Redhawk Caldera It's uphill for oddities

Timeline -and participant - flexible!

Look, I'm not here for an apology. I just wanted to check in.

At first Fennec had seemed skeptical, but after she managed to challenge her to a rematch (she'd gotten the jump last time; that couldn't stand) she seemed to at least relatively warm up. If disinterest ever warmed up? Fuck she was irritating.

Still, she let her through and to where @Towhee was presumably located. Bridget could somehow feel even the blind eyes on her as she approached. She had kids, right?

If the guards would be so kind to allow it, I'm here for a visit? She asked from the outside, raising her voice a bit. She still wasn't aware that Towhee was deaf, but luckily for them all, the words were more for the kids' benefit than their mom's. If they were even around. If not she sounded like a moron.

She stepped back carefully, though, not wanting to crowd. She still didn't entirely trust this place. The fresh wound still stung as a reminder and she hadn't exactly told anyone from Brecheliant she was here. It wasn't her best move, but it bothered her leaving things the way they were. She needed to at least see how Towhee was before she fucked out of their space for good (or whatever).

Well... and now, apparently, spar her daughter. She was actually honestly psyched for that one.

Sphyra had missed a large portion of what was going on, taking in stride that Towhee was gone and that Reyes was gone — from a young age, it was pretty much a given that someone was always gone, but they always came back, so far — and she hadn't caught a lot of the fuss around the wolf who had brought Towhee home. She didn't really know all of the details of what happened, even though presumably her mother had filled her in on at least some of the happenings. Tierra, too, would return, she was pretty sure. Everyone should just stop being so dramatic and baby-like about everything, honestly. Sphyra did miss Tierra — even though they were dissimilar in many ways, they were still each other's mirror images — but she'd never admit.

When Sphyra was just waking up from a short nap in the den, she suddenly heard a voice ask for permission to enter. The scent brought her to attention immediately, because it was stranger. Who are you? she asked curtly and suspiciously as she exited the den, her posture dominant — chin lifted, tail high, eyes sharp — even though she would never be able to physically take the visitor.

Under normal circumstances, Bridget wouldn't submit to a pup outside of play. This was a mixture of that, however, and actual good will. She was on their territory which meant, in theory, this pup did have more pull than her. Besides, they were adorably dominant and she got a kick out of it.

Her gaze flicked down and she relaxed some amicably. I'm Bridget. I'm here to check on your mom. Don't worry, I'll behave, and you can keep your eye on me the entire time. Both eyes! If you like.

She glanced surreptitiously up, then back down. This girl seemed fairly responsible for her age, but that was kind of a feature of kids when they hit a certain point, she'd found. It was good to give them the feeling of autonomy and that they were contributing too, even if it was "guarding" someone they found important.

Hi, I'm dumb. Edited since they aren't at the borders like I originally thought XD

In time, the golden shape moving along in the distance caught the Phoenix's sleepy gaze. He would've assumed it was Meerkat by the looks of it, but he knew that scent didn't belong to her. Naturally, his guard hairs pricked in sync with the 'Wait, who in the hell is this?' that immedietly flashed his mind, and he wasted no time waltzing over to find out himself. He was ignorant to any (if not all) of the events that transpired concerning Towhee's return, and as such didn't even catch on that this woman could've had something to do with it.

The tiny shape that emerged and beat him to it though, who he assumed was Tierra, caused him to wince in memory of what had happened last time. He couldn't help but feel bad for the girl after everything that had been going on between her parents. Reyes' wellbeing did not matter much to him in this situation, since If Āzon saw him again it was on sight -- but that didn't mean the man's son and daughters were old enough to understand. This wasn't Tierra, come to find out as he stepped closer, it was Syphra judging by the scent. That was worrying, with more emphasis put on Tierra's dissappearence -- why hadn't he seen her as of late? The General would definitely need to ask her where her sister was after this...

He stepped to the side to stand next to the young girl, a part of him kinda happy she took up to guarding at this age to defend her stead, and trailed his mitchmached gaze to peer curiously at the stranger. Yeah, definitely not Meerkat. Who was this?

"Care t'fill me in as well? I don't think we've met." The statement was half rhetorical, of course. He could recognize the scents that kissed her pelt, but one couldn't be to certain.

"What's yer affiliation here?"

Bridget. That was a name, at least, but Sphyra still didn't know who she was. What were her intentions here? She wasn't from the pack, but Fennec seemed to have let her in. Why would Fennec do that? The suspicion showed on Sphyra's face, even as Bridget said she was just here to check on Towhee. Sphyra's tail twitched in clear anticipation with a dab of uncertainty, though her face showed only determination.

