Redhawk Caldera I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.

They weren't supposed to leave the rendezvous site without an accompanying adult. They both knew that. But they were growing bigger and bolder every day, gaining confidence and perhaps a bit of youthful defiance too. Today, Towhee and @Phox took it upon themselves to sneak away from the safety of the clearing. The former led the latter straight toward the borders with the intention of performing a patrol in the hopes she could report back to the adults, who would be too busy being impressed by her initiative to scold her (wishful thinking, little bird).

They bounded along the borderline, her brother occasionally veering away to check out a neat-looking insect or rock. Towhee stayed fixed on the course, sweeping their surroundings with her darkening eyes. She only directed her attention elsewhere whenever Phox bumped against her to show her his latest discovery. Towhee met each of these with an affectionately indulgent smile. Apparently he was working on becoming something called a naturalist and while Towhee didn't truly understand the appeal, if it made Phox happy, it made her happy too.

Her frolicsome sidekick had wandered away again when something made the fur along Towhee's spine prickle. She slowed to a stop, pivoting on the spot for a 360° view. Partway through her spin, something absolutely clobbered her to the ground. She went down like a sack of potatoes, the rough impact knocking the wind out of her and leaving her struggling for breath. Towhee squirmed, gasping, kicking her legs against her assailant: a desperate, starving, three-legged coyote.

hope you don't mind this creeper!

There was an air of mystery this day-- oh, how it hung between the planes of his mortality and the torrents of his emotions. It tugged at something deep within him, something which had dissolved into an impish voice in the farthest tresses of his brain. Was it, childishness? The innocent desire for play and comfort, for something quiet and utterly his? His toes spread upon the mushy earth below, claws drawing water from its surface as he moved, slowly, and without purpose. The air was humid yet the day had sucked the life from it, stealing the heat it required to choke nostrils and throat. There was something extremely eerie which played with the borders of his mind. What a strange man he had become now, his history pleading something savage from his person, and yet here he was, an entirely different entity. Perhaps he had matured, or perhaps he had lost his edge, his passion? An inkling of irritation played with the beat of his darkened heart and he quickly concluded that this was not so, that his passion was an inferno to only grow, never burn out. There would always be something to feed upon, and he would find it. He would thirst for it all his life, and the work would bring him a purpose. 

He strolled easily through this land, one which he had strayed relatively far to come upon. He did not live here, not that he minded. That made everything all the more interest. Snake was pulled from his thoughts, suddenly. A pause, and angular head raised to the sky, nose pointed upwards towards the heavens, despite the fact that this man truly belonged down below. There was a scent upon the breeze which caught his attention and he followed it simply out of curiosity. The dark wolf was nearly hungry for some kind of action to take place. And oh how that hunger would be filled.

It seemed a darling little wolf had gotten herself into trouble with smaller canine, most likely a coyote, if Snake's eyes deemed correct. What fun this would be! 

"Would you like sssome help, darling?"  Playful voice came from the deepest caverns of his rib cage, thundering upwards through his throat and splaying forth like a sheet of ice. Monstrous body at first was hidden within the shadows, two emerald prisms dancing within the darkness in cheshire wonder; after a few moments he stepped into the open with a vigorous shake of his pelt. An eerie excitement clutched the massive beast's gut as he stepped ever closer. Black lips parted to reveal ivory fangs in a toothy, crooked smile, green eyes wide with a wicked, crazed gleam. Deciding he was close enough, Snake simply lowered his large body to sit and watch the young girl struggle with the coyote, his intentions, for now, unknown. "You look like you're having quite ssssome fun!" he called out, tone lilting and quite mocking, considering the situation. 

Nope, thanks for joining. Please feel free to PP the coyote. :)

Towhee neither saw nor heard the random observer, mostly because she was deaf but also because she was incredibly preoccupied with trying to get the coyote off her. Unbeknownst to her, the pup unleashed a sharp scream that carried across open borderlands and bounced off the nearby caldera. It certainly caught @Phox's attention. He began running toward the commotion only to stop short to send up an alarm for @Elwood, @Finley or any other available guardian.

