Redhawk Caldera let's get down to business

the spar with phox had changed something. she couldn't put it into words.

as time went by in the caldera, she felt more at ease— like she and blueberry could make a life of their own here, though they had no say in their arrival. it was freeing to realize that they didn't have to rely only on themselves. that despite the circumstances that brought them to the caldera, they could start anew with the wolves here. they could distance themselves from dysfunction.

although she sought out fights with wild creatures less often, vesper continued to find solace in moving her body. she could run without holding back until her muscles ached and endorphins flooded her system. she could patrol and hunt small game on her own when she didn't feel like company.

it was one of her better days today, relatively speaking, but she found the routine of walking the territory's edges and reinforcing markers to be something that grounded her. she was just taking a break to drink from the lakeshore when a figure moved towards her in an easy gait, and the darkling paused to watch her approach with orange eyes a mirror of phox's.