Āzon arrived, and Sphyra said, Her name is Bridget, she says. She added the last bit suspiciously, as though she thought that maybe 'Bridget' was lying about her identity. Why you wanna see mom? We have a medic here. Sphyra knew some of the details, but most of all, she knew that Fennec would take care of the situation here with mother. They didn't need some snoopy wolf from another pack to come check it out.

Her name is Bridget, she knows. We'd hope, or I think I have a bigger problem here. This kid was a little shit, wasn't she? Bridget chuckled under her breath. She wasn't the most patient with kids but this one was a stranger's (essentially) and she knew better than to go too heavy on the response. If she were in Brecheliant that might have been another story.

I'm the one who found Towhee and helped her initially. I had to leave in a bit of a rush and wanted to just make sure everything was alright. Bridget looked at Azon mainly, since he seemed (a little) less defensive. They were a dodgy bunch, weren't they? Brecheliant was a veritable open door compared to this place. She couldn't imagine anyone going at a wolf the way Fennec had, or one of Ibis' kids confronting a stranger like this. (Then again, she only really had met the one. Jasmine.)

I don't need to stay long. I should get back to Brecheliant soon. Maybe the name of the pack would get their fur unwound?

Just going to assume @Towhee is recovering in the Hobbit Hole? Poke me if I'm wrong about that.

The voices outside the Hobbit Hole (Towhee's old whelping den, which was currently functioning as her recovering-from-a-snakebite den) drew Ruenna attention, particularly once Sphyra's high-pitched, suspicious tone met her ears. Rue limped toward the den to witness, once again, Bridget being confronted by her packmates. 

Oh no. Over Rue's dead body. She'd just managed to smooth things over from the last time one of Towhee's progeny got a little too trigger-happy. Thank the stars Sphyra wasn't big enough to do actual damage, should she decide she didn't like the look of the Brecheliant medic. 

"Bridget is from a pack called Brecheliant, Sphyra. Brecheliant wolves are our allies, which means we're all friends." Ruenna offered the explanation to the child in a raised voice, as she hobbled over to the group. In Rue's opinion, Towhee's oldest daughter could also use a refresher of this particular lesson.

Once she was near enough to speak comfortably, her words addressed Bridget.

"Leaving in a bit of a rush is an understatement for what happened, I think. I'm very sorry for your reception, last time. I'm Ruenna Redfern, one of the Regents here." Rue didn't want to dwell on the unpleasant encounter, since she'd promised Teya it would be forgotten, but Rue still felt Bridget was owed some kind of apology. If Bridget had made it this far into the territory, that meant she had gotten by Fennec already, which boded well. If things were patched up with Fennec, Bridget was already over the biggest hurdle. 

"You are welcome to visit with Towhee. She's inside." Rue gestured toward the opening of the Hobbit Hole. "She's weak, but recovering, I think." Rue wasn't a medic, but in her opinion Towhee seemed to be getting better. "Maybe Sphyra can take you to her?" Rue assumed Sphyra would want to be in a position to keep an eye on the outsider. 

Rue's eye caught Azon's, and she gave him a small nod with a knowing look. Once Bridget was inside the Hobbit Hole, she would fill him in on the particulars of what had happened the last time Bridget visited their territory.

Please feel free to skip and/or power-play Cal (and Towhee, for that matter); this is just a cameo!

Caracal blinked groggily as he raised his head, squinting toward the Hobbit Hole’s doorway. He could hear a whole bunch of voices, some of them not quite so familiar. He looked blearily at Towhee, asleep behind him. His ears slicked backward as he hoisted onto all fours and slouched toward the den’s doorway.

SSSHHHHH! We’re tryna sleep in here…

His eyes flicked from one face to the next, his tail giving a single lash when he noticed the total stranger among the group. The would-be guardian’s apprentice gave her the hairy eyeball, but he could see that the others had it handled. He was needed to keep close watch over his mother.

Giving everyone a glare, he moved back inside to slump beside the Sovereign. Fortunately, she looked undisturbed (he’d forgotten she wouldn’t hear the commotion outside). With a sigh, Caracal curled up against her shoulder and closed his eyes again.

Author: Kat

Just to move this along and wrap it! This'll be her last so long as no one stops her leavin

She appreciated the apology, but between Sphyra and now some other kid coming out bellowing (that she was sleeping, no less), Bridget figured now was probably a better time to make an exit. She couldn't deny the bitter taste of disappointment that came with that decision, but she was a healer. She didn't need to be making a scene here when what the other wolf probably needed more than anything was rest.

Don't worry about it, she replied casually, gesturing in a dismissive wave of a paw. Just tell her I came by, alright? I should probably be getting back anyway.

Bridget could read a room better than most and outside of Ruenna and maybe this other guy, the mood here was decidedly 'get the hell out'. No hard feelings, and not in an aggressive way, but enough so that she would have had a hard time forcing them to put up with her hanging out a while. Especially if Towhee wasn't there to vouch. There was just... really no point to it.

