Redhawk Caldera vividly

All better. ;)

He didn't—he couldn't—know what she had been through in the past few days. She still ached for Peregrine, for the mate she had known and might have loved. The father of her children, the patriarch of the Redhawk family. It wasn't as though he was forgotten, but not talking of him made it easier to grieve, in some way. Even after just a few days, she was tired of being sad. Her stupid brain thought that taking a new mate, a new father for her children, a new leader for the caldera, would soothe her. It wouldn't, of course, but neither had anything else she had tried. Fox was impatient, sad, and lonely. And her body would only be receptive for a few more days.

He didn't speak, and she had no inclination to start. Body language was what she needed right now. No smile came to her face, as it might have if she had not buried Peregrine two nights prior. Or had it been three nights? It seemed it had just happened, but also that it had happened in a previous life. The selfish part of her wanted to whisk this one away and start somewhere new, somewhere fresh. But even the most selfish version of Fox couldn't leave Whip and Gannet here. They didn't deserve to have both parents ripped from their lives.

The widow moved forward, her nose twitching as she sized him up. No hint of disease was in his smell, nor did he look underfed. Her hackles remained standing up, her tail stiff over her back and her legs stilted.

Suddenly, though, Raven was at her side. It was not something Fox had expected, and it threw her off-guard. She very nearly snapped at her daughter, but realized who it was and instead shot a befuddled look at Raven. What was she doing here? Fox could only assume that she was considering herself backup to... fend off... an intruder? Or she was worried about her ol' mum getting in over her head.

"Raven, no, it's ok," Fox explained feebly.