Redhawk Caldera Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion

@Fox or @Peregrine ? Feel free to turn him away if you want!

He'd been away a while. A vacation, sort of. A departure from a life he was frustrated with living. It was a decision he hadn't made lightly - and Njal had struggled for that break from everything. But no distance could stop his mind from doing what it did best. He knew he should return eventually - to the caldera, at the very least. To the icy peak that was once his kingdom, maybe. It took longer for his body to recover without the attention of a healer, but he didn't care; he didn't want to waste supplies, or that'd be his story if anyone asked. Supplies and time which should have been utilized for others - the younger, more important folk of the caldera. Yeah, that'd be a good thing to mention to Fox next time he saw her - it was for the greater good.

But that was a lie. He just wanted to get away and wallow in peace, without someone looking over his shoulder, or checking in on his progress every few hours. His leg had healed, slowly, and there was still time before his hip was back to normal; his desire to slink away from the caldera was realized, but he wasn't that far from them. Njal couldn't travel far with his injury - maybe they knew that. But nobody came looking, and he was content for a time.

Eventually he had to head back, and that would catch us up to the present: Njal limping his way back towards the caldera's borders, his body having shed the scent of Peregrine and Fox instead adopted the dust of the mesa, the fading summer pollen of the meadow just beyond. Autumn was settling in now and he needed the pack now, more than ever. Winter would be upon them and, as much as it bothered him to fall back in line as a pack wolf these days, he needed that.

The only problem - aside from the pain he felt in his side with every step - was the chance that Fox would refuse him entry. He had made a promise and broken it, and she was not the most forgiving of such things, as far as he could recall. All the same, as Njal found himself surrounded by the aromatic stench of the pack's boundary line, he raised his head and howled.

Not Fox or Peregrine, but I thought I would hop in! :)

The sound of a howl drew Elwood's attention. He pricked his ears, listening and deciphering the message. The voice was familiar, but it took him a moment to identify its owner. It was Njal, the older wolf who had joined their ranks and then departed an equal amount of times. The Beta frowned; he knew Fox and Peregrine's thoughts on deserters, but his opinion was softened by his experience with Finley. Sometimes things happened beyond one's control.

So he hoisted himself to his paws and moved towards the borders, approaching with his head and tail held appropriately high. He would greet Njal with neutrality, planning to hear him out before deciding whether or not a visit from the Alphas was warranted. It would ultimately be their decision to let the wanderer back into the pack or send him away. Elwood came to a halt, his gaze roving over the former Redhawk. It looked as though Njal's leg had healed -- with or without Ashton's help -- and overall he did not seem to be the worse for wear.

"Where have you been?" Elwood asked, yellow eyes fixing on the wolf's face as he expectantly awaited an answer.

He did not wait long. Someone came to seek him out, but it wasn't the small fireball or the graying, one-eyed shadow. The sterling gray of Elwood's figure did distract Njal briefly, making him think it was Peregrine meeting him, but he came to the proper conclusion swiftly enough. The question posed was simple, simple enough that Njal just huffed softly as if refusing to answer. But he did answer, first by raising his broken leg and flexing it, and next by speaking. "Healing. Thought it best to get out of the way for a while." He sounded gruffer than usual. Worn down and stern. More importantly, he sounded old - and taking note of this himself, Njal was unsure if he should keep speaking or not. The older and more feeble he seemed, the less likely the pack would take him back in, right? Still, he had to explain. "I'm back now, able to walk on my own. Won't be a burden." For the most part.

Njal provided an answer, and while it was valid, Elwood was still a bit skeptical. He was the forgiving sort, but in the back of his mind he wondered what Peregrine and Fox would think of the older male's disappearing act. His gaze shifted down to Njal's leg, which did appear to be in much better condition than it had been previously. Elwood had been the one to find him when he was freshly injured, so he had seen the limb at its worst. But Njal had bounced back, and seemed to be ready to dedicate himself to pack life once more.

"I can understand that," the Blackthorn replied with a twitch of his tail. "But it probably would have been best to let us know before you left." He wasn't trying to admonish Njal, but made his statement in a matter-of-fact tone. Now seeking to satisfy his own curiosity, he asked, "Where did you go?" It was likely he hadn't traveled too far away, and Wildfire might have even come across his trail unknowingly, while out searching for Finley; however, their minds had all been preoccupied by the missing Beta female. Elwood had noticed Njal's absence, but it hadn't troubled him.

