Redhawk Caldera There's no place like home

Wildfire had missed her mother for the obvious reasons: she hadn't gone a day in her life without seeing Fox's face. There was another reason she had pined during the Alpha female's absence; she wanted to go with her. She was quite ready to see more of the world than her currently limited view. She wanted to swim in the sea with Pan and heckle bears with Finley. While recruiting strangers didn't really strike her fancy, she would have gone with Fox if her mother had let her, sacrificing her comfort for the chance to get out there on the road.

Now Fox was back. Wildfire would naturally beg to go along next time. For now, the pup simply enjoyed her mother's company for the first time in several days. After sharing lunch, the leader meandered away to tend to her duties, leaving both her daughters at the clearing, their Aunt @Magpie lounging nearby. Wildfire watched as Raven went up to the yearling to ask her about something or other, then drifted away in the opposite direction. Her wanderlust really was growing lately.

She didn't stop at the clearing's edge, slipping into the thicker scrub and then much further downhill, on a small hillock overlooking the lake. The little dhole stood there a moment, her black tail twitching as she deliberated her next move. Should she head back... or continue?

Njal thought he had done a good job at securing the perimeter around the clearing, knowing he shouldn't venture too close to it out of respect for Fox and her family. But when the scent of his friend became so much stronger upon the wind, he knew she had finally returned from her trip, and he wanted to welcome her. Perhaps even thank her again for the invitation, since it had so far been of great value to him. Had Njal continued wandering in the wilds on his own, he'd have likely pissed off the wrong group, or simply let himself waste away.

So he ventured closer and closer, seeking Fox's scent. When he caught sight of a flash of orange in among the bushes, he stopped using his nose and simply chuffed a greeting - clearly, Njal's mood had lifted a considerable amount since his arrival. It hadn't been more than a couple of days, but the hustle and bustle of pack life had really recuperated him. He passed closer to the bush and was somewhat concerned, finding it strange that Fox would be hiding out like a, well, a fox.

"What're you doing in there?" He called out. By mid-sentence, he caught a better look at the stranger with red fur, and realized it wasn't Fox at all - but a child. Another of their lively kids, no doubt. "Oh - I thought you were.. Your mom."

The voice startled her, causing her to jerk. Wide amber eyes sought out the face of an unfamiliar gray wolf. Njal? Wildfire thought to herself, having heard of the wolf her mother had sent back here while away. She flashed him a tentative smile, though her bashfulness showed. She had never been mistaken for Fox before, so this knowledge gave her pause before causing her smile to broaden. Her mother was pretty and fierce, so it was an honor to take after her.

"I'm Wildfire," she corrected him with a gentle dip of her smudged snout. "Are you... Njal?" she guessed with a slight tentativeness to her tone. For the moment, she didn't move closer to him, nor invite him to draw nearer either. Talking to strangers—especially all on her own—still was not the young introvert's forte.

Wildfire. A suitable name for the little fireball, although, she seemed a bit shy. Her voice was particularly quiet, and Njal had to focus a bit harder in order to catch what she said. Apparently she knew of him - and this surprised the old man, who had never thought of Fox as the sentimental type. But maybe she had returned and spoken to those closest to her about her affairs. That made the most sense.

He smiled... sort of. A little, pleasant look. "Yes, that's me." He wondered why she was so shy, and realized that it might've been him that was making her apprehensive. He was a big old stranger, so of course that would worry the child. Njal slunk back a step or two, and then sank to his haunches, trying to be less intimidating. "I've known your mom for a while now. We used to live together." Maybe knowing that would earn him some points.

She had actually heard about him from her father, who had come home the previous day (or maybe the day before that) with a story about a recruit her mother had sent home ahead of her. Peregrine had actually warned Wildfire and her brother and sister to tell him if a gray wolf showed up at the rendezvous site. He hadn't gone as far as to forbid them from speaking with him or anything like that. She had just gotten the impression that her father wanted to know.

