Redhawk Caldera A birth and a death on the same day

@Sebastian . Tagging @Fox so she knows she's being PPed here.

The sun beat hot down on the Alpha pair's front lawn, where Nightjar law with a well-chewed stick between his legs. Insects whirred around him, picking through the grass and expertly avoiding the wide sweeps of his tail. He paid them no mind, having learned by now that he couldn't possibly focus on everything at once. Only once did he look up from his stick to watch a rare grasshopper zip past his eyes.

Nightjar abruptly exploded into action by standing and pouncing on his stick, to the amusement of Fox who lay nearby, watching. Wildfire and Raven were playing in the shade near her—Wildfire had trapped a caterpillar and was busy studying it by staring hard, while Raven tried her damnedest to get close enough to eat it—but neither of them ventured out to him, and he was too occupied to go to them, even though he loved to play fight with both of them. Right now, his stick was far more important.

He wrapped his jaws around it and shook his head, growling all the while.

Thank you for starting

Sebastian pounded down on the raccoon that just thieved from their caches. A grin appear on his lips when he killed the little critter. A grunt came off his lips as he clamped around the plump creature's neck. Well if he wanted to steal from the wolves the small critter would end up like a meal for the wolves. The large tank of a wolf moved forward when he heard the happy chirps and other sounds the alpha pups made. He didn't realize how close he was to the alpha den before he caught the critter. He carried it to the family. Maybe they were in for a fresh meal. Sebastian had been more than full with meat already.

Sebastian lowered his head a bit as he approached to be respectful towards the alpha's space. He then put the meal down. "I thought that the young ones might want to play and snack on this little thief," Sebastian spoke.

Nightjar was so preoccupied with his stick that he hardly noticed Sebastian entering the area. Only when Fox greeted him did Nightjar look up to spot the newcomer. He was a heavy looking male wolf with a grey coat very unlike any wolf in his family (but very like Finley and Elwood), who was carrying something dead and probably delicious in his jowls. Immediately, Nightjar's interest in his stick waned. He left it right where it was and trotted eagerly to the newcomer without a single show of fear or uncertainty.

Because unlike Wildfire, who shied away from strangers, and Raven, who was too reserved to often approach immediately, Nightjar was wildly brazen and bold. There was no wolf within the Caldera capable of hurting him, he believed, and therefore none of them were truly strangers. Without a word of greeting, for being polite was a finer skill that the young boy didn't have yet, he padded right up to Sebastian's shoulder, contemplated his aim for just a moment, and reared up on his hind legs to make a grab for the dead coon.

Sebastian nodded a greeting to fox. He spotted Wildfire and then a brazen pup that approached him. Before he could grab the raccoon Sebastian snatched it himself and sunk through his front paws. He was challenging the pup to get the pre form his jaws. Sebastian rather liked the game and it would prepare the youngster for events later in life. He didn't make it too hard though. But he would let the pup work a bit for this meal/toy. 

Sebastian was sometimes a pup himself only in a massive sized body. Maybe it was because he could never be a child when he was younger that he was so into playing now. 

He missed, obviously. Nightjar wasn't quite coordinated enough to actually snatch things from adult wolves. It didn't stop him from trying, though. It wasn't even that he believed what they had belonged to him. It was more instinctive than that—things held in jaws called to him in a way that nothing else did. The temptation was always too much for him and he always tried to grab them himself. It was nature's way of training him to be a good hunter and a fast fighter, not that Nightjar understood any of that.

What he understood was that it usually got a reaction, and it was usually fun.

Sebastian reacted the way most wolves did by backing up a few steps and sinking into a play bow. It was enough to trigger all of Nightjar's playful instincts; he dropped his front as well, his whip-like tail streaking back and forth above his hindquarters and his mouth dropped open smilingly. His right ear was locked on Sebastian while the left dangled uselessly to the side.

He waited there for ten seconds, twenty, thirty, and then shot forward with all the (unimpressive) speed he possessed, aiming his blunt jaws again for the dead raccoon.

Sebastian had to give the kid credit for having such patience. Sebastian was wondering when he would attack the raccoon and try and take it from him but as it turned out the little pup had the patience to wait it out before suddenly jumping the raccoon. Sebastian wasn't ready for such an attack but the lack of speed was what gave Sebastian the time to react. He jumped to the side before the little one could reach him. Eventually he kept the raccoon low so the pup could actually try and nip on it.

