Crappy post is crappy. :|
Originally, after hearing that Fox was no longer leading Swiftcurrent Creek but no longer apart of it had made Robin's mind up about it. It came something as a surprise, her biggest question being was she ok? but of course the vagabond loner had not been able to tell her many details. He knew only what he had heard through the grapevine and though his lack of information irked her she walked away knowing more than she had when she had found her way back to the Teekon Wilds. It occurred to Robin as she headed North from the Creek that she should not have left in the first place, thinking that if she hadn't she would not be asking herself the questions she had no answers to. She wanted to know what had happened, wanted to know that her baby sister was ok; if she was still in the Wilds or if she had moved on.
Now, a few days later, she had the answers she had sought to those questions.
It had been a relief to know that Fox was, indeed, ok and that she resided in Blacktail Deer Plateau; for now that tidbit of information was enough to soothe her sisterly worries that had plagued her — despite that ending up in the same pack as Fox had been a happy coincidence on Robin's part. Robin wanted to seek Fox out to get all of the juicy details on what had happened but restrained herself if only because she was sure that Fox was busy and she did not want to interrupt on important leadership duties considering they took precedence over her.
The morning was fair and Robin had risen with the intention of doing something useful like patrolling the borders, or hunting something for one of the pack's many caches.
The hot August sun beat down on Peregrine as he wrapped up his patrol and headed deeper into the territory, heading in the direction of Blue Willow's den. En route, he stopped by one of the plateau's many stockpiles and fished out a dead rabbit. It dangled from his jaws as he loped along the familiar footpath that would lead him to the place where his friend lived with his invalid brother.
Before he reached the Healer's home, he crossed paths with another wolf, a stranger. His eyes sharpened and he identified her immediately, even though they hadn't met. Setting the dead rabbit at his paws, he said, "Hello. Robin?" Who else could it be with markings like those? She was quite striking. "I'm Peregrine." Only after speaking his own name did he realize the similarities between their monikers. "Your brother-in-law, technically speaking," he added with a switch of his dark tail.
Robin hadn't expected company, so to speak, though
why she hadn't expected it in lieu of joining a pack was something of a conundrum to her. Still, company found her in the shape of a ebony colored male, with pretty blue eyes. She turned at his approach, so that she faced him, lowering herself in submission to him garnering who he was, her assumption that he was the Alpha Male when he introduced himself as Peregrine to her after he had set the deceased rabbit he had been carrying down at his paws. Golden eyes rose to assess him for a few seconds.
That's right,
Robin broke her silence and her
checking out observing of Peregrine with the satisfaction that he wasn't bad looking and that Fox had done good. Robin wasn't privy to the juicy details of their mate ship, indeed it had came as a surprise to Robin though given the seemingly drastic changes that had came in her baby sister's life she should not have been surprised by much.
She offered him a soft smile when he spoke that he was technically her brother-in-law. She supposed that through his mate ship to Fox he was her brother-in-law. That was how those in law relations worked she supposed. A lot of things have changed for Fox,
Robin spoke her observation out loud with a soft laugh. She was happy for Fox. Perhaps a little put out that her baby sister had a mate before she did; then again Robin had no roots. Thus far, she had been unable to stay in any one place for too long. Many questions moved through Robin's mind and yet she had not given voice to any of them, unsure if Fox would want to tell her herself, or not.
Peregrine licked his lips and nodded in response to Robin's comment about her sister. "Yes, a lot happened to her recently. Hopefully life settles down for her now that she's here with me." He wondered if Robin had been part of the creek and, if so, why it had taken her weeks to turn up here. Fox hadn't mentioned a sister until after she'd accepted Robin into the plateau's ranks.
"I'm sorry," the Alpha said after a moment, "I don't know much about you aside from your name and description. Are you close to Fox?" Deciding he wanted to converse with Robin, at least for a few minutes, he folded his haunches and sat, the dead rabbit still draped between his forepaws.
