The Summer Bonfire

Mother and Father had told Clove and her siblings of the bonfire festival that was held every summer. And since then, Clove had been waiting for the day of the festival, riddled with anticipation and excitement. It was a chance to see all the wolves in the pack, get to know her family better, and moreover, explore another land that belonged to their kingdom. That was almost the most exciting part for her. As each hot, long summer day crawled by, Clove wondered more often when her parents would announce the day of the festival. And finally, towards the middle of the summer season, the day was confirmed.

The morning of the event, Clove made sure to sleep in as long as she could. She wanted to be able to stay awake in the evening, to enjoy the party for as long as she could. After a late breakfast, Clove went to work on perfecting her appearance. She took a long sudsy bath and had someone help her comb out her pelt to perfection. Once it was pristine, soft, and smelt like rose petals and peonies, she crept into her parent’s chambers where Briar had some beautiful jewelry stashed. She had already gotten permission to pick something out to wear for the special event. And so, the young Carpathius took her time inspecting each piece of jewelry, until she finally settled on a gold chain necklace embellished with a fiery stone that resembled her father’s eye color. Pulling it over her head, she took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. It was so nice getting dressed up.

Waiting for sunset was almost unbearable for her, given how excited she was. And the moment the sun started to fall behind the neighboring mountain range and her father gave the signal, Clove couldn’t wait any longer. Traveling alone to the starlit plains was liberating, and made her feel like a real explorer! Even if it was her parent’s territory. She didn’t exactly know where she was going, but her father’s scent led the way. After some time, she finally saw him in the clearing, standing in front of a massive pile of dry wood. Around him were miscellaneous setups of food, drink, and treats! As she walked past it all, she was tempted to grab a quick bite… but she wanted to say hello to Daddy first.

Picking up a nearby stick, Clove walked before her father and added it to the pile as her contribution. She turned to him then, wanting to rub against his leg affectionally. “Hi, Daddy! I’m so excited!” She exclaimed with a giggle. “I’m gonna eat SO much candy!” She toddled off then, knowing a lot more wolves would be showing up to say hello… and that candy was calling her name.  

"Clove Carpathius"