Redhawk Caldera Meet the new kid (adult)

Ashmedai trotted into the grounds, not really looking forward. In fact, he was looking to his left and his right, gaping in wonder at the variety of plants - and animals that ran around in the Caldera. He was almost tempted to nab a fat rabbit but resisted the pull of his hunter's urges and continued on his merry way. The rain that had fallen earlier was starting to lighten, the tiny drops barely noticeable even when Ashmedai stood out in the open air.

He grinned, eyes brightening in delight and leaped, aiming for a hare that had run straight across his path. He feinted to the left, then immediately shot to the right, making use of his light weight and low height to the ground to speed across, whacking the hare soundly across the head.

Whoops.

He'd not meant to do that, but it did the trick. The panicked creature slumped to the ground, and Ashmedai crushed its neck easily between strong jaws. Carrying the large-ish thing in his mouth, the man attempted to heft it and his body weight somewhere relatively nice(?), regretting slightly that he wouldn't be able to take down large prey without help, because he was small and tiny and he needed to train himself to carry rabbits first. Setting the limp animal down, Ashmedai threw back his head to give a friendly howl, inviting all of the pack to meet the newest wolf.

NOT tagging for visibility because I shouldn't tag the whole pack. But here it is!

A howl drew Elwood's attention, and he pricked his ears. The voice was unfamiliar, but it was clearly coming from within Redhawk territory. He was curious, so he abandoned his current task -- which had been constructing a new cache near a well-known rabbit warren -- and tracked down the owner of the call.

He didn't have to travel far until he found himself striding towards a male wolf of small stature. There was a plump hare resting at his feet, and his expression was friendly and welcoming. Accordingly, Elwood gave a wave of his tail and approached amiably. "Nice catch," he complimented, thinking of his son's first successful hunt just a few days prior.

Ashmedai waited, almost scared that nobody had come to meet his call. He kept the feelings hidden inside, making sure to bring up a cheerful charade. A smile was placed on his features - more feminine that male and yet not at the same time. It had been a long time since he'd gotten his cheeks to go so wide (and it hurt, too); Ashmedai was sure that his eyes were silently leaking invisible tears of pain. He much preferred to show his pleasure through a solemn face (but that would most likely drive wolves away, defeating his purpose).

"Thank you." the male returned, nosing the hare closer to the other. "I come bringing gifts." Unlike his face that quite resembled a rock (since Ashmedai had wiped off the forced grin long ago and gave back his normal face), his tone was pleased, almost happy that someone had acknowledged his work. The other one was taller than him (not a surprise), and rather grey at that - though he might not appreciate Ashmedai's coming pun about his fur colour. So, Ashmedai made no comment.

"Ashmedai Noctis, a pleasure. And you?"

The petite male introduced himself and pushed the rabbit towards Elwood's feet. The Beta would have been happy to accept the offering, but he could think of four little ones that needed the sustenance more than he did. Although the pups weren't digesting meat independently yet, it was important for their mother to provide them with the nutrients that they needed -- and that meant that she had to eat her fill.

"Thanks, Ashmedai, but I have a better idea," he replied with a smile. The wolf's name reminded him of Ashton, their long-missing medic; he briefly wondered of his old friend's whereabouts before continuing with his thought. "I'm not sure if you know, but our Alpha female had a litter of pups a little over a month ago. I think she would enjoy this meal more than I would," he suggested.

Gesturing towards the caldera's gentle slope with his shoulder, he said, "I can accompany you there, if you want. You probably won't be allowed too close to the den, but I can deliver the rabbit with a message. By the way, my name is Elwood." Not only would this action earn points for Ashmedai, it would also give them an opportunity to chat while they strolled towards the leaders' home, if he accept Elwood's offer.

Elwood, so he was called, confirmed Ashmedai's assumptions about the den - fiercely territorial mother, then. He would not go there unless he was invited lest he should wish to incur the wrath of Peregrine and his mate (whom he had not yet met and was trying to find a way to). Elwood did, however, offer to cart the animal off to their den and allow them to eat to their heart's content which was fine by him. Really, it would earn him brownie points and prove Ashmedai a good choice. After all, that meant one more hunter for the pack.

"I'd like that," he replied, face still rock-ish, though his tail had begun to wag (against his will, mind you). Ashmedai's posture was decently neutral, not knowing where Elwood stood in the ranks - but it was safe to assume that he was probably higher and Ashmedai could defer to him whenever. "Shall we be going, then? I find myself curious as to where the den is so I can avoid getting my head ripped off by the alphas." 

Dry tone evident in his speech, though his words were decidedly calm, Ashmedai's default smile returned to his face, small, unassuming and unreadable - unsettling, perhaps, but that was just a defence of his.

Elwood smiled. Ashmedai seemed to like his idea, though there was a dry humor hidden in his words. "I'll carry this, and you can talk while we walk," he said, leaning down to scoop the rabbit into his mouth. Before taking it in his jaws, he glanced up at his companion and prompted, "Tell me about yourself."

He then closed his teeth carefully around the warm carcass, hoisting it up and gesturing with his head for Ashmedai to follow him. He began to lead the way toward the Alphas' den, navigating the uneven terrain expertly with his hears tilted attentively towards the other wolf.

He nodded appreciatively, and the two males walked in relative silence for a while, the ground crunching beneath their feet. It was decently warm and Ashmedai really noticed for the first time that Spring had indeed sprung; it was beautiful, but it soon would be Winter once more. "I am a hunter," he began, tossing a glance at Elwood. He seemed to be having an easier time carrying the rabbit than Ashmedai did, and Ashmedai was half-jealous that Elwood didn't look like he was trying not to fall under the weight. Lucky man.

