Syndestar

    The little sunset-colored pup trotted after the big she-wolf sporting a gigantic grin. Her colorless eyes sparkled as she listened to Banrigh tell stories of her scouting days and of life in the Redfeather pack. That was where the two of them were headed now. It had thus far been, and would still be a long journey, since Syndestar originally came from the icy far north. From what the little pup could put together with what she had been told, Banrigh had been severely injured the previous spring and this trip was her stubborn return to self-sufficiency. Banrigh had said that her pack wanted to send an envoy with her, but Syndestar thought the she-wolf was just as capable of completing the journey and task herself as she said she was. Of course, the pup was young enough to think she herself could complete the journey alone just fine, so this was not actually a good indicator.
    As the pair walked along, the stories continued and by the time the journey was half over Syndestar knew that she would love life in her new pack.

—

    Syndestar stood at the edge of the forest, staring out at the valley before her. She worked the ground with her claws, feeling the soft green grass under her paws with a smile. It had been months since her arrival to the Redfeathers' hollow, but she still marveled at all of the lush greenery and life there was here. She could— and did— get lost in it for hours on end. Just as she was letting out a contented sigh, the rest of the wind was knocked out of her as a golden blur barreled into her and sent her tumbling end over end into the grass she had been staring at.
    As she gasped for breath, eyes wide and paws scrambling to push her back to a sit the blur slowed down and wheeled back around laughing to help her to her feet. He grinned sheepishly and sat down as well, averting his gaze when she finally caught her breath and scowled at him.
    "You mangy clod, what was that for?!" Syndestar barked indignantly at her friend.
    "Uh, for fun? Didn't mean to knock the air out o' your lungs, though... sorry," Leveque replied, peeking back up at the she-pup through a wince.
    Syndestar just shook her head and battered her friend over the ears, unable to hide a smirk. The golden pup took that as forgiveness and pounced on her once again, this time inciting a far fairer play-fight which had both of them laughing and wagging their tails before long.

—

    Syndestar trotted into the hollow alongside Leveque and the rest of the hunting party. She was panting hard after that last sprint and then long trek back home. No one told her that hunting was so much more intense— at least for the most part— than scouting, and she was quite ready to climb onto her favored spot and sleep until the next afternoon. Leveque was all but holding her up as they walked. Mind, most of it was dramatics and goofing off, but her paws truly did feel like they were made of mud. One by one, Hufen, Caio and Daya passed the staggering duo, each giving Syndestar a word of encouragement and congratulations on her first day's work. Their fearless leader, Hufen led the rest away toward the center of the hollow to distribute the smaller items of the day's catch and Syndestar flopped down just steps from the large sunning and sleeping stone she and Leveque shared.
    "I can't go on. I'll just sleep here for the night. Just leave me here," the sunset-colored she-wolf panted performatively.
    Leveque smiled down at the she-wolf, settling himself beside her, "we're right in the path, you know. But I suppose they can step around us."
    "You don't have to stick around. I'll be just fine eventually. I know I'm usually totally serious, but I'm just being dramatic."
    "Hard to believe, isn't it?" Leveque said drily. "I'm staying right here, though. No getting rid of me."
    Syndestar gazed up at her friend, smiling brightly. She was glad that he had never left her, even though they had grown up and didn't have to hang around each other all the time anymore. With this thought, snuggled up next to her best friend and worn out after their long day it wasn't long before she slipped into the best sleep she'd had in a long while.

—

    "From being trained by the same wonderful Wise wolves, Banrigh and Dalibor, to hunting in the same party, to standing before us now, these two wolves have walked their paths together for nearly all of their lives. Now they petition me— and all of you— to allow them to become a pair," Ataahua's uncharacteristically serious tone made Syndestar's hackles raise.
    Beside her, Leveque leaned in as if to silently say, 'I'm with you.' The she-wolf glanced sidelong at him and smiled, her fur smoothing out once more. There were smiles of encouragement from the ranks of wolves crowding in around them as well; Caio with his lopsided grin, Daya with her even and reassuring gaze, and Hufen who's smile belied the fact that he was reliving his own pair-bond ceremony. Most everyone else had a contented smile on their faces too as their alpha carried on.
    "You've all heard their answers, you know their minds. Is there anyone who would oppose this bond? No one? I thought not—," she leaned in toward the pair in front of her, "everyone's been rooting for you the whole time."
    Syndestar beamed at her alpha and mentor while Leveque bowed his head in embarrassment. The alpha gave a small, unceremonious chuckle and leaned back once again to proclaim the pair official. As the pack began their howl of congratulations and acknowledgement, Syndestar bumped her new mate with her shoulder, knocking him off balance and into their hunting party-mates. The trio's howls were cut short, and when Leveque found his feet once again and they all took up the howl anew it was punctuated with laughter and teasing and smiles.

—

    The old sunset-colored mentor padded along the edges of the training hollow, smoothing out divots in the soft earth from the training session that had just taken place. She smiled softly to herself, proud of how well her trainees were doing. Two of them were her own pups, the infallible Falwen and the social butterfly, Elphirion. She had just trained them in a lesson on quickness during a hunt, and they had done a solid job of tearing up the ground in their eagerness to prove who was the fastest.
    "They did quite well. You're a great teacher," Tellras said, emerging from the trees ahead of her.
    "Ah! Tellras, how have you been? It's been a little while," Syndestar grinned at her adopted older son.
    "It has been. I'm sorry. Things are busy, the pack... my pack, anyway, is doing well. I just thought I'd drop by for a visit, but I didn't want to interrupt your lesson and cause distractions and chaos," the golden wolf laughed cheerily.
    "Well, I am glad of that. Those pups can really go off on wild larks, and a visit from their brother would've been pandemonium," Syndestar chuckled and patted the grass next to her with a paw.
    Tellras padded over, sat, and the pair of them chatted until they got hungry. Then they made their way to the Redfeather camp for a meal with Leveque and the pups and some catching up with the rest of the pack.

[Starting 290] -> Got my work cut out but it's so worth it xD