Redhawk Caldera all the idiots

Pack meeting! @Elwood @Kaizer @Raven @Finley @Eljay @Whip @Lagan @Liffey
Inspired by this photo.

Fox stood at the edge of the caldera's lake, puzzled by the way the water had frozen. With her one good eye, she stared at the strange, sharp angles that had formed on the surface, wondering what on earth had caused it. She had no scientific knowledge, so she couldn't know that it had to do with how the particles had decided to stack up against one another. Blinking and turning away from the strange patterns the ice had made, Fox paused and sighed.

The pack had not been all in one place since Peregrine's death, and with her children on the way so soon, she knew that she would not be capable of coming together with the rest of the pack again for quite some time. Gannet's scent had gone stale, so Fox assumed he had dispersed. It didn't really make sense this time a year, but he was old enough to be on his own now. Her appetite had increased tenfold, and she had eaten anything and everything she could get her paws on. The (new) whelping den was complete, and she had been sleeping there the past few nights.

Standing in their usual meeting spot beside the lake, Fox called out for her packmates. It wasn't an urgent call, but this meeting was an important one.

Raven didn't know what to do when Fox's call rang through the air. Did the summons include her? What if she didn't show up and that irritated the Alpha female? What if she did show up and it still irritated Fox? How should Raven behave around her? She felt scorned and disowned by the woman. Heck, she felt guilty even though she'd done nothing wrong. There were no easy answers here.

She made her way there slowly. When she arrived, Raven glanced at the frozen caldera, studying the geometric patterns in the ice. She then slumped to the snowy ground a short distance away, aware that it wasn't just Fox who exuded disapproval of her very existence right now. She would just keep her head down and stay quiet.

Eljay had slowly been recovering after his epiphany and he had spent most of his time with his siblings and parents, just happy that they were together again. He hadn't seen much of his other pack mates, but when the call sounded he could not ignore it.

Surprisingly, he was one of the first to arrive. His eyes first fell on Fox, then drawn to the mystifying surface of the lake, then... Eljay's eyes widened in surprise as they fell on Raven's form. He opened his mouth, but then clicked it closed again and remained in stupefied silence in the presence of his superiors, not sure what to say.

When Kaizer approached the meeting place, it was on tense legs and with a stiffly raised tail. He'd made no conscious decision to posture as such beforehand, but when Fox's call reached out to the pack and drew them all in towards the frozen lake, his instinct told him not to accept her decree. Not to obey the wiles of a pregnant woman who's mood changed more than the weather; which he (mistakenly) attributed to the life growing inside her, and not to her actual personality.

Either way, Bluesummer was no longer keen on taking orders from her.

He came upon the meeting with eyes only for Fox. He held himself in clear intent to assume the dominant position here, knowing within himself that she was foolish enough to fight back, but he hoped for her acquiescence any way. However unlikely it was, maybe she'd be wizened suddenly by seeing a capable male step up, no longer content with being a subordinate... Fat fucking chance! From the first time they'd met, she'd made it abundantly clear that he couldn't just take what he wanted.

Fox called the group to assemble, and Elwood was prompt to respond. He moved towards the caldera itself, picking his way carefully across the frosty terrain. It seemed like winter had snuck up on them; somehow, he hadn't quite been ready for the plunging temperatures and appearance of snow. He attributed it to his distracted state of mind the last few months as he worried about Finley and Lucy.

Upon his arrival, he found that three others had already gathered: Raven, Eljay, and Kaizer. Normally, he would have spared a warm greeting for both his son and his niece -- but his gaze was quickly drawn to the subordinate male, whose posture was indicative of a rank much above the one he occupied. Kaizer's attention was wholly on Fox, but not in a respectful manner.

Elwood lifted his own head and tail, a low rumble of warning churning in his chest, but he made no advances yet towards the Alpha female and Gamma.

Others can (and should!) join. Please only post once per round. ^__^

Raven skulked to one side, and Fox huffed in her direction. While she was quick to anger, the Alpha's anger rarely lasted more than a few days. When Raven's pups were born, they would be slaughtered, and then this would all be over. Eljay showed up next, and Fox offered him little other than a wary glance. Kaizer's presence was one that interested her, but as soon as he waltzed up acting like he owned the place, Fox's tail raised and she met his eyes with her own (one grey, one cloudy).

