Edme stared up at the bright blue sky, a sigh escaping her muzzle, breaking the silence as her thoughts streamed through her head. Thoughts of the new land her paws her standing on, thoughts for the future, thoughts of the pups, which were their future. Just, thoughts, all in all. The events of before were still fresh, and quite overwhelming to say the least.

There was the Tusk of the Narwhale constellation, shimmering oh so perfect in the still sky. The she-wolf was sitting on the rock where, the day before, a life was lost, and the little moth Bells had died. It was a sad time, but she had taught the pack so much, in the short while they had known each other.

Edme chuckled as she remembered how comforted Maudie had been by the little creature, and how wondered the others had been when tiny she-pup had said that if Bells could make, they all could make it, every single one of them, over to the Distant Blue.

Her paws shifted as Edme licked her lips to moisten them, whining softly as her heart tugged at the thought of the orphaned pup. She had promised that she would look after Maudie like she was her own daughter, to the dying Banja. Oh how she missed that red wolf! Edme bowed her head as a tear leaked from her single eye at the thought of Banja, and she quickly sniffed, just so she didn't burst into tears. What if the others found her like this? They would become so worried, especially Faolan.

The thought of the silver wolf made her relax slightly, letting her release a breath she didn't know she held.

Faolan, you amazing wolf, she chuckled a little, shifting on her haunches as her thoughts drifter steadily to her new found mate. Well, they weren't really new found in the perspective everyone would say they were. They had only lost each other for a while, but finally found each other, right there, on the Ice Bridge. And there Edme felt whole again, like a piece of her that was missing had been connected back to her, even if she didn't exactly know it herself. To the she-wolf, when she had found the bone in the Cave Before Time, she had somehow felt it drawing her, drawing her soul to something that no wolf knew about, a great force, until Faolan had brought them out of the Famine and led them on the second Ice March, bringing her to that place that had been drawing her, closer and closer, back to her place of cleave hwlyn.

Back, she mused, to my mate, my soul, my previous life. Back to my real reality, and to my gyre, she sighed at that, looking back up at the twinkling stars, which seemed to be winking down at her as she unjumbled all of her confusions and musings.

"Maybe, maybe I never left, and my soul was just lost, or confused. Maybe it forgot, and that place, reawakened it, bringing it back to me, completing me," she whispered to the stars, which watched over her. They only shone in response, making Edme sigh a long, deep sigh.

"Those would be good for a skree circle, quite good words. I might take those in thought," a voice said behind her, and the she-wolf whipped around to see Dearlea, who was emerging from the shadows, making Edme relax at the familiar form of Faolan's sister. She sat down next to Edme, sighing a blissful sigh.

"I thought Faolan had the next night shift," Edme said to her fellow she-wolf, as Dearlea hummed softly through the silence.

"Oh, he does, but he's still sleeping. I just could not sleep myself, so I came outside to check on you,"

"Oh, well thank you, but I don't need any help, I am quite fine here myself, besides, it's a good time to… reflect," Edme replied with a smile, as the two sat side by side, admiring the stars, enjoying each other's company.

"So, you and Faolan are now paw-fast," Dearlea said out of the blue, trying to spark a conversation between the russet wolf.

"Yes we are,"

"So that makes you my sister-in-law, then," Dearlea laughed softly, as Edme thought it over. It was true, now that she and Faolan were mates, that would make Mhairie and Dearlea her sisters-in-law, which was quite a big step from being 'just friends'. But, Edme thought, we are now family, and closer than before, which will make us stronger.

"So it does," Edme smiled at the thought, looking over at the dark brown wolf next to her, who was starting to yawn.

"Well, it looks like you should be getting back to bed, Dearlea. It's been a nice talk," the russet she-wolf said softly to her friend who hung her head in tiredness.

"Yes it has," Dearlea replied, gently smiling up at Edme as she got up and stretched, leaning on her elbows, then popping back up.

"I will wake Faolan for his shift then-"

"No need, Dearlea, I'm already here," another voice said behind the two she-wolves, who turned their heads around to see Faolan trotting up to them through some bushes, tail sweeping the ground in exhaustion that only Edme could ever really sense, even if the silver wolf would never admit it to anyone.

"You're early, Faolan," Edme said softly as her mate walked up to the two and sat down with a puff.

"Mhm, I know, just thought we could watch together until you left, so I came early," he said, pawing the ground with his left paw, the paw that used to be splayed, but was righted in the Great Mending. However, he still used it when he got used to it, and out of habit scuffed the ground when he was nervous.