At ease, soldier, Bridget couldn't help but shoot at Sphyra with a quick, cheeky smile, before dipping her head and turning to depart.

Oh sheit sorry for holding this up yall ;-;

Alot happened at the same time, so much that Āzon actually had to take a moment to space out so his empty tin can brain could process everything. 'Bridget', as Tierra had introduced her as, explained herself to be some kind of medic from.....Brecheliant. Yeah, Ignis had never heard of it -- and would've opened his mouth to ask more questions if it weren't for a farmiliar femine voice sounding from nearby. Ruenna, he noted, who seemed more adamant on addressing Syphra's aggressions toward Bridget. 

Again with the mentions of Brecheliant. Th'fuck is a Brecheliant??

The greyish advisor's dark gaze would then trace up to his (clearly puzzled) mismatched one with the promise of an answer to all this mess. Who was Bridget? Is Brecheliant a species of mushroom he'd never heard of? What the hell happened to Towhee while she was away? And damn near at the same time was when the tiny blonde head of Caracal popped out of the den's mouth and nearly scare the piss outta him.

Now Bridget was leaving, in assumption that there was now too much going on to even stay long, and for once Āzon was too conflicted to actually say anything. So he looked towards Bridget's retreating back, swept his gaze over the pups, and let out a soft confused whine when his attention finally landed back on his regent. Hopefully that was enough to spell out the fact that he didn't know what was going on....

Bridget said she'd been the one to find mother initially. Sphyra didn't know a lot of the details, since she was too young to really need to be informed of all the specifics. She didn't know anything about Bridget's earlier struggle with Fennec (though she'd back her fighting mentor up anyway if she did know). Crackle came over just to uselessly share that he was trying to sleep, seeming to care nothing about protecting the family. Ruenna showed up, which actually visibly relaxed Sphyra. Aunt Rue was a leader and she knew what to do.

Ruenna seemed to think positively of this Bridget wolf. It seemed as if they knew each other. Sphyra relaxed a little at that, feeling less like she was carrying the weight of the family's safety on her shoulders now. Ruenna took over and so all she had to do was take orders now.

Āzon stayed quiet and so did Sphyra. She just nodded as Ruenna said that Sphyra should take this Bridget wolf to Towhee. However reluctant she had been, she would do it if Aunt Rue said it was safe. Yeah, she said with a nod. However, Bridget seemed to have changed her mind in the process of being interrogated for her reasons to be here, and she said she'd return later. Sphyra nodded in acknowledgement of Bridget's departure, not even trying to convince her to stay. If she wanted to leave, she could leave.

Bye Bridget, Sphyra said. She didn't know what 'at ease' meant, but she looked a little proud at being called a soldier, at least.

Sphyra waited for Bridget to leave and then said to aunt Ruenna, Should I let her go in next time? Is she safe? Enough had happened to the family that they didn't need any potential threat. Sphyra needed to know just how much of an eye she should keep on this 'Bridget' if she returned next time.

Ruenna's welcome and invitation were too little, too late. Bridget seemed unwilling to remain in the Caldera after her chilly reception, and Ruenna couldn't blame her. She had likely already received some form of sass from Fennec at the border, and now all this. Their pack's particular brand of hospitality was in desperate need of a revamp, Rue had come to realize. 

"You were right to question a stranger," Rue told Sphyra, her eyes darting toward Āzon so that he knew he was included in this praise as well. He appeared to be just as lost in all this as the children, if not more so, whining to Ruenna for guidance. 

Okay, she would try to explain one more time. Perhaps it would sink in a little better, now that Bridget had departed and everyone could relax. 

"--But yes, Bridget is a friend. Your mother trusts her. Bridget is from our allied pack, Brecheliant. Any wolf from Brecheliant will carry the scent of the fen-- sort of like wet earth. Mossy." Stars, they needed to invent better words to describe smells. 

"And any wolf who comes from Brecheliant should be treated like a guest. That means that you're friendly and invite them in, but you still make sure to keep them company-- in case they need anything." Sphyra was likely too young to understand the subtleties in the difference between "keeping an eye on" a guest and "keeping them company." But Rue would still attempt to cultivate some semblance of politeness in the child, if only to guard against the outcome that she might grow up to be exactly like Fennec. At least she could say she tried. 

Ruenna continued, directing her speech more toward Āzon this time. "We are grateful to Bridget in particular. Recently, when Towhee was bitten by a venomous snake, Bridget found her and treated her wounds, and she made sure she got home safe." 

Rue looked once more to Sphyra. "I know it seems like your mother has been sick for a long time, but if Bridget hadn't been there to help, it would have been much worse." Sphyra was at a tender age, so Ruenna refrained from going into detail about how much worse it could have been. Āzon would understand, though-- if not for Bridget's interference,  they would have lost their Sovereign.

