Redhawk Caldera Two large gulps of free-range oxygen

Although Peregrine felt a lingering sadness over the pack's loss (the first of its kind), he did not actively mourn for long. There were borders to be patrolled, game to be hunted and, soon, pups to be raised! Until they arrived, he would dote on their mother. Fox still wasn't feeling well, though he noticed she could manage small meals, so Peregrine tried to bring fresh prey to the den on a daily basis to settle her stomach.

Today's catch was a large rodent of some sort; he wasn't sure of specifics. With its plump little body clasped in his jaws, Peregrine loped uphill toward their den near the caldera's rim. He was getting close when he heard a strange sound above him, of all things. The Alpha stopped and glanced up at the vast blue sky, only for something (a hungry and daring bird of prey) to collide suddenly with his head.

Startled and bewildered, Peregrine dropped his small kill. The raptor was quick to drop on top of the rodent, then wing back into the blue winter sky with the small carcass clutched in its talons. The black wolf could only stare after it, utterly nonplussed by what had just happened. Had a bird literally dropped out of the sky and stolen his mate's intended meal right out of his damn mouth? And had it actually been a fucking peregrine falcon, of all things?

The meeting with Somnia - no matter how pleasant it had been - had left Osprey with a bitter feeling for having unresolved business at Caldera. It was a pity that her and Peregrine's last meeting had gone the road it did and from current standpoint she couldn't even remember, why had it happened or what the argument had been about. It didn't seem relevant anymore, therefore the need to "fix things" between them yet again got stronger with the every passing day. It was easy to live with the thought that your brother lived very far away and that you couldn't meet him whenever you wanted, but Somnia had reminded her that it was not that far and that it was rather the cowardice that kept her back.

Therefore one morning, after waging all pros and cons, as well as warning Blue willow beforehand about her intentions to go on a longer journey, she left Blacktail Deer Plateau and headed towards the Caldera. Getting lost somewhere along the way was inevitable, because she didn't remember the path too well, nor the specific landmarks, therefore she arrived at the familiar area fairly later than she should have. As she neared the pack's borders, she slowed her step, until came to a halt, atop a small hillock. There she seated herself, lifted her muzzle and called out for Peregrine.

After getting over his surprise and the subsequent disappointment, Peregrine hurled a few choice curse words after the falcon and pivoted to trot back down the mountain. He couldn't go home empty-handed, now could he? No, he couldn't. He would be a failure as a provider, leader and father if he didn't bring home the bacon to his waiting, pregnant mate.

A few hours later, he had just managed to catch his second rabbit and was just rearranging the two carcasses side by side so he could grab all four ears at once when a howl rose up into the darkening air. Peregrine paused and lifted his head, listening. His breath left him in a long, low whoosh, suspending from the tip of his muzzle in a silvery cloud that eventually dissipated.

On one hand, he didn't want to respond. He wanted to maintain his distance between himself and the plateau wolves. They were his past and the caldera was his present and his future. His children were the only exception. On the other hand... could he really ignore his sister? He wondered if the earlier attack had been a sign. If only it had been an osprey and not a peregrine. What did it mean when your own namesake pulled a highway robbery on you?

It took him a long time to arrive at a decision. Peregrine lifted his muzzle and his breath once more streamed from his muzzle as he poured a few low notes into the wintry air. He then plucked up his pair of rabbits and began loping toward the borders, where Osprey surely waited with bated breath. En route, he decided he would try to keep it light, see what was going on with her. But he didn't want to dive too deep into the plateau's matters. It wasn't his business anymore.

"Oss," he said when he reached her and dropped his kills. The sight of her familiar face warmed him despite the frosty air, which grew colder as the sun set, and made the chasm between his heart and the plateau seem slightly less large and empty. "What brings you here?" Peregrine stepped forward and licked her muzzle, then seated himself, his dusky jade eyes meeting and holding her matching gaze.

It took Peregrine a long time to arrive and, while waiting, Osprey worried that he might decide not to bother in the end. She was informed about, where the both packs stood in terms of diplomatics and was vaguely aware of, what had happened between the leaders and family members involved, yet she wasn't aware of the full extent and would that affect her and brother's relationship. She didn't want the fact that the two packs had decided not to get along stand between them. She was not quite sure, what she would do, if it turned out that it did.

