Heron Lake Plateau Fact or feeling

Although his encounter with the wolves of the Shadewood had been brief, it had been quite informative. The leaders, whoever they were in addition to Cry—if there were any in addition—had not been present, nor had they been called for when a stranger showed up to ask questions. Phox thought this odd, as he himself would have called upon Niamh and Quixote the moment somebody appeared on their doorstep inquiring about the Redhawks. The leaders were, after all, meant to keep tabs on everything that went down on their borders. It was for this reason he viewed these wolves as weak and disorganized.

He had come home only to promptly fall asleep well before sunset, waking as he often did well before sunrise to observe and note the twinkling stars above him. Since he had returned, he felt the silent acknowledgement amongst his pack mates that he was no longer banished to the far bottom of the ranks. Not that he suspected he was out of the murkiest water. He still wished to reconcile with his sisters, and he had not yet had the time to do so with Raven (and he’d barely had time with Towhee). Phox had a feeling they were avoiding him, but it was unknown whether or not that was just a feeling.

The quiet of the dark morning allowed him time to digest the information they had offered up so freely, and he reflected on whether or not he could have pressed for more. He thought it would have been too pushy to do so, and with the older female there, perhaps that was the right call. Alas, he would not know... at least not for now. He had done his part to gather information for Niamh, and hopefully it would help guide the leaders toward a decision on what—if anything—they should do about the nearby settling wolves.

Feeling less restricted to the outer reaches of the plateau, Phox made his way to somewhere between the plateau’s edge and its center, not ready to test his luck should he come across his sister on a bad day. Not that every day was not bad for Towhee. He only had himself to blame for that. Still, he saw hope in what he had done for Niamh. Hopefully they would cross paths soon. With the sun finally beginning to illuminate the sky and wash away the stars, Phox riled himself up enough to begin heading toward the caches, planning to familiarize himself with their locations and take note of whether they might be running low.

Whatever the outcome of her foray at Shadewood, Bat's loyalty rested with the Redhawks (with one specific Redhawk—Blackthorn, rather—particularly). After spending a bit more time meandering the wilderness northwest of the plateau, she ventured home, sought out a sleeping @Tegan and slithered alongside him. Bat even insinuated herself partially beneath his head, all without disturbing his slumber.

When she woke a few hours later, Tegan was still asleep. Bat yawned, rose and stretched in the dawn light, watching as her breath streamed from her visibly. She gazed down at her companion, a smile twitching her lips. -You,- she signed, only to realize she didn't know how to make the rest of the signs. Look adorkable, she added mentally.

She scampered away as if fearing retribution, cackling quietly under her breath. Bat did nothing to suppress this quietly maniacal noise when she spotted a black figure headed in the direction of a cache. "Hey!" she shouted, "Fancy seeing you here! Are you on another super secr—" As she talked, she roved nearer to him, and eventually realized he was not actually @Ambrose.

Somebody yelled at him, and Phox turned around to see the biggest ears on a wolf he had ever witnessed. Seriously, he thought for a moment he was facing a bird and those were its wings. He blinked, wondering if it had just been a trick of his eye, but the ears remained. The rest of the wolf was perfectly normal, so he guessed she was just... odd looking. Ugly was not a word he used or even thought of often, but that was really what he meant. Those ears made her look positively awful.

She seemed to have mistaken him for somebody else, and he quirked a brow. I don’t think I am who you think I am, he replied without missing a beat. Phox is the name. What was his game? Hunting and stargazing? It didn’t matter much for now. And you are? he asked, genuinely curious. She appeared on the young side, but certainly not a child. Could it be one of Raven’s children? Perhaps one of Finley’s? Phox didn’t detect the telltale Blackthorn stripe, but maybe it just wasn’t noticeable on her dark coat.

He glanced briefly to the cache he had been about to take inventory on, then returned his attention to the girl, awaiting her answer.

