Blacktail Deer Plateau Nothing Else Matters

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@Pied @Kisu (and @Peregrine, if you'd like :) )

Hawkeye stared blankly at the altar. The snow had melted from the shrine, the pieces in slight disarray. Her eyes became out of focus. She was thinking of her family: Peregrine, Osprey, Jr., and Ty. It didn't seem as if Sos could fit anywhere into her life anymore. She knew He was real, though. It's not as if she were a hack like Jinx, who just believed in the bear god. Hawkeye believed her to be mad; but, the white wolf thought the same of her.

Sighing, Hawkeye turned to look over her shoulder. With once last glance at the altar, she got up and went on patrol of the borders, willing some type of compromise to come to her mind.

Although they could've made the trip in just a few hours, Pied and Kisu took their time to lay low and hash over their decision. Although Pied felt some residual guilt and doubt, by the time they finally walked up to the plateau, she felt at peace with their decision and actions. The idea of raising her family alongside not only her mate but her sister and her family made up for everything, in her mind, greatly dulling whatever self-reproach remained.

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest when they reached the end of the path that led up and onto the plateau. She traded a quick smile with Kisu, then lifted her head and called out for the pack's Alpha pair. Pied hoped they still were a pair, though nothing really mattered to her just now except seeing her sister and telling her the news.

Kisu never looked back. It was not in his character to do so. He followed at Pied flank the entire journey, wanting to protect her in case someone happened to come from the rear.

He smiled at the excitement on Pied's face before she called for the Alphas. A small flutter of nervousness shimmied in his stomach momentarily when she lifted her head and called for Hawkeye and her mate.

Ears picked up Pied's call, and Hawkeye's orbs brightened, completely forgetting the turmoil from moments before. She was close (and headed in that direction), but she still picked up the pace and trotted forth.

Arriving after only a few short moments later, Hawkeye barked and licked Pied's face, refraining from jumping on the pregnant female before her. After calming down, Hawkeye looked at Kisu and nodded. She backed up a few feet and sat. "Wow, both of you. What a treat. What brings you guys here?" Her tailed flopped behind her, both happy and curious.

Hawkeye arrived promptly and Pied's face lit up at the sight of her sister. When the Alpha female came closer, Pied ducked her head and swept her tail downward to rest limply between her legs. This was the respect her sister deserved, especially from a wolf that hoped to return to the fold to be her subordinate once more.

After exchanging a quick glance with Kisu, Pied looked at her sister's dark face and said, "Hawkeye, we've run away from Horizon Ridge." It was best to get straight to the point. "We have a variety of reasons but it mostly has to do with inconsistent leadership and lack of pack cohesion. We've been sort of discontent there for a while... and we finally decided to do something about it." I never should've left; I should've made Kisu come here, she thought but didn't say it aloud. Nor did she mention how they'd almost done this over a month ago, only to be foiled by the killer whale and a phase of false hope.

She paused and let out a surprisingly shaky breath. "I know you know we come as a packaged deal, especially with pups on the way, and that taking us in is a lot to ask. But... well, you know me and what I have to offer. I promise Kisu is just as valuable and that our pups will be the same." Pied swallowed, then asked the pivotal question, "Will you have us?"

Kisu stayed quiet, letting Pied speak her piece. There were things he would have liked to add, but he stayed away from the discussion; Pied knew Hawkeye as they were sisters. The Alpha would be more apt to listen to her family over some brother-in-law she'd only met once, and when his son had thrown a fit.

His son. It hadn't dawned on Kisu that Robur Aqua was also a part of this pack. For the first time, he was getting cold feet. What if he tried to attack Pied? He did not know his son's temperament.

Nevertheless, he submitted to Hawkeye. They had made their decision and they would stick with it.

Hawkeye listened carefully to Pied, eyeing both of the wolves when they submitted, putting pieces together as the dappled female spoke. "Maybe you should have convinced ol' Kisu here to come to the plateau instead." Hawkeye poked her tongue out at Pied, teasing the female.

