Dragoncrest Cliffs Leap of faith

Wildfire knew that relocating meant a new measure of freedom, yet she stayed close those first few days to make sure the children were comfortable and safe. When she woke from a midday nap to discover a pack mate playing tag with all three, the Bandrona felt a little protective twinge but quickly quashed it. She watched, managing a small smile as she watched Artaax, Blixen and Robin happily interacting with a fellow member of Drageda. She realized they were now settled into Hougeda.

"I'm going to head out for a little bit," she said to her pups' playmate, the implication clear: will you keep an eye on them? She expected one or more of the kids to raise a fuss about her departure but they barely paid attention, too caught up in the excitement of their game evidently. Although this made Wildfire's heart pang, she turned and padded out of the caves, heading out to the nearby beach for starters. She walked along the dunes, breathing in the bracing sea air and simply enjoying the pleasure of her own company.

Dipping and weaving among the currents and draughts, the magpie soared upon the warm coastal breezes, delighting herself in the simple pleasure of flying. She had to admit, she enjoyed the warmer months. Bugs and berries were abundant, many of the wolves had young puppies she could tease play with, and a certain calm had settled over the Wilds. When was life ever difficult for a magpie, though?

Shiv looped once in the air before alighting upon a beach, landing squarely on a piece of bleached driftwood. She pecked at it curiously before deciding it was not worth her time, looking up just in time to see a red-cloaked figure pad out onto the sand. With a tilt of head, the magpie tried to sum up the creature. A fox? What was a fox doing so close to the ocean? She hopped to the very end of her perch and stared eagerly at it, releasing a short chirp to capture its attention.

For a while, her mind remained empty as Wildfire simply savored the peace and beauty of her surroundings. Slowly, though, thoughts began to trickle into the forefront. Her family had moved onto a new phase of life. The last one had been challenging—especially those dark early days—but she knew it would be even more intense in the coming weeks. She would have more help, it was true, but it was still Wildfire's (and her mate's) responsibility to raise these pups and integrate them into the pack. They would have to be fully weaned soon, then kept fed throughout their rapidest of growth periods.

It would give her an excuse to do a lot of small game hunting, a thought which arched Wildfire's lips as she strode along the dunes. Then a noise scattered her thoughts and she blinked her amber eyes at a magpie perched on a piece of driftwood nearby. She looked around for a moment—the beach was otherwise empty—then back to the bird with a sort of Who, me? look on her face.

The fox — no, the wolf! — seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, which gave Shiv ample time to inspect her from afar. She was smaller than usual, with a ruddy coat and a heavy, sickeningly sweet aroma that wafted towards her over the stinging scent of sea salt. The magpie cocked her head slightly with another confused chirp, perking up as the female suddenly noticed her. "Girl is a wolf, yes?" she called out, simply wanting confirmation of her suspicions.

The Bandrona blinked rapidly when the bird spoke to her in the common tongue of beasts. She wasn't exactly surprised—birds were supposedly very intelligent, particularly ravens and their closest ilk—but she couldn't remember if she'd ever conversed with one. She vaguely recalled trying to befriend an owl in her youth and she felt like there were other instances she was simply forgetting due to the passage of time. That she was old enough to experience a rolling blackout from her earliest months sort of stumped her right then.

Then Wildfire remembered that the bird had spoken and what it (she?) had said. "Um... yes?" she called back, inching closer. The magpie did not seem in the least afraid, though she approached cautiously all the same. She wondered if she should introduce herself but it seemed sort of weird. She was still getting used to the idea of conversing with an entity outside of her own species.