Redhawk Caldera Places that belong to you

OOC: All welcome! Elwood's feeling silly. :)

IC: A fair amount of snow had fallen overnight, and Elwood had woken with a cold blanket frosting the tips of his fur. He first opened one eye, then the other, and peered up through the patchwork of roots that comprised the "roof" of his den. Even with the added dirt, moss, and leaves he had used to fill in the holes, it seemed that there was still work to be done. He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he exited the burrow, stretching his hind limbs like a cat before circling around to study his handiwork.

Yes, it seemed that he would need figure out a way to make the overhang more solid, and he thought briefly of Somnia. Perhaps he would seek her out for some help. For now, though, he tilted his head back and watched as the clouds began to release another round of powder. His den construction could wait; Elwood wanted to play.

With a whoop, he dug his paws into the accumulation and raced away from his tree, skidding across the slippery landscape with reckless abandon. He zoomed around trees and shrubbery, his tail a gunmetal grey streak behind him. Deft paws carried him along snow-covered paths and then into uncharted areas, leaving fresh prints in his wake. The cold air stung his cheeks, and he loosed another cry just as he leapt over a fallen log and veered up the slope.

This thread is mine! *Urinates on it to mark it as my territory* Hehehe....

There were quite a lot of things that were uncertain in life. Things like your future, the prosperity of places, and the weather. Try as you might, the chance of predicting them one-hundred percent right all the time was a microscopic sliver so small that even an amoeba couldn't it see if it had eyes. One thing was one-hundred percent certain right now. It was cold.

The best way to fight the coldness of winter? That would be to move around, generating more body heat, such as Somnia was. She had woke up with the cold weather trying (and succeeding,) to get in her cozy den, while the fresh snow waited right on her doorstep. When she got up she had at first tried hunting, because why waste the chance? But, it was too cold to wait around for prey to come out. She was keeping an eye on the snow for footprints of prey, but besides that, she wondered around the caldera without any intentions except to warm up.

Hearing a nearby wolfish sound, Somnia stopped and lifted her head up. In the silence of no prey, she could hear the crunch of snow if she focused. Deciding to figure out which one of her pack-mates was nearby, she scented the air. It was Elwood, and it was time for Somnia to see what he was doing.

Purposely, Somnia loped through the trees over to where Elwood was running about. Hidden by the trees, she watched his antics for a few moments before stepping out. "Hey," Somnia barked loudly as Elwood was already zooming away, "You chasing imaginary rabbits or something?"

OOC: Glad you claimed it! :D

IC: for a few moments, it was as if Elwood's feet had wings. His paws barely skimmed over the ground as he ran, and he felt like he was flying as he soared over the log in his path. He tucked his forepaws to his chest, hind legs stretching out behind him like a show horse clearing an oxer. When he landed, he sent up a shower of snow, leaving the glittering powder hanging in the air behind him.

He almost didn't hear Somnia's bark, but the sound barely tickled his ears and managed to bring him to a half. He slammed on the brakes, his haunches sliding beneath him as he grappled for purchase in the snow. When he finally stopped his forward motion, his tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth and his sides were heaving. His eyes gleamed joyfully as he spotted Somnia emerging from the underbrush.

"Hey!" he replied breathlessly. "How did you know?" he said with a grin. Chasing imaginary rabbits wasn't actually his intention, but it sounded like a lot of fun -- especially if the rabbits were the size of elephants and as fast as a cheetah.

Another uncertain thing about life. Although Somnia knew the basic feel of most of the Caldera wolves, she still knew almost nothing about how they would react to certain things. She had expected Elwood to say no to the imaginary rabbits, and then tell her what he was doing. But, almost nothing in life was one-hundred percent predictable. But that didn't mean she couldn't adapt to the situation.

"Well let's see," Somnia started, "Only delusional wolves chase imaginary rabbits. Some signs of delusion would be making sounds at inanimate objects that can't understand your intentions, running around like something is about to kill you, and having imaginary friends. The first two I can check off the list, but I don't know if you have any imaginary friends... Do you?"

