Lake Rodney One day, I'll slow it way down

:0 does @Elwood wanna come play!?

Some undetermined amount of time after meeting the (lovely) dark woman in the north, Colt had made his way south, not bothering to stop much and converse with the few packs he passed.  He wanted to roam until winter hit, and though he was picky, felt little urgency to actually find a place.  

When he spotted the lake in the distance, Colt made an immediate turn towards it, jogging to the shore to slake his thirst.  Lowering his head, he gulped down a few large drinks, feeling a hell of a lot better after licking the water from his jaws. Travel was thirsty work, and he honestly wasn't sure which direction he wanted to go for next.

:D!!!

For the first time since searching for Lucy, Elwood stepped foot outside of Redhawk Caldera. He didn't intend to go far; he simply needed a breath of fresh air after Peregrine's unexpected death. While he knew in his heart of hearts that he wouldn't find his daughter during his short venture, all of his senses were still tuned to the sharpest degree. That would be too lucky -- and he was learning that luck was not on his side.

He trudged towards Lake Rodney, trying to enjoy the crisp autumn day but finding himself distracted by what could be. As he neared the body of water, he drew to a halt at the sight of a wolf drinking. He planned to ignore the other as he was feeling far from social, but the wolf's head was bowed, exposing the nape of its neck -- which was clearly marked with a dark stripe. "Finley?" he murmured quietly, even though this certainly wasn't her; there was too much brown in this one's pelt.

But the band of black fur along its spine was just too uncanny. So Elwood shuffled closer, frowning inquisitively. "Hi there," he called out from a distance, wishing to judge the stranger's reaction before engaging further.

Colt was just about to raise his head when some guy called out a greeting, drawing his attention.  He turned to look at him, appraising a moment before taking on a cocky grin.

"Hey," he called back, not knowing why the stranger wanted to chat but, as a relatively friendly dude, willing regardless.  So he came closer, stopping after he'd closed some of the gap between them.

The other wolf glanced up and greeted him casually, even going so far as to move to close the gap between them. As he approached, Elwood took the opportunity to examine his appearance with a bit more scrutiny. Save for the stripe along his shoulders and back, he looked like an average wolf. He moved with a swagger that spoke of self-confidence and almost seemed a bit out of place here in the wilds.

Elwood hesitated, then decided to just throw it out there. What was the harm in asking a simple question? If he was wrong, there would be no foul -- and if he was right and this was some relative of Finley's, well -- his day would become much more interesting. "You don't happen to be a Blackthorn, do you?" he asked with a quirk of his brow, keeping his stance neutral and friendly as his query hung in the air.

If Colt was surprised by Elwood's accurate guess, he didn't show it.  Damn straight he would know - as far as Colt was concerned, the Blackthorn name was legend, and his family only lent more to his already considerable offerings.  His head lifted a bit at that.

"Sure am.  Colt Blackthorn, to be exact. Who are you to be knowing the good old fam?"  He was curious; perhaps someone had made their way out in this direction?  Generally it was the back that sold the bloodline, but no without another Blackthorn having crossed paths earlier.  The chances weren't bad of that, though; their family was pretty large.

Elwood didn't expect the male to introduce himself as Colt, so when he heard the name he had a hard time hiding the surprise from his face. He thought back to his conversation with Finley just before the birth of Liffey, Lagan, and Lucy -- Finley, convinced that she wouldn't survive labor in her weakened state from the famine, had confessed about her previous mate, Hawkin, and her rocky relationship with her brother, Colt.

He chuckled, his shock ebbing away to be replaced by amusement. Here he was, face to face with his son's namesake -- and Finley was nowhere to be found. He wasn't quite sure how she would feel about Colt being in the area, but that didn't matter, presently; Elwood was about to have the chance to form his own opinion about the Blackthorn.

"Actually, you're my brother-in-law. Finley is my mate," he explained, refraining from mentioning the children just yet -- he would gauge Colt's response first.

Brother in law.  Finley's mate. These words were probably some of the last he expected to hear, and he couldn't hide the surprise when Elwood uttered them.  "Huh," he said, stunned, though he kept his expression mostly neutral after a moment.  

If he knew Colt by name, that meant Frog Fin had spoken of him.  And, from how things lay, likely not well.  

Well, Colt didn't know this guy at all, and if he wasn't going to make things awkward, Colt sure as hell wasnt.  "What're the chances? How's Frog doing these days?"

Elwood watched Colt carefully, noticing the subtle shift in his expression before he responded more casually. He couldn't find any traces of anger or resentment in the lines of the male's face. Colt even called Finley by her family nickname when he asked after her. Elwood couldn't help but smirk.

"Frog's doing okay. Actually, she's out traveling right now," he said, delving into personal territory much faster than he had intended. But there was no way to talk about Finley without mentioning Lucy. "Our daughter was kidnapped and she's been searching for her." He paused; he had a lot of unrelated questions for Colt, about what in the world he was doing in the Teekon Wilds, but instead, he asked: "You haven't come across a black puppy with blue eyes, have you?" It was a long shot, he knew, but couldn't keep the words from slipping off his tongue, his voice tinged with worry.

