Even though it was a chilly winter night, and Clove was tucked snugly into her mother and father’s chambers with her siblings, she found herself having a hard time falling asleep. She kept tossing and turning, accidentally smacking a sibling or two with a flopping paw. Thoughts of what might exist beyond their home swarmed inside of her mind, creating a feeling of excitement but also uneasiness. She had so much fun exploring with her father that she was eager to do it again, but didn’t want to bother him when he was busy. So she waited, rather impatiently, until he offered to take her out again.

It was nearly midnight when she finally decided to slip away from the chambers, sneaking out the massive doors that led to the hallway of the Carpathius wing. She made her way to the nearest stairwell, figuring it might be useful to tire herself out by going up a few flights. And boy, was she right. By the time she reached the third floor, she was huffing and puffing. Deciding to give herself time to catch her breath, Clove walked down the hallway of the third floor, admiring the tapestries and murals painted along the walls.

As she came around a bend in the pathway, the soft illumination of light caught her attention. It was emanating from the cracked door of a bedroom, likely from a lit-up fireplace. She could hear the rustling of papers, the tapping of nails against the floor, and the cracking of the burning wood. All of it piqued her interest, and she found herself being drawn to the commotion. She knew that whoever it was, they would be family or a friendly wolf within the pack. So she wasn’t afraid to push her luck and spy on them.

Peeking her head into the crack of the door, Clove swept her gaze across the room. It was a beautiful setup, and feminine in her opinion. In the corner of the interior wall, a silhouette lingered near what looked like a desk, shuffling through papers that were illuminated by the subtle glow of the fireplace. “Hello?” She called out, trying to catch the attention of the stranger but also not trying to startle them during their work.

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

Leaning back to get a better look at project on its completion was a very satisfying way to cap off her late night. Having recently returned from an adventure through southern boreas left her with several new details to add to her map of the area. Of course, the Hollows was most certainly in procession of more complete pieces of a similar depiction … but where was the fun in piggy backing off someone else’s work? Talyssa had wanted to explore and discover for herself. And these maps- the ones that adorned the walls of her room- they were all her own. They were a dedication to where she had been and what she had seen for herself, and she simply could not think of a better way to document it.

As the exhaustion of a long day truly began to set in, she gently shuffled the contents of the desk aside and lightly shoved herself away from the desk. As she drifted toward her bed, she casted a glance to the summer night sky that unfolded just beyond the aged glass panes of her room. The fireplace provided a dim glow of light that had been just enough to illuminate the details of her work. However, it was no match for the beauty of the castle grounds plunged in midnight’s darkness with the starlight twinkling from up above.

With the weight of her eyelids taking their toll, she had become easily distracted in what she had thought would be her final observations of the evening- unaware of her younger sister’s presence until the little girl spoke up. Talyssa’s pale blue gaze flashed toward the threshold of her door as she opened herself up to her late night visitor- one she recognized in an instant. “Clove?” She answered back lightly, shifting her path to approach the pup with her head poked through the door. The sight of her there made Lys’ heart sing. How could something be so cute? Talyssa pulled the door open wider to gesture her company inside as a sleepy, but affectionate grin took its place in her expression. “Little girls should be asleep by now.” Talyssa started gently, before being overcome by a yawn. “Big girls too, for that matter.” She added with a little more amusement as she referred to herself in the same manner. But while there may have been truth to her words, she wasn’t about to turn her sister away.

Taly momentarily shifted her attention back to her bed before finding Clove once more. It was then, she moved toward her bed, hauling herself up on it and settling on her side- propped up on an elbow. As soon as she got settled, she gestured with a paw for Clove to do the same. “What is on your mind? Couldn’t rest?” Talyssa hummed, wondering what it was that had brought on this late next excursion.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

As the silhouette moved towards the towering bed adorned in white sheer curtains, the features of her older sister Talyssa slowly came into view. She hadn’t spoken to her sister much, but she knew who she was given their pack shared a lot of suppers together. She had always thought Talyssa to be strong, beautiful, and someone she could look up to. But given their age gap, Clove hadn’t found the courage to approach her on her own just yet.

Tonight, that would all change.

A shy, pup-like smile spread across her face when Taly turned to look at her, saying her name to confirm her younger sister’s presence. Clove’s tail softly wagged behind her as Taly approached her and opened the door to invite her inside. “Oh, hello Taly!” She hummed, outwardly excited to be around her big sister. It was so different than being with her littermates, who were rambunctious and full of energy. Unlike them, Taly carried an aura of maturity because she was older, and Clove admired it.

