Redhawk Caldera Two large gulps of free-range oxygen

After getting over his surprise and the subsequent disappointment, Peregrine hurled a few choice curse words after the falcon and pivoted to trot back down the mountain. He couldn't go home empty-handed, now could he? No, he couldn't. He would be a failure as a provider, leader and father if he didn't bring home the bacon to his waiting, pregnant mate.

A few hours later, he had just managed to catch his second rabbit and was just rearranging the two carcasses side by side so he could grab all four ears at once when a howl rose up into the darkening air. Peregrine paused and lifted his head, listening. His breath left him in a long, low whoosh, suspending from the tip of his muzzle in a silvery cloud that eventually dissipated.

On one hand, he didn't want to respond. He wanted to maintain his distance between himself and the plateau wolves. They were his past and the caldera was his present and his future. His children were the only exception. On the other hand... could he really ignore his sister? He wondered if the earlier attack had been a sign. If only it had been an osprey and not a peregrine. What did it mean when your own namesake pulled a highway robbery on you?

It took him a long time to arrive at a decision. Peregrine lifted his muzzle and his breath once more streamed from his muzzle as he poured a few low notes into the wintry air. He then plucked up his pair of rabbits and began loping toward the borders, where Osprey surely waited with bated breath. En route, he decided he would try to keep it light, see what was going on with her. But he didn't want to dive too deep into the plateau's matters. It wasn't his business anymore.

"Oss," he said when he reached her and dropped his kills. The sight of her familiar face warmed him despite the frosty air, which grew colder as the sun set, and made the chasm between his heart and the plateau seem slightly less large and empty. "What brings you here?" Peregrine stepped forward and licked her muzzle, then seated himself, his dusky jade eyes meeting and holding her matching gaze.