Redhawk Caldera you are blood and earth, not theory and chalk
what do i do after all this survival?
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Ooc — Kermy
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#1
All Welcome 
Thuringwethil is tired by the time she reaches Redhawk Caldera. When they are close enough, she does not need @Étoille’s guidance but she keeps his company and he serves secondarily as a guard. While his skills as a scout are not questioned, whether or not he holds up on the battlefield, is left to be questioned. She does not know if he will sacrifice himself for her as any other but he does not hold the rank as cheka and she has not spent enough time around him to know for certain. Luckily, they have not encountered any problems until now.

Standing on the borders, however, makes her feel a little weird. Anxiety sets in and she hates it, having felt more anxiety in the last few months than she’s ever felt before. Her life has been torn to shreds by everything that has happened and she isn’t entirely sure she’s keeping it together that well. The children are safe and healthy and, for the most part, content, and the rest of Drageda is in one piece. Their only casualty has been Arlo through all of this and Wildfire hadn’t been far behind. She isn’t even sure what she’s supposed to expect now that she stands here, on the borders, once more.

She takes a deep breath and tries to settle herself. Finley and Elwood had been good to them and she does not want to be a pest, nor bring too much drama to their borders, but if they can take @Wildfire home now, she’d much prefer that. Now that she is conscious—she still hopes—it will make travel easier but the winter will bear down hard on them and her emaciated from. Hux had not given her much information on what Wildfire had gone through, or how she feels, but she had not wanted him there and something doesn’t settle well with her.

Without half the pack standing behind her this time, she only comes as a temporary mark just to make sure her mate is okay. She gives one glance to her companion before she lifts her nose and calls out. It is vague but she hopes her mate will show, as well as @Finley and @Elwood or, hell, @Eljay.

374
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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She had been making marked progress, even feeling well enough to relocate to the fringes of the rendezvous site, only to come down with a cold, perhaps due to her exposure to the young puppies. Had Wildfire been in better shape, it wouldn't have been more than a minor inconvenience. But she was still quite delicate and it hit her like a blow, striking her down so that she could do little more than sleep all day, when she wasn't coughing, sneezing or wheezing.

She was in absolutely no condition to heed a call at the borders, yet that familiar voice reached her all the way in the deepest of illness-induced sleeps. Wildfire started awake, crusty eyes blinking groggily. She was struggling to her feet before she'd even given thought to what she was doing. She didn't have the breath to spare for a howl, though she began shuffling her way downhill. En route, she experienced just about every emotion known to wolf. She also had to stop not once but twice to catch her breath, her left nostril bubbling disgustingly, a scarily phlegmatic noise rattling in her chest.

When the commander's silhouette came into view in the distance, Wildfire couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to run and launch herself into her mate's arms. Anyway, she couldn't. She trundled in Thuringwethil's direction, ignoring the fountain of snot draining from her nose and the stitch in her chest even as she tried to decide how to react to the Heda's presence.
what do i do after all this survival?
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Ooc — Kermy
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Thuringwethil tries to keep her mind clear of anxiety. There is nothing she can do in that moment until someone arrives, until they tell her what is going on, but it does not stop her from thinking of every possible scenario. She thinks about the Moonspear wolves and what they told her. Hux hadn’t mentioned anything in particular to make her believe the wolf they were talking about is the culprit. Someone has done this and now is the chance she can find out. While she does not have an army with her, she has her companion, and the caldera, and part of her thinks other wolves might be involved. She glances to her companion briefly but does not say anything.

When she turns around, she sees the slim flash of red and her paws itch to rush forward and close the distance. She does take a few steps but they are strained and careful. Finley and Elwood let her in once but that does not mean she has free reign. She wouldn’t be happy if they’d traipsed over the borders in Drageda, despite their invitation for refuge.

Her heart lodges in her throat the closer she gets and she whines—louder than she anticipates—and her ears fall back against her head. Even her tail hangs low. She forgets Étoille is even here and doesn’t bother with how she holds herself. All she wants is to be close to Wildfire again, regardless of how she feels. As she gets closer, she can see more of the damage. She can hear the rattle of her breathing and the struggle of her breath and she whines a second time, unable to stop. Jaws part to say something but she can’t find the words and when Wildfire gets closer, painfully slow, she finally takes the initiative to break her position and close the distance.

