Redhawk Caldera And all the stars go dark

Maia had woken early that morning, even before Eljay had.  For a bit she stayed there with her back pressed up against his side and felt his breathing, slow, as he slept.  Then she got up stiffly, as silently as she could, and made her way outside to the river.

She just kept doing this.  She could feel it; she was in trouble again, letting herself run away with something that was just going to end up hurting.  He was so nice, so thoughtful and quietly funny and now, weirdly brave.  She'd kinda guessed that too.  But he was here, and Wraen was not, and no matter how she felt, she couldn't ignore that.  Her sister was her world.

It hurt worse this time than last.  She was stupid staying with him, stupid taking whatever she could while she could, because all it was doing was making her fall deeper and deeper into a hole she'd eventually need to climb out of.

Maia laid down next to the water after she finished taking a drink and watched a few late-autumn leaves make their way lazily down on the current without really seeing it.  Her headache had gone down a bit, but the ringing in her ears was still there, and it perfectly accentuated the warning bells that were clanging over what she was feeling.  Too bad she was way too self-indulgent to heed them.  It felt too good to spend time with him.

WC: 243

It had been a couple of days since Phox had run into a frantic Eljay, and although that thread isn't finished yet, I feel like it's in a good enough place to join this one. With a rabbit hanging limply from his jaws, Phox made his way to the caldera's namesake feature using the same paths he had since he was a child. Beyond a few brief interactions, Phox hadn't ever really spent that much time with Maia, despite both of them living in the copse for a long while. She, Wraen, and Eljay had always kept to themselves in a sense. Phox was unaware that they felt ousted by the Redhawks, or perhaps he would have made more of an effort to get to know them better.

Hey Maia, he greeted when he was at a reasonable speaking distance. His voice was muffled slightly by the rabbit, though at least he was unlikely to startle her with so many crunchy leaves underfoot. Thought you might could use some food. How's the recovery going? he asked.

She'd been a mess these past couple of days, but the conversation with Eljay had helped to bring her back around and into her own.  Maia had a lot on her mind right now between Wraen, working through her own self-estimation, and Eljay.  But she was able to smile openly when Phox approached, and shifted to sit up.

Hey!  Actually... yeah, thanks!  She'd avoided food for the first night and the day after, but as the headache moved to a more manageable throbbing, her appetite was slowly returning.  She wasn't eating a lot but she was at least eating some.  It's going well.  Eljay's great, and hopefully I'll be fit n fine in no time.  The rhyme tickled her a little, though it made her think of Wraen and miss her all the more.  That poetry practice was paying off.

Thanks for letting me stay.  She added, her tail shifting the leaves behind her as it gave a little thump.  I'll make it up to you, swear.  She actually had an idea about that.

WC: 174

Maia looked to be in good spirits, which put a smile on the Regent's face as well. She was family after all, even if they were... distant cousins? Dammit, he'd already forgotten, even though Wraen had reminded him recently. Why was it always so hard to remember? It was as if there was a block anytime he tried to piece it together. Phox conveniently blamed it on the concussion.

She mentioned Eljay being great, and there was something about the way she said it that made Phox wonder if there was more at play between medic and patient. Good for you, Eljay, he thought. Maia was a fine choice, and hadn't the Blackthorn said he wanted to travel with them at some point? As much as Phox would hate to lose him, he really did want his cousling to be happy. Besides, Fennec was an aspiring medic herself. Maybe a new one, but she was already learning from Moonspear's medic, and Raven was only a short jaunt away if she wanted to learn more there.

Of course, Phox replied, I'm glad you're feeling a little better. I sent Figment and Cinder out to notify Wraen of what happened, so I imagine that she'll be on our doorstep sooner or later. Hopefully that would put Maia's mind at ease about her sister.

He'd sent Figment and Cinder.  That put her at ease some, as did the space of a few days, but she did feel slight worry that they'd run into him out there.  He wasn't the type of wolf to reason with, or the type to take 'friendly' and treat it well.  

Oh!  Awesome!  She was glad that Wraen would be coming on the base level, and that was what brightened her smile now.  But the thought definitely lingered that Wraen coming meant she was leaving, now, right when she'd...

Oh no Maia, none of that now.  I hope they all make it back okay.  I'm sure they will, but.  Thanks for letting them know.  She didn't really know what to add on to that.  Suddenly she realized that she didn't really know a lot about Phox in general, and embarrassment flooded her.  She'd never really bothered to get to know him when she lived here.  How lame is that?

So.... how are you?  She asked to cover for it, figuring now was probably as good a time as any.  Better late than never?

WC: 183

Maia was appreciative of the news that her sister would be notified, and Phox was very, very glad he'd run into Wraen that day. Not that he couldn't have asked Maia where Wraen was staying, but there was something nice about already having made that connection. She asked how he was, and Phox pondered that for a moment.

Honestly, I've been fucking fantastic, he replied, momentarily realizing that saying this might be a punch in the gut to somebody who'd just crashed her way down the caldera. But then again, she'd asked! The kids are great, and I love that Bronco, Meerkat, and Fennec are all close by in the glen. Niamh and I are still getting along well. Towhee's mostly in a good mood, which only puts me in a good mood. And the move from the copse to here wasn't all that bad. I'm really glad to be back at the caldera.

