Golden Glade I think I'm moving but I go nowhere

Tags are for reference! *boops @Phox*

Getting a chance to catch up with loved ones was a welcome distraction for Wildfire; it filled an aching void inside her. There was something particularly soothing about simply sitting with @Raven for hours on end, listening as her sister caught her up on current events. When the caregiver finally covered everything and looked into her eyes, gently urging her to explain her departure from Drageda, Wildfire hesitated for only a breath.

She explained the difficulties of being left behind while her mate went off to war, gone indefinitely while Wildfire struggled—and failed—to raise their youngest four. When Bat had gone missing, something had really broken inside Wildfire. She'd come to realize that she couldn't face Heda when she returned. At least, it had started off like that: simple heartbreak and crushing guilt. Over time, Wildfire's feelings had metamorphosed until she found herself blaming Thuringwethil for putting her in that position, for causing Bat's flight, for letting her have children despite her doubts. Wildfire had always been highly emotional and all those terrible feelings had amalgamated into a potent nuclear cocktail.

To avoid the fallout, she'd made the decision to leave. It wasn't easy or fair. Leaving @Silkie and @Tux—who were understandably upset at losing another parent—behind was the worst part. "But then it led me to Bat," she concluded, eyes shining as she regarded her sister's dark features, her own yellow gaze soft. "And it's not like every doubt or bad feeling magically vanished but it's like..." Wildfire didn't know how to describe it and she shrugged helplessly. She knew Raven understood, being a mother herself. "And I feel like that bomb inside me has been defused, most importantly."

When the sun began to set, the two women parted to tend to their respective children. Wildfire went searching for @Kiwi, Bat or @Sequoia—who'd become more like a daughter than a niece over the past few days especially—and it was Bat's trail she found first. The trapper followed it away from the plateau, toward the glowing forest that edged it to the east. She didn't find the young traveler there and she decided against pursuing her, instead folding slim red haunches and winding her black tail around her hips like a wrap. She smiled faintly to herself, happy that Bat had apparently come alive here, following in her mother's own rangy footsteps.

While she sat there in the gathering gloom of dusk, Wildfire closed her eyes, let her mind empty and other senses wake. Even at this time of day, despite the chill of autumn's final weeks, the forest was alive around her. When her chestnut eyes sprang open a few moments later, they glistered fiercely in the dark, brimming with carnivorous lust. She swept silently to her feet to follow the sounds and smells of small prey scuttling about in the night.

There was nothing else to do, but keep walking. She had always been prone to losing her way - easily distracted and no sense of direction were not a fortunate combination - but she had well and truly done herself in this time. Her pack moved toward their winter hunting grounds, their youth in tow, and she had broken off to chase a particularly delicious looking hare. But instead of immediately disappearing into its warren, it had led her deep into a wood before vanishing from all her senses.

Not even Acorn would attempt to track her down and shepherd her back to the group this time; they needed to keep moving, and could not afford to lose another. The safety of the pack's children and future depended on it. Duckie was well and truly alone. There were no familiar scents to guide her, for her own led in confusing twists and circles.

She knew they had been heading south, and so she kept moving in what she thought was that direction - west.

Phox had been out tracking a decently sized herd of deer, but the sun was beginning to set, and he was already feeling sleepy. He knew that, by the time he got back, it would be well past his usual early bedtime. He probably should have just found somewhere to bed for the night, but he worried that Towhee would think that he had abandoned him again. Not only that, but Camilla rarely did very well on her own, and he tried to check in with her before she fell asleep each night. At least she seemed to be settling in... to some degree, anyway.

He knew that Wildfire, one of her children, one of her nieces, and another wolf from Drageda had joined them, although he still lacked the full context of what had happened and why they were here. Phox did remember Wildfire, but only faintly, from her stay with the Redhawks before he had fled (like the piece of shit coward that he was). Coincidentally, it was her scent he picked up on as he was headed home, and figuring it was as good a time as any (even though he was yawning every third step), he followed it to the source.