Ain hodnes,” she says softly, careful of her footing when she is close enough. She restrains from throwing herself against her mate, careful not to hurt her, but she lowers her entire form and gently attempts to kiss the side of her cheek despite how snotty her nose is.

362
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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#4
just a cameo! skip me unless needed :^)

Their arrival at the Caldera's borders is quick and without fuss, and Étoille is glad that they do not approach with half their number this time. They were fortunate Wildfire had arrived when she did and that the Caldera wolves seemed generally more patient than most. 

Now that they're here, Étoille lingers awkwardly in the background. The Rauna is not needed for anything at this junction. He has no connection to any of the wolves here, besides having met Towhee once and briefly slept within their claim. He is not expecting Wildfire to arrive at the borders so quickly (or at all, given her implied condition), but as he'd been wrong to assume the red-furred woman had been killed so he is wrong here as well. She looks ill - not life-threateningly so, but probably in need of a good nap. 

For lack of anywhere to put his eyes, the titan watches the pair. Oh, this is definitely what he wanted to avoid. Heda seems to forget he is present and so after a few moments of blatantly staring at the pair, he finally thinks to avert his eyes politely, clearing his throat. There is still not much for him to do but stand around and wait for Heda to decide to leave, and so he is going to do exactly that.
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Like an overloaded computer, her brain seemed to shut down, hard drive wiped and screen blank. Before she could even think about trying to reboot her systems somehow, Thuringwethil was right there, a cool nose against an overheated red cheek. Without thinking, Wildfire leaned into the touch, eyes closing. For a moment, she simply breathed in her mate's (and their children's, and their home's) familiar scent, before abruptly collapsing onto her hindquarters.

Fortunately, she didn't go sprawling or swooning. Her legs simply gave out and she sat, though she remained upright and leaned gently into the commander. "Thur..." she murmured, not really any more sure of what to say than how to feel. Her emotions had been so utterly mixed up over the past few weeks and now they just seem to have left her entirely. There was no more anger or resentment, yet no real joy or relief either. She just felt totally benumbed.

She knew there were so many things she should ask. Why are you here? How are the children? What do we do next? But Wildfire was no better at mustering up words than she was emotions at the moment. Her watery chestnut eyes lingered on the Heda's familiar face before screwing up suddenly in the second before one, two, three sneezes burst out of her muzzle, splattering Thuringwethil with a gooey mixture of mucus and saliva.
what do i do after all this survival?
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Thuringwethil moves closer when she stumbles to the ground, attempting to catch and support her but the moment Wildfire leans into her, she lets herself wrap more around her. She’d been uncertain more than she’d cared for, but their bond is stronger than that (she had hoped) and though she’d been missing for so long, she hadn’t been willing to give up on her. She puts her nose behind her ear and touches gently, letting her lean into her chest while she snakes around and cradles over her neck. Thuringwethil takes in the moment, unable to recall the last time she’d been able to hold her, but she knows it wasn’t like this. The life in Wildfire has all but extinguished and this isn’t who her mate really is.

She closes her slate eyes for a moment until she feels the slight pull, looking down into the woman’s face. She’s about to lower her muzzle and nudge the underside of her chin but she withdraws and sneezes several times. Thuringwethil flinches a little at the suddenness, feeling the spray of goo on her. She takes a deep breath and does her best to ignore it, knowing it is the least of their problems right now.

“I missed you so much…” she trails off. “What happened? Who… who did this?”

219
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
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"I'm sorry," Wildfire whispered automatically, cringing at the sight of her germ-ridden goop clinging to her mate's dark coat. Thuringwethil didn't seem to mind much; she did not withdraw, nor complain. Wildfire felt her mate's flanks expand as she drew in a deep breath, curled around the smaller she-wolf like a great black scarf.

