Firefly Glen dreaming about the things that we could be.

Liffey was angry. She felt as though she'd been angry for months. In truth, she wasn't quite sure why she was so mad, but that didn't seem to matter at all. She just kept being angry and as the days passed, that anger just kept right on making a beeline for her mother.

It wasn't too hard to do, blaming Finley for everything: the growing distance she felt between herself and her packmates. The jealousy she felt towards her adoptive siblings. The frustration she felt over how little attention anyone paid to her needs and her desire to learn and grow. All anyone wanted to do was show the puppies how to hunt or how to find their way back to the rendezvous site when they wandered too far. No one cared about nurturing her interest in the stars. No one cared about taking her out away from the Caldera to learn how to become a scout. No one cared to draw her back in when she was so clearly drifting away.

Her mother should be doing all of these things. Her mother used to care enough to do them, but now all that mattered to her were the puppies and being an alpha. Finley had changed, and Liffey was mad at her for it.

That's the story. She's sticking to it.

The young Blackthorn meandered sulkily along the edge of a small stream, her nostrils twitching as she ran her nose along the foliage that lined her path. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, unless a distraction from her own angry brain counted. No such luck so far.

Set before he reunites with Cypress!

 

Rannoch was close, that much he knew. After wandering aimlessly in the direction of the evergreens for what seemed like an entirety, it looked as if he had finally breached from the unfamiliarity of beyond his former range and into lands that he remembered. The only problem with this was with the territory that he had transcended upon. His heartbeat grew savage within the pit of his chest, and his eyes grew wild as he tiptoed into the territory. Despite his developments both mentally and physically, Rannoch suddenly felt as vulnerable as he had all those months ago. 

He knew that he had to go on and find Cypress, despite the crippling fear that he felt. His memories attacked his viciously, bringing his body to graze the young grass of the field gently. His eyes shifted wildly as he moved towards the river, attempting to find the only landmark that he knew in the territory. He was aware that as long as he could make it through this one last test, then he'd finally be home free to right his final wrong. 

Pulling alongside the river, the young brute caught sight of the fire-eyed girl, and he hesitated momentarily. Even with his obvious side advantage, the wolf wasn't sure whether or not this wolf could be trusted. Drawing himself forward so that his paws entered the river, Rannoch lingered, keeping his attention divided between the stranger and the water and soon he began to drink, all the more aware of his surroundings.

After running into the Redhawk wolf that'd told him Peregrine was dead he had been extra protective still. His daughters luckily often hung out with the three of them (oh, and Julia at times alone, but she didn't wander very much anyway) but he was still irked to know Redhawk wolves'd linger so close. So when he was exploring the Glen and he caught wind of someone that reminded him, in scent, much of Sassafras, his hackles pricked and he felt the corners of his lips peel instinctively in aggression.

But as he came closer he noted the girl, a young girl. Not really a threat. He could set an example, perhaps, send a message, but would they really care? They were a bunch of crazy fuckers, anyway.

So he threw all of his violent ideas in the trash as he approached her on the same side of the water. "Who are you plotting to murder?" he called out in regard to her frown as he approached, with a nonchalant tone to his voice and a grin on his face. It was only after he called out he noted another wolf drinking not far ahead and he paused a step, but then refocussed on the girl.

When the sound of another drawing near came to her ears, Liffey stood bolt upright. She spun silently to look ahead at the boy as his gaze flickered away from her and down to the water to drink. She studied him for a moment, curiosity swiftly stealing away any nervousness she usually felt over meeting a stranger. He was young, like her, with an interestingly rogue-ish look about him. Her head canted to one side as she continued to stare, oblivious to the way her eyes lingered more than was likely socially acceptable.

When the sound of someone actually speaking to her came to her ears, Liffey nearly flung herself into the water in her surprise. This new fellow took her attention completely for this one's presence was simply commanding, as good natured as his grin suggested. His question was just as startling to her, but she did her best to recover. "Who's asking?" she replied, pausing before offering a smile even though he made her feel inexplicably anxious.

Despite his solidarity, Rannoch felt drawn the conversation that was blossoming a distance away. With the arrival of the male, and an inquiry ringing into the air, Rannoch paused his drinking and lingered just above the water's surface. He did not move his eyes to the strangers, nor did he make it overly apparent that he was eavesdropping. Instead, he lingered, waiting curiously to see how this exchange would progress.

As he looked at her he realised that she reminded him of someone. Certainly not of Peregrine or Dhole or any of their relatives, as far as he knew — but there was something about her that made him feel as if he was meeting someone he already knew, once. It was a strange feeling and he tried to shake it off as she replied.

