Redhawk Caldera let your heart run, child, like horses in the wild

Raven's teats hurt, now that the puppies' milk teeth had presented. The cold didn't help either, leaving her chapped and stinging. There really was no relief, either. Although the five youngsters could now start sampling regurgitated meat, they wouldn't be weaned for another six weeks or so. Winter would stick around for even longer. She would just have to tough it out.

For the moment, however, she gave herself a break. She stood—a particularly greedy @Titmouse momentarily dangling off her underside like some overgrown leech before plopping unceremoniously on the stone floor—and padded toward the cave's entrance. She shivered when she stepped outside the bubble of warmth and felt the cold hit her like a slap. She didn't venture far, stopping just outside the mouth, squinting against the glare of winter sunlight on the snow.

Charlotte was off at a trot through the brisk winter air when Raven's black form came into view. She chuffed and sped up a bit, coming just close enough for each to be in full span of the other. Her wounds weren't exactly healed, but they weren't oozing either, so whatever Raven had done must have worked. Hey there! she called. Perhaps she was a bit overzealous, but she quite liked the femme and wanted to give another thank you for her help. They had been cooped up in the cave together as a way to hide from the cold, and she was sure that Raven was tired of hearing her talk day in and day out, but Charlotte just couldn't seem to help herself.

Not everyone needed to stay cooped up in the cave as much as Raven—in fact, no one did, aside from the puppies—and she envied those who could leave more freely. When she saw Charlotte trotting across the wintry landscape, her yellow eyes tracked the other wolf's movements a little longingly. She didn't resent having to feed and care for the pups, yet she did look forward to the day when they relied on her a little less and she could get out more again.

"Hey, Charlotte. How're you feeling?" the medic rejoined when the Epsilon approached. Although she technically outranked the other she-wolf, Raven didn't bother with posturing of any kind. She did stand up a little straighter but only to crane her neck forward and eyeball Charlotte's healing contusions.

Charlotte was glad to hear the greeting reciprocated and took it as a sign that Raven was open for another conversation. Everything seems to be healing well, no aches or pains to complain of. I think moving helps, though. At least on a personal level. She had forced herself to forget the incident, only remembering certain parts, but the remnants of what had been done still lingered. And how's the winter treating you?

She smiled at Charlotte, glad that the she-wolf seemed to be well on the mend. In reply to her question, the Gamma's lips parted with a ponderous, "Ah..." She had lost her mother, gained six (now five) charges and essentially been shoved into a weird rendition of motherhood. She wouldn't change a thing, though, except for Fox surviving the birth. "I guess you could say it's been keeping me busy so far."

An impeccably timed yowl from deeper in the cave caused Raven to spin around and trot back inside. @Finley was currently in charge of the puppies, who were wrestling by the Alpha female's feet. It looked like Towhee had chomped Titmouse's ear. He quieted somewhat as soon as she let go. The two adults exchanged a quick amused look.

Turning back to rejoin Charlotte, Raven said, "Like I said," and then chuckled. "They're in good hands for the moment, though. I know it's cold but would you like to join me for a quick jog? Just wanna stretch my legs a bit."

Who would Charlotte be to turn down the offer? She nodded in greeting to Finley, allowing a warming Hey there, then looked back to the mouth of the cave, trotting ahead. She made a note to check back in with the pups later to get a feel for each, but her priorities were elsewhere in the moment. Charlotte cocked her head in Raven's direction to continue their conversation; There's plenty of prey around. Big game, too. She had taken to tracking the death rates, noting how many more corpses there seemed to be than live animals. It was distressing but she chose to interpret the sudden decimation as a blessing in disguise.

Raven strode after her, tail twitching and head cocking in response to Charlotte's words. "Dead?" she guessed, thinking of the moose they had deconstructed near the borders. Before waiting for a response, she added, "I hope so, because I'm no good at hunting." And there was no way the two of them could safely take on large game.

Although they moved quickly, the Gamma could already feel the tips of her ears, nose and toes starting to tingle and lose sensation. The cold air stung her sensitive teats as well. "This is awful," she murmured, glancing over at her companion, wondering if the deep cold was sinking into her healing cuts. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

No more than three minutes later, Raven decided aloud, "We need to turn back, Charlotte, or we're facing frostbite and maybe even hypothermia. Let's run back to the cave." She gave the subordinate female a pointed look, then spun and dug her little black toes into the frozen earth. Ignoring the pain and numbness, she rocketed back toward the safety of the underground cavern, Charlotte not far behind.