Riddle Heights in spite of all my fears, i can see it oh so clear.

Kyna was not certain what roused her from the depths of slumber in the early morning hours. Blinking her eyes tiredly, she lifted her chin from the dark cushion of her mate’s rump. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t stirred – but still, something insist she be awake. That now was the time. She couldn’t question something that was living inside her skull, so she untangled herself from the warm pile instead. After giving Greer a brief kiss on the nose, she stepped outside and inhaled deeply. The crisp mountain air always tasted the best before dawn.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she walked along the banks of the small stream running through the territory. The weather had warmed enough that it was no longer frozen, that the snow was trying to melt – if only it would stop falling from the sky, too. But that did not stop the woman’s joy as she glanced upwards, watching the peeks of color flicker between the gaps in the clouds. She loved the night sky. She loved the silent moon, but more than that, she loved her aurora lights.

It was time.

Something fierce welled up inside the woman’s chest and she tipped her head back, howling for her mate and companions both. It’s time! Her joyous howl rang from stone and sparse trees, summoning the other wolves to her location. It’s time! It would no longer be just a dream, her family, but she would make it her reality.

Perhaps he hadn't been as active as he should have been but he was certainly still about. Leaving whatever food possible for those he could almost call friends while he went out to scout the area. He busied himself with making sure there were no real threats around. No angry bears, goats, or cougars had crossed his path yet. Which was a huge relief mentioning the smell that Kyna emitted. The large male assumed it was due to the only other male around as his scent and hers mingled closely. He also knew better than to go sticking his nose too close to pregnant mothers and soon to be fathers. Perhaps that was part of his reason for wandering about so much.

It was late as he caught up on sleep. The temperature by no means warm but it wasn't as chilling as just a few days ago. Sleeping seemed easier when one wasn't freezing their tail off. With thick fur and a bit of heft, he assumed he was never truly chilled to the bone. Regardless he was positive everyone was ready for spring. Females' heat had come and gone leaving the odor of pregnancy in place. Soon small pups would be toddling about and yet there was still snow falling almost every day. It was a concern that ate away at the back of his mind.

Somewhere between dream and thoughts he heard a call ring out. His eyes opened to a still mostly dark area. The Colette tipped his head upwards to see the aurora lights dancing about. A view like this would take his breath away no matter how many times he saw it. As much as he wanted to stand and stare forever Kyna was calling them all to her. He released out a small howl of his own before he went off. It was an odd hour but he supposed if it was time, then it was time.

It had been quite some time since Greer had left his former home in the lowlands. The home that was always supposed to be temporary, even though his stay lengthened as he grew more comfortable around his sister’s pack. It was becoming more permanent as the seasons changed, the days growing shorter as winter strangled the lands of Relic Lore. He had found purpose among the Whitestone wolves, acting as a scout to collect as much intel as he could for his sister and the silver spider. The thought of leaving only occurred to him when he realized that the distance between him and the strawberry blonde was growing. She had left Oak Tree Bend due to a change in leadership, one that she could not follow under. His flame had suggested forming her own pack, with Greer at her side, and while the spotlight had never interested the shadow he could not imagine losing her.

Which brought him to Aurora Heights, a place he had stumbled upon with the strawberry blonde when they ventured south together. He had joined her, briefly, to ensure that she got where she needed to be. A place that would become a home for them when the time was right.

He could feel his mate stir next to him, rousing from her comfortable position on his rump and leaving a cold spot where her head used to be. A frown creased his features but he did not follow, for he was comforted by the warmth the den provided. His mercury eyes blinked open as he watched her fiery frame exit the den, brows narrowing in concern. They had both been restless in the recent weeks, waiting for the right time. It was not often that Greer curled up next to Kyna the whole night, for the darkness called to him and he could never refuse the opportunity of silence. It was not until the sound of her howl filled the air that the shadow crept from their den, greeted by patchy snow as it fell from the sky. A warm smile, almost warm enough to melt the never-ending snow, graced his features as he sauntered up beside her, his silver gaze focusing on the dark shape of Iyes before throwing his own head back to join in the song. This land was theirs and they would protect it furiously until the end.

It was often difficult to tell in which direction her luck was either rising or dipping these days, but Ember remained positive regardless. Her shameful departure from the Bend had been easily put behind her once she had escaped the suffocating clutches of the foggy forest. She liked to think that @Arion would be happier without being constantly caught between herself and @Nalda, and the pack had been the other young woman's family. Ember hadn't ever had much business residing there, she'd felt it in her bones before and now it was crystal clear. She wasn't lost, though; the remaining Reinier knew exactly where she belonged.

And as that melodious sound rose up, she knew without a doubt that favor smiled upon her. Kyna. She would recognize that graceful tune anywhere. Dashing through the softly lit snow, she charged toward her friend's summons, regardless that it wasn't entirely meant for her. Ember knew that if Kyna was there, she would be welcomed. Something about the girl, even from that first day they'd met, had just made her feel at home in a way she hadn't since her earliest days of life. That was why she knew that whatever venture the gold-spun girl was taking, she needed to be there at her side for it.

