Redhawk Caldera no egrets

All welcome! Getting away from the den for a bit. ;)

The pups were developing quite well, Fox thought, but today was a day she had taken for herself. Leaving them with one of their many caretakers (Finley, Somnia, Elwood, or Peregrine), Fox had set out to stretch her legs and perhaps get to know one of her comrades she hadn't talked to much. Crow had come by a few days before, but she hadn't seen Jaws in some time, and she hadn't even met Hex or Silverfeather... if the dudes (ladies?) were even still around at all. In fact, Fox didn't even know their names. She just had some vague knowledge passed on to her by one of her co-leaders that there were two other wolves mulling around these parts.

There was also Grimm, whom Fox had seen at the den on a couple of occasions, and Magpie, whom Fox feared had abandoned them yet again. Hopefully that wasn't the case, but seeing as her half-sister hadn't come by the den in quite some time, it was hard to tell. Fox was hoping that she'd run into somebody she hadn't seen in awhile. Dove was on that list as well, now that she thought about it.

Slender red legs carried her halfway down the side of the mountain, and Fox stopped on an outcrop, surveying the lands below.

I'm going to assume this takes place after Jaws gets back from his trip to the flatlands. :D

The waiting game had paid off for the coywolf. Grasped in his teeth he carried a black and white mass of fur - a badger, caught unawares exiting its burrow only to be savaged by the waiting 'Hawk. Although Jaws had made a quick kill, badgers were notoriously fierce and this one had not seen fit to die without leaving a couple marks to be remembered by: Jaws bore scratches on his muzzle, cheek and neck, though the latter were swallowed by thick fur. Although fresh blood welled in the grooves he was fortunate, they were not too deep and would likely heal in full.

Jaws was making a straight track toward the den, expecting Fox to be there, but to his surprise the Alpha female's scent caught his nose some distance from the den, and he spied her overlooking her claim atop an outcrop, looking ever bit the queenly ruler. He hastily circled around to come up behind her. Reaching the outcrop, Jaws lightly tossed the badger to Fox's feet and displayed a most shit-eating grin, his tail swaying with satisfaction.

Sounds good to me. Thanks for joining. ^__^

A rustling from behind drew Fox's attention away from the view and on—plop!—the thing at her feet. Truth be told, Fox had all but forgotten about the request she'd made of Jaws. When her eyes caught his "I'm so fucking cool" grin, though, she remembered. She was fairly certain that was the last time she'd seen Jaws, though ever since the kids were born, it was hard to tell one day from the next (or previous).

"Well, look at that!" she said, once a second had passed. "You went and did it." Fox wasn't even sure if he had taken his request seriously, but it seemed he had. "Did you manage to nab one for yourself, too?" she asked. Surely he must have been curious about the taste of badger as well. Fox didn't go for the meal just yet, figuring she would share some with the children as well.

no problem!

Jaws could not be sure which part was more satisfying - that he had managed to surprise his Alpha by fulfilling a request that was meant as a joke, or that he had pioneered a technique for hunting an animal he had never tried to hunt before and one that was fairly dangerous at that. Either way, he had added badger to the menu, and would be sure to try to repeat his success.

Fox asked if he had gotten two and Jaws shook his head in response. "Naw," he said, "Just one for now. Ladies eat first." he winked, not sure if Fox would actually try the badger meat but hoping that she would. "How's the kids?" Jaws inquired as he seated himself. He had not yet met the other two and had not seen Wildfire since he brought her a gift of a feather and a hare. His next mission now that the badger was taken care of was to capture an entire bird for the fiery pup.

Jaws replied that he'd only caught one, and it was for her. If there was one way to win over Fox, it was to bring her fancy, rare foods (even if they weren't exactly "delicate") that nobody else could have. Although she had matured a great deal over the past year, she still had her selfish tendencies and tended to do whatever worked for her. Sometimes, this came at the cost of pushing somebody else down in the dirt, but that had rarely phased her. The only exception—even now—was Magpie. Perhaps her children would also become exceptions in time.

Speaking of... "They’re doing well," Fox replied with a bemused smile. "I’ve started taking them just outside the den so they’re starting to explore the world and all that." The kiddos, while they were exhausting, were incredibly amusing to watch as they tumbled around and sniffed at the great outdoors. "Feels good to see them walking on wobbly legs and peering around with their little teeny eyes." They seemed to be able to sense movement, though Fox wasn't sure if they could make out the finer details. Their sense of smell only grew stronger as the days flew by.

Jaws nodded courteously as Fox shared with him how the pups were doing. He had never spent much time around pups, in fact his experience was limited to when he was a pup. But he was a pack wolf now, and his instincts were taking the reigns on how he felt toward his Alpha's offspring. They were the future of the pack and he would be there to help ensure their security.

"It don't take long does it?" Jaws commented. It seemed like just yesterday they were born, time was flying past him faster than he could keep up with. As a lone traveler time never seemed to matter, it almost did not exist, but in this more social environment it made his head spin a bit. "I've never really been around pups," he shared. "First time was when I visited with Wildfire and Peregrine." the coywolf chuffed. 

"Apparently not," Fox replied with a smirk. Before she knew it, they'd be running around acting like mini-adults. And in a year or two, some would likely start their own lives, living elsewhere. Fox did hope that at least a few of their brood eventually stuck around, but she wasn't counting on it. Even if they all left the nest, it would only be to move on to bigger and better things. Knowing that only made Fox happy for her children in the future.

