Shadewood Tight rope

Once things seemed relatively secure back at home (what a sweet, sweet word that was), Phox set his mind to the mission Niamh had given him. She had instructed him to gather information, but not to threaten or intimidate the other pack. It seemed odd to him that they would not want these wolves gone, but perhaps this was the more gentle route. He knew it was not the tactic Towhee would have employed. Or at least that was his belief. She seemed to want to rip Caiaphas apart when that altercation had happened, and she had damn near ripped him apart when he had merely woken her up from a nap.

Then again, she had every right to. He had been a piece of shit coward, and this was his penance. Being the lowest ranked wolf meant he would do whatever the Redhawks asked of him. Phox knew he had to earn a higher rank if he wished for one. It would not be handed out like candy on Halloween night. Snow had fallen the day before, and it crunched beneath his feet as he walked. The river crossing was a bit tricky, but he managed to find a spot that got him to the other side with relative ease.

Once there, he stopped on the bank, the thick smell of urine puncturing his nostrils. In the worst case scenario, the wolves who lived here would immediately be upon him with gnashing teeth and the hair on their backs raised. Phox was fully ready to run at the first sign of that. But if they were less confrontational, he hoped to gather some information from them.

Apple's lengthy journey had taken her through hinterlands and back, where she had started it. At woods, where a she-wolf, who ran by the name Phex, who claimed to live there with a companion, a pet bear and not a single dwarf (come to think of it, she seemed more like a Goldilocks type of characters; that blonde girl had been fond of bears). Not much time had passed, since the first meeting had taken place, and naturally - upon - seeing the familiar place, she wondered, what the girl was doing.

However, instead of a girl, she caught sight of a tall, dark (dipped in some silver as well) stranger before her, and assuming that he was yet another recruit of that little, hippie community that was forming inside the forest, she approached the fellow in a friendly and confident manner, and greeted him in a way, one talks with familiar people: "Good day, young man! Are you one of Phex's friends?"

Another Me thread?! Heck yeah! ^__^

He was approached by a rather floofy looking cream wolf with that trademark Blackthorn stripe running down her back. Had he not grown up around the family, it would have meant nothing to him. But he had seen that telltale mark on several wolves in Redhawk, and it was as recognizable to him as his own siblings. He blinked at her, ready to mention as much, but she beat him to the greeting and followed it up with a rather amusing (to him) question, asking if he was a friend of himself.

Some days, I’m not sure, he admitted with a slightly sad smile. Are you friends with yourself? he asked with the corner of one side of his mouth turned him in the smallest grin. She looked older... perhaps even older than Finley, and she was rather... round. It reminded Phox of his younger days when he was on the fat side and had worried about his own weight. He had eventually grown out of that stage and into what he was now. The months of being on his own probably helped with that, too.

You’re a Blackthorn, aren’t you? Finley’s got the same stripe. Perhaps if it was another group of Blackthorns settling nearby, they would not have as much trouble with them. Maybe it would not be an issue at all. If it was family, who was to say they could not live close and come to an agreement about who would hunt where. Then again, perhaps this was an estranged family member that Finley was not so keen on. Phox could not keep track of her extended family anymore than he could keep track of his own. He knew he had some nieces and nephews up north, although he couldn’t remember if he had actually ever met them. He did, however, remember his older sister Wildfire who had stayed with the Redhawks for a time.

The skewbald girl emerged from her trip, she still was yet to remove the mud from her fur and looked rather the mess. Her plan was to take a bath in the pools at the Balconi Escapade; but that thought was quickly redundant. Before her, stood a male who looked rather like the figure she'd spied on the Isle. Apple was talking to him, so naturally, her tail waved in greeting to the dame, but she was uncertain about the male. The youth chuffed to Apple, and to make herself known to the silver figure.

She'd caught the end of his question, blackthorn. Who the heck was Finley? 
The muddied girl moved around the stranger, her tail raised above her hips to show this was her domain, her family, and she felt every right to be here and to question the newcomer. He smelt strongly of a pack; she'd smelt it before. Recently. He was a member of the nearby pack. 