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As dawn rose, so began another day that Niamh would have to try her best to remain within the pack’s boundaries. Of course, she would search every other day, or as much as she could, while staying within one day’s travel of the pack. It kept her very active, but she of course remembered to eat and caught food whenever she could, but occasionally took advantage of a cache when she was just too darn tired to hunt something down herself. The tall, wiry female’s physique had not changed much over the past months, as she had already put on conditioned, streamlined muscle that allowed her to keep busy, but keep fit as well. She’d grown into her long legs, finally, but was still on the willowy side, even though she was tough as nails.

Given the fact that there was still the danger of a cougar being about, she had stopped to warn the other packmates she had come across, but decided to seek out the remaining few that she had not told, so that she could rest assured they would be mindful of the Northern boundaries of the pack. The place where Ambrose had been attacked was past the thicket, which was their usual hunting grounds, so it was still a good distance from the border- but for any wolf going hunting, she would give them cause to take a bit more precaution while in the area, and to turn back the moment they caught scent or sight of a prowling predator. A cougar was nothing to mess with alone, or even with a few others.  This she knew all too well.

She caught Rory’s scent and decided to pursue it and let the young Scout know that she ought to be wary of the lands to the North of the thicket, and was pleased- and half relieved- to see that she was with Phox, who was sticking around and actually hanging out within the pack’s boundaries as opposed to skirting them. She needed to warn him as well, and perhaps especially, given the fact that he’d seemed to prefer sticking to the outskirts. She chuffed an affectionate greeting as she approached, though she was unable to hide the tired, downtrodden look on her face.

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The wolf—a perfect stranger—pointed out the mistaken identity and then introduced himself. Bat almost blurted that she was named after an animal too (two, actually) but she bit her tongue at the last second. Giving what she considered her real name wouldn't really matter, yet for one reason or another, she was determined to stick to her new identity as Rory the Redhawk.

"Yeah," she breathed in response, "sorry about that. I'm Rory. Y—" Her voice cut off once more, though not because of a faux pas but because a familiar figure joined them, making it a part of three.

"Hey, Niamh," the youth greeted, tail stirring, only to still as she took a closer look at the Beta female's face and wondered, "Hey, you okay?"

The large-eared teen introduced herself as Rory, and Phox nodded to acknowledge the information. Before he could ask any followup questions, Niamh approached, and Phox flattened his ears out of respect. It seemed he was in luck today. Niamh had been the wolf he was looking for, and she had managed to find him. Hopefully the information he passed on to her would be useful. And if not, he would go back again and attempt to acquire more. Phox wondered if there were other settling packs nearby that might have information that she would want. He had never considered making that his job, but he would not avoid the occupation if it was asked of him. Little did he know Rory was trying to make it her job.

Rory asked the question that was on the tip of Phox’s tongue, and he could only imagine that much of her weariness was caused by the leadership incident. Raven’s absence had meant that both Niamh and Quixote had needed to step up in a larger capacity, and he wondered if either of them had been ready for the additional responsibility. Alas, he did not know either of the leaders well enough to say one way or the other. He did hope that Raven was resting and recovering after all that time searching for the lost pack mate. It was a story he had only heard the tail end of, but it was clear to him now that Raven should not have left the roost empty for so long.

I have information from The Shadewood, he said, giving her the option to hear it now in front of Rory or wait until they had a bit more privacy. He did not think it would require the latter, but he did want to respect whatever choice Niamh wished to make. Giving her the reigns seemed like the best course of action.

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To say that Niamh was tired was probably the understatement of the year- but still she persevered, as she had a role to fulfill, and extra weight to pull, which in truth, she didn’t really mind at all. Keeping busy kept her mind off things, and kept her out of trouble...As she was often prone to bouts of excitement when she had little else to do, and those bouts of excitement often ended up with her getting injured. Colt was likely thankful that his mate was tired, as it meant she was much less likely to do anything brash and stupid. Instead, on a day like this one, she had made the more domestic choice to approach her packmates, rather than ranging off into the wilderness in search of God knows what.

Rory greeted her first, furtively noticing the downtrodden expression on Niamh’s features which she acknowledged with a nod. She had news, of course, but it would have to wait. Her attention turned to Phox who presented himself as a deliverer of news, and she found her interest perking. Already? He’d already gone and checked out the wolves in the Shadewood? And he looked fine...So obviously he had gone and seen them, and hadn’t gotten into any trouble while doing so. That was always encouraging, as she did not want neighbours around, whatsoever, if they were going to be stupid and attack a visitor for no reason.

”Go on?” She said quietly, reaching out to touch Rory’s cheek to reassure her, and show appreciation not only for her concern, but for her astute observation that something was indeed wrong. Leave it to the scout to be a keen observer, not only of the wilderness but of the emotions ranging within her own packmates. She hadn’t exactly answered the way the young scout had addressed her, but she would, in good time. Phox seemed keen on sharing his news, so she would happily allow him to go first, so that maybe his news- hopefully good- would set a brighter mood, as hers was anything but positive.

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The leader offered a careworn nod in response and Bat's lips pursed. Before she could think of what to say next, Phox spoke, mentioning something about Shadewood. Wasn't that the name of the forest a few miles northwest of here? She scrunched up one eye as she tried to remember, then abruptly realized—with a comical shift in her expression as the proverbial light bulb appeared over her head—that her recent encounter with those possible mind readers had happened near there.

The youth made a guttural noise in her throat, as if about to speak, but caught herself. Niamh had just instructed Phox to go on, so she would keep quiet until he'd finished offering his information. Then Bat could toss out what she knew about Cry and Phex, assuming they were one and the same with Shadewood.

Niamh instructed him to reveal all, and Phox would do just that. He had repeated the information in his head several times over since meeting with Phex and Apple. Inhaling deeply, the silvery boy began to recount what he had learned.

I was greeted by an older wolf named Apple. She’s related to the Blackthorns, which was obvious by their trademark stripe. Apple was rather pleasant, but a younger wolf by the name of—coincidentally—Phex interrupted us and began demanding answers from me about who I was and what I was doing. I told them the truth: that I was seeking information on behalf of the Redhawk leaders. The Blackthorn appeared to be much more level-headed and managed to mitigate her younger friend’s impulsive attitude.

“Their leader is Cry, though I did not meet this wolf. It does not appear any of them are related by blood. They want to make some sort of ‘arrangement’ in regards to hunting grounds, but I made no comment on that one way or the other. The younger one, Phex, said she would be visiting the Redhawk leaders soon, although I’m not sure if that was meant to be a real threat or verbal posturing of some sort.

It was a lot of information to digest, but he hoped it would prove useful in some way or another to Niamh. His attention remained on her, though he remained acutely aware of the large-eared girl standing by. The two of them seemed close, and the stargazer wondered if anyone would feel that way toward him again. It seemed like such a distant memory, what he’d had with Towhee, but he knew it had been there. Their entire first year had been spent glued to each other’s being, and he wished so very much that he could have that back.

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Niamh listened intently as Phox explained who he’d met and what he’d seen. She smiled very faintly when he mentioned that the pack had one of the Blackthorns in it. No doubt a relative of Colt- she would have to ask him after if he knew Apple, or if she was from a different generation or strand of the family than he was. There were Blackthorns everywhere- and now she was one of them...Though obviously married-in, as she lacked the trademark dorsal stripe that Phox pointed out. She glanced to Rory and nodded- it was true, most Blackthorns seemed to bear this marking and she had no doubt that her own children, sired by Colt, would likely bear it as well. At least, she hoped they would- otherwise he might suspect that she’d been fooling around with a milkman somewhere

She was surprised to hear that they had a member named Phex, as it was oddly similar to Phox’s name. Of course, Niamh simply assumed that Phox was actually named Fox, even though he shared no resemblance with any fox Niamh had ever seen. Phex was an odd name, and she wasn’t sure if maybe he’d misheard the wolf’s name, but if he’d had a chance to speak to her, he’d likely not gotten it wrong. Apparently she was a bit of a hard-headed youth, but Niamh pegged it to just that- inexperience and youth. Something they could perhaps use as ammunition, should the leader, Cry, come to see them. Apparently Phex intended to, and Niamh would be ready- and would likely call upon Phox as backup when the day came. It wasn’t worth trying to take on any visitor alone, she’d decided. Strength came in numbers, and it would show how united their pack was if she showed up with someone beside her.

