Redhawk Caldera The cold never bothered me anyway

My 50th thread! I'd love for Wifi to catch up with s'more pack mates before she hits the road again. :)

She spent more time outside the caldera than within it these days, which made what time she did spend there both more precious and enjoyable. She liked catching up with her parents, brother and sister, telling them all about her forays. It was good to spend a bit of time with her godparents and Elwood Jr too, not to mention the handful of others that called this place home. No matter how much she loved the road, she loved the caldera and its inhabitants more than anything else in the world.

Today dawned rainy and gray, though it didn't deter Wildfire. Despite her name, she found she rather preferred the cooler, wetter weather. She coaxed Raven to join her for a walk around the territory, which ended when they came to sit beside Raven's (previously Wildfire's) small garden near the old badger den. The aspiring medic had really done a good job tending it. Although the upcoming frosts would most certainly kill off this year's crop, it would be rich and fertile come springtime.

When her sister departed to find someplace warm and dry to take an afternoon nap, Wildfire set off down the mountain. She stopped at a small stream for a drink, the icy cold water hitting her gut like a fist. Licking her chilly lips, she loped the rest of the way downhill, stumbling only once. When she reached the foot of the mount, she gave her wet red pelt a firm shake, then began ambling in the general direction of the borders.

Fox had, for the most part, been keeping to herself. She still spent time with family, of course, and made the rounds to her pack-mates, but she hadn't ventured outside of the caldera since her second run-in with Starling. She hadn't a clue that it was the same wolf that had helped Pan, nor would she ever know unless the girl decided to come around and tell her what had happened. Somehow, Fox did not think that was a likely scenario. The two had parted ways, and while she often thought of their fling, she did not seek it out intentionally.

Today, the matriarch set off to find her mini-me daughter (who was quickly becoming more of a straight-up twin, now that she was grown). Dhole's scent meandered down the mountain, near a stream, and then continued toward the border. Fox followed it with ease, eventually catching up to her brightest (at the very least, in color) child. "Hey, chickadee. You taking off again?" Wifi had made a habit of being gone from Redhawk Caldera more often than not.

Once she hit the invisible wall, Wildfire turned and began to plod aimlessly along the territory's outskirts. It was tempting to cross over and vanish into the rainy wilderness, yet she reminded herself that she should stay at least a few more days. She had seen most of her loved ones at least in passing, yet Wildfire wanted to spend a bit more quality time before she took off again.

She saw her mother approaching long before she drew near; it was hard to miss a flash of red in this gray, rainy weather. Wildfire stopped and waited for Fox to catch up to her, then smiled and nuzzled the Alpha female when she came within reach. They were nearly mirror images of one another, save of course for the particular markings that made Wildfire resemble a dhole more than a fox.

"Hey, mom. Nah, I'm not leaving again just yet," the young Outrider replied. Her tongue swept over her lips and she suddenly couldn't help but ask, "Does it bother you and dad that I spend so much time away?" Not until this very moment had it occurred to her that her parents might not just miss her but, as her leaders, might also frown on the behavior. She grew suddenly pensive, awaiting Fox's feedback.

"Bother me?" Fox asked. "Not at all, Dhole. It’s good that at least one of us is out there and exploring. As long as you come home, your travels are perfectly fine with me." And while Fox would not outright speak for Peregrine—they'd had that fight already—she had a pretty good feeling that he would agree with her thoughts on the matter. Wildfire was doing more good than harm, so long as she didn't get herself into too much trouble.

Fox shook her coat free of the rain that had gathered on it, even though it was in vain. The weather was dreary at best, and Fox was already looking forward to clearer skies… even if it meant snow and cold. She didn't like any one season better than the others, although rain was certainly her least favorite kind of weather. "So, Ms. Naturalist. When do you think this rain will let up?"

Fox's reply quickly put Wildfire's worries to rest. It sort of surprised her to hear that her mother not only didn't mind but sort of encouraged it. Her parents were both homebodies but it seemed they could appreciate the benefit of having someone who knew more about the goings-on outside the caldera. She reminded herself she had already used her skills to search, pass messages and (attempt to) recruit, all of which directly benefited the caldera.

