Moonspear Frosty the snowman

Ever since his return to Moonspear he had mostly rested. Of late, Charon started to pick up small walks. The winds were changing and there was a chill in the air. It wouldn't normally get to him, and it was the only way, aside from the soreness to his muscles, that Charon realised he had been impacted by this fight. His right eye was no longer caked in blood though it hurt to open it and so he kept it firmly shut for now. Lyra had taken good care of the wounds and he had faith they would heal. They always did, after all.

Snowflakes started to drift down while Charon walked around the rendezvous site. He had a limp to his gait from when his assailant had attacked his leg and he felt melancholic thinking of Kevlyn for she had played some pivotal part in his disappearance (even if Charon did not know what part, exactly). Yet there were also his next of kin to worry about here. The first winter was always exciting for young pups and he had not failed to notice that one of the Yams was gone now. Yami had been the most active of the pups and her energy was missed. As the snow fell he could not help but worry for her health, all alone out there.. but he knew he should count himself lucky to have three healthy pups left still, he thought to himself as he stiffly limped through the falling snow that left the rendezvous site in a white blanket; a reminder of a fresh start next year, and surely more children.

There was a lot happening suddenly, but she was sure to stick pretty close since Charon had come dragging on back to them. Largely, she tried to rely more on her sons to get her matters attended to when she could afford to--like extra hunts and patrols, with emphasis on lookout for certain key points. Jarilo had over a year on him, but the younger ones--awfully untested so far, but out there anyway, working. She wondered about them sometimes and winter was fast approaching so quite frankly, she didn't have time to do anything except help keep them going forward, strong.

But it didn't help Yami was missing and Ame could hardly find her sister most days, either. She had seen her, though, and instructed the boys and Vela to keep an eye on her too. Having a few new joiners did help, but she didn't trust them fully yet either since they were still new enough--also largely untested.

Anyway, she had failed her few attempts at small hunts before the snowfall situation annoyed her too badly. With nothing to show for her short outing, she trotted back to the rendezvous with her head low and whole body flecked with fresh flakes, until she was able to zero in on her mate. He was out, which.. was good, but she couldn't help the worried pass she made over him. Striding up beside his limp, she eventually half-paused near enough.

With him mending (and she didn't know how well he saw from that injured eye these days), she was extra mindful. Feeling any better? she asked to start, hopeful for some good news after her hunts had been miserable, and this weather was not really to her preferences for today either.

Charon didn't notice Ame until she was next to him, and he startled visibly though briefly. Quick to regain himself, he looked at his mate and smiled ever briefly. Her question was moot, of course, because of course he was not feeling much better, and at the same time, he felt a little better each day. Only a little bit, though. But he supposed her question was more of a conversation starter than anything else, or maybe just a way to find out if he wasn't going backwards in his healing, at least. Hell if he knew.

"Bits and pieces every day," he said to her and grimaced. "How's things on the mountain? How are the pups?" Winter was closing in way too rapidly for his liking. It was already here and he was so unprepared this year; they'd been relatively few in numbers and he had been wounded, so it really felt like it snuck up on him and had caught him unawares. Charon also noticed with each winter that he was getting older. Not old, perhaps, but certainly older. He wasn't sure how Ame did it, for while he didn't know her exact age he knew that she was older than he and yet she always seemed to stay fit.

She saw his start and with it, her ears tilted back. By the day, she was trying to gauge him, his healing, so forth, all while doing her best to understand what this was to be like for him. When his response came favorably enough, despite his added grimace going with the answer to keep her doubts satisfied, Ame decided that would have to do for right now. The boys are making for a decent watch already, she answered, pleased with the traffic the two could put in, both separate and together. Their sister was a more fleeting presence, however, so she had much less to report on her but her quiet pride for Uyo and Arcturus was underlining her every thought.

They were getting restless while everyone was out, I think. No sign of Yami still is not helping either, the mother sighed, and wondered about his thoughts on the matter. Timing was never perfect, and all she had to do was remind herself that they would all get through it—whatever it was, in whichever way necessary. Hers were a resilient lot, she hoped. As for here? Quiet, she tapered with an ominous, but soft, shake of her head. She wasn't wrong, but here was not where the trouble lie exactly. Hydra always brought with her news from beyond the mountain and rarely was any of it good, on top of her stewing interest in the one that had done this to Charon too. On top of that, if anything with Blackfeather's sorts escalated again, she knew what may come of it. For all of it, towards any threats to the sanctity of her peace and her family, her patience was grating painfully thin.