The realisation caused the normally placid girl's hairs to prickle as she turned to face him.

"Who are you and what do you want here?"  There was none of her usually, soft-spoken or over-joyed tone. Just a coldness she'd used when greeting unwanted visitors -- or hellions that had no place in her world.

I infect them (AWs) all. :P

Was it that bad with Phex? Or maybe this guy was an old flame of hers? Young people like her and him got in that kind of emotional turmoils and troubles. She could speak from experience at great length and could sympathize with anyone, who was going through their first rodeo, so to say. 

Then the guy asked a question that threw Apple slightly off balance, and, since this did not happen often, because she could talk even devil's ears off, this was a remarkable achievement of Phox. "Eh... I am my best friend. Cool, smart and witty. The one person I turn to, when I want to speak with someone intelligent," she returned with a grin and a wink. 

"Bullseye," Apple replied to his inquiry about her relation to the vast and mighty Blackthorn clan. And another first for the guy - hardly anyone (she forgot about Lucca) had guessed her ancestry by just looking at her. But further introductions were delayed, because Phex arrived. She treated the old lady a lot nicer than the young man, and the clues she got from this brief interaction made her return to her earlier suspicion that there was some sort of business going between the two. 

"Good day, Phex! You look... stunning," because you never tell a lady otherwise. Even if her dress is torn, she is covered in mud and is lying in a ditch somewhere. "I happened to come across this lovely man just now, but I see that you have some unresolved business," she went on, looking from one to the other, still seeking an explanation for Phex's hostile behaviour towards the handsome-no-name. "I will just sit quietly in the background and watch, but no dallying or scratching each other's eyes out," she warned.

He smiled gently at her reply, amused by it. The smile felt odd upon his face, if only because the last year of his life had been ridden with strife (mostly his own doing). It was a welcome change, and it seemed his guess was correct on her heritage. Unfortunately, the pleasantries were cut short by a rather abrupt questioning.

Unlike the first wolf to approach him, this one greeted him with ice and stone. Instead of warmth, she spat questions. This one reminded him of how Towhee would react with somebody on their borders, and he wondered if she had more authority than the first wolf who had greeted him. If he went on body language alone, that would be his guess, but the other wolf clearly had plenty of years of experience in comparison, so he waited patiently to see what her reaction was to the sharp inquiries.

The Blackthorn seemed to think that they knew one another, and when she named the other female by the name of Phex, her previous question seemed a lot less strange. He had never considered that another wolf might have a name so close to his own. This was amusing in its own way, though he kept that to himself for the time being. No need to potentially upset the lady who seemed to have it out for him for no reason in particular.

My name is Phox, and I came to ask you the same, he replied in a neutral tone, refusing to mirror her venomous one. I am seeking information on the wolves who plan to make their home here. What the Redhawks would do with that information was not really up to him. Niamh, Quixote, and the rest of the respected Redhawks would likely be the ones to carry that burden. Phox was merely a messenger, and anybody with half a mind should know that old saying. He was not to be shot.

Had he gone missing, he idly wondered what the Redhawks’ reaction would be. He was no respected member, and he had deserted them once before. Would they assume that he reverted to his own ways, or would they come looking for him? Perhaps Niamh alone would worry that he had gone, for she was the only one who seemed to be actively giving him a chance to repent for his mistakes. This mission—he presumed—was just one of many he would need to complete in order to get back in their good graces. Phox was more than willing to put in the work.

She listened, eyes widening slightly at his name. How could it be so similar? Fare perhaps, or something else. Coincidence. She noted he didn't mirror her, and decided to relax, but did not lower her guard. Her tail gave away to her soothing demeanor as it slowly wagged behind her, but didn't lower. 
"Information, eh? For who?" Maybe it was for the Finley he'd mentioned, perhaps they were the Alpha of the pack so close to hers.