Her mother switched the topic from one of her trades to the other. Wildfire laughed quietly, amber eyes raising to gaze up at the overcast sky. "To be honest..." she said, gaze dropping to Fox's face. "I haven't been keeping up on the Naturalist stuff as much anymore. But I predict it'll stop... eventually," she quipped with a cheeky smile.

"While we're on the subject," she said a moment later, "I have a question. I consider Naturalist my primary apprenticeship, Warrior my secondary and Outrider as my third because that's the order I earned them. But can I, like, switch them around? Does it even really matter?" Wildfire wondered.

Perhaps naturalism wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Wildfire seemed hesitant to continue learning about it, though Fox was just happy that her daughter was doing a good job of being a useful member of Redhawk Caldera. Really, that was all that Fox had ever wanted from her children. And if they ended up being dead weight, she would not hesitate to let them know, give them a chance to fix it, and kick them out if they didn't shape up. Idly, she wondered how Peregrine would feel about that.

Dhole went on to ask about primary, secondary, and tertiary trades. "Honestly," Fox replied, "I've always considered my specialized skills to be equals. There are times when I dabble in other things, but protecting our border, being on the offense, and keeping our history are the three I focus on the most." There were, of course, things that Fox completely ignored. She'd never once touched anything even related to healing. She'd follow instructions from healers, but only those she knew and trusted.

Fox seemed to think little of the order of her own trades, considering them all equal. Wildfire bobbed her head. Perhaps she should look at her own the same way. On that note, maybe she should drop Naturalism and either focus more on the remaining two or find something else entirely. Her lips pursed thoughtfully.

"It's been a while since my last history lesson," Wildfire thought out loud. She thought back on the various tales Fox had told her over time, ranging from goofy tall tales to strictly factual accounts of her family's pasts. "You left your pack when you were around a year old, right? Was that because you wanted to travel or for some other reason? I love to get out there," Wildfire said, "but I can't imagine leaving and not coming back."

Fox canted her head when Dhole mentioned the history lessons. If anything, the Redhawk matriarch had wanted her children to know where they had come from. Her own parents had done a decent job of that, and Fox wanted to keep that tradition alive. She could only hope that her own three kids would do the same if they had children of their own. Grandkids were not something Fox had given too much thought to… but another couple of years could actually mean just that.

"I did," Fox replied. "I just got antsy, I suppose. It’s common when you get to be about a year old. There’s a big, huge, wide world out there." Now that Fox had settled with Peregrine, she didn't think about it too much anymore. "There was also the drive to start a family for me." Never had there been a doubt in Fox's mind that she would have children. It had always been part of the plan, and things had fallen into place easily.

"I used to think about them more… but since Dove isn’t around anymore and your aunt Robin disappeared before you were even born… I guess my life is just here, now."

Mama gets post #700.

Wildfire mulled over her mother's answer. She wondered if she would follow in Fox's footsteps. Would her wanderlust eventually take her more permanently away from the caldera? Would she want a family of her own someday? Would she give up on her natal family for that? If she did, would she forget all about them, like Fox seemed to have done? The youth felt a tightness in her chest at the thought.

Her eyes were a little d(h)oleful when she asked, "Is that what you think will happen to me? That I'll leave and forget all about you guys?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Maybe she would be more open to the idea further down the line but, right now, the thought of dropping her birth family like that just didn't compute for her. She could think of nothing that was worth that kind of thing.

Fox shrugged with a smile. "I don’t know," she replied, "but I won’t hold it against you if it happens that way. " Fox didn't think that her own parents were bitter about her departure. She'd been open with why and when she was leaving, which was more than she could say for a lot of wolves that had come and gone in her own life. "And hey, nobody says you’ve got to leave. Plenty of my siblings stayed with my parents and helped raise the next batches of pups." Although, out of all her current children, Raven seemed the most likely to do that.

"You don’t have to decide right now. You’ve got plenty of growing up to do." Wildfire and her siblings were still a good two months away from being fully independent, even if they looked the part already. Fox tried to recall how old Bones had been when she had come to Swiftcurrent Creek, but she wasn't sure she had ever asked. Bones had just been Bones, mature and independent since the moment she had arrived.