They seemed to want to settle an arrangement about hunting grounds, and Niamh snorted loftily at that thought. Until those vagabonds had moved in, the Two Rivers Isle had been theirs, and Niamh was going to make damn sure that the Shadewood wolves didn’t think they had any stakes over that particular territory- or Grouse Thicket. She wasn’t exactly the sharing-is-caring type, especially if the pack they were facing wasn’t a family pack. If they had a Blackthorn in their midst she supposed they might be granted some sort of arrangement, but she was still stubbornly possessive of the Hinterlands, and did not like the idea of sharing it with any other packs, no matter how selfish that was. They were the established pack in the area- and shouldn’t be expected to change their ways or their hunting habits simply because a bunch of other wolves had closed in. There were plenty of other lands to the South that would be closer to the Shadewood wolves than they were to the Plateau wolves, so she would give them those suggestions when the day came.

”Thanks, Phox. I hope they don’t come with demands...We have our choice hunting grounds already selected and established; they would do well to be respectful of those areas and stay out of them.” She said. ”I’ll inform them if they come.” She assured him, not wanting him to go out and start telling them that they wouldn’t be permitted in the lands that the Redhawks had preferred. It would work out best for both packs if those grounds weren’t over-hunted anyway, and she believed that as the established, resident pack of the Hinterlands, the first selections were theirs. ”I also appreciate how quickly you rose to the task; you’d make a fine ambassador,” She said, appreciating the fact that he’d been able to stay neutral with their new neighbours even when one of them had been a firecracker.

All the time, Rory had been listening intently, and her interest hadn’t gone unnoticed. Turning her head to her large-eared scout, she chuffed lightly with laughter. ”You look like you’ve been dying to say something, Rory,” She said then, prompting Rory to spit out whatever it was she’d been holding in, lest it should burst forth from her unbidden.

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A sharp intake of breath met Phox's mention of Apple. She hadn't expected the she-wolf whose name she'd stolen to pop up in this story. It was a small world after all, wasn't it? The youth listened intently as he continued, other familiar names cropping up as anticipated. Bat's head bobbed as if in agreement, although much of what he reported was new information to her.

Evidently, she didn't have much of a poker face (she'd have to work on that). As soon as Phox finished, Niamh prompted her to say what was on her mind. "I've met Cry and Phex, Apple too," the youth said a little breathlessly. Realizing she sounded a bit like an overexcited geek, she cooled her heels a bit and proceeded a bit more sedately, "I was actually going to pretend to join their pack to find out more about them. But it's like they knew what I was up to from the start somehow. And they tried to force me to go on some long trip with them without any other information. It was all really fuckin' weird."

Niamh's mention of the word "ambassador" caused the juvenile to glance at Phox and add, "Are you a scout too? Do you know Tegan very well? I don't know who let him be an ambassador but that's one of his trades, ranger too. Anyway, maybe we could explore together sometime?"

Phox tipped his head to acknowledge the praise. He appreciated it, especially considering that he felt as though he were on thin ice ever since he had come home. He deserved that, he knew, but it did not make it any less pleasant. The silvery yearling wished so much to be on everybody’s good side, and he was working hard to make sure that he was doing everything he could to make that a reality. This was just one step of many that he planned to take.

The information that Rory had gathered was equally impressive, especially for a girl her age. He tried to remember what he had accomplished before his first year, but he could not really remember. Towhee had always been more driven than himself, more motivated. Phox had eventually come to learn more about the stars, hunting, and tracking, but it was not nearly as much as his sister had accomplished in the same amount of time.

