Redhawk Caldera Let me tell you my story.

I'll start a new round every few days. Please allow Phox to post directly after me. Otherwise, it's open! :)

@Finley @Elwood @Lagan @Birk @Eljay @Gannet @Sebastian @Pearl @Burke @Andalusia @Coysevox @Odette @Phox @Orca @Benjamin @Nova @Ivy

She still wanted nothing to do with those she considered outsiders. But ever so slowly, the adults were chipping away at her and Towhee was coming to begrudgingly accept the new status quo. When Raven proposed the aspiring chronicler take the opportunity to inform the newcomers of the pack's rich history, the Xi promptly rejected the idea. But the medic kept wheedling her about it until Towhee accepted out of sheer exasperation more than anything else. She did want the title, after all, and there was something to be said about forcing the Redhawks' heritage down the outsiders' throats.

And so she found herself at the center of the rendezvous site this evening, surrounded by familiar and not-so-familiar faces. She tried not to grimace at the latter as she motioned for Phox to take up his station at her shoulder. Since the newest arrivals (and even some of her dearest loved ones) wouldn't understand ptero, he would be her interpreter. Towhee gave her brother a skeptical look, then a quick smile of thanks.

Wetting her lips, Towhee focused her brassy eyes somewhere beyond the faces staring up at her and began. -This is the history of Redhawk Caldera. It was started by a wolf named Peregrine and his mate, Fox. They lived together at a place called Blacktail Deer Plateau but decided they wanted a fresh start. So they ventured into the wilderness to find the perfect place to start their new pack. They found their way here. But it wasn't a fairy tale ending. Fox slipped and fell, breaking her leg...- She paused for effect (and to rest after all that signing).

Phox was glad that Towhee was finally coming around. He had nothing but good things to say about the newcomers, and he still didn't understand why she was being such a jerk about accepting them. Elwood, Finley, Raven, and all the others seemed to be doing just fine with the new deal. But now, here they were, sitting in front of a crowd and about to tell a story. Or rather, a history. Phox had heard the story before, of course, and he knew it by heart, but he would interpret Towhee's version of it as closely as possible.

"This is how our pack, Redhawk Caldera, was made. Our super cool parents, Peregrine and Fox, used to live at Blacktail Deer Plateau, which is super lame, so they decided to leave and come here instead. Right when they got here, Fox slipped and broke her leg. I'm sure she was just having a bad day, 'cause usually she was super good at exploring." Towhee had paused, so Phox followed suit.

This was going to be rough... Finley was positive of that as she settled in at Elwood's side to watch as their adopted kids tell the Caldera's origin story to the pack. Not rough in the way she thought it would go poorly - nothing like that. It was going to be hilariously enjoyable, and therein lied the problem. How in the hell was she supposed to witness this and not laugh at them?

It wouldn't be meant in a bad way, but she knew the potential to interpret her exuberant amusement as insult was there. Towhee had never told her stories on a scale this large before, and it wouldn't be her fault that Phox vocalize her signaled words with his own comical flair. She wanted to be polite and encouraging and make this a good experience for the two. Laughing in their faces seemed like not the way to go.

So, there she was, tucked against her mate and determined to restrict her reactions to smiles and quiet chuckles as best as she could, which was instantly problematic. Phox explained that his super cool mom was just having a bad day because she was super good at exploring usually, which left Fin to wonder when they had ever explained Fox's talents to her kids. Interested to see what other little nuggets of imaginative interpretation they would reveal, Fin kept playing the part of the good audience member.

Even though this was a story that Gannet, too, had heard before (and from the sources, no less), he wasn't about to miss any sort of telling.  He didn't much like talking, but damn he loved listening.

When he arrived, he took note of who was around and ended up settling in close to some of the newcomers.  He hadn't gotten the chance to do much interacting with them yet, but unlike his sister, he held no reservations.  They were good as family already now that they were under the Redhawk roof.  His tongue lolled from his mouth as he sought to cool down from the run over and he trained his attention on Towhee and Phox.