Elwood arrived shortly after, backing her up (to some degree) which she appreciated. The Blackthorn had been nothing but helpful in keeping the pack together over the years while she, Peregrine, and Finley had their problems left and right. A low growl rumbled in the Alpha's throat as she waited for Kaizer to back down.

When Eljay padded onto the scene, Raven looked at him pensively, watching as his eyes widened. His mouth opened but nothing came out of it. She shifted in the snow, her tongue pressing against her teeth. She wanted to explain but she shot Fox a furtive glance and remained silent instead, trying to ignore the indignant itch beneath her skin.

Next came Kaizer. The mere sight of him made her bite her lip, thinking about their last conversation. All thoughts of that fell out of her head when she really took in his swaggering stride. The fur along her spine rippled apprehensively and she pushed herself into a seated position. Elwood's arrival caused her yellow eyes to flick sideways for a moment, then they cut back to Kaizer as he made his silent declaration.

Raven's ears flicked when Fox growled in warning. She noticed how Elwood immediately took the Alpha female's side. What about Eljay, though? What about her? For a long beat, Raven sat there with her head hovering low between her shoulder blades as she tried to ascertain the situation and decide how to react to this unprecedented turn of events.

On one hand, she could remain faithful to her bloodline, defending Fox's right to the throne. But hadn't the bitch basically disenfranchised Raven? That loyalty only went one way, she knew that now. The Delta could rise up in support of Kaizer, maybe even try to claim the rank with him. They could start their own bloodline. The different possibilities seemed to bloom right before her eyes.

Raven immediately scrapped both these obvious choices. "Can't you both be Alphas? Isn't that how this works?" she pointed out to the small crowd with a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Fox was possibly even carrying Kaizer's pups, so it actually made total sense if the two of them just kissed, made up and agreed to lead together, didn't? Elwood could even stay on as Beta. It worked out for everyone (except Raven the leper, of course).

Fox rose to the challenge (of course), further solidifying Kaizer's opinion that she was not fit to lead the caldera wolves. Didn't she care anything for the life inside her? His progeny? It would've been more tactful for her to turn to Elwood and say: "handle my lightweight"— ignoring the fact he was the largest wolf in the pack currently— but the fire-branded woman was not capable of tact or rationality, it would seem. 

His lip curled at her, his own growl staved he heard Elwood take his own stance on the position of who should lead them. One of the Bluesummer's ears fell back towards the beta, like when a dog wants to obey its owner but has become too fixated on something else to remove its attention completely. It was clear from this mild deference that he respected the dutiful man; but if he was smart he would support himself as alpha male, and not defend Fox's increasing mania. Kaizer would offer his belly to the grey man before he ever followed an order from Fox again.

Raven, ever the mediator, the voice of reason, piped up then, and it was the only thing that kept him from closing the distance between himself and the alpha female. Ironically enough, she was the reason he was doing this. Her treatment of Raven proved how irrational she could be— unwilling to trust anyone, even the word of one of the most innocent wolves in her own bloodline— unlike the beta and himself. "Don't jeopardize the pups by fighting me. Let us— me and Elwood— take over," he growled. "At least until you're fit enough to fight back."

Lagan didn't mean to be late. In fact, he'd thought he would be early, having spun on a heel the moment he heard Fox's summoning howl. He didn't know the alpha female very well, having always been closer to Peregrine, but he heeded her all the same.

When he arrived, it was to see his father squared off against an unfamiliar man with Fox. Cool! thought Lagan as he padded into the space between Eljay and Raven. He didn't notice Raven's peculiar condition—she smelled a little bit weird but he wasn't quite old enough to connect the dots yet. Lagan was eager to watch and his eyes lingered on his father, who as always was impressive in his mastery of his emotions and control.

When Kaizer growled a command out, however, the well-meaning pup tilted his head to the side and blurted, "But Uncle Pee is the alpha." Uncle Pee was gone, but Lagan thought he might come back someday, like Finley had. He was half a year old but still the permanence of death was lost on him.

Can we get at least 24 hours between rounds, please? This is going a little fast for busier players!

