Redhawk Caldera glinderwood

set directly after this. rated M for language. @Towhee @Ruenna @Fennec and anyone else!

bridget had told her everything, from the finding of the insane woman, whom teya recognized by description, and shared her own, to the attack suffered at redhawk.
the one person she should have sought was @Eljay, but she meanly told herself 'i bet this is why he came to brecheliant,' and so she did not look for him at all, only threw up a terse, tight note that she was going to deal with the situation perpetuated by towhee.
teya, not thinking that her own hotheaded behavior would raise a blindingly red flag to their auspex, stomped off into the woodland and broke into a run.
she arrived panting and even more infuriated than before. keeping well back from the border, which apparently had warranted wounding one of brecheliant's own, the girl loosed a vengeful dirge that pooled into the caldera, demanding an explanation, and edged with the warning of a wounded ally who would not abide more.
what happened now would determine if teya sought the saints after this.
after all, kynareth had waited a long time for an answer.

Reyes wasn't about to go far from the caldera if he could help it; he hadn't made it back to the hollow yet, instead prowling the territory edge. It was a poor choice, his being here — if he had roamed a little, maybe he would have picked up the scent of his wandering daughter — instead, as an agitated cry rose to the air, Reyes drew upon a familiar shape.

Teya? What the hell was she doing here — What's going on?
The girl's anger was pure; the way she paced and writhed from point to point, glaring at the border's edge, was deeply felt by Reyes. He knew what it was like to be filled with such emotion. But Teya wasn't who he expected to find here, demanding an audience so soon after he had done the same.

[shifty eyes emoji]

it was none of the redhawk leaders that came first, it was reyes. but even the sight of his handsome, earnest face did not dissuade teya, not today. 
"redhawks attack my" — that reminded her, again, that she had no word for them — "attack our medic, bridget. she bring towhee back after towhee hurt. now bridget have blood. cut."
she threw out each word as if it were a tossed knife.
"so i come here to ask why they disrespect alliance," teya said sharply, bitterly, the rage of this event coinciding with the anger and pain of the last month inside the girl.
she eyed him with a minute suspicion. "she not let you back in?" the raven demanded bluntly.

Teya's rage simmers beneath her words and Reyes doesn't know how to help her.

Is she okay? Reyes didn't think to specify which she he spoke of; his mind was on Towhee immediately. He ought to have run across that border and demanded more insistently that they talk; or at the very least, recognized that she had been elsewhere. 
What had she been doing that would take her away from the caldera anyway? Away from her kids, who until that point were dependent on her alone?

She not let you back in? The cutting tone of Teya's voice snapped Reyes back to reality for a moment.

No; her guard held me at the border. The ridge of his spine began to puff a bit at the memory of the white walker. The way he had so swiftly obeyed Meerkat and sought to expel the man from his rightful place among his children was, to be blunt, bullshit of the highest order.

she stared at him now, eyes red-rimmed from her exhaustive anger. teya smouldered. "she fine."
bridget, as she remembered with a harsh burst of bitterness, had been quite well indeed.
"but this not fine."
nor was ibis, buried next to wraen. nor was wraen, gone from them.
she drew a breath and lashed her tail, turning back to the border.
"maybe your baby belong with father," the girl growled, before she cut her attention back toward the looming caldera in silence.

*whistles*

(Presumably) Fennec had been informed of her error on the borders, but no way in hell she was about to apologize for it.  The wolf who helped her mom shouldn't have crossed their borders, shouldn't have been yelling at her, and should've defended herself a little better.  Fennec had zero issues teaching that little lesson.

She sighed when she heard howls on the borders.  With her mom out of commission, this stuff fell to her or Rue.  And since the other second was who knows where right now, Fennec couldn't be sure she wasn't the only one available to answer.  She would leave Killdeer with Towhee on the way out - she wasn't about to have a repeat of last time (proud as she was).

By the time she stalked in, they'd probably been waiting a while.  It took her a bit to find where they were, and she heard Reyes' voice first.  She perked up curiously.  Honestly, she didn't really get what the whole deal was with her mom and him; she was neutral on it as a result.  But Towhee was sovereign as well as her mom; whatever she said went (on some things) and this was one of those things.