To her question, he thought quickly to think what to answer, before saying, "I'm Charon. I live at Moonspear." He jerked his head back towards his mountain to indicate. "And should I just keep calling you grumpyface, or do you have a proper name too?" He grinned teasingly, hoping to ease the mood a little considering she was young and out alone — though he considered the wolf that stood nearby them might actually be her travel partner or something — and he didn't want to come off too threatening, keep the mood light.

Liffey knew somewhere in the back of her mind that the other boy was there still, but the wolf before her stole her attention almost entirely. He continued to smile after her question, and slowly the young Blackthorn felt herself easing into the conversation. Her ears perked at the name Moonspear and she tilted her head slightly at the intrigue. Wasn't Moonspear where her cousin Wildfire had gone after she'd left the Caldera? Liffey felt excitement at the thought, but she held it back. She had to play it cool.

"I'm Key," Liffey replied after a beat, lifting her head a little higher, "Only my closest friends get to call me Grumpyface." For the moment, she had no desire to be Liffey, daughter of Finley Blackthorn, alpha of the Caldera. And to be Caoilfhionn was a bit of a mouthful... Key seemed like a good balance. And when I spell it like Key, you'll know how to pronounce it in your head as opposed to if I spelled it Caoi, so all of Wolf wins!

"You have a very tall home," Liffey commented, glancing at the tall mountain in the distance, "You ever been all the way to the top?"

This is it for me! Skip me in future rounds, please!

With the other's conversation taking wing, it became apparent to the lone wolf that he was not needed here. He had hesitated for a moment when the other's exchange started off roughly, but, given a chance, the two seemed to be smoothing over as the progressed. Rannoch bent over once more to satisfy his thirst. When it was, he turned from the other wolves and started towards the forest he used to call home, not taking the time to offer a parting look to the conversing wolves.

He couldn't hide a chuckle when she bantered right back; because it was funny but also because he was relieved that she was easing up now. "Well, there's something to work towards," he joked back. He couldn't imagine it had to be easy being away from home for such a young wolf. For a moment he thought of his own children, only a bit younger than she, but he pushed it away. She was old and mature enough to make her own decisions. And the fact she didn't mention her pack was a decision in its own.

The subject turning to his mountain was something he wouldn't say no to — he loved talking about his mountain. "Almost, last year," he said; "But not yet, so there's still some work to be done there. I'm hoping to reach it this summer." Last summer he had failed, but he had gotten to know the mountain better and had gotten higher than before. This summer, he knew the ways of the mountain and maybe at last he would stand upon its magnificent tops. "You the mountain-climber type, Key?" he asked with genuine interest as he looked back at her.

Liffey relaxed almost completely into conversation as the pair pressed forward. She laughed as he responded and allowed a quick shake throughout her body to settle the remainder of her nerves. She was on edge still, but only a little, and only because she had decided that this guy was cool and she wanted him to like her. She may never see him again after this, but it didn't matter. She was young, excited at the fact that she was getting on so well with a complete stranger (a rarity for her), and all she wanted was the satisfaction of walking away from this encounter knowing she'd made a good impression.

It was for this reason that she merely glanced back over her shoulder as she heard the rustle of the other boy departing. She watched for only a second as his dark form began to disappear behind foliage before turning back to Charon to listen as he spoke. The boy was forgotten in the very next moment as she blushed and gave a shrug.

"I like to think myself one," Liffey admitted humbly, "Truth be told, I've never climbed a mountain. A very tall hill with a few minor cliffs, yes. But never a mountain." She thought of the taller slopes that encircled the Caldera. It was usually a fond thought, but now it was a disdainful one. Those were peaks. They were little nubs at best.

"I would love to climb the tallest mountain in the world. I'd do it in a heartbeat. I want to climb so high that I can actually reach out and sniff at the stars," she commented, her eyes lifting skyward, unbidden, as though she could actually see them up there somewhere.

Charon couldn't help but laugh when she admitted that she fancied herself the mountain climber type but had never climbed an actual mountain. "Not even Nocturne Summit?" he asked; "It's not far from here and unlike my Moonspear, available." His tone was amicable, as he didn't mean poorly. All he wanted was to make Moonspear a thing that she wanted, even if mostly because it was also something she could not have.

As she said that she would love to climb the tallest mountain in the world, he shook his head and grinned, amused by her youthful optimism. Probably better to build it up slowly. He said: "It does smell nicer up there. I never knew it was because of the stars being closer." After a short pause he then asked, "So where are you from, then, and why isn't that place a mountain?" He tried to sound genuinely curious, though he was fairly sure he already knew the answer — and she'd already betrayed it was no mountain because she'd admitted never climbing one.