If anything should have jump started Wildfire's emotions, it was that dreaded question. But she still felt largely blank. She paused for a long beat, then replied in a strangely expressionless voice, "A wolf called Cicero from Blackfeather Woods kidnapped me. He and the others in the pack kept me prisoner in a cave, where they poisoned and tortured me. Then one day, Cicero simply let me go." She punctuated the brief summary with yet another sneeze, though this time she managed to turn her head at the crucial moment to avoid spraying the commander again.

Facing her mate once more, Wildfire said slowly, "I thought I was getting better. Physically, I am—aside from this cold..." She took a labored breath, then said, "But you coming here, it makes me think I'm more broken than I realized. I just feel so..." A long silence stretched between them as she searched for the right word. "Detached." She sniffled. "Like you're—like I'm—still a million miles away."
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His heart froze for a moment when he heard the call sound. He'd been thinking on his choices, but he still didn't know what he should do at all. Eljay made his way over to the borders with a nervous feeling in his gut, a simmering "you must choose" even though he felt he'd made the choice when he had left moons ago. But now, winter was once more upon them and leaving the Caldera became more of a thing.

As the Heda came into view he felt nervous, but soon he saw that she and Wildfire were talking. He halted a small distance away, outside of hearing range, and watched them. He felt like they spoke of emotional things -- at least Wildfire was --and so he kept his distance.

You can skip him until he is addressed or anything other than talking happens :)
what do i do after all this survival?
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I’m sorry.

Thuringwethil leans into her again, trying to assure her without words that it’s okay. It’s not her fault. She wouldn’t have abandoned them. She hadn’t been willing to accept that as an option and being with her now confirms it. If anything, she feels the need to apologize. They should have moved sooner, searched farther, came straight to the caldera to begin with and maybe they would have found her sooner. They could have stopped all this, found her wherever she’d been kept—Blackfeather Woods—and destroyed them long ago and while she can’t change how things actually happened, she can make sure they don’t happen again.

Wildfire’s explanation of what happens only fuels the fire insider her. The Moonspear wolves warned her about them. She should have stayed the last time she was here, waiting for her to wake up so she can make the move. Whatever happens next, it comes in the form of death, and Thuringwethil will see to it. Whoever Cicero is will not see the light of day anymore. A low rumble rattles deep in her chest and she shifts awkwardly, opening her mouth to say something but Wildfire sneezes, turning away to avoid another spray, and a beat later her mate continues. Thuringwethil holds her tongue, trying to redirect her anger and turn it into the compassion she has on getting her mate better.

“We need to get you home,” she tells her, unaware of the feelings she had prior to her return. It’ll fix everything, at least for the time being. The winter will not be easy on them and Wildfire is far from healthy. Even something as small as a cold has taken a toll on her and slowed the process down. Can she and Étoille get her home in one piece without making things worse? Is she going to have to leave her again? Thuringwethil sighs, wishing they were not so far away from one another, but she does not know what to do. “We should have taken you home when we found you but I was afraid of hurting you even more,” she murmurs quietly, ignoring her companion behind her and oblivious to the approach of Eljay.

She even temporarily forgets she called for the leaders of the caldera. All that matters if Wildfire in her embrace and she closes her eyes, pulling her close again regardless of whatever bodily fluid comes out of her. I will kill them, she thinks. All of them.

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Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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Utterly oblivious to their two silent observers, Wildfire looked down at her feet when Thuringwethil next spoke. For the first time, she felt a flicker of emotion at her mate's words. "Yes, you should have," she murmured almost too quietly to be heard. "Not that I'm unhappy here—I'm very grateful for my family's help—but I would've happily taken that risk, had I had a say in it. You brought what sounds like the entire pack here to find me but couldn't stay at least long enough for me to wake up and make that decision for myself? I'd been held there so long, I'd convinced myself you all had given up on me, left me behind. And then you did leave me behind."

She began shaking her head, still staring down at her paws as tears pricked her eyes and overflowed, dripping down her already snotty snout. "I'm only in slightly better shape than I was the last time you were here. But this time, I'm awake. And so I get a say." She exhaled shakily. "I'm staying here. There's a lot of healing I still have left to do and this is the best place for me for now.

