Redhawk Caldera pupsicles

Although meteorology wasn't Raven's calling, how the climate affected her family most certainly fell under her purview as the pack's resident medic. When the temperatures plunged and then stayed put at subzero levels, she worried not only about the newborns but the rest of the pack as well. A solitary wolf could freeze to death in these conditions all too easily. Ideally, everyone in the pack should bundle together in one place. But the whelping den was much too small to accommodate all of them, despite the pack's small size.

She couldn't help but think of the cave where the pack had gone to ground during that terrible summer storm when Nightjar, Wildfire and herself had been kids. (Unbeknownst to her, they had also fled there during the locust swarm.) It was a large underground space. It would not be warm by any stretch of the imagination but it would be a few degrees higher than this above-ground den. Also, they could all fit down there together and huddle close, sharing body heat.

Raven thought about all of this even as she distractedly did her best to keep the pups warm and fed. Their eyes were beginning to open. Although she fretted about moving them at this age and in these conditions—they could very well die of exposure en route—the Gamma couldn't help but voice her thoughts as soon as she, @Elwood and @Finley were in the den at the same time.

"Uncle El? Aunt Flea? I'm worried about this cold," she began. She frowned, weighing the possible risks and rewards in her mind. If they didn't relocate, they would be leaving @Eljay, @Charlotte, @Gannet, Lagan and @Liffey out in the cold (literally). If they did attempt to move, @Orca, @Oriole, @Phox, @Titmouse and @Towhee might not survive the trip. "Speaking as a caregiver, I really think we ought to move," Raven decided hesitantly. "What do you think?"

Elwood raised his yellow eyes to look at Raven as she addressed him, expressing her concern about the extremely cold temperatures. He nodded his agreement; even with three adults squeezed into the small den alongside five puppies, he still felt a chill deep in his bones. He had discussed his own worries with Finley at length, and it was apparent to the Alphas that they needed to do something, or risk dire consequences for themselves as well as the infants.

She suggested moving, and Elwood thought about it briefly before replying. If they could find a place that was shielded from the elements as well as large enough for all of them -- including Lagan, Liffey, Eljay, Gannet, and the newcomer he hadn't personally met -- it seemed like their best bet to weather out the winter. But where? "I think that might be a good idea. There's not enough shelter here," he said with another bob of his head, glancing outside the den momentarily. "Where do you think we should go?" he asked, already sifting through the options in his own mind.

"The cave," she hastily replied, kicking herself for not specifically mentioning it right off the bat. "The one where we took shelter during that summer storm. It's not far from here and it should accommodate everyone. It should also be slightly warmer underground." Raven bit her lower lip pensively, glancing down at the wriggling puppies at her breast. It would be even more ideal to leave the caldera and the cold behind altogether and venture to warmer climates further south. But that wasn't feasible at all—and the Gamma doubted any of them could be pried from this misshapen lump of rock—so they would have to make do here.

After detailing her suggested destination, her yellow eyes traveled to Finley's face, wondering if her godmother concurred. If the three of them were in agreement, they should start making preparations to disembark immediately.

I am very not feeling good, so please excuse terrible writing that doesn't make much sense. Just didn't want to hold this up <3

Finley had been trying not to doze off when Raven broke the quiet within the den. At first, her words had not computed at all, so tired was the alpha. But eventually, she caught on thanks to the hints in Elwood's responding commentary. The increased cold had not gone unnoticed by her, but she hadn't thought that perhaps there was something more they could do for the pups in order to shield them. She fixed her goddaughter with a thoughtful gaze, her own ideas shuffling around in her clouded-with-weariness mind.

"There's a back door in that cave," Fin replied, recalling the whole missing puppy debocle, "These little beasts can't get away from us and get lost now, but what about when they're older? Fidget already tries to make a break for it at least thirty times a day." She supposed they could always try to plug the hole with a rock or something, but still there could be other options if they could think of one.

His niece was ready to offer her insight -- she thought that the cavern beneath the caldera itself would be the best place to relocate. Elwood thought back to the two other times that pack had sought shelter there. It did offer plenty of space, and would get them out of the elements; although it likely wouldn't be a whole lot warmer, its depth would protect them from the howling of the wind. He nodded slowly, considering even as Finley stirred from a half-conscious state and gave her opinion.

