Sequoia Coast DISCOVER · Jawbone Hill

The young Iota stood on the beach at the foot of Horizon Ridge, facing the sea. She knew the river ran to the left and Sea Lion Shores lay beyond that. Presently, she squinted off to the right, her eyes narrowed against the cold, salty wind that whipped down the coastline. Pied wondered what lay in that direction and knew in the next beat that there was only one way to find out: she would have to go there.

She wandered slowly, the ocean sparkling off her left shoulder as she trekked into the unknown wilderness. The crags and peaks of the ridge line fell away behind her and she found herself walking parallel with a grassland. The dappled she-wolf wandered slightly further inland and found the earth beneath her feet rising into a slope as she traversed the seaside prairie.

The gradient suddenly became much more severe and Pied felt her muscles tightening and pulling as she ascended the incline. When she reached the top, panting, she swung around to take in the view. Directly below her rolled the hillock, leveling off into the grassland. Beyond that, the sea shone beyond a strip of white sands.

She turned to examine what lay behind the unexplored side of the hill. Her two-toned eyes landed upon a small mill pond. At the bottom of the hill, the ground became quite rocky, with a stone hanging over the water. Intrigued, Pied trotted down the scarp, slowing as she approached the ledge. She crept to its edge and peered down into the water, which was breathlessly still, especially relative to the river and the sea.

Turning back, Pied climbed the hill again and sniffed along its summit. As she meandered, her splotched forepaw struck something and she stopped to examine it. When she turned it upright, her lips parted and she let out a noise not unlike a gasp. It was the jawbone of a deer, bleached white by the sun and salty air.

The young Starbuck-Virtúte knew when she returned to the ridge, she would tell Kisu and the others of this place. Already, she knew what she would call it when she described it to them: Jawbone Hill, after the very place where Pied had been born.

shizam, waddup

In the wintertime, Hawkeye hated her coat. Whether it was day or night, her fur was a stark contrast against the white blanket that covered the ground. The beach did not give her this weight, so she trekked onward. She had howled at the borders with no response, and vaguely wondered about the "pact" the two groups of wolves had. She should really speak to Akhlut.

Climbing up the hill she decided on exploring, she looked upward and noticed an unmistakable white and blue-grey pelt moving under the bright clouds (squinting at the brilliant light). "Hey!" she called up at her friend, trying to move faster but straining with her heavy weight. She was definitely not built for climbing.

table by houkie

Thanks for joining! :D

Against the colorless backdrop of dried grass and pale sands, Hawkeye stood out like a sore thumb. Pied spotted her from afar and turned to face her, remaining quiet until her friend came closer. From her perch, she waved her tail and motioned for her friend to join her on the hilltop.

"It's good to see you, especially after everything that happened last time we saw each other," Pied greeted, nosing her sister's velveteen cheek. "Look at what I found," she said, pointing at the jawbone with her snout and then rolling her shoulder to indicate their surroundings. "I've decided to call it Jawbone Hill, after the place where I was born."

Smiling, Pied dropped neatly to her haunches, facing Hawkeye. "So, how are things?" she inquired, silvered ears pricking.

Hawkeye climbed the rest of the short way up, and curiously looked upon what Pied was talking about. It was a jawbone, so she said: "Jawbone Hill seems very fitting. I have never heard of your homeland before, but it sounds spooky." She flattened her ears at the last word and then laughed.

Answering the next question, Hawkeye opened her mouth in a smile. "Things are... interesting. Three brothers have come to my lands, exiled by some guy named Tyrannosaurus or something. They are all very handsome, yet vastly different personality-wise." She hmm'ed for a moment, eyes far off, then looked at Pied's mismatched eyes. "How about you and your old man? How are you two?" She smiled, wondering if they were pregnant yet, and then wondered if maybe they could have litters around the same time.

table by houkie

When Hawkeye answered, Pied almost immediately realized she was talking about Peregrine... and, by the sound of it, his brothers—her uncles—as well. Of course, Pied knew each of them and understood her sister's comment. She reflected back on her brief, intense encounter with Peregrine in the woods and was relieved that he'd evidently returned to the plateau unmolested.

"You must be talking about Peregrine, Atticus and Crete?" she guessed. Technically, there were many brothers in that generation, yet it was pretty safe to assume it was Perry's litter mates who'd followed him here. "It's Tyrannus, actually," she corrected her friend lightly. "He's actually my mother's litter mate. We all lived in Flightless Falcons at one point," she explained. "I don't know any of the three very well but I think you've got a fine bunch of boys there... and all bachelors too."

Pied chortled lightly at the term old man. "We're good. We're talking more and more about a litter. I can't wait. Of course, the timing all depends on my biological clock... and I'm hoping with all of my being that Akhlut gives us his blessing before the alarm goes off."

Her mouth fell. "Yes, that's them! So.. I could potentially be your sister and your aunt? Try explaining that to another wolf..." Hawkeye snickered and thought about the males, mostly about Peregrine, though. Sure, he could be a dick, but there was something about him...

Hawkeye refocused her attention on Pied and what she told her about what her and Kisu were up to. "You know, if it doesn't happen in time, you two are always welcome at the Plateau... I miss having someone to confide in, you know. I would love to have little pups around. Maybe we could have litters at the same time, you never know." The black female became hopeful, but ultimately knew that Pied would not return to her previous home.

When Hawkeye offered to house them at the plateau in the event that timing didn't work out in the ridge, Pied felt a tug in the pit of her stomach. "That means more to me than you know," she replied softly. "I'm hard-pressed to abandon Horizon Ridge but it's nice to know the offer's there." She paused, her lips pressing together, before adding, "Kisu actually talked about founding our own pack if, for whatever reason, we can't have a litter in our pack. I'm hoping that everything will work out, though..."

Suddenly motioning for Hawkeye to stand and begin walking beside her, the mottled she-wolf began to pad down the slope to further explore the territory adjacent to the hillock. "So, which of my uncles is the most eligible bachelor?" she questioned in a teasing voice, knowing how boy crazy her adopted sibling could be. "I feel mean for saying it but I doubt it's Crete... you like to talk too much to go after male who can't keep up with you in that department."

ooc: I just love threading with you <3

Hawkeye nodded in understanding. Pied knew that the offer would always be there, but the black beast did smile at the thought of the two having their own pack. "We would be so close relationship-wise that it would be like having once giant pack. It would be crazy!" She knocked the jawbone with her paw, thinking of how fun it would be if Pied and Kisu did indeed begin their own pack. "But I do hope it works out for you here." Sincere words were spoken, but in the back of her mind she hoped that eventually the two would begin a new pack, maybe into their second litter or so.

Nearly choking in both surprise and laughter at the comment Pied made about her talking too much, Hawkeye paused and took a deep breath. "Though I heard that Crete has a large penis from someone named Peregrine... well.. Peregrine seems sort of like a bad boy and I can't help feeling something for him. I don't know the other two very well." She tacked on the last sentence, hoping that Pied would not judge her for her choice in a possible suitor.

The feeling's definitely mutual! :)

"Whoa," Pied protested when Hawkeye mentioned the crude running joke between her uncles. "I do not need to know these things." Despite herself, she laughed. Her lips pressed together to stifle the sound. "Peregrine definitely has an attitude problem sometimes," she agreed thoughtfully, "though he's a lot like my grandmother: hot-tempered but fiercely loyal and protective. I bet you won't have any trouble keeping him in check in any case."

She found herself stepping back onto the stone overlooking the mill pond. It was cool beneath her feet. Pied ventured to one of its edges, inspected the landing below, then made the leap. She landed just inches from the water, then thrust her pale snout into the shadows beneath the great wedge-shaped rock. It was a cold, damp environment down here, with algae growing thickly on its underside.

"This pond must rise and fall with the seasons," she mused aloud to Hawkeye. "Let's see what's beyond the pond," she invited, beginning to trot around the small pond toward whatever lay over yonder.

Hawkeye laughed boisterously at Pied's reaction and slipped a small apology, forgetting that she didn't want in on those things, joke or not. Listening carefully to the description of Peregrine, Hawkeye couldn't help but smile to herself. She would have no problem smacking the male about if he misbehaved, that was for sure.

After following Pied in the jump (and landing somewhat in the water, wetting her front paws), Hawkeye asked: "And what of Atticus? I barely just met him, but he seems very... well, he kind of reminded me of Kisu. Formal and kind." She poked her head in as well, curious, and a damp smell hit her nose. Hawkeye huffed, and turned, trotting after Pied.

ooc: I know you are picturing this, but I have no idea what I am doing D: so I am just going to follow you like a puppy

"Atticus reminds me more of my grandpa, Aether," Pied replied as they strolled through the dry winter grass on the other side of the mill pond. "I've only talked to him a few times but you're right: he's pretty formal and a sweetheart. I'm sure there's a lot more to the story... for all three of them," she added with a flick of her tail.

They walked across the breadth of a flat plain which eventually led them to the edge of a copse of trees. Last season's rotten fruit lay at the foot of many of them and Pied bent down to sniff at them. "Apples, maybe?" she guessed, exchanging a glance with Hawkeye. "Maybe it's an apple orchard. I bet it'll look and smell lovely in the spring."

Pied very nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a black shadow glide between two of the trees, then disappear. Fur ruffling slightly, she called out, "Hello? Who's there?" and, without looking at her, motioned for Hawkeye to come stand beside her. "Hello?" she called again when no answer came.

The yearling tipped her snout into the air and tried to find a scent but there was nothing. Her brow furrowed in confusion when the figure loped into view again, heading straight toward them. Pied stiffened, then made a sound of surprise low in her throat when she recognized none other than the grandfather she'd just been describing to Hawkeye!

"Grandpa...?" she said in disbelief, not yet noticing the faint glow surrounding him, nor the fact that he looked much too young—more like one of his aforementioned sons than his grizzled self. "What are you—?" she asked, wide eyes flicking to Hawkeye's face, as of yet still unaware that it was Aether's ghost and that her companion couldn't see a thing.

Hawkeye followed after Pied once more, sniffing the fruit and then shrugging. "That's what I assume they are." A heavy paw tapped at and then pushed down, and she made a face when the brown thing collapsed under her foot.

She stiffened and looked when Pied called out, her ears alert though they hardly did any good. Quickly moving beside the mottled female when she motioned for her to do so, she looked around with her sharp eyes that would reveal any movement in their range; but, nothing came.

Startled by Pied's sudden words of her grandpa being present, a monotone "uhhh..." fell from Hawkeye's mouth. "Pied? No one is here. I think you are seeing a ghost." This was spoken from the corner of her inky mouth in a hushed tone.

Even as Hawkeye muttered the word ghost, Aether began to fade, then disappeared altogether. Although accustomed to spectral visitors to some degree, Pied gaped at the spot where he'd been standing a moment ago, feeling... well, she wasn't sure what to feel. Peregrine hadn't mentioned his father's death but it was pretty indisputable, considering the evidence. Pied felt a jolt of grief, though she reminded herself that Aether had lived a long, full and prosperous life, which took the edge off her pain.

"My grandfather must have passed away. He was alive when I left Flightless Falcons. I'm... not sure if this happened before or after Tyrannus—it must've happened before," Pied thought aloud, switching directions mid-sentence. Her lips pursed and she frowned, her heart going out to her myriad relatives here and back home who would be aggrieved by the DiSarinno patriarch's loss.

"I wonder why he'd appear to me here," the piebald yearling mused aloud. "It's almost as if he was summoned when I said his name." Pied paused, then whispered, sotto voce, "Grandpa Aether?"

