Blacktail Deer Plateau you can run, but you can't hide

for @Peregrine

Fox was feeling frisky. Now that her injuries had healed and her muscles were back to normal, she was ready to go cause some more trouble. It was kind of her "thing." Taking one last look at her home (which it was really starting to feel like), the Delta sprinted away from the creek and to the northwest. She was not quite sure what she was looking for, but she knew she would know it if and when she found it.

Her wandering legs took her on the south side of Mount Apikuni, just north of Northstar Vale, south of Porcupine Ridge, and then she skirted the mountains until she caught the scent of a pack she had not yet encountered. Based on what she'd heard from the locals, she assumed this must be Blacktail Deer Plateau. Keeping her distance from the pack's marked borders for the time being, Fox lingered, darting this way and that while she contemplated her next move.

Satisfied that there was nobody in the immediate vicinity (that she could sense, anyway), Fox trotted over to the border and squatted for a piss. It was a total violation of proper etiquette, which was exactly why she did it. Having been cooped up at the creek for a little over a week had set her trouble-causing personality trait into some kind of frenzy.

Although Hawkeye did not look any different to the naked eye, Peregrine took her healthy appetite and penchant for mood changes as signs that she was carrying pups. He happily brought her meat and managed to keep his own temper in check even if hers flared. Although he'd never given a thought to fatherhood until now, he fell happily and easily into the role, just as he'd done with his Alpha male status in the pack.

Of course, supporting a pregnant mate made him all the more defensive of his homeland and its inhabitants, so when he roamed the plateau's edge and spotted a stranger squatting on his borders, he didn't hesitate. He flew down the towpath and galloped directly at the squatting wolf, hoping to bowl her over and dispatch her. Peregrine wasn't going to bother with mere threats in the face of such obscene violations of wolfish law; he aimed, simply and surely, to kill.

It took less time than the last place she'd been for somebody to show up. Not only that, but he also didn't start off with words like that big white wolf had in the forest pack. Fox heard his foot-stomping soon enough to direct her attention toward him and brace herself for impact. Even with the bracing, though, she was hit hard, rolling like a little rusty tumbleweed. The yearling eventually landed on her feet, tense and facing the black wolf who had done exactly as he should have.

"Impressive," she complimented sincerely. "All too many guardians ask questions first and take action later." Perhaps it was his attitude, but Fox did not feel the need to provoke him any more than she already had. She was not sure if he would continue his aggressive stance (which he probably should), so she kept on her toes quite literally. If she needed to, she could always flee back home. There was no need to teach him a lesson, for he seemed to know his duty well. "The guardian of the forest lacks your initiative. I was curious to see if this plateau was any different." And it was. Or at least he was.

He rammed into her like a bull striking a lamb, causing her to roll over and over until eventually, she wound up on her feet again. This catlike grace, coupled with her tiny, fox-like features, gave him pause. In that brief moment of suspended animation, she faced him and spoke, applauding him on his skills as if she'd only urinated on his borderlands as some sort of test.

It was pretty clear she wasn't a threat—between her size and her present behavior, she didn't seem likely to harm a rabbit, much less a large wolf like Peregrine—but he didn't make nice with strangers very readily. In response to her words, Peregrine's black ears thrust forward and he growled, baring his teeth at her to show her how little he thought of her so-called approval.

"What are you, a representative from the Board of Proper Border Protocol?" he quipped very sarcastically, his dark eyes watching her every movement. He'd been ready to kill her a moment ago and, if she made so much as a single aggressive movement, Peregrine was certain he could send her into the next life with one well-aimed strike of tooth or claw.

idk this post is weird lulz

His quip caused her to grin. "Board of Proper Border Protocol," she repeated. "That certainly does have a nice ring to it." Perhaps she would start introducing herself as such. It was a bit wordy, but she wouldn't mind saying it if it meant she could add a little bit of extra flair to her life. Not that her life was lacking action, of course. She made sure that her life remained interesting, even when everybody else seemed dull and drab.

