Redhawk Caldera Past lives

Set today. Preference is given to @Peregrine for this one, but anyone is welcome!

The slowly setting sun was wedged between a shelf of clouds so that it looked oblong and far bigger than it should have in its momentary tangerine hue. Several shades of pastel blue and green and darker grey painted the sky around this display, with cloud cover shifting on the warm summer breeze. It was positively picturesque, what with the leafy green of the earth’s life returning and the image of devastation disappearing from her mind’s eye. She had often imagined how her once temporary home had handled the ransacking blow the locusts had dealt, but preferred that she hadn’t seen it at all. She was sure it had been no different than her experience even further inland, to the east, where she had spent the past seven months or more. She couldn’t decide how long it had really been, aside from how long it had felt.

In attempt to avoid embarrassment if she was asked to retrieve a kill on the spot a second time and couldn’t, the lithe little female already had a small rabbit clamped firmly in her jaws as she made her way towards the caldera. The only uncertainty left on her mind was whether he would let her stay or turn her away — or whether he would recognize her at all. Someone had intimated to her once that older wolves kept memories that were selective and spread thin, whereas her limited life experience made the mind cling tightly to everything it touched. At that moment, she wasn’t sure what she would do when Peregrine surfaced in her field of vision, but she skulked about perhaps a mile from the borders with every intention of finding out.

Peregrine was home, though Fox was a realist. She did not think he was safe or sound. His injuries seemed to be coming from within, and she wasn't even sure if that could be fixed, even if they had a medic. On top of all that, Finley was about to pop, Peter was dead, her other three boys were mourning the loss of their brother, and Eljay refused to acknowledge that Peter was dead at all. Things hadn't been this chaotic in Redhawk Caldera since... maybe since Peregrine had ripped his own daughter's head off and they'd eaten her body.

Still, somebody had to be the strong one, and it looked as though Fox was going to be the one required to step up. Elwood and Finley were busy making the final preparations for their new children, and Peregrine couldn't do much of anything. It was up to her to patrol the borders, and she was doing just that when she spotted a lone figure creeping close to their home. Alerting the other with a howl, Fox stood where she was and waited to see if the other would go away or come closer.

She sauntered among the returned grasses, nosing about the ground with her head low as she went, searching for any recent sign of the dark Alpha male. She did not notice the distant figure of her own accord, but her head snapped up quickly when a howl was sounded. With pricked ears and eyes sharp, she gazed out ahead to determine the source.

As it turned out, it was not Peregrine, but Fox who called her to attention, and so she froze in place. Sassafras had never been one-on-one with the other half of the Alpha pair, though she most certainly recognized her. Whether she herself would be recognized could make things easier or worse, no matter which way it was spun, and although the small black female had been fully aware of this, a knot formed in her stomach. Nevertheless, she was here for a reason, and the ultimate worst-case was that she would be chased away and briefly end up with no goal in mind.

After her moment of hesitation, she gathered herself and kicked into a lope towards Fox. She left plenty of distance between them when she slowed and stopped short of the fiery female to allow her due space. Her nearly limp tail offered short little wags to indicate amicability, but the rest of her remained purely submissive. She paused. From there, she could see that Fox's eye had suffered some sort of trauma from its faded, milky-grey state. That makes two alphas and only two good eyes, she thought, remembering Peregrine's damage before the previous winter.

Having regained some of his strength through resting, the loyal male returned to his guard patrol even though he did so onless fuel than he'd ever had before. He kept his senses sharp for any trail of prey, but the most present thing on his mind was the scent of the female who had killed Peter, though it hadn't turned up again since he had returned for the second time to the Caldera. Shrike, though naturally lean, had become more than a few shades more gaunt and pallid in expression since the famine had begun, and had found himself lacking much of an apetite since Peter had been killed. Where before he had been supple and foxlike in build, he'd hardened and become far more wiry and moved with an aggressively stiff gait. 

Though the day was coming to a close, it did not mean that the borders would be safe overnight, so like his alpha female Shrike had been out along the borders, and he quickened his pace when he caught the scent of a loner in the distance. He calmed slightly, when he caught Fox's scent as well, and though he knew Fox was perfectly capable of handling a loner on her own, he continued on his way to meet them without a second thought. Two wolves meeting a loner at the border showed strength, and it showed that the wolves of the pack regularly patrolled, and had each other's backs. 

His hackles raised when he caught sight of the two- the small, dark female had broken into a trot to approach Fox and at first he considering charging without a second thought...But there wasn't hostiliy in the female's posture. She wasn't attacking. He had to stop, take a breath, and remind himself that not all wolves were murderers before he continued forward, this time at a walk, until he reached Fox's flank. He said nothing but stood there, offering support merely through his presence as he eyed the female and the gift she'd brought.

The other moved forward, and Fox prepared herself for the worst. Based on body language, though, this one was not a threat. Not only that, but the stranger had a rabbit in her jaws: something that their pack could most certainly use. Luckily for Sassafras, she'd run into the right leader today. Fox had a horrendous memory, so even if she'd met the girl a time or two, the Redhawk would not have remembered a lick about her.

She turned her good eye toward the approaching figure, pleased when the other offered submission. It was only then that Fox felt Shrike come up alongside her, and she offered him a quick glance of approval. He was a good wolf. A loyal one. A trustworthy one. If anything happened to Elwood or Finley, there would be no contesting his ability as a potential replacement.

