Redhawk Caldera forgive me if I wander off

During her unexpectedly long stay in the Wilds, Andalusia had heard much about the Caldera - and not always in the way of good things. Sebastian had been her first encounter, and through him she had learned of their hostility with the North. That had been some time ago - but Andalusia wondered how much of that tension still remained. And then there was the young warden-in-training she'd met along the river, who had point-blank invited her to join the pack - an offer Andalusia had declined after hearing of the Caldera's aversion to outsiders, and their discouragement of far-reaching travel. Her philosophies jarred against those of the Redhawks, and to join them would have ended in disaster. The Ostrega was aware of the time that had lapsed between then and now, but how much had really changed?

Andalusia came upon a portion of the Caldera of thicker forest, and skirted its peripheral with head lowered and jaws agape, hoping to scout some herbs along the way. She wouldn't lie, though. Underlying her ventures was the hope she would stumble (if one could call it that) upon one of the adult residents of the Caldera (for she hadn't failed to notice how full of youth the pack seemed to be). For all her loyalty, the Ostrega needed answers and a run down of the expectations this pack had of her. Such a process was only fair to them, for if she couldn't meet their requirements, she would need to consider if her loyalties were enough to keep her here.

i hope you don't mind!

Lagan was taking a nice walk in the woods, breathing in the scents of a new day. A new pack really, with all the new members from Broken Antler Fen, the Redhawk scent had started to change a little. Lagan loved having all the new guys around, new wolves meant new friends! But he did miss the way the Caldera used to smell, less like friends and more like family.

The other aromas of the forest soon lost his interest, and he zeroed in on one in particular. A newbie he presumed, a woman. He took off after it, walking at a steady pace. Out loud, and rather loudly, he made up his own song. It went something like , I'm hungry I want food, I'm in a really good mood. These woods are shady, I'm lookin for some lady. He continued singing all the way until he found her. He stopped, he trotted towards her to introduce himself. Hi! I'm Lagan.

You're perfect! Andalusia might have been hoping for an adult to come strolling by, but that doesn't mean I was haha! And LOL I love Lagan <33 So precious.

A blooming shoot caught Andalusia's attention, and her eyes lit with a distant recognition. In a few short strides she stood over the plant and wove a circular path around the tender growth, head low. She studied what she could see of it, before she nosed the ground around the roots in an effort to separate the tangle of scents from the soil and the forest growth.

An herb used for bruises and sprains - yet for the life of her, she couldn't remember the name. She bit her lip, and gave the plant a hard stare (as if she could intimidate the plant into telling), thoughts focused on the frustration at hand. Yet even as she strained her memory, her ears did not run idle. A shift came over the hum of the forest, and the birdsong dimmed to a different sound. Head still bent to the ground, she turned a tall ear to catch whatever disturbance approached. The noise grew louder, from a muffled ebb to a clear song. And, with the clarity of the chorus sharp in her ears, her face twisted from confusion to a disbelieving grin.

The intrigue of the plant dimmed in light of the boy who approached, and Andalusia raised her head to face him. She hovered in a half turn, and swung her tail in a low wave hello. "That lady goes by Andalusia," she said, and her grin continued to dance across her face. Lagan. Cheery boy. Hopefully she would remember his name better than she remembered the name of plants. "Didn't know the Caldera had a bard in training," she teased.

aww tysm! Your posts are gorgeous btw and Andalusia is also precious <3

Lagan hadn't realized that Andalusia had heard his singing, and her response was snippy but not mean. It made him chuckle a little, he found it kind of funny. He liked the lady already. She referred to Lagan as a bard in training, though he misheard her a little. It was a mixture of the fact that he didn't hear, and he didn't exactly know what a bard was. Lagan shook his head. Oh no, I'm not a bird. I'm a wolf. He said, unsure of how the lady Andalusia could possibly mistake him for a small feathered animal.

So as not to embarrass her for her mistake, he moved on from the topic. So how are you liking the Caldera so far? Is it really different from your old home or is it similar? He asked curiously, hoping to hear a little more about this place called, the fin. Another misheard word.

Thanks so much! <3 Andalusia has been a blast to play, probably because she has none of the obvious angst my other characters have haha!

