Riddle Heights It isn't wine

Each younger sibling was given a parting lick to the head, her muzzle pushed under her parents chins, the low whine a promise she would be home as soon as she could. Reiko was gone. Not just out on one of his adventures but missing. Anxiety left a taste like bile in the back of her throat as she travelled to the east. The last time she had journeyed this far was when they left the vale behind, and now, from her elevated position on the heights, she had to wonder... would she be able to find her way back again?

It had taken her two days to come this far, a journey she remembered taking longer when travelling the other way, and now there was a familiar scent here that hadn't been there before. It caused a look of pure confusion to cross behind her golden eyes, drawing closer to the well defined borders that hadn't been here before. "Ky-" it was barely a whisper, the strawberry blonde a constant presence but hardly the pillar Sahalie had been... perhaps that was what she had been to Lila? She was torn between continuing her journey and stopping to check in on the older wolf. One paw lifted, ready to take her leave.

Thankfully, the critical period had passed. Revon would be opening her eyes up any day now! But until then, she and Greer would take turns watching the girl – or rather, her mate would come to relieve her, allow her some time to stretch her legs and take care of whatever other business she needed before making her way back to her birthing den. It was hard to be gone for very long, even if she’d left her daughter in the care of her perfectly capable partner. Kyna only intended to run out to the borders and back, ensure that her scent was still present, when something oddly familiar caught her attention.

The alpha grew to a sudden halt, forgetting to curl her tail up over her haunches as sunset eyes fell upon her – aunt. Yes, Naira was her grandmother, so this younger wolf must be her…aunt. How odd. But no reason to be rude.

“Treyah?” she called, ears pricking forward at the sight of the yearling. She seemed so big! So adult now. And she smelled vaguely of other wolves, among other things, so she likely wasn’t living alone. Hopefully. She’d left after Aponi’s takeover too, but—

Kyna shook her head. “Are you lost? Do you need something?”

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Tagging @Greer so he's -in the know- <3

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There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

It wasn't her imagination, a familar voice was calling her name. The lifted paw planted itself firmly back on the ground as her tail began to wave in greeting, a warm smile on her face. After so long it was good to see someone familiar, and relatively close too. She shook her head in response to the first question, but when @Kyna asked if she needed something, she paused. "Reiko's wandered off, you haven't seen him, have you?" there was a hint of hope somewhere behind her eyes but she tried so very hard to conceal it. If he was here she was sure she would have smelled him by now.

She allowed herself a moment to appreciate the view again, savouring the crisp mountain air to give her companion a chance to respond before she moved to change the topic. "It's a nice place you've got here, mum and dad set us up down in the wildwood. I thought maybe with the snow melting he might have tried a trip back to the Bend..." She turned back to the firey wolf with a smile and realised she had completely missed the physical similarities between Kyna, Maera and her mother at first. For a moment she gaped like a fish on land, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly before her voice jumped an octave and she all but squealed, "Congratulations?!"

It was a relief that Treyah wasn’t lost, though the next piece of news wasn’t nearly as welcome. She’d seen much more of the girl than she did her brother, but the pair seemed much closer than Kyna had ever been to any of her siblings. The wolf whined sympathetically, padding a bit closer to the yearling. “I haven’t, I’m afraid. I will keep an eye out, and ask my wolves to do the same.” She might have asked where to point him if they did run into him, but the youth answered that question as well. So it seemed three generations of women were leading in the southern half of the forest. Interesting. Kyna allowed herself a small smile, her tail waving back and forth gently as she digested the news.

Before she could share any of her own, she was greeted with a squeal. It took the redhead but a moment, and her tail began to wag furiously. “Ah – thank you! My daughter is in my den with her father at the moment, but surely she will be ready to come out any day now. You are welcome to come visit any time, if you would like,” Kyna hummed proudly, delighted to share the news. “She will be the first pup born at Aurora Heights – my wolves and I have taken up on the mountain, here.” She always did belong to the stone and the sky. “Where did you say your parents settled? Perhaps I could come visit once Revon is more independent.”

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That there would be more eyes looking out for her brother was more than she could have asked for, and she nodded her silent thanks. Conversation quickly took a lighter tone and she listened avidly. A daughter! Her tail whipped wildly at the news, unable to wipe the smile off her face. "Same with ma's... three of them!, two boys and a girl, and Maera had a little girl too..." she answered when Kyna said her daughter would be able to leave the den any day now. It only made it all the more imperative that she get over this mountain and back as soon as possile.

"I'm sure mother would love to see you both... all...?" she laughed at her own awkward phrasing, unsure if Kyna's mate would make the journey too. "We're about two days north-west of here, in the wildwood, Charred Ash Draw," her chest puffed a little with pride, "I wouldn't be surprised if mum made the trip herself, she always loved this mountain..." It had dominated the stories of her childhood, stories of the lake and the Pass. Feeling it under her paws made it all so much more real, almost as if it recognised who she was and it was rising up to greet her home.

"Leotie was with us until recently but ma kicked her out," she added as an afterthought, wondering who else might have left the bend with them when Spieden fled the forest. To be perfectly honest, Leotie's ousting had left the girl reeling, she had heard stories of how cantankerous her mother could be, but beyond the odd grumble about being too old to deal with politics or complaining about her aching joints, she hadn't really seen it herself. "Dad's not doing as well..." which would, no doubt, come as a shock to them all. He always seemed so much more together than Naira ever had.

“Oh!”

Four puppies! Wasn’t that quite a few! She had no idea who Maera was, but Treyah did not seem too distressed that someone other than her mother had had cubs this year, and could only assume it was a sanctioned event. Her tail continued to swing behind her easily, delighted to hear that others who’d departed Oak Tree bend had done well – except Leotie. Though she’d met the other wolf in passing a few times, she had no real interest in her. That Naira and Triell left with their children made sense – after all, Naira did not have a good relationship with Aponi, and Triell’s children had all left. Sahalie left with her mother (adoptive or otherwise), and Alastor and Larkspur were clearly in the pack for Hal. Kyna had her own reasoning, but Leotie? She really couldn’t be sure. A flake, perhaps. Or maybe she’d simply done something to upset Naira.

She might have asked further after the incident, but Treyah instead mentioned her father, and Kyna sucked in a sharp breath. She didn’t know Triell well, didn’t particularly care for how he upset Sahalie, but she more than anyone knew what it was to watch a beloved parent die before her very eyes. The alpha sighed softly, moving forward to bump noses with the yearling in sympathy. “Do you know what’s wrong?” she asked softly, searching the girl’s face. “I’m afraid we don’t have a healer here, but…we are on the search for one. Perhaps there is something we could do to help?”

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