But he came and her heart warmed at the sight of him - she had made friends at the plateau, she had got better to know Dante - someone she saw as a potential replacement of a brother that she dearly missed in her everyday life. Yet no one had been able to make her feel like she did, when she saw Peregrine's familiar face. It got even better, when he greeted her in a casual way, as if nothing had happened the previous time. She smiled at him and said: "A little bird whispered to me that you got sprayed by a skunk - I didn't want to miss it for the life. But..." Osprey paused taking a quick sniff at his coat: "I think I have..."

He quirked a brow when she mentioned his recent encounter with a skunk. "Who...?" he wondered out loud, then laughed quietly. "Yeah, the scent's finally gone for the most part, just in time to be replaced by the smell of vomit." Even as Peregrine said the words, he realized Osprey might not understand. He paused, wondering how she might feel about the news, then said simply, "Fox is expecting. She's been getting some morning sickness." Although his eyes glowed, he stopped there, saying no more on the subject.

But almost immediately, he thought of Blue Willow and the question sprung to his lips: Have they been born? Yet he exercised the same restraint he had during Pura's recent visit. It wasn't that he didn't care about his former lover and best friend and their pups. It was the opposite actually; he felt that by leaving them be, he was doing them a favor. He had thought the same of his sister. He still did, really, though he was glad he had decided against ignoring her.

"I hope things are well with you?" he queried, still holding her gaze. He cared about the plateau, yet he wouldn't ask. And should she volunteer the information, Peregrine would not pursue the topic. But he definitely wouldn't mind hearing about how Osprey herself was doing. "How's the winter been treating you so far, Silver Bullet?"

"Oh, that's even better," Osprey returned more cheerfully than compassionatly for Peregrine's change in odours. No, the news that Fox could be pregnant wasn't mind-blowing, because she had been informed a bit about the "goings on" at the Caldera before the journey. "Congratulations, you big beast," she told him and cast an affectionate glance at him.

"Willow had her three little dumplings last week," she decided to fill in Perry about the news in the plateau, even though he had not asked for it. "A girl and two boys - she and Lasher have their hand full at the moment, but they are very happy nonetheless," it occurred to her now that maybe mentioning Lasher wasn't the wisest thing to do. In case there were still some hurt feelings on Peregrine's side.

"A-a-and I got in an adventure myself - not the most pleasant one, but it ended in a prolonged absence from the pack and joining the "disowned family members club" as a result," she summarized the most notable events of her life in a one long sentence. "Saena hates me at the moment and I must be a very bad person, but I am not even sorry for that."

He really wasn't sure how Osprey would feel about the news of Fox's pregnancy, yet she seemed genuinely happy for him. Peregrine accepted her congratulations with a smile and thump of his tail, though he wouldn't say anything more on the subject and he wouldn't unless she asked specifically.

When she shared the news of Blue Willow's litter, he felt a mix of emotions. He dearly missed her and Lasher. He was sad that he would probably never meet their pups. He also felt a tiny stab of jealousy at the life they'd built, though it faded quickly. He would always love Lasher, yet he felt he'd moved past their breakup and all the lost potential there. And Blue Willow most definitely deserved those babies.

"That's great news," he said, resisting the urge to ask for names. "I'm happy they're happy," he added genuinely. He had no doubts that they were already rocking at the whole joint parenthood thing, even without romantic connection tying them together.

Peregrine wondered what he ought to say beyond that, though luckily his sister saved him the trouble by mentioning an involuntary absence from the plateau. Before he could ask for details, she mentioned that Saena had subsequently ostracized her. She mentioned a club and his heart sank. He was probably founder and president of it.

He didn't know what to say, though he took a deep breath and tried not to look as dismayed as he felt. "I'm sorry, Oss. That's my fault." He had hoped that the wounds would heal in time but here was evidence that they were still raw, fresh and angry. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Osprey sensed that Peregrine was not entirely his usual bubbly self. Usually he would have asked a lot of questions, he would have talked her ears off, but here he was - polite and reserved. Didn't he have any interest in the events that had taken place at the plateau or was he holding back for different reasons? Was it her fault in any way? Then again he didn't act coldly towards her.

"Oh, come on, Perry," she sighed and leaned over to give him a nudge on his shoulder. "Saena is a big girl now and if you ask me - she has problems with attitude. If she wishes not to have any business with us - then it's her choice," Osprey told him in a tone that forbade any arguments against this opinion. "And I don't mind... of course - it's a bit odd to live in a pack and know that someone openly dislikes you, but then again I have got so many friends there and beyond," she steered the conversation to a more cheerful topic.

"You are oddly quiet though," she remarked and gave him a questioning look.