Taking careful steps, Clove walked through the towering doors and into her sister’s room, shifting her gaze around to admire the decor and furnishings. Her gaze settled on the maps scattered across the room, and a look of awe overtook her face. The world was so much bigger than she thought! But what piqued her curiosity more than the maps, was the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed the night sky. “I couldn’t sleep.” She said in response to Taly stating they should be asleep by now. “I can’t stop thinking about exploring stuff." She figured it was a normal thing, and didn’t dwell too much on it. But if losing sleep because she couldn't stop daydreaming started to become an everyday occurrence, she would need to address it with mother and father.

After Taly settled herself on her bed, Clove lept up to take a seat beside her. She was turned towards the windows, eyes wide and alit with child-like wonder. The sky was absolutely beautiful, scattered with what looked like fireflies only they didn’t move around like bugs did. They twinkled and formed patterns, encircling a crescent moon to create a beautiful array of twinkling light. "When dad took me to the wildberry grove, I was so excited." She explained, unable to take her eyes away from the sky. “I wanna know what’s out there. I wanna explore and find new things, and bring those things home for everyone to enjoy.” A disruption in the sky caught her attention, causing her to lean forward on her haunches with a gasp. “Oh, did you see that!?” She exclaimed, a bit louder than she meant to. A shimmer of light shot across the sky before vanishing into the distance, making an appearance for only a few seconds. She had never seen a shooting star before and hoped Talyssa had been looking out the window too and saw the phenomenon.

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

When Clove confirmed her suspicion of simply not being able to sleep because of an active mind, Talyssa wasn’t surprised by any means. She had been the exact same way. Though, she hadn’t had any older siblings to go and seek out. She always ended up falling asleep on the chaise in the lounge after a night of stargazing through the windows.“Exploring stuff is pretty great.” She admitted lightly. Talyssa followed her sister’s line of sight to the world outside for a moment before returning her attention to the girl as she went on to recount an adventure she had taken with their father. Of course, it shouldn’t be that big of a surprise that she shared similarities with her younger siblings, they were raised by the same individuals after all. But this was the first time she made that realization of their common interests, and it was pretty cool. “That’s what I like doing too. That’s what my maps are-“ Talyssa paused, gesturing to the maps on her walls. “Knowledge that I’ve brought home with me.” It wasn’t exactly the same as collecting physical objects … but it was collector-adjacent. “Our Tati is quite the explorer as well as you might already know. As well as his sister- our Aunt Bowen, and our own brother, Thorn. Any one of us would love to take you out for adventures- me included.” Talyssa explained, maybe providing insight to a couple of their immediate family members who also shared her wanderlust.

But as she had been talking, something caught Clove’s attention. A streak of light in the night sky. She saw it as well. “It was a shooting star! We’re supposed to make a wish but don’t say it out loud. It’s supposed to be a secret or else it won’t come true.” Talyssa hummed with an airy chuckle. Whether her little sister took her seriously or not, she didn’t know. But anything she could do to give the world a little magic she was happy to pursue. After a few moments of silence, she’d continue in an effort to keep the conversation going. “Aren’t the stars pretty?” Lys asked with a yawn. It was hard for her to stargaze without thinking of Andy, who had the deepest understanding of the havens she had ever encountered in a single individual. She still could vividly recall the stories as Andy had told them to her. Talyssa cleared her throat before continuing. “Our Mami has a sister who is only a little older than me who knows all about the stars. Aunt Andromeda, and I bet she can tell you every single star’s name, and their story.” She explained, offering another individual for their vast family tree. “Has anyone ever told you about stars?”

"Talyssa Carpathius"

It was exciting to hear that Taly shared similar interests, claiming that she liked to explore stuff too. At the mention of her maps- which had initially caught Clove’s eye when she entered the room- her tail wagged softly behind her, patting against the linens in a synchronous manner. “That is so cool…” She murmured, loud enough for her sister to hear. It was just an admiral thought that slipped from her lips. She studied the maps on the walls to the best ability, having to squint her eyes a bit to really see them. She could make out different territories with borders that separated them, and small drawings of figures that must have represented landmarks. Right now, it didn’t make much sense to Clove because she hadn’t been to any of those places. But knowing that there was so much out there for her to explore, just like her sister had, was a wondrous realization. At the mention of other explorers in the family, Clove’s face lit up even more. “I would love to meet them all, and go on adventures!” With each day that passed, she grew bigger, older, and more capable of asking for the things she wanted. She made a mental note of the wolves Taly mentioned, so she could ask them, her, and their father, for more accompanied adventures.

