Redhawk Caldera Counting on high hopes

Whether it was because Ashton's interest in the pack had subsequently interested him or because he was unsure what else he would do with his time, Capricorn had stayed near the dead volcano. Not near enough to stir trouble or even be noticed by the wolves staking their claim there, but close enough to spot it from the heart of the prairie. It towered on the horizon, anomalously chopped off at the top and reminding him very much of the abnormality of home.

Montem Aquilonem had been a regular mountain, but it was home to nearly thirty short-legged valhund crosses like himself, so it had garnered more attention than your average mountain. Redhawk Caldera certainly garnered attention in a different way due to its abruptly shortened peak.

As morning broke over the prairie on his third day of camping out, Capricorn got to his feet and once more waddled closer to the pack. The wind was blowing southwest this time, so he had to get a little closer to smell the telltale signs of wolf territory, but he still wasn't close enough to cause discomfort. He began a very wide orbit of the mountain, his short legs hurrying him through the grass at an admirable pace for his size, but his head remained turned and his gaze was firm on the mountain.

He didn't really look like he was trying to attract attention, but then, Capricorn never openly did that sort of thing even if he was looking for attention. It wasn't classy and, besides, he still hadn't decided what he wanted to do regarding this volcano and its inhabitants. Circling noncommittally around it was certainly less suspicious to Capricorn than sitting and staring at it without announcing himself.

The mountain was certainly different. Siv had found the tip-less structure just as fascinating when she had first come across it. She’d had a fondness for things that didn’t quite fit in with the rest. The Savoy girl was something of an oddball herself, but her fiery spirit had led her to a life of happiness. It was not to say that the coywolf actively sought others of substantial difference. It was something of a happenstance that she stumbled across them without ever meaning to. Such was life. Siv knew that, as a fresh pack, they were expected to thoroughly mark their borders. She’d taken to doing circles around the caldera with her head bobbing as she went. Spindly legs carried the she-wolf quite quickly until she had gotten herself into something of a groove and the marking hardly felt like a job. The Savoy girl would hum quietly to herself when she found a particularly quiet area of the pack lands, but the vast majority of her time was filled with new sights. Siv knew very little about the pack itself; she’d only taken up the offer of recruitment from Fox on a whim. The girl lived for impulse, though, and she did not regret making the decision to join the ranks of the caldera wolves. It was something of a fresh start for her. Bobbing her tapered muzzle up and down, Siv’s attention was only brought towards the small creature because of his shuffling movements. Her baby blue gaze grew wide and her dark lips seemed to curl upwards like the Grinch on Christmas eve. Without a moment of hesitation, the coywolf girl took off in leaps and bounds, nearly stumbling and falling over her own clumsy limbs, before finding that she had closed enough distance between her and the stubby wolf so that she could garner his attention. “Hooooly shit, you are probably the coolest fuckin thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she yipped at him, lengthy legs dancing in an awkward circle while she beamed at him with a toothy expression. Siv’s tongue had managed to loll from the corner of her mouth, but she cared very little for how she appeared in front of this specimen! Immediately, she wanted to know everything about him, right down to his favorite types of leaves.

To say that the sight of a much taller, spindly wolf bouncing toward him was frightening to Capricorn was a bit of an understatement. His reaction was remarkably composed despite the leap of his heart into his throat: he took a few steps back to avoid being crushed under Siv's rambunctious legs and his ears thrust back as though uncomfortable. At first, the little wolf assumed she was here to attack him and send him packing—it certainly wouldn't have been the first time—but when she spoke, everything became clear.

"Why, thank you," he said graciously, masking any former uncertainty he might have held. He swiveled on the spot as best he could to watch Siv, but with such little legs, there was no way he could keep up. "I made them myself," he chortled, indicating his legs by lifting one foreleg. He assumed that was what made him so "cool". Nobody seemed to comment on any other aspect of him, anyway.

If it wasn't painfully obvious, I love Capricorn.

