Stone Circle if you can hold on

Tagging @Stark and/or @Valette so Red can ask about scouting missions/rules about traveling outside the pack territory!

Red was settling in nicely but already she was beginning to feel restless just sitting around here inside the territory and doing nothing. She wanted to be out, exploring the surrounding areas and bringing back scouting reports, or at least hunting to fill the caches, or something. She wandered the gorgeous meadow territory and could hardly notice its beauty for her restlessness. It was a terrible curse to someone with wanderlust. It brought adventure for sure, and that was always fun, but it also meant she couldn’t sit still for more than a couple of days without feeling like she was wasting her time and everyone else’s. She needed to be doing something for the pack!

Valette was watching the territory from the standing stones. The hill gave a nice view of the world around her. Especially the prey that were out on the meadows. She wouldn't be able to run much more in the next week. Her belly was getting bigger every day. Valette had chosen her family life over her own wanderlust. She was a master ranger now but she used her knowledge mostly for giving lessons.

Her hazel eyes fell on on the red fur of Red. One of their new wolves. She seemed really nice but the thing Valette noticed now was that she was rather restless. The alpha female pushed herself on all fours and then trotted in a casual pace towards the female. She greeted her with a chuff. She had scented the female around, meaning that she was settling in well. "Hi, Red,' she greeted. Valette remembered that the female also wanted to become a scout so perhaps she could send the female out to do something. "You look like you want something to do," she pointed out, along with a friendly smile on her face.

Red turned at the sound of an approaching wolf, and grinned when she saw her new alpha. “Valette!” she greeted. “How’s the pregnancy coming along? You sure you should be out here?” She dipped her head in respect, tail wagging behind her. And then blinked. “Actually, I’m not exactly sure when females stop movin’ around when they get pregnant. I’ve never been, and never known anyone who was.” She shook her head. “Sorry. Rambling.” She took a few steps nearer Valette, smiled at her, and then turned to stare outward at the territory. “Yes, I would like something to do. I… I travel a lot — it’s what I’m used to. Even in a pack, usually my job is to go outside the territory and scout, or bring messages to friendly packs. Stuff like. So I… I guess I feel a little stuck.” She cringed. “Not that I don’t love it here, I do! I just… feel like I’m not doing anything.”

Valette chuckled as the female wondered if she still should be walking outside. The answer was yes. She wanted to spend as much time outside as she could. "I'd like to stay out as long as possible. I can still do a casual trot. After the birth, I will spend most of my two weeks underground with them," she explained. Having a litter before made her far more relaxed about the whole birth and taking care of them afterward. "I'd like to help as much as I can."

Valette sat down, her belly bulging more when she did. She needed a bit of a rest, standing was more tiresome on her back. "Don't worry, Red. My daughter Clary is the same," she hummed. "I actually do have a job for you. I recently met a pack called Sunspire, they are in the Sunspire Mountains," Valette explained. "Their leader is Rannoch. Can you go to them? Perhaps with a gift as we spoke of an alliance. I'd like to know if they are fully settled their now and doing well. Perhaps a welcoming gift? You can also tell them that I couldn't come myself as I will have young of my own," she smiled at the thought.

"Oh, and of course, while traveling there, you can be on the lookout for other packs that have settled. Perhaps they might be interested in alliances as well? Could you do that for me? You can even take @Clary with you if you want. Though I am not sure if she would want to go with me so close to giving birth." Valette knew that her daughter would take every opportunity to go and see more of the world around her.

Tag for visibility!! :D And perhaps a nice travel plot for Red+Clary! :D

Red’s ears perked as her alpha spoke of being pregnant. The fire-coated wolf stood at attention, showing interest in this. She never planned to do anything with medicine or helping to give birth, but it seemed important information to know regardless. After all, she secretly hoped that, despite her sexuality, she might have pups herself one day, either through herself or whoever might end up being her mate. 

Then the conversation turned towards a scouting mission, and Red’s tail automatically wagged behind her in excitement. Okay, a pack called Sunspire. Offerings of an alliance. Bring a gift. Tell them Valette is having pups so she can’t go to them herself. Be on the lookout for other packs. Take Clary — take Clary?

“I’d be happy to do this for you!” Red exclaimed, green eyes flashing in excitement. “And I’m glad you seem to trust me enough to let me bring your daughter with you. I’ll take good care of her — assuming she wants to come.” She paused, gathering information in her head for the journey. “What direction is Sunspire in? Do you know how many days’ travel it takes to get there?”

Valette smiled when Red seemed so excited to have this scouting mission. Perhaps she would return with the eligibility of having a scouting trade already. It depended on how much she would see and do on her scouting mission. "Of course, Red. You are part of our pack now," she spoke with a nod. Plus, she felt like Clary would be disappointed if her mother would rather favor someone else for a scouting mission.