He frowned slightly. She did have a point; he distinctly remembered the panic they had felt when they realized that Nightjar and Wildfire had disappeared through the hidden tunnels. Still, he wondered if they wouldn't be safer there than here, in the small whelping den, or in the open space that was the rendezvous site. "Hopefully we won't have to stay there for too long," he said, "And with the whole pack there, we can make sure that someone is always watching the back door." He glanced down at a shivering puppy. "I just think it's too cold to stay here..."

Raven had forgotten all about her siblings' disappearance in that cave. Her lips pressed together as she recollected the collective terror upon realizing Nightjar and Wildfire were nowhere to be found. It was a genuine and valid concern. The pups would be much more mobile very soon. The thought of losing one of them down there in the caverns caused a shiver to travel down the Gamma's spine. She nodded thoughtfully at her godmother.

Elwood spoke up next, weighing Finley's considerations and offering solutions. They had learned from the previous experience and knew to keep up their guard at all times. Perhaps it might even be possible to blockade the rear exits somehow. Raven had no idea if that was feasible, though she still thought that moving the pack into the cave was the lesser of two evils if nothing else.

"I wish we had time to look for another cave around here," Raven murmured, "but I don't think we do." Her yellow gaze fell upon the same shivering puppy. Reflexively, she reached out to the little girl whose white streaks differentiated her from her lookalike brother and pulled her closer to her chest. "It's your decision," she continued, looking up and peering between her aunt and uncle, the Alphas, "but as a caregiver and medic, I really recommend we make the move and do it soon."

Finley listened as the two replied to her concerns. As little as she liked it, the cave did seem to be their only option. She accepted this without verbally acknowledging it, her mind beginning to work on the next problem this move presented.

"How will we get them there?" she asked, biting her lip nervously. Without thinking, she picked up Screech and tucked her closer against her chest, lowering her head protectively over the shivering little girl. "There are enough of us to carry them all, but we'll need to move as a pack to make sure we keep them blocked from the wind as best as we can." The thought of losing one on the journey to the cold made her stomach turn. They'd already lost one. She hated the thought of losing another, though something told her this was inevitable given the circumstances (meaning the weather; not the rules in the guidebook about allowable litter sizes).

As the three adults continued to discuss the situation, Elwood quietly made up his mind. Not only would the cavern offer shelter for the newborns, but the rest of the pack would need to hunker down there as well to help with the babies, and that would ensure their safety in the face of winter's wrath. Raven seemed convinced, and Finley, while doubtful, was willing to talk about logistics. She was right: they would need help from Eljay, and probably Lagan, Liffey, and Gannet, too.

"We can do it," he said with a nod. "The kids will help us. And the new girl," he added, even as a breath of frigid air reached in from outside. He pushed himself into a sitting position. "We should go as soon as possible -- before the weather worsens. I can round everyone up," he offered; he knew that his howl would summon Eljay quickly, and hopefully the others would also promptly heed his call.

"We'll definitely need all hands on deck," Raven agreed. She was mildly worried about allowing those she didn't know well near the pups, yet she didn't mention it. If the Alphas trusted them, she would follow suit. Besides, they genuinely needed everyone to pitch in and help. Not only would they need extra mouths to tote the puppies, they also needed the added warmth. That was what this was all about, after all: coming together to survive this horrible cold snap. There would be no strangers in the ranks after this.

Knowing her godparents would take care of summoning the rest of the pack, Raven began mentally preparing for the logistics of transporting the two-week-old pups. She supposed that once everyone arrived, they could match up adults and babies. They would have to stick close together while simultaneously moving as quickly as possible from the den to the cave. They wanted to limit the infants' exposure to the elements as much as possible.

"We've got this," she said quietly, peering at the six youngsters but mostly talking to herself and her Alphas.

It seemed that they had come to a decision, though Finley's nerves still burned in the pit of her stomach. She didn't fear much for having the pack interact with the pups since she'd already decided who would help to do the actual carrying and it wasn't anyone that hadn't been born there (well, except for Elwood and Fin themselves, technically). She was more worried about how the newborns would survive the elements, but she supposed that was a worry staying here just as much as it was moving.

With a sigh, Finley reached down to nuzzle the little pup that was snuggling against her at the moment - a fat little thing she had taken to calling "Mumble" for the fact that he really didn't make a lot of sound. Or do anything, for that matter, except for eat and sleep and mess all over himself. She laid her head down to cuddle him tight as Elwood took charge and Raven followed suit. With a sigh, she determined that she ought to step up as well being alpha and all nowadays, though truth be told, she was just so damn tired that all she wanted to do right then was snuggle with her pudgy pal.

