Redhawk Caldera Swinging from the fire escape

After Kat's repeated chanting of "voo site!" in the Slack channel, we decided it was time to make the move! :) Everyone is invited to participate, but attendance is not required! Tagging just for visibility: @Eljay @Sassafras @Aaron @West @Birk @Liffey @Lagan

Finally, the wilds seemed to be thawing as winter relinquished its grip. The temperature rose and the snow began to melt, leaving behind only memories of the frigid season that had just passed. The horrible weather and the cave-in were nothing but a bad dream; one that Elwood was happy to wake up from.

With the gradual warming, the three caretakers had started discussing moving the firebirds to the rendezvous site. They were growing and getting bigger with each passing day, and they were becoming more independent, as well. Even Towhee, with her inability to hear, was keeping up with her siblings for the most part. After talking with @Raven and @Finley, Elwood decided that today would be the day.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, he woke the puppies. "Come on, guys," he said, nudging them one by one -- first @Phox, then @Towhee, followed by a poke to @Titmouse's ribcage and a snuffling in @Orca's ear. He positioned himself near the entrance of the cavern, waiting for the youngsters to join him so that he could explain the situation.

Phox was only vaguely aware of what was happening right now. He had heard the adults use some words he had heard before (outside, go, move) and several he hadn't (rendezvous, freedom, spring). When Elwood woke him up, Phox was as alert as ever, blinking his puppy-blue eyes at Elwood before looking to Towhee. She was almost always the first one he sought when he woke, and the last thing he saw before he fell asleep. "'Ow-ee," he said, nudging her. "Go," he said simply, sweeping his muzzle to the cave's entrance where Elwood was now waiting for them.

The others would surely follow, but Phox was the first to be out the door, blinking once before taking a big, satisfying yawn. "Where go?" he asked of Elwood, tilting his head to one side.

Towhee made a grumpy noise when she felt a cold nose press against the exposed underside of her paw (she was sleeping on her back with her feet in the air). She snorted and flipped over onto her tummy, pushing herself upright and immediately seeking out Phox. Her blue eyes clapped on his face right as he said her name and commanded her to, "Go." She licked the tip of his snout before padding out of the cave right behind him.

Her eyes—still mostly blue but with a burnished orange tint creeping in around the pupils—squinted against the glare of early March sunshine. When they adjusted, she saw Phox saying something to Elwood. Since they were standing perpendicularly, she couldn't see his question from the side. Towhee shuffled closer but he had already finished speaking, so her attention turned to their godfather instead.

Without realizing she was repeating Phox, Towhee made the sign that indicated a question, complete with an inquisitive tilt of her head to get her point across. Although she wasn't afflicted by babyish pronunciations like her siblings—Towhee had yet to actually say her first proper word out loud—more conceptual language was still a little difficult to grasp and convey. Without the proper signs to express herself just yet, the Rho relied on her body language instead to project, "What's happening?"

Eljay was there to help, of course, as his cousins/siblings/whatever they were were moved to the rendezvous site. They looked like they weren't sure what was going on, but that was pretty normal, Eljay thought — he'd seen the confused look on faces multiple times now, and it would pass once they were settled and had more freedom and more space to move around in.

"Come on, guys," Eljay said to Towhee and Phox as they looked confused (and adorable) at daddy; "It'll be fun!" He nosed their butts and then moved ahead at a brisk trot, trying to coax them into running along with him so they'd forget about going somewhere and just focussed on the moving part.

First, last and only post! Feel free to PP her forever and ever. :)

Although the cave offered them an undeniable sense of security, Raven didn't think any of them regretted it when the day came to leave it behind for good. She certainly wouldn't miss the cold or the dark and was fully prepared to embrace the coming spring and summer nights out in the open. Her memories of living at the rendezvous site as a youngster were fuzzy at best, though she could recall the associated feelings—freedom, excitement, joy—with nearly perfect clarity.