Meanwhile, the skinny tripod of a coyote caught sight of the beastly black wolf on one side and the lanky black pup on the other. She was now outnumbered three to one. Realizing this, she quickly darted backward off Towhee and spun in the hope of making an escape. Despite her missing limb, she moved both swiftly and gracefully as she beat a hasty retreat.

Breathing heavily, Towhee sat up and shakily regained her feet. -Phox!- she signed a bit desperately at her brother, moving to join him. He signed her name and then told her to look behind her. Towhee did and felt the fur all along her spine prickle at the sight of the monster of a wolf lurking nearby, like some massive green-eyed shadow.

He's heading for Snake, but no contact has been made, just for clarity! :)

Elwood would kick himself for months afterward. He knew that he couldn't be everywhere all at once, but when he heard Phox's cry for help coupled with the more distant sound of Towhee's screams, his heart sank. He should have been there, even if it wasn't physically possible.

He raced towards the borders, realizing as he ran that the two puppies had managed to escape from the rendezvous site undetected. He swore under his breath and galloped faster, his paws flying over the grass with abandon.

He took in the scene with wide yellow eyes: the hastily retreating coyote, Phox and Towhee crouched together, and, worst of all, a large and unfamiliar wolf lingering in the background. While the stranger was seated, there was nothing promising about his presence. Elwood did not slow his pace; he barreled past his godchildren with a roar, aiming himself at the trespasser with teeth bared. If the other wolf did not retreat -- and fast -- the Alpha male planned to tear him to shreds.

The cry for help was like a bullet straight into Finley's chest. Without a second glance, she broke from cover and sprang straight past the small colony of pheasants she had been stalking. The birds fled, but the alpha was gone by the time they had even taken flight, her paws carrying her quickly as possible towards the borders.

When she arrived, it was to see the coyote fleeing and her mate throwing himself at the stranger who had trespassed on their lands. With a wild snarl, she sprang forward with the intention of joining Elwood and murdering the son of a bitch. But when her eyes fell on Phox and Towhee, she changed her path immediately. She moved to stand protectively over them, pulling them closer as her eyes darted across the landscape to make sure no one could touch them.

As she stood, bristled and snarling, it wasn't Fidget and Teehee she was protecting. It was Lucy. And the black monster her mate was fighting was the same that had stolen her little girl so long ago.

"KILL HIM," Finley barked savagely to her mate, not a drop of mercy in her voice.

if you'd like to catch up to him and beat him up a bit, feel free lmao. he probably deserves it. 

Green eyes narrowed slightly, and a look of vague annoyance flickered across the serpent's face. Why was he being ignored? Why hadn't the pup answered him? How boring. The smirk dangling from black lips faltered and dipped down into a frown for a moment before once again curling into a smile as the young wolf let out a sharp noise.  "My, my, the little one isss certainly loud," Snake crooned in reply. Another small wolf joined the female, and the two seemed to be conversing, in a certainly interesting way.  Ah, perhaps she couldn't hear, and wasn't purposely trying to ignore him. Snake would let her off for that.  "Oh, another friend? How fun thisss isss!"  he called out to the two, as they both seemed to notice his appearance. Yet again, that wicked smirk grew impossibly large upon his narrow muzzle. 

The coyote, apparently now noticing that it didn't exactly have a chance anymore, tore away from the young female and made for an escape. The obsidian pelted man noticed this, and emerald eyes flickered in the direction of the creature. On his paws a heartbeat later, he planned to go after the smaller canine, an excited gleam in his dark eyes. If no one was going to die today, perhaps he'd just have to go ahead and be the one to spill blood.

Seems his plans were to change, however. How unfortunate. 

The first wolf to bowl towards him was smaller than Snake, with a monotone colored pelt, and as he got closer, the black beast could tell his eyes were yellow in color. A crazed giggle tore through his throat, erupting past his jaws and falling into the air. The sound was seemingly childish, harmless, but the look in those wild green eyes was anything but. Snake darted away from the other male, attempting to keep away from sharp teeth, springing left and right quiet gracefully with long stilted legs.  "My, you certainly want to cut to the chassse!" he called backwards to the male with a mad cackle, turning his head over his shoulder.  "I haven't even done anything yet!"

