Barring extreme circumstances, Peregrine would not be leaving Redhawk Caldera again for a long time to come. At least, he wouldn't stray further than the lands immediately adjacent to his ugly mountain home. That left him plenty of room to stretch his legs and more than enough hunting grounds to keep the pack well fed without his ever having to go beyond howling distance.
Today, he ventured away from the mount's base in search of prey. He wanted to fell something sizable to take back to his mate, Ashton and Elwood—a sort of apology to his wife and an offering of thanks to the two males who'd helped save her life. As he walked into the vast spaces of Great Bear Wilderness, the air was icy in his nose and a few snowflakes flurried in his face, a reminder that winter was on its way.
thanks for the thread! By the way I love your avatar.
A small red fox was also nearby, and she also happened to be looking for prey. But her prey would only be for herself, a benefit of living alone. The air was cold and crisp, and when Autumn breathed she could see her breath as fog. She glimpsed a bit of black fur through the leaves and bushes and stuff. She walked towards them, into the area where they were. Her bright orange pelt squeezed between two bushes. He was a black wolf all over, and his figure reminded her of someone she'd met, though she couldn't put her paw on who.
"Hey there Mister," She said with a friendly grin.
The sound of a small voice surprised him, causing Peregrine to start and swing around, eyes scanning the foliage for the speaker. He saw no one, at least until his gaze dropped slightly. A small red fox stood between some bushes, smiling at him. He blinked at his wife's namesake, then gave her a look as if to say, Who, me?
He wasn't used to talking to the local wildlife, especially those he considered prey. Foxes were fair game, despite his mate's name. "Um." Could he still eat her if he made conversation with her first? That seemed so weird. "Hi?"
A wide grin got a bit smaller as he stared for a moment or two, befote saying hi really awkwardly. "So," she said, attempting to start the conversation back up, "which one are you from? Ourborous Spine, Black Tail Deer Plateu, Blackfeather Woods?" She was proud of her knowledge of the packs in the area. She knew about the pack's names cause of gossip. Eventually word got to her about the packs and so she was usually pretty up to date with that.
The fox's desire to make conversation took him by surprise but what was much more astonishing was the vixen's knowledge of the local packs. He wondered how she knew so much. There was only one way to find out.
"None of the above. How do you know so much about the local wolf packs? And why are you talking to me? Are you a wannabe wolf or something?" Peregrine guessed.
She grinned at how surprised he was with her knowledge. "Oh, a little bird told me." A little bird literally did. She had friends in high places, the birds. Crows and Ravens and Blackbirds especially. "I'm talkin' to ya' 'cause I like talkin' to people. Plus it's not like there's anyone else right here to talk to. " She did. She had a big mouth and a lot to say usually. "No way!" She laughed. "Foxes are way cooler than wolves. I'd never wanna be a wolf!" She laughed, it was not meant to be mean- she just liked being a fox a ton. She wouldn't wanna be any other animal.
Peregrine was tempted to cut off the bubbly little fox mid-sentence, not because he found it particularly annoying but because it would be so easy. She clearly didn't fear him, which was a mistake. He kind of wanted to school her, though she was oddly charming in her way too.
"Ah," he replied, resisting temptation. "Well, your little birdies must not be up to date on their news. I'm from Redhawk Caldera. I rule it with my mate, who happens to be named Fox. You should meet her sometime. She'd like you."
She listened and was glad she had gained more knowledge of 'em. "I had heard of Fox. I had actually been meaning to meet her when I was at the Creek a while ago, but she'd just left a few days before." She frowned a little. "I hope I can still have the gift of meeting her." She said, her smile coming back again. She'd heard the wolf was supposed to look just like a fox, and she planned to eventually see if this odd thing was actually true or not.
Once more, the vixen's knowledge of the packs and their politics impressed Peregrine. He laughed lightly, then shook his head as if in disbelief. Any thoughts of preying on the pretty little fox left him then. Wouldn't it be a shame to wipe such a clever creature off the face of the earth for the sake of a temporarily full belly?
"You'd be welcome to visit her at the caldera. I know you're not a wolf but if you come by, be sure to stay outside the borders and call for someone. We kill trespassers, even the vulpine variety," he quipped. "Do you know the way there?"
Personally Autumn thought flat out killing those in the territory was a little rude, but meh. "I'll be sure to." She said politely with a grin. Unfortunately she didn't know how to get there, since she'd never heard of it. "Uh... Nope. You got directions?" She said. Perhaps she really would get the chance to meet this Fox lady. She was eager to see if she really did look like a red fox.
"It's a lot south and a little west of here. It's a mountain that looks like it's missing its top. It's sort of ugly, actually," Peregrine said. "The views from up top are glorious, though. If my wife is feeling generous, she might take you up there. I'm not really sure how she'll feel about a vulpine visitor, though. You'll have to find out when you get there."
With no particular reason to linger much longer, Peregrine said, "If you'll excuse me, I have some hunting to do. Take care." It felt a little strange to dip his muzzle to the little red creature, yet he did so before gliding away through the wilderness in search of something to fell for his pack mates.
Autumn noted the directions carefully in her head. It should be fairly easy to find. She gave him a swift nod with a broad smile. "I will! You too, buh-bye!" She called after him. She gave a little bounce on her toes- she had more knowledge now- and with that she head towards the shore. She might come back here, to seek out this fellow's wife. Foxes were an awesome race, in Autumn's mind.