Instead of finding Wildfire—at least at first—he found another wolf, and Phox paused. These grounds weren't technically Redhawk "owned," but their numbers were high, and Phox did not think it wise to ignore a stranger so close to home. Not only that, but he caught Wildfire out of the corner of his other eye, and that made the decision obvious. Phox put on his best mean face (which wasn't very good), puffed up his chest, and started toward the wolf he did not know.

Wildfire had just stopped to sniff at the spoor of a passing herd—she was looking for small game but nonetheless wanted to take note—when two fresher scents wafted into her nose. She didn't quite jerk her head, though she raised it swiftly and peered into the surrounding darkness, plucking out two distinct figures. The first and closer one was a gray wolf of small stature, though she was larger than Wildfire. Off to the side, a darker figure approached, the resemblance to Peregrine so immediate and uncanny that recognition was instant despite all the time that had passed; it was Phox.

Perhaps this was Camilla, then, or some other member of the Redhawks whose name Raven had mentioned. Or so Wildfire thought, until her younger brother moved even nearer and, despite the darkness, she noticed the look on his face and the tension in his body. She deduced that the she-wolf must be a stranger to him. Wildfire stepped closer, closing ranks with her sibling, eyeing the stranger warily but not bothering to posture. She was an ambassador by nature and by nurture, though she didn't say anything, instead waiting for the other wolf to speak first.

She was enjoying the sights, and as such, hadn't been putting much effort into decoding the information provided by her sense of smell. Wolves, sure, sure, but not in a potency that she would have thought to associate with a densite or another highly protected common area. And so she strolled happily, enjoying the cooling weather and fresh scenery. Sure, she was lost, but when it happened to you as frequently as it happened to Duckie, you learned to stop stressing and find the bright side.

It wasn't until a stranger suddenly loomed at the corner of her vision - and then another on the opposite side - that dread began to take over like a slow frost. Before speaking, she took the opportunity to finally take a careful taste of the air. Many wolves. Frequent markers. These two wolves had the same tapestry of scent mixed with their own distinctive aromas. This very well could be their common area, and she had waltz right into it.

Exhaling slowly, she flipped onto her back to show deference. From this less than graceful vantage point, she apologized exhuberently, I'm SO sorry. I'm lost and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I don't mean you any harm.

Luckily for the wolf now on her back and spitting apologies, it had been Wildfire and Phox and not Towhee standing over her right now. Phox had a feeling his sister would have been much less lenient about this kind of situation. Alas, Phox had been a loner for long enough to have some empathy for her side of things, so he smoothed his ruffled fur out a bit and put on a more neutral expression. Wildfire did not seem particularly irked by the thing, which probably helped him reign in whatever instincts had been kicked into drive.

Good, he replied simply. We can't support another mouth, so you'd best be moving along. Considering all the new faces that had joined up with them, Phox thought this to be true. With pups right around the corner, he did not wish to over-hunt the area with so many wolves among them. He glanced briefly at Wildfire, wondering if she had anything else to add to the mix.

It took Wildfire by surprise when the she-wolf flipped onto her back, exposing the velveteen fur of her underside. She glanced sideways, deferring to Phox, who neutralized his expression just before telling the would-be interloper to be on her way. She trusted his judgment at face value, being too new to ascertain the situation herself. She doubted if this lost stranger necessarily wanted anything to do with their pack, though it was still fair to ask her to leave the Redhawks' hunting grounds.

Hoping she would take off without fuss, Wildfire said nothing—letting her silence demonstrate her support of her younger brother's decree—and waited. Once she was gone, she hoped to ask Phox if he'd like to join her in tracking some small prey. If memory served, he was a hunter by hobby if not by trade, and it would be nice to team up and catch some meat to feed to some of those mouths he'd mentioned.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting in response, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed by the quick dismissal. After a few more half-hearted wriggles on the ground, Duckie moved clumsily to her feet. Um, okay. Not really sure where she had come from and certainly not sure of where she was going, the she-wolf spun in a few circles -- as if chasing her clipped tail -- before beginning her trek anew... this time, due north.