The tension only thickened between the wolves of Redhawk Caldera as Fox responded nonverbally to Kaizer's quiet threat. Elwood's hackles prickled but his feet remained rooted, his yellow eyes fixed on the opposing male until Raven offered a "solution" that made him look to her in surprise. It was clear that Kaizer was vying for the top spot in the pack, but Elwood was not keen on the idea of letting a veritable stranger step into that position.

Kaizer himself made a suggestion, ground out between gritted teeth. While Elwood appreciated the minute shift in posture that indicated the Gamma's deference, he still did not know him from Adam. He was a capable hunter and guardian, but what did they know of him aside from that? Nothing. And besides -- Fox was his family. Perhaps not by blood, but he was godfather to some of her children, and his own sons and daughter referred to her as Aunt Fox. While she could be unpredictable, she had not harmed a single Blackthorn. Surely she was angry about Raven's situation, but she hadn't chased the girl out nor injured her. And while her choice to remove Shrike from the pack had been questionable, she had done so without violence. At the end of the day, Elwood still respected Fox and would support her over Kaizer if it came to blows.

He cast a quick, appreciative glance at Lagan before returning his attention to Kaizer. Without speaking, he moved closer to Fox, coming to stand at her shoulder with a wrinkled muzzle. He was prepared to protect the caldera -- his family -- from the threat of this outsider.

Everything went so fast from there on. Before either Eljay or Raven could speak, tension entered the meeting in the form of a male that was foreign to Eljay. He shrank back at the tension and dominance the male brought into the meeting, and eyes shifted quickly between Fox and Raven to see their responses. Soon, daddy showed up, taking some of the weight off Eljay's shoulders. Raven suggested they lead together, which wrought Eljay's stomach into knots because he didn't even know the male well at all.

It seemed he was not the only one, he deducted by looking at daddy. His heart skipped a beat when Lagan arrived and suggested Uncle P was still Alpha male. Eljay had intended to stand by aunt Fox' side, but had found himself rooted in place. He couldn't move until Lagan arrived, which was when he made his way to his brother's side to stand by him and, were it necessary, protect him. Meanwhile, Eljay watched it all unfold with bated breath, hoping that aunt Fox and daddy would take care of this and that the other male would go away.

Finley was late to the party - as usual. As much as she wished to pass on only the best of her traits to the next generation, she ran into Liffey on the approach who gave her a sheepish grin. The mother just shook her head with a soft chuckle before nudging her along towards the lake.

It was Liffey who fell quiet with unease first as they approached. Her ears fell back and she whined very faintly. Finley gave her a curious glance before her own ears perked. She heard the voices of her packmates, but had yet to notice the tones running underneath them. It wasn't until she saw them that the Blackthorn knew what was distressing her daughter.

Liffey moved to brush against Eljay when the pit arrived, but it was towards the confrontation that Finley strode. She hadn't been called beta of the pack since Lucy's disappearance, but she didn't particularly care about that as she turned to look at the stranger who had just made his bold declaration before the pack. The notion that Fox was unfit struck her as an odd claim. The fact that he wanted Elwood to lead with him was even weirder. And so her tone was more or less perfectly calm with a hint of honest confusion when she looked at the other wolf straight in the face and asked:

"Who even are you?" 

Liffey tucked herself Eljay, embarrassed.

When Whip eventually arrived, there was alread a commotion underway. He stood in silence, watching with confusion as some nobody, Kaiser, challenged the authority of his mother and matriarch. Whip's relationship with his mother was nothing to write home about -- but the threat to the Redhawk family's right to rule made Whip uneasey, as all change did. Elwood stepped forward beside Fox, expressing his willingness to defend the preestablished order. Despite his reluctance, Whip followed suit and positioned himself on his mother's opposite flank.

This was the pack of his father, Redhawk Caldera, and it would always belong to him in spirit. To challenge his memory was something that Whip found deeply insulting. He found himself agreeing with Lagon -- that even though Peregrine was gone, his memory was still alive in Whip. If the pack was to change ownership, he believed himself to be the only rightful heir. It was what Peregrine would have wanted.

Whip was a boy of two extremes. He was a child of rage; anger misplaced. The others took solace in their words and their posturing, but Whip was not satisfied. With hackles flared and and a rippling snarl, Whip surged forward with parting jaws aimed at Kaizer's throat. Should he be granted purchace, he would attempt to rend the soul from his body.

