Redhawk Caldera i need you so much closer.

If I double tag, I apologize! Also, just FYI - We determined that it wouldn't be fair to use PPC's in the war plot, so Andalusia and Orca will now be going with puppies as extra protection.

Tagging those most relevant to this plot thread (if I haven't tagged you below already):
@Fiadh @Tegan @Lucca @Clover @Towhee @Blixen

Tagging for visibility - feel free to join if'n you want, but you don't need to :)
@Sebastian @Colt @Quixote @Whip @Shrike @Allure @Dio @Eske @Hush @Hvitserk

If I missed anyone, just yell at me and join on in. Bye kids, have fun!

Finley had dreaded this day for such a long time now. She reminded herself over and over again that it was for the best, but still, it made it no easier to bid her little ones farewell. She refused to think that this might be her last time seeing them. It was too risky a thought to allow herself to have. It was far too late to call the entire thing off, and far too dangerous to do nothing and allow Blackfeather to continue tormenting the Wilds. And she would not leave the Caldera without a fight. This was her home, where she had built a life and a family. It was too important to just abandon. Wasn't it?

It didn't matter. Fin watched her pups playing together at the rendezvous site, gazing wistfully at their fierce little faces. The alpha was content to watch them quietly like this for the rest of her days, but she felt a gentle touch at her shoulder and looked up to see @Elwood standing overhead. All at once, far too soon, it was time. She sighed and stood, leaning to touch the tip of her nose softly to his, then turned to walk towards the little group.

She wasted no time in rounding up who she needed and walking them across the territory to where Drageda waited. They didn't speak much as they went, at least not the adults, which I'm going to awkwardly list right now to make sure it's clear who I mean - Andalusia, Raven, Ben, Lagan, Orca, Elwood and Finley. She came to a halt upon reaching their allies, searching out @Thuringwethil amongst them and nodding solemnly to her so that she would know it was time. Then, once all was quiet, Finley sat her four little wolves - not quite so little anymore - and said the words that ripped her heart into pieces.

"Okay guys, you are going to go on a trip with your cousin @Raven and your big brother @Lagan now," Fin informed them, smiling and wagging her tail as though everything was perfectly alright, "@Ben is going to go with you guys too, and @Andalusia and @Orca. Plus, a your cousin..." she froze, realizing that her kids would only know this particular cousin by one name and it wasn't exactly her name... Her gaze flickered briefly in apologize to Thur before saying, "...Betty's daughter. You guys get to go on your very own adventure for a couple of weeks. And then we'll all come back home and you'll tell Dad and I all about it. How does that sound?"

She forced the smile to remain on her face as she looked at her kids, expecting the very same of all of the other adults there. She needed them to think that this was fun. She couldn't stand them leaving unhappy and being miserable while they were away from home. She knew that she could count on Lagan to remain upbeat and optimistic, even though he was likely feeling the opposite in that moment. But he too understood that all of this was for them, and so there was nothing more important than keeping his little brothers and sisters safe and happy through all of this.