At Peregrine's words about life settling down for Fox now that she was there with him, the corners of her lips twitched upwards slightly as she studied him again, lips pursing ever so slightly as golden eyes assessed him, unsure if she should act on the bubble of older sister protectiveness or keep it to herself. Granted, she had not been around for much of Fox's life and that was her mistake but that did not change that they were blood and could never change the fact that Robin
was her older sister. The more experienced one, or maybe perhaps the one that
thought she had more life experience.
Just don't break my baby sister's heart, alright?
Robin teased him, though she was, also serious. She might have had no claim to say it, or to be protective but whether she had a right or not she did, nevertheless.
Big sister worries, you know?
She did not know if Peregrine had any siblings, nor even if he did if he was the oldest so there was a good chance that he might not understand. Either way, she felt better getting it off her chest.
Not really,
Robin admitted sadly. I left our birth pack when she was young, and I was only in the Creek for a short while. I'm hoping to make amends with her,
She took a deep breath, a little uncomfortable sharing this with him but wanting to be honest with Peregrine all the same. I'm here to stay this time.
She was tired of wandering and hoped to be the big sister that she'd never really been to Fox.
Peregrine understood all too well the sentiments of a protective sibling. Robin's particular remark made him wonder if she knew anything about Hawkeye. If she did, he thought her warning might be a lot less lighthearted. He hadn't meant to break his former mate's heart, nor fall out of love with her. And he certainly didn't plan to break Fox's either, though considering how long they'd known each other prior to becoming mates—longer than his romance with Hawkeye from start to finish—he felt much more confident in the possibility of a successful mate-ship for life.
"No worries," he replied. "I plan to do well by your sister." He wondered if Robin knew about Lasher, yet her certainly wouldn't bring it up at the moment. He focused instead on Robin's answers regarding her relationship with her sister. Amends? he thought. 'This time'?
"Amends for leaving or... something else?" he wondered aloud. He didn't verbally address her this time comment, though he expressed his thoughts on the matter by saying, "I really hope you do stay. Regardless of your relationship with Fox, the plateau will offer you a wonderful home, as long as you dedicate yourself to it. We are a strong and sturdy pack, mostly because of our core of loyalists."
Robin felt a wave of relief wash over her when it seemed that Peregrine had not taken her typical big sister warning, teasing as it had been, to heart nor to offense. She couldn't be sure how wolves would react to her and understood that her brashness tended to put others off, if not end up offending them without it being her initial intention.
Good, I'm going to hold you to that,
She teased him in a faux severe tone. There was a part of her that
was serious, of course, it was her job to protect Fox
as her older sister. However, she certainly wasn't going to condemn a man she didn't even know. Peregrine deserved the benefit of the doubt and so Robin was willing to give it to him, not knowing about his past and even if she had probably wouldn't have been bothered by it. Everyone made mistakes, it was just the way of the world.
For leaving,
She responded to his question almost wishing she wouldn't have opened her mouth. In her desire to be honest with him she was afraid, for a moment, that she might have said too much. Fox hadn't seemed to hold it against her but there was always that fear because if the tables were reversed Robin couldn't say that she wouldn't have been a little pissed off. Then again, Robin was known to be combative and resentful sometimes and vindictive was the ugly side kick that tagged along with them. I plan to start by taking up a Trade,
Robin admitted turning her golden eyes to her paws for a few seconds, not out of embarrassment but simply to divert her eyes. She had yet to figure out what kind of alpha Peregrine was and did not want to be sending the wrong message of any type by staring at him for too long. There's no better way to becoming established. I figure I just have to dive right in.
Eventually, the whimsical spirit within her would adjust to it, in time.
Although he was curious about why Robin felt guilt over leaving, Peregrine decided not to press the issue, especially when the she-wolf brought up a more compelling topic: trades. His dusky eyes immediately brightened and he regarded her appreciatively, wondering which one(s) she might pursue. Of course, he couldn't tell just by looking at her.
