The past year had been full of changes for me. First and foremost, of course, was our uprooting from the mountains last spring, which had landed me and my family here in Diveen. But more than just that had happened over the past four seasons. A lot about me had changed. I was truly beginning to come into my own; my long legs no longer made me look gawky and disproportioned, now they lent me a certain sturdiness that I hadn't had before. As I looked at my reflection in the river whose ice had melted and given way to the free flow of spring once more, I noticed how the puppyish curves of my face had sharpened up into defined angles that made me look tougher. I smiled down at myself, promising myself that this party would go well, and that from this day I would strive to be a wolf my parents could be proud of. I wasn't a pup anymore. Today, I was two years old. It was time for me to show the world what I was made of - and that I was more than a princess without a throne to ascend to.
Turning away from the river, I jogged north through the stand of trees into an open area that I had picked out for the party. It had been hard, figuring out the right place to host this. If I'd been at home in Spirane I knew exactly where I would have wanted to - but these were not the mountains, and I took a long breath and pushed the thought from my mind. Today wasn't about missing home, it was about bringing together as many of the wolves from my generation as possible, and imagining what our futures might look like if we worked towards our goals together. It was a tradition that my elder brothers had started two years prior, and I was proud to carry it on, even if the location did have to change this year. After all, did that really matter so much? It was the purpose and meaning behind this gathering that was important, not the land upon which it happened.
The clearing I had chosen would offer something for everyone. It was right along the tree line, offering shade and a little privacy for the more shy wolves. While there weren't any of the pack land's trademark gorges in close proximity, there was a scattering of large red rocks that would provide ample resting places and pedestals for those that preferred higher ground. And not far from the clearing was the river that bordered Diveen to the south, for once the party really got going and wolves might want to spread out a bit. That was something Viserion had told me about - how some wolves were drawn together and paired off to get to know one another. I felt the stir of butterflies in my stomach, wondering if that would happen to me today...imprinting. Not that I needed to find the other half of my soul to be complete. I was pretty damn good even without a whole soul, if I do say so myself.
My tail waved back and forth as I looked around, thinking that everything was in order. Now, all there was to do was let everything know where I was. I closed my eyes and called to mind the powerful song that my mother had howled over the winter to draw her pack to her in the valley. Taking a deep breath, I tilted my crown towards the sky and opened my maw in a soft 'o' shape. The alto tones of my voice rang into the heavens, a happy gathering song howled out to Moladion, inviting all two year olds to join me here in Diveen. As my song came to an end I lowered my head and glanced around, wondering if someone of Diveen, or perhaps one of my sisters, would be the first to arrive. Maybe it would be a wolf I had never met before. When the first faint sounds of approaching paw steps reached my charcoal rimmed ears, my gaze turned towards them and I offered a welcoming smile and waved my tail in greeting as I barked a,