Redhawk Caldera Guy's got magic cards. And magic hands.

Backdating this to after this thread for timeline's sake. @Raven @Eljay @Elwood @Finley

She awoke in unfamiliar grounds, with foreign scents surrounding her. Her first instinct was to rise, but she learned quickly that following one's instincts did not always lead to success. Her head swam, her vision blurring as her blood deprived body protested her sudden movement. Airi groaned piteously, sinking back to her stomach, her eyes squinting for a moment before she blinked them open. This is not the Lair, A voice warned. No shit, she snapped back.

Eljay was glad that he had convinced daddy to bring the pup in and have her taken care of. He'd been in the den watching her and the other pups, and a few times when noticing the littlest stirrings he'd jumped up, only to find that she was only dreaming (or that maybe he'd imagined it).

This time he had been out for a bit, leaving her alone for just a moment, and when he returned he saw her waking up. "You're awake!" he called out, bursting with enthusiasm and relief, his tail wagging as he approached.

Airi was not alone for long. Instead, as she lay there, her head rocking and rolling back into stillness, a wolf, half familiar, arrived. Airi did not greet the wolf happily; she didn't think she would to any wolf's face. Her face was corrupted by a scowl, jarring the happiness he exhibited. I am. So what?

Eljay's ears fell back at the sight of the unhappy scowl on the girl's face. He'd hoped that she would be happy to be saved, but it seemed she was angry for some reason. He licked his lips in subconscious submission as he really wanted her to like him, and he had hoped she would be grateful for the rescue. "I... Uh, sorry, I was just happy you were awake, because you were so wounded." He hadn't been totally sure she would awake at all at first, so he couldn't fully suppress how happy he was that she was awake. Why wasn't she happy with it herself, though, he wondered.

Airi snorted, her body responding to his own subconscious movements with a few of her own. The girl, despite the age gap between them, already felt a secured sense of superiority to the male. Her head raised, ears pressed forward. Hmph! She snorted, her nose upturned. Where am I. She demanded.

The girl didn't seem too happy to be here, which confused Eljay. He thought he had saved her, but she did not seem to mirror the same thoughts. She didn't even seem happy to be alive, let alone happy to be rescued. Perhaps she hadn't realised how close she was or how hard Raven'd worked to save her. "Redhawk Caldera," he said. "I... My father and I found you at our borders, so — so we had Raven fix you." Eljay smiled bashfully and he took a step's distance back in case she felt overwhelmed, not wanting to crowd her.

"I'm Eljay. Or Jay, if you want." Normally he'd only reserve that for family and friends but she seemed like she could use a friend.

Her neck was stiff, the wound from the older pup still raw and painful as they had been when she first got it, or even more so. Airi turned her body stiffly towards the yearling, sneering at his cheerfulness. Her head still swam, and her eyes squinted at the unfamiliar name. Where is that? She didn't remember the walk to this foreign pack, only remembering walking away from the skirmish, then waking here.

Airi Draconid, She returned, without the informality that Eljay had. She was of a higher status than mere pet names. Who's Raven? Why did you help me?

Eljay'd never gone out of Redhawk territory and so when the girl asked him where Redhawk Caldera was, he looked confused for a moment. Then he realised aloud, "Oh! Uhm — I don't know... There's mountains to the one side, and there's a big lake... I've... I don't really explore a lot." Never, more like, but Eljay was a bit embarrassed to tell this girl, younger than he and obviously much better at navigating already, that he had no clue where his home was in respect to other lands.

Airi. What a funny name. But he didn't say so. He tried answering her next questions as best he could: "Raven's a really sweet wolf who lives here and she's really good at healing. And, uhm, why? Well, because you were hurt, of course." He smiled awkwardly, not sure what to do with the 'why' question. Eljay hadn't even really thought about it, always wanting to help anyone who needed it. "Where are you from? Do you need help getting home when you're better?" He'd try and help as best he could, even though he knew nothing of the world outside. But he knew what home was like and he didn't wish it on anyone to miss home for any period of time.

Airi's unasked questions fizzles into dust as she slowly realized that she would get nothing from this kid. She scowled, trying to make something of what he said, then rolled her eyes. Thanks I guess, She muttered.

Because she was hurt, Airi wanted to laugh at that, just as she had laughed at her father when he himself dragged himself home, bleeding, dying. What did she had to offer to them? She was a child? Was that it? Because she was helpless, as a child? That sort of thing continued to confuse her, but, she was still alive, so she supposed that exploiting it was alright.

I don't want to go back, She said firmly, truly meaning it. She had left precisely because the place had bored her. It was stagnant; no wars, no hunger. She hated it. The girl wanted something to happen, not just growing up and guarding worthless borders. This was strangely one of the best things that had ever happened to her, despite the scars and near-death.

"Sorry," Eljay offered when he realised by her reaction that he didn't have much information to offer because he knew nothing of the outside world. It intrigued him to think that she, so much younger than he, had seen so much of the world. Though his own siblings were bigger explorers than he already (mostly Liffey) it was the first time that Eljay actually realised that wolves younger than he were setting out to explore the world.

When she said she didn't want to go back home Eljay felt sorry again, but this time for her. What must her home be like if she didn't desire to see it again? He wanted to ask if she was treated poorly by her family or pack, but couldn't find the words. "Oh..." he said with a sad frown that showed the sympathy for her situation. "You could stay here, if you want to." He knew he couldn't make the offer without consulting his parents first, but they couldn't just leave a pup without a pack like this, he had decided.

She shifted her body, wincing against the stiffness and festering wounds that lined her back and shoulder and neck. Airi wondered how long it would take for her to heal, how long she would remain with these people. She didn't like this man. He was whimpering and apologetic for no reason whatsoever. If there were more people like him here, she didn't want to stay.

She could not understand why this boy was so sad for her. Her life hadn't been so terrible as to warrant that reaction, she thought. Did people have it worse than her? She figured so. But Airi never felt sorry for herself, not matter the situation. I'll see, She barely knew this pack or its people, and had no such interest in them. They needed more things to keep her here.

Airi didn't seem too interested, but maybe she was just tired and in pain still. He hoped she'd make a better decision later so that she wouldn't be out on her own again later. But at least he had put the door at a crack so that she knew that she was welcome, whether she intended to keep him to his promise of a place in this pack or not.

For a moment Eljay was silent before he awkwardly said, "I uh, I'll let you rest again now." He smiled softly before he turned away. "I'll bring you something to eat later." With those words Eljay left, off to hunt something so that he could deliver it later.

The girl, with silence pervading the air, laid down. Her body was stiff as she lowered herself to the ground, her eyes staring at the boy, waiting for something. He was silent, and Airi was ready to turn before he took himself out. Airi grunted, her eyes falling shut, glad that the stupid conversation was over.