Redhawk Caldera Once upon a time

For @Wildfire but other babies are welcome as well! :D

"Hello, puppies!" Elwood bellowed as he strode toward the Alphas' den, the sun at his back and casting a long shadow. It was a crisp spring afternoon, though the warm light nudged the temperature up a few degrees when one was not in the shade. The perfect day, he thought, to spend some time with his favorite godchildren -- his only godchildren, actually, but they were still his favorites.

Knowing that it would take only a few seconds for one or more of the firebirds to respond to his call, he dropped onto his belly, propping himself up on his elbows as he waited for them. By now, they were old enough to venture away from the homesite -- and had been doing so regularly, it seemed -- so he hoped to take a miniature adventure today. His tail dusted the ground behind him and a slow grin curled his lips as he heard the unmistakable sound of little pawsteps...

A strange dream caused Wildfire to twitch in her sleep, accidentally kicking Nightjar in the face and causing one of his teeth to wedge into the thin webbing between her toes. With a quiet cry, she jerked awake and withdrew her foot, then sat up and blinked around rather blearily. The remnants of her dream vanished into the ether. Her brother and sister were asleep beside her and their father's great black silhouette blocked most of the doorway. He, too, appeared to be resting.

Slowly, the young puppy clambered to her feet, yawning and stretching all the while. She then padded over to Peregrine, pouncing on her father's tail and causing him to sit up silently and look at her. Wildfire smiled, though before she could think of what to do next, both their heads jerked to look outside. A bellowing Elwood was approaching. The sight of her godfather caused Wildfire's tail to stir and it only took a single glance at Peregrine before she was darting from the den to meet the Beta male.

"Hiyee!" she warbled, black tail low and wagging as she neared him. When she reached Elwood, Wildfire bounced up to plant a kiss on his chin. "Ood ning!" she greeted cheerily. Then: "Ook!" She scampered suddenly back toward the den, bounding past the Alpha male's outstretched legs, diving behind him and then reemerging with something—a well chewed deer hoof—clutched in her teeth. This she spat out on the Beta male's foot the instant she returned to him.

It was Wildfire that emerged from the den, slipping past Peregrine and eagerly trotting towards her uncle. Elwood flashed a grin at his friend and Alpha, then shifted his attention to the little dhole. She kissed him on the chin, an unexpected but welcome greeting, and then before he could return the sentiment, she had whirled and was darting back into the burrow.

She wasn't gone for long, but the few seconds were enough for Elwood to tilt his head curiously. Soon enough, she reappeared, this time holding an object in her tiny jaws. As soon as she skidded to a halt in front of Elwood, she deposited the thing at his feet and he leaned down to examine it. It appeared to be a hoof, and it was indented all over with teeth marks.

"Wow, look at that!" he exclaimed, as though she had brought him the eighth wonder of the world. He pawed at it gently, watching as its rounded surface rocked on the ground before laying still. "Is it tasty?" he asked, looking up at Wildfire to see what sort of reaction his question would get.

Elwood seemed suitably impressed by the hoof, which made Wildfire beam up at him. "Sa... who!" she babbled at him, black tail waving. "Stee?" she questioned, mimicking the latter syllable of tasty nearly perfectly. Her head canted to the side to show she didn't quite understand. But before her uncle could explain, the child screamed, "AY!" and dove for the hoof, clutching it in her mouth again.

Exchanging a look with him, she trotted past the Beta's silver shoulder, stopping after a few feet to look over her own small shoulder. She tried to speak through the hoof, though nothing escaped saved for a muffled squeak. So she dropped it, ignoring it as the hoof bounced slightly downhill. "Ayyy!" she called out to him, thumping her little ginger paws on the ground, then glancing downward, locating the hoof and pouncing on it.

"Think she wants you to play, Uncle El," Peregrine drawled. "Go on," he said, sweeping the air with a paw and making himself comfortable again. The other two were still asleep, so he'd chill out here with them while the kids' godfather went off to play with Wildfire.

Even before Peregrine translated for his daughter, Elwood was able to interpret her body language. He watched as she carried the toy away, her little black tail waving like a flag behind her. There was a brief moment where she paused and dropped the hoof, then slapped her paws on the ground in a beckoning manner. It didn't take much more than that to urge Elwood to his feet. "I'll bring her back in one piece," he promised to Peregrine as he turned away and started to follow the little girl down the gentle slope.