Sebastian decided that this was more than enough of a chase. He let go of the prey and then let the pup play with it. Was that him being soft? Fox was right there so maybe he shouldn't totally exhaust the pup right in front of her eyes. 

He was within a few inches of the raccoon when the cunning Sebastian lifted it and spun away, leaving Nightjar to snap his tiny jaws shut on nothing. This was repeated a few times before Sebastian held the raccoon low enough that the pup hit his mark. He immediately dug his feet into the ground and pulled, exerting all of his effort to try to dislodge the raccoon from Sebastian's firm grip.

The boy wasn't expecting Sebastian to make it easy, so when the older male let go, Nightjar stumbled backward and fell over with the dead body's weight. He was quick to let go of the raccoon, proving to all onlookers that he wasn't even really interested in it, and went for Sebastian again, this time looking for a jaw spar. His eyes shone bright with excitement, he panted and his tail whipped to and fro, giving away that this was a game to Nightjar, who was enjoying it immensely, exhaustion aside.

It seemed that the pup didn't mind the raccoon that much. Sebastian had to fend of the little one with his mouth which was something he didn't expected. He figured that the pup would like the raccoon as a toy better but nope. He was going straight for Sebastian. He didn't mind. He liked to play around and spar with the pups. He was a rather playful guy. Sebastian let the pup attack him and then lowered himself, playing dead before the pup. He was just being silly really. 

He closed his eyes as he laid on his side to startle the pup and give him some sense of a victory. A deep sigh left him as his final breath and then the male went limp. He was curious what the pup would do now. 

Apparently, Nightjar was a professional jaw boxer, for within moments of springing his attack on Sebastian, the adult lay down, defeated. Sebastian, as it turned out, was a great actor, good enough to convince Nightjar that he'd actually killed the older male. Normally he would've celebrated his victory by hopping up on the unfortunate wolf's ribcage and loudly crowing about it, but this time, panic swept up through his stomach and sent his heart into his throat.

He was gonna be in so much trouble for killing a pack mate.

Trouble or no trouble, Nightjar knew he had to alert someone. He fidgeted on the spot for a moment before whirling and running for Fox with panic-stricken cries of, "maaaa! Maaaa!" Fox was on her feet in an instant, and Nightjar reached her nearly as quickly. In a tearful voice, he said, "maaa, maaaaa... d-ded." Whether Fox knew Sebastian's ruse or not, his mother obliged him by stepping closer to the fallen male, while Nightjar peeked fearfully out from behind her and awaited his certain punishment.

Omg. I almost died of adorable-ness.

Sebastian felt slightly guilty when the pup was so close to having a panic attack. Would he get in trouble for scaring one of her young? Though inside himself Sebastian had to laugh a bit how funny this actually was. He should do this more by the other pups just to tease them a bit. Once he heard fox come closer the male stirred and jumped up. He was tempted to say; tricked you! But Sebastian couldn't get it out of his mouth when he saw the pup. "You totally knocked me out!," he exclaimed.

He then chuckled and laid down. "Are you okay? Did I scare you?," he asked the young male. He was rather adorable. Sebastian nudged him with his nose to check. 

Fox's pretend investigation wasn't necessary, for the moment they drew close—Nightjar following apprehensively at her heels with tears in his eyes—Sebastian jumped up and pointed out that he'd only been knocked unconscious. Whether that was true or not, Nightjar's heart leaped into his throat for the second time and its rate was enough to make his eyes flutter against a sudden light-headedness.

He regained his composure, small as it was, just as Sebastian laid himself in front of the poor, sniffling pup. "Wasn' scurred," Nightjar said defiantly, though a telling tremor remained laced through his voice and his ears visibly quivered with the shaking in his body. Fox delivered a comforting nip to his side, but it would take nearly an hour for Nightjar to properly calm down from his murder scare.

Sebastian chuckled softly when the pup said that he wasn't scared. The large male then sat up after he nosed through the pup's fur. Fox didn't seem too interested so Sebastian decided that he would leave the pup alone after his scare. Sebastian thought it was still funny that the pup was so scared. Sebastian had seen the tears in the boy's eyes. He was glad that Fox wasn't too mad at him.

"Alright little guy," he then spoke. "Take care alright," he chuckled. Sebastian decided to give a break to the youth. Sebastian was pretty okay with pups since they were always around in his old pack. But he wasn't really a fan of them. They were fun play with but they were also exhaust really quick. Not that Nightjar seemed exhaust but Sebastian decided he needed a break. He gave a nod to fox and then nudged the young male in goodbye before leaving to patrol the borders.