Redhawk Caldera Kangaroo court

He was surprised she so readily complied, but supposed he shouldn't have been. She'd already made her decision, hadn't she? To inform him of the possibility only entailed that it was more than that, an actual idea, or so he believed. While he wasn't too clever and drew the wrong conclusion entirely, he caught on to the suspicion and held onto it, using it as his justification. His get-out-of-jail-free card, at her expense.

But Wildfire wouldn't let all of it be at her expense. She turned and he lifted his lip and intensified his growl, but it wasn't enough to prevent her words from ringing clear in spite of her hushed voice. Her body lowered and his guard hairs shifted flatter, but his face remained cold as he regarded her. Her words made his heart squeeze painfully, and at last he unfurled his tongue and grate out, "I will."

One could argue all day about whether it was abandonment or not, but the truth was that Wildfire hadn't left without a word, and her family probably saw it coming. Maybe moreso than Nightjar himself, who had just single-handedly accelerated the process. Lying wasn't really his thing, anyway. When she moved away from the borders, he stayed planted on the border to ensure she did leave.

Her howl put a queer lump in his throat, but though he would miss Wildfire dearly and though he didn't like doing this, this was the only way he knew. He only ever did what was natural, and removing someone with wavering loyalty, no matter who they were, was the natural way of things.