Raven spoke first, and Fox shot her a befuddled look. It was possible for both of them to be Alphas, yes, but him challenging her was not the way to go about it. In fact, she had even considered raising him to her level at this meeting, but he had blown that chance the moment he had challenged her. Now he was telling her she had to step down and let Elwood and himself lead. His words were laughable at best, though this was hardly the time for laughing. She didn't need to fight; she had a whole pack to do that for her.

Lagan spoke next, which was a little sad, considering Peregrine was rather, well, dead. Elwood moved closer to her, Liffey and Finley arrived, and the latter made a valid point. Kaizer didn't even know one of their founding members (never mind the fact that Finley had been absent for months). Whip, in his usual dramatic fashion, launched himself at Kaizer's throat. Fox did nothing but stand where she was, watching the shitshow unravel.

Oh. Okay then. Apparently, that wasn't how things worked here in Redhawk Caldera. As more wolves streamed onto the scene, none of them in favor of her proposed compromise or Kaizer in general, the Delta's ears folded and she hunched down in the snow. She stayed quiet and inconspicuous, unwittingly following Fox's example by observing.

Literally no one seemed to know Kaizer, much less want him taking over the pack, with or without Fox. Raven certainly wouldn't try to go against her family, even though she personally knew and liked the Gamma. She looked at him now, yellow eyes sympathetic, though they flew wide in shock when a wild Whip appeared in the general vicinity of the challenger's throat.

She closed her eyes against the sight. She didn't want to see Kaizer hurt and she certainly wouldn't fall upon him herself, though Raven couldn't bring herself to jump to his defense either. He had taken a calculated risk by challenging Fox and now he would face the consequences. She'd tried but there was absolutely nothing she could do for him now that the pack had made its collective opinion clear.

Just to make sure nobody would question her own loyalties, Raven opened her eyes and slunk closer to Fox and Elwood. She was the highest-ranking member—discounting Kaizer now—but she kept her tail limp behind her as she stationed herself behind the leaders. She squared her shoulders and finally faced the skirmish, stomach clenching tightly as she waited for the first blood to hit the snow.

Only when that happened would the caregiver intervene—and only to render first aid to her brother if he needed it. As a Redhawk, the Bluesummer was dead to her now.

Liffey was embarrassed. She had met Kaizer herself before and actually liked the man very much. That her mother would so bluntly look at him and ask who he was made her cheeks burn with anxiety. She had felt the tension in the air before they'd even arrived and so it was quite apparent to her that now was not the time to be rude. But Finley was Finley, and Liffey could do nothing but crouch beside Eljay until all hell broke loose - surprisingly not at all because of her mother.

Whip appeared out of no where and Liffey could tell the moment she saw him that things were going to get bad. She had never been too certain of Gannet's angry, unpredictable brother and his actions then reminded her exactly why. Her ears perked and she yipped in surprise as the boy launched himself at the older wolf. Surprisingly, she jumped forward a few inches as though she were going to leap in and stop the altercation, but then she too fell still, licking her lips and trembling anxiously against Eljay as the fight began.

The whole thing was really cool, all the wolves facing off and looking super serious, at least until Whip lost his shit and threw himself at the man's throat. Lagan's ears went down and back faster than a klutz tripping and smashing their face into the dirt. He couldn't remember having much of a relationship with Whip, and to parallel his sister's train of thought, Lagan now knew why. Lagan was a spunky kid who got up to mischief more often than not, but there wasn't a violent or unpredictable bone in his body—in fact, he was incredibly empathetic deep down—and seeing Whip turn immediately to violence flipped young Lagan's stomach inside out.

Circumstances notwithstanding, Whip was a monster, just like the one that stole Lucy.

That thought crossed his mind for only a second before Liffey surged forward an inch, and Lagan fell back ten. He skittered backward, away from Eljay and away from Liffey and away from the monster going for Kaizer's throat. He didn't know Kaizer, and Kaizer was doing something quite bad indeed right now, but attacking him wasn't the answer. For the first time in a long time, Lagan was afraid, and this time, he was afraid of Whip. This whole thing wasn't cool anymore, this was horrifying. He plastered his ears to his head and watched for only a moment longer before he turned and ran from the scene.