To say that Siv was overbearing at times was an understatement. She had a constant air of excitement about her. The girl was young, though, and the world was so different from what she had been used to on her seaside home. She had not anticipated that her movements would potentially startle the smaller wolf. Certainly, her trotting in circles would be enough to alarm even a wolf of average size. Becoming incredibly self-aware of her movements, the coywolf girl ceased her shuffling and lowered herself so that she was flattened to the ground and her muzzle rested on her paws. This made eye-contact with the pocket-sized stranger much easier to maintain. Unable to wipe the excited grin from her face, Siv’s tail thumped against the ground behind her like a beating drum. He was so polite! The she-wolf chuckled at his response on his legs, finding that this was – naturally – where her eyes started, but as they drifted, she noted other remarkable things about this wolf. “And your tail! It’s so curly. How neat,” she added, gesturing with her muzzle towards the other end of the male. When she drew her gaze back to his face, she noted that his eyes were a crisp blue… almost intimidating. “I didn’t mean to scare ya, sir. I’m Siv! Siv Savoy… it’s a pleasure to meet ya. How’s your day going? What’s your name?” she jabbered at him like an excited child.

I'm glad! He's turning out to be a lot of fun. :D

He watched with an amused expression the way Siv sought to settle herself down by dropping her belly to the ground. Capricorn himself wasn't excitable in the same way, though he did enjoy the lifting of his heart whenever play was proposed. It seemed that so few wolves wanted to play with a stumpy creature like him. It was, perhaps, due to his pudgy little limbs; they must assume he was too slow to keep up with them. They were wrong, of course, but he'd never told them that.

"Yes, well," said Capricorn with a grin, "I made that, too. It's quite cute, isn't it?" As though to demonstrate, he waggled his curly tail, which seemed somehow twice as animated as a regular wolf's wagging tail. "Not too unique, I'm afraid. My brother's was almost identical. Mine was just a liiiiittle longer." He smirked good-naturedly.

"The pleasure is mine, Siv. I am Capricorn." He tipped his snout forward and folded back his ears, making a great show out of what was a polite nod for her amusement. "I suppose I'm well. I've been walking a good deal. You know how hard it is to walk miles a day in these types of shoes?" Man, he was just killing it today with the self-deprecating jokes, but if anyone was allowed to make them, the de Septentrio was. "How's yours?"

Siv was easily excited, as was her nature. She spent a great deal of time in search of new and intriguing things. While it was rare to have her scrutinize someone for their differences, it did happen on occasion. Upon seeing Capricorn, she did not have an overwhelming uncertainty, rather… a sensation of curiosity. He was different, but the Savoy girl was spirited enough to celebrate the differences of others. Her only hope was that she did not offend the wolf before her. She was a pill, occasionally she was one that was hard to swallow. However, her intentions were always good. Peering at his wagging tail with wide blue eyes, the coywolf could not help but to flash him a toothy grin and offer a chuckle in response. “It’s gotta be the neatest thing I’ve seen all day. I wish my tail was like that,” she said to him, turning her head slightly to look at her ordinary appendage with a small frown. At the mention of having a brother, Siv’s head whipped back around and she tossed her ears forward to full attention. “You have a brother too? Just one or do you have lots of family?” she inquired of him. Siv could just imagine an entire pack of wolves with brilliant little legs and curly tails running around the Teekons. He introduced himself as Capricorn with a polite gesture and Siv could not suppress the smile that curled her features upwards. He then made a remark as to how difficult it was to walk great distances with his short legs, and she giggled at him, her cheeks flushing red. “I like your shoes! I’d trade ya if I could. I’ve got these spindly things… really all they’re good for is tripping over,” she explained to him, stretching out one of her long legs and starring at it with squinted eyes and a heavy frown. Capricorn was then kind enough to ask Siv how her day was going, to which she slapped her tail against the ground and lifted her head a little bit higher. “My day’s just dandy. Thank you for asking, Capricorn! Say, are you here to join the caldera?” she asked him, excitement leaking through a voice she had hoped would sound somewhat professional.

"There's a few of us," he readily answered, "but it's not just my family that's like this. The whole pack was like this." He had fond memories of Montem Aquilonem. They weren't sheltered enough to not know tall wolves existed, but there was much more acceptance of their appearance on the mountain than anywhere else in the world, it seemed. Capricorn was grateful that Siv seemed to be amongst the accepting sort, as had Ashton. So far, he'd had no negative run-ins.