She could have stayed on the topic of exploring forever, but the streak of light shooting across the night sky pulled the pup’s attention away from their conversation. Talyssa had seen it as well, and gave Clove the explanation she had been hoping for. A shooting star… a magical thing you could make a wish on, and it might come true! “Oh! I know what to wish for!” She giggled, pulling her paws to her mouth and smiling up at her sister. I wish Talyssa would take me exploring! She felt a little devious not being able to tell her sister her wish, but she believed her when she said it wouldn’t come true if she said it out loud. So, she kept it to herself… even though, with sly the expression on her face and the giggling, surely Talyssa had ideas of what she wished for.

She turned back to the sky alit with stars, hoping to see another shooting star… not realizing they were actually a rare phenomenon. “Yes, I really like them.” She mused aloud, raising a paw to trace the patterns she saw in the air. They made weird shapes she didn't recognize as anything specific, but surely they had some type of meaning. “I haven’t met Aunt Andormeda yet,” She admitted, still tracing the stars with her paw. There were so many wolves she needed to meet, given their family was so big. It felt a little overwhelming at times. "Mama told me they help light up the nighttime sky, so we don’t feel so scared in the dark.”  She paused, thinking back to that conversation. “But that’s all I know.” It wasn’t much to go off of, but it was comforting at least. “What do you know about them Taly?” Her paw came down to rest on the bed again, and she turned to look up at her sister, hoping to be taught more about the stars.  

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

Her sister’s admiration for the maps that covered her walls gave her a sense of pride. They were cool! And it made her really happy that she wasn’t the only one who thought so. But if the little girl thought that drawings on paper were neat, Talyssa couldn’t wait to take the girl out in the world to explore for herself. Just the thought of it made her heart sing. As it was echoed aloud how much Clove would love to go on adventures, Talyssa was quick to fan the flames. “Then go on adventures, we shall!” She answered lightly. Of course, not at the immediate moment. But soon.

As she could of expected, the pup didn’t have to think for very long as to what to wish for. She exclaimed she knew exactly what it would be, only to clamp a paw over her ensuing giggles. An amused grin quickly spread across her own features. Talyssa made a display out of clamping her own eyes shut as she pretended to make her own wish. After a moment, she peeked out through her own narrowed-eyelids as she tried to make herself look mischievous for a moment or two before blinking away her silly expression. Anything she could do to keep her sister’s laughter rolling.

Talyssa listened quietly as it was explained to her what she had learned from their mother in regards to the night sky. It was very basic information that would have been given to a young child. But now she felt confident that it was an appropriate time where she could expand on that knowledge with Clove. When her sister asked, she was all too eager to answer. “Aunt Andy taught me that all the stars move throughout the year, except for Polaris. Polaris is the North Star. So if you find yourself needing to head north at night time, Polaris is always there to show you the way.” Talyssa explained, looking away from her sister before scanning the night-sky out her window. It only took her a few moments to locate it. “See, there?” The older girl prompted, gesturing toward it with a paw. “Polaris isn’t quite the brightest star in the sky, but it is still easily noticeable against the rest.” She explained, making sure Clove could spot the specific star she was talking about.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Now that Clove knew she could rely on her sister to take her on adventures, she would be sure to bug her for them! But only in her spare time, of course. Giggling in response, Clove continued to look up at her sister in admiration, elated that she had been fortunate enough to run into her tonight. They both made a wish, and together they sent them out into the universe - or at least, Clove assumed Taly was making a wish. Clove giggled at her sly expression, covering her mouth with her tiny paws again. “You’re so silly!” She through her laughter.

Turning their attention back to the stars, Talyssa provided an explanation that was more than satisfactory. Clove peered out the windows but she attentively listened to Taly, soaking the information up like a sponge. Polaris, the North Star. It was a landmark in the sky that always led north, and it was easily distinguishable in the sky because it was bigger than the others. It also seemed to shine brighter. “Yeah, I see it!” She confirmed after following the direction of Taly’s paw. “How come there are patterns in the stars, Taly? Do they mean something?” She asked, not looking for a detailed explanation but an answer at least. They had to mean something, right?  

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby