Redhawk Caldera Snap out of it

She wound up telling her parents about her encounter with Sebastian's "evil twin" after a few days. They were understandably perturbed by her account and Wildfire apologized for accidentally straying too far. In the end, though, the Alpha pair decided she was still worthy of an Outrider apprenticeship, so there was a bit of a spring in her step when they told her to run along. She now held three trades, more than many of the adults. Sure, she was only a trainee but Wildfire would make it a point to master her skills as soon as she reached adulthood.

And she was already halfway there! Wildfire pondered this as she picked her way down toward the caldera's foot. Evidently, she was almost finished growing too. She was still far behind Nightjar and Raven, though she didn't mind. She would enjoy sharing her petite stature with her mother. She definitely took after Fox and Wildfire wouldn't have had it any other way. She smiled to herself when her paws touched flat ground and she paused as she tried to decide where to go and what to do.

She wasn't far from the pack's makeshift hospital wing. She should visit @Sebastian and Dove. But Wildfire found she couldn't bring herself to move in that direction. Illness, injury and death didn't frighten her much, yet the idea of seeing her friend's face definitely filled her with dread. It was like her paws were suddenly filled with lead. She knew Sebastian would love to see her and hear the news of her hat trick, yet as much as Wildfire tried, she couldn't bring herself to take even a single step.

After all his days of rest Sebastian was carefully sitting up and walking bits again. The pad under his foot had healed reasonably well by now so walking wasn't such a struggle. The tank of a male had a lot of weight to carry due to his size. He took care of Dove with what he could do. He tried to relief her pain and hand her water. She was his company after all and he was ready to go to his alpha's and finalize himself in becoming a journeyman healer. Redhawk would finally have at least someone to go to. Sebastian sat by the makeshift infirmary. He had still plans of making a storage den with herbs. He even wished to have a herb garden. Maybe he would scout for a good location now. It wasn't like he had something to do otherwise.

The large male pushed himself to his fours. His pale eyes looked around curiously. The infirmary was here for a reason, maybe it would be good to keep it in this location. Still Sebastian decided that he could use a refreshment and a good bath, so he decided to take the path down to the lake. He walked carefully and slow. He looked up when he scented Wildfire's scent. The grey tail instantly started swaying. He tracked her down and it turned out she was close by. He walked silently, approaching the little warrior. "Boo!," he let out with a chuckle, appearing behind her. Unintentionally doing the same as his father had done. Sebastian let out a pleased bark, clearly happy to see her. "Look! I'm walking!," he exclaimed, proud of himself that he made progress. Slow, but progress.

The loud "Boo!" scared her so badly that Wildfire not only nearly jumped out of her skin, she urinated on herself. She whirled around to face Sebastian, backpedaling hastily to put some space between them. This time, she was entirely certain it was actually him. His grin looked genuine, his posture was friendly and she could see all his healing cuts and scrapes. Then there was the fact he had a tail, the most convincing evidence of all. All the same, she shrank back from him in fear, even as her cheeks flushed with the heat of embarrassment over her accident.

"Seb... Sebastian," she managed to mumble, mindful of her own instinctive response and trying to actively overcome it. "It's... you." She said this slowly, almost mistrustfully, her warm eyes fastening on his tail as a visual reminder, a verification of his identity. Wildfire became abruptly aware of her erratic breathing and tried to better control it, even as she scrambled for a way to explain her ridiculous reaction to her friend's presence and the warm liquid on her inner legs.

Sebastian was startled himself because Wildfire jumped out of her skin, almost. The large male looked surprised and then worried. What happened to her? His tail kept gently wagging though, not sure what to think. He was surprised she even had an accident, and he was the reason for it. "Yes? It is me," he spoke slowly and then let out a soft whine in worry. "What is wrong?," he spoke, stepping closer with care. He licked over the top of her head, telling her that he wouldn't shame her for having an accident. He nosed over her before laying down. It was to relief the pressure on her ripped path and shoulder. 

He was going to have a bath in the lake, it seemed that Wildfire might one too now. "I didn't mean to scare you so much! I'm so sorry. I was only----" He was only testing her warrior-ness. But he wasn't going to say that to her because it might make her feel bad. He didn't want to use any negativity on her. Sebastian felt so guilty that he let out another whine. How come he scared her so badly? He was by far not scary, he was the least scary wolf ever, at least that it what Sebastian kinda wanted to accomplish. Gentle giant was something he liked to embody. 

She stiffened when he moved closer, her jaw clenching, but she told herself not to move. Luckily, the contact was brief. Sebastian sprawled on the ground. He looked incredibly concerned and she felt another flush of humiliation at her reaction. She also felt threads of guilt worming into her heart. He didn't deserve to be treated like he was some creep, just because he had an "evil twin" running around out there. But she had to wonder: did he know?

"It's not you," she whispered after a pause, unable to look at him for a moment before dragging her eyes upward to his face, his familiar, friendly face. "I ran into someone who looks just like you. He was nasty. He threatened to hurt me. I got away. But..." Her voice trailed off. Hopefully that would explain it, in part. Her amber eyes were questioning as they remained locked steady with his, wondering if he knew about this mean guy running around with his face (but not his tail).

Sebastian visually stiffened into place because of two reasons. Wildfire met Burke, his father. And the other reason was that she met Burke. Was he in the territory or did Wildfire didn't keep to her promise to stay inside Redhawk lands? His pale eyes fell on her. "You met my father," he explained, clearly bitter about it. "He is a horrible guy. He never spoke a word to me in his life and even left the pack I was born in without so much as a look back. You know why he left? To prove a point. To prove that my uncle, his brother, couldn't be an alpha. He was right though, most wolves died," he spoke with a growl because he was bitter about his mother's death. It was maybe the only times that Sebastian looked angry/bitter.

"He is the alpha of Black Feather Woods, I believe. A dark creepy forest with smelly swamps. You promised that you wouldn't leave Redhawk's grounds," he spoke quietly with a frown. Sebastian wasn't sure if Wildfire had been going to Burke or if he had been circling close to the Caldera. Oh dear. He really didn't want to face his father. "Where did you see him?," he asked, curious now and a light frown on his face. "I came here to find him and tell him what he had done to my mother, to the pack. But then I realized that he probably never cared anyways. It would be a waste of my time," he explained to her. He wanted her to know that he was different, that he did care. "I am not like him Wifi. I only have his looks."

Wildfire's lips parted in surprise when Sebastian identified his lookalike: his father. Her eyes widened as he went on to paint a terrible picture of his sire. She didn't even need this background to know that about him. He had been dripping with pure evil; it was like a rancid scent on him. Even if he hadn't threatened her, she would have recognized the blackness in his heart just from this malodorous signature.

When he mentioned her promise in a disappointed tone, Wildfire shrank so that her belly brushed the grass. "I didn't mean to go outside the territory. I thought the woods were part of it," she mumbled. Her parents had definitely corrected her already, though they had believed her when she'd insisted it was an honest mistake. She hoped Sebastian would give her the benefit of the doubt too. Wildfire would never be willingly disobedient. "I was just trying to work on being an Outrider," she added quietly, too meek to mention her official apprenticeship at the moment.

Sebastian insisted that he was nothing like his father, despite looking like his spitting image. She nodded slowly. "I know, Seb." She paused, sighing silently. "It was just so weird. I thought he was you at first... but he looked and smelled all wrong. It was really... spooky," she finished after a brief hesitation. If she had been older and prone to swearing, she might have used the term mindfuck.

Sebastian crawled closer when Wildfire laid down before him. He licked over the tip of her nose to tell her that he wasn't mad. A soft grunt came from his throat. "Always double check with your nose next time. I am a bit concerned that he was so close to our territory," he admitted and then nudged her to tell her that he forgave her. He wasn't really mad in the first place he just thought Wildfire would never lie. And it turned out she hadn't lied about leaving RHC. 

The large male gave her a bit of a smile. "Did you show him how you can kick his butt as a warrior?," he asked, trying to lift her spirits. She had made it out alive and without a scratch so it seemed that she was smarter than his father. Good thing. He would not know what to do if his father happened to injure Wildfire because of him. A shudder went over his body. His body which was still aching. It reminded him that he was going to look for the refreshing water. 

"Shall we go to the lake? I was heading there anyways." He was glad that Wildfire knew that he wasn't like his father. He would understand that she was creeped out. "I would never hurt you, Wifi. Ever." This could only mean that he had really grown up looking exactly like his father. He was not pleased with it, but there wasn't much he could do about it. 