It was comforting knowing that Osprey held Saena responsible for her own actions, yet Peregrine knew he was partly to blame. He knew he wasn't alone, though. Hawkeye, Kisu, even Pied had left her too. He was just glad that Saena had her brother and sisters, though according to Pura, the latter two were no longer fixtures at the plateau.

"Still," he said, "I'm sorry that you two are in that situation." He paused, then added, "I'm quiet because I don't want to stick my nose in the plateau's business. It's just... easier this way. But I do want to hear about you, Osprey. What happened that took you away from the plateau, anyway?"

"Don't be sorry, if I am not," Osprey didn't want to have Peregrine blame himself for any longer. Whatever had happened in the past, was left in the past. Life went on and time didn't spare anyone. Therefore "hating" and "disowning" at this point seemed like a perfect waste of time. As long as Saena's decisions in terms of her aunt didn't affect the pack as whole, there was nothing to worry about.

"I didn't come all this way to make you feel sad or guilty - the same little bird told me that you are a jovial and happy chap in general," and I don't see that now - she spared this. "But you do understand that whatever I have to tell about me will inevitably lead back to the plateau one way or another? And if hearing about plateau makes you unhappy then I rather speak about the weather or... or... the total absence of bumblebees at this time of the year."

He rolled his eyes when she mentioned chatting about the weather or possibly even bumblebees. Peregrine then stared at her face, smiled and shook his head slightly. Despite all his misgivings about the plateau, he was glad he hadn't ignored her call. No matter Osprey's affiliation or how often they were able to meet, he needed his sister in his life. She had been, was and always would be a fixture in it.

"I don't mind that. I just don't want to get too involved in the goings-on there, if that makes sense. My business is here now." He shrugged lightly and gave her an apologetic smile. "I am happy. I'm happy to see you and hear all about what's going on in your life, plateau or no plateau. So, are you going to regale me with the tale of your misadventure or not?" Peregrine teased.

Now this was a bit more like Peregrine Osprey knew - she was glad that she had been able to cheer him up, even if it was for a little bit. She kept also "bumblebees" in mind - they could come in handy in another occasion like this. "Well..." she began, looking for the exact moment, when her adventure had begun. The problem was that it involved a lot of events that had led to the severing the ties between the two packs and she didn't want to bring it up again.

"I followed a deer herd - we hadn't been so lucky in our hunts recently and I thought it was a good idea to go and look for prey outside the borders of our territory. And then something happened that scared the herd and I found myself amidst a stampede. I got some kicks here and there, blacked out and found myself in a totally foreign area. As I later found out it was Stavanger bay and the wolves there kindly took me in and let me stay, until I recovered enough to come back home," she finished, feeling glad that she had managed to fit an adventure, which had been almost two months long, in a few sentences.

"Funny, how these things happen - I never thought that I would be the one hunted by deer."

Despite the time and distance that kept them from one another, it didn't lessen the protective instincts that surged to the surface when Osprey began her story and mentioned being injured in a stampede. Without even realizing what he was doing, Peregrine scooted closer to her, touching his black muzzle to her shoulder. She was obviously all right, yet it still made his skin crawl. She easily could have lost her life.

"Wow," he said softly when she finished. He managed a small smile in response to her joke, though his expression became more serious. "Ragnar and Thistle are seriously some of the most selfless wolves I've ever known. They've rescued both of my Ospreys now," he observed with a light, wry laugh. "I actually asked them if the bay and the caldera could be allies. I haven't heard back yet but I hope they decide to take me up on it."

So you're okay now?" he asked, despite the fact that his sister was clearly well enough to travel and whatnot. "I'm surprised you weren't able to outrun them," Peregrine added, his tone becoming slightly teasing. "Maybe I need to redact your Silver Bullet nickname. Are you slowing down in your old age, Oss?" The joke was that if she was old, then so was he. Well, they would be coming up on their fourth birthday soon.

Over the long months Osprey had spent on her own, she had forgotten, how nice it felt to know that someone cared for you. Not as a friend, where invisible, uncrossable boundaries existed, but as something more. Someone, who knew you well and long enough. Someone like Peregrine. Therefore she didn't mind, when he scooted closer and touched her. It was nice and she grasped the opportunity to lean against him. God knew, how much time would pass, before she could be this close to someone again.