Then, she continued on in a serious manner. "I am sorry that things did not work out for you two; we do have room for you here, but I am not the only Alpha now. I cannot make a decision without Peregrine by my side. I am saying yes, and I will try to convince him of the same, but he is a lot more strict than I am. I don't think he would agree with you being pregnant, Pied, but we will see." Hawkeye wondered if Pied was nervous now, considering what the Alpha just said; it was not ultimately up to Hawkeye to make the decision, though. So, Hawkeye raised her head and called for her mate, hoping that he was in a good mood today.

As a matter of fact, Peregrine was in a wonderful mood. Every day brought him closer to his children's due date and, somewhere along the way, he'd become a dreamy sap about all of it. Although he kept up with his hunting and other duties, he often went around with a dewy look in his eye, a dopey grin on his face and a distracted manner about him as he daydreamed about the offspring growing in his wife's belly.

When he heard her voice, he snapped out of just such a reverie and hastily loped toward the borders. His heart pounded, wondering if she needed help. When he saw the two figures standing with her, he paused, blinked and approached at a leisurely walk. His gaze lingered on the male standing beside Pied before drifting to his niece's pale and inexplicably anxious features.

"Hello," he said to the party of three. Intuiting that something was going on, he queried, "What's going on?" He gave Hawkeye a brief nudge but mostly kept his attention on Pied and her companion.

It was like Hawkeye could read her mind, not that it took much to arrive at that conclusion. Ah, what was that saying about hindsight? When the Alpha followed up her comment with a wave of her tongue, the slight tension in Pied's chest broke and a grin slowly crept over her face. She'd known they would get Hawkeye's blessing.

Yet she mentioned that it wasn't her decision alone and, despite their shared blood, Peregrine was the reason for Pied's apprehension. She swallowed and nodded when her sister mentioned that the Alpha male might not approve of her litter. If that proved to be true, Pied would have to walk away. Nothing would come between her and her pups. She and Kisu would just have to find another pack or start one of their own, after all.

Hawkeye called for her mate and Peregrine arrived with the same promptness as his mate. Pied bowed her head even lower and even sat so that she could submit properly to her uncle. Her mouth felt dry and her heart felt like it was in her throat when his dusky gaze lingered on her face. She kept her eyes averted.

"Perry, this is my mate, Kisu. The two of us just left our pack, Horizon Ridge, because of poor leadership and pack cohesion. We also found ourselves really warming to the idea of being with family," she explained, shooting Peregrine a quick glance, "and raising our pups together with yours and Hawkeye's." Her lips pressed together and she decided to add something else. "And I don't mean to brown-nose, honestly, but we're dying for some solid leadership. We know we'll have that here."

Kisu submitted the same way Pied did; in a more formal manner, and more deeply. After a moment he stood and looked at Peregrine. This time he spoke. "As Pied touched upon, you are both strong leaders in this pack. I know how deeply Hawkeye cares for her wolves, and I know that she would only choose a mate that felt the same as she. I can be placed anywhere you need me, and I will excel at whatever it is. We will not get in your way or defy you. I just need a safe home for my mate and our pups; I am sure you can share the same feelings in that matter." Kisu looked at Hawkeye's belly and then to Pied's. He hoped that his words, male-to-male, had helped.

Hawkeye shifted her weigh after Pied spoke, and her mouth parted at the words of Kisu. The Alphess did not know him that well, but her heart went out to the male that loved his mate and their unborn children so deeply.

She simply turned her neck and looked at Peregrine, her eyes full of concern. He should know her answer to the pair. Now it was up to him; if he said "no," she would pull him aside and talk to him. It wouldn't be fair that if his answer was "no" and hers was "yes", that it was ultimately a "no".

Had any other pair approached them in this situation, Peregrine would've turned them away immediately, even if they were Hawkeye's friends. More mouths to feed—especially young mouths—were a threat to his own litter's livelihood. He wanted his unborn children to have the best possible chance not only of surviving but living a rich, happy, healthy life.