He planned to speak to the man again, but a woman joined them not long later, racing to stand over the pups. He barked out a sharp laugh as she spoke, and turned his head to call out mockingly, "A sssshame! Are you perhapsss too afraid to kill me yourssself?" The s's of his words lay drawn out, nearly adding to the teasing tone of his voice. Every few moments he would turn around to glance at the other male at his heels, but did not flee, merely stayed slow enough to keep him following, and made large circles.

So many things happened in the next few moments, which was especially disorienting for Towhee, who could not hear any of the verbal exchanges. But suddenly Elwood and Finley were both there, the former springing toward the trespasser while the latter came to hover protectively over the pups. Towhee sidestepped and crouched, heartened by her brother's warmth pressed against her shoulder and hip. With her body ducked in such a way, she could peer between her godmother's legs to see what was transpiring between the Alpha male and the trespasser.

-Outsider,- she signed without thinking, eyes narrowing as she watched the altercation unfold. She couldn't hear the stranger's taunts, nor read his lips from this distance, but the dangerous tension was palpable, as was the ire rolling off the Alphas in waves. Towhee responded instinctively to these cues, her hackles prickling and her tail beginning to lash, its feathery length brushing against Phox. Now that she had recovered from the coyote's sudden attack, her blood bubbled with indignation and an undeniable need to protect what was hers: her family members, the territory, their pack.

Never in her life had Towhee spoken out loud, save for quiet moments with Raven where they worked on her pronunciation, the girl's voice never louder than a low whisper. Suddenly, she bellowed, "GET! OUT!" The words came out sounding as if she had a mouth full of rocks but they were still mostly discernible, as was her intention as she weaved out from behind the Alpha female and ran fearlessly (and stupidly) toward the large black wolf, aiming to maul his closest ankle.

Had it not been for Finley's fierce cry, Elwood might not have noticed her presence at all. His attention was wholly focused on the trespasser, who merely grinned as the grey Alpha bore down on him. The other wolf was large and dark, and his movements were fluid as he loped away from Elwood, not appearing to take the situation seriously. This only served to make Elwood's blood boil even more, and he snarled as he accelerated.

There was a garbled yell from behind him, and while he couldn't quite make out what had been said, it had clearly come from one of the puppies. He hardly realized that Towhee had just spoken her first words, and it was by complete coincidence that he spat out the same two syllables a moment later. "Get out," he said, slowing but not giving up his chase just yet; he followed the interloper doggedly, hackles standing in a broad ridge along his spine as he moved at a stiff-legged gait.

He snapped his teeth in an agitated manner, his eyes never leaving the other male.

Had this one not been threatening her family, Finley probably would still have wanted to kill him. The more he spoke, the more difficult she found it to keep herself from charging him herself. She was paranoid still that someone would sneak up on her and take the kids if she left them, and it was the only thing that kept her still. Well, that and she had faith that her mate would do the murdering for her.

Her snarl deepened as the stranger attempted to egg her on. It simply convinced her all the more that this was part of a plan to get to her babies for why else would this psychopath be trying to earn himself a second attacker? Fin moved her arm protectively to pull Phox in closer and moved her muzzle down to do the same with Towhee. As she leaned down to the little girl, however, she was met with a sharp knock against her chin as Towhee broke cover. Fin's eyes widened as the pup's words echoed in her ears and she watched the girl dashing away from her, headed right towards the fight.

Now it was really difficult for Fin to stay put. "Towhee, no!!" she barked, knowing perfectly well that the pup would never hear her. In a panic, she reached to grab Phox's scruff as he too attempted to race after his sister. She pushed him down onto the ground and forced him into submission to ensure he wouldn't be going anywhere before her head snapped up and she shouted to her meat, "Elwood, behind you!  Stop her!!" Even if it meant the trespasser ran off without a  scratch, it didn't matter as long as her kids were safe.

The pup shouted to Snake, her words what may have been a jumbled mess, but the man understood her [mostly] nonetheless. A dark chuckle bubbled subtly in the monsterous wolf's throat, producing a hoarse rattling laugh to slither up his chords and spill quietly from his mouth.  "Sssso the girl can ssspeak!"  he called out, that wild grin still in place on his muzzle. He did not notice that she had begun to move in his direction, as his gaze flickered to the man giving chase. 