"Well, I better get back to the den, or else Mhairie will get worried. Goodnight Edme, Faolan," Dearlea said, nodding at the two wolves breaking the silence, then leaping down off the rock, walked off into the shadows, retreating to the den without another word. Faolan and Edme watched her dark brown tail disappear into the darkness, as Faolan sighed whilst turning back to his mate.

"Are you tired much?"

"Most likely not as tired as you, dear," Edme said as Faolan edged closer to her, emitting a tiny yawn as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?"

"You, Faolan," Edme teased, her right eye blinking fondly as Faolan smiled at her joke.

"You're right, you are truly right," he chuckled, looking up at the Narwhale constellation Edme had just been admiring before. The she-wolf followed his gaze, tracing the starry tusk of the underwater creature.

"What are we going to do, Faolan? How are we going to survive here?" she asked, a bit suddenly to the silver wolf. He started a little, looking at the worried she-wolf, who's concern radiated out of her single eye. Faolan had never realized how beautiful his mate looked in the moonlight, but he quickly shook the thought off as he processed her question.

"What do you mean, survive? We've already survived this far, it shouldn't be too hard to continue," he replied, as Edme looked down at her front paws.

"No, I mean, how are we going to survive without our rituals? Everything we left behind in the Beyond made up a big part of who we are, and it is quite daunting knowing they will prove quite useless here. We will have to think of new customs, new words. How will we manage? Do we keep the old ones and teach them to the new generation or do we come up with new ones to teach the pups? Because if we do, the new generation will not know of what we did back in the Beyond, and they'll soon become just like the stories of the Long Cold and-"

"Calm down, Edme! You're worrying me," Faolan cut in, ending Edme's frantic explanation. She looked up at him with a start, her ear flicking back in embarrassment as she realized she was beginning to ramble.

"Sorry,"

"It's all right, and actually, you gave me an idea," he said, thinking as Edme looked at him in curiosity. What out of all of that could have sparked an idea for Faolan? He did, though, figure out many things from the weirdest places, and she had faith in her mate.

"We can make them like the stories of the Long Cold, except we will make sure they don't become legends, and that it will be real and everyone will know they actually happened,"

"But how? We can't keep telling stories, we won't remember every little detail in them,"

"Dearlea can help there. She is the first skreeleen here, so she can help turn the story into a song that will be easy to remember," he said, looking Edme in the eye, "Do not worry, Edme, we will make sure no one forgets,"

"I trust you," she said, sighing as Faolan rested his head on top of her own in a comfort gesture. Edme nuzzled his chin as they sat there, enjoying each other's company in the moonlight. She moved away from him after some time, giving a lick to his cheek, and Faolan doing the same.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I am not so sure. Maybe, we could recall the journey, just so we don't forget?" the silver wolf suggested, and Edme nodded in approval.

"Well, I remember the last battle where Heep finally died. It was near the end of the bridge, and I remember how Caila, Mhairie and Dearlea set up their own byrrgis and were taking out so many Outclanners, it was like a blur of fur. One minute they were at the south side, and the next they were at the east side, taking out four outclanners together. They really were a great fighting force, and when Rags joined in… the outclanners didn't stand a chance," she chuckled.

"You're right, they would be great byrrgis trainers, well I mean to teach the pups. And did you see the Whistler? He was a completely different wolf when he started fighting the outclanners, it was like I never knew him! He would be a very good lieutenant…" Faolan said, dwindling off as he went into his own world of thoughts.

"Yes. We do have to start thinking of positions so this pack is functional," Edme agreed.

"Don't you mean the teaghlachen?" Faolan smiled up at the sky, looking at his mate through the corners of his eyes. She smiled fondly at him, leaning against his shoulder in turn.

"No. I mean our teaghlachen,"

"Our family," he approved, resting his muzzle back on her head.

"We will all be together forever, looking after each other,"

"Together we will get through this,"

"Together we will survive,"

"Together we will create a future for the pups,"

"Together we will love,"

"Forever," Faolan murmured, his eyes half-closed sleepily.

"Together," Edme replied with a sigh, as they fell asleep together under the starlight, with the moon smiling down at the two wolves, the two gyre souls, the two mates.

They would make it through this life, and maybe many, many more. All of them with their old stories and newly found, the wolves, bears and owl would survive.

Together.

TOO MANY FEEEELS! *wacks head* feels *bangs head* feels *punches head* feels! Sorry, that was too much self torture... hehe.

Anyway, I hope you liked my first Wolves of the Beyond story, which is a WAY TO BIG BUNCH OF FEELS.

So yeah, this was nice to write, I love Edme, as you can most likely tell, and I totally condone her and Faolan being together. Really, their relationship is SO sweet.

Until next time, this is the hybrid possum signing out. Peace Out!