Redhawk Caldera d'fwan, glue in the business weave.
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Ooc — Stevie
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PPin' it up! @Elwood c'mere bb

It was nice to spend some time with Wildfire. Fin had never stopped missing her when she'd gone so many years ago. She hadn't lied to Betty when she'd said that Wildfire had always been one of her favorites - she truly had been, from the day Fin had nearly killed her with a pinecone. Which had also been one of the first times she'd gotten to spend quality time with her alone, to be fair. The whole homicide thing had little to do with it.

And that's why it bothered her so much as she left Wildfire that day, striding alongside Elwood. Her eyes were downcast as they walked, her expression concerned and thoughtful. They had walked in silence for a while now and were just rounding the Southern edge of the Caldera's inner lake when Fin finally stopped and looked at her mate. "What do we do?" she said without preamble, "I can't stand the thought of what happened to Wiffle. And it was done by our god damn neighbors, Twig. Who's to say they won't show up here? They have before. What if Towhee meets them at the borders and they grab her? What if they sneak in and take one of the kids?"

A lump formed in her throat that prevented her from speaking further. She'd kept her worry quiet while they'd talked with her niece, but she couldn't stop herself now. The thought of them sneaking in and coming near her little wildlings. Like Lucy, and. Her hackles raised at the very idea. Her sweet little spot. Had they been the ones to take her in the first place? They'd been warned before about the pack to the East, and now Wildfire - the thought made her sick - why hadn't they... Fin took a steadying breath, fixing her gaze on Elwood, which had its own calming effect on the alpha.
 
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Ooc — Kim
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Elwood was the type of wolf who avoided conflict; he was generally slow to anger. It took a lot to push his buttons, as he had shown time and time again. But even he drew a line, and finding out what had happened to Wildfire had pushed him right over it. He was frustrated, hurt, worried, and just plain mad. He didn't understand how anyone could behave the way Wildfire's captors had, and it sickened him to know that they were only a stone's throw from his family.

He was silent for some time after Finley spoke, the only sound being the rustle of their paws against dry grass. Her fears were legitimate, he felt; if these wolves were willing to kidnap and torture an innocent individual, then what would stop them from committing other heinous crimes? He was extremely uncomfortable with their proximity to Redhawk Caldera, according to Wildfire's report. The short distance had worked out in her favor when she fled her abductors, but now they were too close for comfort.

"We have to do something," he agreed after a long pause. "We can't sit back and wait for their next attack. I won't put our family at risk by doing nothing." But would he be putting his family even more at risk by confronting these strange wolves? He gnawed thoughtfully on his lower lip, brow deeply furrowed as he considered their options.
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In all honesty, Fin had expected her mate to very politely and eloquently tell her to calm the fuck out. She was often freaking out, and he was often the voice of quiet reason. He was ruled by logic, where she was ruled by madness emotion most often. But when he calmly informed her that he also believed they needed to act, she was so stunned that she forgot she was freaking out.

All she could do was blink at him with wide eyes as he continued. After a few seconds when the turn of events sank in, she began to breathe again and her brows furrowed thoughtfully. "What do we do, though?" she said with a frown, "I can't imagine they'll respond well if we politely ask them to knock it off. But if we try to drive them out by force, that'll only put everyone in even more danger, wouldn't it? We're not exactly a pack of warriors here." Though she figured the wildlings could give anyone a run for their money. Maybe she could threaten them with forced babysitting.
 
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Finley's next questions captured Elwood's own thoughts exactly. He couldn't deny the feeling that they had to take some kind of action, but he wasn't sure what they needed to do. She was right -- whoever these wolves were, he couldn't imagine them taking kindly even to the most polite of requests. But would it be right to put his family and packmates in the potential line of danger by taking a more physical stance?

"That I don't know," he replied frankly. "I don't really like either of those options, to be honest -- but I feel like we can't just stand by and allow them to harm other innocent wolves." Even if they did something more passive, such as move their own pack away from the offending forest, that wouldn't put a stop to the attacks. It seemed that anyone passing by was fair game; after all, that was what had happened to Wildfire. Drageda was far up the coast, yet she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Though it was very clear to her that her family was in danger being so near the Blackfeather wolves, she was fearful of doing anything that might put them in even more danger. Taking a physical stand against them would certainly do that, as would taking the verbal route. A younger, child-free version of herself would have stormed their territory without hesitation, but she had too many lives riding on her for that now. Even now, she would be more than happy to risk herself. She'd have done it gladly, in fact. But not now. Not with her little ones - and that included the kids that weren't so little anymore.