She wasn't so sure about the intentions of the bay's wolves. It was easier to believe that Thistle was the selfless one. Ragnar - on the other hand - being the scarred and protective beast of the lands he probably had been doing this out of sense of duty. Not that he had cared much for her. Had it been a different wolf in her place... she had a feeling that it would have been chased out. "I am okay now and there are beings that are faster than me," she replied. "Let's leave the challenge for my title for another day. I do feel old today," she declined his offer, while smiling at his implication of her age.

"This will sound boring - but, boy, how time flies! I can't believe that we will be four already."

Osprey said she did feel old, then mentioned their upcoming birthday. Peregrine furrowed his brow at her and reassured her that, "We are not old. We're in the prime of our lives! We won't be old for, like, another year or two." He chortled under his breath. To a human, a wolf's lifetime might seem awfully short and two years was nothing at all. To Peregrine, it was an age. After all, a wild wolf would be lucky to reach eight.

"What makes you feel old? Is it physical? Or mental?" he queried. He wasn't taking it too seriously, so the look on his face was one of amusement mixed with brotherly concern. But there was always the threat of sicknesse and disease lurking in the back of any middle-aged person's (or wolf's) mind and his sister had already dealt with one significant illness in her day. Who knew what would take them in the end; it could be old age or a fatal accident or terminal cancer.

By saying "old" Osprey had meant "feeling tired" or being on "energy saving" mode. She had a way back home to make and to do it she would need strength. But, what Peregrine said, made sense to her. Four years - she was at her prime of life, even if she didn't want to admit it. Osprey still felt small and inexperienced in many areas of life, especially, when it came to settling down and having a family. Some people did that amazingly fast and she admired them for that. She did not feel ready, nor did she wanted it, even though the clock was ticking and she would miss her chance in a year or two. Would she regret then? It was hard to tell now.

"I have gray hairs all over my body - I have been old all my life," Osprey got the joke and replied in the same manner. "You, however, seem to have drunk from the fountain of Youth?" she pointed out to Perry's flawless pitch black coat. Oh the joy, when she would find the first gray hair there!

At her astute observation, Peregrine laughed out loud. "This is true," he concurred, "but I'm pretty sure gray hairs aren't a surefire way to tell age." He crooked his paw and nudged her affectionately. "And what are you talking about? Have you seen my salt and pepper look?" As Peregrine spoke, he tipped his head skyward, revealing the fading fur on his throat and chest. Although he was still primarily panther black, he had ventral fading that crept further upward each season. He also had some white ticking on his shoulders and back that would likely lighten and spread in time.

"Anyway, you're only as old as you feel," he said, dropping his head. "I feel maybe about eight months old," he observed jokingly. "Potty humor is at the height of its funniness to me." Crude humor had been a favorite of his since a young age and his affinity had not changed, nor would it ever by this point in his life.

Knowing his sibling did not aspire to the mate-and-kids model, Peregrine lapse into silence as he wondered what Osprey hoped to achieve in life. Perhaps she was happy simply living it or maybe she was working on something else, a career perhaps. She could use those swift legs and that even swifter mind to benefit her pack, surely.

"Working on any trades lately?" Peregrine queried conversationally.

"Wow!" Osprey leaned back a little to have a better look at the tufts of faded black on his chest and along the underside of his neck. "You have been hiding your true age. All this time!" she told him in mock horror. "You have been a grandfather in disguise. I am disappointed..." she shook her head and eyed him in a disapproving manner, as if this fact had really offended her. Yet she had never been a good actress, because her eyes gave her away. There was a twinkle in them that told that she was enjoying the joke.

"I can see you as an old, stiff and cranky grandfather telling your kids and grandkids that you are still a kid," she agreed and chuckled at the very image. "They would probably play along, but would exchange pitiful glances - Old pa' is losing his mind..." now she burst out in laughter. "You know what - that is a great thing in a way. That you keep your inner child alive. Many of the grown-ups don't know, what it's like to be a kid anymore. Such a loss and they don't even realize it..." she became serious again.

"Trades? Nah... I am too lazy for that. Besides - you know, what my lifelong passion is."

Peregrine pretended to be offended by Osprey's joking by clutching a broad paw to his chest and thrusting his lower lip out in a pout. Funnily enough, her words actually had the opposite effect. He was so busying having kids that he had never given much thought to grandkids. All of a sudden, he could hardly wait to have some of those. He felt a momentary sadness that he would be unlikely to meet any offspring produced by Junior or Saena. He could not picture Pura settling down and reproducing, either. Tytonidae might be his only hope and she was in some faraway, unknown place...

