Wolf RPG

For @Bazi! :)

Kaskara had returned from her trip to the Kintla flatlands days ago, but had yet to find Bazi and give a full report. She had sparred with Shadow and even seen Junior again, but had not yet told the white dove all she had learned from the youth. Kas knew that the alpha was busy, and most likely in pain, with the departure of Tuwawi, Njal, and their brood. From what she heard, Danica had been asked to accompany them, as well, and it was unclear when the female would return.

So Kas had given Bazi some time to settle after those events before bothering her, though the dark she-wolf was certain she would want to know this news about Fox. It just didn't seem to be very pressing, considering everything else that was going on in the creek. It was mid-morning and Kaskara had taken a dip in the creek, fishing out two lovely morsels for lunch, when she decided it was time. She lifted her muzzle into the air and let out her low-voiced howl, calling for her alpha to meet her by the creek, for she had some juicy news to share.

After Njal and Tuwawi's departure, Bazi withdrew. She had made a royal mess of her pack, banishing Danica for a detail that barely mattered in the grand scheme of things, and alienating Shadow in the process. By now, she did not doubt that the entire pack knew about her misstep, and it would mean a number of awkward conversations in the near future. When Kaskara called, she assumed that this would be the first one - excluding encounters with the abovementioned wolves.

She responded promptly, arriving at the creekside within minutes of the call. Kaskara had been busy, looking washed, relaxed, and about to be well fed. Bazi looked the opposite. The fur on one side was matted, and her fur had yellowed around the paws. She approached slowly, tail swinging limply around her hocks. "News?" she asked, stretching her neck to sniff at Kaskara, uncertain if they were at a stage yet where closeness was acceptable. After the kerfuffle with Danica, she was cautious.

Kaskara sat licking her legs clean after shaking out most of the water from her earlier swim. Bazi arrived not too long after Kas called for her, looking disheveled and weary. Kas frowned as the woman approach, stopping before she made contact with the larger female. The Eta closed the remaining space between them to bump Bazi's cheek softly in a friendly gesture. She then gave the woman some space, indicating she should eat by tossing one of the fish toward her, before settling in by her own.

"Yes, I do," she began, grabbing her meal and bringing it closer. "But first I think you should eat. It's been a long few days for you, and I thought you might like to take a rest and eat lunch with me." Kaskara then dug in without waiting for a reply, simply tearing into the juicy flesh of the fish, enjoying each tasty morsel. The chocolate woman ate in silence, enjoying not only the food but the company as well. When she was nearly done, she finally looked up toward her alpha. "I went near Blacktail Deer Plateau a few days ago and I've got some interesting news to share."

Bazi nodded quietly and sat down, tucking into the fatty flesh of Kaskara's catch with mild enthusiasm. She was sad, certainly, but not past eating. She would have to reveal her mistakes at some point during the conversation, but that dark cloud could wait just a little longer.

"I went near Blacktail Deer Plateau a few days ago and I've got some interesting news to share."

Bazi was mid-chew, and did her best to fill in for a verbal "And what happened there?" with her expression.

Bazi looked at her with an expectant gaze and Kas smiled, glad to finally share not only the good news, but the interesting gossip as well. "You remember the girl that the plateau lost, the puppy everyone thought was dead?" she asked, hoping Bazi would remember Kas's distress at the girl's death. "Well, I ran into her. Turns out she hadn't died, but washed down the river to a pack called Stavanger Bay." Of course, being new, Kas had never heard of this place, but she wondered if Bazi knew.

"I was ecstatic to find out she was alive and well, and that she had been rescued by another pack. I'll have to go thank them, if that's okay with you," she mentioned, looking at Bazi with a question in her eyes. During a pause in her story, Kas took another bite of fish, chewing it slowly as she decided how to break the next news to her. "Junior, that's the girl's name, also told me that Fox is not only settling in well at the plateau, but she is now Peregrine's mate." She watched the alpha for her reaction.

Stavanger Bay.. Bazi repeated internally, following Kaskara's story with silent interest. The revelation that Blacktail Deer Plateau had not lost a daughter seemed to make her pack-mate happy, and it was for that reason that Bazi smiled widely at the news. "That's great news. That girl's lucky. Of course - go thank them; and maybe find out a bit more about them.. I've never heard of Stavanger Bay." It hadn't occurred to her that Stavanger Bay was made up of the remnants of Horizon Ridge, that had taken root on the northern coast and strengthened considerably since then.

To the news of Fox's successful integration into the lost girl's pack, Bazi shook her head in disbelief. "How does that goddamned girl do it? She never really had any trouble ruling Swiftcurrent Creek, and her bad decisions were only 'mildly off', not disastrous.. and now she's landed herself a strapping mate and a second family..." Bazi looked suddenly uncomfortable. She licked her lips, eyes flitting nervously this way and that before landing on Kaskara's. Only now did she really notice that the left was split in half. "I need to tell you something. I've not been .. the best Alpha."

"Thank you," she whispered, bowing her head briefly in acknowledgement. It meant a great deal to her that the young girl had been rescued, and to thank those responsible, well, that would lighten her heart even further. "I will bring you news of the pack. She told me of the wolves who rescued her, but I can't seem to remember their names...No matter, when I find out what I can, I will let you know."

Kaskara didn't know Fox or how she had run the creek prior to her joining, because she was new here herself. But Bazi seemed exasperated at the thought of Fox not only leaving the creek during such a trying time, but fitting into her new pack almost seamlessly, finding a mate within a few short weeks. Kas didn't know the nature of their relationship, but she could bet it wasn't as strong as some mate-ships could be. It was only when Bazi mentioned that she had been a bad alpha that Kas looked up from her meal, raising her brows in question. "That's not possible, Bazi. You're too hard on yourself."