In any case, Wildfire didn't turn and flee, nor really worry about telling her father. If Fox had sent Njal and Peregrine had furthermore accepted him, that meant he was trustworthy. When he mentioned her mother, her large ears pricked with interest. They had lived together once, he said. The pup wondered when and where that had been... perhaps here, at the caldera, before she was born? Or maybe even farther back. The Alphas had told their children some details about how the caldera pack had come to be, so Wildfire knew that her parents hadn't lived here always.

"Where?" she asked, following his example by seating herself. She wouldn't mind hearing more about her mother's history, or especially more about the big, wide world beyond the caldera's well-fortified borders.

She wasn't very talkative, but that was alright. Njal was well-versed in quiet moments, in sullen little moments, and being stoic rather than a true conversationalist. But her question, brief as it was, gave him a lot to talk about.

"She was the Alpha of a pack by a big river, it was called Swiftcurrent Creek. And for a while I was the Beta - who is the Beta around here?" He thought to compare his role to the caldera's trusted second-in-command, but Njal was still oblivious to the specifics. 

After giving her a moment to respond, he continued. "Eventually, your mom met your dad, so she left the creek, and I left a little later." It wasn't a super detailed list of events, but Njal didn't really want to delve in to the specifics. He could've mentioned his wife, his kids, but... The very thought of them was upsetting.

The name of her mother's former pack struck Wildfire as familiar. More likely than not, the Chronicler had shared it before. Before the pup could think back too far, Njal posed a question, which she would answer readily. First, though, she stood again. She ran her tongue nervously over her lips, then padded a few feet closer to the gray wolf. It would be easier to carry on a conversation this way.

"Uncle Elwood and Aunt Finley are the Betas. They're gonna have babies soon!" she shared, excitement in her voice even if it was muted. "My dad made my mom leave the creek?" That also sounded vaguely familiar, yet Wildfire couldn't recall any details. Her amber eyes were brimming with curiosity as she subconsciously leaned closer to Njal.

There was a mated pair set in the Beta positions? Curious. Njal remembered how hostile Fox had been towards Tuwawi - vaguely - and he found himself surprised by the change. But maybe it wasn't so surprising. Lots had changed in the time since the Swiftcurrent days. "Ah, I see. Well my job was the same as Elwoods," Njal slowly nodded at this as he spoke, still sort of hazy with memory. "I kept your mom safe as well as everyone else in the pack who followed her." Life had been quieter then, even with the Sunspire threatening them - which at the time was a very big deal.

Wildfire's little voice rang out again, and Njal felt the need to clarify. "Well, sort of. Fox met him and she decided to move to the plateau pack, where your dad lived." These were things he only knew by word-of-mouth, so he tried to keep everything simple. "And I guess at some point they decided to go off together to have a family - you and your siblings - and now we're here." 

Fox's luck had been far better than his own, and he was envious of that. At the same time, Njal thought, 'But the past is behind me, and there is nothing I can do about that now.' He still ached with the desire to see his own family put back together, but that was a mission for another day.

When Njal mentioned keeping her mom safe, it definitely scored brownie points with Wildfire. She listened without comment as he explained that her mother had left the creek to join her father at the plateau. Ah, yes, that sounded familiar. Then the two of them had decided to come here for a fresh start to raise their family. Wildfire herself, along with Nightjar and Raven, were proof that everything had gone perfectly according to plan.

"Why are you here?" she wondered after his latest remark. "Did you come to protect my mom? My dad protects her. We all protect each other," Wildfire clarified, unaware that she might have unintentionally slighted him.

Her curiosity was amusing. Njal had barely enough time to collect his thoughts before another quiet question popped out of her. She reminded him of Maera - a more subdued version of her, perhaps, and Njal felt a familiar ache.


"Your mom found me wandering around, and she invited me." He answered the first part of her queries as best he could, but she was already moving ahead of him - "And its very good that you all protect each other. That's what it means to be pack. I'm here to help protect all of you, not just Fox." She was right, Peregrine would be the best protector in the world for the little spitfire; although, Fox could hold her own any day.

"I'm here to make sure nothing bad ever happens, and maybe to train you and your siblings, if you want it." He thought of Nightjar, but kept focused upon the child before him. "How do you want to help the pack?" Njal slipped lower, laying on his chest so that he was properly on her level, and so that the conversation felt less serious to him. Would she want to be a warrior like her brother? Or was she more like Fox - and destined for bigger things?