She stiffened again when he touched her. She couldn't help it. She nodded her head humbly when reminded to use her nose the next time. Wildfire felt a little idiotic, yet her parents had told her not to beat herself up about it. She was young and bound to make mistakes. Well, she wouldn't repeat this one. The lesson had been difficult but it was one she wouldn't soon forget.

Her ears dropped a little when Sebastian asked whether she had kicked her assailant's butt. Then she remembered how easily she had escaped and she perked up again. "I didn't really fight him," she admitted, "but I got away without even a single scratch. He couldn't catch me. I'm slippery and quick." She smiled faintly, still oblivious to the true reason for her grand escape: the stranger who had waylaid her would-be attacker.

He changed the subject, offering to take her to the lake. "Which one?" she asked. Wildfire could think of at least three lakes nearby. She nodded. Neither of them mentioned it but going to the lake wasn't just for fun; she also needed to clean the pee off her underside. She felt blood heating her cheeks again. Not only was she embarrassed, she also felt guilty for reacting so ridiculously.

"I know," she murmured when Sebastian reminded her he would never harm her. Wildfire truly did know that. But having his "evil twin" father come after her had been traumatic. She had thought he was Sebastian at first, after all. "I know," she repeated, looking at his face and forcing a smile onto her face before silently motioning for him to lead the way.

Sebastian regretted touching her, he didn't mean to make her stiffen under his touch. He hated how his father's poison had affected the one thing he liked about his life. A grim feeling settled over him, one he didn't like to show others. He didn't do that often. Sometimes he would show his frustration but Sebastian didn't feel like they were always taken seriously. Sebastian could have his melodramatic moments. Especially when something unpleasant happened in his life. Usually it did. And yet, he really tried to keep himself positive. 

"Like a fish then!," he spoke in return to her. "Has anyone ever learned you how to fish?" Probably not, Fishing was a waiting game and might not be suitable for youngsters. Sebastian remembered how much he hated it as a child. But he was determined to show his father how much concentration he had for a youngster, of course Burke being the father that he was, never saw or acknowledged it. "I prefer the one that is the closest. I don't know their names. Enlighten me?" 

Sebastian started to walk, with some difficulty, but once he got the movements oiled up again his walk turned into one that was smoother, less limping. He returned her smile once she gave him a little smile. On Sebastian's side it was a hesitant one. He had a tendency to turn into a ball of awkwardness himself. He didn't want that to ruin his friendship with the young girl. 

Sebastian pointed out her likeness to a fish and she looked at him strangely, not making the connection right away. Then it clicked and she smiled, even managing a quiet laugh. "Yeah, I guess. No, I've never been fishing. I'd rather swim with the fishes than eat them," she said, wrinkling her nose. For some reason, fish didn't sound appetizing, though she supposed she would try anything once.

When he asked her to name the lakes, the youngster immediately spotted the opportunity to show off her directional knowledge. "The closest is the caldera in the middle of the territory. Lake Rodney is to the southwest, did you know that? And there's a Big Salmon Lake north of here." And now she was feeling confident enough to inform him, "I'm an Outrider apprentice now. Dud bequeathed it to me a little while ago," Wildfire shared, snickering at the strange word her father had taught her.

As they walked, she noticed Sebastian's slow, uneven gait. "You sure you want to climb all the way up?" she asked a bit dubiously, concern etching lines into her youthful brow. "We could find a stream or a puddle closer by," she suggested, not wanting him to hurt himself.

Sebastian chuckled at the girl. "Fish is very healthy," he pointed. "But you are right, not everyone likes it. And the fishbones can get stuck in your throat," he admitted. That was one thing he didn't like to experience again. Luckily his mother saved him. He missed his mother at times. Her death had been so unfortunate. He quickly pushed that thought away. He didn't want to be too sad. 

Sebastian nodded softly when she started to explain the lakes around. He wouldn't take her out of the territory while being injured. He raised one dot on his eyebrow when she spoke such a fancy world. "Tell you what. Once I am all healed then I will take you out of Redhawk to go finishing at Salmon Lake. With your parents permission of course," he spoke. It would be nice for the girl to explore her surroundings and learn a bit of a fishing skill, maybe she had talent for it. Who knows. 


Sebastian was already determinedly walking when Wildfire asked that. "No. I want the lake. I am a big guy so I need lots of water. And I think swimming will be good for me and my woulds. I can work out my muscles without putting my weight on my hurt shoulder, leg and paw," he explained. 