And though he was related to Pied, this relationship wouldn't have bent him very much in her favor. In fact, the only thing that stayed his tongue was the fact that those pups growing in her belly—not even rounded yet—were related to him. Of course, his children were his direct bloodline but Peregrine wasn't going to issue a death sentence against anyone with Redleaf-DiSarinno blood in their veins. Turning Pied away or accepting her and killing her litter would both be just that, in his eyes.

The swarthy Alpha male remained silent for a long time as he contemplated the issue from every angle. His eyes glowed with speculative light as Kisu addressed him particularly. On any other day, Peregrine would not have connected to a stranger, in-law or not, nor sympathized with one. Today, though, he could only look at this Kisu and think, He's gonna be a daddy too.

"Why didn't you try to take over the pack?" Peregrine wondered, though the question didn't contain an interrogative edge. He was more curious than anything.

As he awaited a response, he looked sideways at Hawkeye and saw the imploring expression on her pretty, green-eyed face. Although he was doing his best to stand up for himself and act like an Alpha male, he found himself wanting to do whatever pleased her most. As he looked into her eyes, he already knew his answer, though he wouldn't give his approval too quickly, lest he look like a weak or impulsive leader. They were here for good, strong, sensible leadership, after all.

Kisu complemented her modest soliloquy with one of his own, appealing to Peregrine directly. Pied peeked at her uncle's face to gauge his reaction to her mate's words, yet the swarthy Alpha male remained rather impassive. Her two-toned eyes dropped to her forepaws and stayed there as she awaited judgment.

Hawkeye said nothing, yet Peregrine questioned them. It was a fair enough question and, after a thoughtful beat, Pied answered honestly, "I can't speak for Kisu but I personally seek strong leadership because I know I would not provide it myself. I do not deign to become a leader, much less an Alpha. I'm just not cut out for it. I will be happy in any rank you think I deserve. There's that, then the fact that I really wanted to be with family again and raise our litters together," she repeated, her eyes shifting to rest on Hawkeye's figure.

Kisu stayed quiet a long moment after Pied's words. "In honesty, I do not fully know why I didn't take over. I have ran a pack before, almost two, and I do not doubt my abilities in a leadership role; but, as I am coming to a conclusion, my priority is protecting my mate and pups. If I had taken over and Akhlut did not like this, he could come and kill Pied or my pups at any time. I also did not trust one strange wolf in particular. She voiced her dislike for pups, and said she would make sure that they would not get in her way; to me, this is a threat to the innocent. I can handle my own, but newborns cannot. So: I did not take over for fear of my family's safety." He concluded his speech with a quiet yet certain voice, looking at Pied and giving a small smile.

What drove him to this conclusion was the fact that, as a leader, his family had been slaughtered before, save Robur Aqua.

Skipping Hawkeye with permission.

He listened to their respective responses. Both were incredibly humble and eloquent, which impressed him, though he wasn't about to coddle them by mentioning this. He remained silent for several beats, making a point of not looking at Hawkeye for the moment. He wanted to make this decision on his own, even if, deep down, he knew it was already made and had been made before he'd ever walked onto the scene. At least this time, that didn't really bother him.

"I guess I can't find fault with your logic, your honesty nor your dedication to your family's well-being," he eventually said. "I'm not exactly troubled by the fact that you ran out on your other pack, per se, but do you think it will bring any trouble here? If your former Alpha or any of your previous pack mates try to bust down our door, I will lay them all out without batting an eyelash," he informed them.

After yet another contemplative pause, Peregrine said, "And because of the fact that you two did break faith with your leader, I think it's fairest if you start out in our lowest available ranks. You will be given the same opportunity as everyone else to rise in the ranks via participation and contribution. I just think you should start at the very bottom as a matter of principle. Does that seem fair?" he asked, turning to meet his mate's eyes, as the question was for her.