It was definitely reassuring to know that she would have her parents' (well, at least her mother's) blessing no matter what she decided to do with herself. For now, she definitely intended to stay. And the mention of her future brothers and sisters only solidified that sentiment. She definitely wouldn't want to miss out on any of that! She was very much looking forward to younger siblings.

"Do you know when you're going to have more pups?" Surely she had asked Fox this very question in the past but she couldn't remember how she had answered. "I'd really like that—helping to raise them, I mean. I couldn't do that if I didn't live here. I wouldn't even be able to see them, would I?"

That sent the cogs in her brain spinning faster. "I wouldn't even be welcome to visit at all. I'd never be able to come back here. That would be so strange," the youth thought aloud. "Not that I'd ever be that dumb but if I tried coming into the territory, you guys would chase me out, huh?" That made her even less unlikely to ever consider departing.

"In the springtime," Fox replied. At least, that was what she expected to happen. Nature didn't always follow some strict timeline, of course. "And you’re correct. Unless you’re a part of the pack, you won’t be able to meet—or even see—the pups until they’re old enough to go out on their own." Even though Fox did not suspect that Wildfire or her siblings would ever harm their younger siblings, she wasn't willing to take that risk after the fiasco with Junior. It just wasn't worth the risk involved.

Perhaps that would persuade Wildfire to stay with them instead of leaving, though Fox wasn't going to count on it. There was also the chance her red daughter might stick around for one litter, but leave before the next ones were born. In any case, Fox had a good feeling that all three of her first batch were level-headed enough to make those big decisions on their own when the time came. She and Peregrine had raised them that way.

Fox confirmed her suspicions. If she was ever tempted to go off and do her own thing on a more permanent basis, she would have to consider everything she would lose in the exchange. She definitely wasn't ready to give up on her family. It would feel like turning her back on them, even though her mother had made it very clear they wouldn't view it that way. At least, she wouldn't.

Though Fox hadn't mentioned her directly, Wildfire suddenly thought of Junior. She was a large reason why the caldera wolves were particularly territorial. "I can't understand why she did what she did," the youth thought out loud, then realized her mother would have no idea what she meant by that. "Junior attacking me when I was little. I could never, ever do that to my younger siblings. I can't imagine what compelled her. Saena implied there might have been something really wrong with her."

Fox tilted her head, listening to her daughter speak of her half-sister. The Redhawk matriarch had not understood her actions or reasoning, either. But it was in the past, Junior was dead, and Fox did not need to worry about it any longer. Her children were safe now, and nothing would get in the way of her future children, either. "That’s one thing Saena is probably right about," Fox replied curtly. To be fair, Fox did not have anything personal against Peregrine's other daughter.

Even though they'd had a scuffle, she had no reason to mark her as anything but an outsider. And all outsiders were enemies on some level. If Wildfire left, then attempted to break through the border, Fox would have done the same. Pack was the most important thing of all. Blood ties meant little once they were no longer pack-mates. Not that Fox would completely forget her children when they went off, of course. But she also wouldn't treat them any differently when it came to trespassing, should they be stupid enough to attempt such a thing.

Despite their differences, Fox seemed to be in agreement with Saena on this particular subject. Sensing it wasn't her mother's favorite subject, Wildfire didn't press her further. She lapsed into silence as she continued pondering her dead half-sister. Maybe she'd had some sort of mental or personality disorder. Perhaps she'd even inherited it at birth. Peregrine didn't seem to suffer from any mental maladies, so that made Wildfire wonder about Junior's mother. She knew next to nothing about her; she couldn't even think of her name.

She might have asked but somehow inquiring about her father's first mate didn't seem like good fodder for conversation with Fox. Instead, Wildfire said, "Do you want to find dad and grab something to eat?" It would be a late lunch or an early dinner, depending on how you looked at it. "Think it's about time to get out of his cruddy weather," she mused aloud, pausing in her step, amber eyes lingering expectantly on the Alpha female.

"Sounds like the perfect plan," Fox replied, nuzzling Wildfire. Fox was always down for some good ol' fashioned eats and and snuggles. The snuggles would mostly happen with Peregrine, of course, but she was never opposed to her kids joining in as well. They were family, as was the rest of the pack, and Fox felt it important that they bond through shared affection.

Fox wasted no time, nipping her daughter's rump before scampering off in the direction she'd last smelled Peregrine.