What would cry do in this situation? Or Kai, perhaps she should be called for. She was probably wiser than the unscathed girl. And this other pack, they wanted information, would they take it forcefully, use it against her family? She couldn't tell the boy too much; even though the more she spoke to him the more he grew on her. Strange. 

"I don't want to tell you much, for I do not trust you," that would be enough, hopefully, to make him reconsider his approach of coming over and just asking for information on her pack.

Apple's face fell in slight disappointment, because having a romance plot unfold before her eyes would have been much more exciting than common diplomacy meetings. She got a chuckle out of otherwise very serious situation, when Phox introduced himself. It reminded her the Tale of The Three Piglets, their names being Nif-Nif, Naf-Naf and Nouf-Nouf. A wolf version could be Phex, Phox and... Phux/Phix/Phax?

Or, in this case, it seemed that The Practical Pig was more necessary than a creative alternative. "Now, now, Phex, I believe that this fellow is your neighbour and it is better being on good terms with them than start out as enemies. Harmless, general facts won't hurt anyone? After all - this guy - is just a messenger," she said calmly and gave Phex a hopeful smile. 

"And Phox, dear, you can put the nice girl's worry for her pack's safety at rest by being more specific?" she turned to the young man and wagged her tail to encourage him.

It was likely that they would want to know who their neighbors were, friend or foe. Phox had no real skin in this game (yet), but he imagined his leaders (and her leaders) would have a strong opinion one way or the other. Perhaps she was a leader, although from what he had experienced, leaders tended to be more than eager to share their title when approaching strangers on their borders. Neither of these two had done as much, and he suspected neither of them were leaders for that very reason.

Phex—the name continued to amuse him greatly—sounded as though she intended to give him some information, despite her initial brusqueness. He had been instructed to remain calm (or run, should they pursue him) in acquiring whatever information they chose to give him. He would press, but only gently. If it seemed as though he was talking to a brick wall, he would try again some other time after telling Niamh what had happened. Hopefully, though, he could come back with more than news that they had been unwilling to share anything about themselves.

The older wolf, yet unnamed, seemed to be more diplomatic than her counterpart, and Phox was thankful for her intervention, despite her earlier insistence that she would sit back and watch. She seemed quite a bit more level-headed, which made a lot of sense considering her estimated age. Phex seemed to be younger and more impulsive than even Phox himself, although he would be lying to say that he had never met an older impulsive and brash wolf. His sister was one of them, and from the stories he had heard, his mother had been quite the same.

My leaders, those of the Redhawks, sent me here for information, as I’ve already explained. What information you are willing to share is completely up to you. If they wanted to share none, that was their prerogative, but he had a feeling Niamh would not be pleased with that as a final interaction. She valued the isle between the rivers, and with good reason. With prey decreasing in the coming months, the lands would most certainly be ripe grounds for altercations should this pack settle so close to his home.

The youth eyes him suspiciously, and turned her muzzle to Apple; she was wise enough to listen to one elder than herself. She definitely had far more experience than Phex who nodded slowly. She could handle this with the guidance of the dame. Again she turned her head to Phox before sitting herself down, just before Apple, and stared intently at Phox, like he were a stick to a puppy. 

"We are making our claim here, should things go smoothly enough. My leader is Cry, a dark wolf."  She didn't mention he was to be leaving shortly, if he hadn't already, "We are a close pack based around family, although none of our numbers are blood-related. We value trust above all else," the girl watched for his reaction with a slightly softer expression but a keenness still held her eyes, "I myself, upon discovering your claim so close to ours, thought we may come to some agreement, especially with winter hunting." 

In truth, she'd only thought about it the day she'd spotted the two distant figures before promptly forgetting. But now, the ideas rose again and she thought about it more. She'd have to consult Kai and Cry, perhaps Apple would even know a thing or two that could help with the youth's ambitious plan. Subconsciously, her eyes flicked to Apple to see her reaction to her plans.