Not having seen the former's signs, he watched attentively, noting how her body language seemed to embellish the words Phox spoke.  He couldn't piece what she did into language, but he kept his attention trained on her as the story went on, appreciating the addition it made.

a little pp with permission from Kim :)

After a quick hunt this morning, in which he'd managed to catch a small bird, Lagan spent the majority of his day hanging out with @Orca at the rendezvous site. Talking, playing games, doing things with her that a good older cousin would do. He never got tired of playing with the younger ones, who he still considered his babies, even though they were growing fast. He was rolled over onto his back, batting playfully at Orca when he heard some commotion behind him. He looked up, turning to see what was happening, and he noticed quite a few others gathering around someone who he wouldn't expect to see in the middle of a circle.

He nudged Orca, and stood, trotting over to sit in the circle. He invited the younger black and white pup to sit between his two front legs, then looked attentively at her two siblings with an encouraging smile on his face. Towhee started signing to Phox, and Phox interpreted, his words were much more lax than the way Towhee acted. He couldn't help but smile in an amused fashion as they spoke, they were quite the duo. And it was downright adorable!

Apparently there was some orchestrated to do going on and while Nova showed up it certainly wasn't with bells or whistles or any flair. The girl was still broken hearted and melancholy - she didn't feel much more than that. She was still terrified that her brother was never going to find them, still contemplating what they needed to do to find Mato. To say the least she was distracted. Especially because whatever Towhee was doing, Nova had no clue what that was supposed to be. If anyone had mentioned the girl was deaf she hadn't remembered and it left her a touch bewildered. 

Still, her eyes were mostly on the ground, leaning against her nearest sibling; if she made any outward show of emotion is was mostly in a twitch of her brows as if she was concentrating. Really though, her thoughts were miles away in a bake she'd never heard of or seen. 

This activity meant a lot to Elwood because he was woven into the history of Redhawk Caldera, but also because it showed Towhee's willingness to make an effort with the wolves from Broken Antler Fen. He was aware, of course, that Raven had suggested the idea and had convinced Towhee with a little coercion -- but what was important was that she was following through with it. Aside from all of that, he was proud to see her using her sign language so fluently, and he was interested to see how Sebastian's family would react.

Sitting so close to Finley, he was able to give her a gentle jab in the ribs if her laughter became too obvious. Both Alphas were proud of their godchildren, and as wolves filled the space around them and Towhee and Phox began their orchestrated act, Elwood sat up straight and gave them his full attention. While he needed Phox's interpretation, since his own sign language skills were still basic, he focused on Towhee and tried to make sense of her gestures himself as she "spoke."

While Orca was a little disappointed when her playtime with Lagan came to an end, she was still more than happy to comply and follow him when their presence was requested with the rest of the group. She glanced around at everyone gathered, beaming up at her godparents and then sticking her tongue out at Towhee and Phox in a good-natured way, then she settled herself against Lagan's forelegs.

She listened intently, skillfully interpreting Towhee's signs in her head as Phox dictated the story aloud. She giggled at Phox's additions, then turned her bright eyes back to Towhee, waiting for her sister to continue.

Sebastian just came back from a patrol at the borders when he noticed that there was a family gathering. He quickly rushed to the scene. The male went to lie down, catching the weird mouthing of Towhee. He remembered the female from when they joined. She didn't look so pleased. The dark colored male he spoke with before, Phox, was there too. He seemed welcoming and nice.

Sebastian listened to what the dark pup seemed to translate. Ah, the story of Redhawk. Sebastian's tail wagged gently to encourage the two of continuing to tell the story. It didn't go unnoticed that Finley had trouble not laughing. Sebastian thought it was great the two were doing this performance. He was supportive. It also didn't go unnoticed that Nova still looked sad.

Burke had been at the rendezvous site as he was still recovering from the poisoning. He was doing a lot better than before now he had fresh water and good food. Still, being old sucked. He needed more time to recover and get back to his normal fitness level. He slept a lot at the site. Sometimes grumbling when playing pups would wake him up with their shouting.

The elder male settled next to his granddaughter Nova. He was glad to be laying down and looked rather unamused at what the two younger wolves were even trying to do. He wasn't that impressed. His granddaughter didn't look too happy. He was fine with being the depressing side of the listeners. Still, the grandpa nudged her and then placed his head down by her feet. He could be really sweet if he wanted to be. Burke just felt comfort in her sadness. He despised over excited pups.