Eljay nosed Lagan's fur to let his brother know that he was there for him. Yet soon Whip arrived and everything spiraled out of control. Eljay shrank back a little and was glad when Liffey joined them so that he could look after them both. But Lagan ran away not too long after Whip attacked, and Eljay didn't want to leave his sister alone. He nosed her fur to let her know that he was there, opening his mouth to call out for Lagan but finding that his throat was parched and dry. He stared at the moment in slow motion, finding himself unable to react.

PP permission both given and received for this post ;D Also had to change my plans a bit, bc omg expected attack, but it works just as well!

Kaizer was stunned by the pack rising to defend a wolf incapable of physically protecting them. Why did they need more than what he had already given him? He was a capable hunter and guardian, right! What did his birthplace matter or what he'd done before serving them mean to anyone? An erratic feeling crawled up his spine, trapping him between unwilling to be overwhelmed by numbers, and wanting to stake his claim as the alpha male. His eyes snapped towards the female who had spoken, one who had come after him as far as he was concerned.

He snarled, the words unable to form in his usual preference for silence. The wolf who provided in your absence! They were all ingrates— hateful and blind wolves who carried themselves on emotion before strength. One on one, he could beat them all into the dirt; but packs didn't operate that way. They didn't let one another fight alone. And he still couldn't understand why they valued a rotund Tasmanian devil over him.

Mindful of his own physical well-being, he was prepared to back down but was charged by the remaining son of Fox's last brood. Kaizer felt very much like a caged animal in that moment, and with a brilliant show of tactical force and speed, the Bluesummer struck the unfit battler like a bolt of lightning.

Under normal circumstances, he would have gotten the upperhand and demanded submission. But this was not normal. He now felt a need to show them the mistake they had made— what they had taken from their own side. He was now clamped down on the back of Whip's neck, shaking his head back and forth with the silent intent to tear, crushing down on his neck with a force that would kill or paralyze the boy if no one soon intervened...

Permission to PP was granted prior to this post. :D

The tension continued to build even as Finley arrived and bluntly questioned Kaizer's identity. Elwood's lips twitched upward slightly, but the faint smile was short-lived. Before he even really knew what was happening, Whip had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and launched himself right at Kaizer's throat.

Time seemed to slow down just long enough for Elwood to register that no one was moving -- no one was stepping up to help Whip. The boy was grown, but he wouldn't stand a chance against Kaizer; the older, larger, and more experienced male would take him down quickly. As Kaizer retaliated and Whip's own mother didn't move a muscle, Elwood abruptly lunged forward. If no one else would put a stop to this nonsense, then he would.

All of the other wolves faded into the background as he focused his full attention on Whip and Kaizer. The insubordinate male had the youth by the back of his neck, leaving his own scruff exposed. Elwood dug his teeth into the thick fur there, wrenching hard to one side in hopes of releasing Kaizer's hold on Whip. He was successful; at the very least, he had caught Kaizer off guard and he let Whip go. Swiftly, and without really even thinking, Elwood spun to meet Kaizer as he pivoted away from the youth. The two males clashed briefly, and there was the chaos of gnashing teeth and swiping claws -- until Elwood's teeth closed around Kaizer's momentarily unguarded throat, and the fight came to an abrupt end.

It happened in a split second, and as Kaizer's form crumpled to the ground, Elwood took a step back, teeth still bared and hackles standing on end. Kaizer had threatened his family, but he would never do it again.

Liffey felt terror in her chest when Kaizer reeled around to overpower Whip. She hadn't anticipated that her cousin would go down so quickly, nor that the other male would respond with such rage. In that moment, he seemed just as out of control as the youth, and that frightened her more than anything. She had never known the adults around her to behave with such violence towards each other. She had witnessed battles for dominance, but never one like this. Never for blood. She could accept it from Whip as it had always seemed like a possibility with him. But Kaizer had been friendly, considerate and warm. To think he could change so drastically in mere seconds... Was everyone this unpredictable deep down?