Just slightly, Ashmedai quickened his pace so he could keep up (Elwood was weaving here and there like a pro; while Ashmedai was short and had an easier time going under things, he couldn't exactly move out of the way when obstacles threatened to whack his eyes). Unfamiliar with the ground he treaded on, Ashmedai tried not to look too much of an idiot while they walked, and a bright smile wormed its way onto his features in a half-hearted effort.

"Five years old, no children - the usual thing. You?"

"speaking"

@Fox @Peregrine Tagging for visibility -- brownie points for Ashmedai! ;)

He listened, slowing his pace when he noticed that Ashmedai was hastening to keep up with him. The first piece of information that the newcomer shared was not at all surprising, considering the carcass currently hanging from Elwood's jaws. But he was still appreciative of the knowledge; as a gamekeeper himself, he was happy to learn that the subordinate would be able to help provide for the pack in such a basic and necessary way.

Ashmedai revealed his age and Elwood's brows raised slightly. He was older than the Beta, which hadn't been evident. He spoke of no other family and Elwood bobbed his head, shooting Ashmedai a lopsided smile around the rabbit's fur by way of response. He took a few more steps without speaking, then stopped and dropped the hare to the ground with a soft thump. They were close enough to the Alphas' den; he wouldn't permit Ashmedai to go any further.

"I'll take it from here," he said, then answered the smaller wolf's previous question. "I've been here for about a year and a half. Peregrine accepted me, and I now have a mate and a son. Time flies," he mused, shaking his head gently before scooping up the rabbit once more. Briskly, he made his way to the den and deposited Ashmedai's gift, making sure to mention the subordinate's name to whichever parent was keeping an eye on the kids. He then returned to his companion with a smile. "I can award you your brownie points now," he joked.

"Brownie points, eh?" The old wolf chuckled, shook his head and shot the more dominant one a small, genuine grin. "When you grow older, you learn that you need no 'brownie points' to prove your worth. You just work at it, and others will respect you." Ashmedai snorted, then let the matter be while he shook his legsout and stretched. The air between them was relaxed; the kind of atmosphere that friends shared, though both of them knew that they were neither friends nor good friends. They were merely packmates and acquaintances - close ties could come later.

"This man can do more than hunt, you know," the male joked in response, bright eyes staring up at Elwood. (And if he had his way, he'd be looking down, as an elder should). Puffing his chest up in order to make it seem... not so angled and girlish, Ashmedai plucked a bit of plant at the ground. "This," he motioned with a wave of his paw, a sage look in steel blue, "is called grass. Miracle of the universe. Wonderful for sleeping on." He gave the appropriate time for Elwood to respond, then immediately launched into another batch of words. "Learnt a bit of plant stuff in five years - not much, but simple wounds and maybe broken legs, you know?" He grinned, and was silent.

Children, Ashmedai thought to himself, pretending like he'd not heard Elwood's statement about his own mate and son. Perhaps I'll have them, one day. A slow flick of his ears was all he let in on his thoughts, and he was once again waiting for Elwood to speak.

"speaking"

Elwood chuckled and nodded his head. He completely agreed with what Ashmedai said -- although the Alphas would be glad to know that their subordinate was pulling his own weight, it would take time and effort to prove his worth. From what he could tell, though, the petite male was well on his way. He didn't seem to let his size hold him down.

"You're exactly right, but brownie points can't hurt," he teased good-naturedly as they strolled away from the Redhawks' den. He stopped short when Ashmedai suddenly began talking about the grass, his brow quirked in a bemused expression. But when the smaller wolf got to the point, Elwood's tail began to wave.

"So you're a medic?" he asked, his tone eager. Redhawk Caldera had had a handful of healers since its conception, but none of them had stuck around. "Even if you just know some basic stuff, that will be a great help. We don't have a healer at the moment," he said.

"Not a medic, no." Ashmedai shook his head slightly apologetically - it was not his problem that he could not heal exceedingly well. At least he had the basics down. As Elwood talked about the minimal requirements, the man's tail started to wag too, albeit against his will. Another skill that he could be useful at, and perhaps refine. "I can do shallow wounds and set bones. That's all." It didn't sound very good, nor very appealing (as were his methods), but it was the best that Ashmedai presented.

"If you need me to lecture the kids on grass, though, I can do that." It was amusement that found its way into his voice, and Ashmedai waved away the matter with a final wag of his tail. It lay still, and his face turned more serious than it had been at first. "No healer? How do you get around? I'd be glad to help in any way possible."


"speaking"

Although Ashmedai was quick to correct Elwood's assumption, the Beta was still impressed. Even a basic knowledge of plants was better than what anyone else in the caldera could claim, and perhaps Ashmedai would be able to hone his skills and become the medic they so needed.

"Well, that's more than I can do," he replied, then gave a nod of his head. As a father himself, he saw the value in teaching the pups a bit about grass and -- well, whatever else Ashmedai knew. That way, they could at least be educated enough to avoid getting themselves accidentally poisoned. "I guess we've just been lucky to not have any major injuries or illnesses. We've had a couple of healers, but none of them have stayed with us," he said with a slight grimace. Were he a superstitious wolf, he might have thought that the role was cursed.

"Anyway," he said in the next instant, without giving Ashmedai the chance to reply. "I've gotta hit the borders now. I'll catch you later," he added before departing.