Heron Lake Plateau Sometimes we're only flying for a while

Set at some point after the Towhee/Raven/Quixote/Finley thread! Hope my assumptions are okay, but if not just let me know! :D

It had been a loooong time since Elwood had seen @Finley as mad as she had been an hour ago.

She had whirled into the densite with all the force of a hurricane, her anger evident in every fiber of her being. Frustration crackled in the air around her, but it was coupled with a deep sense of disappointment. Having known her for years, Elwood recognized when it was time to let her calm herself down before trying to talk it out -- so he had retreated a short distance from the den, keeping a watchful eye on his mate as well as his two boys (in case they tried to take advantage of the moment and make a break for it).

When he thought that maybe enough time had passed for her to cool her jets, he called out, "Fin? Do you want to talk about it...?"

She had raged when she had returned to Elwood. More than anything she had wanted to tell him all about what had gone down with Raven and Towhee, to vent her frustrations and whine about her hurt feelings and disappointment. But all she'd managed was a few, cryptic sputterings - things like "Towhee just... She. And and then Raven. And... UGH CAN YOU BELIEVE??" which he probably couldn't, because what does any of that even mean. She'd given up her attempts quickly enough, stealing into the den and curling into a tiny ball of grumpy Finley, shutting her eyes, and taking the angriest of power naps. It was her only real defense in a situation like this - just shut it down and recharge before her anger got any more out of control.

When the former beta awoke, the anger seemed to have successfully subsided. She felt simply tired now, and sad, and frankly rather ashamed of herself. She laid there for a little while before she heard Elwood calling to her, and knowing that putting off the conversation was no good, she crawled out of the den on her belly and into the sunlight with all three of her boys. She stopped at a point where she was half in the den and half out of it, looking for all the world like a meek little lamb. She peered up at her mate with sad little doe eyes, glanced to the side and spotting Cinder, pulled the boy over to seat him directly in front of her face. She tucked her muzzle down between her legs and, using her young son as a shield, replied, "No..." in a voice that suggested she knew that she should, but she knew that he would not be happy with her.

@Tywyll @Cinder we're totally PPing you guys, lol, so feel free to cameo/pop in if you want! :)

Elwood didn't speak immediately as Finley drew herself slowly out of the den. He watched with a guarded expression as she settled with Cinder between her forelegs, as though using the puppy as a barrier between herself and the difficult conversation she didn't want to have. His gaze shifted from her face only long enough to take note of Tywyll's location nearby, and then he looked back at Finley when she admitted that she wasn't ready to tell him what had happened, although her tone of voice was that of a little kid who knows she's in trouble.

"I can wait," he said, raising his brows slightly. He could stretch his patience to seemingly limitless amounts, but he also knew that she would come clean sooner or later, with or without his coaxing.

Bugs were everywhere. There was another hoppy thing and while the memory of what happened the last time he had chased one was fresh, he just couldn't help himself. He chased it around the mouth of the den until his mom came rushing in all mad and huffy.

He looked up with perked ears and tilted his head, listening in on the small conversation before fully realizing his mother was really really upset. Slowly he walked inside the den and to his mom, touching his nose to her cheek and then laying his head across her back. He didn't have any words of comfort, but he could snuggle.  That was something he was good at.

Cinder was still for her, blinking sweetly up at his papa with a curious tilt of his head. It was clear he didn't understand what was happening here, but seemed perfectly content to be used as a shield so long as he didn't actually have to fend off his father. Fin had no intention of actually making him do that, though. And once she heard her mate's ever calm and patient response, she gave a defeated sigh and nudged the boy away, freeing him to wander away and begin sniffing at the grass.

Her eyes were reluctant to find Elwood's face, but they eventually made their way up there. Fin looked back towards the ground again after only a few seconds, not wanting to actually see his emotions written on his face as she told him what had happened. Not unless his tone suggested a similar outrage... Wouldn't that be something.

"Towhee apparently has decided to step down," Fin told him, "She told me that she's giving the pack to Raven and Quixote, after everything..." She didn't bother to explain the everything, assuming Elwood would not have forgotten the war and the move and the running off of her brother. "Oh, Raven's pregnant too," she added as an afterthought, which it was still. It was a small thing caught up in the wake of the typhoon in her head over this Towhee jumping ship issue, though it did make her more comfortably aware of Tywyll's snuggles.