When the man he supposed was the Alpha of this land, spoke, Snake let loose a cackle. The male continued to follow, eyes following Snake intently, but his pace had slowed the slightest bit. The massive black beast did the same, although he kept his distance and looked ready to continue the chase if the need arose once more. "Get out? But I've only just arrived! There'sss no fun in that, isss there?"  A mock pout settled upon his face, drawing his lips down in a frown, although the look in his eyes proved that he was indeed teasing.

Snake looked as though he were going to speak again, but the female shouted to the man, and at the words 'behind you', he glanced behind him, despite the fact that the words were indeed not directed at him. Only then did he see the pup. 

A cruel smirk crawled over his lips once more as his green gaze caught sight of the small girl from earlier, barreling into his direction. Her teeth connected with the flesh of his hind ankle, and he made no move to stop her, simply drew in a breath of air as her fangs found purchase and drew blood.  "What sssharp little teeth you have there, darling. But I'm afraid,"  he began, lifting his leg and hoping to drop her onto the ground and fling her away. "that you are indeed a fool."  Snake intended to simply place a massive paw upon her body to pin her to the ground, but if she got away in time, he would not give chase. One of the Alpha's would surely be on him in a moment, and Snake decided if he were to leave, he should probably do it soon.

A furious bloodlust welled up in the pup's breast when her teeth connected with the trespasser's ankle, breaking the skin easily as she clamped. Towhee made to begin shaking her head but the wolf flexed his limb and flung her away as if she was nothing but a small, inconsequential nuisance. The pup landed with an audible oof! noise but immediately began climbing back to her feet. She wasn't quick enough, however, to avoid a massive black paw pressing her back to the ground and pinning her there like a bug in a collection. Her eyes went wide for a split second before they narrowed and she began hissing, spitting, snarling and attempting to violently wriggle free.

At the sound of Finley's shout, Elwood dragged his gaze away from the black wolf. He looked back at his mate, watching in confusion as she pinned Phox to the ground, and then he became aware of a small, dark blur in his peripheral vision. Before he could do anything about it, Towhee raced past him and propelled herself at the trespasser.

Elwood froze in place for an instant, unable to move as he watched his goddaughter land a bite on the male's foreleg. With little effort, the stranger shook her free and then trapped her against the ground with his paw. Though Towhee struggled valiantly, she was obviously no match for the much larger wolf.

There wasn't even time for Elwood to truly process what had just happened; his paws carried him swiftly towards Towhee and, with jaws spread wide, he launched himself at the interloper.

I'm making assumptions and doing a little PP in order to keep my post from being just "Fin watched" lol. If there are any issues with this, please please please let me know and I can edit!

Elwood spun, but he was too late to grab Towhee and keep her from launching herself at the stranger. Finley felt herself shaking with the effort to stay put over Phox as her goddaughter connected with the stranger's leg with a savage snarl. In a flash, the black wolf had her pinned the ground, and suddenly, Finley broke.

She shot forward like a bullet from a gun, making a beeline for the struggle. Elwood was launching himself at the black wolf and though Finley's instincts screamed at her to do the same, she reached for Towhee. As the black wolf was pitched backwards, Fin grabbed the scruff of her niece's neck and dragged her out of harm's way. She turned her back on the fray as it proceeded, much as it pained her to do so, intent on driving her niece back to where Phox remained huddled. Fin was not letting anything happen to either of them - a fact that she made clear with the I am not taking your shit attitude that dripped from her every move as she attempted to herd the child back.

Emerald eyes gazed down at the pup as she struggled, and the mad man considered pressing down with his weight to one paw, before deciding against it. The male from before was already making his way towards him, and Snake wouldn't have time to get away if he stayed to play with the small girl. With a small giggle, he hopped backwards and took off away from the man, whose teeth came a little too close for comfort, yanking out onyx fur and tearing into skin in the process. One stilted leg kicked backwards, hoping to connect with perhaps the other's head so he would release him, and so Snake could flee. He decided he wouldn't be coming back here for a while. Although, having a meeting with that little girl when she grew older would certainly be a fun task.