Jaws mentioned that he hadn't really been around children. It seemed a somewhat common theme, for whatever reason. Fox had known plenty of children back home, and she'd briefly met Tuwawi's brood, but her own kids were obviously a lot different from both of those situations. "Well, you’ll get plenty of puppy time if you stick around." Fox didn't get the feeling that Jaws was looking to be a caretaker, but she could see him being a role model of some sort if he stayed around the caldera. "Think you’ll ever want kids of your own one day?" she asked. No matter which way he answered, Fox wouldn't be bothered.

"I don't plan on going anywhere," Jaws shared. Redhawk Caldera was his home, it was working out better than the erstwhile loner could have imagined for someone as potentially awkward and elusive as he was, and he had no reason to leave. From his strong survival standpoint, there was nothing more he could ask for. Even the trouble with Dove seemed to have faded into nothing. He was not without tail, either, having found a willing participant in Tiger. The coywolf was pretty content.

Fox inquired if he ever wanted kids and the Gamma also bust into laughter, instead he chortled and grinned. "No, I don't think so," he said. "I wouldn't doubt that I have offspring running around somewhere, but I am not the..." Jaws trailed off, searching for the right word or description. "I can't see me taking a mate, I guess is what I am getting at." He was not much of a lover or a family man, to say the least.

I'm on fire today, whee!

When Jaws said he didn't plan on going anywhere, Fox thought to interject with a, "Nobody plans to leave," but she kept the sentiment to herself. Time would be the true test of whether or not Jaws was as loyal as he claimed to be. Too many times, Fox had seen "loyal to the death" wolves wander off without a word. Ashton came to mind, as did Haunter. Haunter's disappearance had a reason, and his untimely death had been an even greater loss. But that was then, and this was now.

"Bastards?" Fox replied incredulously, her tone thick with distaste and her expression morphing to match. Even though she had loved both Bones and Magpie dearly, neither of them ever should have been born. They were abominations in the Alpha's mind. The same went for the children of Lasher and Blue Willow. "You should know that I won't tolerate that kind of... irresponsibility here." Because irresponsible was exactly what creating bastards was. Without two parents to raise and cherish them, children turned out foul. Fox had seen it time and time again, and she knew that bonded couples were far more likely to stick together compared to those who were merely flings or friends.

So that makes you... FireFox!? *cheeseball*

Dove had warned Jaws about how Fox felt about bastard children, and he could see it for himself now, sense her disdain toward the mere thought of them. "Yes." he replied evenly, his tone having nothing to indicate because Jaws' was neither defensive nor offensive. His mind briefly flickered to Dove, but by now he was certain nothing had come of that night in the wilderness. "It won't be a problem here," he reassured her. "As a lone wolf, nothing mattered to me but me. A piece of tail was a bit of fun in an otherwise struggling life and I took what I could get." He paused, his bi-colored eyes searching his Alpha, but he continued. "I looked out for myself then, but I am looking out for my pack now."

I'm all for cheese!

Jaws seemed to understand that such behavior wouldn't be tolerated, and that was mostly what Fox was looking for. Jaws couldn't change past mistakes, so she put the subject to rest. That wasn't to say that Fox wouldn't judge him for what he'd done, but she probably wouldn't bring it up unless it became a problem in the future. Say, for instance, if he knocked up somebody who wasn't his mate. Or if his bustards all came to nibble of the caldera's caches without giving anything in return.

"How're you getting on with the rest of the redhawks?" Fox asked. Jaws had been living with them for a little while, so surely he had some kind of opinion on them. Considering how fiercely he'd pledged his loyalty, Fox had a feeling he got along with the rest of his comrades in some manner, but she did want to probe him in case he had any doubts.

Fox had no further interest in pursuing the subject and for that Jaws was grateful, the discussion was starting to edge on uncomfortable and a little too serious for the coywolf.

"Actually, pretty good," Jaws offered with a chuff and slight smile. With the exception of the tension with Dove and the few packmates he never had the chance to meet before they took off elsewhere, he had met everyone and could honestly say there had been no problems, except for the now fading tension with Dove. "I had my doubts. I'm not the most socially graceful," Jaws shared, opening up to his Alpha. While he had primarily been a wolf of few words conversations were coming easier to him. "But I'm getting along fine."

"Not the most socially graceful," described a younger Fox, though she had slowly grown more mature and understanding. It made her wonder how old Jaws was, though she didn't inquire on the matter. He was old enough, an adult, and pretty much all adults were on the same "level" as far as Fox was concerned. "That's good to hear. You'll see folks come and go, but the best ones stick around." Well, that wasn't always the case, but it did seem to be a common theme. Redhawk Caldera had an excellent team of leaders, and Fox couldn't see any of them wandering off anytime soon. Then again, she'd thought the same of Somnia.

Anyway! "I think I'm going to take this back to the den and chow down. I'm sure Perry will want a bite, too, and the kids love to eat barf." She said this last bit as matter-of-factly as could be, and paused to allow Jaws any last words before she retreated back home.

"I'll see you around," Jaws bowed his head respectfully to his Alpha, making a mental note to himself to ask her later how the badger tasted, and though he would not get a sensible answer, he would ask the pups too how barfed badger was. As he left her company he could not help but feel a bit unsettled by the thought of eating barf or offering up, despite the fact that he had eaten considerably worst things just to say alive. He supposed it had to do with his lack of experience around raising children. With a shake of his head he cleared his mind and went in search of a snack for himself