"You got it," he commented as he drew up next to Wildfire, gesturing towards the hoof which was now clasped securely between her paws. He strode ahead of her, glancing back over his shoulder to see if she was behind him.

If you have any creative ideas to tie this thread into her Naturalist apprenticeship, feel free to incorporate them! :D

Her godfather followed after her, soon walking right past her. Wildfire's nose wriggled and she stared after him, then glanced over at Peregrine. "Go!" he said and she grinned, plucked up the hoof and bounded after Elwood. As was becoming rather typical for her, she underestimated both her speed and the distance between them and smashed her face into the back of Elwood's legs.

Giggling around the hoof, she arced around to trot clumsily at his side, golden eyes frequently flitting to his face as she shadowed him. She wondered where they were going and where they were going to do. Wildfire loosely understood that Elwood often came with a side of Finley, so she began to wonder if maybe they were going to see her very favorite auntie.

Dis good?

As soon as Elwood swung his head back around to face forward, he felt a light impact colliding with his hind legs. Instantly, he knew that Wildfire had caught up with him, and he sidestepped with a chuckle. She quickly righted herself and was soon trotting next to him, her beloved hoof grasped protectively in her mouth. If he had known of his association with Finley in his niece's mind, he likely would have requested the Beta female's presence -- but for now, this would be an expedition just for the two of them.

"So, what shall we do today," he wondered aloud, posing the question more for himself than for Wildfire. This would be the first time that he was really tasked with entertaining one of the firebirds on his own, and he suddenly did wish that Finley was there, too. She was much more creative than he was and surely would come up with some kind of fun adventure.

Luckily for him, he was about to discover a piece of nature's playground. They soon came upon a tree trunk that appeared to have fallen across the path some time ago. It was hollowed out, with a hole on either side where the bark had rotted away, as well as an opening in the top. Its surface was covered with vibrant green moss and a variety of fungi. "Look at this, Wildfire," he said, hopping on top of the log and sticking his head down into the hole.

Aweshum! :3

Before long, the pair of wolves came upon a fallen tree. Hoof still dangling from her little maw, Wildfire stared at this strange, interesting obstacle. Her golden eyes flicked upward when Elwood sprang atop the log, then thrust his muzzle into a hole up there. Driven by burning curiosity, the puppy hopped to the nearer end of the log and peered inside. She could see the Beta male's silver muzzle in the dim interior. She laughed, nearly dropping the hoof, only to tighten her grip. She didn't want to lose her precious possession.

But she didn't want to pass up this opportunity, either. Wildfire crept inside the log. It was narrow but she fit inside easily. It smelled weird in here and the wood was damp and musty. This didn't bother her, though. Ears flicking in response to the sound of her own breath in this small space, she scooted further inside, stopping only when she reached the spot just beneath the top hole.

Pushing herself upward, Wildfire found purchase and hoisted herself through the little passageway. She looked around, locating Elwood still perched on the log perhaps a foot away. She grinned at him around the hoof, then slowly sank back inside the log. There was another half to explore, though Wildfire momentarily lingered beneath the peephole in case her uncle stuck his nose inside it again.

Elwood withdrew his head long enough to watch Wildfire, glad to see that she was curious and willing to explore the log. He then thrust his muzzle back into the opening, peering down into the darkness as she crept inside. The rusty pup soon wandered to the midsection of the trunk and Elwood removed his snout once more, stepping back in time for her to pop out of the aperture. He laughed when he noticed that she still held the hoof in a death grip.

Soon, though, she disappeared again, and Elwood lowered his forepaws to the soft ground. He stretched before placing his back feet on the earth, and then he padded around to the log's exit -- the orifice that Wildfire hadn't yet ventured through, as opposed to where she had entered on the other side. "What do you think?" he asked, peeking inside; the scent of soil and loam was rich, though not unpleasant, and he could see a few little yellow wildflowers that had managed to grow on the inside of the fallen tree as well.

Elwood disappeared from view and the pup froze, listening as he clambered off the log. He appeared at the far side within a few seconds, spurring Wildfire to roll onto her feet and crawl through the remaining length of the fallen tree. When she reached the exit, she grinned up at her uncle, tail wagging and thumping on either side of the log's interior. At last, she set the hoof down at her feet, only to suddenly notice the sunny yellow wildflowers.