Eljay awoke with a start. He looked to his left, where mommy was peacefully asleep, and then to his right, where daddy had been when he'd gone to sleep. "Daddy?" Eljay asked when his nose nor eyes found no trail of daddy beside him, and his eyes squinted to a worried frown. Eljay nosed mommy to make sure she was asleep (so that she'd still be here when he returned with mommy) and then trotted out of the den, nose low to follow the scent trail that daddy left behind.

Breath was rapid and worried as Eljay dashed through Redhawk Caldera on his own, panic and anxiety overruling all rational thoughts in his mind as he dashed forward. Eljay was in the midst of his growth spurt and grew each day, it seemed, but his mind was not catching up as fast as it should have. He wanted nothing but to stay by mommy and daddy's side, and only their encouragement made him do anything at all — which usually came down to daddy, since mommy was still healing and seemed to be battling her own demons since her return.

When daddy came into sight, Eljay let out a relieved sigh. "DADDY!" he shouted loudly while he galloped towards daddy and pressed his head against daddy's right leg in a cat-like manner. Only then did he notice the vaguely familiar wolf in front of him and said: "Hiya."

"Not far. I only made it -" to the mesa, he was going to say, but a boisterous figure burst from the surrounding with the intent to merge itself with Elwood; the boy was familiar, but he did not rouse a smile to Njal's face. The older wolf watched as the youth squished up against his father, and flicked an irritated ear when he was greeted. He didn't say anything to Eljay, more inclined to finish his original, interrupted statement. "I only made it to the mesa and the neighboring river." With that said, Njal gave a cursory glance at the trees and shadows, wondering if either Fox or Peregrine would be coming at all. Almost as an afterthought, Njal asked, "How are things?"

Before Njal could complete his thought, there was a shout from behind Elwood. He turned, startled by the sudden sound but immediately recognizing his son's voice. It was no surprise when Eljay hurtled towards them and sidled up to his father like a much younger pup. He was beginning to look the part of an adult, at nearly six months of age, and to an outsider his behavior would likely seem inappropriate. But Elwood was used to it, especially after dealing with the boy during Finley's absence.

"Hey, Eljay," he said as his namesake settled himself firmly against his right foreleg. When he turned his gaze back to Njal, he noticed the lack of warmth on the other male's face, but did not address it. Instead, he refocused on the conversation, conjuring a map of the wilds in his mind. He was not overly familiar with the unclaimed land around Redhawk Caldera, but was pretty sure he knew the location that Njal spoke of.

As for how things had been going within the pack, he offered a shrug of his shoulder. "It's been pretty quiet. Our numbers are down," he replied with a frown. "There's a pack looking to settle in Haunted Wood just south of us. I'm hoping they'll change their minds." Perhaps if Peregrine continued to plague them, they would get the picture.

Eljay noticed that no greeting was given to him by the other wolf, but he didn't really seem to care much; being by daddy's side was the most important thing to him, and he'd achieved that, so he was content regardless. He just looked between the adults as they spoke, staying silent, though growing bored quickly. Eljay was itching to go do something already, but he didn't want to leave daddy's sight (or rather, let daddy get out of his sight) either, glad to have found daddy at all. The youth looked around while he distantly listened to the conversation. He remembered hearing about Haunted Wood, though Eljay hadn't ever gone there himself yet. As a matter of fact, he'd never gone beyond Redhawk Caldera's borders, and the thought to do so frightened him. Even moreso after what'd happened to mommy.

"Is uhm," Eljay had forgotten the wolf's name, but looked at him to clarify, "Is he gonna stay with us again?" Eljay glanced sideways up at his father as he asked the question, then back to the familiar wolf whose name he didn't remember. He just remembered that he'd been part of Redhawk Caldera once and that they'd met before.

"The wood," he parroted softly, gruffly, and turned his head as if to look in the direction of the trees; they were far from here, but now Njal wanted to go and investigate. An old inkling of leadership, maybe. It was a brief feeling that he shrugged off, believing that he wasn't a prime example of a warrior any longer. He couldn't go looking for trouble on behalf of Fox anymore. Well, unless she asked.

When Eljay spoke, Njal looked at the boy and then to Elwood, and back. He gave a little shrug and answered before Elwood could - "If Fox lets me." - and the tired tone of his voice just barely masked his doubt. If anything, it exacerbated it. Njal and Elwood both knew the woman, and her feelings about deserters. Even though Njal didn't consider himself to be such a thing, it might take some convincing.