Despite the anticipation, she did feel a little pang in her chest as she helped Elwood rouse the pups this morning. They were getting so big and they were almost fully weaned now. Raven knew they needed her in other ways—and would for a while yet—but it made her feel a little nostalgic to know she wouldn't be nursing adorable, fuzzy babies anymore. She was moving on from being a midwife and wet nurse; it was time to graduate to sitter status.

They were meat-eating miniature wolves now, Raven mused as she hovered in the cave's mouth and let her yellow eyes drift over the four Firebirds. "Are you excited?" she asked them, tapping Towhee's hip so the girl would know to look at her. "Don't forget to say bye-bye to the cave!" she quipped softly, bending down to nip at Titmouse's ear just because. She then straightened up and smiled at Eljay, who seemed more chipper than usual today.

The sprightly, inky Gamma sidled over to a patch of grass just beyond the cave's mouth to wait for the caravan to form and prepare for takeoff. Snorting at the thought, Raven let her yellow gaze wander over everyone gathered here today. She thought, too, of those who were no longer with them. Although there was a small ache in her heart over them, she took a deep breath and felt a deep sense of contentment. Unable to sit still, she began padding slowly forward toward springtime and wide open spaces.

Orca followed her brothers and sister to the mouth of the den, pausing before stepping into the sunlight. She hesitated momentarily, even as Phox and Towhee surged ahead to join Elwood. There was a gentle nudge to her behind, and she turned back to look up at Eljay, who gave her an encouraging smile and then moved past her. That was all she needed; Orca bounded along, her gaze darting between her siblings and the adults expectantly.

"Go, go!" she chirped, positioning herself near Eljay's left foreleg, her little black and white tail nearly a blur over her hindquarters.

West will stay in the background unless she's interacted with. Please tag her so I know!

Some nights, West makes an effort to sleep near the pack. There aren’t many she’d gotten to know and most of the time, she keeps herself away. A burning in her chest leaves her confused, certain she’d made the right choice, but finding the poppies again gave her more to question. Everything crept up the back of her neck and so she made a bigger effort to sleep closer to the rendezvous site in hopes her presence will at least be noticed. She stirs early but does get up and waits well until the sun is high in the sky before she even considers moving, letting the warm rays of sun soak into her dark fur. The snow is beginning its departure and she can’t be more thankful.

By the time she’s ready to move, she picks herself up and notices a crowd off in the distance. West hovers back, watching as the alpha and his mate—and another she doesn’t recognize—is trailing along with a group of puppies.

Lagan barely ever woke up on time for anything, and today was no exception. He was snoring loudly at the back of the cave, completely blocking out all of the voices as he slumbered. The boy was so lazy, and also not. He loved to sleep, but also loved to run around all day. He was a whole lot of things in one little wolf. Anyway he was still lying on the ground, snoring away and dreaming.

Lagan was surrounded by the most magnificent buffet he'd ever seen. Fat rabbits and deer, mice and squirrels. Even some berries and fruits surrounded him. Liffey was there, two very small Liffey's actually. One on both of his shoulders. The one on his left shoulder kept saying, "don't do it Lagan, this food belongs to dad" and the one of his right kept saying, "do it Lagan, nobody's watching except us". The dilemma was killing Lagan, he didn't want to make papa sad, but he wanted to eat all of it. Then he gave in, he rushed forwards, the Liffey's disappeared and he started to eat away, tearing into all of the food like a bear.

The rest of the dream wasn't important and he forgot a lot of it, until a meteor fell out of the sky and exploded the planet. That's when he woke up. Wah huh? He awoke with a jolt, scrambling to his feet and looking around for the meteor. When he realized it was all a dream he relaxed, and let out a sigh of relief. He started to open his mouth to tell everyone about his weird dreams (whether they wanted to listen or not), and realized they weren't there. He found them at the entrance to the cave, preparing to leave.

Groggily still, the Blackthorn pup trotted over to his dad's side and brushed up against his flank. He then sat down beside him, letting out a yawn. He probably looked pretty silly, being so tired he had forgotten to groom his fur down before coming to the entrance with everyone else, and his already fluffy fur was shooting out in all different directions. Hey papa where we goin'? He asked, scanning his eyes over the family.