While Andalusia had not yet determined how long her tenure with the Caldera would last, she found herself enjoying the company of the Redhawks, in part chalked up to the sheer nature of the rag-tag family who made this pack their home. In a way they reminded her of her family - a motley assembly of every personality, bonded by both blood and something deeper. And they had given her a home, so, for as long as she stayed with them, she would give all her effort to uphold the pack, regardless of how long she would remain with their number.

Eager to put herself to use, the Ostrega had sought an audience with Raven a few days into their stay, when Andalusia had determined herself on the mend. The whole event only reminded the Ostrega of how much she had yet to learn of medicine, and Raven possessed both knowledge and a passion the Ostrega wished to reflect.

She had heard from the medic's own grinning lips, as they had worked side by side the morning before, of her successful cooersion of one of the youths into presenting the Caldera's history. As much of a gong-show a first recital could be, Andalusia was eager to hear the story of how the Redhawks came to be, and had been careful to keep near the rendevous site that day so as to not miss the telling. The gathering of bodies and the notes of an excited young voice alerted the Ostrega to the telling's start and, with quickened steps, she gathered herself to the growing circle and settled down beside... Fi... Fin... she settled down beside the exuberant Alphaess, who seemed to be holding herself ... better... today, but only just.

Giving the leaders a brief nod of respect, the Ostrega positioned herself on the ground in a comfortable recline, and honed her ears and eyes on the youth at the circle's centre. Of even more intrigue than the story was the dark girl's signing, and Andalusia found her eyes fixed on the strange motion of her limbs. The language was something completely foreign, and something she desired to learn, and Andalusia reminded herself to later seek the young girl out.

She was too focused on the story to notice Phox's embellishments, not that she would have particularly minded. She trusted him implicitly; he would make sure her (their) story was told properly. She glanced at him as she took a brief breather, then peered at the faces turned expectantly in her direction. The expressions varied and she felt a lick of indignation at the slightest indication of confusion on any of them. If they found her method of communication strange, they would either have to deal with it or leave—preferably the latter.

But the Xi stowed her crap for now, took another breath, then resumed. -Peregrine had no choice but to leave his injured mate here to go back to the plateau and tell them what happened—and that they were going to stay at the caldera. When he broke the news, everyone was very sad to see them go. Many tears were shed.- So this part was her own embellishment but Towhee figured that was okay; it was part of the creative process to fluff up the details a bit, wasn't it? -One wolf was too sad. She couldn't possibly part with her best friends. So when Peregrine announced he would be leaving for good, she stood up and told him she was going to go with him.-

She paused for a long time, hopefully leaving the audience on tenterhooks, before pointing and signing, -That wolf was my Aunt Finley.-

Thankfully, nobody interrupted them. And—maybe surprisingly—Phox lacked any kind of nervousness. He gave Towhee a nudge, and she continued telling the story. He, of course, spoke it aloud for everybody to hear, keeping his eyes mostly on his sister, but also glancing to the crowd occasionally. That was how public speaking worked, right?

"Since our mom was broken, Peregrine had to go back to the plateau. He told the pack what happened, and everybody was really sad that they had to leave, since they were such great hunters and explorers. One wolf cried a lot because Fox and Peregrine were her best friends. She decided she should go with him, too." Here, Phox paused with Towhee, eagerly awaiting the big reveal. "It was Finley!" he exclaimed, fully expecting the crowd to go wild.

As the story continued, Elwood remained focused on Towhee and Phox. He nodded as Towhee signed, still determined to try to decipher her gestures himself, but he was grateful for Phox's exposition. He did spare a quick glance at the other wolves gathered, particularly Sebastian's packmates, as he tried to decipher what they were thinking; but his attention was quickly drawn back as he recognized Finley's name sign. Moments later, Phox shouted out his godmother's name.

Elwood delivered a quick, playful nudge to Finley's ribs, accompanied by a snicker as she made her entrance in the story. "You cried a lot, huh?" he teased quietly.