He chuckled when she lifted up one of her legs to examine it. Sometimes, Capricorn would admit that he would like nice long legs like Siv's, but most of the time he was content with what he had. His were a nice set of legs, sturdy and muscular. They served him well, even if they weren't quite as efficient as the long, beautiful legs Siv sported.

"The caldera?" he asked, glancing beyond her to the volcano he'd been skirting. "That's its name?" It was a strange name, he thought, but fitting. "I haven't quite decided yet. I came out into the world looking for something specific. I'm not sure I'll find it there... but could be I'm wrong." He turned his gaze politely back to her snout, choosing to fixate on the tip of her nose to avoid any misinterpretation of his intentions. "What brought you to it?"

A whole pack! What a marvel! Siv found her mind wandering, if only for a moment, to the idea that there was an entire group of wolves like Capricorn. “Did you guys only accept cool wolves like you with short legs and curly tails, or could someone like me have joined your pack?” she inquired with a tilt of her head to the right, ears twitching with curiosity. Siv could not deny, she would have jumped at the opportunity to belong to a pack of charming dwarf-wolves if it had ever come about in her lifetime. It would have been strange, however, to be the looming shadow in their midst, and she began to realize that she likely would not have fit in to their ways of life. Still, it was an interesting thought to mull over… Their many differences were great. Siv found herself completely mesmerized by his nature. He was a very polite wolf, she noted, and while his humor was slightly self-deprecating, it was still enjoyable because Capricorn did not entirely seem to take himself too seriously. If anything, he was a breath of fresh air for the coywolf girl. Focusing on the pack, Siv bobbed her head in response to his thoughtful inquiry. “Yeah, well… it’s Redhawk Caldera, but y’know, the caldera is what this big whopping landmass is called,” she answered, offering a lopsided grin. Capricorn then made a comment about setting out on a path in search of something – something that the caldera didn’t necessarily have. She understood this. After all, Siv would never want another wolf to join their ranks if they were to find themselves unhappy after a short amount of time. Still, the prospect of having the short-legged gentleman within their ranks was something that she would have enjoyed very much. He then asked what had brought her to the caldera, and she frowned thoughtfully at the inquiry. “Well, I was just out for a stroll one fine day when I happened across a gal named Fox and she just asked me if I wanted to join, so I told her ‘hell yeah, bud,’ and here I am,” she paraphrased slightly, but he would get the gist of it.

He grinned widely when asked about Montem Aquilonem, but ultimately shook his head. "Something in our genes," he said, "so there's not many wolves like us except those from Montem Aquilonem. I don't believe I've met a single one who wasn't born there." But they were widespread, that he could've said... but it would seem false. They were hard to come by, midget wolves. "It was a pack of families, though. New blood never seemed to settle there. Whether father would take them or not, well... you'd have to ask him."

Siv explained how she'd come to be at the caldera. Her story was brief and simple, but he found his attention wandering all the same to other things: the feminine trimness of her body, for example, and her exuberance, and what a fun lady she would be to be around all the time...

Yet Capricorn already knew the caldera wasn't where he fit. There was something more out there and, sadly, probably someone even more captivating than Siv. When she finished speaking, his smile returned and he said, "she must be very convincing." This Fox character might even have been able to convince him to stay if he'd met her, but alas, Capricorn wasn't destined to meet with the infamous Alpha female of the caldera. Not yet, anyway.

I am sooo sorry for the wait! <3 I'll be much more prompt in the future.