Maia's ears twitched at the curse, but she beamed when he spoke with such enthusiasm.  She was thrilled to be in the presence of someone so happy; it lifted her own mood by association, and she felt lighter as he began to list out all of the good things that had happened for him in the past short while.  

That sounds like it's amazing!!!  I'm glad the move was a good thing.  She still didn't quite understand why they loved this place more than the copse, which she had found far prettier, but she could absolutely not argue with it.  Especially since Eljay had said the move was for safety reasons.  If they found joy in it, who was she to bring that down?  I need to stop by and say hey to them sometime!  So that means, then, you have three packs that are all friends here?  She thought about it, and honestly, she thought it was pretty darn cool.  Sure, it was the reason Wraen wanted to leave, but that didn't mean it wasn't neat to think about.  Maia saw a lot of possibility there, traveling between, sharing stories and helping out, that made her wanderer's heart happy.

WC: 200

When Maia responded with enthusiasm, Phox found a small sense of relief. She had not grown bitter at his successes, despite what seemed like unfortunate timing for her. He knew that there were plenty of wolves out there who would have reacted negatively to hearing all that good stuff when they were in a predicament, but Maia seemed to take it in stride. For a brief flicker of a moment, he once again wondered why he had never gotten to know her better.

He also wondered if they would have grown close if Niamh hadn't been in the picture. He loved her dearly, but it was strange to meet somebody he felt like he could have been with just as easily. The thought disappeared just as quickly as it had come into his mind, and Phox listened to Maia's question.

Yep, that's right! he said. I honestly don't know anybody from Moonspear that well, since the three kids moved to the glen, but Towhee and Hydra have been friends since they were kids. Phox knew her, and he'd met her a time or two, but they didn't share the same bond that his sister and Moonspear's leader did.

Maia was surprised to hear that Phox didn't know much of anyone from there, but she supposed it made sense.  He hadn't seemed much of the travel type either, though he was definitely not the same type of homebody that Eljay was.  With Phox it seemed to be more family focused, which interested Maia a great deal.  He reminded her a bit of her dad, and she felt a pang at that, even as the comparison made her like him even more.

I actually used to visit the Moonspear all the time, back when I was good friends with Charon.  Maia said, smiling a little mistily at the memory.  I met Hydra once, I think.  Maybe twice, but after the second time I doubt she'd appreciate me much.  That confession she delivered a little sheepishly.  After this accident, honestly, that almost felt like a joke.  She couldn't believe now how easily they'd let her off, and she suddenly felt a little less at odds with Moonspear.  She still understood her sister's fears, and followed them willingly, but they could have put her in a lot worse place for trying to sneak in on their food that day.

WC: 197

Charon. That name rang some faint bell, but Phox couldn't remember who he was. Some important well-known figure of Moonspear, most likely. It was funny to think that Maia had been paling around with them, considering Wraen had some kind of history there. It was probably a good story, whatever reason Wraen had for being uneasy about them, but Phox had never heard it.

However, Maia's admission that they didn't like her much was news to Phox. What was it with Moonspear and Wraen, not to mention her family? Phox could scarcely remember why Arcturus had left. Family drama, most like, but Maia and Wraen didn't have any family there as far as he knew.

Huh, he said.

Well, it's certainly good to have you around, even if the circumstances aren't great. I had better get back to workin' on our stores. Plenty of that to do before winter.

Phox didn't seem to have much opinion one way or another, which was a bit of a relief!  Maia didn't have the deep seated aversion her sister had to the mountain pack, but she did have a few notes of history that could or could not color a future encounter.  Everything would depend on if Hydra and the rest of them held any significance in those happenings like she did.  For her it had probably been harder to forget.

Oh, sure!  He was busy, of course!  She probably could have wasted more of his time, but she could always go find something else to keep busy with.  Unless... Did you want any help?  I mean, maybe not with the hunting.  But digging shouldn't be a problem.  Fishing had been about all she could manage presently,  but she was slowly trying to step up her involvement and not be a complete waste of space.  She was more than happy to put off productivity if he said no, otherwise it would be nice to have something worth doing for a while.

WC: 179

Maia offered to help, and honestly, that put Phox at ease about her being here. Maybe she didn't want to be an "official" member, but as far as he was concerned, any wolf who was living here, contributing, and socializing with them was part of Redhawk Caldera whether they wanted the title or not! It really was a shame she (and Wraen and Arcturus) couldn't—or rather, wouldn't—stay. Maia seemed to be doing good things for Eljay, too. Phox wasn't sure if that was because Eljay felt better when there was something to do (feeling more useful) or because it was Maia specifically. In all likelihood, it was a combination of the two.

That would be fantastic, Phox said. I can come to you when I catch something, let you bury it, and that'll free me up for more hunting. Working as a team, they could get more done in less time. Phox wondered why he hadn't thought of that system before. Probably because he was the pack's main hunter... or at least he thought of himself that way. Maybe he could get the kids involved by having them dig as well. Making them feel useful might be one of the ways to steer them toward not having outbursts or getting angry.

Phox turned to leave then, glancing back to wave a goodbye paw at Maia. She really was the cheerful type.

On it!  She gave him a playful salute, then grinned and dropped back down to sitting. Just call me (beep me...) when you need me!

Maia would hang out near wherever the closest part was, likely dozing, until Phox showed up and put her to work digging.  She didn't mind the effort and it was just another way to get her back and used to moving.  Her shoulders and haunches still had a bit of stiffness to be worked out.

WC: 80