Lagan appeared to mishear her, and though she opened her mouth to offer correction, the boy proceeded to spin a whirl of words that trailed the two down a rabbit hole she didn't count on reaching so fast. She enjoyed a slower dance, a more casual and gradual introduction. But, with a flick of her tail to dismiss her preference in favour of the boy's, the Ostrega, too, slid naturally down the tangent he followed, as if she always meant to go there.

"These lands seem plentiful and healthy, which is an improvement from the Fen. They're also a lot less water-logged." Those were the facts, and what most wolves cared about. But land was much more to her - not a thing that bound her, nor one that merely provided, but an ally who lent her the wind to fly, unrestricted and free, until she returned to where her loyalties lay. Perhaps Lagan couldn't give her the answers she sought, but she wondered if this boy had any of the same wanderlust that gave her own body life. "But that's just the surface of things. Have you ever seen the world, Lagan? Beyond the Caldera?" A new light entered the Ostrega's eyes, and as she turned to face the boy more fully, curiosity inclined her body forward.

i know what you mean, my first character here was this sad guilty big boy who's super serious and grumpy, Lagan is quite the opposite (also sorry that he is really dumb sometimes) xD

They were plentiful and healthy! Lagan beamed with pride as she said it, a smile still planted upon his face. Andalusia mentioned the Fen, and how it was waterlogged. Well duh, it's a fin! Of course it's full of water. Lagan thought to himself, another word that he didn't know. He'd heard it so many times, and never understood what it meant. He assumed it was fin, as in a fish's fin. He found it very hard to believe that Andalusia and all of her friends lived on a very large fish, this was the second time that Lady here had said something silly. This time instead of calling her out for it, he let it slide with a nod.

She asked if he'd every seen the world, and he made a pfft sound through his teeth. Oh yeah, I crossed a whole mountain once! I love exploring. Me and my cousin Gannet are gonna go do a ton more down south, you could come too if you want! He explained, and while he really liked Lady here, he also wasn't sure how helpful she would be on a scouting trip. She didn't even know the difference between a bird and a wolf! But he was polite, so of course he offered.

Mine was quite similar. Super social-anxiety, and untrusting of pretty much everyone, which made long-term roleplaying a pain, since I realized a few weeks into the game I didn't know how she was going to develop relationships with anyone in her pack xD Haha! And I love Lagan's internal thoughts. Andalusia would probably have a good roll of laughter if she heard what was going through his mind all through this conversation xD

The quirk of a smile teased across the Ostrega's face when Lagan spoke of seeing the world, with a tone almost incredulous she would even ask the question. Lucky for the boy, there wasn't much that could ruffle her fur, and she let his naivety slide without comment. A mountain range was a decent start, but if that was his world, his picture still had miles of mountains and valleys and rivers and oceans to grow.

But Lagan seemed to have that wanderlust she'd hoped for - or at least, a penchant to explore and see new things. If he held to that, Andalusia was certain he would really see the world in due time. As matters stood, he already had a plan to venture further, and her tail lit with a gentle wag at his invitation. "I would love to," she said, and paused. "Though, I am curious, what do your leaders think of your travel?" Though she figured Elwood and Finley were Lagan's parents, she avoided this reference to curve any thought she might be babying him, and flashed him a good-natured grin. "Being new here, I haven't grasped all your policies yet, and I wouldn't want to step on any avoidable toes." The less selfish of her reasons for asking.

xD oh and thanks! I'm having so much fun with this thread you have no idea <3

Lady said she would love to travel with Lagan, what a score! It seemed like Lagan was about to have an entire exploring team, hopefully Gannet wouldn't mind. Lagan was about to start talking a whole lot, about Gannet and their plans, but Lady stopped him with another question. His leaders? His mom and dad? He kept forgetting to ask them about this dang it! Everyone he talked to reminded him to ask his parents, but he still hadn't. Ummm.

Well I haven't really asked them yet, but I think they don't mind. Finley used to be a scout, so she like, travelled and stuff too. I'm sure they'll understand. He said, though it wasn't really an answer to her question.

Haha! <3 I am glad! For I, too, am thoroughly enjoying this.

As hard as she tried, Andalusia couldn't stop her brows from raising, and her mouth from pulling into a crooked twist of how exactly am I supposed to respond to that? The result looked something akin to Jim Halpert, and she blinked to try and wipe the disbelief from her face.