She knew why they were there, but she didn't feel like she owed anything for defending her borders.  So she simply said Hey Reyes. before falling silent, waiting, and (rudely) not greeting the woman who had summoned her. She didn't really enjoy the implication that she'd been wrong and she wasn't shy about showing it.

No; this was far from fine. Reyes wasn't a diplomat in any sense (far from it really) but he readily agreed with the girl, if only to show some reciprocated support, as Teya had been there to lend an ear — and an invitation for a home — when he had needed it before.

As she mentioned who belonged to who Reyes' jaw tensed and he looked as if he might say something, not wanting any of the guards to overhear such a thought being voiced; the last thing he needed was an angry white giant to contend with. As it so happened, a warrior did make an appearance — but whether Fennec heard that little tidbit or not, Reyes couldn't be sure.

Her arrival focused Reyes' attention. The new mother looked a little bit annoyed with the summons but otherwise did nothing to alleviate the tension. Fennec, he greeted hastily, and then looked to Teya — this was her rodeo after all.

fennec. 
she was friendly enough to reyes, eliciting a low scoff from the girl. he was trusted enough to be on a first-name-basis with redhawk caldera, but not enough to be allowed home. she judged the situation with the glib unawareness of someone not involved, cattily thrusting her ears toward the newcomer.
nothing was said, and the other seemed more defiant than anything. "brecheliant medic attacked here, not long ago. why?"
voice dry, fury simmering beneath. "towhee alive because of us. tell me it was not bad move." tones cruel now, probing as she did into the flat recesses of the woman's face.
was that the smell of milk tendriling from the other? 
was that why she had attacked?
teya stood firm, though one aud did flick toward reyes, monitoring his reaction.

It didn't make sense for both of them to be there at the same time, for the same reason. She was more curious why Reyes was here, honestly, but forced herself to put up with the woman's accusations without completely dismissing her. Times like these she might learn to regret becoming Regent.

She shouldn't have crossed our border without asking. And she definitely shouldn't have been yelling at my mom. Fennec responded. Someone who isn't pack crosses, I attack first, ask questions later.

She hadn't even realized the medic was from Brecheliant at first. I didn't kill her. She added, with a lash of her tail. So no. I think it was more than fair. If this woman wanted to go for round two, Fennec was more than ready. She didn't give two shits about Brecheliant. She cared about the Caldera and the kids inside and she wouldn't walk back from protecting them.

Ruenna was eternally late to the party, it would seem, since her back pain had her moving so slowly. She rolled up to the scene just in time to find out that Fennec was completely botching what should have been her apology, and she was well on her way to stirring up even more trouble with their current visitor. 

Ruenna took a breath in, surveying the scene. Reyes was here; Ruenna couldn't for the life of her remember if he was in or out right now. His status always seemed to be changing. With a nod to Reyes, she turned her attention to the angry pair. 

"It was not a bad move," Ruenna stated firmly, offering the Brecheliant woman the words that she wished to hear despite the fact that they contradicted what Fennec had just stated. Metaphorically cracking her knuckles, Ruenna dove in to her mediator role with gusto. "I'm Ruenna Redfern, Regent. Towhee owes her life to Brecheliant, and we owe you and your medic our gratitude." They'd heard the whole story by now from their Sovereign. 

They owed Brechieliant more than that, truth be told. Towhee and Wraen had enjoyed a close bond while Wraen was alive, and Ruenna considered it disrespectful to Wraen's memory to carry on like this. Ruenna very much gave two shits about Brecheliant, and she now saw it as up to her to save this situation. 

Honestly though, in defense of Fennec... 

"Your medic was looking pretty angry when we found them, and Towhee was on the ground screaming. We jumped to conclusions, and we thought she meant harm. Is she okay..?" Ruenna paused, waiting for the Brecheliant woman to speak. Hopefully they were on their way to smoothing this over.

Two was company, three was — well, too much for Reyes. He didn't feel comfortable leaving yet though; he hadn't gotten what he'd wanted out of the first attempt and he'd be damned if he would let that stop him. Plus, leaving little Teya here in her current state — that wasn't right.

The next to arrive was Ruenna. He knew her as one of the wolves who cared for his children while they were new and growing. She had put as much work in to protecting and loving those kids as Towhee or himself, so Reyes held a healthy respect for her.

