Redhawk Caldera the weather outside is frightful [MFT]

The hustle and bustle around the pack lands had not gone entirely unnoticed to the old hermit. He heard various mutterings as he went about his own business, and was mostly up to date with the goings-on in the caldera. Peregrine and Fox were oddly absent lately, which could only mean one thing... And that knowledge, or at least the implication of their union, made Amon want to work harder. If they were going to be bringing children in to the world, he would do his best to make sure the world was safe for them.

While lingering in the forest alongside the mountain, Amon began to entertain the thought of the growing family. When he wasn't busy looking for signs of his brother or a potential raiding party (which at this point, seemed like it would never actually arrive at all) he was scouting the area for another purpose. Various clusters of trees looked like safe little havens for the children to play in - but nothing was absolutely perfect. A few stands of birch trees were promising, but they held strange animal scents, or were rotting away beneath the chill of winter.

With a huff, Amon abandoned each of these places. He headed closer to the caldera, even climbing alongside one of the winding ridges of the mountain, and paused to rest.

Yesterday, Peregrine had called for all of those who wished to pursue Caretaker and babysit his future children. Somnia had been one of the three candidates. Although she had no experience yet, Peregrine had given her a chance. Well, all three of them, (Somnia, Ashton, and Tempest) had been given a chance. That chance was to come up with a game during the month of January and show it off to the pack with a pack playtime.

Somnia had many ideas on the matter, but getting the ideas was never the hard part. The difficult part for her was remembering and connecting the idea fragments in ways that made sense. That was exactly what she was trying to do that moment. She was laying higher up on a slope, staring off into space at the blue sky as she tried to make her ideas work in her head. Well, was doing that until a bit of motion drew her out of her thoughts.

There was a wolf climbing up the slope. The figure stopped, and Somnia recognized him. "Hey Amon!" She called, already getting to her feet. Whether Amon had heard her or not, she started making her way to him. When she drew close to him, she paused. "What are you up to?" She inquired with a friendly tail wag.

He had thought it would be easy to find a play area for the coming cherubs, but the task proved to be quite difficult. Amon thought he could use the cliffside as a vantage point - but as soon as he was situated and looking down towards the forest, he realized his mistake. All he could see was white snow and the dark bars that the trees presented. Most importantly, he had no idea what a play area really looked like; was it akin to the training pits of his own youth, or was it like a big den site? Or maybe it was neither - a field, perhaps, but that sounded quite boring.

Amon was busy contemplating - he didn't hear Somnia's voice, or if he did, there was no indication. Then, suddenly, she was upon him - and the aged wolf did a double take. Oh, company. What are you up to? The silver girl queried, and Amon huffed a soft sound in response. He licked his lips as if to warm them against the winter air prior to responding.

See, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I was hoping to find a little haven for the tykes - Amon's brows raised as he mentioned the future kids, but as he went on, his expression lost its luster. - but so far I haven't had any luck. I guess I don't know much about kids after all. He chuckled lowly at this, but the sound was chilling. Amon felt very out of place right now and his failure only made the weight of his alienation worse.

What about you? Out for a stroll all on your lonesome?

It seemed as if Somnia had startled him. Her ears flattened for a moment as a respectful, nonverbal apology. She also lowered her tail a bit, but that was more out of respect than an apology. Even if Somnia was higher ranking than Amon, he was still older. Quite a bit older actually, and weren't you supposed to show respect for the elderly?

When Amon asked explained what he was doing, Somnia almost jumped a the urge to help him. She would've too, had he not inquired about her. "Actually, I was thinking about something until I saw you. You see, Peregrine asked me to think up of a pack playtime game that would be suitable for pups, so he can try and see if I'd make a good Caretaker and-" Somnia then realized she was rambling. Another nonverbal apology in the form of flattening ears.

"So umm... You were looking for a good place that would be safe for the pups? I can help you! Well, if you want, that is..."

A game? With the way Peregrine played with his little wife, and the ridiculousness of some pack members, there would be little struggle in that endeavor. Amon chuckled as the girl spoke, and then nodded. Aye, help would be grand. Maybe it'd be easier for you to come up with a game if we had... I dunno, a place picked out?

It'd be great to have the help. Amon had no idea what to look for, after all. What do ah, what do kids actually... Like? What kind of place would suit 'em? He commented dryly, asking questions which sounded rhetorical. I mean, I never had a fun childhood. Not a bad one, but not... Y'know, nevermind that. God, he'd been away from social interaction for too long. Look at all this verbal diarrhea. Anyway - got any ideas?

