Sun Mote Copse Make my heart smile

@Wildfire 

It had been almost a year, since Wraen had set her foot in Tuktu Hinterlands, but the recent snowstorms driven her further away from her usual hunting grounds at the coast and Northern part of Greatbear wilderness, in search for a more easily accessible prey. It had been days now, since she had had a decent meal and the food shortage had left it's mark - her plush winter coat was hanging loosely on her small, bony frame. Yet this was not her first rodeo with famine and she knew that, if needed, she would survive on sheer will to live alone. 

It was no wonder that, when she caught scent of a recently established cache in the vicinity, she wasted no time in attempt to locate it. Here and there she came upon scent marks left by wolves she did not know, but her desperation for food was stronger now than the rational decision to be careful and watch out. And after a while, she came upon a place, where the earth had been upturned recently and it smelled deliciously of something. She stopped there and began to dig.

Wildfire knew that her parents and many of her siblings—not to mention her former mate and their children—would attack to kill upon finding a stranger rooting through their pack's caches. She certainly felt taken aback, even a little angry, upon discovering the bony figure digging at one of her fresh stockpiles. Her claim on the copse was so new, she felt almost overbearingly protective of it.

But this was her opportunity to choose what sort of ruler she would be, what example she might set for the girls and the rest of the Firebirds. And so far, Wildfire was falling into the role of a mother figure rather than some despot. There was a balance to strike between the two and here was a chance to try to find it.

She started by barking loudly, the sound ringing off the nearby trees, and walking slowly up to the dig site. Wildfire stopped a few yards away and studied the wolf, who looked vaguely familiar. She was dreadfully thin, which explained why she might have ignored the warnings in her quest for sustenance. The leader held herself with dignity as she stood there, deliberating on what to say.

Eventually she decided on, "You look as if you haven't seen proper food or shelter in a while. Tell me your name. Are you alone?" As Wildfire talked, she gently pushed the stranger away from the cache. But instead of standing over it, she began to dig herself. In between strokes of her legs, she looked up at the other she-wolf expectantly.

Let me know if you mind the minor PP. :)

Wraen was spooked by the barking that seemed to have come out of nowhere and then spied the source of the voice. A russet she-wolf that was approaching her in a steady pace, being the more confident one of the two. Feeling both ashamed for being caught like thief here and also still clinging to the desperation of eating something, she sat down and regarded the other carefully.

There were no traces of aggression in the female's voice, which was a hopeful sign, therefore Wraen obeyed easily, when she was gently pushed away from the cache. "I am sorry, I did not realize that this was a claimed place," she said, her words honest. "I did not wish to trespass or endanger you in any way. I look worse than I actually feel, but I would not say "no" to a square meal," she went on, watching the other doing the digging.

"I am Wraen Redleaf-DiSarinno - may I know your name?" she introduced herself politely.

She continued digging through the stranger's apologies, though she stopped and gawked at her when she dropped the surname. Wildfire hadn't heard it in a long time, though she recalled that it was her parents' surname prior to founding the caldera. She was pretty sure that made Wraen a relative.

"I'm Wildfire Redhawk," she said as she simultaneously pulled a dead hare from the shallow grave and nudged it toward Wraen. "My parents were Redleafs, before they changed to Redhawks. I think we might be related." Her golden eyes studied the skinny woman before her. She had that same sense of vague familiarity. "Are you alone?" she repeated patiently.

"Wildfire..." Wraen's benefactor's name sounded familiar as well and with the Redhawk family name running along, it was more than likely that this was one of her relatives from her mother's side. "Do you know by any chance a wolf Peregrine - he was my mother's brother that I never had an opportunity to meet," she added, recalling that, when she had inquired about him during her first days in the Teekon wilds, someone had told her that the guy had kicked the bucket a very long time ago.

She picked the hare by the leg and pulled it towards her, then let it go, in order to reply to the question she had not answered earlier: "I am travelling with my sister Maia. I don't think that she is in the immediate vicinity though - we split up to search for food separately. To cover more ground."

She smiled and took a seat, gesturing for Wraen to eat as she spoke in turn. "Peregrine was my father, so I guess that makes us cousins." Wildfire wanted to ask her mother's name, though it could wait; for now, she let the woman feed. "If you and Maia need someplace to live—and are prepared to contribute—then you're welcome to join me and my Firebirds here in the copse. We're not exclusively family, though I'd love to have more relatives around. We're actually a branch of the main Redhawks pack living on the plateau west of here."

"Maybe you have heard about Osprey - she was one of the many sisters he had," Wraen shared her mother's name and smiled, wondering, if she had ever met her nephews and nieces. There had been some stories about an Osprey Jr. and Tytonidae, and a certain Saena, but Wildfire she was sure she had not mentioned.

"That's very kind of you," she nodded, for the first time in a very long time seriously considering the offer. Up until now the sisters had been faring rather well on their own, because hardly any pack had seemed to be very appealing. But living with relatives - even though not very well known - was a bit different than trying to blend in a pack and work your way up the ranks. Having something in common was a better start than having nothing at all.

"I will talk to my sister and give you a definite answer then," she said. "Do tell more, who resides with you here as well. I have met few Redhawks - Elwood, I recall, and a peculiar one, who was a close friend of Moonspear wolves. But I hardly know anyone else. What is your people like, what do you expect from possible joiners?" with an experience of living in three different packs under her belt, Wraen knew for sure that she would be easily able to tell, whether the deal was for her or not.