While he did not seem pleased with her previous compliments, she could definitely understand why. She had just pissed on his land for no reason other than to piss him off. (There was definitely a pun in there somewhere.) Her stance remained neutral, if not a tad bit submissive in his presence. Fox gave pause before speaking once more, "I guess that makes you a prime example of proper border protocol. I’ll be sure to report back to the board this evening so everybody knows how wonderful you were. What words do you wish to be inscribed alongside your name?"

She wasn't entirely sure where she was going with this, but since he had started it, Fox was willing to run the one-off remark right into the ground.

Haha, I'm enjoying this thread so far. This post makes me think of all the "Alpha as fuck" comments all over reddit.

Still she made no threatening movements, nor any movements at all, save for her wagging tongue. Peregrine squinted at her, wondering about her real purpose here. Talk of some panel was a gigantic joke, of course, and the Alpha wanted to know the red wolf's real motive.

Even as she attempted to joke with him, the Alpha suddenly moved sideways. He kept his eyes glued to her as he stood over the spot where she'd left a yellow smear in the snow. He sneered at her, maintaining eye contact as he lifted his leg and obliterated her scent markers with his own.

"'Fuck off,'" he replied offhandedly without missing a beat. Then, almost begrudgingly, he added, "You should also ask the members of your panel if they work in the department of redundancy department." In his mind, board and border were practically the same word, so why not simplify the name of this fictional panel? Never mind that he was the one who'd invented it.

She didn't react to his entry into the pissing contest. He had every right to cover up her scent with his own, and she made no move to stop him. Fox was giddy, grinning when he answered her. She thought the quote would fit his personality and capture his essence perfectly. He went on to talk about some redundant something or another, but Fox couldn't quite follow it all the way. She did, however go along with it.

"Oh, no," she replied, "They can’t be splitting their efforts. That just would not do. If that happened, you'd have folks getting all wrapped up in one thing and they wouldn't be able to focus on the other." The girl paused, letting her thoughts drift for a moment before speaking once more. "So which department do you work for, Mister…?"

Her reply didn't make much sense to him and, having offered the joke up reluctantly, he left it at that. He blinked at her next question, not sure what to make of it. Peregrine licked his lips, shifted his weight, then resumed his earlier post nearer to her, leering slightly to make sure she knew her place and stayed in it.

"I'm the Alpha male of Blacktail Deer Plateau, if that's what you're asking. I'd think that was kind of obvious by now," he drawled with a faint sneer. "And who are you and what's your real reason for pissing on my borders?" Peregrine's voice went a little flat, as did his eyes as he leveled her with a cold, deadly glare.

fox out. :)

It seemed he did not want to play their little game any longer (even though he had started it in the first place). She wondered why he had specifically pointed out that he was the Alpha male of the pack. Perhaps there was a female lingering somewhere nearby. Or maybe he just had some kind of complex that made him assert his masculinity everywhere he went. Fox decided against making a comment about it, even though she kept it up her sleeve for later use.

"We already went over this," she replied. "I’m from the BPBP... and I’m not stupid enough to give you my name." Fox would never admit to being smart, but she liked to think that she was not a complete fool. "Speaking of the BPBP, I really should get going. There are so many other packs I need to inspect." With a dip of her head and an awkward bow, Fox darted away. The conversation was starting to get boring, and she was sure she could find more feathers to ruffle elsewhere.

When the little wolf replied evasively, then bounded away, Peregrine didn't know whether to feel annoyed that she'd bitched out on him or happy to be rid of her. He swallowed, his shrewd gaze following her red figure until it disappeared into the distance. Only then did he turn and begin to climb back up toward the plateau.

He simply couldn't stop hashing over her reasons for appearing on the borders and deciding it would be a good idea to squat there. Was she incredibly dense... or just trying to get a reaction for some insane reason? Did she have a death wish, he wondered? It bothered him that he couldn't seem to put a finger on a motive for her actions, especially her initial act—urinating on his borders—when juxtaposed to her seemingly friendly persona following it.

Once he obtained the higher reaches of the plateau, he paused and looked over his shoulder, scanning the landscape. He didn't see her, even from up here. "What do you think I would've done if I'd known your name?" he asked the thin air wonderingly. It made him think of his conversation with Ariston way back when. "Did you think I'd sleuth you out and assassinate you?" he quipped, then chuffed dryly, shook his head and disappeared into the trees.