My 2,000th post for you <3333

She didn't make him wait for too long before filling him in on what had happened. His eyes widened at the first piece of news -- that Towhee had relinquished her Alpha rank -- and then they got even bigger, if that was possible, when it was revealed that Raven and Quixote were the new leaders. It seemed completely random, and unwarranted, especially considering the shit-talking Quixote had been doing with Colt in regards to Towhee. "What the--" he started to say, only to bite his tongue when the icing on the cake was revealed: Raven was pregnant.

He could only blink at Finley as he gathered his thoughts. Confusion was the first emotion that he felt, followed swiftly by disappointment and, yes, even a touch of frustration. He wasn't sure why Towhee had given up her rank after only recently being convinced of her abilities -- and why had she chosen Raven and Quixote to take her place? And, even more bewildering, how had Raven been so irresponsible as to get pregnant? (Coming from someone who wasn't a stranger to accidental pregnancies, ha.)

"Quixote got her pregnant?" he guessed, shaking his head. "Start at the beginning," he then added. "Why did Towhee step down? Why is she giving the pack to Raven and Quixote?" And what does that mean for us? he wondered inwardly. Surely that question would be answered sooner or later.

AWW YAY <3<3<3 Hope it's okay if I skip past Ty. Just slap me if not <3

Fin felt relieved - and a little vindicated - when Elwood's expression spoke of the same emotions she felt over this debocle. Usually, she was the one being irrational and angry about situations that didn't warrant it. It was nice to be justified for once, though it wasn't entirely something she wanted to cheer about. She nodded to confirm his suspicions about Quixote and Raven, then gently pushed herself up into a sitting position to respond to the rest.

"She said that she doesn't think she's cut out to be alpha still, so she gave the job to Raven," Fin answered, frustration flaring again that Towhee had been so nonchalant about it, as though it were nothing. She hadn't been able to grasp most of what Towhee had added after dropping the bomb. It was all more of the same, and she'd been too busy processing to really heed much of it. But she shared the gist as she remembered it, "I don't know if it's because Raven and Quixote are expecting or... or what the case is. She just said that Raven deserves it and that she sucks at it, so..."

The information that Finley shared wasn't really anything new, in regards to Towhee. The girl had been doubting herself before, so part of Elwood wasn't surprised that she had given up the rank. But still -- they had believed in her, and had encouraged her to try, and she had promised to do so, only to renege a few weeks later. That in itself was disappointing.

As for Raven and Quixote -- well, as far as Elwood knew, Raven had never expressed an interest in leadership herself. In fact, she hadn't seemed to think herself cut out for it, much like Towhee. And Quixote certainly had some strong thoughts about the way the pack should be run, and Elwood wasn't quite sure what to think about his new position. From an outsider to Alpha in just a few months; he could only hope that Quixote would do right by the pack and the Redhawk family.

"I wish Towhee had talked to us about it first. And I trust Raven, but I'm not sure about Quixote," he said with a sigh.

Elwood spoke his piece in response, but it wasn't the take that Finley had on things. If anything, she believed more in Quixote's ability to lead than Raven's. It was nothing against her niece, but she was soft, passive, and too...... nurturing. That's not the right word, but Fin couldn't come up with it so neither can I right now. The pack in Raven's hands meant indecision and anarchy. Raven was simply not the type of wolf to defend her place against the likes of Titmouse or his band of hooligans. She was not the type to lead the pack to war with Blackfeather to defend their claim. She was the type to hand them flowers, wish them well, and go hide in a cave.

She was exaggerating... But she's upset, alright.

"Raven is not an alpha," Fin answered with a shake of her head, "Can you even imagine her defending the borders against trespassers? Or hell, defending her own rank? She's not a warrior - she's a healer, and I love that about her. I hate to think of her in a position where she has to change her own sweet-hearted nature just to fit the bill." She shook her head and dug her nails into the dirt, glancing back at Tywyll and wondering if he might grow up faster and solve all of these problems for them. No?