He didn't like the wreath of Towhee's scent around her much, though. Jealousy pervaded his every inch when she began to speak, which he had no control over.

teya knew that her water-honed teeth would tear across the bitch's face before she could rally her insipid troops to maim the raven. the other's tone had sent her orange nape to bristling like autumn sedges; she had not trespassed, and felt fully justified in displaying her own anger.
to come and investigate, rather than simply sell them to the saints: it had been a gigantic gesture on teya's part and now this one would double upon the wrong that had been done.
and reyes said nothing.
for one reason or another, irrational and formless, this frustrated teya further. she did not expect him to speak on her behalf, only at all. but the scarlet man remained silent.
a voice cut in, and teya's sharpstream stare sliced from fennec to the stranger, softening only when she noted the other's harsh limp. an older woman, and her first sentence visibly disarmed the hotheaded young raven.
she listened, nodding tersely at the explanation. "bridget fine. would not have followed towhee into redhawk if not important. would not harm redhawk wolf. we allies. you not know us, still."
perhaps that was partly their fault, but teya would be damned before admitting us now.
"we know towhee suffer after wraen die. we lose her too," and then suddenly, embarassingly, hot and irritated tears were standing in her own eyes. "perhaps i not know what alliance means. perhaps i surprise to see bridget with blood when she come home."
the ire returned, scorching any moisture from her hardening stare. "towhee is sick. i only see her one time before. not good," she said, having spoken all of this to ruenna and not a word toward fennec. "she run away from us. she get hurt. bridget take care of her, many days. not return to brecheliant. then when she come back, bitten. is not good look."

Fennec fell silent, but it was clear from her expression she wasn't behind whatever Ruenna was trying to sell. No one had asked their medic to shove in. She should have brought Towhee back earlier so that Fennec could take care of her properly, should have brought back word right away rather than letting them wonder.

This was a waste of time. With a low sound, Fennec turned rudely and left. Let Ruenna make friends if she wanted, Fennec didn't have much use for allies who shoved their noses and flung accusations where they didn't belong.

last for me in here unless someone stops her!

Ruenna's words appeared to pacify the Brecheliant woman, which indicated to the Redhawk counselor that she had not come looking for a fight, but rather an apology. Clearly, she wasn't going to get that from Fennec. The other Regent had stalked away at some point while Ruenna had been speaking, eliciting a frown from Rue. Spoiled was the word that came to mind, and if Fennec had been just a bit younger, Rue might have seen it as her own responsibility to cure her of that bratty attitude. It was unbecoming for a Regent. 

Ruenna was visibly relieved to hear that the medic-- Bridget-- hadn't come to any great harm. It seemed that Wraen's passing was also on the other woman's mind, because the conversation soon found its way to the topic of the late leader. Ruenna's expression softened to one of sympathy. She stepped forward, lowering her head in solidarity. 

"No, we have the same idea of what an alliance means," she assured the other woman firmly. "Bridget should not have been harmed. In the chaos, we didn't recognize her, didn't catch her scent.." she explained apologetically. "It's true, we don't know all your wolves by sight.. and Fennec does not know much of anything by sight, I'm afraid."  Perhaps Rue could drum up some sympathy for Fennec, who had to go through life with such weak eyesight. Perhaps her rudeness and her aggression could be forgiven, given the circumstances. 

Why in the world a functionally blind wolf was allowed the responsibility to guard a border was entirely beyond Rue. When Fennec had been very small, Ruenna had appealed to her father on behalf of the child, encouraging him to search for a cure for her waning vision. Phox had staunchly opposed this idea, insisting that there was nothing wrong with Fennec and making it clear that he intended to raise her like she was perfectly normal. And this was the result. Fennec barreled through life as if she was impervious to harm, as if she was incapable of making a mistake...

"Please allow us to undo our mistake. You are welcome to anything in our medical stores that Bridget needs to heal, or to replace what was expended on Towhee. Perhaps when Towhee is well, I could come visit, and apologize to Bridget personally." Ruenna would liked to have gone immediately, but she worried that the Caldera would burn to the ground if the leadership responsibilities were entrusted solely to Fennec, given how the situation at hand had unfolded.