"Oh, yeah? Which ones interest you?" he queried. "I'm a Gamekeeper, Caretaker and Warden myself, with a mastery in the latter." The Alpha wondered if this information would influence Robin's reply. He fell silent, ears pricked.
Peregrine seemed to take an interest in her admittance that she intended to take up a trade. She hadn't really gave it much thought beyond that except that she'd been kicking around the idea of warden. She didn't cut half the intimidating figures of the male, or even Peregrine for that matter but she was territorial and she wasn't about to let a trespasser get away with it. Besides, she needed something that made her feel apart of a pack, besides her baby sister being a leader. In reality, Fox's position had nothing to do with Robin and she needed something to keep her busy. I was thinking of trying my hand at the Warden thing,
She spoke thoughtfully with a soft tilt of her head. I am pre-tty territorial. I can be a downright bitch to anyone who tries to trespass.
Being territorial wasn't, in normal circumstances, a necessarily good thing, however she might as well try to make use of her flaws as well. She couldn't change who she was anymore than she could make the earth stop spinning. I haven't really given them much thought beyond Warden.
Peregrine might have thought it coincidental that she chose his mastery, yet he didn't contemplate Robin's motives much, nor fault her for them. When she explained that she was a territorial wolf, his lips curved into a bit of a roguish smile. She was a wolf after his own heart.
"I'm extremely territorial myself... hence the mastery, even if I consider Gamekeeper my primary trade," the Alpha male answered. "It's a quality I actually really appreciate in a pack mate. And if it comes to you naturally to be that way, sounds like Warden might just be your calling," he said in an approving tone.
"Fox is a Warden too," he said after a moment. "Maybe you could use it as an excuse to spend time with her. I think she'd like that. She's doing as well as can be expected here but I think she sometimes feels... out of place. Having you here will help with that a lot, I think."
Robin gave Peregrine a soft smile when he admitted that being territorial was something that he valued in his subordinates. Her smile turned almost cheeky, her left ear giving a contemplative twitch.
Well, as I said I can be really bitch to outsiders so I might need a mediator,
She admitted with an open shrug. If he didn't think that was something that he wanted in a warden — not the territoriality so much but the bitchyness — then she would reconsider her options and take a closer look into something else as a trade. She was sure there were plenty of things she could do. Warden was simply the easiest answer for her because she liked to patrol.
I'd like that too,
Robin spoke after he finished speaking, smiling softly at the mention of her baby sister.
We have a lot to catch up on, after all.
Not so much on Robin's side, though. Her months had been dull and repetitive, nothing of interest to note.
I have to admit it's a little weird thinking of you as my brother in law,
She pursed her lips slightly and tilted her head.
Just because Fox is my baby sister and I know she's very much an adult but I mean she has a mate and I'm still single!
Robin said with a laugh.
It wasn't exactly how Robin had once imagined the “natural big, little sister” order of life to go. She had always imagined, when she had found out she had younger siblings, that they would go to her for advice and that she would have a mate and children first and be able to assist them. Instead, it seemed, it was going the opposite way. It wasn't a bad thing and in truth, Robin had no one to blame but herself.
Conversely, Peregrine didn't see it as a negative at all. "My personal policy is to kill intruders, no questions asked," the Alpha male said to clarify that he didn't consider her attitude a problem in the least. "Not all my wolves are as 'extreme' but what I'm trying to say is that your approach jives well with my expectations of a pack Warden."
In response to her remark about their relationship, he smiled and said, "It's just a technicality. You can take it or leave it; I won't be offended one way or the other. Perhaps it will feel more natural once you've spent more time with both myself and Fox."
Glancing down at the rabbit that was probably beginning to spoil in the summer sun, Peregrine said, "Hey, I've got to get going. I have a delivery to make. But come find me if you wanna talk patrols and the like. It was nice meeting you, Robin. See you around." Nodding and waving his tail, Peregrine plucked up the rabbit and took his leave.