As to the comment of ambassador, followed up by Rory’s question, he shrugged gently, directing his answer mostly to Niamh. I think I’d rather stick to stars and hunting, if it’s all the same to you. He would not dare to refuse a mission given to him by a leader, but Phox was certain his skills lay elsewhere. Surely he could be more useful hunting for the pack. Besides, it sounded like Tegan had already taken it upon himself to become an ambassador. Phox wondered if there were other stargazers like himself among the Redhawks, but he didn’t dwell on that thought for too long.

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It seemed that she was in the company of go-getters, as Rory too had gone out on her own to seek out the wolves who were settling in the Shadewood. She knew the names that Phox had listed, and she wondered if perhaps Rory had had a better glimpse at Cry and what he or she was like, assuming that that was who was the alpha. Enthusiastically, Rory told the two wolves about her experiences and her plans to infiltrate the pack which caused Niamh’s ears to perk sharply. It was a devious idea, to join another pack with the intention of spying on them- but then again, if anything went wrong, things could really go awry- not just for Rory, but for the whole pack. If Rory denied vehemently her ties to another pack, then it could save them- but she doubted that any one would stand up to that. It was hardly the congenial way to go about learning about another pack; possibly a tactic left on the bench.

Fortunately, Niamh supposed, it hadn’t worked for Rory and she exhaled softly. She wondered if they thought any less of the Redhawks for sending a spy- and assumed that she might have to given an apology on Rory’s behalf, or keep her close in case the wolves did show up- and get her to apologize for herself. What was more worrisome was that they had tried to take her on a trip with them...Possibly a scouting expedition? Niamh’s brow furrowed. ”Did they give no details about where or why they were going somewhere?” She asked. Maybe they were scouting out a new place to live- or maybe they were going to come to the plateau as a group...Either way, she was interested in knowing, if they’d given Rory any clues as to what they were planning.

She pondered all this for a few moments while Phox and Rory conversed about scouting, though Phox seemed more interested in hunting and in the stars? That was a peculiar interest- but then again, Niamh had never really had any reason to take an interest in the stars. They were so far away and they weren’t edible, therefore they weren’t really useful to her. Regardless, she nodded to grab their attention one more time, before she intended to carry on, unless of course her little nugget of information should prove to spark another conversation, which she figured might happen.

”Just so you guys are aware, be...Mindful of the northern border of the Grouse Thicket,” She said, slanting her muzzle in that direction, her gaze somewhat far-off. ”My brother, Ambrose, was attacked by a cougar there...It may still be hanging around. He’s...He’s been missing for over a week now, but we’re just...Going to give him time to see if he comes back.” She said. It was hard for her not to pin any blame on Quixote, who was keeping her on a short leash and not allowing her- or any other members- to go searching. She was doing what she could to dissuade her fellow packmates for searching in her stead without necessarily pointing blame back to their alpha. She drew in a breath and tried to shake the tension out of her shoulders. ”Just...Probably avoid the area, or go with someone else with you...Cougars are nasty,” She said, summoning the courage to give them a wink with her left eye, the one that was girdled by scars given to her by another cougar.

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It seemed his interests lay elsewhere. His mention of the stars earned a blink, then a thoughtful twist to her mouth. She wanted to ask Phox something but she would have to put a pin in it for now. Niamh's inquiries demanded her attention currently.

"Uh-uh," Bat verified, shaking her head for good measure. She went silent as the Beta issued a warning next, her silver eyes widening with with alarm, sympathy and—she couldn't deny it—intrigue. "Should we search for him?" the youth pressed. Here was a pretty perfect opportunity to use her unique set of skills to not only benefit the pack but possibly rescue a member of it.

It didn't register right away but then a realization struck Bat. She was pretty sure Ambrose was the name of the wolf she'd met in King Elk Forest, the one she'd mistaken Phox for just moments ago. She recollected their playful conversation about missions and moles and wondered if there was some possibility that all of it was connected.

