Redhawk Caldera I'm a blackstar.

Delivery!

Everything looked so weird — so very very different — since the bugs had come and gone. It made things easier for Dingo, who wanted to approach the pack as openly as he could; and as he tread through the outskirts of the border, slipping in and out with a face full of fish, he came to a halt in a spot that seemed vaguely familiar. Without the greenery it was far easier to see his yellow self, as he practically glowed like a neon sign with the sunlight on him. The boy plopped the latest offering down and then ducked to inspect it -- three fish of varying sizes, at least one really fat bug (because their bodies were everywhere and Dingo didn't mind the taste, so why wouldn't these guys? Food was food!) and what looked like a... Decomposed rat carcass. It would have to do. Things were getting harder to find already, and Dingo wasn't exactly an expert when it came to fish, no matter how much that guard guy tried to teach him. Eventually he canted back his head and issued a short, perhaps nervous, howl for anyone that might want what he brought. It was enough for a small cache, not exactly the quota he'd hoped for — but he wasn't finished yet.

Elwood was worried. The locusts had all but stripped the caldera bare, leaving almost no greenery left to be seen. Aside from the dormant volcano's now even uglier appearance, he knew that there would be more severe consequences. Without grass and leaves and other plantlife to sustain them, the prey had moved on from the area. He hadn't laid eyes on an animal big or small in days.

The gamekeeper gnawed his lower lip anxiously as he trekked towards the borders in response to a call that had just gone up. He wondered how this would affect Finley's pregnancy, because he was fairly certain she was now carrying the newest generation of Blackthorns. The smell of fish drifted towards his nose and he perked up considerably, gaze falling on a slender, gold-coated male waiting just past the borders.

Eyeing the collection of food warily -- and hungrily -- Elwood paused. "What's this?" he asked bluntly.

He was sitting with his tongue lolling out and his breath in a heavy pant, when the gray fellow approached. Certain that it was because of the call he had made, Dingo thought it to be Shrike - though he did not know the guards name - and was surprised when it was not. The stranger looked quite unhappy with him. With a small sigh, Dingo slurped his tongue back in to his head and prepared to explain.

"Free food for you'n yours," he began, and cast a brief glance down at the pile. "I was told to ah, replace a couple caches to prove my mettle," which was only a little bit of a lie; it had been three, and it was to replace what he had taken before. But this guy didnt need to know that.

Without waiting Dingo rose up to his feet and turned as if to leave. "Its not much but, heck -- its getting kinda hard out there."

Elwood blinked as the stranger explained himself. His stomach gave a quiet rumble. Although hunting and scavenging would prove to be difficult in the coming days, this wolf had done a decent job as evidenced by the small pile at Elwood's feet. He briefly wondered about the circumstances that had led to the delivery; obviously he had interacted with someone from the caldera previously, but the Beta was left in the dark for the time being.

The wolf was pivoting, preparing to make his exit, and Elwood called out to stop him. "Wait. So who told you to do this?" he asked. He had half a mind to call for the Alphas, but hesitated.

The stranger was skeptical, and Dingo was tempted to remind him not to look a gift horse in the mouth — whatever that meant — but he could work with this. He stopped and turned again, facing the older wolf, and replied as confidently as he could: A couple'a guards I ran in to last time I was here, leaving out that he'd eventually been chased by those guards as well as their (presumed) leader. He backed this up by hastily adding: My brother Panther lives here, and I was told if I fed you guys enough, I'd be allowed in to see him. Or maybe to stay, but, y'know, I'm good with rollin' solo if that makes everyone happy... Dingo plastered a dejected expression across his face which was maybe 25% genuine, and his shoulders sank. Don't tell me you're gonna reneg, I've been working so hard!

Interesting, Elwood mused as the stranger shared more information. It made sense; Redhawk Caldera had always been a tightly-knit pack, and he knew that Peregrine and Fox had chased away more than one aspiring joiner in their time. They had also kicked members to the curb if they didn't pull their weight, like Nadie and Mazi. It was no secret that they were picky, and it didn't surprise him to hear that he had been asked to prove himself.

To add to the story, this guy was related to Panther -- who, if Elwood wasn't mistaken, was also kin to Fox. He nodded thoughtfully, considering all the factors. "Okay. Well, it sounds like you did what you were told. And we certainly need fishers these days," he commented, eyes straying to the fish again. "You'll have to keep it up," he added, taking a step back and turning his shoulder as though letting him pass through a doorway.

"What's your name?" he tacked on as an afterthought.

Dingo did a double-take as soon as he heard the other man's words, a briefly confounded expression on his face. He nearly blurted, wait what? But that would've probably spurred the guard in to questioning things. The boy grinned, his tail wagging, and answered with as much gusto as he had to the last border patrol that had required his name: Dingo Crestwood, sir! Thank you sir! Did that mean he was out of the deal? That somehow this chance meeting (on his first return back, no less!) had ended up with the great reward of acceptance? It sure seemed like it.

Best not to test his luck. Whether he had just been surreptitiously accepted in to the family or not, Dingo didn't want to screw up. He decided it was best to just head back out in search of something edible - although that might mean going further afield than he was comfortable, or fishing again, which was just as awkward. Do ya have any requests, sir? Okay, he was abusing the sir thing a little, but he was only trying to sound professional and polite (but wouldn't be surprised if it sounded like the opposite). I can try to track down somethin' bigger than fish if you want. It's... Probably not gonna pan out though. The fish seem quite happy with all them bugs in the water.

LOL, I just read this and it'll be interesting whenever Dingo runs into Fox! :P

The new guy introduced himself, seeming to be very pleased with the turn of events. Elwood didn't think anything of it; had he known of Dingo's previous transgressions, he would have chased him off without a second thought. But somehow, he had been out of the loop and was totally unaware. His tail waved as Dingo offered to do some more hunting. He was sure that Fox and Peregrine would approve.

"You know, that's a great idea. You can try for some larger prey, but fish will do just fine, too," he replied. It would be some time before they all started to feel the real effects of hunger, but Elwood was already thinking ahead. It was good to know that they could rely on aquatic meals for at least a short time. He turned to depart, then paused. "The other thing you need to do is introduce yourself to our Alphas," he advised.

yeah man, i'm so excited for the fallout XD

Dingo was nodding along to the older guy's words but came to an abrupt freeze-frame when he mentioned the Alphas. If the red thing that chased him was one Alpha, he wondered briefly what the other was like - and how they'd receive him. Y-yeah! I'll do that. Meet them. Eventually. That was rather ominous, he decided, and tacked on hastily: I mean I wanna make a good impression, so I should get more food, right? They'd be pretty peeved if I only half-assed the uh, assignment they gave me. That sounded good to Dingo — so he turned and was hurrying himself away from Elwood without listening for an answer, eager to find a lake and get at least one fish ready in case he encountered Doom and Gloom anytime soon.

At three years of age, Elwood had outgrown naivety. Mostly. The charming Dingo laid it on thick, saying all of the right things and very much convincing the Beta that he had nothing to worry about -- when in reality, he had the wool situated securely over Elwood's eyes. He didn't catch on to the hitch in Dingo's speech when he was told to meet Fox and Peregrine, and simply offered a smile and a nod.

"Yep --" he replied, but before the single syllable had so much as passed his lips, Dingo had taken off. Elwood smirked after him, feeling satisfied, and then returned to his own duties.