Holdup. Not only had his sister settled down with a mate; oh no.  She had kids!? This was Finley they were talking about.  He couldn't fit the picture.  It was too odd.

The fact that he was an uncle brought a surprising feeling of pleasure to him.  Obviously he was one of those cool uncles, or would be if he'd ever met them.  That was an event that wasn't hugely likely, though.

"Sorry to hear that," he said, genuinely put off by the thought of a niece of his, even one he'd never met, missing.  He couldn't relate much to Elwood (though who the fuck knows, he might have a kid or two out there) but anyone could imagine how worried a dad would be.  He might be an ass at times, and he acknowledged that, but it took a real piece of work to do something like that to a kid.

"I haven't seen her, but I haven't seen much of anyone, to be honest.  Loner's gotta avoid packs or they can get a little edgy."  Sometimes.  He frowned.  "If I do, though, I know where to find you.  If you live nearby."  No matter what his relationship with his sister was, he was a decent enough guy that he wouldn't hold out on something so important.  Hell, he might even do some looking.

Now he was curious, though.  "So... only the one?  Or are there others?"  Just how much had the family grown?  Apparently Finley was doing her part to continue the legacy.

He wasn't surprised that Colt didn't know of Lucy's whereabouts; it had been a gamble to begin with, but at least now he would perhaps recognize her if he came across her. Elwood knew that they could take all the help they could get. "We live in Redhawk Caldera. It's not far from here," he replied, gesturing with his snout towards the squat peak nearby. "That funny-shaped mountain," he added.

Though Colt had thus far seemed aloof, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked about his other nieces and nephews. Elwood's lips twitched into a smile. "You have two nieces and two nephews. Lucy, who's missing, and her littermates Lagan and Liffey. And they have an older brother named Eljay," he explained. He toyed with the idea of sharing Lagan's birth name, but decided against it just yet; the timing didn't seem right, and it was something personal that he felt Finley would one day want to tell her brother.

"Do you plan to stick around the area?" Elwood then asked, raising his brows with the question.

Colt noted the place, recalling that perhaps he'd passed this way before? Anyway, he'd know where to find them if he happened on an answer.

Apparently Fin had been busy keeping the name alive.  Four of them?

He toyed with the concept of meeting them, but knew that unlikely.  This guy didn't know him and Frog doubtless would throw a fit if she found out.  Cool uncle or no.

"Not sure yet," he responded instead, glancing again at the mountain in the distance.  "Got a bit at least until winter, figure the choice has some time." Not a lot, but some.

Colt's response was vague, prompting a nod from Elwood. He had never been much of a traveler, save for the brief time he had been out looking for his sister -- and he had settled down with the first prospect that was offered to him. He couldn't quite understand Colt's sentiments, but concluded that there was something in the Blackthorns that made them want to roam. He was lucky that Finley was able to satisfy that particular urge while still being committed to her pack and family. Her current absence had extended much longer than he had anticipated, but he still had hope that she would return home with Lucy.

"Well, if you end up needing a place to stay -- keep us in mind," he said, the words surprising him even as they left his mouth. He didn't really know what Finley would think about Colt being nearby, much less being invited to join the caldera's ranks. But Elwood didn't see the harm in a simple offer, especially because he anticipated that Colt wouldn't accept, even if the winter turned out to be particularly harsh.

"I should get back, but I'll tell Finley you said hi," he said, taking a preemptive step away from his brother-in-law.

Elwood didn't press, which was nice... though, what did he expect, when Frog had probably told him all about her 'brother' and his ways?  Likely the offer had been a nicety, nothing more, and the man was grateful he'd dismissed it.  Colt was an asset, though, and he knew it.  They'd be fortunate if he graced them with his presence.

Maybe.  The thought wasn't the worst in the world, and imagining Frog's reaction almost made it worth it.  But no, not yet.  He had a month or so yet before he really needed to settle and there was some other ground he wanted to cover.  "Will do."  he said easily.  "Thanks."  He wondered how that conversation would go.

"I'll let you get back to it.  And.... I'll keep an eye out."  If he saw his neice, he'd bring her home.  No doubts there.  He was a Blackthorn, after all, and no matter what the situation, family was family.  With a final smile, he loped off, allowing Elwood to continue on whatever he was doing.

"Thanks," Elwood said, dipping his muzzle slightly as Colt promised to look for Lucy. As Finley's brother departed, Elwood lingered for a moment longer, though his paws were turned towards home. He felt conflicted; somehow, the brute that he had imagined based on Finley's story didn't quite match up with the Colt he had met. But maybe that was a good thing -- perhaps there was still a chance for brother and sister to resolve their conflicts. That all depended on if Colt even stayed in the area, and if Finley ever came back from searching for Lucy.

He huffed out a sigh, looking in the direction that Colt had gone, then began to amble back towards the caldera.