Another howl flitted through the air, and then a third, encouraging Ember to sprint even quicker. What was going on? Had Kyna already managed it, the formation of her pack? Ember's heart swelled at the possibility of a final home, truly final, not ruined like the Pines and false like the Bend.

She saw her then, that strawberry blonde and the strangers that surrounded her, and Ember's mellow yellow eyes took in everything about them all. Momentarily, her heart clenched as pieces fell together and she realized two key things: Kyna smelled of pregnancy, and the night-cloaked man at her side was most likely her lover. Any sadness or jealousy she felt was swiftly swept away by an immense welling of joy. In just a few months, there would be children to take care, a fresh generation that would be free of the strife their caretakers endured. She slunk forward, stepping past the others with polite smiles before approaching her friend with a broad smile. Her crown pressed against the other's cheek and then shoulder as her tail whipped through the air behind her.

Perfect.

It did not take long for her small band of wolves to her join her under the dancing lights. Heigen might have worried about approaching a mother-to-be, but the redhead saw no reason to approach her friend and offer him a greeting. That he was here meant a great deal. Her tail swung behind her as he was given a friendly kiss across the cheek before Iyes arrived – and so she turned, pressing her shoulder into the yearling’s happily. They hadn’t known each other for a terribly long period, but she was growing more and more fond of the swarthy girl by the day.

And after she came was Greer – of course her mate was greeted with a small woof, and that small woof became her song – and he joined. Once upon a time, she’d have never dreamed of such a thing, too caught up on her own misery to think she could change it.

But Greer was not the last to join. The young woman was just about to address her assembled group when another wolf appeared. “Ember!” she gasped with delight, breaking from her song to trot over to her childhood friend. She hadn’t seen the paler wolf in some time; most of all, she was just pleased to see the woman doing decently. “You’re just in time.”

Once she’d taken her spot next to Greer, she motioned the others closer. “My friends – with spring finally on its way, with the evidence that we can survive here even in the harshest months, it’s time to claim these rocks as our home. You will always be safe here. In exchange for your loyalty, you will have mine. This will be what we make it; a home for all of us. All in favor of Aurora Heights?”

He wasn't expecting the fiery-eyed female's greeting but that didn't mean it wasn't appreciated. The large male offered a happy bump against her after she planted a kiss on his cheek. He softly whispered "Congratulations." She certainly deserved it. A large smile on his face as he watched others appear and mingle. Two dark shadows and a cream colored female. They were certainly the little band. He was the oldest amongst them but that hadn't seemed to change anyone's thoughts on him. If it had he certainly didn't notice or hear about it.

Once the greetings were over, the strawberry blonde got straight into business. He shuffled a bit closer as motioned to do. The words were a bit overwhelming to him. They had all survived so far, hadn't they? In the midst of a winter that seemed to have no end, there was a bright star of hope in the form of a rag-tag group of wolves. Even the lights that danced above them offered hope that this was the start of something blissful and perhaps magical.

He had left White Fir Notch with the hopes of a new start. Here it was within his paws. His loyalty would eagerly be given to the girl he felt safe calling a friend. The Colette nodded his head softly at the name she suggested. It was a lovely name and certainly seemed fitting.

Another shape came bounding toward them, pale fur illuminated by the aurora above them. It was another unfamiliar face but one that he was happy to see nonetheless. The pull that the redhead had was remarkable, for the wolves that stood before them were because of her not him. Greer was just long for the ride, doing whatever necessary to keep his fiery mate safe and ensure she got what she wanted. Leadership and the power that came along with it had never interested the shadow until he met Kyna. He was far more comfortable in the background, observing and ensuring others were doing what they were supposed to. All while maintaining his distance, of course.

As the strawberry blonde returned to his side Greer kept his shoulder pressed to hers, his mercury gaze surveying the assembled misfits before them. It was unlike the group on the rock. These wolves were here because they actually liked Kyna, not because they were scared to step out of line or felt obligated to. A soft smile crept onto his dark features as he watched her out of the corner of his eyes, her speech rolling effortlessly off the tip of his tongue. He did not offer his own voice, as to be expected, but gave a sharp nod in response to her affirmation. With his tongue pressed to the back of his teeth he gave a low, approving growl. Aurora Heights. The place he and the strawberry blond had stumbled upon together all those weeks ago. The place that had given them hope for a future together.

Just in time. That certainly seemed to describe it, as things fell into place around her stunningly, and suddenly, well. This was the formation, she quickly gathered. The start of Kyna's pack, the solidifying of her return to this mountain that she so loved. And that Ember also adored, for different yet similar reasons. Her knowledge of what a successful pack involved was but a smattering, but the resolve was already cemented within her chest. She would ensure that this dream of her friend's not only survived, but soared.

A home. A place of safety. She felt tears prick at her eyes just thinking about it, because she believed it. This had to be the end of the road, the time where things shifted and finally started going right. She would make sure of it.

Her pale teeth showed as she grinned her approval, tail whipping through the air behind herself.

"Beautiful."