Redhawk Caldera smart in an original way

@Towhee!

Lagan was doing what he pretty much was always doing nowadays; thinking about the pups. The new ones, and the older ones, but mostly the new ones. What were their names gonna be? Lagan hoped one of them would be named Uncle P. Not Peregrine or Perry, Uncle P. He thought that would be so cool, and super sweet. He tried to imagine what they would look like. What if there was one that looked just like him and Liffey! Could it's name be Lagan/Liffey junior? No, because then it's initials would be Lj and that would be very confusing.

He wandered into a blossoming meadow, then plopped himself down at the crest of a hill. His thoughts briefly wandered from the pups to his scouting trip with Gannet and Lady. He wondered if he would be able to do that still, and if so when? It was getting so close to the pup's birthday, and he imagined that they would need a lot of attention. Oh well, he'd figure it out.

As Towhee plodded along the borders, she wondered how she could step up her game once the pups arrived. Although she wanted to be there for her new siblings, perhaps she could take up more patrols and see if her godparents needed help with any particular tasks while they were otherwise preoccupied caring for the newborns. It was probably way too ambitious to offer to act as an interim leader, though Towhee would be more than happy to assume the role unofficially if it simultaneously helped her godparents and proved her fitness for leadership.

She wrapped up her patrol and began loping uphill, eager to fill her rumbling belly. En route to a cache, she stumbled across Lagan sprawled at the top of hillock. She barked a greeting but intended to walk past; her stomach was being very demanding. But something about his contemplative expression struck her, so she slowed and veered to approach him, tail waving and lips curved into a mile.

"Acorn for your thoughts?" she said, having spotted one nearby which she playfully kicked in his direction right before flopping down next to him with an expectant look.

Lagan heard a familiar bark and turned his head just in time to see an acorn flying for his face. It bopped him on his black nose, then skirted into the grass beneath him. He shook his head a few times, and did a little sneeze, then looked back towards Towhee with a smile. She laid down beside him and Lagan chuckled. Being a goofy kid, Lagan vent his head down and fished the acorn out of the grass with his mouth. He held it there and looked back to Towhee. Then he puffed out his cheeks all big like a chipmunk.

His tail wagging, he opened his mouth again to reveal the acorn sitting on the end of his long pink tongue. Then without warning he spat the acorn like a dart down the side of the hill and watched it tumble out of view.

Rather than answer her, Lagan retrieved the acorn, imitating a chipmunk before spitting it down the slope. Towhee turned slightly to watch it bounce, then returned her gaze to her older brother, quirking a brow. She chuckled, then stretched out a leg to lazily bat at his nearer elbow.

"What were you thinking about?" she pressed. -It looked serious,- she signed mockingly with a smile.

Lagan batted back at Towhee, lightly and lazily. Both of them still had huge puppy feet, but Lagan's were getting smaller as he grew. He sometimes forgot that Towhee was getting older, that she hadn't always looked as big and mature as she did now. When he remembered how little she'd once been, it never failed to make him smile. She asked him what he'd been thinking about, and he chuckled at her signing. Wasn't too- he paused, -serious.- He signed it for effect like she had.

I was just thinking about mom's new babies. I was wondering like, what're their names gonna be? If you had a baby right now, like right this second, what would you name it? He said, facing her as he waited to hear whatever awesome thing she came up with.

Her face brightened a bit at the mention of Finley's puppies. It was one of her favorite subjects as of late. Towhee was so ready to be a big sister, just like Raven. It seemed Lagan was just as enthusiastic about being a big brother again too. Her grin morphed into a comically stricken expression when he asked her what she would name a puppy right this second.

She didn't speak but Towhee's face and body language telegraphed for her: "Uhhh..." -No clue,- she said after a moment, shrugging a shoulder a little guiltily. -I can't have kids! I'm still a kid myself!- she added, though she understood he had only been speaking hypothetically. But it had put the thought of being pregnant and bearing pups in her head and that, for whatever reason, made her suddenly deeply uncomfortable.