"Okay, so the three of us will need to take one each," Fin said, feeling uncertain even as she said it, "Then Eljay will carry one for sure. What about the last? Could Gannet? Or one of the twins? I don't know that any of the younger ones have spent enough time to know how to carry a newborn safely..." The alpha considered Charlotte then. The girl seemed like a sensitive enough wolf that she might be a safe choice. But then again, they barely knew her.

For those of you tagged, hop in if you can! We should be able to execute this in a couple of rounds. If you're unable to post but want your character to participate, shoot one of us a message and we'll work it out. :)

When it seemed that both Raven and Finley were on board with the plan, Elwood nodded his head and stepped out of the whelping den. The bitter cold pinched at his nerves and he was reminded again just why they were doing this. It would be stressful, but in the end, it would be worth it. He tilted his head back and raised up a howl for @Eljay, @Gannet, @Liffey and @Lagan primarily, but @Charlotte was also included in the message. (@Sassafras too, if this technically happens after Finley accepts her!)

With his message being carried away by the icy breeze, he turned back to the mouth of the den. He caught the tail end of what Finley was saying about Liffey and Lagan carrying the pups and realized that she was right. Though they were both trustworthy, they were just young. "Let's ask Gannet first," he said, casting a glance over his shoulder as he hoped that the two boys -- and their other packmates -- would materialize quickly.

Sassafras had taken to wedging herself in the many crevices of the mountain when the deep cold had set in. Although she was truly loathe to stray far from the heart of the territory after having been away for so long, she could frequently be found making short border patrols between hunkering down to warm her frigid bones. Occasionally she would snag some sort of small game and dart back to leave it near the whelping den, but tracking and trying to endure such slow movement in such bitter cold had left her list of priorities. Once the freeze had begun to leave larger game to die of exposure, Sassafras had actually felt better about the pack’s situation.

Her own situation, however, was beginning to grow grim out there on her own, so when Elwood made the call to summon everyone else, Sassafras began the frosty bound towards her pack mates. She had already been out chasing a rabbit that had eventually escaped unscathed, and with sinking spirits, she hardly wanted to move any further at all. She did move, though, and within minutes, she was woofing her arrival to Elwood. Her ears splayed back against her skull in the wind, but her eyes were bright and her tail gave a few short wags as she stood outside and shivered.

It was so cold. Eljay was really noticing the malnutrition he had undergone when mommy was away. He was shivering all the time and he welcomed being called by mommy and daddy. It meant that he could get into motion and try and get himself warm. He'd been trying to hunt (but had been unsuccessful so far) with @Liffey and Lagan, so when he heard the call he nudged his brother's shoulder and said, "C'mon, let's go," to his siblings, then took the lead as he started making his way over to mommy and daddy.

Once he'd arrived, he glanced at daddy and asked inquisitively, "Uhm... What's happening?" He didn't fail to notice that the whole pack had been asked to gather, so something big had to be going on. Maybe it was in relation to the stabbing cold.

lemme know if you had anything else in mind for Liffey/Lagan, Stevie, and I could edit the first bit :)

The pale boy hadn't wanted to interrupt the blackthorn hunting party... well, he wanted to.  But he hadn't, instead making his way to another part of the Caldera.  The subzero temps made it hard to go anywhere fast, breathing and moving in the cold much harder than usual.  But he was young, and energy could make up for a lot, despite his lean frame.

He definitely wasn't sad when Elwood called, as it probably meant a respite.  He came asap, galloping over the snow to keep warm, and gave vigerous shake before tossing his uncle a questioning look.

Although she didn't make a verbal reply, Raven carefully considered Finley's vocalized concerns as she peered down at the five puppies. They were all cuddled together, sleeping rather fitfully due to the plummeting temperatures. She wanted nothing more than to mother hen them right now. Instead, Raven sent out a silent apology and began rousing them. Their cries were filling the small den by the time Sassafras, Eljay, Liffey, Lagan and Gannet materialized outside.

The Alpha pair would surely explain. In the meantime, Raven began shuffling the pups. She set the "twins" (@Oriole and @Towhee) at her godparents' feet, then plucked @Phox off the den floor and handed him off to Eljay, knowing the sitter could handle his fidgets. After exchanging a quick glance with Gannet—what would he make of this task, she wondered—she carried @Orca over to him. She would take the most difficult, @Titmouse, for herself.