Others are still free to join in! I don't have a set time limit between "rounds," but I'll probably try to post at least once every 7 days or so!

The firebirds always seemed ready and willing. It didn't take long for them to assemble near Elwood at the front of the cavern, their young senses taking in the sights and smells of the great outdoors. Lagan, Raven, and Eljay joined the group, preparing to offer their assistance in order to usher the puppies to their new home.

"We're going to the rendezvous site," Elwood said, answering Lagan's and Phox's questions simultaneously. Conscious of Towhee's handicap, he looked directly at her and said slowly and purposefully, "A new place to sleep. Outside!" He began to move forward, gradually enough that the youngsters could keep up with him easily.

"You're getting bigger now," he said, "so you need more room to play and explore." He paused long enough to look at Towhee and make a fumbling attempt at the sign for "play." He didn't want her to feel left out, but it would be difficult to explain further during their trek.

There was so much going on around her that it was difficult to concentrate, though Towhee got the gist of what was happening: they were all going on an adventure! Of course, she didn't understand the permanence but that was due to her age versus her handicap. She exchanged an excited look with Phox, playfully punching his shoulder before spinning to grin at the others gathering around them.

-Hi!- she signed at Raven, Eljay and Lagan. Towhee paused thoughtfully, her head tilted. One eye squinted as her teeth pressed gently into her tongue. After a beat, she slowly made another sign—several, actually. Her movements were a bit hesitant and clumsy as she wasn't entirely sure of the words yet. But the message was more or less, -We're going on an adventure!- Although she might have used the sign for "running" instead of "going."

Oblivious to her mistake—and trusting the adults would simply get it, as they often did—Towhee spun and excitedly bounded forward, eager to get this party started. But she dug her heels into the cool earth and froze when she spotted a silhouette in the distance. It was unmistakably the shape of a wolf. The pup's eyes were incredibly sharp and she knew in an instant that she'd never seen @West before. The smudged fur along her shoulders and spine stood on end as her tail lashed up over her hips and her ears flattened to her skull. Her lips wrinkled back from her teeth as an explosive growl burst from her chest.

West watches from afar as they begin to divert their attention to their new surroundings and it isn’t long before one of them picks up on her. She doesn’t see the features of the child to know which one it is—having not even seen them prior to now—but she also can’t note any distinction for future interactions. She does, however, become defensive and she can hear the growl in the distance. At first, she does not move from where she stands and waits to see if anyone will pick up on it, but before she gets the chance, she back pedals and makes to leave the rendezvous site to avoid any further disruption.

Feel free to skip me to keep this moving :) You can assume Fin is running around, being silly and essentially not helpful <3

It had been difficult to stay in the cave after they'd finally broken free. It had made no sense to move the puppies back to their original whelping den though when they were almost old enough to move to the rendezvous site anyway, so Fin had agreed to sit tight until Spring came. Now that the day had arrived, the Blackthorn was just as excited as the firebirds to be going.

Finley smiled as her mate made the announcement and the puppies swarmed around the gathered adults. It was a big day for their family, and she was pleased to see that her sons had come to help out. She made a mental note of those who weren't present for the event, her mind lingering uncomfortably on Liffey's face. It bothered her that her daughter wasn't here, but she let it go as best as she could. She wouldn't ruin the day with brooding.

She was happy to let Elwood run the show today, preferring instead to ride in the backseat with her wee little charges. Her eyes slid to Towhee as the pup took in West's distant presence less than kindly. Fin smirked a little before stepping forward and reaching to nip gently at the girl's rump to stop her aggressive response. Being wary of a stranger was fine, but jumping from careful to belligerent was a little much.

Still, the disciplinary moment was forgotten just as soon as it had happened and Finley was trotting forward to nip at her own mate's rump. To him, she gave a playful wink and a wave of her tail in his face. "Come on, Talky McTalkerson," she said with a laugh, "We got sunshine to enjoy. Let's go play!" With a sudden bow, she gave a woof to Orca at Elwood's paws and scampered ahead, hoping to initiate a game of chase.