And there he was, walking toward her again with a smile and a twinkle in his frosty blue eyes. Pied could clearly see the supernatural shimmer surrounding his lanky black body as he came closer. She gazed at him fondly and he did the same as he stopped just short of nose-sniffing distance from her and stood there, not particularly imposing but still regal, even in death.

"What're you doing here, grandpa?" Pied asked, momentarily oblivious to Hawkeye's presence or the fact that this was the first time she'd ever interacted with a ghost in the presence of a living witness. "Do you... have a message or anything?" she wondered. Maybe Aether wanted to impart some wisdom on his sons, especially after everything that had happened with Tyrannus.

Yet Aether did not speak, simply looked at her almost wistfully now. Pied's brow furrowed and, finally, she remembered Hawkeye, blinked curiously at her friend and said, "He isn't saying anything."

(Mind if I join in?)

Cidra wasn't really used to being around a great deal of other wolves yet. This fact led to her spending a great deal of time wandering around areas where less wolves frequented. Although...she hadn't really been around this particular place before. Actually, she hadn't been around this particular place at all, if you wanted to be specific. Or whatever the proper word is.

So imagine her surprise at hearing two voices emerging from a grove of trees - fruit trees, probably apple trees by the look of them. Normally, she would go the other way, but today the female's curiosity got the better of her. A few paces forward, and a great deal of hesitation before she took another three steps.

With it being winter, Cidra's black pelt was going to do her absolutely no favors with the whole blending-in thing against the white-as-snow (seeing as it was, in fact, snow). Therefore, she was completely and utterly exposed if one should hear her paws crunching in the snow and decide to turn their heads to look.

Skipping Hawkeye with permission...

When she turned to face her deceased grandfather again, he'd gone. Pied sucked in a deep breath, her eyes scanning the orchard for any sign of his lanky form moving between the apple trees. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a black figure skimming in her directlion, only to swiftly realize it wasn't Aether this time but someone else, a vaguely familiar face from the pack's meeting weeks back...

Feeling incredibly self-conscious and hoping Cidra hadn't spotted her odd behavior, Pied exchanged a look with Hawkeye, then quietly woofed to her pack mate. "Hello, Cidra." She paused, then added, "Cidra, this is my friend from Blacktail Deer Plateau, Hawkeye. Hawkeye, Cidra. We were just exploring the area," she finished a bit woodenly.

Hawkeye nodded in the direction of this Cidra character and mumbled a "hello". She watched Pied from the corner of her eye, wishing that the other inky wolf wouldn't have come. When she had given permission for Pied to leave Blacktail Deer Plateau, she hadn't thought that they would have such little time together. She hoped that Kisu and Pied would form their own pack, and close to the plateau, so that they would be able to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

Another thought rolled into her mind, though. Why did Sos not allow her to see the dead like Pied? This made her a bit grumpy, as if the bear god were playing a joke on her. Allowing her such precise eye sight for the real world, and even visions in front of her face, but disallowing the ability to have more. I guess I am being a little greedy... she thought as she examined Cidra with her eyes.

Playing Cidra out of the thread since she's gone inactive...

Perhaps Cidra picked up on the fact that her company wasn't particularly welcome, as she pardoned herself and made an exit just as soon as the three finished exchanging introductions. Although Pied watched her with some remorse on her face—she hadn't meant to alienate a new pack mate—she was actually relieved to see her go. Later, when Cidra failed to reappear on the ridge, Pied would wonder if she and Hawkeye had witnessed her final departure from Teekon Wilds...

"My grandpa's gone now," Pied reported after a few beats of silence. "I have no idea why he came to me here but I'm going to take it as a sign to head back. You're welcome to walk with me back to the ridge. I'm not ready for you to leave yet..." she was sure to add so that Hawkeye didn't think she was trying to get rid of her.

Hawkeye only felt bad for a millisecond that Pied's packmate had left. Maybe it was the look she had given that drove her away, or maybe it was the cool words. Either way, Hawkeye shrugged.