@Fox, if you don't have time to hop in, just shoot me a PM and we'll continue the thread without you! :)

Elwood nodded even as Njal looked to the south. They couldn't see the dark, spooky forest from where they were, but it was as though Elwood could feel the presence of Lusa's wolves skulking there. He had finally laid eyes on the would-be Alpha female; needless to say, it hadn't done anything to improve his opinion of her.

Eljay piped up with a question, and Njal answered it himself. Elwood gave him a close-lipped smile; he was right. Even if the Beta male thought it would be acceptable to let him join their ranks once more, it came down to the decision of Fox and Peregrine. "Let's see if she's around," he said, and then tipped his head back and called for his friend and leader.

Njal said that he would join if Fox would let him, and Eljay didn't doubt that she would. In his mind, Auntie Fox was a great wolf with a warm and giving heart, since she had always been nice to him and played games with him sometimes. It'd been a bit since he had last seen her though, so Eljay's tail wiggled at the thought of seeing her again. "Auntie Fox coming?" he asked daddy, who then confirmed he would call for her.

Eljay rose his nose into the air and called for auntie Fox too, his childish voice — perhaps a little high-pitched for his age, still — mingling with daddy's as he asked for his auntie to come to their location too.

They called, but no one came. Maybe Fox was too busy elsewhere - or maybe she was busy with Peregrine, preparing for the spring when they would no doubt be introducing more of their firebirds to the world. Either way, the chorus of Elwood and Eljay fell through the trees and was met with no response. Njal huffed softly to himself as he watched the other adult, wondering what would happen now.

"She must be busy." He commented after a lengthy pause, head raised and ears turning so that he could pick up any sign of a reply upon the air. Still none came. The old man's attention drifted between the grove of trees around them, to Elwood, to Eljay, and then he asked: "What now? I'm able-bodied again, so will you let me back in?" He could always find Fox later and talk to her, no harm no foul. Although she might not be so pleased with his disappearing act.

He paid no attention to the first howl for his mate. If Fox wanted to respond to it, that was her business. When two more rose into the air a while later, Peregrine lifted his head from his broad black paws and stared dully into the distance. On second thought, the Alpha female probably didn't want to deal with social calls right now. With a soft sigh, her mate rose onto all fours and began making his way toward the borders.

He found two Elwoods and a Njal there. His melancholic apathy quickly gave way to a pulse of anger. The Alpha male moved more swiftly toward the gathered wolves, head and tail both arching and black hackles bristling. He knew his mate had a history with the silvery male but Peregrine didn't care. He wasn't in the mood to give out second chances. As far as he was concerned, Njal had never done anything to earn a pardon for his recent disappearance.

"Get out," the Alpha wolf rumbled in a simple, severe voice. "You're no longer welcome here." Peregrine complemented his words by crowding Njal's space. Hopefully the old man would make himself scarce without further prompting but if he had to, the swarthy leader would remove him by force.

Single cameo post! Minor PP of Rat. >_> Hope that's OK.

Vlad had stopped well clear of the Caldera's borders when it became clear that this was where Njal was headed, warning @Rat to do the same when the brainless imp just bumbled on as though the imminent line of Caldera pee had been placed there for fun. They had followed the limping old man for a couple of hours now, neither having to convince the other that cannibalism was acceptable in times of need - Vlad was quickly discovering that he and the dirty pest he had fished out of the mire really were kindred spirits. It warmed the cockles of his crooked heart. Almost.

Far enough away not to be detected, the pair of miscreants crouched behind a rock to listen and watch. Things weren't going well for 'Njal', it seemed. Not well at all.

A smile tugged at Elwood's lips as his son joined in the chorus and they rallied for Fox. Once the message had been sent, he leaned down to nudge Eljay's shoulder affectionately, then tilted his ears toward the slopes, listening for any response from the Alpha female.

After a few long moments, Njal spoke, saying exactly what was on Elwood's mind. Either Fox hadn't heard their call, or was too busy to make her way to the borders. Either way, that left the responsibility on Elwood's shoulders. Njal pressed for an answer, and Elwood nodded. He only managed to say two words before he became aware of Peregrine's approach: "Yes, but..."