Besides from a smirk at the start, Somnia managed to keep a serious expression on her face. At the end of her spiel, she took a step closer to Elwood to dramatize it, staring into his eyes seriously, trying not smile.

The more Elwood got to know Somnia, the more he appreciated her thoughtfulness and sense of humor. She had a positivity that was contagious -- he recalled her mention of good karma to Peregrine -- and possessed a wealth of knowledge that she was willing to share. And now, on top of all that, her playful side was coming out! Elwood grinned broadly as she listed the things that could make one appear to be insane, but quickly swallowed the smile and tried to adopt a more serious expression.

"Well, actually..." he said slowly, ducking his head in a sheepish manner. He took a step to the left, using his snout to gesture at a nearby try. "I'd like you to meet Dolores. She's shy, so please don't judge her. Oh, and try not to stare at her extra eye." He then turned and used a forepaw to wave feverishly at the tree, as though his imaginary friend was peeking out from behind it.

As Elwood introduced the figment of his imagination, Somnia struggled to tame the smile that was threatening to reveal itself. The extra eye part; she wasn't going to be able to tame that smile. Thinking fast, she walked past Elwood, towards the tree so that he couldn't see her smile escape.

"Hello Dolores, I'm Somnia. I'm mighty sorry to say this, but I'm going to have to chase you off Redhawk Caldera territory. Alphas' orders." Having time to subdue the smile while she talked, Somnia turned back to Elwood. "How bout we chase her off before she eats our imaginary rabbits?"

Elwood bit his lip as Somnia marched right past him to introduce herself to Dolores. He stifled a chuckle, though their little roleplay took an unexpected turn as Somnia informed the figment that she would have to chase her from the territory on Fox's orders. Well played! Elwood thought, and he adapted quickly to the new situation.

"Oh, yeah, good point," he said, nodding sagely and taking a few steps toward the tree. "I never liked her much anyway. That eye creeps me out," he stage-whispered, then he lunged behind the trunk and took off running again. "Get out of here, Dolores!" he cried, galloping wildly away from Somnia.

Elwood proceeded to chase Dolores out. Following his lead, she started chasing after him. Tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, her legs propelled her forward, burning at the effort. Despite Elwood's head start, Somnia managed to catch up and pass Elwood. Letting out a battle cry, Somnia pushed herself into a jump, landing with a belly-flop in the snow. Pretending to have caught Dolores, she nipped at the snow as a warning bite.

Getting off of Elwood's imaginary friend, she started the chain of insults. "Get out you hideous freak-show! Your ugly, extra eye is unneeded here! Stay out! That was just a warning bite! If you come back, your ugly ass will be staining the snow crimson!" Looking back at Elwood, Somnia added, "You think she got the point?"

It would be exceedingly awkward if some other Caldera wolf had heard her.

Within seconds, Somnia had caught up with him, and she soon passed him with a few quick strides. Elwood whooped as she raced ahead, watching as she took an exaggerated leap to tackle the offensive Dolores into the snow. There was the sound of her teeth snapping together derisively, and then she began to shout obscenities after the poor invisible wolf.

Elwood could hardly contain his laughter as he drew up next to his friend, and ultimately was only able to contribute, "Yeah! Take that, Dolores!" He then flopped onto his haunches, throwing his head back as he simultaneously cackled and tried to catch his breath. "You showed her," he said between gulps of air, his tail thumping the snow heartily.

The laughter was contagious, and soon Somnia found herself guffawing. Trying to calm herself down, she took deep breaths as she seated herself next to Elwood and his motor-powered tail. Finally calming down, she responded to Elwood.

"You expected anything less?" It held the tone of a challenge, reinforced by Somnia getting up to play-bow at Elwood. She clearly had the vibe of 'come at me, I dare you to'.

As Elwood's hiccuping laughter subsided, he closed his eyes briefly and exhaled through his nostrils. His ribs ached from the exertion of laughing and filling his lungs with air while running. He chuckled at her challenge, his ears swiveling toward her. When he opened his eyes again, she was crouched in front of him, her rump in the air and a dare gleaming in her eyes.

Immediately, he took her bait, swiftly assuming a similar position. He wiggled his hind end playfully, like a cat preparing to pounce. Rather than respond with words, he growled a warning, the sounds rumbling in his throat. "Bring it on," he seemed to say.