"That's not possible, Bazi. You're too hard on yourself."

Bazi grimaced hard. "No, no.. it's really not very good." To put it mildly. Scimitar might have used expletives - she was sure they had circled in his throat when he chastised her, but it was not in his nature to spit his rage. "Your brother has already told me off, so.. well.."

Bazi breathed a heavy sigh. Here goes nothing.

"I had a ...falling-out? With Danica. Actually, I just took issue with...something. It was very stupid, and I regret it, a lot. I told her to go with Njal and Tuwawi, and not to come back, so.. that's where she is. Shadow took issue with it, and Paarthurnax ... they were courting, so..." Her gaze dropped from Kaskara's face to the remnants of their lunch. "I told Shadow to leave. I thought he was a bit of an ass, anyway, always smirking.. but Paarthurnax.. is it wrong that I hope their relationships dies a thousand deaths, and she comes back? Danica won't, now. I hurt her. I should say sorry..." The end of her sentence wasn't much more than disparate thoughts. Did she dare traipse up to the Sveijarn pack and ask for Danica? Would she come? ...would she accept the apology? Was she, Bazi, even entirely alright with the whole 'ladies' thing? Not really, if she thought about it - the very idea still struck an ill chord.

She glanced up at the dark female, expecting the worst.

Kaskara listened to Bazi's words, watching every movement, every grimace, with careful eyes. She was much like her brother in that way, quiet and contemplative, especially when she needed to listen, but outright talkative when she needed to speak. "What did you take issue with?" Kas didn't know Danica well, but from their one and only encounter, she didn't like the sandy colored female much. She had tried to smear Scimitar's name and confused Junior in the process. That she was gone didn't hurt her personally, but it did harm the pack, so she wondered what Danica had done to garner Bazi's wrath.

Then there was the issue with Shadow and Paarthurnax. She knew Shadow somewhat, though not well by any means. Sometimes he was friendly and sometimes he had mood swings and could be downright rude, like the first time they met. But Kas didn't see what he could have done, either, to be forced out. "Bazi, that's six adults that have left now. Whatever it is that's causing issue, we need to figure it out." If it kept on like this, their pack would be nonexistent by the time winter came, and Kas wasn't sure they could survive with their sparse numbers.

Shit. She just had to ask. Bazi ground her teeth, struggling to find a way of expressing the 'issue' that didn't make her sound like a fool.

When she did speak, it was quickly and with her eyes downcast. "She liked me and I didn't take it very well, OK? I thought it was weird, I freaked out, and I asked her to stay with Njal and Tuwawi."

Bazi's stormy blue eyes sought Kaskara's face again. "I regret it now, obviously. But I don't regret telling Shadow to go - he was insubordinate and shrewd and calculating. Just because he was here for a few months doesn't mean he was loyal - and I think he'll hurt Paarthurnax." Unbeknownst to Bazi, she was echoing Scimitar's sentiments exactly. It didn't matter to her any more if it was true or not; he was no longer Swiftcurrent, and that made him the enemy.

"The ranks will refill." There was confidence in the small Alpha's voice now. "They always refill."

"She liked me and I didn't take it very well, OK? I thought it was weird, I freaked out, and I asked her to stay with Njal and Tuwawi." Kaskara fought the urge to roll her eyes at the younger girl, whose rank meant little at nothing at that moment. She had kicked out a perfectly healthy and valuable member of the pack because of something that made her comfortable? It would have been taken to the council in her birth-pack and only decided upon after much debate, not made as a rash decision because the alpha felt uncomfortable about something her subordinate said or did.

But instead of saying these things to Bazi, Kaskara kept her mouth shut. After all, the white dove herself had said Scimitar had already "told her off" and if he had, then she definitely didn't need to add her voice to the fire. She would, however, offer some advice, "Next time you feel uncomfortable about something a packmate does or feels toward you, take a moment to really think about it, okay Bazi? You could have lived with Danica here, even after you knew she liked you, because she's...she was a good member of the pack." And frankly, pack trumps feelings. But that last part was said only in her mind.

"But I totally agree with your decision on Shadow. He was never rude to me, but I could tell he had mood swings sometimes. And yeah, he liked to smirk a lot." She was said to hear about Paarthurnax, though. "Are you sure Paar likes him? He's kind of an ass."

Kaskara's reprimand had the same sharp taste as the one her brother had delivered. Bazi's ears sulked on either side of her head, but she had the good grace to agree."She was. It was .. stupid." Not only that, but the outburst ran counter to the single most important quality of a good Alpha - pack first, feelings later. Bazi had failed at the first hurdle, and felt that much less a leader with each stumble.

But on Shadow they agreed. "She seems to," Bazi grumbled. "I don't know why." Shadow had grated on her immensely, and with the wolf himself a distant memory, only caricatures of his flaws remained. But for Paarthurnax to leave, he would have to hurt her.. and that was possibly worse. Bazi sighed the sort of sigh that signals the end of a conversation. "I should find Galileo.. I haven't told him yet."

I'll fade this. <3

Kaskara felt she had given all the advice she could, and whether or not Bazi took it was up to the pale girl. She was the alpha and would need to make these decisions for herself, though Kas hoped she could get her anger in check. It would do no good to toss out members left and right based upon Bazi's emotions on any given day. When the white dove said she needed to find Galileo, Kas nodded. That would be good.

However much Bazi felt afraid of women's affections, Kas wasn't going to stop being her friendly self. When Bazi made to leave, Kaskara gave the girl a gentle nudge to her cheek, reassuring her friend that everything would be alright. Then she watched her leave to find the lone remaining council member to tell him of her plight. Kas shook her head as she left, wondering if their pack was going to be okay.