I still plan on coming to Drageda in the spring,"
Wildfire added after a long pause, finally lifting her teary, splotchy face. "Although I'll never set foot anywhere near a cave again for as long as I live. And will I still have a place by then? With the pack? With the kids? With you?"
what do i do after all this survival?
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She does not fully hear the words of agreeance but she knows what she means, anyway. Thuringwethil made a mistake in Wildfire’s eyes, even if she didn’t necessarily think she did. Perhaps she could have waited long, knowing her mate would have preferred to go home. Heda isn’t even sure she’d have agreed to it, given her condition. She doesn’t even want to argue about it but she also doesn’t want to accept that she’d made the wrong decision, knowing she really had. “I would never give up on you,” she says, resisting the urge to pull her closer and reassure her but she doesn’t feel this is what Wildfire needs. “We spent weeks looking for you. When Eske found Arlo, I… I refused to accept the same thing happened to you. And when we got here and your family opened up their home to us, we stayed. We stayed for a week or more and I didn’t want to overstay our welcome and I knew I had to get them home. I should have stayed and sent them back and waited, but Finley offered to take care of you,” she explains. It is the best she can do, the best she can offer in that moment. “I knew they would. I’m sorry I didn’t stay,” she says, sucking in a breath.

There isn’t anything she can do to change what happened, or the decisions she made, and leaving her behind has put some damage between them, something she doesn’t know how to repair. Instead of attempting to go home, when she had before, she is choosing to stay. Thuringwethil wants to fight the decision but if she hadn’t been willing to hurt her the first time, she isn’t going to do it now. Seeing—and hearing—how she is now, she knows the trip will not be good for her. Both she and Étoille are capable at protection, but she does not know his skill in healing and if something goes wrong on their way home, they have nowhere to turn to. “There will always be a place for you,” she tells her, this time unable to hold back and she leans in, taking Wildfire into another embrace. She holds her a moment longer. “The children miss you so much. They’ve grown.. they’re beautiful,” she adds, a little softer, though she does not speak of all that has happened. Later, perhaps, but for now. “And I love you, Wildfire, that hasn’t—won’t—change. I…” she pauses and then licks her lips, uncertain what to really say next. The idea is near preposterous but if it’s what needs to happen, it will. “I will stay here, if you want me to, until you’re better.” I won’t leave you again.

459
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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Thuringwethil did her best to explain and Wildfire nodded. She knew the commander had done what she did best: make pragmatic, rational decisions. But they both knew Wildfire was driven much more by emotions and that, while she could acknowledge the practicality of her mate's choices, it didn't mean she could accept them so readily. She wished it were that easy.

"I don't blame you, not really," Wildfire said a little weakly. She paused, her tears having stopped. Her lips pursed. "The only one who's to blame is Cicero. Well, and all the wolves in that place." She swallowed thickly. "They broke me, Thur, in ways I still can't even comprehend myself. It's going to take me a long time to unpack this baggage. I'm choosing to stay here because I'm not only physically incapable of making that journey right now, I also need time to sort everything out, without bringing all of this shit home to taint my family."

She didn't know if what she was saying made sense. It was more or less a stream of consciousness voiced out loud. She licked her lips and peered beseechingly at the Heda, willing her to understand. Yes, Wildfire had lots of emotions, many of them negative, some directed at her family. Most of them weren't directed at anyone or anything in particular, however, and were just the nasty, infected, invisible wounds inflicted upon her by Blackfeather Woods that still needed to be drained.

"I think we can both agree that this is one of the best, the safest, places I can be. I need to work through this myself. I want to come back when I'm whole. Drageda needs you. Our kids—" Wildfire's voice hitched. "Our kids definitely need their nomi." Beyond that, her voice failed, and Wildfire sank back into sniffling and tears.