"Well, that didn't hurt, did it! Thank you, Phex!" Apple replied with an approving smile to the girl, who, while being so very young, had to deal with important matters without much assistance from other's of her group. Good thing that she had not mentioned the bird and the bear that also dwelled within their ranks. That would definitely not make the desirable impression of the pack that was their neighbour.

"Phox, I believe that your pack has lived her for quite some time already and these inquiries are not incidental," she turned to the young man. "Are your numbers high and is this one of the places, where your pack uses to hunt?" winter was upon their heels and there was very little time left, until the competition for resources would get very tough. "A conflict is not in anyone's best interest, but from what I have seen there are plenty of free lands either to hunt or to settle."

Phox listened calmly, keeping a neutral expression. She offered up more than he had expected considering her initial greeting, which pleased him greatly. He had a feeling this information would be useful to the Redhawks. The fact that they were not blood related was a disadvantage in his opinion, but he made no move to express this. The Redhawks were proud of their name and lineage, himself included, and a ragtag band of strangers was much less likely to stick together when the going got rough. Time would tell if this was the case, but he had just witnessed an uprising by an outsider get taken down with wolves bound by blood (if not physically, at least in a way that she was no longer welcome among their ranks).

To her not-so-subtle suggestion of an “agreement” involving hunting grounds, he could not speak to, though he thought it unlikely that the Redhawks would agree to such a thing. They were not a pack known to make alliances or agreements. Such things had brought a sour taste to their mouth in the past, and the packs around them had only caused trouble and stress. It was, in fact, the reason they had moved from their former roost upon the caldera. He wondered if they would be inclined to move again... though he was fairly certain the answer was no. They had been forced out before, and he could not imagine them relocating again.

Alas, these were all conjectures kept to himself. It would not be his choice to make. The Redhawk leaders would likely convene and decide amongst themselves what the best course of action would be.

He regarded Apple as she spoke, sitting on her inquiry about whether or not they used this place to hunt. This was not information he planned to offer up, nor had he been instructed to do so. They could make whatever assumptions they wished. The Redhawk and Blackthorn clan was unlikely to passively accept somebody taking up residence here, but that was not his decision to make. Nay, he was merely the messenger boy, fulfilling his duty to his pack and family. It was how he hoped to get back in Towhee’s good graces, provided that was ever on the table to begin with. Even if she did not forgive him, he planned to make his place among the Redhawks a respectable one.

You have both been rather helpful, he replied, bowing his head slightly to show his respects, now that they had earned it. I cannot speak to our numbers or our most frequented hunting grounds, for I have only recently returned. Ignorance is bliss, isn’t that what they say? I do appreciate the cooperation, and I will be on my way now. Phox did not wish to linger any longer, lest he make them feel uncomfortable or they begin to think him pushy. He had gotten enough for now, and he was sure that Niamh would be pleased with his efforts.

The yearling paused momentarily, allowing them a breath in case they had any final words to say prior to his departure.

She was thoughtful for a moment, digesting what he had said. They definitely frequented the isle, it reeked of their scent. She wondered what Cry would make of this encounter, causing a small amount of excitement to fizz inside of her; pride. She was a natural leader however too untested to be one just yet.

"We will visit you and your leader soon," she promised, although she couldn't speak for Apple, she hoped Kai would accompany her to hash out an agreement with the named Redhawks. Or, perhaps, they'd wait for Cry to return. Either way, she would go to their pack lands soon, accompanied or alone. 

"Well, the thing seems to be settled then," Apple told both, happy that she had managed to avoid daggers being thrown in each other's way and that they could part on neutral terms. Too early to call either of them friends yet. She hoped that things would work out for the two groups in the end. 

"It was nice running into you again, Phex, and it was good to meet you, Phox," she told the both, getting to her feet, stretching and preparing to be on her way as well. "It's Apple Blackthorn, by the way. I do not thing I managed to tell you my name earlier," she told the tall, dark young man and then turned and left.

Last one from me - thank you for the thread!