Nova Peak hundred billion castaways, looking for a home

She wanted to send word to Redtail Rise about the birth of her young. Loath to send @Riley away, she instead decided to task @Dagur with passing along the message. Although she hesitated to draw him too near the whelping den, she decided she ought to trust her own subordinate.

It was difficult for the new mother to step away even for a few minutes. Raider took comfort in her mate’s presence, knowing he wouldn’t mind stealing a few moments alone with his sons. She stepped outside for the first time since giving birth the day before, wincing a little as the morning sun spilled across her achy, tender body.

Raider gave herself a careful shake, then raised her muzzle skyward to summon Dragonspine’s third member.

He was hesitant to go anywhere near where Raider had bedded down.

Fear and intrigue had made a nasty concoction in himself. It was easier to busy himself with trips around the lands as he examined any herds. He had even found that staring at the sky and trying to tell the weather would be better than invading the space of Raider and her now earthbound little kickers.

Only he could not ignore it when she called for him.

Like an obedient dog he was quick to heed her command. When he arrived it was in a lower posture even as his tail swayed behind him.

What need?

Respectful despite his chopped words.

It wasn’t long before she spotted Dagur’s earthy figure climbing toward the dugout. She loosed a slightly shaky breath, shooting the nearby door a quick glance. Raider then took a few steps further as the subordinate came to greet her, his lowered posture helping assuage some of the trepidation she couldn’t quite help.

Morning, Dagur, she said, heartened by his obvious desire to serve. The pups arrived yesterday. I’ll introduce you when they’re a little older, the Alpha female promised with a swing of her long tail.

She meant to get right to the point, though Raider hit the pause button. As much as she wanted to scurry back to Riley and her sons, they were only a few yards away. And Dagur was now a member of this pack, not just some errand boy. She wanted him to feel a part of things. She wanted to mutually build friendship and trust.

Forcing calm and patience, she asked, How have you been, by the way? I’m sorry we haven’t had more time to get to know one another.

She wanted him to see them?

It made sense, in a way. They were pack and aligned now but he had not seen puppies before. There had been a time where he had not been trusted around the vulnerable and he had assumed that would always be the way it was. That he was too scrappy and keen on survival no matter the ends that he would never seen life in tender stages.

But wasn't a pack able to support life while it went through delicate phases?

These were things kept close to himself, far too complex for him to try and piece together in words. Only a nod and a snaggletooth smile that was fleeting.

What he was learning though was that Raider maybe did not look at him for only a number.

How did the boy who had always been a number in a game of survival cope with being asked after?

Fine. Yet the buoyancy of his tone hinted that he was better than an answer like fine would usually be given. Watching animals for hunting. Watching skies too. The second part felt a bit silly to say aloud. His cheeks flushed with his embarrassment and uncertainty.

Want Dragonspine safe, strong.

Hearing the pack’s name on his lips made her head arch proudly. Raider listened as he mentioned a short list of recent activities. Abruptly, she remembered Riley mentioning another recruit. She laughed under her breath, wondering how she could’ve forgotten about it. Was “new mommy brain” a thing? She was pretty exhausted.

What about recruiting? I hear you’re helping out with that by bringing us another member, she acknowledged now when he mentioned strength. What do you watch the skies for? the Alpha female wondered in the next breath, genuinely curious about this particular habit.

Embarrassed of his pride!

He thought of Goldeneye and felt the oddness in his gut again. The thrum of his heart roared somewhere in his ears. I try. His tail wiggled somewhere between his ankles. Not good at words like you. Dagur had hardly painted up the image of Dragonspine, only hopeful that the man and his skills might find a place here.

Weather changes, it is good to know how bad. Sometimes scares prey off if very bad. Learning how to tell.

That way they might be prepared for anything that might impact them too.

Dagur unwittingly triggered a stream of consciousness when he said, “Not good at words like you.” She immediately thought of Redtail Rise’s penchant for silence. Well, he might not be as articulate as some, though he did speak, which was an important asset in Raider’s eyes. Perhaps it was elitist somehow, though this was her pack and she could rule it how she saw fit.

I never gave it much thought, she admitted when he explained about the weather predicting herd patterns. That’s pretty clever, Raider acknowledged, making sure to also let him know, You speak well enough for me, though if you ever want to brush up on your language skills, maybe we can teach each other? You teach me about the skies and I teach you to be more eloquent, I mean. Only if you want, though.

And on that note, she supposed she ought to tell Dagur why she had called him here before she forgot that too. Raider snorted lightly at herself.

Speaking of which, could you relay a simple message to Redtail Rise?

She pointed her snout west, toward the rocky hillock. Before she got into the content of said message, Raider waited for assent. She wondered if he might have any questions about his destination, which she would be happy to field.

I'd like it. Want to teach and learn.

In that moment he felt valued in a true way. She was not teaching him battle or hunting, she wanted to teach him how to speak proper. It felt like she was prepared to put an investment in him.

It made him all the more loyal.

However it also seemed to make sense with the next task he was given. A message to Redtail Rise. His eyes looked out towards where she gestured, but he imagined it would be hard to miss if they were established and not a singular unit. He also did not miss the humor of another R name cropping up.

His tail waved and he nodded.

What message?

Dagur seemed ready and willing, so Raider didn’t waste time answering, I want to let my sister know that I—we, she amended, smiling toward the den’s mouth before facing him again, welcomed three sons. That Dragonspine is official. Call for Redd but address her as Wealda. Others may respond to your call too. They are all my family, so you can share the news with anyone who’s interested. Oh, and they know me as Masque, so you will want to use that name.

Would she want them to come visiting? She’d been pondering this all morning. Now it was time to make a decision. Like with Dagur, Raider would need to set aside some of her primal impulses in the name of fellowship. She still very much wanted to consider them sister packs.

Tell them they’re welcome to come here if they like, in a couple of weeks. Just have them stop at the borders and call for Riley or yourself, so they can be escorted to the den, Raider conveyed. I want to keep them to myself for a little while, she explained for Dagur’s benefit.

Redd, but no, Wealda.

Now Raider was Masque.

Everyone was family upon that Rise!

It was not jealousy that wormed its way into his gut (was it?) so much as confusion. It all seemed so...complex. Was that family? A million names and titles spread across the land. He tried hard to not think of the names he had worn before and how on his loneliest nights he had missed them.

It was okay, he told himself. The future was Dragonspine.

He nodded and found that maybe he understood in some way the want to keep precious things safe. Hidden. Away from even trusted eyes. It spoke to the feral in him.

I will go. Fast and safe. He did not foresee danger on his way there, but he felt it important to keep saying this word. As if it might keep things true for as long as he spoke it.

Dagur spoke much more succinctly, promising to deliver the message safely and swiftly. She could only smile and dip her head, grateful for his willingness despite the fact they barely knew one another. Soon enough, Raider knew, that would change.

Thank you, Dagur. You can report back here afterward, the Alpha female said, waving her over-long tail once more before saying, And now I need to get back to my sons. See you sooner than later, I hope.

She flashed him a quick smile, then turned. As sore as she felt, Raider practically scurried back to rejoin her mate and children. There was no describing the feeling when she ducked back inside the den and laid eyes on them. The rest of the world faded into the background as she dropped down and curled around the little family they had created.