"We've got to make this as quick as we can," was the caregiver's only contribution right before scooping her baby brother into her mouth and readying to make the trip to the cave.

Iris, that's perfect! I love when characters enter together :D  Also, this post is a little odd because only I know what Finley is going to say at this point lol. But I wanted to hold off moving forward with her until tomorrow to give others a chance to hop in still <3

Liffey was full of humiity as she trailed along after Eljay, answering her father's call. Their hunt had been unsuccessful and she couldn't help but place all the blame on herself. She just wasn't confident enough to make the moves that she knew she ought to during the hunt. She prey scared her. The thought of trying and messing up scared her. No matter how well she could see what it was she needed to do in the moment, her own self-doubt kept her from acting on the instincts that told her how to succeed. She walked close to her twin, bumping her side against his to pull comfort from his nearness. He had done well and so was understandably disappointed that they'd taken nothing down. But he didn't blame her, just as she would never blame him for his faults.

The twins stopped almost simultaneously just a few inches behind Eljay but to his side.Liffey glanced over at those who had gathered, her heart skipping slightly as she spotted Gannet joining. Her attention went to her mother when she spoke, explaining why they had been called there before hopping to Raven when she added her piece and scooped up one of the babies. She frowned, confused as to what her part was until Finley nodded and explained the rest.

Liffey felt her anxiety rising. Her task was simple enough - stay near and help shield the kids from the elements as they moved - but still, she worried. It was obviously an important task considering the tense air that had settled around them. Nevertheless, she steeled herself for the task and moved accordingly as the wolves began to pick up pups and take their places.

Things moved quickly then. Fin stood when her packmates began to arrive and stepped forward to greet them. She went to stand at her mate's side, though her mind was already running ahead, mapping the path from the whelping den to the cave. It was not terribly far, but it was still too great a distance for Fin to be comfortable with it. Raven was right though. The risks were greater if they stayed, and so she peered down at fat little Mumble seated at her paws and gave a sigh before addressing those that had gathered.

"Thanks for coming, kids," Fin said, actually addressing all of the wolves and not just her own children, "We need to move the pups. The den is too small and too shallow to keep them from this cold, so we're taking them to a cave a little to the West of here." She gestured with her muzzle, though she realized they wouldn't know it unless they'd been there before. "We've sheltered there in the past during bad weather and  its big enough to fit the entire pack, and deep enough to keep everyone away the cold. It'll be safer for everyone to stay there together, at least until this cold snap... snaps." 

"Now some of you will notice that you have a puppy at your feet," Fin continued, her voice taking on a lighter tone in spite of the gravity of this situation, "I'm going to need you to pick it up and carry it to the cave. We need to keep them shielded from the wind as we move, so everyone is going to have to travel close together - Puppy holders in the middle, those without on the outside. Try to keep yourself positioned as best as you can to give us cover."

"Oh, and puppy carriers?" Fin added just before leaning down to pick up her own charge - @Oriole, "Please don't drop your puppy."

They weren't made to wait long; as Finley positioned herself next to him and Elwood shifted close to share warmth, their packmates and family members began to arrive. Sassafras, Eljay, Liffey, Lagan, and Gannet were all relatively prompt, and the sight of them bolstered Elwood's confidence. They were about to embark on a dangerous journey with their precious cargo, but he had faith in the wolves of Redhawk Caldera.

Raven quickly delivered a puppy to the feet of their designated carriers while Finley explained the situation to all that were present. Elwood nodded, shifting his gaze between the squirming puppies and the youths and adults that would be entrusted with their lives. "We got this, team," he said, giving a meaningful glance to Liffey and Lagan; Liffey, in particular, looked a little nervous, and he offered his children an encouraging smile as he moved to pick up @Towhee.

With the puppy securely in his mouth, he waited for the others to assemble and for the group to begin moving as a collective whole.

Sassafras would (thankfully) not be toting a puppy for very understandable reasons, but she still felt a creeping tingle of nerves surface as the pack set to leave for the cave that had been selected as their refuge for the foreseeable remainder of winter. She tried not to show concern beyond commitment, however, and attempted to satisfy herself with the knowledge that things would more than likely be fine once they got moving. She also knew there was no indication that weather conditions wouldn’t worsen before they got better, and relocating now, even in such cuttingly cold winds, was the best option they had.

