alcide’s children to be present on the mountain at one time? In my excitement I reared up onto my hind legs and spun away from the creek, setting off at a gallop towards the source of the song. As I ran all I could imagine was the joy that this reunion would give to my siblings. Taliesin and Haven would be elated to be with Idunn once more, and to see my elder trio of siblings all together for the first time in countless years would be exultant. I streaked across the mountainside, adjusting my trajectory for above where they moved, so that I could be the first to intercept them and welcome them home.

Breaking through the dying fall foliage, I finally caught sight of them. They were not moving half so fast as I was, and I immediately checked my speed so that I would not bowl them over. “Orca! Idunn!” I called out to them as I fell into pace with Orca, rubbing my shoulder against hers and pressing my nose into the fur of her neck in greeting. Without missing I beat I leapt forward, elongating my stride to catch up to Idunn and repeating the action, rubbing against her before pressing my nose into her neck. Looking over my shoulder at Orca I flashed a most blissful of smiles. “Welcome home,” I said, glancing back down to my little sister beside me.