Dragoncrest Cliffs Blank open eyes

Looking for @Pepper!

Weeks pass as Beau follows the path laid out for him. He reaches a pack on the coast, and he can only assume that he has reached his destination.

Pausing at the borders he wastes no time, lifting his head to release a long howl that calls for Leto's father. She claims that a man here is such a figure to her, and Beau is not one to accuse a lover of lying.

A part of him is curious, and another part of him only wants to get this trip over with. He hates to miss so much of Leto's pregnancy, that he cannot be there to ensure that she is recieving the proper care. His confidence is dwindling by the day; Verapaz wolves are not the caring type, and while the woman seems to trust Soto, Beau does not, and when it comes to the other man the Prairie Snake would prefer that he stays away from her all together.

Releasing a sharp sigh, he attempts to wash the worries from his mind. Hazel eyes stare into the land ahead, waiting for someone to appear.

He hadn’t recalled the borders to be this active in the past.. 

Regardless, the old wolf rose from the puddle that accumulated on the stone floor below from the melted snow that once stuck to his fur. A fresh coating would be gathered on his trip out, he thought, and he should pick a new location to nap upon return. Or..to daydream, as he hadn’t been successful in actually sleeping. 

He’d seen no Mireille, not much of anyone else, either, so he figured it should be him to handle greeting duty. Which was unfortunate for whatever stranger got to be greeted by such an old, grumpy face. 

A short walk and only a few stumbles later, the old wolf breached the winter-worn tree line, met with a young wolf. Or, younger. Everyone seemed young to the old man. 

He carried a familiar scent, and maybe in his youth, he would’ve been able to recognize it. But his wit was reflected in his teeth. Dull, and growing duller. 

Also maybe in his youth he would’ve taken his shot with the wolf. A regal coat, nice build.. but those days were long gone, now, and he pushed the thought aside. 

“Welcome to Sapphique,” he said, taking a painstakingly slow seat on the frozen ground a few feet before the wolf. ”Pepper,” he said, nodding to him, then lifted his head with an expectant expression.

A man comes, Beau's nose twitching as he caught the scent; vaguely familiar, maybe, from when himself and Leto first met. That felt like a long time ago now - she had carried the scents of a few too many men, women too.

Beau. He returned the introduction, taking a pause before he continued. Leto sent me from Verapaz - says her daddies 'ere. She had mentioned the name Pepper before, but this man looked nothing like her. Are you him? He raises an eyebrow.

This man seemed sore, too old to be travelling for long periods of time. If it was him that Leto had sent for, Beau was not so sure he would forgive her for sending him on such a journey.

A part of him worried that her 'father' would refuse to come at all. She's pregnant, due in maybe month. Wants 'im there - think she's just scared. It was not something he could understand completely, but he wanted to try.

Dad? Pepper hardly saw himself as that. But if the title made her happy, he wouldn’t object. 

He figured she’d end up such a way this season, the way she spoke of her new home. He could only hope she’d chosen someone who wasn’t a piece of shit. Not that he thought she would..but the worry was still there. 

”I..suppose I am,” he said, confirming his identity.  He wanted to be there with her. If anything, to take his mind off of everything else..but across the valley was..he could barely make it to the shore to fish. He figured she remembered him like the last time they’d spoken. Even then, he was deteriorating. But that was a winter ago. He had obligations here, and if he left that far.. that would be his new home. If he made it. 

”I’m.. I don’t think I could make a trip like that.” he stated, though regret was visible in his grey face.

Unfortunately for Pepper, one of those pieces of shit was standing in front of him - and Beau's man brain was suddenly finding a sense of clarity.

This was not her father, he was sure; and he was certain that Leto knew a trip to the lowlands would have been difficult for this one. So, she either wanted him to come back empty-pawed or for him to return far slower than he would with a more able-bodied wolf to escort. What he was struggling to understand was the why of it all.

He stood there in silence for a moment, looking like a frozen deer before it bolts into a roadway to escape a predator. You ain't her pa, she's tryin' to distract me! It looked as though a light suddenly flicked on in his head - but, he had realised too little too late.

But why him? Why not the other man? Surely he was no better than Beau - he was a nice guy (said by no nice man ever), or surely kinder than the other men in the basin were.

Pepper no longer mattered - he could not return with Beau, and so his work here was done. He needed to return to Verapaz as quickly as he could. What was Leto doing now? Had she found someone else? Was she getting hitched? His brow furrowed as the possibility crossed his mind.

Thanks anyways. I'll tell her yer' not doing too good when I see her.

The wolf’s sudden outburst contorted the look of regret painting Pepper’s face to one of confusion. 

Distract him from what, exactly? 

”Don’t go tellin’ her that. Last thing she needs is to be worried about me while tryin’ to care for a litter.” 

He didn’t want her worrying at all, actually, regardless of what she was doing. 

”What exactly are you on about with the distraction thing?”

He only grunted in response to Pepper's request - presumably willing to grant it. Safe to say his usually upbeat mood had been ruined, by no fault of Pepper. She sent me here so I wouldn' be there. He said, though that would not provide much clarification.

Briefly, some less than savoury words popped into his mind to describe Leto. He would not voice them - he was smarter than that at the very least. If I'm gettin' to my babies in time, I best start running'. Bye now. With that, he turned and ran off. Not much of a conversation on Beau's end, but clearly he had other priorities. Poor Pepper was just a bounce board for a conversation the cowboy was having with himself.

So..was he not the father? Or maybe he was, regrettably so. Pepper decided he didn’t care for him. Seemed untrustworthy. Disrespectful, too. 

Had he been in any position to, he might make the trip to scold Leto for giving him the time of day. 

Instinct tugged at his legs when the wolf took off. To chase him down, or at least follow him. But better judgement won out in that fight. He’d never make it, much less keep up. 

She’d have to deal with the annoying wolf on her own. All he could do here was hope the nagging thought that this wolf wasn’t a father to her litter was true.