Niamh’s warning was certainly concerning, and Phox nodded solemnly. He thought of Leo, the cougar in the stars, and how he would snatch disobedient children in the night. A fable, but one based on some history, he had no doubt. Phox thought it much safer to avoid the area than go looking for some wolf, especially considering the wolves settling nearby. It seemed the Redhawks were starting to get closed in on from multiple sides. He could only hope that neither party would encroach further.

Phox did not think he was the right wolf for the searching job, but he would most certainly keep his eyes peeled. He did know that Raven’s search had eventually cost her the loyalty of the pack, if only temporarily. Seeing as he was only just establishing himself here, he did not want to risk losing his status amongst his family yet again. Rory offered to search, and Phox cast her a surprised look, then redirected his attention back to Niamh, wondering what she might say. Surely she wouldn’t want this teen moseying about where cougars stalked.

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Rory’s concern was sweet and appreciated, but she had to do whatever she could to nip the notion of searching for Ambrose in the bud. She hated herself for it. Why should she be following someone’s orders when her brother’s life could be at stake? Was it worth listening to a leader when she knew maybe, maybe if she’d only gone out a few more days she might have found him and saved him? She gritted her teeth. Since when had she traded in her loyalty to her family to the loyalty she now had for her pack? And was the trade worth it? Would the pack ever go looking for her if she went missing, or would they simply say that they’d exhausted all their resources looking for Ceara so they couldn’t go looking for another wolf again?

She couldn’t help but look bitter when she shook her head. ”No. We can’t chance it. Not with how things are right now.” She said. She nodded, and continued, more needing to speak the words for her own benefit than for Phox and Rory. She needed to convince herself that this was the right call to make. ”Not with a cougar out there, not with Ceara and Caiaphas gone, and Tegan with a concussion. Plus two new packs gathering in our Hinterlands, and we don’t know their motives. We just can’t risk anyone else.” She said. Even still, she found it hard to convince herself- but she didn’t want to stick around to press the issue any more. ”I’ve got a few others to warn...So I’ll leave you two to it,” She said, stepping away slightly. ”Good job though, both of you. And be safe.” By then, she sounded somewhat distant and vague, but she did her best to at least sound as though she meant it. She bobbed her head to them and took off at a trot, still struggling with the words she’d just spoken...Those were Quixote’s words, not hers. And it all felt so wrong.

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Niamh quickly shot down Bat's suggestion. The youth frowned thoughtfully. Something seemed awfully wrong about the entire situation. And the Beta's sour expression told her there was a lot more to the story. But before she could pursue it—or ask more questions about these packs setting up camp nearby, which was definitely of interest to the budding scout—Niamh announced her departure and left.

The juvenile blinked and licked her lips, offering a belated and uncharacteristically quiet, "See you..." She then slowly turned to Phox. She'd momentarily forgotten she wanted to ask him something, in the face of Niamh's mystique. She was now itching to go look for Ambrose, though the Beta had been crystal clear and Bat knew she shouldn't defy a direct order from a leader. Maybe she could try to find this second pack instead... and if she happened to stumble over a lead on Ambrose in the process, well...

Maybe Phox knew more details, though Bat didn't ask. "I'm gonna go check in with Tegan and get my scout on," she announced. "Nice meeting ya', Phox. See you around." She gave him a rather formal nod, then pivoted and loped off to prod her companion awake and float all this news past him.

Niamh explained what he had suspected: she did not want them going off on a rescue mission for the missing pack member. He wondered for a moment if anybody had come looking for him when he had scampered off with his tail between his legs. Likely not, considering they’d been on the verge of war. Towhee had probably looked for him. Had she thought he was dead? What about the others? Had they wondered about where he had gone, what he had been doing, if he was still alive? It was not a question he would ever ask, but he was mildly curious about the answer.

The beta left, and Rory said some parting words. As for Phox, he continued locating and taking stock of their stores, figuring out which caches needed filling and which ones were adequately stocked.