As the calling song faded from my lips, I sighed contentedly and took a step towards the edge before lowering my hindquarters to the cool stone. I listened as the echoes of my voice died in the distance, but there was nothing else. This did little to concern me, for I knew he would come. Ever since I had bestowed the title of Bloodrider upon him, he had taken up patrolling the borders and looking after the pack. I knew I had made the right choice, and I thought myself to have the safest pack in all of Moladion with him and my brother Sleekwing so frequently running guard. I looked out across the lands beyond my home, eyes drifting to and fro until caught sight of a bird gliding on an air current. With utter grace it angled a single wing tip downwards, sweeping around in a wide circle but never so much as flapping its wings. For some time I watched it as it seemed to hover in midair, until all at once it tucked its wings to its body and seemed to fall from the sky. My tail twitched as I watched this bird of prey, trailing it until it reached the ground and its talons struck out to brace its landing, clutching a spring rabbit in its grasp. Such precision.

A single ear flicked back towards the sound of Jericho's paw steps as he followed my trail to the ledge where I sat. Unbeknownst to me, as I had watched the spectacular hunting efforts of the hawk I had actually leaned forward so that my upper body hovered over the precipice. Only when he spoke my name did I turn my focused gaze away from the hawk and his meal, leaning back to sit safely upon my hindquarters once more. The former twitching of my tail transforms into a sweeping motion at the sight of him, and a small smile adorns my features as mahogany eyes watch him take in the stunning views that surround us.

Rather than rise to greet him, I simply leaned into his touch as he came to stand beside me. I laughed lightly at his words, but this place was so much more than a throne. It was more like a temple. Comfortable just enjoying these moments of silence between us, my gaze follows his to look out across the world that we lived in together. I found a yearning rising in my chest, a desire to never be a part of this world without him. As his eyes return to me I lift my gaze to meet those honest orange pools as he whispers to me, the deep tones of his voice a secret for only me to hear, even though there is no one for seemingly miles around. We are alone, on top of the world in this little sanctuary. Still, his words only make that desire in my heart grow more profound, and I cannot help myself as I reach forward and touch my nose to the bottom edge of his ear, so like that first day we had met along the Aplos. "I wanted to show this to you; this spot, it's been where my family has come to...to think, to pray, to clear one's mind...for many generations." Some part of me believed that when the mountains held a slightly different shape and went by the name of Solevion Boneclaw had sat upon this very shelf of rock.

Warm eyes do linger upon his face, wondering if he understands just how much it meant for me to share this with him. He was part of the proverbial inner circle now. All of my pack was family to me, but Jericho was something altogether different. I took a breath, wondering if such a nervousness had risen in him that night when he had me his story, despite the terrors that had brought on the whole scenario. "You have shared so much of yourself with me, Jericho. And I would like to do the same; to tell you what it is that, well, brought me here." Here to Spirane, here to this moment in time, here to be with him. There was so much to tell him, and I wanted him to know it all, but I knew that if I gave him my full life story it would overwhelm him. But there were details, important pieces I thought he deserved to know if he was going to continue to dedicate himself to me as he had. Patiently I wait for his reaction, for some sign from him that he was ready for me to continue. Already my mind flitted through the memories of my life, wondering where, exactly, to start.