It hadn't gone unnoticed to Charon that his children were doing well, specifically the boys. Revui and Arcturus were steadfast in their watch and he was glad to have their help along the borders. They seemed to possess a good enough head on their shoulders to know not to rush headfirst into danger, too. They'd gotten a lot off Ame's side of the family, he figured.

Charon hadn't expected there to be signs of Yami since his most recent search, but it still made his heart sink a little to hear it said out loud. "Something must've got her," he said, doubting that his little girl would leave alone. The Redhawks were gone, so what did that leave them? A new threat? "But I don't know what. No trails of her anywhere to the west." Not that he expected that, either. It was a bit world. Without scent trails left, there was little hope to find her. "What do you think got her? Have there been any new threats?" Charon felt out of the loop lately, so he hoped Ame might have some news. Allies, enemies... They seemed to have very few of either of late, but when his daughters still disappeared, well, something was wrong with that.

He mentioned what had been bothering her too, among all else. It was a natural route for suspicion to take next—especially with knowing the types of beasts that roamed the wilds, both near and far, just as they had done for ages and would continue to do so. She didn't trust many beyond her own, after all. I do not know either. No trails to the east, or really anywhere, she contemplated through a stewing frown. For there to be no trail that any of their noses had managed to unearth was bothering her too. While stealth did run in the family, this was.. entirely excessive.

Besides passing predators, or wild-card transients, she was not worried about most others. Beyond any isolated incidents, what else could she expect? She had to find some semblance of an answer though, somehow. Knowing that the girl had been scouting out more before vanishing had not helped her directive. All of the pups had been, and since a scarce few dared to chance trouble very close to the mountain, it had to be beyond their reach where she had found her trouble. That, with all the unknowns that brought, was what bothered her more than anything. Well.. it seemed a little late in the year for any bear foul play this time, she rolled her eyes, remembering their last row with one and a missing daughter. She hoped this was not that, or even remotely as bizarre.

Moving on, she theorized to little avail these days. These guesses were as dead-ended as her hunts. It is not as easy to blame Redhawks now that they are further away.. although I guess nothing is impossible. Though she doubted they were smart enough for anything too skillful, and the same could be said for whatever became of Moonspear's defectors that had gone with Rannoch. She highly doubted they possessed enough malice to keep her daughter away from them. No one else is remotely near besides Blackfeather, and only very recently, Llewellyn did a little nosing around on his own and ended up finding they have the former Redhawk that ran when Galaxy died—the one the Redhawks supposedly killed, so apparently they cannot even get that accomplished properly, she scoffed, disgusted at their entire bloodline as usual and regretting that she hadn't set her teeth to him in earnest.. but she had been pregnant with this last litter then, protective of that fact at the time, and not yet motivated enough to track him down afterward.

Who knows what other sorts they are attracting these days? But.. besides that, they have little reason to, with us.. but they can be suspicious she sighed, but none of it was pointing to any certainties in her opinions exactly.  As for the rest? Ame had little to go on when she didn't know most of who else was out there anymore. Beyond that, I suppose there is also whatever collective of wolves is holing up nearest on the coast to possibly consider, too.. but it is all feeling like a reach when we have no cause for suspicion, beyond.. very vague proximity alone. And even that was stretching it. With her thoughts on it airing more formally than she had taken the time for yet, she was curious of his, too.

writing like this is after she'd know about llew's blackfeather stuff/that they have titmouse there so [big vague shrugging at all that]

Charon didn't really expect bears at play either. They would've known it if Yami had been taken by a bear, unless she had gone far out from Moonspear just to get murdered by a bear, neither case which made much sense. "Bears are messier, they wouldn't cover their tracks like this. We'd know if it were bears," said Charon, who wasn't entirely aware of bear hibernations and therefore what Amekaze really meant about bear foul play being unlikely. Should someone remind him of it he would probably remember learning of it at some point in his life, but as things were, it was just not on the forefront of his mind.

The thing about the Redhawks got to him, though. Charon didn't remember hearing anything about the Redhawk Caldera wolves after they'd left. He had always assumed that they had simply lost the war with Blackfeather Woods and that they were gone now. "Redhawks?" he asked and his eyes narrowed. "Are they still around? I thought they were long gone." But the fact Ame mentioned them now must mean they still lived close enough. Charon instantly felt pissed that he hadn't been informed, but they must've thought he already knew or had gotten information about the Redhawks' whereabouts in his absence, perhaps. He vaguely recalled something about some Redhawk dropping by but it had mostly gone over his head because he hadn't been at this meeting personally -- nor had he been asked to be, a thing that irritated him greatly and only further fuelled his thoughts that for him, this feud wasn't yet over.

