Redhawk Caldera Into darkness, into danger

Gannet didn't bother stopping at the edge of where he knew the caldera claim began, though he kept a wary eye out.  He had left, wandered off to see what lay beyond, but he'd known he would return.  And he hadn't considered himself not a part of the Caldera.  In his eyes, he'd been all along, though by now their scent had faded from his coat.

But a part of him knew this didn't necessarily go both ways, especially with his unpredictable mother at the helm.  So he first sought her out, tail low and body instinctively contrite, though he didn't believe he'd done anything wrong in exploring a short while.  Little did he know the fun that awaited his return.

After one of the infants passed away while under his care, Elwood determined that his efforts were better spent outside of the den. He hunted small game around the territory, storing his findings for later use; the caches would be most beneficial to Raven, who would be the puppies' main source of food for a few weeks, at least. He strolled the borders, marking them fervently to ensure that their claim was still known -- even though the pack currently consisted of only four adults. He was determined to make it through the winter with Finley, Raven, Eljay, and their horde of puppies.

He was completing one such pass of the outskirts when a pale figure caught his attention. The breeze assisted him in identifying Gannet. The youth had disappeared some time ago -- he wasn't sure exactly when, since days and weeks had blurred together as of late -- and he knew that Fox had simply assumed that he had dispersed. Yet here he was, and as Elwood approached, a heavy feeling settled solemnly in his stomach. Gannet didn't yet know that his mother had died.

"Gannet," he greeted, mustering as much of a smile as he could; after all, he was happy to see the boy, even if the joy in their reunion would be short-lived.

When Gannet saw Elwood first instead of his mother, his enthusiasm wasn't dampened one bit.  Instead, his tail gave a small spasm and he rushed forward, noting Elwoods seemingly non-defensive reception.  If the man allowed him he'd greet him with a few enthusiastic nips to the chin, as he was thrilled to be back around his packmates once more.  Gannet was a wolf of few words, but he was a social creature at heart, and the last few weeks had been lonely ones.  He'd returned thinner and subdued, but in one piece and with a slightly broader view of what the world had to offer.  He liked home better.

If there was something wrong, the boy was too caught up to sense it.  After his greeting he'd give Elwood some space, then maybe see where his mom was.  She'd want to know he was back, right?

The boy stepped forward eagerly to greet Elwood, and the Blackthorn accepted it readily with a swaying of his tail. As Gannet moved back, Elwood touched his godson's cheek with his nose, then took a breath as he prepared to deliver the bad news. "I'm glad you're back, but I have something to tell you," he said, shifting his weight.

Without waiting for an answer, he met Gannet's gaze and said, "Your mom, she...she passed away after giving birth to your little brothers and sisters." His voice hitched; somehow, this information was harder to share than he had imagined. He braced himself for a reaction from Gannet, unsure how he would take the knowledge of Fox's death. If he was more like Peregrine, he would likely respond with quiet sadness; however, if he took after his mother, there could be palpable upset and rage, and perhaps an abrupt departure from Elwood's presence.

Luckily for Elwood, though Gannet was the mirror of neither parent, his mannerisms lay distinctly more on his father's side of the pool.  It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they were there, Gannet simply stilled, unsure of how to take this new information.

He'd gained siblings, but he'd lost a mother. Like so many others in his relatively short life, she'd walked out without ceremony, and suddenly their family was another branch shorter.  Pain and loss shot through him with surprising alacrity at the thought of never seeing her again, but a part of him reasoned, as always, for peace.  There was nothing he could do about what had happened, she was gone and dwelling on it wouldn't make anyone happy.

He swallowed, calm but clearly dropped in demeanor, and asked the question that naturally followed.  "Whip?" How was his brother taking the news?  Gannet remembered what Peter's loss, and then Peregrine's, had done.  Now mom was gone too. For the first time since he left, Gannet felt a stab of guilt about departing unannounced.

He watched Gannet unblinkingly, and when the boy didn't turn tail and run, he exhaled quietly. Elwood wanted the Redhawk and Blackthorn families to stick together in the wake of the most recent tragedy. He and Finley were already caring for Fox's newborns like they were their own, and the older godchildren were just as important. Thankfully, Raven had stepped up to help raise her tiniest siblings; he hoped that Gannet would embrace his role as big brother, too.

Rather than comment on his mother's abrupt and unexpected death, Gannet uttered a single word that spoke volumes. Elwood hadn't seen Whip since the pack meeting. Whip was old enough to look after himself outside of Redhawk Caldera, but Elwood did worry since the youth had departed in such an emotionally-charged way. He shook his head slowly. "Whip isn't here. I'm not sure where he is...he ran off," he explained. "There was a pack meeting -- Kaizer challenged your mother, and Whip attacked him. I stepped in and killed Kaizer before he could hurt Whip, but he disappeared after that." He winced as he elaborated; it didn't bother him to speak so nonchalantly of Kaizer's death, but he hated that the scuffle had resulted in Whip's flight.

Oh.  Gannet's ears fell at that, but he accepted it with a nod. He had liked Kaizer; the man had helped train him, after all.   But if he had challenged Fox, what came after was only natural.  The wolves of the Caldera were loyal to the Redhawks, not that it mattered now.  He was glad his brother had fought, but not that he'd run after.  Maybe if he had been here...

But he wasn't, so that was that.  Not the type to harp on mistakes, Gannet took that guilt and let it go.  Whip chose to leave, obviously it was what he wanted.  

He wasnt really sure what to respond to that.  So he remained silent, looking at Elwood for some sign as to what to do next.  Instinctually he submitted to the senior man, but emotionally he simply wasn't sure.  It was a lot to process.

Fade with your post? :)

The pale youth remained quiet, appearing to digest all of the information that Elwood had just heaped on him. The Blackthorn felt bad and disliked being the bearer of such negative news; but there was a part of him that knew it was best to get it all out in the open. Secrets never benefited anyone, and what mattered was that Gannet was home.

As silence lapsed between them, Elwood reached out to touch Gannet's shoulder with his nose. "Come on," he said, turning and gesturing towards the caldera's slopes rising in the background. "Let's get you settled."

Can do!

Gannet accepted the touch and the direction wordlessly, a bare nod the only indication he'd even heard.  But he followed willingly, trailing behind the older male dolefully and glancing around at the Caldera.  At least some things would never change.

He'd stick by Elwood for a time, but eventually would disappear to mourn alone, chancing upon Wildfire in the process.  It wouldn't be a long excursion, but it would be enough to clear his head and bring his focus back to what mattered - the family he had left.