A quick glance around her told Finley that everyone seemed to be enjoying the storytime. Even the faces that were confused by Towhee's signing were politely curious and seemed to genuinely be trying to keep up. Only two wolves appeared to be disengaged - unsurprisingly, one of Sebastian's kids. This was probably the one that Elwood had said was all upset about her brother. The second grumpy face came from future-Sebastian, as Finley called him. He'd not been a pleasant fellow so far, so she wasn't exactly surprised at his lack of enthusiasm either.

Fin made a mental note about it, but otherwise didn't much care. Her attention hopped quickly back to the kids as they continued the story. She grinned as they told about how everyone had cried over Fox and Peregrine's departure from the Plateau - a stretch she'd been well aware of when she'd told the story first to Towhee. She did not, however, remember the part where she'd volunteered herself as the most distraught one of the pack, but she still snickered appreciatively of her apparently role in the tale.

She gave her mate a playful frown as he nudged her. "I was very emotional back then," she informed him quietly with a smirk. She looked back at the pups then, wondering what they'd tell of her doing in chapter three of the story.

Although the crowd did not go wild as her brother hoped, Towhee saw most eyes turn toward Finley. She and Elwood appeared to be smiling at one another. The Xi gazed at them fondly for a moment, grinning a little when the Alpha female's gaze returned to her. With a quick glance at Phox—"You ready?"—she then prepared to deliver the third installation.

-Finley loyally followed Peregrine back here to the caldera. While Fox healed, the others set up the pack and started recruiting members. One of the very first ones to arrive was Elwood.- Towhee pointed tellingly at the pack's current patriarch, then refocused on her audience. -Together, the four of them led the caldera through the seasons. They survived lots of stuff, like a crazy storm,- she regaled them, remembering Raven's recollection of said weather event, -and even a huge swarm of bugs that ate all the plants!- She was pretty sure Elwood had mentioned that one. Or maybe it had even been Gannet. Not that it mattered at the moment.

-They all lived happily here for a few years, raising their families,- Towhee went on after a brief pause, her face suddenly growing a little more sober. -Then last fall, Peregrine died very suddenly... but not before putting one last batch of babies in Fox's belly.- The story was very nearly finished—or, rather, brought up to the present day—but Towhee paused there, taking a moment of respectful silence for her father's legacy.

Gannet listened with huge enjoyment as the chronicler in training continued, especially beaming when she spoke of the bugs.  Damn that had been a great day.  Back when he and dad and Whip and Ferret had still been a family; they still were, but it wasn't the same, with only him here.

Sparing a thought to send positive vibes both his brothers' way, wherever they might be, he laid down and continued listening to the finish.

"Back then?" Elwood whispered in response to Finley, making a playful jab at the rollercoaster of emotions that she often put them on. Well, he supposed it hadn't been so up-and-down lately -- although that would likely change now that she was pregnant -- but they certainly had a history full of emotional turmoil. He quieted as Towhee and Phox continued their story, although his silence was short-lived as soon as he saw his goddaughter make his name sign.

"Oh, now the story's getting good! I'm in it!" he said to Finley in a stage whisper. He straightened up and directed a proud grin at Towhee, though he sobered slightly when the inevitable death of Peregrine was mentioned.

Orca had listened raptly, not making a sound. Her eyes and ears were fully focused on her siblings. She was proud of them for telling their story, and she enjoyed every minute. But when they addressed Peregrine's death, her lower lip began to quaver and she felt tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

It was a strange sensation; she had never known either of her parents, and for all intents and purposes, Aunt Fin and Uncle El had stepped into the roles seamlessly. She treasured her godmother and godfather. But she felt inexplicably sad, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, leaning back against Lagan for physical and emotional support. She forced a smile as she waited to see if Towhee and Phox would continue.