"I see." She finally managed, and Andalusia wondered if she really should have been so surprised at all. She had been forced to grow up quickly, ever since her parents' deaths, and at Lagan's age - what was he, nine? ten months? Regardless, at his age, she had already found her foster parents' blessing upon her pursuit of outriding, and had been assigned her apprenticeship shortly after. Yet with Lagan... perhaps she had to adjust her expectations.

So she tried to pull a well meaning grin back over her face, one Andalusia was certain looked forced. His reassurance of Finley's ex-travelling days did little to ease her. Just because a mother was fine with putting herself in the way of the unknown didn't mean she'd be as willing to let her pups do the same. "You know, take it from someone who's walked in your paws before, but you should probably check sooner than later. You know what, we could even go right now." Did that sound too pressing? Truth be told, she wanted this kid's parents to be okay with travelling as much he probably did - maybe even more. And as it stood, she didn't quite trust Lagan to remember to ask if she left him on his merry way from here.

LOL I love the office, my guinea pigs are named Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute, and Dwight has a middle part xD

There was a long pause in between Lagan's words and Lady's response. She made a rather odd face, that Lagan couldn't comprehend. Was she thinking? Was she annoyed, or confused? So he made a face of his own, a face of excited anticipation, something quite like this. Finally she spoke again, and all he got was a measly, I see. After that she seemed a little put out on the idea of traveling with him. He hoped she wasn't, cause the talking to his mom and dad thing was an easy fix!

He was about to further explain why his parents would probably say yes, when Lady decided they should go now. Lagan stood there for a moment, and blinked. Go right now? Why hadn't he thought of that?! Now? Right now. That's a good idea! Yeah ok, MOM! DAD! He howled/screamed for either @Elwood or @Finley, or both. Hopefully they'd come quickly, so that he could get this over with and have his new friend fully onboard with the adventure.

It was not uncommon for Lagan to call for his parents, and there wasn't any particular urgency in his voice, so Elwood finished what he was doing before seeking out his son. He buried the remains of the badger he had just caught in a cache near the rendezvous site, then began to trot in the direction from which Lagan's howl had come. He wasn't usually the type of wolf to leave anyone hanging, but a handful of minutes had slipped past before he arrived.

He found Lagan with one of Sebastian's wolves; he searched his brain for her name and remembered that it was Andalusia. "What's up?" he asked, glancing from the young Blackthorn to the former Fen she-wolf as he came to a halt.

I appreciate those guinea pig names. They are well fitting for such creatures (:

Andalusia winced at Lagan's sudden shriek, and visible flinched away, folding her ears against her skull in an effort to keep herself from going deaf. She eased when his call subsided, and she lowered the paw she had jerked away from the start of his summons. If his parents had missed that... well, she would be quite certain they would have been the only wolves in creation who had.

Not long passed before another joined them, though from a distance Andalusia couldn't tell which of the Alphas approached. They both bore a similar shade of grey, much like their son, and only when the figure drew closer did she note he was distinctly male. Elwood - at least, she thought that was his name. She nodded in short greeting before inclining her head toward Lagan, a silent prompt for him to speak.

It didn't take long for Elwood to arrive, offering a what's up. Lagan glanced momentarily back at Lady, who dipped her head slightly towards him, a gesture for him to speak. He looked back to his dad and with an excited twinkle in his apple green eyes, he said, Hey dad! So I've been planning this big adventure, a scouting trip to the mountains south of here. The plan was to take Gannet, and now Lady and we were just gonna go party it up! We would be back soon, and we will make sure to be super safe and stuff.

He paused, attempting to gauge how his dad felt about these plans. Then he continued, Lady I mean Andamoosia, Anda... Another pause as he tried to remember her actual name. He glanced to her again, then gave up. Lady told me that it would be a good idea to ask and make sure that it's all ok with you and mom. He finished with a big Lagan like smile.

His son was quick to explain the situation, and Elwood listened with a small smile playing on his lips. Lagan had always been excitable and his good moods were often contagious. Elwood knew that the boy had taken a few short excursions outside of the caldera on his own, so he wasn't necessarily surprised that he was planning a longer trip. He was glad to know that Lagan planned to take Andalusia and Gannet as his companions; personally, he had never been much of a traveler, especially since he had laid down roots in Redhawk Caldera. But it seemed natural for Lagan to take after his mother, the former scout.