Amon suggested that it might be easier to come up with a game if there was a place picked out. It made sense to Somnia. If she already had a place in mind, it would be easier to determine what sort of activity could best take place there. Plus, if she used the place for her game, Peregrine would have the chance to assess it then.... Somnia would just have to make sure to share the credit for finding it with Amon.

Somnia let out a sympathetic whine for Amon as he briefly expressed how he hadn't had the best childhood. However, she didn't bring it up as it seemed Amon was already ready to drop it.

At the mention of ideas, Somnia had an extreme case of verbal diarrhea compared to him. "Well, it would have to be safe. Any place on the caldera with sharp ridges or drop-offs is out. A steep slope wouldn't be the best either, but most of the caldera is sloped as it is, so we'd want to find a place that's as close to flat as we can get. It would also be nice if it was a large, open area, so that you can keep an eye on the pups without having to be right on top of them to see them through trees. But, a few trees would be alright. A water source.... I have conflicting feelings on that. A water source would be good to quench their first after they tire themselves out, but what if they fall in and drown themselves? You know what, we can think about that when we find a place. Any places come to mind?"

The girl was swift to start concocting ideas, which Amon was grateful for - if a little taken aback by the vivacity of it all. Somnia thought of things far faster, and she made some good deductions, all of which left Amon in a bit of a tizzy. While they walked along, he sorted the information; however, they did not have to walk long before a location struck him. What about the heart of the caldera?

If the cliffs and crags were too dangerous, then the pups could simply stay within them. Instead of the threat of falling down the mountainside, they could be protected by the walls of the caldera. Amon had not ventured in to the heart yet. He assumed many of the wolves in this pack had - it was the main component of their territory after all. Clearly Amon needed to get out more.

It would be protected from all sides, and the cliffs would stop being a danger that way. Or we could explore around the lake - it's pretty darn big, but there is sure to be a safe area around it somewhere.

The spot Amon proposed did fit the criteria she had set up. The only thing that Somnia could think badly about the spot for the moment was the lake. She had almost fell victim to the lake once, and had no intentions of doing so again. That threat should disappear when the ice melted, and the edges of the lake were a bit clearer, as long as the pups had enough sense not to fall in, which they probably wouldn't at first. But with a watchful eye, that could be avoided.

Amon had even mentioned how the ridges along the sides would keep them from harming themselves from any treacherous land formations on the sides of the caldera. Furthermore, those ridges could help keep predators out - not that there would be any predators that deep in the territory. It was as Amon had put it, 'the heart of the caldera'.

With a nod, Somnia showed her agreement. Maybe Fox could even have her whelping den up there, as it seemed to be the safest spot at the moment. "Shall we search for a safe area there now?" She questioned. Somnia had assumed that they were going to, but it couldn't hurt to ask in case Amon didn't have plans on going up there today.

Amon nodded as soon as she proposed a search. Right! Enough blabbering, time for doing! His raucous voice surmised, sounding quite pleased with himself - or rather, with the two of them - now that they had set upon a plan. It would be slow going for Amon since he was not accustomed to braving the slopes of the mountain, but he did his best to keep up with the younger she-wolf. There were odd landmarks every so often that caught his attention, but aside from a queer glance, they went without mention.

When the lull in the conversation became too much for the isolationist, Amon piped up - slowing to a halt as the pair of them crested one of the many ridge lines. So, Somnia - you been around kids much? Got any of yer own? Somnia was young, at least young enough to have a litter - maybe more than one. Amon clearly didn't have a grasp of time any more, being as old as he was. To him, everyone was young and fit and probably had hordes of offspring - something he'd likely never have.

Somnia's tail did a happy little wag when Amon exclaimed that it was time for action. Her tail continued its happy wagging throughout the pleasant hike up. Amon's pace was a bit slow, but Somnia didn't complain. She silently matched his pace. It wasn't like she had any other immediate plans.

Amon soon engaged in more conversation, and asked if she had any experience with children, as well as any herself. "Actually, I don't. I've never even been around kids, except for when I was little. But I won't let that stop me from being a Caretaker. There's always a first for everything, right?" Not to mention that she wasn't old enough to be sexually mature. She couldn't be a mother if she wanted to. At least not a biological mother. Taking in an orphaned pup could be an option, but at the moment, it wasn't.

"What about you?"