Charon laughed and Liffey found herself dipping her muzzle towards her chest bashfully, though her own grin remained. She shook her head as her eyes darted back towards the tall, shadowed cliffs towards the horizon. She smirked as he mentioned Nocturne Summit as being available. It was something to think about. That was where Wildfire and her mom had adventured once. Maybe she could get her mom to take her there too...

Liffey was quick to sober from that impossibility. She couldn't get her mom to take her for a walk around the Calder'a lake these days. She re-focused on her companion's commentary, finding herself excited when he confirmed that there was something different about the scent in the air up high. Maybe you really could smell the stars. The idea thrilled her.

"I'm from the Caldera," Liffey answered, unable to find a way around it. She was far too honest for her own good. "It kind of seems like it was a mountain at one time, but it kind of.. collapsed in on itself. So I guess I live on a broken mountain." She shrugged. She had considered the oddness of the landform before and had many ideas on how it had come to be. Not all of them involved what she had described to Charon, and she would likely never know how (kind of) right she was.

She admitted to being from the Caldera, and then went on to explain what a phoney mountain it really was. Charon wasn't too sure where to go from there. He'd already expressed how awesome his home was and, without explicitely saying it, how lame hers was. He found himself curious who ruled it these days, but then, it was probably some of Peregrine's dumb-ass children, like Dhole or someone else.

"Gotta suck to live on a broken mountain where you can't smell the stars," he said with a grin. "Well, if you ever get tired of it, maybe we'll have an opening at Moonspear for a funny spunky wolf like yourself." He intended to finish the conversation and leave soon, not wanting to wander around the subject too long, but he'd wanted to put that offer there. Just in case she'd ever grow tired of the Caldera's bullshit and had nowhere else to go.

In spite of how uncharitable she was feeling towards the Caldera at the moment, she did feel the slightest prickle of defensiveness when Charon put it down. It was one thing for her to be disparaging about her home, but for someone else to be that way did rankle her somewhat. It was easy enough to brush off, but it became even easier in the next instant when he made her an offer.

Her ears perked as a look of surprise stole her face. It took a few seconds before she remembered she was supposed to be playing it cool. She rearranged her expression, but her eyes still glowed with intrigue as she asked, "Really? You mean it?"

Charon grinned a charming though cocky smirk when she asked for confirmation a bit too eagerly. He suddenly felt old — not in a bad kind of way, though. It was nice to receive respect without having to fight for it, be it verbally or physically, to be respected without a doubt as an adult and leader. Realising he hadn't yet mentioned being its leader he confirmed, "Yep, and I lead the mountain, so no one can say otherwise."

After a moment of thought he added, "Sometimes you just gotta grab your own fate, y'know — I remember what it's like to be at that age." He rolled his shoulders in a shrug; his statement wasn't intended to have a lot of thought behind it or to be very heavy. Though he would feel smug taking one of Redhawk's children to his mountain (or to see them leave the Caldera at all) he also liked her attitude, and it seemed best for her to find somewhere she'd be happy. If she was so eager to accept a place in another pack then maybe leaving the Redhawk would actually be good for her, too, regardless of his initial ulterior motives.

Liffey wasn't surprised when Charon claimed to be alpha of Moonspear. Something about him made it strike her as impossible that any wolf in his pack could stand above him. She wondered even if her own father could dominate this one, Though she did suspect her mother might manage it... His words gave her pause, and though he didn't mean anything profound by it, Liffey felt her world shift. 

"Thank you, that's really generous of you," Liffey said, her ears slipping back demurely, "I'll definitely keep your offer in mind." Her words were honest, but she the idea of leaving the Caldera still seemed far too grand for her to truly consider. It was a dream; one of her imaginary adventures she daydreamed about but still still felt too big and too far to be more than fantasy, though Charon's offer had certainly brought it closer.

She seemed impressed, in the least, but not convinced. He wasn't surprised — she was young yet and probably attached to whatever parents she had — but he did hope that he would find her at his borders again at some point. Whatever the outcome, he felt that his time was running short for this conversation and that he should head home to his family again soon.

"I'll leave you your time to think, then, Grumpyface," he said with a charming smile. The tone in his voice suggested that he knew well what he was doing; teasing, daring, challenging by naming himself a friend now. Without another word he turned to leave, headed back towards the Moonspear, hoping that he would see her again soon.