She pressed closer to Thuringwethil until it passed with a few shudders, then mentioned something she knew the commander would want to know. "I think they might wage war. Cicero may have let me go but he didn't act alone. There were others who—" The Heda was smart enough to know what Wildfire meant without her having to go into explicit details. "They're a standing threat. And I'm not even the warmongering type—and there's nothing I can really do to help—but they need to pay for what they did to me, and our family, and Arlo..."
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Words were exchanged between the two wolves, though they didn't seem to notice him. He didn't blame them; each other were the most important wolves in their lives right now and of course they didn't care much whether Eljay was still here or not. Eljay decided to just wait until the important bits were over, then maybe he'd come closer. He waited a respectful distance away, assuming that maybe the Heda had seen him but just not given him much notice, assuming that she would call for him or whatnot when the conversation was over. Maybe she would even force him to come home with her right at that moment; a thing he definitely didn't feel anything for, because everything within him screamed he wanted to stay here. This is why he hadn't wanted to come along in the first place — now he was stuck in the decision limbo again. Now he was stuck wondering whether daddy meant the "you're not a bother" over the "I'm proud you took your own path" (which essentially, in Eljay's mind, was another way of saying "it's good that you left") or was it the other way around? He nervously shuffled his feet while he watched the faraway expressions on the Heda's face, not sure what was going on between Wildfire and the Heda but knowing enough to know he shouldn't intrude on this particular conversation.
what do i do after all this survival?
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It doesn’t make it any easier, even if Wildfire understands, because she’d already done the damage. She explains what’s wrong and now that she’s awake, and can make the decision to stay. It does not surprise her but she has to do what’s best. Wildfire knows her strengths, weaknesses, and limitations and Thuringwethil won’t push her, even if she wants to be there to help her. Returning her to Drageda would help the process, perhaps. She’d be around family, something familiar and she would find her way back to her real life, but she does not question her. If it is what’s best, Thuringwethil has to do that, and she doesn’t have to sacrifice her time away, nor leave the children without their other half.

They will wait for her, as long as it takes. Their family will be whole again, but in the meantime she’s faced entirely with the other half of the problem. The wolves that done this to her has to pay, they all know this—she promised Finley they would and Wildfire is all but asking—and Thuringwethil nods her head once. “We will figure this out,” she tells her despite all the muscles in her form flexing, her chest tightens a strangled breath, and she glances away briefly to see Eljay in the distance. Her head lifts a little to acknowledge him but she does not dismiss or invite him closer yet. She searches behind him, and to the other side, for either of the alphas of the caldera, but they have still not shown.

“They will pay for this. I will kill Cicero myself,” she says, shifting her weight. She nuzzles her nose close to Wildfire’s cheek but withdraws a little, and stands back to all fours. I’ll kill them all.

Thuringwethil is thankful she brought along Étoille. One of them can return to Drageda and gather their warriors and return with haste, though her mind centers wildly on all the possibilities and who will come. Since their rebirth, they have not seen true war and she feels the fire grow in her belly. “Can you tell me what you know about them? About him? What did they do to Arlo?” she asks, knowing she doesn’t have anything to go on, doesn’t know how much Finley or Elwood know, or even what Cicero looks like. Nor had she realized how much connection to Arlo they had, but it makes sense. If he’d been there with her, and dead now, it is obvious they’d been apart, despite Eske announcing there had been no foul play. “We will get Drageda here and fight with them.”

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Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
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Wildfire smiled grimly, one side of her mouth twitching upward as she sniffed. She had warned the wolves of Blackfeather Woods that her mate would avenge her. Later on during her imprisonment, she had not wanted her loved ones involved—endangered—but with the might of two packs, she didn't need to fear so much. When Thuringwethil swore to kill Cicero herself, the former Bandrona did feel a jolt of quiet fear, though she simply nodded. It was what she wanted.

"I can try," she said, licking her lips almost nervously and gazing into the commander's eyes, willing her to understand how difficult it was to talk about this. "They're all out of their minds. Cicero let me go but I think he had two entirely different personalities..." she began, then went on to describe his distinctive markings, then others whose names she didn't know but whose faces she would, unfortunately, never forget. "I don't know what they did to Arlo," she admitted in a sad whisper. Her nose tickled as if she needed to sneeze but she wriggled it until the sensation went away.