The young wolf had little time for her thoughts for within seconds, her twin was fleeing the scene. She whipped around to face him, barking after him fearfully. The sound of another roar drew her attention back and she turned to see her own father joining the fray. It took only moments for Elwood to dislodge Kaizer from Whip's neck. Liffey whined pitifully as the two wolves clashed and for a moment was torn over running after Lagan and staying to make sure her daddy was okay. In the end, when she saw the other male's body fall limp in Elwood's bloody jaws, she turned and chased after Lagan. But it wasn't her need to make sure that her twin was okay that drove her - it was a need to escape the sight of her father holding her friend, dead in his bloody jaws.

That was unexpected...

Finley's eyes widened in surprise as she watched Whip racing towards the gathered wolves and throwing himself at Kaizer in a rage. Without even thinking, she stepped forward protectively in front of Fox. Whip was young, and he was terribly outmatched in this fight. Even so, Fin stayed with her alpha, knowing that the woman could not (more like SHOULD not) protect herself if the violence turned towards her as Fin anticipated it might.

Her hackles raised as she watched the scene unfold. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the flash of silver as Lagan turned and fled the scene, but she could spare no thought to it as Elwood suddenly sprang forward. Her heart hammered as she watched her mate attack the other male, wrestling him away from Whip and then battling to gain the upper hand. More than ever, she felt the urge to join the fight and take down the asshole that had threatened her pack, but her faith in her mate held her steady in place, watching with adrenaline in her veins and fire in her eyes.

Fin could smell Kaizer's blood in the air when he finally went limp beneath Elwood's teeth. Unlike her daughter, the Blackthorn felt nothing but pride at the sight of her mate slaying his foe like a beast. She growled low in her chest with approval and lifted her chin as she stepped forward to nose at the stain of red on Elwood's lips. Her growl turned to a purr as she licked his muzzle in a sign of affection and respect. Her man had just killed a bitch. That was just plain hot. And very distracting from the fact that her kids had run away on her.

Like most things in life, Whip had not thought this though. He was an inexperianced fighter, outmatched, and it showed in his folly. Kaizer clearly had the upper hand; it showed in his speed and his power, which he quickly exercised over the adolescent. Whip was taken by the scruff of his neck, and his scrappy body was nearly hoisted completely from the ground. He gasped for breath, but only a terrified wheeze passed his lips as the life was nearly choked from his body.

Nothing more than sheer terror kept Whip tethered to the earth. Frantic eyes flew wildly around the scene, pleading for someone to save him. In the chaos, Whip saw his mother. She stood in silence, unwavering. Unmoving.

She made no move to save her son. But another, unknoticed by Whip in the frenzy, moved in to end the violent display. There was a jerking motion and Whip could feel Kaizer's grip losen. As soon as Kaiser's jaws fell slack around Whip's neck, he hit the earth running as fast as he could with his tail tucked tightly between his legs -- both in embarassment and defeat.

There were so many wolves fleeing from the scene, but all Eljay could do was stare at the violent display. He did nothing as Whip was grabbed, and did nothing when daddy stepped in. He had never seen daddy be so quick and resolute. If anything, a tiny voice in his head at times blamed his father for not knowing what to do a lot, like Eljay himself. This was different from anything he knew from daddy.

Eljay was shocked and horrified by the violence. He felt the urge to run but found his feet pinned to the earth, even as both siblings and Whip fled away. He opened his mouth to cry out their names, but nothing came out.

Within moments, Kaizer was literally dead, his lifeless body slumping to the ground at Elwood's feet. Raven couldn't spare much attention for the unfortunate Bluesummer, as she was too busy staring after the fleeing Whip. Although he was running and there was no trail of blood—good indications that he hadn't been mortally wounded—the Delta wanted to go after him to be totally sure he was all right.

First, she glanced around and ascertained the scene again. There was the pack's former Gamma, crumpled and bleeding on the ground. Elwood stood over him, bloody teeth still bared. Finley approached her mate, looking pleased. Eljay appeared to be frozen. There was no sign of Lagan or Liffey.

Then there was Fox, standing nearby. She hadn't moved a muscle during the altercation. Raven barely glanced at her before saying to anyone who cared, "I'm going to go check on Whip." Head and tail low, she trotted past where her godparents still stood by the broken body, then galloped away from the scene, heading in the direction Whip had gone.