Sebastian offered to take her on a field trip beyond the territory's borders. She now had a long list of promised day trips, though Wildfire wasn't sure whether her parents would allow them, even with a trusted escort. It was dangerous out there. Now that she was a titled Outrider, though, perhaps they would make special allowances so she could sharpen her skills. She hoped so because, though she was mindful of the danger and obedient to her parents, the older she got, the more Wildfire desperately wanted to get out and see more of the world.

"That would be fun, though I still don't wanna eat fishes," she joked, laughing lightly. With every passing moment, she felt more comfortable around her friend. She was glad. She didn't want her run-in with his evil father to forever taint her friendship with Sebastian. "I'll catch 'em and you can eat 'em, though," she offered.

He insisted he wanted to make the trip up to the caldera. Although she was worried whether he would be able to make his way back, Wildfire merely nodded. His explanation made sense anyway. Another youngster might have thought it fun to propose a race, then leave him in her dust, yet Wildfire kept pace with the slow-moving tank, happy to accommodate him. The urine on her legs would be dry by the time they got there but that just meant that the dip would be all the more rewarding and refreshing when they finally reached their destination.

Sebastian didn't know that Wildfire was a picky eater. Maybe she wasn't but it was just the idea of fish that repulsed her. The large tank of a male shook it off, it was a nice gesture that she was willing to hunt fish for him. Sebastian hummed softly in reply. "That is kindly offered," he nodded. "Next time. Now I am not hungry. Your father, and the other members make sure to keep me well fed. I can't complain," he spoke with a certain fondness. He was definitely going to remember what they did for him. His wounds seemed to be doing better. His neck was hurting less too. 

Sebastian pushed himself up towards the caldera, he wasn't going to be taken down by a stupid hill. It took him a while, and he appreciated that Wildfire kept the same pace. Once he reached the top Sebastian did feel very good about himself. He might rest by Lake Rodney this evening so he didn't have to climb the Caldera again. Going down was worse than going up. This was clearly seen when Sebastian went down on three legs instead of one. He didn't want to put too much weight on his shoulder. He was relieved when he reached the lake. 

Their arduous trek came to an end when they climbed up and over the caldera's stony lip, then descended to the steep lake shore. Wildfire found herself unable to maintain a slower pace; she trotted ahead, concentrating to make sure she didn't fall flat on her face. She stumbled once (damn stick in her way) but reached the water's edge without further incident. She splashed right into the cool liquid, bending her neck down to take a drink even as she waded in up to her belly. Then she sat.

It felt satisfying, plunging her damp bottom into the clean lake water, and after wriggling a little bit, she stood again. The water poured off her svelte figure as she turned to face the shore, soaked tail lifting and wagging as Sebastian came nearer. "Feels nice," she encouraged him, sloshing back into the shallows again. She was still panting from the climb and her red body felt warm, so she slung herself onto her belly and closed her amber eyes as the cool water swallowed all but her head and shoulders.

Shall we fade here? :3

Sebastian might have overestimated what he could do and what he couldn't do. Because once he reached down to the water he was completely exhaust and very thirsty. He did the same as Wildfire had, lay down in the shallows and then drink. The water was cool, luckily, Sebastian was afraid for a moment that the water would be warmed by the summer sun. He was glad to be laying down in the water, worth the climb and the way down. "You are right," he smiled. 

Slowly he relaxed, rested and cooled down. Once Sebastian felt better he went into deeper waters and started swimming around, it went surprisingly well compared to walking. He would need to go to this lake more often, if only getting to the lake wouldn't be so much effort. He wished he could dig a tunnel from one side to the other. Not that such thing was possible. "Thank you for coming with me. You are good company," he smiled.

Sure. :)

She smiled at his comment. The feeling was mutual, now that she had overcome her brief trepidation. She vowed never to think of Sebastian's wicked father ever again. Her parents had almost killed him once and he had been lucky to run into someone so young and inexperienced on his second foray into the red zone. If he tried it a third time, he would not be so lucky, Wildfire was sure of it.

The two of them spent a solid two hours in the lake before both slogged to the shoreline, exhausted. When Sebastian sprawled on the ground, Wildfire was quick to curl up beside him. A light breeze caused her to shiver lightly, yet the sun felt good as it dried her rusty red fur. She sighed and stretched, her chin dropping to the ground and her eyelids fluttering closed as she soon fell asleep between Sebastian and the caldera.