Charon tensed at the mention of Blackfeather. He should go visit sometime. See if Potema was still there, see if his daughters were there... For some time they had slipped his mind but he felt a strange pang in his chest as her pack was mentioned, and hoped that she was well. "Hm," he simply said. "What's the wolves on the coast? Where are they?" He didn't remember finding any packs when he visited the coast with Vela and Jarilo, but it seemed Ame knew more. Charon felt terribly out of the loop of things, but it was good to be caught up. He found it hard to picture Blackfeather Woods doing anything -- but mostly because aside from that one asshat guy his daughters had trouble with, he had never had problems with them -- and figured that Redhawk they'd taken had probably done something to deserve it, then.

To her, it would be a stretch for there to be other predator involvement like Galaxy's first disappearance's circumstances again. She tried to keep thoughts like those very faraway from her attentions, ones that seemed far more likely and tangible in this day and age, so it was relatively easy to shelve that topic with a nod--since she had nothing positive to contribute, anyway. She was keen enough to scheme about which neighbor to hate the most this time.

Oh.. they are far off. Over the barrier mountains. she said, catching the narrow to his midnight eyes. At least they were. Hydra's little informant stopped by to say so back in the late summer, she mentioned on the edge of a smirk. They had stayed irrelevant to them all here since. Besides the isolated phenomenon of Titmouse, they usually were of very low concern, and while Gannet had begun to grow on her during his time here, it felt ingrained in her very nature to be mistrustful of all things Redhawk. Evidently whatever was left of them took off when Blackfeather held onto their woods. For his information, since that war had been inconclusive, depending on who looked at it.

Cannot say exactly, but there is usually some group having cropped up somewhere along those coastlines. Usually to her, they didn't really last long enough to matter. Whether it was resources, the weather, or luck, something never seemed to bode well for their longterms. Plus, Drageda is far north, but that one is out there.. None of them had motivations, and all of them were too far away for just a casual visit to check in and see if anyone had heard anything. The wolf you knew from Blackfeather—are they still there? Or have you heard from them? she asked, curious to find out more about it if so, with that pack long-lasting and shrouded in mystery anyway.

'Far off' sounded good, but Charon wasn't entirely convinced. Over the barrier mountains was in the direction that he had fought that two-toned woman and who knew if maybe she was a port of Redhawk Caldera's moves against him. Either way, he hadn't personally heard of them much of late, so maybe he was worrying over nothing. Now that Ame mentioned it, Charon vaguely remembered hearing about the Redhawks, but he'd easily forgotten about it until now. Then again, if they had taken Yami, would they really have come here to inform Moonspear of their whereabouts? It made no sense. "Hmm-mm," he said, finding it hard to make sense of it but, for now, dismissing the notion of Redhawks taking Yami.

'Some group along the coastlines' didn't sit too well with Charon. He wondered where they were exactly, so that he knew how big a threat they were. "We should send out someone to scout for them and let us know where that pack is," he said. "I'm a bit out of the loop - do we have any new ones we could send to prove themselves?" Maybe Amekaze knew, had any suggestions. She and Hydra had accepted most of these new wolves into the pack; he hadn't even met all of them yet.

As for his Blackfeather friend... Charon frowned, not having thought of Potema for a while. He admitted, "I last spoke to her before the war, lost track of her after. I'll check out Blackfeather and call for her there. I'll be careful, in case it gets dangerous." He knew that things weren't looking too well over at Blackfeather Woods, considering they'd had some trouble with them, but Potema'd never let anyone abduct his child there, he was sure of it. Then again, if she were still alive, wouldn't she have visited him by now, to let him know she was fine after the war with the Redhawks..?

Ideally, Redhawks would go far enough away from her so that hers could never be tormented by their nonsense and chaos again. Any word of them was too close, and too soon for her honest tastes but in instances like these, she had to take the small victories, and enjoy the entire barrier mountain range between them at least. It was an improvement.. and the more they stayed out of the picture, the better. However he did bring forth a point she had kept in mind—scouting them out exactly, just to know for sure. She was in favor of it. Hydra may know more.. but as for the newest wolves I have brought on, none claim to scout, necessarily.. neither do I feel quite certain enough to set them off towards Redhawks.. she was still thinking on it, and could maybe come around though if Hydra had some good enough acknowledgements for anyone. Speedy and Slavik she knew had interests closer to home, herbs and hunting and medicine all wrapped together. The others.. she didn't have a lot to remark on, and neither did she trust too many of them to handle a potential Redhawk matter (meaning it could turn to complete shitshow at a moment's notice) with the right amount of finesse.