Still, he glommed onto the idea in general. If the brood currently floating in Fox's womb juice had litters of their own exactly two years from now, the timing would be perfect: that's when he would actually be old. Hell, he might be totally white by then! He would be honored to hold the title of "Old Pa" or any other variation. As much as he was looking forward to his own offspring, here was a whole other dream and a long-term one at that.

But back to the topic at hand: "Running? After dragons, specifically," Peregrine amended, eyes glowing.

If Osprey wasn't sure about having her own kids, then her love for kids of all sizes and ages of others was great. Therefore just as Peregrine thought about having grandchildren and being the "old cool Pa" she imagined, how great it would be to become the "gangsta granny". If fate would have it and they would live in the same pack again one day, they would surely make a great pair.

"Exactly!" she replied. "There are no trades for that, you know? Just as dragons become extinct one by one, the trade of dragon-hunter is dying too," she went on, putting true concern in her voice and looking sadly at Peregrine. "Just think, how many people can't find their place in the world and job they would be perfect for just because this ancient and noble profession is not needed anymore!"

It pleased him to know that, after all this time, his first guess was right on the money. Yeah, no matter where they lived or how often they saw each other, Peregrine would always be close to Osprey. Aside from Fox, she was perhaps the only real fixture in his life these days.

"Psh, I beg to differ," he counted her in a playfully scoffing tone. "Here in the caldera, we hunt dragons all day every day. They live in the caves underground and we flush them out and then boil them in the lake, which is heated by their own fiery breath. In fact, we've considered changing the name to Dragonhunt Caldera!" Peregrine winked and nudged her with an elbow. "If you came here, not only would you be able to pursue your Dragonhunter trade, you could become the Master Dragonhunter over all the caldera."

"Geez you are one violent bunch," Osprey appeared to be perplexed by the ferocity these dragon hunters dealt with dragons. In her opinion, the most fun thing was hunting for a dragon and not the actual killing part. The chase was the thing that made adrenaline rush, gave you excitement. Not knowing, whether you were going to catch it this time or it would outwit you again. "I think that I would be too mellow for your taste - I would feel pity for them over the time. After all... If they lived here in Caldera before you came, they have sort of a right to be here, don't you think?" It was always fun, how serious one could speak about imaginary matters.

"I would gladly come, but I am the hag of the forest I live in too. I can't leave them. You know, how this oath magic works," she told him with a smile. She liked to think about herself as a witch, her stories were her magic. "So... when are the kids due?" she asked, wanting to find out, when to plan her next visit. Osprey had missed the birth of Perry's kids once, she didn't want to do the same mistake again.

"I suppose," Peregrine replied, humoring his sister. When she reminded him that her forest (read: her pack) needed her, he did not insist. He hadn't been serious and he knew Osprey loved her life at the plateau. With that said, should she ever change her mind, he would welcome her with open arms. "I know. We couldn't do that to them."

She wanted to know when the pups were expected. This would, of course, require some math. Peregrine stuck out his tongue thoughtfully and eventually said, "Maybe the end of February or beginning of March? We did the deed during the shortest days of winter... maybe three or four weeks ago now. You're welcome to come visit them once they're born, though it will mean coming deep into the pack lands. If you're not up for that, you can always stop by sometime in spring and they should be old enough to come to the borders to meet you."

No, they couldn't. The last thing Osprey wanted was to see Blue willow sad and disappointed. She had given a promise not to leave her and she was going to keep it. After all she was in more need than Peregrine was, who had a mate love, family to take care for and a pack to look after. He had found his place in life, while Osprey was still searching. She thought that the plateau was the right thing for her, but only time would tell.

"I would be glad to do so. I wouldn't fear to walk deep in your packlands, if I could have you by my side," she told him, happy for his permission to come for a visit. "That, of course, depends on Fox too. I have heard that mothers of newborns are very protective of their young in the beginning. If she is not fine with strangers there, then I will simply be happy to exchange the news on the borders and come another time."

He had expected her to turn down his offer. Hadn't she resisted in the past? Deciding it didn't matter, Peregrine smiled and bobbed his head. "I'll float it past her," he promised. "You might be right about the protective thing, though you're not a stranger, Oss." He gave her a playfully pointed look, then nipped the pale silver fur of her cheek.

Since they were on the subject anyway, Peregrine shared, "It's tradition in Fox's family to name the pups after what they resemble and to wait until they're several weeks old. Isn't that funny? According to her, we're naming them all Fuzzbutt anyhow. No Ospreys this time around," the swarthy wolf quipped.