As the question was turned around and set upon him, Amon mentally paused. He didn't know what he could say in response. There was only so much of his past the man was willing to revisit - so, in the end, he kept his answer short and sweet.

Never had kids. Never really been around them 'neither. I grew up with a group of boys but we were all nearly a year old when introduced, so... I ain't got much background with the little ones. It wasn't entirely the truth. Amon had helped to separate various boys from their families, all according to the orders of the Guard, but it was a darkness that did not fit the gleeful conversation. He wasn't about to dampen the mood.

Knowing our leaders, their kids will be rambunctious little beasts. You'll probably be able to keep up with them better than I ever could, hah! He chuckled as he spoke, but the laughter became a grating cough - leading to a tiny fit of huffing and puffing from the big lug. 'Granted I'm still around when they're born.' He thought quite suddenly, as his throat cleared. How many others are after the position?

It turned out that Amon didn't have kids, or any experience with them, either. It couldn't be helped. Whether your pack had pups before you left them wasn't in your hands. The way he worded his sentence was a bit confusing. "...but we were all nearly a year old when introduced, so..." Wouldn't a pack want the members to meet the youngest members before then? Maybe they had joined the pack instead of being born in it. Whatever the case, it wasn't her history to go nosing through.

The thought of the Peregrine's and Fox's kids had been in her mind for some time. Although it definitely wasn't a hundred percent certain, there seemed to be no way that the future pups would be perfect little angels.

Concern flashed across Somnia's face when Amon broke into a fit of coughing. Before she could ask if he was alright when it was over, he moved on to the next topic in their conversation. "Two others that I know of. Tempest and Ashton." Concern was still plastered across her face for the old man, but it wasn't as evident as before.

Their names didn't ring a bell - or maybe they did, he wasn't entirely sure. It was easy to forget things these days, especially when Amon had segregated himself. He tried to think back to the pumpkin party and summon up images of faces, but the effort was futile; he just couldn't think that far back. Heck, that had only been about a month ago! 'You're getting old, Amon.' He thought idly, before shaking his head and shoulders in an effort to release some tension.

Well that's good. Plenty of you young folk to care for whatever spawns out of Peregrine and Fox's union. He tried to smile at this, but he was still distracted - so the expression looked a bit strained.

There wasn't much else he wanted to say, so Amon returned to wandering. He began to hike along the decline which led to the caldera's central plateau. His mind was elsewhere now, though, as he was thinking about his own coughing fit and the deterioration of his memory. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't pay enough attention to the steep route he sought - thus Amon was suddenly stumbling, tripping over his feet, and crashing in to the underbrush about a foot further down the cliffside.

When he came to his senses, he was belly-up and caught against some tree roots, his front claws having scored grooves against the base of a nearby tree as he had instinctively grappled for safety. Oi! I should watch where I'm goin'. Damn tree nearly took my head off.

After Amon commented on how it was good that there were two other competing for Caretaker, they sank into a comfortable silence as they progressed. That soon changed. It was intriguing how one moment things could be completely calm, and then the next moment could be complete disaster. It wasn't intriguing at the time when it happened, but it was when thinking about it afterwards.

One moment Amon was climbing up the slope right by Somnia's side, the next he was going the opposite way until he got tangled by some tree roots. It was a good thing that the tree roots had caught him, as without them he could've fallen much farther down, Somnia realized.

"You alright!?" She inquired, backtracking down the slope in a hurried manner. She could help him by breaking a root or two, but that action could also send him sliding further down should he not be ready to get back up.

He floundered for a moment - if it were possible to flounder on land - with his legs flailing uselessly and his back wriggling against the crook of tree roots. They were tightly packed with snow, but somehow in his falling Amon had forced some snow out from between some hefty roots and gotten his shoulders wedged in. He was laying on his back, or rather... On his tailbone, with his shoulders wedged as if he were sitting in an armchair.

You alright?! Somnia exclaimed as she trekked over, navigating with far more ease than Amon. He huffed and did not give an answer at first - too busy wriggling and trying to de-wedge his shoulders. While doing this little shimmy, an audible pop crackled through the still air - and he sucked in a sharp, pained breath. Okay, so that ain't a good sound - or a good feeling.

He stopped wiggling.

Aye, think you can break the roots somehow? I'm mighty stuck - and I think I just dislocated somethin'. So much for finding a safe place for little kids to play. 'Can't even find a safe place for me to walk!'