-I don't want my own,- she declared flippantly, -so I don't have to worry about names. But what about you? What would you name your kids? Do you think you'll have some someday...?-

Towhee said she had no idea, which was understandable. She was just a kid, she didn't really have to think about this kind of thing. Her next declaration surprised Lagan a little. She didn't want kids? Why not? He exclaimed, clearly shocked. When Towhee turned his question on him, Lagan replied enthusiastically, Oh ho yeah! I want loads of kids! I don't care if their adopted, or my own kids, whatever, I'll take 'em. You know how sometimes you feel like you just know what you're meant to do? Well I think I'm supposed to raise kids!

It was all true, ever since the birth of Peregrine and Phox's litter, Lagan had fallen in love with taking care of kids. It could be partly that when he was with the young ones, he got to act like a younger one again. Maybe it was because he just thought they were so darn cute! But he always knew, he was destined to be a dad. He shifted then so that his entire body was facing her but curved in a u shape, then he laid his head down in the grass. But about the names. It depends, boy or girl?

Towhee didn't really know the answer to that question, so she didn't bother replying beyond a shrug. She could analyze her reasons later. For now, she smiled at Lagan's declaration about child-rearing. He seemed to think it was calling, to which the Xi could only nod. Her expression spoke for her: "You'll be a great dad!"

"Um, one of each," she replied to his prompt. Despite her own reservations about kids of her own, she was very much enjoying his enthusiasm and was happy to humor him.

The look on Towhee's face basically told him what he wanted to hear, and he was so grateful and happy for it. It was all he'd ever wanted, to be a great dad, uncle, big bro, whatever. The fact that Towhee was excited for him to be a dad, meant that he must've been a great uncle/big brother to her, and that was all that mattered. Towhee replied to his counter question and Lagan pursed his lips as he thought. Well, if my mom doesn't name one of her new kids Uncle P, then I will. But if she does I like umm, I don't know Happy for a boy.

And for a girl, oh gosh, I would probably name her Ellie! He decided, low key right that second. It had been between Ellie and Nina and his gut told him Ellie.

Lagan's choices stuck her as incredibly silly, though she bit back the raucous laugh that wanted to bubble forth. Towhee couldn't entirely resist the urge to tease, though. "What kind of name is Uncle P?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips. "I like Ellie," she added to offset her good-natured ribbing. "And Happy's not bad. But what if Happy ended up really grumpy?" the Xi wondered.

Lagan knew that Towhee was only teasing him, so with a chuckle he shot out one of his paws from under himself and jabbed Towhee's chest. Uncle P after your dad you goof! I don't know I like it! He explained, as Towhee went on to her opinions on his other names. She liked Ellie, but brought up the point that Happy might not be so happy. He thought about it for a moment, then replied, Then it'll be ironic. He said it with dignity, for he was confident in that name choice. He thought it was cute, whether or not Happy lived up to his name or not.

She hadn't actually made the connection at all, so it surprised her a little bit. She still chuckled, especially at his playful batting. "His name was Peregrine, you goof," she informed him in a sage voice. Towhee chuckled herself into a brief silence before voicing another thought that occurred to her. "Wait, if you name him Uncle P, then he has nieces and nephews one day, will they call him Uncle Uncle P?"

After chortling over that a moment longer, the Xi sobered somewhat and asked, "You were close to my dad?" How had she not known this before?

Towhee brought up another valid point, in which Lagan had to think again about his choices. Well then maybe I can call him Peregrine, but Uncle P as a nickname. And his nieces and nephews can call him Uncle P too. He said, even as he did so he was still trying to make sense of it. Was it too much to ask that he name his son after his dead uncle? While he was legit thinking about it, Towhee found it funny. She was chuckling away, and Lagan couldn't help but join in a little. He supposed the names were a little silly, but that didn't mean he didn't like them.

Towhee asked him another question, but this one was more serious. The silver furred boy tilted his head side to side as a gesture for, 'sort of'. I was a baby when I knew him, but I remember him really well. He was always was funny, and let me eat his stuff, and he was just like a cool uncle I guess. Like I am to you, or at least that's what I tried to be like. But now your older so I'm just a big brother.

Lagan mused aloud about his chosen name, which prompted Towhee to suggest, "I've heard your mom and dad refer to him as Perry." Perhaps that would make for a good compromise. It could even work for a boy or a girl, in her opinion.