"I think I met Osprey once, actually," Wildfire mused, digging up a memory from two or three years prior, "although I was never totally sure. Wait, does that mean Dante is your dad? I knew him, better than I knew your mom, actually. I hope they're doing well?"

Wraen mentioned other mutual acquaintances—Elwood's name made Wildfire's eyes sparkle affectionately—and then asked more about the Firebirds. "We're a small pack, still in the fledgling stages. Although some of our core members are Redhawks, we're not exclusively familial. At least, our doors are open to more than just family. Anyone who can provide for the pack in some way will be welcomed. We emphasize the pursuit of trades; the ranks are structured accordingly, with skilled wolves—even pups—given a higher status than the unskilled, for lack of a better term."

Throwback! :)

That is the advantage of playing a kid of your character. They are allowed not to remember some things. Or remember them incorrectly. Boy, was that thread lovely. :D

"Yeah, Dante is my daddy dearest," Wraen replied, laughing sincerely. Outside the immediate circle of her family she had never met anyone else, who had known her parents personally. Gaining someone's else perspective of them and hearing good words especially warmed her heart. She was proud of the pair. 

"That should be easy then for me - I can provide food both for body and mind. I was and still am a hunter by trade, small game is my forte. And I collect stories and tell them for entertainment of others," she said, because, how many people were there, who cared for the life lessons and morals in the story? Well, not as a first thing anyway.

"What trades do your people represent?" she asked in return.

Agreed on all counts. ^_^

Wildfire's face visibly brightened when Wraen shared her specialization. "Me too!" she shared enthusiastically. "I'm a master trapper, as well as an ambassador and ranger. I like to think I inherited my hunting skills from my dad. If memory serves, your mom was a pretty good storyteller. Is that where you get it from?"

When asked about the others in her ranks, the would-be sovereign pondered a moment. "We have hunters, scouts, healers, counselors... we're already a pretty well-rounded group for being such a young pack." And she was pretty proud of that fact. "I value all trades, though I think we could especially use hunters and guardians, so it's good to know you're skilled with small game. What about your sister, Maia?"

"Yup, that's the case - I drained her until there was only a shell left," Wraen replied with a whimsical smile. It was true that she had soaked up every story that Osprey had had in her stash and always been hungry for more. And when her mom had got tired from the inquisitive child she had sent it to her father, saying that he had to do his share in the education as well. "But I have not seen her for two years now - knowing that she used to come up with her own tales, I bet I would have a lot of catching up to do, if I met her now," she added.

"Maia is a versatile. She is larger and physically stronger than me and has been an invaluable companion during the past two months or so that we have been roaming together," she explained. "She is good at providing for herself and one simply feels safe in her company. That's me as an older sister talking - I might not be too objective," Wraen finished with evident fondness in her voice. Maia was her best friend. 

"And your claim lies here?" she went on, looking past Wildfire at the forest and then let her gaze briefly wander beyond it. "No neighbours that are too close, no territorial conflicts? I ask, because one of the reasons we moved away from the coastal area was a serious business between two packs over a territory," she explained.

When Wraen finished describing her sister, Wildfire said, "I'd like to meet her." She wondered just how big and strong she was and whether she might make a good guardian. That was the one skill they seemed to lack so far. Although she liked to think they were nearly untouchable with the Redhawks so close at hand, she couldn't help but think of Artaax. Besides, she wanted the Firebirds to be strong enough on its own.

"Yes. The Redhawks is our sister pack and the only neighbors that I know of, though I know there are other wolves in the area, some of them seeking to establish themselves." Wildfire thought of the wolves she'd met in the bog, then of the vague information she'd learned from Bat about forming packs she'd bumped into here and there.

After a brief pause, she said, "I'm protective of my claim on the copse, though as you know from personal experience, I'm not necessarily the most aggressively territorial wolf around." Wildfire smiled. "As long as our members and resources aren't threatened, we won't bother the neighbors and I would hope they won't bother us. If other packs do crop up nearby, it'd be more beneficial to develop alliances. At least, that's what the seasoned ambassador in me thinks."

"Why have enemies, when you can have friends," Wraen said and nodded. She liked Wildfire more with every passing moment and if other Firebirds were anything like her (maybe later she would find out the her Dragedan friend Sequoia had joined the group as well), then she would be more than happy to stay. Take a long needed rest from the travels and enjoy routine among friends.

"I can't speak for my sister, but I would very much like to book a place with you," she said after some careful deliberation. "It has been a long time, since a pack has tempted me to join, but I like you and have a good feeling about the home you are building. I would like to be a part of it, if you let me," she said.

"Agreed," Wildfire said simply, exhaling softly. "Most packs I've been part of wouldn't—agree, that is—but I want Firebirds to be different. As long as we're not being threatened somehow, I don't see the point of getting up in arms about neighbors. And another thing that's important to me, in case it's relevant, is that I won't consider it traitorous to leave. I know very well that many wolves will come and go; only a few will stay. As long as they contribute while they're here and let us know when they're leaving, then I consider that totally fair and reasonable."

The fiery she-wolf bobbed her head. "Finish your meal, then go find your sister and bring her back here so I can meet her. Then we can formally welcome both of you to the flock."

"I had almost forgotten about it," Wraen said, looking down at the hare and remembering, how hungry she still was. "I will find her and I will talk to her, see, what she wants to do," she told, raising to her feet and preparing to leave. She had decided to eat a bit of the gift elsewhere so that someone, who was not aware of her deal with Wildfire, would not accuse her on stealing. "And I will return and call for you in few days time. Thank you for everything and good luck!" she wished her cousin, picked up the hare and left.