Wildfire nodded in approval, offering a small smile to Njal. She liked his answer and his invitation even better. He sounded like a Warden or maybe even a Warrior, so of course it was good to add another mentor to her list. She would get the most well-rounded education ever!

"I already am," she informed him, albeit humbly. Her black tail skittered back and forth behind her. "I'm a Naturalist and Warrior apprentice. And mom and dad say I can have three trades. I don't know what my last one will be yet. Are you a Warrior?" she asked, yellow eyes following as he lowered himself onto his belly before her.

A naturalist and a warrior? She would have fit in well with the Kindred, then. Likely an Earthwalker - but again, he was slipping in to the past. Njal needed to pay attention to the present, not let his mind wander so much. Was it a sign of age? Probably.


"I'm not sure what I am." He blurted before catching himself, and correcting as quickly as he could, "I'm a warden, an outrider, a warrior... I've been a hunter before, but never anything like a naturalist." Maybe he should try something new? But that idea was scrapped. Njal was too old to learn an entirely new trade, and likely wouldn't be a very useful member of the pack if he was wandering around looking at flowers - again, he thought of Maera. Again, his heart dropped and turned to ice.

"I think your parents would want me to be a warden, since that's why they invited me. So I guess I can help you with your warrior training, if you want. You can join Nightjar -" Oh, right, he still had to ask permission about that. "- if your dad agrees."

He admitted he didn't know what he was, though swiftly backtracked. He named several trades, though focused primarily on Warden. Wildfire nodded. Her parents required each of their members to pursue either Warrior or Warden. Njal offered to help train her and also mentioned Nightjar, which took the youngster by surprise. She nodded.

"You're gonna train NJ? I'd like to come too. Are you still gonna be an Outrider? 'Cause I really wanna go exploring," she said, an understated excitement in her voice. Really, she was itching to bust out of this birdcage and see more of the world, much as she loved her home. "My mom just got back from a trip." But he already knew that, having met up with her out there. "I'm gonna go with her next time if I can."

"You could come -" He started, but was cut short by her chattering, and felt a small smile break across his face. She was just like a little Fox - and he wondered how much that scared the two parents. Had Fox been this excitable as a child? This eager to see the world? Wildfire would surely be going places (figuratively and otherwise) if she kept her enthusiasm throughout her life. "I might try to keep up with outrider duties, so maybe if your mum lets me, I can take you on field trips. But we'll see." It wasn't set in stone; he wasn't even sure about how welcome he was here. Thus far only Fox seemed to be pleased in his arrival (well, Fox and Nightjar, for different reasons).


Somehow, this conversation had made Njal forget all about the warning Peregrine had given him. He should've been avoiding the rendezvous site instead of testing the boundaries, and possibly making the Alpha angry. The rules hadn't technically been broken, but Njal was well-versed in over-protective parenting. "Anyways, I should probably get back to work."

He stood up, joints popping, and smiled down at Wildfire. "It was nice to meet you, little one. I'm sure you'll be a great adventurer one day."

He offered to take her out on field trips, which made Wildfire feel both excited and nervous. She liked Njal so far, yet she didn't think she was ready to go anywhere with him alone, especially outside of the caldera. She didn't mention this aloud. Surely Fox wouldn't let her parade off with just anyone anyway. She would probably insist on coming along or at least sending someone else trusted along with them.

Trying not to get anxious about all of the above, Wildfire simply nodded when he excused himself to get back to his duties. Wildfire's amber eyes followed him as he turned to leave. "Bye," she called softly, a little bit relieved that the chance encounter had come to a close. She did have a good impression of him but he was still largely unknown.

Turning herself, the redheaded child slowly trotted back in the direction of the rendezvous site.

Her tiny dismissal was met with a small nod of his own, and Njal turned away, heading back to the borderlands. He would follow the boundary line for a while, studying the scents and the sights, until evening fell - or if something of more importance caught his attention. His discussion with the child faded from his memory, for the most part, but left his spirit feeling restored.