Now the Heda declared she would formally combine forces with the caldera to bring down the Blackfeathers. Wildfire nodded again. "We should call for my godparents directly so you can speak to them. Just promise me something." She waited until she was certain she had Thuringwethil's undivided attention. "I don't want our children involved. I know they're—they're grownup, now... and I know they'll want to be involved. But if it can be helped, I don't want them anywhere near any of this." Of course they were affected by their mother's absence, yet that was already unbearable; she didn't want them directly exposed to the Blackfeathers, or the cruelty and violence of war.
what do i do after all this survival?
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Thuringwethil wants to stop her when she looks up at her, her features softening to offer as much encouragement as she can. She hates to hear it, knowing what they have done, but it only adds fuel to the fire until it’s ready to combust and take out the entire forest and then some. She files away all the information she can, even recognizing the description the Moonspear wolves had given her weeks ago. Other than that, nothing else is familiar, but it is Cicero’s appearance and information that she keeps at the forefront of her mind. She does not care how many she has to get through to get to him, but they will not stand in her way.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have anything else about Arlo and she sighs something frustrated, but tucks it with the rest and blames them anyway.

She is about to lift her nose to call for the alpha pair when Wildfire speaks again, requesting a promise she hadn’t been expecting. She’s missed so much of their most recent lives that she has not seen them, or what they are capable of. Thuringwethil lowers her nose and stares for a moment, trying to find the words to say. It is not because she wants to send her own children to war but it is their duty too and she doesn’t know how to fairly exclude them when this is their purpose. If she knew of a way to keep them safe forever, she would, but Wildfire is proof she can’t keep everyone safe, no matter what protocols are taken. She can only reduce it as much as she can.

“I know y…” she pauses, struggling to find the words or how to explain without sounding like she wants to go against her wishes but there is no easy way around it. “They are warriors, Artaax and Blixen. Drakru. Artaax, he… he killed someone. A trespasser a few weeks ago. By himself. I will talk to them but I don’t know if I can keep them from this,” she tells her. They would stay behind if commanded, she would imagine, but what would the damage from that be? Would they listen when she’s gone? Blixen had promised to guard Drageda so maybe it won’t be such a difficult task. Perhaps, at the very least, they can help keep the caldera protected in their absence but she knows Wildfire likely won’t like the compromise. Thuringwethil lifts her nose (and perhaps because she knows she’ll be upset) and calls for @Elwood and @Finley a second time.

429
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
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If Thuringwethil thought that sharing this information with her would reassure Wildfire or sway her on this matter, she was sorely mistaken. Not only did it not lessen her protective instincts and her need to shield them, it utterly broke her. Two of her children had earned trades, become proper Drakru, during her absence. To add insult to injury, she no longer seemed to have a say over what happened to them. After promptly refuting her, Thuringwethil lifted her snout and howled more directly for the caldera's Alphas, leaving Wildfire to feel as if there was no room for compromise or discussion.

She withdrew from her mate's embrace, then backpedaled a few more feet. She was simultaneously agonized and angry. She was also embarrassed by her overly sensitive emotions as a sob clawed its way up her throat. Wildfire knew she would regret it later but she simply couldn't find her voice, nor bear this conversation, anymore. With a tearful look at the Heda, she retreated, fleeing back into the safety of the territory where she knew her mate couldn't follow her. She ran right past Eljay and disappeared somewhere where she could fling herself to the ground and bawl out her hurts.
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They continued to converse and Eljay continued on the background, not coming near just yet as they spoke. Emotions seemed to run high but he was pretty sure they were good in the end; perhaps talking about the traumatic things that had happened to Wildfire in her long absence. When she ran away she seemed upset but Eljay thought it might be simply because they had to say good bye for now; perhaps because that's what he wanted to believe. Only when the howl was sounded Eljay made his way forward. He chuffed at the Heda as he approached, tail low, head low, licking his lips submissively as he approached.

Eljay really wanted to stay at Redhawk Caldera, still — but he had promised Blixen that he would return and he didn't think he would ever return to Drageda if he did not go now... Eljay nervously waited for mommy and daddy to arrive, secretly hoping they'd beg him to stay and leave him no other choice, but knowing that they would simply be proud of his choice and see him off, maybe to never see him again. It made him sad to think of that, but he took a deep breath and waited while sadly looking at the horizon for traces of mommy and daddy.
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Ooc — Kim
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#19
Just editing a smidge since I realized this is probably after the Tit/Cass thread!