If Pied thought that her grandfather disappearing was a sign, then she felt the same way. "I'll go with you. There's not much else to do today." She added the last part on lightly.

Prompted by her friend's blasé remark, Pied questioned, "How is everything at the plateau? Are you still leading by yourself? Is everyone from Bon Dye still there?" She thought of them—Zombie and Vires, especially—and felt a pang in her chest. She'd given up a lot to be with Kisu, not that she regretted her choice. Still, she added, "I wish I could live in two places at once, so I could be part of the ridge and the plateau. Wouldn't that be neat?" Of course, it would never work in reality.

"Yep, still by myself. This woman don't need no man by her side." She laughed, but then added: "Although, as you know, I think it would be nice. Maybe soon." She wondered if her words would ring true, and little did she know that they did. Very soon, a mate would be by her side and rule next to her.

"No, no one is left. Zombie disappeared, and, then, shortly after, so did Vires. Zombie always seemed kind of flakey to me, but not Vires. I wonder if something happened to her while she was out scouting territories. I hope she's okay." A worried look appeared on her face, but quickly disappeared. "It would be nice to have you back at the plateau. I would make it so there were three Alphas; me, you, and Kisu. It would be a blast." Hawkeye had never heard of three wolves ruling before, but she fancied the idea.

"Whenever you do settle down, which I'm sure will be sooner than you think..." Pied remarked, "what on earth will the two of us talk about?" She threw Hawkeye a cheeky grin.

She laughed lightly at Hawkeye's suggestion of three Alphas. "But I don't want to rule, necessarily," she complained good-naturedly. "I'll always consider myself an unofficial, honorary member of the plateau," she added.

As the ridge came closer, Pied said, "You know, I just thought of something. Is Rob still in your pack? Kisu was hoping to see him again sometime and hopefully put things right between them... do you think that could be arranged?"

A nod came from Hawkeye. She knew that Pied never wanted a position of power, but the thought of the three of them ruling together was still a nice thought.

"Yes, Robur still resides in the pack. I am not entirely sure how he will react to that news. I do not know Kisu well enough to be a mediator, though I can urge him to speak to his father. Do you think if you talked to him that it might help? You are his —" Hawkeye snickered "— stepmother. I bet you never expected a stepson, eh?" Amusement touched Hawkeye's light green orbs.

Pied had never thought of Rob as her stepson, nor was that likely to change. In fact, her smile turned a little brittle at the title of stepmother and the idea of having to speak to Rob. However, she would do it for Kisu.

"If you don't mind, ask Rob if he'll come by here sometime to talk to me," Pied replied. "And that's not funny," she added, shooting Hawkeye a glare, though her face broke into a smile a moment later to show she wasn't serious. "I'll never think of him that way. He's Kisu's son, sure, but..." She shrugged a dappled shoulder.

"Would you like to grab a bite to eat or anything before you head back to the plateau?" she invited in the next breath, realizing it was probably time for Hawkeye to head back but reaching out for any opportunity to prolong her visit.

Hawkeye looked behind herself nervously, as if waiting to see one of her wolves running up to her in a panic that the plateau had been attacked. She turned back to Pied, shaking her head out. "Sure, but it can't take too long, Pied. Aka 'stepmother'." Hawkeye howled in laughter, but walked past Pied, giving her a playful nudge.

Pied growled, mostly playfully, and warned, "I'm going to rip off your tail and feed that to you if you don't hush." She laughed, trying to let Hawkeye's joke roll off her shoulders. She knew her friend didn't mean anything by it. Still, her lips pressed together and she reminded herself, Rob is not my stepson.

"Stay here. I'll grab you a snack for the road." The Gamma smiled, then disappeared for a few moments, though she quickly returned with two dried fish in her jaws. She dropped them at the black female's feet. "Not sure if you like seafood but it's, you know, lean protein." She smiled cheekily.