The Alpha male's countenance was not welcoming, and he marched right up to Njal, invading his personal space and calmly but firmly telling him to go. Elwood's ears fell back briefly, as he had been about to grant Njal passage on the condition that he seek out Fox and Peregrine promptly, but he then nodded. His job as second-in-command was to support his leaders, and it was obvious that Peregrine was not about to give Njal another chance with Redhawk Caldera.

Things looked like they'd work out for Njal - but then Peregrine was suddenly upon them, bristling and closing in on Njal's position. He must have heard the multiple howls and decided to intervene. And just like that, Njal was supposed to turn tail and depart - but he couldn't. Even with Peregrine crowding him, the old man wasn't going to simply roll over; he respected Fox, and while thought of Peregrine as a friend, her opinion trumped the dark alpha's. Except that she wasn't here. So while Njal tried to stand his ground, he knew he wasn't going to win this little confrontation. 

Instinct told Njal to bare his fangs; there was no attack, simply a warning. No wolf liked having their space invaded, especially this one. A part of him that still thought itself an Alpha (a very distant part) wanted to challenge Peregrine. To throw him down in the dirt and tell him to get the hell out - but this was a ridiculous notion, and not something he could ever pull off. He took a step back, then another, while Peregrine crowded him, and then pulled back a few feet, looking one last time at Elwood, little Eljay, and the surrounding land. 

With a grunt, Njal departed.

Njal demonstrated some displeasure with the Alpha's forceful display. Peregrine did not relent. Eventually, the older male wordlessly departed. Peregrine made a rumbling noise as Njal retreated. He was happy the loner hadn't put up a fight, either physically or verbally, as that would have been a waste of both their energies. He accepted his fate with dignity and went. If only more wolves would behave more like him.

With a quiet chuff, Peregrine turned to acknowledge the Beta and his son. "Thanks for running interference. I'm not sure where Fox is," he said honestly, referring to the multiple unanswered calls. "I'm about to go find her, though," he thought aloud, flashing the father/son pair a smile before trotting back from whence he had come.

A lot of things happened all at once. Njal asked to be let in, and while daddy was about to reply, it was Peregrine that arrived first. "Uncle P!" Eljay said and he moved towards Peregrine to lick his chin as respect and instinct commanded. However, before he could reach Peregrine, he puffed himself up and started to chase Njal away.

Sensitive to the aggressive body language used, Eljay pressed himself to the ground close to daddy, even if the dominance hadn't been meant for him. After Njal had turned away and departed, so did Peregrine, before Eljay had the chance to interact with him any more.

Still feeling scared by his uncle's display, Eljay looked up at daddy and said, with tear-filled eyes: "Do we gotta do this to Wiffle when she visits us too?" The thought of Wifi living somewhere else was unbearable enough, but the thought of having to chase off Wifi when she did visit was too much for little Eljay.

Elwood watched as Njal made a brief effort to resist Peregrine's demonstration, but ultimately, the older wolf wisely gave in. At the Beta's side crouched Eljay, apparently unnerved by his uncle's quiet aggression. He glanced down at his son and gave him a reassuring nudge, then looked back to Peregrine.

"No problem," he replied even as the Alpha male excused himself and left in the opposite direction of Njal. As an adult, he was unrattled by the way things had transpired -- but a tremulous voice reminded him that Eljay was still young and inexperienced when it came to conflict.

Eljay's question was a valid one, and it brought a thoughtful frown to Elwood's face. "I don't think so," he replied; despite their territorial natures, he couldn't see Fox and Peregrine chasing away their own daughter. "I think we'll be able to visit with her if she comes to the borders. She just can't come into our territory, like to the rendezvous site or our den," he clarified.

Eljay didn't seem entirely confident about it, as his father remained somewhat unsure, too. Eljay frowned and said: "Okay," at his father's explanation, and he let out a soft sigh as he looked outside of the borders, feeling sad that Wifi wasn't here with them. "Wanna go to mommy," he mumbled, barely audible, and he looked up at daddy, waiting for daddy to confirm this and for them to go back to mommy's side. As long as he wasn't by both his parents' side, Eljay wasn't completely at ease.

I'll archive. :)

The young Blackthorn's next request was not an unfamiliar one. "Wanna go to Mommy," he declared, and Elwood nodded his head dutifully. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, though a fond smile touched his lips. "Okay, let's go," he replied, casting one last glance in the direction that Njal had gone.

There was no further sign of the older wolf, so Elwood nudged Eljay's shoulder and led the way back towards home.