"Just remember, you asked for it!" Somnia warned, scanning his similar position. Tensing her muscles for action, she shifted her stance. Her weight was mainly in her hind legs, her front legs just nearby for balance. Pushing off, she tried to jump on top of Elwood.

If it had been a real battle, Somnia wouldn't even think of doing this. But, since it was a playful skirmish, why not do the unusual and unexpected? If she were lucky, the fellow grey wolf would collapse under her weight.

"I can handle anything you throw at me!" Elwood promised. Even as he spoke, Somnia gathered herself and then pounced at him, her forepaws directed at him. He didn't attempt to sidestep her attack, but instead rose to meet her. When she collided with him, he allowed her weight and momentum to push him backwards and he toppled onto the ground.

With a howl, he rolled onto his back and covered his face with his paws, conceding and admitting defeat. "I underestimated you!" he cried as he writhed on the ground.

Rolling away from Elwood on her new place on the ground, Somnia stood up. She laughed at his silly antics before starting her own. Her tail held high, she walked around him as if she were a wolf of authority. Stopping next to his head, she looked him right in the eye.

"Yes, you have underestimated the great Queen Somnia," Hadn't she vowed to never be a queen after Ashton had called her 'Queen Som Som'? "And so, you have paid the price. But now, you most be my slave and take care of my every need. You will dig a river leading from the lake to my den to take care of my thirst. You will hunt my every meal. For my entertainment, you will juggle sticks. Do you got that?" Boy, it was hard not to smile!

"Yes ma'am!" Elwood replied, doing his best impression of groveling at Somnia's feet as she dictated her rules to him. He rolled over onto his belly and inched towards her, looking up at her with big, pleading eyes. Never mind Fox and Peregrine; he would only be taking direction from Queen Somnia from here on out!

From his position at her feet, he asked, "What is your first bidding, my queen?" He was completely caught up in the roleplay, and it was a good thing that he hadn't planned to do anything else productive that day. Besides, wasn't bonding with his packmate important enough?

So Elwood was still along for the ride? Seemed like a challenge to break that without doing anything bad enough to affect their friendship. Challenge accepted.

"My first order of business as Queen, would be..." Hmm, what should she tell him to do? Nothing dangerous, nor too revolting... Got it! "Break the ice on the lake with a stick!" Somnia barked, starting to march up the Caldera.

The queen made her first request, then began to lead the way up to the caldera. Her servant willingly followed, playing the part by keeping us head and tail respectfully lowered. He did briefly wonder what the real Alphas would think if they came across the pair of friends. He chuckled at the thought, imagining their puzzled faces.

When they reached the top, he set out to find the perfect stick for the task. He needed one that was sturdy enough that it wouldn't shatter when it hit the ice, but it also couldn't be too heavy for him to lift with his jaws. The perfect specimen soon presented itself, and he grabbed it quickly then headed toward the lake.

Luckily, the ice was still thin enough that it was easy to break. One whack with his branch and he had created a sizable hole. "How's that?" he asked, looking back at Somnia.

Somnia watched with a smile as Elwood created a hole in the ice with a stick. Struggling to stay in character, she frowned with disapproval. "Well, yes but.... What in the world am I suppose to do with a frozen lake with a hole in the ice? I could fall in it! Was that your intention, little peasant boy?!" Somnia half-screamed at him.

Somnia also decided that the mean little bitch attitude did not suit her. If anything, she wanted to be prancing around on the frozen lake with a big stick. Okay, Elwood wasn't prancing around, or on the lake. But if it was Somnia, she probably would have. That was why it was a good thing that Elwood was doing it, for the ice seemed thin enough to collapse under a wolf stupid enough to set foot on it.

Elwood's mouth formed a perfect "o" as Somnia yelled at him, accusing him of plotting to push her into the frigid lake. It was as though she had read his mind! After years of being punished and looked down upon by the most tyrannical queen in all the land, the servant boy had had enough. He had spent days plotting his revenge; now, all he had to do was execute his plan...

