Redhawk Caldera i fell heavy into your arms.

THREAD AMBUSH.

The thought had plagued her since their conversation with Sebastian and Andalusia. It was both the most brilliant and terrible idea she'd ever had, all in one. And for that reason, it had been difficult for her to even bring the topic up with her mate. But, eventually, her desperate determination to keep her children as safe as possible won out, and so she approached @Elwood near the shores of the Caldera's lake to speak with him about the topic.

"I had a thought," Fin started after their overly snuggly, loving greeting had finished, "About the kids... when we go to Blackfeather. I'm worried what will happen if things don't work out the way we hope..." She didn't like saying the words out loud, but, "Y'know... if we die."

The words made her pause to take a breath, but Fin continued after only a moment's hesitation. "They'll know we came from the Caldera, and you know they're spiteful enough to come here to wipe out the rest of the pack... The kids can't be here," she said, coming to the point that had bothered her for so many days, "We need to send them somewhere safe. And anyone that would stay back. And... I think we should name godparents for them. I know that whoever goes with them will protect the hell out of them, but.. I'd feel better if someone promised us that they would forever. In case we can't."

Shit, this whole thing sucked. Fin had never liked to consider unhappy hypotheticals. It had been terrible when she'd been so convinced that she would die giving birth to the twins and Lucy, and it was awful to be in a position again where she had to consider a future where she wouldn't be there to protect their wildlings. But just like then during the famine, it had to be done. As much as it upset her, her the safety and security of her kids was tantamount to anything else.

OMG, this thread slipped off my radar, oops!

There was a stark contrast between their affectionate greeting and Finley's somber words. Elwood gnawed on his lower lip as he considered her suggestion, knowing that she was right and hating the fact that their lives had come to this. It was all he could do not to pack up and leave the Teekon Wilds altogether, but he ultimately knew that there was nowhere that could be considered completely safe. There were more dangers out there than just Blackfeather.

"You're right," he said with some reluctance. And, because she had evidently already given this some thought, he pressed for more information. "Who do you have in mind? And where should they go?" In that moment, he sorely missed Peregrine and Fox; they would have been his first choice as godparents, but they were no longer here.

Elwood sobered at her abrupt segue. It pained her to see the look upon his face as they spoke of things that none of them had any desire to consider. She too began to think of Fox and Peregrine. Had they been alive, they would of course have been named godparents to the Wildlings, just as they had been all the others (I'm pretty sure). It wouldn't actually have done too much good in this situation, however. Wildfire was their blood, so they would have been on the front lines in taking Blackfeather out, with or without Drageda's aid. Hell, Fox probably would've destroyed the entire pack single-handedly before the rest had even realized she was gone.

Her mate asked the question she had known was coming, but in spite of her forsight, she hadn't actually decided her answer. That is, until the moment came and the name just popped right in. "Raven," she said, surprising herself even. She paused thoughtfully before adding with a slight frown, "Or Lagan, maybe. Although... Can a brother be a godparent too?" She shook her head lightly, brushing the thought away. "They both have played such a huge part in their lives already. I think even if we didn't name them, they would step into the role naturally on their own."

She peered at Elwood then, wondering what his thoughts were. She could think of no more obvious choice than this. It wasn't quite as ideal as when she and Elwood had been named godparents to the firebirds since Lagan and Raven weren't mates. But the pair seemed to like each other enough to not mind being tied to each other through the kids, and it wouldn't be permanent... Just until the wildlings were old enough to take care of themselves. Or.. maybe longer. These kids were likely to keep getting into trouble long after they reached adulthood.

He nodded slowly, considering Finley's suggestions. Both made perfect sense, even despite her query as to whether a sibling could be a godparent, too. He didn't see why not; in this case, Lagan was certainly capable of caring for his younger brothers and sister should that become a requirement.

"I think they're both good choices," Elwood said grimly. It was still unpleasant to think about, but it did bring him a small degree of relief to know that his children would be looked after in his absence. And the benefit was that both Raven and Lagan had seen Finley and Elwood step into the roles of godparent after Peregrine and Fox's death. They likely knew what their responsibilities would be.

He sighed a moment later. "I hate talking about this. I hate this whole thing," he admitted with a deep frown.

Elwood didn't give her a lot to go off of. She frowned slightly as she'd hoped for more feedback than just a melancholy acceptance of her suggestion. She knew that this was a hard topic, and she knew that it bothered her mate to have it. And that's why she wasn't entirely surprised when he admitted as much only a few seconds later, though it didn't make her all too willing to accept it from him.

"Can't say I'm a fan either," Fin said, only a little sharply, "But it's too late now to turn back and we have to figure this out before Drageda shows up at our borders." She didn't mean to scold, but it took too much for her emotionally to bring up the conversation topic - she didn't have the stamina now to pause in order to boost him up as well. She wasn't... Well. She wasn't Elwood, who would usually have had no problem whatsoever doing just that for her.