Capricorn talked about the wolves of his previous pack, and Siv found herself astounded by the idea that there could be an entire group of wolves like him. His polite nature and oddities were two things that seemed to draw her attention to him. Because of this, the Savoy girl wanted to know everything she could get out of the man. While she was filled with questions, she did enjoy listening to him talk about the place he referred to as Montem Aquilonem. The coywolf doubted that she would ever happen across a land like that in her lifetime, but it was a concept that did seem altogether enrapturing. Capricorn mentioned his father, drawing Siv’s ears to an upright halt, and she found herself wanting to ask questions about the man but assumed that it would be far too prying after having just met the male. “Your home sounds super,” she said with a genuine smile that curled her dark lips upwards. “Why did you decide to leave?” The question, she felt, could be ignored or tossed aside because it too was rather personal. Siv had her own reasons for having left Skuld Shore and her mother, but it was always a curious thought as to why others did the very same thing. The Savoy girl was driven by stories of her father, and she hoped she would stumble across him when she least expected it. Capricorn seemed to speak quite fondly of his home, though. What would turn him to a life of wandering instead? Siv realized that she would be sad to see the wolf go when their conversation had ended. She did hope that she would be allowed to seek him out in the future if he did not decide to make his home at the caldera. The pack was not for everyone, she knew that much. Yet, she had enjoyed his company immensely and knew that it would not hurt to wish that he would seek to pledge into their ranks. “Yeah, she’s terrific. Maybe you’ll meet her one of these days,” she commented in reference to Fox. It was fairly evident that she held a high respect for the alpha female.

Capricorn shifted on his short legs, tilting left and then right as he shook out his forepaws. It was comically like a sumo wrestler preparing for a match. He didn't find Siv's curiosity offensive in the slightest and was, in fact, tickled that anyone should find him so interesting. Montem Aquilonem was truly a phenomenon of its own, the wolves there successful despite what easily could be a shortcoming. Capricorn should have thought it more interesting himself but, having been born there, it was hard to think of it as anything more than plain old home.

"Father was Alpha, so naturally my brothers and sisters and I were trained to be leaders. Father wanted one of us to become Beta, so he held a tourney when we came of age. We were meant to best one another, only father didn't anticipate someone else joining the tourney and he certainly didn't anticipate us being beat." With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "so when I lost the Beta spot, father suggested I get out to see the world, gather my own loyalists. I feel my calling may not be leading, though, so I just keep exploring."

Feeling he was safe to do so, Capricorn settled himself and returned the question: "and what brings you here, away from wherever you started out?"

Sorry for the absence that drug this thread out. <3 Is it okay if we fade here? I'd love to have a more current thread between these two, though?

Siv was enchanted by the little wolf Capricorn. She found his manners and his demeanor to be quite pleasant, even charming. The sharp twinkle in his bright blue eyes was mysterious to her as it was intriguing. She was curious, by nature, and had always had a soft spot for learning about others. While she listened to the small wolf speak of his home and of the contest for the Beta rank, she found herself enraptured in his words and in the story of his home land. Her own life had been quite different from his. She had never known what it meant to belong to a pack – not until Redhawk Caldera. She also realized that the rules around his life seemed far more stringent than her own. She had been able to go where she wanted to go and do whatever it was she desired. Siv’s mother had been a marvelous support system for the girl, in spite of her kooky nature.

“Wow, so you just hit the road huh?” she spoke quietly, looking at his face with a peculiar expression on her own. Capricorn then inquired to her how it was that she had ended up in that place. She cast him a small smile and breathed a heavy sigh through her nose. It was a rough concept for the girl to talk about. She’d had a plan. Siv had only left Skuld Shore in hopes that she would find her elusive father, and somehow she’d been wrangled into joining a pack in the middle of the Teekon Wilds. It was far from the life she had intended for herself.

“Well, see… I never knew my father. My mom loved him, though, and she raised me with stories about how he was this great fella and did all these amazing things. I don’t think she was bitter at all about him leaving her, or me. So, when I got old enough, I set out hoping that I could find him,” she explained, the smile fading from her dark lips a little bit. “I guess I got a little side-tracked, eh?” The girl’s features took on a melancholy look. “But I sure do like it here! I’ve got some swell leaders, and I get to meet wonderful folks like you,” she quickly followed, drawing her tongue across her narrow muzzle.

Siv spent the remainder of their time together trying to get to know Capricorn as well as she could before she was called back to her pack. She did make a promise that she would visit him, wherever he ended up. She was not opposed to traveling in order to catch up with friends.