But, she turned gently. Jarilo has told me he and Vela want to travel out a little themselves, so maybe I could make a mention of the idea to those two at the very least, she supposed. It wouldn't hurt to put the idea in their heads, anyway, since it would help keep them on the lookout for suspicious business too if they had to go out roving around. They were bright enough to potentially handle it better than most, anyway. They weren't dead yet.

As for Blackfeather, she hm-ed. Yes, that would be good I think.. to see them firsthand, for yourself. If they are shady, well.. she smirked. Then maybe they would have a lead to go on if so. If they were outright dangerous to him, then that would definitely be something. Plus they may be on edge after Llewellyn. Let us find out, she offered; finding out about his friend was coming kind of secondary here to her, but that was the nature of the beast. She wanted to see what he could incite from them most of all, without mercy for whatever brashness and disrespect he was sure to bring them if they started to act up on him—these idiotic neighbors constantly tempted it out of her, and she was always willing to encourage Charon to be his most glorious worst.

It seemed a good idea to Charon to send out Vela and Jarilo together. He was a little wary of sending them out against the Redhawks, but at the same time he thought it was nice for them to get some experience. They had a lot to live up to with the cerberus around, but some time away from Moonspear might do them well. And though he disliked the Redhawks, Charon didn't really expect them to be a threat against his two children, together. After all, the Redhawks were the ones who'd fled away. They were probably scared of Moonspear, anyway.

"That's a good idea," said Charon with a smile. "Will you inform them about this task?" Charon was sure their children would do well. Jarilo was a bit of a softie at times but Vela was strong and confident, so they balanced each other out well. When they were little there'd been more strife and jealousy for their family's affections between them but it seemed as they aged they got along better.

So, Blackfeather Woods it was, then. Charon's heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Potema again, though a part of his mind, tucked away, wondered if she were still around. After all, he hadn't seen her in forever. Charon nodded in confirmation that he would visit them, then decided to change the subject. "Are you looking forward to being parents again next year?" he wondered; he was. Their offspring had proven strong and worthy so far, and the King was intent to expand on it in the coming spring.

While it was not necessarily her intention to send them out on official business, or to veer them towards any potential harm, if the two yearlings wanted to travel, then she may as well veil some duty behind their wandering. It could be a good opportunity, in many regards--depending on what they were able to make of it, and at the least, she wanted them to be aware, keep an eye out, and handle what the wilds threw at them with grace and strength.

Ame nodded softly, believing that it would be good for them as well, not just in regard to whatever they could accomplish out on their walk. I will, she replied, and since the eldest son had been her contact in the first place, she would keep to this trend unless her paths crossed with Vela sooner than expected. Hopefully, they could successfully scout it out in that direction, and Charon could feel it out at Blackfeather, and then they could have a solid grasp on the standing of their longest lasting.. "neighbors".

But, on only a halfway similar vein of thought, she thought, her ears switched and she had to rearrange her focus somewhat. From thinking on the yearlings, how they were finding their groove more than ever before, to bypassing entirely the youngest, hale lot for the moment, to a potential of those who did not yet exist. She couldn't say no, not when she fancied the payoff in the long-run more than anything--the individuals only they could raise, mostly, and help shape them into the sorts they could trust and believe in. Yet, the early months, and thoughts of being den-bound, at the mercy of however many little mouths she decided to make with his help, admittedly made her skin prickly.

This year, though the litter was earlier in the year than any other, had worn her out and never had she been so grateful to be able to keep her struggles to a relatively unseen minimum, and for them to gain their independence to not be all on her. She did not count her moons exactly on the spot, but she sensed age wasn't making it any easier to bounce back from, and she didn't particularly like that reminder when few others could even catch her. Ah, yeah. I suppose so, she replied, in lieu of "I have not thought that much about it," for the moment, so her answer wouldn't seem so watery. She was painfully fond of their offspring, and her expression softened considerably soon after--less weighed down with the thought, and wanting to dig in her heels. When it is time, she smirked at him, slightly. They were worth it, probably, and though she found herself wanting to balk at the notion now, it probably had to do with the timing. When the opportunity arose, she did not suspect she would turn her nose up to an effective cross, and of their own legacy here.

fade? :)

Ame agreed to give out the task and that was that. She did not seem overly excited yet about the notion of pups again, but she would be when the time came. They would bring another litter of pups to this world, and they would be good. Charon was, for now, completely oblivious to Ame's age, let alone what it entailed.

Let's get something to eat, he suggested and without waiting for an answer, Charon started leading the way to hunt something quick.

She would tend to the business later, and would not dwell extensively on the thought of pups not yet born, or even close, at this time. For the present, she was content to simply be with him, to whatever the cause may be. Sounds good, she nodded, deciding she could stand to muster an appetite proper. Further chats could come then, and she set off towards a meal with him.