The explanation of what happened remained elusive, although Reyes could piece together what had happened from Teya's heated rebuke, while Fennec made her departure. Rue spoke up next and tried to mend things; she was a much better diplomat than the blind girl and Reyes was glad that she had arrived to calm the situation.

She is a good warrior, Reyes remarks on the topic of Fennec, and she probably thought she was doing the right thing. She had been defending her mother who she thought had been in danger, which Reyes deeply appreciated, since he could not have been there himself. But if he had been, none of this would have happened.

He knew it wasn't what Teya would like to hear, and quickly added: Not that I'm trying to excuse anything. Except, this was all sort-of a double standard for Reyes. He'd done the same thing before -- run off half-cocked and fought people, hurt people, while expecting leniency. Turns out he wasn't a diplomat either.

I should have been there — here. Home. If I could just talk to Towhee— but there was little chance of that happening when the Sovereign was in good health, practically none now that Towhee was on the mend.

fennec turned away, and teya spared a gaunt look at the retreating back before her attention was recaptured by ruenna. the woman was certainly making a persuasive case for why teya's anger should remain banked, and she was relieved to listen.
the mediator offered the prospect of a formal apology to bridget, and gratitude, an explanation for the first's behavior. eyesight. she had wondered herself, but had been too filled with anger to accept.
offered now supplies from the redhawks' stores, teya felt herself balk. and suddenly she was filled with a deep and abiding guilt, that she had thrown herself so harshly into rage in an attempt to stave off all that had gone on.
"not necessary," she breathed, pulling eyes to watch the earth for a grounding moment. reyes was speaking now, of fennec. of course he would speak on her behalf; they had known one another.
"bridget would ... feel ... weird, to have much focus," she stated, thinking very much that a parade of their alliance's apology would horrify her companion. "we not take anything. just —"
she felt trapped; the coolwater gaze darted;
"i want things to be like wraen would want. this is enough. bridget take care of towhee because it was right thing. maybe we try more to be ah, friends."
stilted, to be sure, but teya was determined to rescue her image in all ways, as well as yank brecheliant back from the precipice into which she had all but thrown it.

Reyes's remarks were puzzling to Rue, in the fact that they were delivered as if he possessed some amount of familiarity with or influence over the Brecheliant woman. Were they friends? Did Reyes go stay with Brecheliant when he and Towhee were in their off-again phase? It made sense, Rue supposed, but she did worry that if Reyes was courting favor with Brecheliant, it could cause a chasm between the two packs should he and Towhee continue to fall out. 

Oh, how his plea to speak with Towhee broke Rue's heart! How he must miss his children!

Rue wasn't entirely certain whether he was asking her to help him, or whether he was merely speaking his thoughts aloud. Rue responded as if it were the former, her expression melting in to one of sincere sympathy. 

"I- can't- I'm sorry, Reyes.." He would certainly know why. Rue might not always agree with Towhee's choices personally, but at the end of the day she was Towhee's wolf through and through. She would not be pulled from her place beside Towhee into the middle of whatever this was between the two lovers. Or ex-lovers. Rue surmised from his tone that they were off-again.  

But her heart did break. 

Rue knew all too well the burn of the double standard in Redhawk Caldera. Fennec had not only been granted leeway in this particular instance. There was also the matter of Killdeer's conception. Rue was not born yesterday; she knew the conception had very likely occurred before Fennec's promotion, only to be neatly swept under the rug with Fennec's elevation to the Regent position-- a position with breeding rights. 

Rue had asked for breeding rights for herself this year, before her own promotion to Regent, and she'd been denied. What might have happened if she had ignored Towhee's edict, as Fennec had done, and become pregnant anyway? Rue probably wouldn't have been rewarded with a promotion, she knew that much. 

But Fennec was a Redhawk, and Rue and Reyes were not. Those were the breaks. 

The Brecheliant representative began to backpedal hard when Rue offered to make up for their trouble. She didn't seem to think any reparations were necessary, which indicated to Rue that much of what she and Reyes had told her must have sunk in; she no longer placed blame on the Caldera wolves for their actions. Thank the stars. Ruenna smiled in gratitude.