That popping sound didn't sound good to Somnia either. As Amon stopped struggling and gave the word, she started chewing through the nearest tree root. The first couple tree roots weren't hard to break with a few bites, as they were more on the skinny side. But some of the thicker tree roots were a bit trickier. They required gnawing through them, spreading the bitter taste of plants in Somnia's mouth. Eventually, she managed to chew through all of the roots trapping Amon.

Somnia took a step back, giving Amon the space to roll over to get back up. "I'm positive that the popping sound wasn't a good thing. Should I call Ashton? He's a Healer, so he should be able to help."

All he could do was sit and wait while Somnia did all the work. One by one the roots fell to the might of Somnia - she chomped and chewed until even the thickest of roots was cut, and the pressure on Amon's shoulders almost vanished. As the old fart rolled to his feet, he felt a wave of familiar pain emanating from his shoulders - more so on his right side. The beast barely winced as he drew back, promptly plopping his butt in the snow.

I'm positive that the popping sound wasn't a good thing. Should I call Ashton? He's a Healer, so he should be able to help. Somnia offered, but Amon shook his head - he knew how to deal with this.

Without speaking a word to his companion, Amon turned his injured shoulder towards the tree and... Slammed himself against it. As contact occurred, he slid alongside the tree and applied more pressure - or something. It all happened so quickly. There was another pop, and Amon let out a held breath.

Nah, I've dislocated parts of myself often enough - repairing is easy. As he said this, Amon took a step to test his body, and felt a duller pain in his back than before. It still hurt, and would likely hurt for a few weeks, but the pain wasn't so bad now. Plus his right leg was no longer slightly too long. Bonus.

Somnia didn't get a verbal reply to her question, at least not until after the demonstration. Amon threw himself against a tree, which resulted in a surprised gasp from Somnia. Wouldn't throwing yourself against a tree make an injury worse? Apparently not. How and why it worked, she wasn't sure. It just seemed to work.

"Do you want to continue up the slope until we reach the top, or would you rather rest?" As much as Somnia wanted to scout out a good place, she could wait if Amon needed to take a break. After all, his health was more important than finding a location.

His shoulder was throbbing, aching even as he stood there, but Amon barely flinched at the sensation. Having a dislocated shoulder hurt far more - and so too did a truly broken bone - but this? This was just a flesh wound. No, not even that. He would have to take things easy for a few weeks, regardless, so that meant their hunting would have to be curtailed early.

Resting would be best, methinks. He commented next, and turned to find his way back to his assigned patch of forest. Amon didn't go far before he noticed... The tree roots. The roots that were chewed and pulled wide by Somnia had made a new opening in the ribcage-like root system. Hold on a tick, look there. The beast advanced upon the hole that had previously spanned the width of his shoulders, and peered in to the crevice.

What do you think of that? Looks like a playhouse or somethin'.

Somnia was a bit disappointed to have to end their exploration for a safe puppy spot, but Amon's health came first. She could always go look for the spot later. Amon even turned to go in the other direction so he could rest, but was she supposed to follow him, or continue on her way?

Before Somnia could decide, Amon stopped and brough attention to the tree roots and a hole. She looked at it, trying to see it as a playhouse. "I guess it could be fun to hide in if I were a pup, but whoever brought them here would have to keep a careful eye on them with the steep slopes." At least they had made a discovery regarding a place for pups, even if it wasn't the one they set out to find.

Aye! And at least this search wasn't a grand waste of time. He muttered right back at her, and though his voice drawled, he was wearing a big smile upon his face. They'd find something better later - or at the very least, Somnia would find something, while Amon rested up.

I should get a move on, I guess. Gotta find that hippie boy and have him inspect my shoulder.

With that said, Amon's search went from one thing to another; he just had to find a golden boy who spouted flowery nonsense and hullabaloo now. Sounded easy enough. It was nice walkin' with ya, even with my bum shoulder. Good luck on your caretakin' adventure.

Somnia listened as Amon stated that it wasn't a waste of time. She gave a happy bark in agreement, her tail wagging at the smile on Amon's face. Even if the small discovery hadn't satisfied her, it had made Amon happy. If he was happy, then she was also happy. Emotions had that contagious effect for her.

"Hope you find Ashton soon, and I wish you good luck with your shoulder! It was nice walking with you too, we'll have to do it again sometime. See you later!" With those parting words, Somnia left the old man. She still was going to scour the top of the caldera for a good spot for pups, with or without additional help.