Are you guys okay with going one more round? Looking to snag a coaching thread for Rue.

Fine by me<3
Mentioning the "visiting Brecheliant" part in reference to Rue possibly visiting Brech with Āzon?

Like a patient child in a classroom, he listened to Ruenna's explanation with undivided attention. Prior to this, he had no previous knowledge of the relations Towhee had outside of the pack, so news that "Hey, we're sorta allied with these people man." was new to him. Acknowledging this with a slow nod, a ping of guilt pinched his innards in realizing that they might've chased away someone who was only trying to help the Sovereign get up to speed on her health.

Hell, Towhee might've not survived if it wasn't for Bridget in the first place.

"Ah shit Rue, I....I'm sorry.  I didn't know..." and he felt like a complete idiot in not knowing, too. He'd been apart of this pack for too long to not know something as important as who their allies were -- and if anything, he owed that Bridget woman an apology the most for making her feel like she wasn't welcomed.

"Brecheliant" -- he'd remember that weird sounding name for future references, "The smell of moss and damp earth", he'll keep that info too. As a matter of fact...

"Maybe I can make it up t'them somehow, someway..." The male said as he stepped forward towards his Regent. Maybe going to visit them would make things better. He insisted, but looked to the advisor to see if it would've been a good move at this time...

also fine for me :)

Sphyra sat down and watched Ruenna, listening intently. She wanted to know what she should do next time something like this happened. She looked elated (though probably only Ruenna could tell, since it only showed in subtle signs, while her façade remained serious) to hear that she was right to question this stranger. Ruenna explained that Brecheliant was their ally and she described the scent they carried. Can any wolves from Brecheliant just enter?! Sphyra asked Ruenna, and she could not hide indignancy in her voice as she said it. It seemed to defeat the purpose of their well-guarded borders and the tightness of family and pack that she had learned so much about.

Of course, she got part of her answer moments later as Ruenna said that they should be treated like a guest. The other part was still unanswered: Were they allowed to just enter, or should they wait at the borders and then be taken in by one of the Redhawk wolves?

Ruenna went on to explain that Bridget had helped Towhee when she was hurt, and that it would've been worse if this particular Brecheliant wolf hadn't saved their mother. Sphyra nodded. Azon offered to make up somehow, but Sphyra just said: You don't have to make up — you did nothing wrong, you didn't know! Honestly, she was just projecting now, because if he was meant to be apologetic, then she was too, and Sphyra was pretty sure that she didn't have to be apologetic at all because she didn't know before today that Bridget was some sort of hero.

Āzon looked crushed about the mistake, and Ruenna was full of sympathy for him. She knew very well what that was like, trying so hard to be helpful and involved and yet feeling like every little mistake was so much more conspicuous. 

"Of course you didn't know," Ruenna comforted him. "She should have been accompanied." That led nicely in to an answer for Sphyra's question. 

"No Sphrya.. while Brecheliant are our allies, we don't have an open border policy," she replied. "An ally should stop at the border and identify themselves, and then they might request to come in if they have business here. From that point on they should be accompanied." She took a breath, and then repeated, "Bridget should have been accompanied when she was admitted." 

There were reasons that a guardian might have sent Bridget in on her own, certainly. But given the treatment the Bridget had received the last time she was here, Ruenna thought that it was poorly thought out (at best) to make the poor medic susceptible to such a reception again at the hands of the Redhawks. 

Āzon voiced aloud his desire to make things up to Brecheliant, and Ruenna sighed. That was a wish that weighed heavily on her heart as well, particularly because they seemed to keep digging their hole deeper where Brecheliant was concerned. It didn't help that Brech was becoming the refuge for all the wolves who had been mismanaged or wronged by the Redhawks.  

"Sphyra's right, Āzon, it was an easy mistake. You don't owe them anything. But I do want to find some way to improve pack relations. We keep stepping in it with Brecheliant." It felt like the weight of the world was on Ruenna's shoulders, but even so, she couldn't help a funny little memory that popped up when she said the phrase "stepping in it" to Āzon: the Ignis himself, standing in shit, sweating as he requested admission into the Caldera ranks. 

Ruenna's odd smile would probably seem out of place, since only she was privy to the amusing memory that had surfaced (which Zoo will never allow anyone to forget, ever). With a chuckle, she shook her head and bumped her shoulder amicably against Āzon.

"C'mon," she said to Sphyra, and Āzon if he was willing. "Let's go to the border and practice how to greet an ally." In case Sphyra needed any more temptation, she added, "We can also practice how to greet an enemy, if Āzon is willing to play the part of the intruder..." Rue lifted a brow, looking expectantly between the pair before they answered, and their little party moved elsewhere. 

Feel free to wrap things up, or we can let this be the fade.