Wildfire wasn't that interested in the soft blossoms, though she remembered that Raven seemed to like them. She wanted to take these ones back to her sister. But how could she carry both items at once? The puppy's brow knitted as she glanced between the delicate yellow petals and the well-chewed hoof. She made a thoughtful noise under her breath, then after a long time, she bent to pluck the flowers. They drooped from her small muzzle as her golden eyes fell sadly on the hoof.

*giggles while replying*

Wildfire didn't provide a verbal response to Elwood's question -- which had been rather rhetorical, anyway -- but instead continued to maneuver through the hollowed out log. She emerged out into the sunlight, looking quite pleased with herself for navigating the rotten bark. He watched as she carefully released the hoof and then became interested in the tiny golden petals.

He could all but see the cogs and wheels spinning in Wildfire's head. She looked at the flowers, and then back at the hoof. It appeared that she was trying to decide which one to take in her mouth, having realized that she couldn't carry both safely. After a few seconds of deliberation, she selected the blossoms, and Elwood smiled, following her gaze down to the toy.

"Want me to carry it for you?" he asked -- he had almost leaned down to pick it up without asking, but didn't want to upset the pup if she thought he was taking it from her.

Wildfire's comprehension skills were superior to her ability to articulate, so she more or less understood Elwood's question. The fact that looked at the hoof, then smiled at her, also helped. "Mmf!" she grunted in reply, unwilling to release the small, soft blossoms. She then bobbed her to head to make her answer clear. She grinned gratefully at her uncle, admiring his smarts. Wildfire's worldview was still so small that the idea hadn't even occurred to her.

When the Beta male presumably fetched her beloved toy, Wildfire turned back toward the log's interior. She proved once more the limitations of her young mind as she crept back through its length rather than walking around it, which would have been both easier and quicker. Perhaps she only did it because it was more fun. But it was quite likely that going around hadn't even occurred to her as a possibility.

She hopped out of the far end, then glanced around for Uncle Elwood. She was hoping he would lead her back home, so she could give these flowers to Raven. Then maybe he would bring her back here. Wildfire certainly wasn't done exploring yet!

His response seemed to please her, so Elwood's tail swayed behind him as he watched Wildfire turn and make her way back through the log. He didn't know much about the way a child's mind worked, but was intrigued by the actions of the little firebird and her siblings. He gathered the hoof carefully in his mouth and prowled around the fallen tree trunk, meeting Wildfire on the other side and then beginning to lead the way back to her parents' den.

With her play object in his mouth, it wasn't possible for him to make conversation -- though he knew that her responses would be limited to babbling, he still liked speaking to Wildfire as though she were an adult. Despite his limited knowledge, he assumed that the more exposure the kids got to language, the easier the transition to speech would be. Instead of talking, he tilted his ears towards her to listen to the soft padding of her feet against the ground, until they approached the homestead.

He stopped a few feet from the den, glancing at Wildfire and waiting to follow her lead; he wasn't sure what she would do with the flowers, or where she would instruct him to place the hoof.

"Back so soon?" Peregrine asked as the Beta reappeared with Wildfire in tow. "Ah, welcome back, flower child," he added upon seeing what was in Wildfire's mouth. He wondered what had become of her hoof, though a quick glance in Elwood's direction answered that unspoken question.

He fell silent as Wildfire traipsed past him into the den. Her brother and sister were still sound asleep. The red child paused to stand over Raven, then bent down to place the flowers on her sleeping sibling's head. She smiled and murmured, "Foozy." With a quiet squeal, she then turned and trotted back out into the funshine sunshine.

"Ay! Me!" Wildfire cried in a demanding tone, rearing up against Elwood's leg and bumping her little snout against his chin as she tried to get him to relinquish the hoof now.

Rather than respond to Peregrine's query, Elwood looked to Wildfire. His gaze stayed with her as she entered the den and carefully placed her small collection of flowers between Raven's ears. A gift for her sibling, he surmised with a smile.

He had almost forgotten about the hoof in his mouth, until Wildfire approached him and demanded that he set it down. "Oh!" he exclaimed around its hard shell, feeling her little nose bump against his chin even as he moved to place the hoof on the ground. "There you go," he said, taking a step back as the miniature Redleaf-DiSarinno presumably gathered her precious toy.