"That sounds like fun," he said, nodding and shifting his gaze briefly to Andalusia. He chuckled at Lagan's mispronunciation of her name; clearly they had settled on Lady as a nickname, and it seemed to be fitting. "The mountains, huh?" he asked, casually probing for more information.

Andalusia held back a snort of amusement when Lagan near butchered her name. She'd made similar fumbles as a pup, when she had tried to repeat her mouthful of a name back to her family and presented herself eager, yet less than capable. The memory of those times - and present reminders like Lagan - often made her wonder if she would be better off just introducing herself as Lu.

But Lady also sufficed. She danced a look to Elwood at the sound of his laugh, a sideways glance and a crook of her mouth to say 'at least he tried', and she decided then that she liked the man. In the few times she'd seen him, he had presented himself as good-natured, level-headed and an interested father. Finley was lucky to have him by her side. The thought fleeted, and she turned her head back to Lagan, curious, too, to hear how exactly he planned for them to 'party it up', as he so eloquently phrased it.

Lagan was glad to hear his dad's opinion of his plan, that it sounded like fun. That meant he could do it right? Lagan was pretty sure that's what it meant, so his tail started going side to side like a windshield wiper. Lagan glanced at Lady once again, and gave her a grin as if to say, Yes! I did it! Elwood asked about the mountains, and Lagan replied quickly. Yeah. Cause that one time I went to the mountains up north so now we're going to see what's south. It's probably awesome. He said, nudging Lady's shoulder.

"It's probably awesome," Lagan said, and Elwood couldn't help but give a good-natured laugh. The boy was like his mother in more ways than one, and his zest for life and desire for adventure were evident in his tone and expression. "It'll be totally awesome," he agreed, grinning, then sobered.

"But seriously, be careful out there. I know you will be," he said, anticipating a protest from his son, "but things can happen to even the most experienced scouts. I don't want to scare you; I just want to make sure you take care of yourself. You can always ask your mom for tips." He couldn't help but slip into protective parent mode, if only for a few moments; he shot a grateful glance in Andalusia's direction, both for agreeing to accompany Lagan and for putting up with his fatherly advice.

The sudden bump from Lagan startled Andalusia, and, wide-eyed, she crossed her forelegs to brace her stagger. But she gathered herself well and shouldered him back, a crooked grin bent his way. She had to hand it to the kid, he had a good nature about him, and though he still had plenty of room to grow, he seemed to be headed on a decent path.

Elwood's words brought a measure of sobrerity back to their plans, and Andalusia returned his glance with a slow and encouraging nod. With the amount she traveled, the outrider had faced her share of scares, and had certainly heard of skilled wolves who had been dealt far worse than a few cuts and bruises. In the seemingly endlessness of youth, she hoped Elwood's warning would settle in Lagan without the boy needing to learn his advice first hand. Andalusia couldn't promise to keep him safe, but she would do what she could to watch out for him on the road, as the outriders she had trained beneath had done for her.

His dad was totally in on it! He even confirmed that the trip would be totally awesome, which made Lagan feel even better about it. He bit his lip as he tried to contain his excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Gannet! He wanted to run and do it now but he couldn't quite yet, his dad was still talking about safety and blah blah blah. When his dad finished he spoke quickly. Ok, yeah thanks dad. Love you! He hurried to his dad's side and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek before turning back to Andalusia.

Hey! Let's go find Gannet and tell him! Hurry come on! He said, before taking off at ludicrous speed in no specific direction at all.

what a fun thread! Last post for me <3

Despite his best intentions, his words seemed to have gone in one of Lagan's ears and out the other. The boy was simply excited to start his adventure, although Elwood hoped that Lagan would retain at least a little bit of what he had said. Besides, he had a decent amount of common sense; Elwood simply had to trust that things would be just fine.

"Have fun!" he called after his son as the youth bolted off. He shook his head and smiled, exchanging one last glance with Andalusia before departing in the opposite direction.

Lagan swirled like a tornado around them both, and Andalusia stiffened her paws against the ground to keep herself from spinning. When she regained some form of composure, she twisted and craned her neck, only to see him shrink to a speck in the distance.

Andalusia caught Elwood's eye, and gave him a look she wasn't sure of herself - a plea for help? - but she was in this now. And as the father retreated, she scrambled to her own paws and loped after the scent of Lagan's strong excitement. Adventure awaited - just not quite as she had planned for.

<3 Archiving this now! Lagan and Andalusia will go exploring yet!