He had been out of range when the initial call went up, but when the second howl sounded, he was within earshot. His ears pricked and he tilted his head, surprised to hear that Betty -- no, Thuringwethil -- was visiting. (Finley's bad habits were rubbing off on him, and the last thing he wanted to do was call the commander by the wrong name. Somehow he suspected that she wouldn't appreciate that.)

Anyway, he hadn't expected her to come calling so soon, and there was a serious undertone in her voice, so he hastened to meet her. She wasn't the only wolf that his gaze landed on, however; Eljay was there, and had he arrived a few seconds earlier, he would have seen Wildfire, too. But she was out of sight by the time he neared his son and Bet--Thuringwethil.

"What brings you here?" Elwood asked, though not unpleasantly. He could tell that she hadn't come for small talk, and his brows knit together thoughtfully as he regarded the commander and Eljay. Thoughts of his conversation with Finley swam to the forefront of his mind, as did the recent altercation with Titmouse and his companion. Perhaps this was the opportunity that he had been looking for; maybe this was the time to seek Drageda's assistance with the wolves of Blackfeather. She was a seasoned warrior, after all (or at least, he assumed she was).
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Ooc — Stevie
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#20
Fin had recognized Betty's voice instantly when the call came up. She had been unable to respond immediately due to the fact that she was trying to resolve an argument between @Fiadh and @Tegan. Something about a stick and who saw it first and how they were supposed to be taking turns playing with it but someone had it too long and someone was a butt and I don't even know. In the end, Fin had ordered @Orca to go bury the damn thing and left the two wailing puppies in @Ben's care as she took off to answer the summons.

Wildfire was gone when Fin arrived. She looked at Eljay and then to Elwood - stepping up to the latter's side as her gaze fell to Drageda's commander. She'd heard the question Elwood posed and stayed quiet to give Betty the opportunity to answer. It did not go unnoticed by her that her niece's fresh scent lingered, nor that the dark wolf herself appeared shaken. But, she held her tongue, and waited.
 
what do i do after all this survival?
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Ooc — Kermy
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#21
As Wildfire withdraws from the embrace, she knows instantly she has said the wrong thing. She knew a moment before, too, but Heda won out and spoke separately from Thuringwethil. They are warriors, they have trained and practiced and while they are young, they are not exempt from battle anymore. Thuringwethil wants them in harm’s way anymore than Wildfire but seeing the pain and hurt across her face makes her deflates and she opens her mouth to speak (and say what?) but nothing comes out and instead, her mate turns and runs off. Thuringwethil takes a few steps forward, as if to follow, but she’s reminded of where he is quickly and she lets the hurting woman disappear from view.

She watches for a long moment, feeling a tremble in her form but she shuts it out completely, closes her eyes, and takes a moment to mental prepare herself. This is not the drama she needs to have in Redhawk Caldera, but she doesn’t want to leave it, either. Thuringwethil licks her lips, shifts her weight and steels her nerves, and then glances over to Eljay as he takes Wildfire’s absence as cue. Her features do not alter as he approaches, neither happy nor upset he has approached, and he looks back at @Étoille over her shoulder, gesturing with her muzzle for him to come closer.

The damage is done and now she has to do something with the new information Wildfire has given her. For now, she can focus on that, and Elwood’s approach abruptly forces her to. When she opens her mouth to speak, she catches a flash of Finley and she waits only a few seconds to respond.

“Hux returned to Drageda without your dismissal,” she says with a pause, wondering if they’d even noticed (or needed him in the first place), but he’s mostly been dealt with already. “He said Wildfire was awake and doing better—” but clearly not— “and that she would return in the spring. I wanted to see her. I’m sorry for the untimely arrival, and not waiting on an appropriate messenger, but I didn’t know if one would be sent since Hux returned.” Thuringwethil releases a breath slowly and glances between the two, her voice even and calculated as most things in her life. “She was just here and told me what happened and who is at fault,” she tells them a beat later but this time her voice darkens—pained, perhaps—and it is clear she doesn’t need an invitation to lay waste of Blackfeather Woods.