Wildfire did not object. If Towhee had been around, Phox had a feeling she would have had something to say, probably to contradict her brother. It was nice to be around a sibling who was not constantly trying to do that. The stranger did an odd circle and then went on her way... but it happened to be in the direction of the Redhawks, and Phox huffed, giving Wildfire a sideways glance before taking off after the other wolf.

Hey, dummy! You don't want to go that way. That's toward our home. Try that way instead, he suggested, pointing himself toward the east. He wondered if she was always this directionally challenged.

Just when Wildfire thought they were free to get down to business, Phox shot her a look and then went after the she-wolf. She trotted slowly after him, ears flicking as he impatiently called out and provided directions. She swallowed the laughter that bubbled in her throat at the childish shout of, "Hey, dummy!" It wasn't very polite, though she understood his impatience. As a ranger, Wildfire had a pretty good sense of direction but she knew not everyone was so lucky (she couldn't help but think of poor Raven, who couldn't find her way out of a paper bag...).

Oh, she answered with a rare twinge of frustration coloring the edges of her voice. She paused in her steps, glancing at but trying not to make eye contact with the male so she could see the direction in which he gestured. Duckie was well and truly disoriented, now, but having little other choices, she began to trek anew. East, though she didn't know that.

Th-thank you, she stammered, a bit flustered and embarrassed, but dutifully continued to move away from the pack these wolves belonged to, and their territories. Duckie considered asking what she was now headed towards, or to ask directions south— so that she might have some hope of reconnecting with her kin... but it was hopeless. She'd never remember, anyway. Nor did she want to clue them in to how lost she actually was.

Phox realized that maybe she was completely and utterly lost, but it wasn't his concern. He was only annoyed that she was near the Redhawks' territory (and then went toward it). With that out of the way, and the stranger presumably gone, Phox finally turned to Wildfire with a "some people!" look. Been awhile since I saw you last. Pretty sure I was just a wee bab at the time. At least, he had felt like one. He couldn't even remember what they had last talked about, and he only faintly recalled that she had come here under some distress.

He considered asking her how life had been, but the question felt too broad, and he certainly didn't want to bring up anything bad that had happened. What are you doing out this way? he asked. Immediately after, he yawned, his black muzzle opening wide. He was really fighting the urge to curl up on the spot and go to sleep right here.

Finally the stranger wandered out of sight and thus out of mind. Wildfire's attention returned to Phox and she smiled at his comment. "You weren't that wee," she countered with a wave of her tail. "I remember telling you a bit about mom and dad." She couldn't remember very fine details now, over a year later, otherwise she might've remembered him asking, "Were they mad when you left?" It would've seemed a little ironic, given recent events.

Focusing on the present again, Wildfire said, "I was thinking of hunting. Would you like to j—" Her question cut off with a laugh at his yawn. "Maybe a rain check?" she guessed with an indulgent and very older sisterly look.

He smiled at that thought, even if he didn't remember the exact conversation they'd had. Peregrine and Fox could do no wrong in his mind, and it likely contributed to his elitist views. Considering Wildfire and he were their children, how could they do any wrong? (Except perhaps to each other.)

Oof, sorry. I've been out all day tracking down a herd. I'll definitely take you up on that rain check sometime. Hold me to it! Phox knew he was likely to forget all about it, especially when somebody told him anything past his bedtime. I'm gonna head back for the night; good luck out there! He gave Wildfire a friendly bump on the shoulder as he left, trudging his way home where he would collapse into the thicket with Towhee.

She nodded her understanding. "I'll come find you sometime," Wildfire replied. "Thank you. Good night!" She waved her black tail slowly, her chestnut eyes tracking Phox's movements as he turned and disappeared into the gloomy shadows beneath the plateau.

As silence fell over the glade, the spry she-wolf turned her attention back to the forest. Her specialty was small game, which she was quite capable of hunting all on her own. Undeterred by her solitude, she opened her other senses once more and prowled away into the darkness, the success of her venture marked by the sound of a struggle and the shrill scream of a dying rabbit later that night.