She quickly became engrossed in his mention of the Peregrine. She had heard many stories about her parents by now, most of them painting the former monarchs in a good light (though Towhee had sensed something off about Raven descriptions of Fox in particular). She was always thirsty for more, especially now that she was a chronicler working on her history degree.

"Would you tell me a story about him?" Towhee requested.

Oh Perry's cute too! Lagan said, surprised at how many fun names one could make from Peregrine. Low key, Uncle P was still his favorite. He was musing about the other nicknames that his uncle had once told him to call him when Towhee asked him to tell her a story. For a moment he felt pity for her. He couldn't imagine not having his dad to raise him and love and support him. Sure she had Lagan's dad for that, but it probably wasn't the same. But he pushed aside his pity, assuming that Towhee wouldn't want it.

He nodded and looked away as he thought for a minute. He decided that the nickname story was a good one, and one of the ones he remembered the most. This is a great one. Ok so I was chilling with my dad right? And Uncle P comes and he's hanging out with me. And I was just being a nuisance, biting his tongue and messing with him and stuff, but he totally didn't mind. He was that chill! Then somehow we started talking about names to call him. He told me I could call him Uncle Butthead or Uncle Peebutty. I liked Uncle Peebutty the best but now I'm thinking Butthead was pretty funny.

Lagan smiled fondly at the memory, he remembered so clearly how Uncle Peregrine had smile down at him, so friendly and nice. That was what Lagan truly admired about the guy. Even when Lagan was literally hanging from his tongue, he was fine and happy. That was back when I was a little baby puppy, probably a month or two.

Towhee watched Lagan's face raptly as he told his story about being an infant and choosing a nickname for Peregrine. Her own lips twitched into a smile as she tried to picture a baby Lagan and her very own father. She had heard he was a fierce leader and that she took after him when it came to her views on outsiders. But she had also heard of his softer side, the one he saved for those worthy of it, like Fox and the rest of the Redhawks. Although Towhee hadn't been left wanting when it came to parental figures—Elwood and Finley were very much her parents in every way that counted—she still felt a longing to meet the infamous Peregrine and Fox. That couldn't happen, so the next best thing was to get to know them through tales like these.

"What about Fox? Were you close with her too?" the Xi wondered.

Towhee asked about her mother too, and unfortunately Lagan didn't have many stories to tell. While he had been very attached to Peregrine, Fox hadn't been around as much. He pursed his lips and replied, She was very nice, but I didn't get to spend much time with her. She was usually doing other things, and dealing with her own kids, like Gannet and Whip and Ferret. He realized then that he almost forgot completely about Whip and Ferret. They weren't the same as Gannet, they were always going, and didn't Ferret turn out to be insane. He much preferred the black and white Redhawk, who was his soon to be his travel buddy.

He didn't have much to report on when it came to Fox. Towhee's lips pursed, though his mention of her older brothers captured her imagination. She knew Gannet, of course, and she'd heard of Ferret and Whip but she'd never met them. She tried to imagine what they looked like and came up with a cross of Nightjar and Gannet in her mind's eye.

"Where are they? Ferret and Whip, I mean?" Her head cocked as she gazed upward thoughtfully for a minute, though she quickly reverted her eyes back to Lagan to catch his reply. "And wasn't there another pup in that litter who died? I feel like Gannet mentioned him once. Or maybe it was your dad." Towhee paused, then admitted, "I don't remember."

But she wanted to remember. She wanted to know everything there was to know about the Redhawks, even the ones who'd turned their backs on the caldera. She wondered if she would be able to keep track of it all. There were so many wolves in their family. It was going to be a challenge for sure, though Towhee aspired to rise to it.

Lagan frowned thoughtfully at Towhee's next question. Where were Ferret and Whip? Lagan had no idea, they'd gone so long ago. I don't really know. I haven't heard much about them or where they went, but I do remember Whip a little bit. I only knew him when I was a super little baby. I think I remember sometime when I was playing with him, but he didn't seem all that interested in me. He said, trying to pull out more memories of Towhee's lost brothers but to no prevail.

Then Towhee brought up another pup. Something clicked in his mind, something someone had told him about that. There had been another sibling, but he had died before Lagan was born. Yeah! There was somebody else named like Peeper or... Peter! Peter Peter that was it! Yeah I think he got killed by some crazy wolf or something. He said, the end part with sadness in his eyes.