When Towhee suddenly stilled and grew stiff, Elwood paused, following her gaze across the landscape. In the distance, he spotted West; she didn't make any attempt to approach, although he would have welcomed her, and in fact she moved farther away from the group of puppies and adults at the sound of Towhee's growling. He turned back to look at Towhee, an amused smirk finding its way to his face, and he gave Finley an appreciative glance when she non-verbally reprimanded their goddaughter with a soft snap of her teeth.

The rest of the family was relatively quiet as they continued on their way, until Finley sprinted ahead with a cheerful bark. Elwood laughed and trotted after her, nudging at Towee's hindquarters as he loped after his mate. In just a few strides, their surroundings began to open up into rolling hills, the early signs of spring already evident in the greenery.

"We're here," he commented to no one in particular, watching the puppies for their reactions.

Orca gave Towhee a dismissive glance at the sound of her sister's snarling. She was far too interested in the task at hand and finding out what would be at the end of their adventure. She still wasn't quite sure what a "voo site" was, but she was eager to learn.

When Finley directed an inviting bark at her, she grinned and romped after her godmother. She didn't notice the way the ground leveled out and sprawled ahead of her, or the brilliant colors of the grass and wildflowers. She didn't even realize that they had reached their destination; she was too busy chasing Finley, laughing with each step that she took.

The youngster knew a feeling of immense satisfaction when the interloper turned and left. It was short-lived, however, as a pinch to her hindquarters made Towhee jump. She twisted around, glaring, her expression immediately softening when it turned out to be Finley. Towhee bit her lip uncertainly, bowing her head and swallowing back a feeling of mild indignation. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why was she being rebuked?

It was all more or less forgotten in the following moments, as the caravan moved onward and Towhee fell back into step with the others. She did sweep their surroundings with her eyes but made no more sounds—save for the quiet squeak when Elwood nudged her—as they finally reached their apparent destination: a wide open field of grass overlooking something blue and sprawling in the distance.

The sight of Orca chasing after Finley momentarily distracted Towhee from the views. Her forehead wrinkled as she watched them, a smile creeping over her previously expressionless face. She then tore her eyes away from their game, seeking Phox. She sidled up beside her brother, bumping him, and then motioned toward the open grassland. After one quick glance back at Uncle Elwood to make sure it was okay, Towhee then burst into a run, unknowingly emitting a loud whoop as she darted across the rendezvous site.

Eljay smiled at Towhee though he didn't understand a sign she said. He was trying hard, but he still needed Raven to translate everything for him. 'Hi' was pretty much his limitation of what he understood. As Raven translated for him to indicate what Towhee was saying he smiled, glad that things were transitioning smoothly for the pups.

As he watched Lagan he also thought of how the ages were different this year; with Eljay, Wifi had been his older cousin, but with these pups, Lagan and Liffey were their older cousins instead.

"Yay," he cheered on the pups as they moved, wanting to spur them along so that they kept going in the happy momentum of the adventure rather than thinking that a move might be scary, as he might've as a pup. Hopefully the move would go well so that they'd get a positive experience from it. Eljay kept up the rear of the group, making sure there were no stragglers.

Whoop, missed the last round.

Elwood announced that they had arrived, and Phox took a ginger step forward. But when Towhee bumped into him and sped off, Phox paused only a moment before sprinting after her, tongue lolling and eyes bright as he attempted to tackle-glomp his closest sibling. These new romping grounds weren't bad at all...

Concluding this here. Thanks to everyone that participated! :)

The puppies didn't waste any time exploring their new surroundings; they were off and running in all directions, it seemed. Elwood watched as Towhee and Phox raced across the open terrain, smiling as he observed the closeness that had developed between the two. Eljay trailed along some distance behind them, ever the watchful cousin and caregiver.

With a grin and a whoop of his own, Elwood trotted after the youngsters, fully intending to play with them and help them acclimate to the rendezvous site.