"We need help," she said after a moment of consideration, "We can't be the only pack they've tormented. What about our neighbors? I'll bet you anything Betty would bring all of Drageda back in a heartbeat once she learns about what happened to Wiffle." Now those wolves were warriors. Excitement began to pulse in her heart as she thought more about it. The few wolves she'd seen from the coastal pack had been impressive, even the young ones Thur had brought with them.
 
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He would have laughed at Finley's use of her secret nickname for Thuringwethil, had the situation not been so serious. But she had a point; he, too, believed that "Betty" would be willing to align her pack with theirs in order to accomplish this common goal. She had already expressed her gratitude to the caldera wolves, and let them know that they would be willing to help should the Blackthorn family find themselves in need. So maybe this was the support they needed.

"That's a good idea," he said slowly, thoughtfully.
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Elwood agreed with her idea, though Fin hadn't really expected him not to. They tended to always be on the same page, which was to say that Elwood often had the ability to think his way onto Fin's page while she remained rather oblivious though appreciative. She looked at her mate now, spying the thoughtful look on his face and hesitating to see if he had anything else to add to his statement. She waited for all of ten seconds before she couldn't help but talk more.

"Should we send someone?" she asked, "Lagan? Sebastian? What about that girl of his... Andalusia?" Finley paused, biting her bottom lip as she considered it. Lagan was a scout, but seemed a little... soft, for a matter such as this. She frankly didn't know Andalusia, and Sebastian didn't strike her as being much of a traveler. The last thing she wanted was to send someone off who didn't know where they were going and then they never return. "Maybe I should go myself," she said then after a beat. The wildlings were old enough now to survive without her for a time, and she didn't know if she trusted anyone else with a matter this important.
 
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Ooc — Kim
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He tilted his head, considering the options that Finley presented. But when she offered to travel to Drageda herself, he put his foot down quickly and sharply. "No," he said, the single syllable coming out a bit more forcefully than he meant it.

"No," he repeated a moment later, softer this time. "If something happened to you on your way to Drageda, I would never forgive myself." After all, Wildfire had been attacked while following the same route that Finley would likely take between Redhawk Caldera and Drageda. It was too risky. "I know you've fought plenty of bears in your day -- but this is different." A smile ghosted across his lips then disappeared almost immediately.

"But maybe...maybe we could send Sebastian as a messenger. I don't know. I don't want to put anyone in harm's way," he concluded helplessly.
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Fin was surprised by her mate's obstinate refusal to let her go to Drageda, but the surprise lasted only a moment. Were roles reversed, she would have been just as stubbornly against him going. She smiled slightly as he spoke of her bear fights. That seemed like ages ago now. She'd been an entirely different person back then, or so it felt most days. Being a mom had softened her in many ways. The simple fact that she hadn't gotten angry and argumentative over him telling her she couldn't go was evidence enough of that. In some ways it bothered her, but in other ways... not so much.

"Why don't we think on it for a while," Fin replied with a sigh after a few moments of thought, "I don't want to go to Betty until we're sure of where we stand. I'm feeling pretty certain right now, but it's possible that I've been known to make... emotional decisions from time to time." She lifted her chin slightly, glancing innocently skyward briefly before the brief flicker of mirth fell from her tone, "And this is too important for that."
 
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You can post again or archive if you want! <3

Her suggestion didn't really offer any answers, but it was the best that Elwood could hope for at present. He didn't know what would be most beneficial to their family, and it should be no surprise to anyone that he planned to think on it plenty. His logician's mind would be working in overtime, considering each and every option over the coming days.

"Good idea," he murmured with another fleeting twitch of his lips at Finley's quip about her emotions. And then he lapsed into a heavy, thoughtful silence, already going over their conversation and piecing together all the information they had gathered from Wildfire.
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Her mate agreed with her suggestion. Fin was relieved. She knew that there was so much more to discuss and that it really was far too important to postpone. But she really thought that they could do no more good talking like they were, feeling as panicked and uncertain as they did. They needed time to let their emotions settle before they could really think it through the way they needed to. It was too important to wait, but it was also too important to rush.

Finley stepped forward towards her mate after a few moments of quiet. She stopped just short of him, but extended her neck to reach forward and tap the tip of her nose gentle against his. "Whatever happens..." she said with a soft smile, "You and me. Always." Her tongue flicked out to brush against his snout before she turned to lead them back towards the rendezvous site where they would surely snuggle the crap out of their kids, as though it was their last chance to do so.