Elwood promptly set the hoof down and Wildfire just as swiftly snatched it off the ground. It was very much the same as a security blanket or pacifier; simply having it in her mouth provided the pup a sense of comfort and contentment. In time, it would become a hindrance (that was, if it didn't fall apart first), especially as her interest in Naturalism took its natural progression. Her mouth was her equivalent of a hand, after all. For now, though, Wildfire would tote it everywhere she went.

And she was hoping her uncle would lead her back to the log now, so she could perhaps collect more treasures, including some for herself. She pranced on the spot, unable to speak around her chew toy, not that words were of much use to her yet anyway. Her wide golden eyes spoke for her, as did her little dance and the accompanying waves of her black tail. And, as ever, there was a willing translator nearby as Peregrine drawled, "Don't think she's done with you yet, Uncle El," then chortled and let his chin sink to his paws.

The silver Beta chuckled as Wildfire wasted no time in collecting her chew toy. He half expected her to retire to the den -- either for a nap or to gnaw on the hoof -- but instead she remained in front of him, eagerly shifting herself from paw to paw. She wanted something from him, and while he would have figured it out in a moment or two -- probably once she began inching away from the den, back towards the log -- he was thankful to have Peregrine's interpretation.

"Alrighty then," he agreed readily, flashing a grin at the girl's father before pivoting and beginning to follow the path towards the fallen tree trunk once more. He took a few steps, then paused and looked back at Wildfire. "Why don't you lead the way this time?" he prompted, gesturing with his snout -- he wouldn't let her race too far ahead of him, but he was curious to see if she could remember the way. It wasn't difficult, so he had faith in her.

When Elwood indicated for her to take the lead, Wildfire huffed out a long breath, then proceeded to do what she was told. Using her senses—primarily her sense of smell—she tracked her way back toward the log. When it came into view, she grinned and began to run toward it, only to trip over her own front legs and go sprawling into the grass. The hoof dropped from her mouth and bounced a few feet. In the blink of an eye, she was back on her paws and nabbing her plaything. She then closed the last few feet to the log.

Without really thinking about it, the puppy attempted to spring on top of it. Her over-sized paws slipped on the moss-covered surface and she tumbled back, landing hard on her butt and nearly dropping the hoof again. Wildfire grunted, then tried again. This time, she managed to gain some purchase and, with another long, low grunt, she hoisted herself atop the fallen tree. Feeling victorious, she tried to strike a glorious pose only to slip again and tumble sideways, landing on the ground with a loud, "Oof!"

Soon enough, Wildfire led Uncle El right back to the log. He grinned when she expressed her excitement by accidentally dropping the hoof and then diving to seize it in her mouth once more. He was slowly beginning to understand the level of attachment she had with the thing; it was more than just a chew toy, but perhaps an item of comfort.

The next few seconds were nothing short of a blooper reel as Wildfire went tip over tail multiple times. She just couldn't seem to keep her balance, especially once she attempted to climb on top of the log. Elwood's first instinct was to step behind her and use his muzzle to help push her up and over, but he refrained; she was especially determined, and she would never learn how to do it on her own if he assisted her.

"You did it!" he crowed when she finally righted herself, looking every bit the princess that she was as she stood atop the trunk -- for all of 2.5 seconds. She started to wobble, and then she promptly fell and landed on the opposite side, briefly disappearing from Elwood's view. He stifled a chuckle and meandered around the far edge of the log, peering down at her to make sure she hadn't sustained any real injuries -- it was likely that even her ego wasn't that damaged, at this age.

The hoof had popped out of her mouth upon impact but Wildfire barely noticed. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She had never had the wind knocked out of her (that she could remember) and she didn't understand what was happening. Grimacing, she righted herself and gasped raggedly. Fortunately, the unpleasant sensation passed quickly. She felt a tiny bit shaken for the experience, yet it was nothing that couldn't be helped by her stand-in pacifier, which she swiftly grabbed.

After a moment, she pushed herself onto her feet. By now, Elwood had come to hover concernedly over her. She pressed herself against his gray legs, then sat between his paws and shot the log a momentarily baleful look. Wildfire then tipped her head backward, nose brushing the Beta's chin in a silent inquiry: Where to next? She was getting a bit tired (especially after that unexpected fall) but the child was not yet ready to give up and go home. Maybe they could make one last stop—perhaps even a final discovery—on today's adventure?