She briskly shifted to manoeuver herself as a shielding body that would encircle the puppy carriers as a blast of wind ruffled her bladed ruff. The dark DeMonte-Sairensu silently praised her parents for their northern blood and steeled her focus to their impending task, poised and awaiting command.

She wasn't the whiny sort, especially not relative to some of her brothers and sisters. But when a cold, damp nose pressed against her relentlessly, forcing her awake, Towhee let out a long, loud mewl of protest. And when she was lifted, dropped, and then lifted again, she unleashed an unholy wail. She shivered uncontrollably where she swung from her godfather's jaws, already feeling the arctic air nipping at her ears, nose and toes.

It wasn't long after he arrived that mommy started calling out orders and he was given a puppy by Raven. He nuzzled Liffey's shoulder as he noticed instantly that she wasn't feeling too fly about the whole thing, and then picked up the puppy he'd been handed carefully.

Once he had his puppy picked up, he waited for all the other pups to be picked up and then for mommy or daddy to take the lead. He wasn't too sure where they were going since everything happened in such a rush, so he was just waiting for their commands before he'd make a move.

Gannet picked up on the concept easily enough and didn't complain when one of his sisters was laid at his feet. He bent down wordlessly and picked her up, firmly but gently.  He understood it both from hearing it said and from the nervous tingle that set to work in his legs - move fast.

When Finley or Elwood led off, he would follow closely behind, shielding his precious burden best he could.  He remembered where the dens were, if they were the same ones they had sheltered in during the locust storm, but they needed to travel in a tight-knit group for warmth.  Better to follow.

She had no clue what was going on, but Orca suddenly found herself in motion. An adult's mouth closed around her, only to set her down a moment later -- and then, just as she started to wriggle again (and was beginning to notice the cold air) she was picked up once more. She had never been one to protest, and wouldn't start now; as Gannet clasped her carefully in his jaws, she twitched her paws experimentally and gave a questioning peep, but aside from that was content to just be along for the ride.

Fast forwarding a smidgen :D

The carriers picked up their burdens without complaint and the burdens were picked up by the carriers with similar quiet. Finley took a breath and steeled herself for the cold before stepping forward out of the den.

It was worse than Finley had anticipated. The cold was one thing, but it was the wind that made her feel sick with anxiety. It struck her immediately that this was a terrible idea and she should never have listened to a child - one that by all accounts was an adult, but Fin being Fin simply couldn't see it. She wanted to move quickly, but instead they found themselves moving slowly and awkwardly all bundled together with part of the pack circling them like guppies bouncing along the wall of an aquarium. Fin did her best to tuck her chin against her chest and tilt her head towards her shoulder. It was an awkward position and her neck was quick to begin aching, but it was all she could do to try and shield Oriole further from Winter's claws.

But, in spite of the alpha's misgivings, a near spill when Finley stumbled over Liffey when she'd gotten a bit too shieldy was the only incident. She'd had to fight her instincts and remain with the pack when she'd spotted the cave in the distance. As desperate as she was to get her cargo safely in the warmth, she couldn't just bolt and leave the rest of them unprotected. So it was only once she ducked under the roof of the cave that she picked up her pace and trotted straight to the back of the shelter and dropped to the floor, setting Oriole down against her side and curling around him while he trembled fiercely.

Her heart was pounding as she licked his face and back to try and warm him, terrified that even now she might lose him. Even as the pack entered around her, her own pup was all she could consider for the moment. Once he had settled, the adoptive mother could panic about the rest of her kids.

The trek was extraordinarily unpleasant, made all the worse by the puppies' cries. That's what little kids did, she knew, and Raven was by now rather impervious to all their various noises of complaint. But these little whimpers and wails of distress, discomfort and pain stabbed her right through the heart. As they toiled and struggled against the elements, the Gamma wished she could just stop, gather all the babies beneath her and sit on them to keep them warm.

Instead, they kept moving, painstakingly, until they finally set foot in the cave. Raven likely jostled poor Titmouse as she bounded inside, shaking out her coat in a likely futile effort to warm up a little. She hastened to her godmother's side, gently dropping her baby brother and then swiftly curling up around him like an over-sized scarf. She made a point to lick his face and toes, the most likely parts of him to have fallen prey to frostbite. All the while, she tried to signal the rest of the pack closer with her bright yellow eyes, hoping they would get the message and huddle together as close as possible until the lot of them thawed properly.