"I'm with you on Quixote too, for the record," she added, "I think he's capable, but I have no idea how loyal he actually is to the Caldera or what kind of alpha he'll actually be." Plateau. Caldera. Whatever.

Although Elwood didn't necessarily disagree with what Finley said about Raven, he did feel like the girl had the potential to become a good leader in time. But that was the key phrase: in time. Had this been something that was discussed among the current leadership, they could have made a decision and helped her hone her skills, if it was something she was interested in. But Towhee had simply promoted Raven and demoted herself without consulting her godparents and co-leaders; that was one of the many things that irked Elwood. He and Finley had been disregarded completely in this whole ordeal.

"I don't want to see her change either, but I guess we don't really have a say in the matter, do we?" he mused, the crease between his brows deepening. As for Quixote, Elwood could give him the benefit of the doubt -- that's what he did, after all; patient, trusting Elwood -- but would keep a close eye on the new Alpha. Quixote had been helpful to the pack thus far, but his comments about Towhee's disability still rubbed him the wrong way.

Rolling his shoulders to ease the tension that had settled there, Elwood asked, "So what position is Towhee in now?" He (wrongfully) assumed that she was no longer in leadership, as he didn't quite know the extent yet of Finley's ragequit.

Elwood didn’t offer any agreement on her assessment of Raven’s character, but he did at least share her concerns for what the position could do to her. Fin sighed and shook her head in answer to his question, not realizing it was rhetorical. It wasn’t until he asked an additional question that she realized she’d kind of left out a key piece of the story... one that made her glance around for Cinder in hopes of using him as a puppy shield again while she told it.

”Well... she’s uh... if I had to guess...” Fin said hesitantly, her ears falling back as she lowered her head a bit, ”She’s probably the new beta...?” She winced as she searched his face for a reaction, but sighed soon enough and threw her anxiety and hesitation to the wind. There was nothing for it - what was done was done.

”I kind of stepped down after I heard...” she explained, ”But only like... 5% because I’m upset about what Towhee did, I swear. I just feel like it’s time, and if this has shown me nothing else it’s that I need to put my energy into what I’m actually good at, and clearly leading this pack is not it. I mean, it used to be, but I think it’s time for the next generation to be in charge, completely this time. Without us old crones harping on about our goals and pushing our agendas when our kids clearly have different ideas about the ways things should be. I just think it’s time to let them loose, I guess.”

Fin frowned as she considered further, then added, ”I’m just tired, Bear. I think we bears just need to raise our cubs and leave the leading to the younger bears.” There was no doubt in her mind that whatever she did, Elwood would follow. She didn’t like the idea of forcing his hand, but she didn’t consider it that at all. She knew he would willingly do what she thought best, just as she would follow his lead if it differed from hers.[/b][/b]

Elwood's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at Finley, listening to her hem and haw before finally admitting that Towhee was the Redhawks' new Beta. His first thought was that he was glad she hadn't abandoned leadership completely -- maybe the second-hand position would be a better fit for her. But then realization hit him: the Beta ranks were already filled, by himself and Finley. Or, well, they had been.

Fin rushed ahead with her explanation, ensuring that Elwood didn't have to ask any further questions to nudge the truth out of her. She had stepped down from her rank after Towhee had passed the crown to Raven, and, to be honest, everything that she said following her admission made perfect sense. They had both been in charge of the pack in some capacity for the last three and a half years, and neither one of them were spring chickens anymore. Stress and time had worn them down, and it wasn't until that moment that Elwood recognized it. He could suddenly feel the ache of years of mental and physical effort manifesting itself deep in his bones. And while this hadn't come about in a way that he had anticipated (nothing in this situation had, really), he found himself thinking that Finley had made the right choice.

He sighed. "You're right, Bear. I'm tired too. I think that's partially why we wanted Towhee to be Alpha; so someone else could take the reins, right?" And, truthfully, despite their misgivings about Raven and Quixote, they seemed to fit the role in their own imperfect ways. Fox and Peregrine hadn't been perfect Alphas, and neither had Elwood and Finley. The new Alpha pair would find their foothold. He shook his head gently. "What's done is done, I guess. Are you going to be okay with the new arrangements?" he asked; because even if she wasn't particularly happy with how things had gone down, there didn't seem to be much they could do about it, save for accepting it.