"It's friendship you'll have, then. When I come to visit--" Because she was certainly still coming visit. All of this could have been avoided if the allied wolves had only recognized each other by sight, and the only way to recognize someone by sight is to actually meet them. "--it will be as a friend, getting to know more friends. We'll speak no more of this unpleasantness." That would be reassuring, Rue hoped. And one more thing, "Who should I ask for, when I arrive?" Ruenna had given the Brecheliant woman her own name, but she had not received one in return. To whom was she speaking? Who ruled in Brecheliant, now that Wraen had passed?

Ruenna wouldn't budge. She was loyal to Towhee, like any other Redhawk. Her denial was heartfelt but it was still a denial — which Reyes took poorly, his face darkening as he sagged back a step. Of course he thought he counted among the Redhawks by now; apparently his love of Towhee and loyalty to his children wasn't enough to earn that merit badge for long.

It felt like a big slap in the face. After everything he'd promised, everything good that he'd done to keep the children fed, protected, and together as they grew — one mistake and he was out. Rather than face the denial head-on or fight against it, Reyes turned away from the pair and let them continue their conversation without him.

That's how it was going to be from now on, regardless of what the young man desired.

You can presume Reyes is in the background from now on and skip him, or pp him roaming off!

teya's eyes narrowed as this woman denied reyes even the brief respect of speaking with towhee, or toward her. she supposed the redhawk leader was healing, but with each passing moment, she did nott think she could respect this chasm: whether or not she understood it. whether or not it was her role to judge.
she swallowed, refocusing upon the pleasant mediator. "i teya." no last name given, for she was not one who placed emphasis upon surnames.
"eljay our auspex now," the girl added proudly a moment later, though her coolwater eyes lingered after reyes. where would he go now, again denied access to his children?
there was a storm upon her face again, something ugly and snarled and forced to pass a second later.
ruenna. ruenna redfern. reyes redhawk.
"thank you, ruenna," she said softly, simply, not trying to turn the other away from her intended visit, sometime in the future. "i am ... happy ... that redhawk caldera and brecheliant will not be ... will be all right," she finished weakly, wanting only to run away.

Reyes did not stay long after Ruenna denied his request, and Rue supposed she ought to at least by grateful that he hadn't fought harder. He'd attacked a pregnant packmate of theirs after all, so it stood to reason that he would have few qualms with attacking a disabled one. 

Rue liked Reyes. Really, she did. Rue herself had not been immune to making impulsive-- even dangerous-- mistakes in her youth. But Reyes was a loose cannon, and there could be no argument against that fact that if he was outside the border, then life in the Caldera would be more stable, and likely more safe. 

Rue was a perceptive wolf, and she could see that her decision upset the Brecheliant leader. Teya, she a called herself. So caught up in her churning thoughts, Rue almost missed the mention of Eljay. 

"Good for him," Ruenna murmured. Towhee could not be faulted for desiring the pack's resources to go to Redhawk young; it was always better for a pack for the few to grow up stronger than it was for the many to grow up weaker. But in deciding the way she had, Towhee had ultimately deprived the pack of Eljay, whose knowledge and skills were some of the most valuable resources of all.

Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made. If Rue herself had been required to give up her litter to keep Eljay, then she liked to think she would have done so. But hypothetical choices were far easier to make than real ones, and Ruenna had not envied Towhee that impossible decision. 

Teya claimed to be happy, although Ruenna could see she was anything but. 

"I am glad we spoke," Ruenna agreed with a parting nod. She would not hold Teya here any longer. "And please let Bridget know she has our gratitude." Ruenna would remain at the border until Teya departed, watching her silhouette disappear in the direction of Brecheliant.

thank you! <3

there it was: an opening. teya swallowed and seized it. dipping her muzzle perhaps a bit longer than was necessary, the young raven made a stiff about-face and trotted away from the caldera. she could feel ruenna's eyes upon her, and cringed inwardly to think that she was now rightfully being judged.
willing herself into the undergrowth, far beyond the observant gaze of the redhawk mediator, teya felt her eyes well with angry tears. how had she been so foolish? how could she have said those things?
and bridget! 
she sniffled loudly and pressed on for the fen, determined not to see anyone or be seen for the foreseeable future.