It seemed that Wildfire had only lost her breath momentarily, and Elwood kept his gaze trained on her as she processed what had happened, then grabbed the hoof and moved towards him. He looked down at the top of her brightly colored head as she leaned against him, perhaps seeking comfort or maybe just using him as a kickstand for her tired little body. From his vantage point, he couldn't see the way she glared at the log, though he would have gotten a laugh out of her expression.

After only a moment of rest, she pulled away and touched Elwood's chin with her nose. "You okay, Little Bit?" he asked first, then carefully stood, moving slowly so as not to send her toppling again. "Want to go home?" he then queried, misinterpreting her body language. He still had a lot to learn in the area of understanding and communicating with toddlers.

She could understand far more than she could articulate, plucking a lot of meaning out of tones alone. When Uncle Elwood asked if she was okay, Wildfire bobbed her head. She began to shake it rapidly when he asked her if she wanted to go home, however. She stood, hopping several feet away, head still shaking side to side. "No!" Wildfire said loudly, forgetting the hoof and spitting it unceremoniously onto her own forepaws. She just as quickly gathered it again.

She commnicated—or tried to, at least—with her golden eyes. They widened, begging her godfather to take her on just one more little adventure today. He had shown her the log but she was done with that now. Was there anything else to see? The puppy pivoted, looking around herself. Actually, there was so much to see that she had difficult processing everything. Her eyes returned to Elwood's face, silently requesting guidance.

Wildfire's body language was clear this time, even before a single word erupted from her little mouth. Abruptly, she moved away from Elwood, vehemently shaking her head -- and there was no doubt left in her uncle's mind when she quite forcefully replied, "No!" He took to his feet, willing to continue to appease the fiery little girl. "Okay, okay! We won't go home yet," he promised, though that left him with the task of finding their next adventure.

He didn't want to go too much further -- Wildfire was obviously already tired, despite her desire to continue on -- so he padded into the underbrush near the log, moving along a path that would eventually take them back to the Redleaf-DiSarinno den but in a less direct way. He wasn't sure what they would find, but he brushed his nose briefly against the ground, sifting through scents in hopes of finding something interesting. All the while, he kept one ear tilted towards Wildfire.

Suddenly, his paw dropped to a lower level, jarring his shoulder slightly, and he withdrew. When he looked down, he realized that they had come upon what appeared to be a dried out creek bed. The mud was cracked and pockmarked with footprints from various animals that might have passed through in recent days, though it seemed that it had been quite a while since there had been any water in the shallow indention.

He understood her silent message and turned, leading the way into the underbrush just beyond the log. Wildfire followed him, sticking close to Elwood's heels. The brushwood was no big deal for him—it brushed no higher than mid-leg—but it was slightly more of an obstacle for the cub. Actually, it wasn't so much challenging her as... tickling her. The hoof nearly popped out of her mouth several times as the soft scrub swiped across her faded underbelly, forcing her to snicker and snort.

When the Beta's paw dropped down and he backpedaled, the distracted Wildfire bumped gently into her uncle's hind legs. Eager to escape the ticklish underbrush, she slunk between his hind legs, emerging between the front two a second later. She peered at the dried creek bed, humming around the object in her mouth. Slowly, she set it down, golden eyes scanning the ground. The baked earth was cracked in several places and there were little indents, which the young pup did not immediately recognize as prints.

Slithering forward, she pressed her nose into one shallow depression. Wildfire snuffled, then lifted her head and glanced at Elwood. "Ossa?" she wondered, her go-to word for What's that? As she awaited his answer, she dragged her soft little paws across the hard, scuffed earth. It felt pleasantly scratchy against the leathery pads on her feet. It was definitely a new texture to her.

The pup wandered past him and down into the creek bed, inspecting the dry dirt with her paws and nose. It was only a few seconds before she directed a questioning verbalization at him, her eyes reflecting her query. Elwood followed her, stepping down alongside her.

"There used to be water here, I think," he replied, then tapped at one of the smaller pawprints that could be seen imprinted in the mud. He couldn't identify what animal it belonged to -- since it was mostly old and faded -- but he pointed at it anyway. "When you get bigger, you'll learn how to track prey by looking at their pawprints," he continued, though he knew most of what he said would go over Wildfire's head.