He let loose a cackle, widening his eyes in an effort to appear crazy. "You figured out my plan, oh Queen, but you can't stop me from finishing it!" he cried, dropping the stick and lunging toward her with the intent to grab her tail and pull her toward the lake. Though he was larger than her, he would be sure not to overdo it; he didn't really want to drown Somnia. It was a good thing she wasn't as mean as she was pretending to be!

I actually have plans of Somnia falling through ice on the lake and getting hypothermia in the near future. :o

Letting out a yelp, Somnia backed up slowly, as if Elwood were a wild animal. "H-how dare you!'" She squealed, turning around to make a run for it. Before she could go anywhere, the traitor grabbed her tail and started pulling her. She gave a bit of resistance at first, then let him drag her, letting out desperate howls along the way.

"You're a traitor! You'll be executed for treason when they find my dead body! I hope you're satisfied with dying by killing me!" Somnia spat at him. Somnia gave one last (fake) effort to get away. She lunged forward, but not with enough power to get away.

OOC: Ooooh, that will be a fun plot! Not so fun for Somnia, though. :P

IC: Somnia's squeals and cries were quite convincing as Elwood began to pull her toward the lake. She shrieked about treason and execution, but it wasn't enough to stop him. "No one will ever know it was me," he said, his voice muffled by the fluff of her tail as he spoke.

He gave a firm tug, stepping backwards towards the ice, but halted just before his own paws hit the frozen surface. It wouldn't yet be thick enough to hold his weight, and especially not both of them at once. Instead, he opened his jaws and let Somnia free, as though her struggling had been strong enough to overpower him.

Elwood can be part of it if you want! Gonna make Ashton be in it too, as it would be possible for her to quickly die if not recognized that she has hypothermia and that her body temperature needs to be raised. I wanted to eventually have a thread with Somnia, Elwood, and Ashton in it anyways, as I feel they're the two wolves Somnia's closest to. You want to participate in it? Oh, and it will end up for the better with Somnia... >:3

Elwood spoke through her tail, and Somnia struggled with what he said for a moment before she deciphered it. "They will too! If the water washes your scent off of me, they could still smell your scent on the pawprints you made in the snow! Don't forgot, we're not the only ones who know how to hunt in my kingdom, whether it be prey or wolves!" She tried to reason one last time before she got away.

"What now, traitor?! I can go get help, and have the other peasants dispose of you. Better yet, I could go hunt down the intruder, Dolores, and have her dispose of you. I bet she'll accept your place in my kingdom for the exchange of your life." Somnia snarled threateningly. She took a few steps backward, constantly glancing behind her, and then at Elwood to make it seem as if she was really trying to escape.

OOC: I'll totally jump into that thread, thanks for the invite! Want to start steering this one towards a close? It's been fun! :D

Also, holy crap, I accidentally closed this tab before I posted and Chrome magically saved it!

IC: It seemed as though Elwood hadn't thought his actions through, for Somnia quickly pointed out the holes in his plot. "Blast, I've been foiled," he griped, stepping towards Somnia as she backed away from him. She claimed that she had many wolves who would gladly help her dispose of him, and perhaps she was right. She was the Queen after all, no matter how evil and controlling she was.

"Fine, fine. I'll take my leave -- I never wanted to be a part of your tyranny anyway!" he shouted. Then, before Somnia could execute the escape she had been planning, he took the first step and began racing back down the mountainside. It was better to be exiled than executed, right?

No problem, and sure! ^.^

Lucky... I use Mozilla Firefox, so I'm out of luck when stuff like that happens.

Elwood spoke a few words before running off. "It's the best tyranny you've ever seen!" Somnia yelled at him in a poor attempt at a comeback. She supposed she probably was supposed to chase him, continue their little game. Before she could move a paw though, she broke down in a fit of laughter.

Somnia just sat there, eyes watering and sides heaving, laughing like a maniac. She watched Elwood, wondering if he would continue running or come back now that she broke character. It got pushed out of her mind by a different thing, the need to breathe. Gasping air through the breaks in the laughter fits, she somehow managed to stop.

Whether he waited or not, the playful mood had not died for either of them. And thus, they continued until pack duties called.