I'll archive this in a few days. Thanks for participating! :)

She bowed her head for a few seconds, then raised it and resumed. -Although it was winter and she was grieving Peregrine's loss, Fox powered through what was to be her last pregnancy.- She paused, letting that ominous sentence hang over the audience a moment, orange eyes flicking sideways to wait for Phox to deliver it before continuing. -On the first day of the new year, Fox's life ended even as ours began. She gave birth to six pups. Two of them died very young. One disappeared not long ago. But the three of us are still here, loyal and strong. We're the future of Redhawk Caldera.-

She made eye contact with Orca—whose own gaze looked a little misty and melancholic—and then with Phox. Towhee then puffed up her chest and regarded the crowd, sending sort of shady looks in the direction of the other pups. They weren't Redhawks, not by blood at least. One day, Towhee thought she might rise up in the ranks and kick all the outsiders out on their asses. In the meantime, at least they'd been imbued with the pack's strong familial history.

-THE END!- she signed emphatically, bumping against Phox before sidestepping off the makeshift stage. She padded over to her godparents with a look that clearly asked, "How did I do?" She made a point to grin gratefully at her other loved ones before settling down among them to discuss the story and the Redhawk pups' performance.

Lagan was very into the story, he was struggling to decide whether or not to look at Phox as he told it, or Towhee as she signed it. Phox was pretty comical in his telling, but Towhee was really into it. His mouth was open with awe, slightly quirks up at the edges in a smile. The story started getting really good when Lagan's mom and dad were in it. He turned and looked at them both, excitement on his face. Then he looked back, as the story continued on. It started getting pretty sad, when Peregrine died. He remembered that, he had been so sad.

Orca seemed pretty sad about the story too, she leaned back into Lagan for support, and the sitter leaned down and gave her a sloppy lick on her forehead. Soon the story was over, and while it wasn't a super happy ending, it made Lagan smile. Towhee was right; they were the future of Redhawk Caldera. Together, the Blackthorns and the Redhawks were gonna carry on the legacy of their parents with pride. WHOOP WHOOP, yeah alright! Lagan cheered, howling and yipping for Towhee and her brother.

Gannet listened silently to the finish.  He knew the ending as well as he'd known the beginning, but he could listen to the same story a hundred times and be just as pleased, since every time it seemed something different could he thought about.  Towhee spoke about Peter and Stoat, and then Whip, and Gannet considered that only a few months ago he'd have been on that list as well.  

When she finished he smiled and thwacked the ground a time or two with his front paw appreciatively.  Then he stood and shook, stretching and preparing to head out the way he'd come.

Fin nudged her mate playfully as he whispered to her again, a grin stretching across her muzzle. The story turned somber shortly thereafter and the alpha felt her heart clench as Peregrine's and Fox's children began to tell of their parents' untimely deaths. For a moment, the Blackthorn didn't know what to feel about this. They spoke (and signed) with respect and a tinge of remorse, but it struck Finley yet again what an awful and wonderful thing it was that they weren't more distraught over what they had lost. No matter how much Fin and Elwood and everyone else that had known them spoke of Peregrine and Fox, Fin feared that their kids would probably never truly know what a crime it was that they had never known those that had created them.

Except... that one guy that might've created them... Eh, whatever.

Finley found herself pressing gently against Elwood as the kids concluded their tale. In spite of the depressing finale, she grinned and lent her voice to the rest in cheering for the pair. It occurred to her then that she ought to do something leader-ly like stand and give a speech about the future of the Caldera. Instead, she just stood and trotted over to the two young wolves to nudge and prod at them both with appreciative affection, feeling suddenly quite proud of the way she and Elwood were raising their best friends' kids and thinking they might feel the same were they still above ground.

Oops, I'm slow.

Phox continued to (re)tell the story with his own flair. "Finley went back with Peregrine, and pretty soon after, Elwood joined Redhawk Caldera. They made it through a tornado and a bunch of bugs and stuff." Okay, so he was definitely paraphrasing.

"All four wolves lived here for a long time, but then our dad died after he got mom pregnert." That, of course, included Towhee and himself. "Mom kept living, but when we were born, she died. Not before giving birth to six of us, though! Two of our siblings died, and we don't know where Titmouse is, but Towhee, Orca, and I are still the future."

A little may have been lost in translation, but Phox thought he'd done a bang-up job of explaining all this to the rest of the pack. After a long pause, Phox tacked on a final, "That's all!"