"The Sunspire is in the Sunspire Mountains. It is the tallest mountain of the mountain range to the west of here," she explained. "I go through the forest here, Fox's Glade, then you reach Duck Lake, go to the west, and cross the river, then turn more south to the mountain range, that is the easiest way, I believe. The more direct route is steeper and has a big mountain lake that is difficult to go around," the master ranger spoke with a nod.

Red remained silent as she soaked in Valette’s instructions. Had she been more experienced she might have needed the Alpha to repeat them, but she had been doing this almost her entirely life now, and she was good at picking out key details for a mission. Through the forest, find the lake, go west, cross a river, turn south, find the tallest mountain from there. Forest, lake, west, river, mountain. Red was nodding along as Valette spoke, engraining the information into her brain until it stuck like a tune you couldn’t get out of your head. Her brows were filled furrowed in concentration and her green eyes showed determination. “I think I’ve got it,” she said. Then she repeated what was in her head. “Forest, lake, turn west, cross a river, find the tallest mountain.”

She looked around, as if already trying to get a sense of where she needed to go from this exact spot. “When do you want me to go? And do you want to tell Clary yourself, or do you want me to?” She paused, thinking of something. “If it’s just Clary and me, I can’t bring down a deer or anything that large? What gift would be sufficient? If each of us hunted a smaller animal, like a rabbit or a fox?” She wanted to do this right the first time. That was how you succeeded in life. If you did it right the first time, you wouldn’t waste time having to redo anything later.

Valette smiled when the other repeated her. She must have done this before to sound so confident. The alpha female was convinced she could let Red do this task. "You can go whenever you feel ready,' Valette spoke and then gave a nod. Maybe the female wanted to eat first or get some rest before going. And of course, check if Clary wanted to go. "You can ask Clary. You can tell her she has my permission to go with you," Valette spoke.

When it came to the gift, Valette had to think for a moment. "Hmm. Good point," Valette spoke thoughtfully. "I know! One of our old healers. In her herb cache/den, she had a bison skin," Valette spoke. Valette had one herself in her own den. They were really soft to lie down on. "Let me take you to it, then you can give them the bison skin as a gift. It is not too large, I could only manage to rip off the skin partly," she explained. "It will maybe smell of herbs and Easthollow, but that is what we want. So they remember it is from us, at least in the beginning," she grinned. Valette then motioned Red to follow her and led her to Krypton's cache/den.

Shit post

“Bison skin?” Red repeated, a bit incredulously as she followed Valette. Secretly, she wondered how difficult it was going to end up being to drag a bison skin all the way to the mountain, but she did not voice this concern out loud. She would at least look at it first. And at least in theory it was a good idea, for all the reasons that the alpha had stated. It would have Easthollow’s scent on it, which would hopefully help to establish a connection between the two packs. Again, assuming Red and Clary could somehow drag a bison skin… all the way to Sunspire…

Valette trotted to the den that Krypton had for months. It was only a short trot away. She poked her head into the den and then grabbed the skin. She pulled it out. It was not too large but a wolf could fit on it. There were dark tones from the neck and the more lighter tones from the back. Valette held it up for Red and then placed it down.

"It is not too heavy," she assured. "You can also place it on your back while walking if that works for you," she offered. "But perhaps if you go with Clary then you can take turns," she offered. "If Clary doesn't want to go, you might want to ask Howl. He is a seasoned traveler as well," she suggested.

Red thought that the skin was beautiful, in its own way, though she’d never thought to use it to sleep on or anything. Actually, that was a great idea. If she ever went bison hunting with the pack she’d have to ask about using some of its hide. She nodded when Valette suggested that she put it on her back to carry it. “That’s a good idea; it’ll keep it from getting gross dragging on the ground.” She stepped forward and then bent forward into a downward-dog form and nosed underneath the skin. She shoved her head underneath it completely and then slowly crawled forward until she was underneath it completely, and then she stood up. It looked like she was wearing some kind of cape, not that she knew what a cape was. She turned to look over her shoulder at herself and laughed. “That’s great! I’m sure Sunspire will love it! And if Clary—or Howl—and I take turns it won’t be too bad. It’ll get hot, but it’ll be okay.”

She looked out into the territory. “Thanks again for this opportunity,” she said to Valette, bowing her head. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go and find Clary now to ask her about traveling with me?”

Last post from me! Wanna wrap it up?

Valette smiled as she saw how agile Red looked while getting the skin on her back. She smiled. It was a good gift. "Yes, go in a pair. I think that would be the best option," she smiled. Valette hummed softly. She hoped Rannoch would love her gift. She was pretty sure he would. He seemed very friendly.

"Yes, of course. And you are welcome. Once you return you can report back to me," she smiled. Though maybe then she would be tending to her children. Well then, The report would have to wait for a bit if the children were too small to be left alone. After all they needed her body warmth. "Have fun!"