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Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
Brecheliant
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a hundred mini dreams and a healing scar ♥
2,109 Posts
Ooc — Iris
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#22
The Heda did not respond visibly to his approach, but he took place beside her and waited patiently for what would happen next. Though his heart yearned to stay here he knew he must return to Drageda; hopefully it would not be too long before Wildfire, too, would be able to return. Eljay watched as daddy and mommy showed up, feeling sad that he would have to leave them behind. He frowned sadly though said nothing as he waited, assuming that the Heda and his parents had something important to discuss before they would leave.
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Ooc — e
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#23

The man's eyes remain politely averted, and of course he does not intend to eavesdrop, but he gets the gist. Uncomfortably he shifts his weight between his paws, unable to move away but more or less stuck. He glances back and sees another has arrived, though gone unnoticed - Eljay, he thinks. Étoille does not know the sitter nor is he completely sure of his relationship to all of this (other than the fact he must be blood related to the alpha pair here). Eljay appears uncomfortable as well, and the titan watches him with the serene expression of one who was accepted his awkward lot in life but is glad to have a companion to witness it too.

Wildfire abruptly departs, the flash of red catching his gaze. The alpha pair arrives on her heels. Étoille straightens up, coming to stand by Heda's side as soon as he's summoned. His lingering doubt avout Heda's motivations does not completely vanish, but is assauged by her explanation - and, more importantly, the knowledge she's gleaned. Étoille had not considered who was at fault, though looking back, it is clear someone was. A small frown twists his mouth, though he does not feel any particular way, yet. It depends entirely on who this enemy is.
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Ooc — Kim
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#24
A moment after Elwood's arrival, Finley joined him. He glanced at her, grateful for her presence. He then shifted his gaze back to Thuringwethil, who wasted no time in answering his question and explaining the reason for her unexpected visit. The initial matter of Hux seemed not to be a lingering problem; Elwood couldn't confirm or deny that he had noticed the guardian's absence from the caldera, but there were clearly more important things to discuss as the commander forged ahead.

Although she did not mention any names, Elwood knew immediately that she was talking about Wildfire's attack and the culprits. There was a distinct, noticeable change in her voice and expression, and Elwood's jaw clenched in anticipation. It seemed that fate had delivered Thuringwethil to their doorstep not long after he and Finley had discussed asking her for help in dealing with Blackfeather Woods.

"The Blackfeather wolves," he confirmed with a nod. "Finley and I have been trying to figure out what to do," he admitted openly with his next breath. It was no secret that they were not warriors, and while they may not have had the answers, he wanted to convey to Thuringwethil that they were willing to unite with Drageda to accomplish a common goal.
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Ooc — Stevie
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#25
Betty explained the situation promptly, and Fin was quiet as she processed the information. She knew that Wildfire had dismissed Hux and seeing as she hadn't particularly cared to keep him in the first place, she had said nothing to persuade her niece to do otherwise. She was surprised that Thur had taken it upon herself to come all the way back to the Caldera just to see her mate, even knowing the girl would not be traveling back to the Coast until the Spring. But with a glance at Elwood, she knew that she would have done just the same.

Well, let's be real, Fin would never have left him in the first place. But she wasn't so great at keeping responsibility a priority.

The topic turned then to the Blackfeather Bitches - as Finley had termed them in her ever creative head. The fur along her spine prickled as anger heated her blood. Elwood explained that they had been trying to determine what to do, and Fin was quick to pick up where her mate left off. "We're not warriors - at least, not most of us," she said, "If we took the fight to Blackfeather alone, they would demolish us, and I can't risk our kids like that." Really, she meant her entire pack,but seeing as 90% of her pack was less than a year old...

"We thought that Drageda might stand with us - hoped, more like," she continued, though hesitated, "But, I know that you have your own family to look out for. It's a big thing to ask, and not something we take lightly. But our only other option is to leave the Caldera and try to find some place safer to live, and I at least am not willing to give up my home so easily."

Fin looked at her mate again, knowing he felt the same but knowing too that they would if they couldn't find support for this fight. For them, it was a fight for their home, and the safety of their children. Drageda was far North on the coast. Thur's wolves would be safe if they simply stayed away from the Woods, so for her, it would be a fight for only vengeance. Fin hadn't been completely certain if the commander was the type to risk so much just to show someone they fucked with the wrong wolves.