Finley was relieved when Elwood agreed with her on the stepping down front. She hadn't expected him to reject the idea, but she had thought he might be bothered that she hadn't discussed it with him first. It seemed he'd given up on the hope that Fin would ever do something like that - that was probably for the best. She could only change so much.

"Going to be, yes," she replied with a sigh, "I just... I mean, after everything we went through with the war and the move and the pep talks and the defending her and all of it - we just end up here still. Least she could've done was decide this before she kicked Colt out..." Finley looked away then, feeling the nasty prick of tears in her eyes. She refused to shed them. Not over that piece of shit brother of hers... who she missed every fucking day... stupid son of a bitch.

"I know," Elwood replied, his own sign mirroring Finley's. He frowned sympathetically at the mention of Colt; it was a shame that he had departed from the Redhawks, but Elwood hadn't necessarily been surprised when he heard the news. Colt had disagreed with Towhee's leadership from the start, and didn't even seem to like her as a wolf -- whether or not that was explicitly because of her disability, he wasn't sure. He liked his brother in law, and he wished he had stayed, but at the end of the day Colt was just as unpredictable as Finley. (And while she had settled down considerably, she still did things like retire without consulting her mate.)

He reached out to touch her shoulder gently with his nose in an attempt to reassure her. As he withdrew, he said, "Would a punching bag help? Do you still have some anger to get out?" It was a legitimate offer, but the corner of his lips twitched upward as he spoke. This was just another obstacle thrown in their path that they would overcome, just like all of the others.

I'll just last tywyll post here!

He'd focused on his mom and dad's voices the whole time and once things seemed to settle down a bit Tywyll let his mind drift. Whenever he sensed his mother's sadness he would squirm close and lick at whatever part of her he could reach. Slowly though he grew sleepy, warmed by his mother's body he began to drift to sleep and finally he moved to curl up against her side and fell asleep completely.

Finley's thoughts began to wade into dangerous waters when she turned her mind to considering Colt once again. Much as they bickered and threatened and insulted each other, she loved her brother immensely. He was a part of her in a big way - a way she had let go of for much of her life. But when he'd returned, it was like a piece of her had shifted back into place. And now that he was gone, she felt broken once again. The war, the loss of Sebastian and Andalusia, everything.. It paled in comparison to losing Colt, even though it had been the far less dramatic and devastating of the events to come from Finley's master plan to build Towhee into the future leader of the Redhawks. Sebastian and Andalusia had been unfortunate. Colt had been unbearable, in spite of her efforts to bear it.

Elwood's offer drew her gaze back to him. In spite of everything, she felt a smile flicker reluctantly across her lips. She was distracted promptly by Tywyll though, who squirmed closer and placed a series of affection kisses upon her foreleg. Her smile broadened as she tucked him in closer to her. He was a living, breathing, and now sleeping, reminder of what really mattered in her world now that she had abandoned her leadership post. But even that thought posed a problem, as Towhee and even Raven were just as much her children now as the dark pup snuggled in her arms.

"Probably," she admitted with a light shrug and a shake of her head, "But I'm just tired now." She looked up again then, searching for her mate's face as she continued. "I don't like being so angry at her," Fin said softly. She assumed that he would know that she meant Towhee. Rude as she'd been to Raven, her eldest adopted daughter didn't even register on her radar. She didn't have much faith in the reserved medic's ability to be an alpha, but she didn't fault her for that at all. She faulted Towhee for putting her in that position by quitting all that Fin and Elwood had attempted to build for her. And that was all on Towhee.

She smiled, but made no move to take up his offer. Elwood wasn't surprised; two or three years ago, she probably wouldn't have wasted any time pretending to beat him up in order to get out her aggression. But now? Now, they were retired parents and godparents. Times really had changed, he realized with a start.

Fin admitted again to being tired, and then confessed that she didn't like being angry at her goddaughter. Elwood bobbed his head gently. He understood; he also knew that Towhee was no stranger to Finley's tough love, although this was probably more serious than usual. And while he didn't know when, or what it would take to get there, he assured her, "It'll be okay." Because it would.