Speaking of the child, much to his dislike, where her teeth had torn into supple flesh, blood gathered gently into obsidian fur, clumping together what little fur grew on his ankle. It stung, and whenever his foot touched the ground, irritation flashed through his mind. "Perhapsss it isss time for me to go," Snake hissed, tone teasing, although malevolence lay beneath the words. He was pissed, and it showed in his gaze.

There was a flurry of movement around Towhee, though she scarcely noticed, since she was still busily fighting for her freedom. Then, suddenly, something wrenched her free from the interloper's grasp. She felt the sting of teeth burrowing into the loose skin at the back of her neck and instinctively went limp, although she was much too large to be carried and was instead dragged rather unceremoniously across the ground. Just as abruptly, she found herself dumped beside a shaken-looking Phox.

From here, Towhee could see that the black stranger had started to retreat, Elwood still hot on his heels. The pup licked her lips and lunged forward, only to check herself and peer back at Finley. If looks could kill, the Xi might have withered on the spot. Instead, she pressed herself to the ground and remained very still. She didn't even have to sign; everything about her body language said, "I'm sorry." All the same, her eyes fixed forward, tracking the outsider's movements and silently rooting for the Alpha male to catch and kill him.

While Elwood did not land a puncturing bite on the stranger, he felt fur bristling between his teeth and was both satisfied and dissatisfied with the outcome. From somewhere beneath him, Finley managed to snatch Towhee away and pull her to safety. Knowing that his goddaughter was out of harm's way, Elwood continued his crusade, just to be met in the next instant with a blow to his face.

It stopped him only briefly, perhaps giving the male a head start. Either way, he recovered quickly and was after him once more, determined to drive him out of Redhawk Caldera once and for all. Despite the brief scuffle, the wolf still called out in a taunting voice. "Then go," Elwood replied with a snarl, snapping his teeth once more in the trespasser's direction.

The death glare seemed to do the trick with Towhee who cowered beside her brother after spotting it. Satisfied, she allowed her gaze to shift back to Elwood to watch as he pushed the stranger further from their territory. She would not move them back to the rendezvous site for their bum whoopins until her mate had kicked the bastard's ass and could return back with them.

Skipping Snake (and assuming he ran off) due to his removal!

Elwood eventually forced the stranger away from their borders and the brute vanished into the distance. Towhee leered at his back, a little upset that he had escaped with his life. Why wasn't her uncle chasing after him until he caught him and killed him? The child knew better than to ask, especially right now. Neither godparent looked particularly pleased and she knew their anger wasn't directed only at the trespasser.

-We chased off a coyote!- Towhee tried to tell them to help her case. She shot Phox a wild, desperate look. Neither Alpha appeared placated, so she pressed herself even closer to the ground and muttered miserably (and barely understandably) her third word: "Sorry..."

Finally, Elwood was successful in removing the stranger from their territory. While he hadn't engaged in any physical combat, he was agitated and tired, and he stood stiff-legged for a long time until the unknown male was long gone. He did eventually turn and stalk back towards his family, hackles still bristling, although his ire wasn't directed at either puppy. They shouldn't have snuck away from the rendezvous site without an escort, but they had simply ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, Elwood's nerves were too frayed to do any of the scolding himself; he would leave that to Finley.

Although his expression wasn't pleased as he loomed over Phox and Towhee, he leaned down to press a kiss between the ears of each pup. To Finley, he murmured, "Tag, you're it," indicating that she would be responsible for their punishment. And then he began to move back towards the rendezvous site, pausing to ensure that they would follow him.

Finley prickled unpleasantly as the stranger disappeared into the plains that stretched around their territory. She watched as Elwood turned to head back their way, but her gaze moved quickly to the two little wolves with the grand ideas about their own capabilities. They both looked thoroughly guilty - a look that only deepened as her mate came to stand at her side.

Elwood - the damn softy - gave them both a stern look, but then planted kisses upon them both and left them in Finley's peets. She frowned at him as he began to head back inland. Typical dad move... Her eyes slipped back to her inherited children. She didn't really have any sort of punishment in mind - the anticipation of punishment seemed to be torment enough for the pair.

"March," she told them, a quick flick of her muzzle gesturing in Elwood's direction. The two turned and they all headed back while Fin considered all the ways she might guarantee better behavior from them in the future.