Redhawk Caldera Goldaline my dear, we will fold and freeze together

The sight of Eljay meeting the new firebirds still haunted her. His joy at seeing them was like nothing she'd ever before witnessed. She couldn't remember a time when he was as happy or excited about something, not even when he was an infant suckling at her side. It was heart-warming and wonderful, and also terrifying because she was fairly certain this meant her path was set in a direction that she was not entirely sold on.

And thus, we come to her approach of the alphas' den that day. It was customary for a visitor to bring a gift of some sort to the whelping den in those days - food for the overwhelmed and sleepy parents, a toy for the new babies. But Finley brought nothing but herself and her anxiety, and spotting the tiny critter that peeked out from the mouth of the den as she strode towards it, she was pretty sure that it would be more than enough.

Fin stopped a few feet short of the little potato with legs, peering at him as he stretched out in the sunlight. She instinctively lowered her posture as she crept forward another couple of steps, not wanting to frighten him. She didn't make a sound of greeting - instead simply staring in a manner that suggested that she was nearly as frightened of him as he had a right to be of her.