She took in a breath and let it go in a sigh, calming her nerves to continue. "I don't know where to send them. Probably North," she suggested, "The mountains bar the way to the West and Blackfeather lies to our East. I suppose they could always go South into the Wood and swing over to the Fen from there, but I don't know that the whole poisoned water thing has worked itself out yet." She paused for a moment, cursing herself for having let go of her scouting duties as they would have come in very handy now.

"Though... If they did go South and then East, they could slip past Blackfeather and head towards the Sunspire mountain range. They could find someplace there to shelter for a while until we send a messenger that all is safe. Or.. If it doesn't end up being safe, they could go further East and have the mountains between them and Blackfeather. They could head North to Drageda from there, although we'd have to check with Betty to make sure of where their territory is, exactly."

She hesitated, thinking again of their choice of Lagan and Raven as godparents. Neither of them particularly struck her as leaders capable of heading up this adventure. But Lagan could do it. She knew that he could step up when push came to shove. Plus, he was already a scout and so leading them into the Sunspire wouldn't be difficult for him. It was just the taking charge as... Well, as temporary alpha of their little band, that would stretch his abilities.

The sharpness in Finley's tone wasn't completely unfamiliar to Elwood, but it was still enough in that moment to snap him out of his funk. Wallowing and dwelling would do them no good at this point, and wishing that things were different wouldn't change a thing. In a rare role reversal of sorts, Finley told him to suck it up in not so many words and began to lay out their plans logically and thoughtfully.

If the situation hadn't been so dire, he might've taken a moment to marvel at how level-headed she sounded. Of course, this did involve the safety and welfare of her family -- so of course she would be taking it all very seriously. Elwood inhaled, filling his lungs with air and focusing his mind on what had to be done. He nodded as she detailed each option as to where their children and their caretakers could seek refuge. A lot of their pathways were blocked, but there were still a few routes they could feasibly take.

"North," he agreed, envisioning what little he knew of the Teekon Wilds in his mind. "Neverwinter Forest, maybe, if there's no one there. And that's on the way to the coast, so they could continue on to Drageda if it's necessary," he said, meeting Finley's gaze to gauge her opinion.

Elwood pulled his head back on straight, and for that she was thankful. He considered her suggestions, but chose a different tactic than the one she had begun to lean towards. She nodded her agreement, thinking on what other packs they might meet along the way. Blackfeather truly was the only pack that had ever been a threat to them, so she felt confident that as long as they steered clear of the Woods, they would be fine. It would be up to Lagan to find a path North that would not be so easy to track, if the enemy did eventually come after them.

"I think that's the best bet," Fin answered with a troubled nod before moving on. "We need to talk to them, I think. The sooner the better. Raven and Lagan first maybe, and then the rest of the pack," she paused briefly before adding, "Raven, Lagan and Towhee." The girl had not been named beta yet, but she was higher ranked than anyone else save Fin and Elwood themselves. She had earned the right to be included in the planning, or so the alpha had just now determined.

After some consideration, Finley agreed that Neverwinter Forest would perhaps offer their family the best shelter. Truthfully, though, once they sent the children and their guardians away, it would be completely up to the aforementioned guardians to forge their path and keep the puppies safe. They were putting the control in their hands, and while they trusted Raven and Lagan, it was still a difficult situation to swallow.

When she proposed that they alert the chosen godparents sooner rather than later, Elwood nodded his agreement. She mentioned Towhee, too, and as soon as her name rolled off of Finley's tongue, he knew that she was an important piece of the puzzle as well. "Now?" he asked, raising his brows as the question left his mouth.

wanna wrap up?

Elwood made his suggestion - a perfectly sound one. In fact, the same one she had been thinking herself in the moments before he'd said it. But once the word was spoken, her entire being rebelled against the whole idea. She stared blankly at him, her limbs going momentarily numb as it all crashed over her. Her mind reeled, screaming, raging, unrelenting, until... it just stopped. She breathed deep after a few seconds of complete silence, and she nodded.

"Let's go find them," Fin said softly, unmoving even though she knew that it was time to do so.

Ya! Tag is just for reference, Kat, so you can see where they filled Raven, Lagan, and Towhee in behind the scenes!

She agreed, although she refrained from making any moves just yet. Elwood, too, found himself hesitating. He looked out over the lake for a long moment, then shifted closer to Finley in order to wrap her in his embrace. "We're doing the right thing," he said, needing to hear the words just as much as she did.

When they couldn't prolong the inevitable any longer, they finally withdrew from each other's clasp and, with deep breaths and squared shoulders, set off to find Raven, Lagan, and @Towhee.