Hawkeye nodded dumbly, but protest rose up in her. She did not know Kisu well, but she knew he had a good heart; this was not what was bothering her though. Pied was once the Delta of her pack. Hawkeye knew that Pied, at least, would not mind starting from the bottom, but the Alphess did. She gave a look of hesitation to Peregrine, then looked away; she would not argue or speak of his decision.

Although she could see that the question was meant for Hawkeye, Pied spoke up when it appeared the Alpha female wouldn't. "I think it sounds very fair. In fact, I was going to request it for myself anyway. I'd like to get to know everyone here and earn their respect before I work my way up. I know that... my pregnancy likely isn't going to win me any favors. I think it's best." She glanced at Kisu, wondering how he felt, not that it affected matters much. The Alpha male had made his decision.

Intuiting that they were formally accepted, Pied kept her head ducked low and inched forward to nuzzle Hawkeye, then bump Peregrine's chin. "Thanks, you guys," she said to them collectively. "It's good to be back home," she added for her sister's benefit particularly, reaching out to slide her pale muzzle against the Alpha female's cheek again before stretching her neck forward and ever so gently touching Hawkeye's rounded flank with her nose.

Kisu hesitated when Hawkeye nodded, seemingly speechless, and then Pied cut in. He was comfortable with the choice that Peregrine had made, but it seemed as if Hawkeye was not.

Where Pied moved forward to touch the two, Kisu stayed put. He felt like a fourth wheel, for they were all close to one another, him only knowing Pied.

"I appreciate you taking my family in. I am sure that no trouble will come from Akhlut, though he did mention before that there was only a pact to keep members of your pack from entering the territory; basically, he was only thinking of himself in the process, and not creating bonds. I am not sure if that information is of any use to you, but I thought I should disclose it anyway." Akhlut left a bad taste in Kisu's mouth. The boy was young and too confident in himself. Kisu was sure that he wouldn't last long, maybe until summer at the most.

Hawkeye shot him a quick look, then glanced away. Peregrine's lips pursed, not sure what to make of his wife's reticence. Before he could collect his thoughts, Pied spoke and he turned back toward her, nodding quietly in assent. He hadn't thought of how the other members of the pack would take to Pied's condition. He wouldn't blame them if they didn't like it, though Peregrine wouldn't tolerate it if they harassed her about it. The Alpha's word was law, after all, and if he said she and her pups belonged, anyone who questioned it questioned him.

He was about to mention this when Kisu said something, causing the swarthy Alpha male's eyes to flick to him. He nodded. "Thanks, Kisu." Then, to both of them, he added, "Welcome to the pack." He waved his tail, returning his niece's familial gesture when she bumped his chin.

In the next moment, the Alpha proposed, "Kisu, why don't you come with me. We'll let the ladies catch up and talk about pregnancy and pups and other things." He smiled thinly but warmly at them. "And you and I will go on a quick patrol, then do some hunting to provide for our families." Without waiting for an answer, Peregrine nuzzled Hawkeye and then turned and began trotting up to the plateau.

Kisu nodded to the male and watched him nuzzle his mate goodbye. The grey male also said goodbye, silently to both Pied and Hawkeye, licking the former. He then fell in next to Peregrine. The male did not speak until his Alpha did. Kisu was never really much for words.

Just wanted to wrap this. :)

Pied watched her uncle and mate trot away before turning and smiling at Hawkeye. "I hope they become friends," she commented lightly before saying, "It really is so good to be back here. I realize now I never should have left; I should have made Kisu come here..." She rolled a dapple shoulder. "Anyway, we'll both do our best to make sure our pups don't strain the pack's resources or anything like that."

Giving the Alpha female a nudge, Pied began to pad up the slope leading to the pack's main territory. "Obviously, I don't need a tour. I'd still love to walk the grounds, see if everything's where I left it and all that. You up for it?" When Hawkeye assented, the pack's newest recruit began to trot in the trail of their mates, albeit veering in a different direction and indeed bringing up the topic of pups as they roamed the plateau together.