"You brought us something?" Fox asked of the stranger, eyes locked onto the kill in her mouth. The Redhawk fully intended to give it to Finley, should the stranger cough it up. Even if the stranger didn't cough it up, Fox would do everything within her power to snatch it.

ngl, after not posting for a few days I completely forgot she even had the rabbit.

With all her attention consumed by Fox and her own nerves, Sassafras did not immediately notice the small, grey, and very angular male that made his way towards them and found a place at Fox's flank. The two Redhawk wolves had a moment's glance of acknowledgement between each other, and then the fiery red boss asked if she, Sassafras, had something for them. Oh, this?! she thought with dawning recognition, embarrassed to forget that she’d been carrying a thing.

She promptly dropped the rabbit she carried at her own feet, bobbed her head, and wuffed brightly in confirmation that the kill now belonged to them. She momentarily refrained from approaching either wolf with it, but if either of them were to approach her, it would be an entirely different story. It was only that Sassafras did not yet feel entitled to get up in their space that she lowered her haunches and planted herself where she stood. She thumped her tail softly and invitingly.

The small, dark female couldn't be certain, but she found no indication from Fox's tone that she had been recognized. She drew a short breath, then, and spoke. "Do you have room for a reliable small-game hunter and fisher?" she asked, quick to make her intentions known outright. Fox's response would determine what came out of her mouth next, but she was hopeful that the two wolves in front of her would at least be receptive to the initial idea of her as an addition to the pack, past events aside. Already she was trying to pin down the right words in her head.

SHrike was glad that Fox welcomed him at her side, though he stood back a bit so that she was still the feature and the figure of importance. He wouldn't really need to speak at all, for which he was glad- Shrike didn't really want to have to deal with anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Not out of laziness, but simply because he was quite sure he wouldn't be able to refrain from being 1/4 rudely abrupt and 3/4 blatant asshole. 

Once it was clear that the kill was for them, Shrike moved forward to retrieve it. Just in case Fox denied her permission to join the pack, they would still keep the rabbit as a dues for the time they spent with her. He turned one silver eye up to look at the female up close as he bent his head to retrieve the rabbit, making sure she wasn't going to pull anything funny while he was in close proximity. He did not jerk away or move as though he was intimidated by her- he was safe, as far as he could tell. Between himself and Fox, the swarthy female before them would be an addition to the meal of rabbit should she try anything. He then returned to Fox's side and set the rabbit down- she could decide who got it, later. Mute but tuned into the conversation, Shrike sat down by his alpha's side and waited to see if he could be of any use.

No worries, Manda! I figured that was the case. ;) Welcome (back) to RHC!

"He turned one silver eye up to look at the female" LOL, sorry. Couldn't help myself. :P

"We always have room for those," Fox replied, letting a pause come between that and her next words. "but they are few and far between." Shrike had taken the rabbit, and Fox gave him a side-eyed glance. Fox let another pause drift between the duo, sizing up the girl and wondering if she was really worth a damn. Considering prey seemed to be coming back, and they would soon have more children to feed, though, she couldn't see a reason not to give this one a chance.

"Shrike can show you around," she replied, finally. "You'll have time to prove your worth. Wait a few weeks before coming near the rendezvous site. That's where the children will be." Fox turned her attention to Shrike. "I'll take that back to Finley. She could use it." Satisfied that Shrike could handle this one, Fox picked up the rabbit and trotted off toward the Blackthorn residence.

Thanks for joining me! :)

It was the steely male who made the first move, treating her with what was probably rightful caution as he kept his eyes fixed on her. Sassafras simply sat quietly with a gently thumping tail and shimmering mahogany eyes which she obligingly averted to the ground at her side. It was overly trusting on her part, perhaps, and she knew it, but she couldn't find her own appropriate level of caution as she sat before them. It was only when he retreated that she faced both of the Redhawk wolves again, feeling she was ready to hear their judgment of her.

Fox responded to her question of entry in the affirmative, but not without an air of skepticism. Sassafras couldn’t blame her, considering her own still unspoken track record. The next thing she meant to do, speaking of, was explain what had happened the previous year, but the little red leader obviously had an agenda to keep. Sassafras quickly opened her mouth, but Fox was through with talking and on the move with the dead rabbit she had already collected from the male. "Wai—" she tried feebly before deciding she would bring it up later.

A moment passed as she watched the alpha female depart and the uncomfortable knot presented itself in the pit of her stomach again. She knew she should have led with her explanation, because now she’d been accepted on questionable grounds. She finally closed her mouth and looked to Shrike, who had been voluntold to show her around. She didn’t say anything, but as she extricated herself from her own head, he would find her beaming at him.

What? He was being given the Wal-Mart greeter duty? He didn't express any disdain, but he couldn't help but feel surprised when the alpha put him in charge of actually showing the newbie around. He nodded solemnly, though, and was too lost in his own thoughts to hear Sassafras give a small protest, eventually giving his own head a quick shake, standing up and looking at her blankly. Well, at least she was kind of pretty. Younger than him, maybe by a year, but pretty. Not Allure, of course, but still pretty. 

"C'mon," said the wolf in a stoic tone as he began to move further into the packlands, bringing with him their newest pack member on a tour at a brisk walk.