We'll Sit and Watch the Sky Fall Down

As he slipped the bands on his forelegs, Kitsune began to explain the story behind the bands to him. He didn't know who the hell "Ruga" was, but they must have been a crafter of some kind, and a damn skilled one at that! Knowing that Kitsune had put all the thought and effort into crafting these for him made the already special and unique gifts even more valuable in his eyes. As soon as he had the bands in place, he felt small warm paws grasp his own and lift it to bring between the two of them. Icy blue eyes met Kit's sapphire blues while she revealed the meanings behind the bands. Silver, like him and the colder climate of his home. Red fire, to symbolize herself and how they had come together as one. All the while, Iho held Kit's gaze, feeling a deeper pull inside him, more than he'd ever felt toward another wolf before. No one had ever given him such a thoughtful and sentimental gift.

That wasn't the end of Kitsune's story, however. She told him about how when she was littler, she had told her sister that she would find a Pirate Prince. Lo and behold, the shipwrecked Kumiho had washed up on the shores of her pack's lands. She reminded him of the vow he swore, then called him her Pirate Prince, explaining that they were destined to be together. It had been no off chance that he'd wound up washed up on Ashen's shores, or that the storm had sent him adrift in the sea to Boreas. Fate had conspired to bring them together. Then she explained how she planned to take a rank in her pack that would allow her the freedom to travel with him and explore the world, because she knew of his wanderlust and she echoed his sentiments. Then she asked if he felt it too, and the speechless Iho had to scramble to find the words to accurately reflect the whirlwind of emotions he was trapped within.

For a moment, Iho paused to reflect. He thought of all the time he'd spent with Kitsune. He thought of the adventures they'd shared, the night of horrors where he'd saved her from the ghosts in the dark, how he'd panicked and feared over her safety when she'd become infected with the mushroom disease. Then he thought about his raft, half finished and sitting on the shore, waiting for him to leave. Suddenly, leaving Boreas made him feel sick. How could he just cut loose and leave when he'd left such a lasting impression on this young girl? How could he abandon her in the dark night when she relied on him so much, and when she'd been the only reason he'd survived as long as he did? Without her, he'd have been a corpse on the beach, picked over by seafaring birds until he was nothing but bones. His story would have ended that day without Kitsune. His life was tethered to hers now, most likely permanently, and just thinking of trying to sever that tie made him feel ill.

"I do, Kitsune," he replied after a moment, gingerly extracting his paw so he could bring it up to carefully caress the yearling's cheek. "I've felt the same ties binding myself here, to you, since the day you saved my life. I never believed in destiny until I came here. But... I can't think of any other way to explain what's happened. Between you saving me on the beach, to me saving you in the night, what other explanation can there be? I've never stayed anywhere longer than a couple weeks—not until I met you. Now I've been here for seasons, and it doesn't feel like any time has passed. If I am your Pirate Prince, then you are my Princess of Fire." He smiled at Kitsune, that roguish, crooked smile he wore so well. "...But I can't ask you to build your life around me. If going for this Chunin rank is what will make you happiest, then do it. But do it for yourself, not only for me. When I left my home, I did it to see the world—but I also did it to find my place in the world, the place I belonged and where I could make a difference. I think... maybe I might have found that here."

Just as Kitsune's expression had turned serious, so too did Kumiho's. His smile slipped away, but his eyes still reflected that softness and warmth while he held hers, his paw pads stroking over her cheek. "If you want me to stay here with you, all you need to do is ask. You don't have to change anything for me. Tell me to stay." If she wished to be a Chunin for herself, then he would support her and follow the path with her so they could travel the world together. But if Kit only wanted to see the world with him, then all she had to do was ask him to stay.

"Speech"