There wasn't much more to tell about Ferret or Whip, though Lagan successfully remembered the name of their lost brother, Peter. "Yeah," Towhee agreed, "that's it! Peter... Pan, I think?" There was a story behind the peculiar name but she definitely didn't remember it. "Do you know if they ever caught the wolf who did it?" she couldn't help but wonder, Lagan's mention jogging her memory a bit. She'd heard this tragic tale at least once. It didn't make her sad so much as angry, knowing a trespasser had invaded and killed one of the pack's young like that.

She peered off for a moment, thinking, and when she returned her orange eyes to Lagan's face, a somewhat random question popped out of her mouth. "Lagan, how long do wolves usually live? Were my mom and dad—were they old when they died?" It seemed she'd already been exposed to so much loss in her young life but it didn't bother her, having never known anything different. She accepted death as a normal part of life, though all this talk of deaths and disappearances had her suddenly wondering (and worrying) how long she had with her loved ones.

Peter Pan that's it. Lagan echoed, his memory catching up quickly. Towhee asked if they caught the wolf who had murdered him, and Lagan racked his brain once more. I think so, maybe. I remember hearing about her. She was a mean black wolf, all big and scary. I think she's dead. He said, for he was pretty sure he'd heard something about that. Or maybe it was just his mind remembering another dark furred killer, the monster from his childhood. The one who had stolen Lucy, and never brought her back.

Lagan spaced out for a moment too, but Towhee's next question snapped him back into place. This was a question he felt like he should know the answer to, but he didn't. I don't know. I know how old old is I think, but I guess people around here don't usually die of old age. Your parents were probably around Burke's age, and he's pretty old. He said, though he realized that might've sounded a bit sad. He wished there was something to say to spin that around, but there wasn't much of an upside when talking death.

A cold feeling trickled through her at those words: "I guess people around here don't usually die of old age." Before Towhee could really parse out what that inferred, Lagan said something else that caused her to squint in confusion. She didn't know Burke (having done a pretty good job of avoiding the transplants from the fen) but she did know Birk.

"He doesn't seem old to me," she replied, totally unaware that there were two wolves in the pack who shared a name phonetically. "I thought he was around your age." Her head tilted, eyes quizzically roving over Lagan's face.

Lagan squinted back at Towhee when she said that Burke didn't seem that old. Excuse? The dude was about to fall over dead and like any minute! His bones were poppin every time he stood and he hacked a lot. He was still kicking, and he wasn't a bad looking wolf, but there was a very big different in Lagan's opinion. I... Lagan stumbled over a way to reply to that, his mouth closing and opening as he tried to form words. Finally he spat out, I don't know which Burke you're talking about, but the one I know is like... dying.

lol this is so funny xD

Granted, she hadn't seen Birk up close in a while and he did have white fur (wasn't that a sign of advancing age?) but it really took her by surprise to hear that he was not only a lot older than she'd realized but also declining rapidly. Towhee caught herself feeling sort of bad for him but then remembered that she didn't particularly care for the dude. He was okay—and much less of an outsider these days, compared to the recent influxes—but they certainly weren't close or anything.

-Weird,- she signed, shrugging off the entire thing. She paused. She kind of wanted to press Lagan about his earlier remark. If it wasn't common to die of old age, then what was the usual cause of death? But Towhee suddenly realized she didn't really think she wanted to know. There were puppies on the way and she would much rather focus on life than death, come to think of it.

"Hey," she said, speaking aloud again, "I'm super hungry. I'm gonna find something to eat, then probably go visit your mom, see if she needs anything. Want to come with me?"

Lagan was still confused as to what made Towhee think Burke was Lagan's age, but Towhee moved on with a simple, weird. It certainly was, but he wouldn't dwell on it. Unless of course she meant that Lagan looked old and dying, in which case he would have her elaborate later. Towhee asked if he wanted to go hunting and go see his mom, and he nodded with a smile. Sure, I bet I can catch a bigger... something than you can! He said, pushing to his feet quickly and giving his silver fur a quick shake.

we could fade soon if you want?