Blacktail Deer Plateau rude awakening [m]

Anybody is welcome, but one quick poster is preferred to keep things moving along. This takes place the day after Perry brings her into the pack, and I believe he would have mentioned her presence to the other pack members so they don't try and eat her. Also! The first part of this (in italics) is a dream.
To readers: this thread gets hot and heavy at post #22.

Fox awoke parched, smacking her lips with her tongue and rolling from where she had fallen asleep the night before, Perry wrapped around her. But he was no longer here. For a moment, she panicked, but the yearling reminded herself that this was his home, not hers, and he likely had other duties to attend to. She could not recall why she was here, but she did not put too much thought into it, either. Instead, she arose from her place on the ground, picked a direction, and began padding at a steady pace. She hoped to hit water.

She arrived at the creek's edge, oddly amused at how she'd gotten back home so quickly. Across the way, she saw Haunter's looming figure standing there, one ear missing, as it always had been. She smiled at him, and then began paddling toward him. But the current was too strong, and she only realized this when she was halfway across. “Just like Lethe,” was her final thought before the water enveloped her and she began breathing in buckets full of water.

Grey eyes shot open and she gasped for breath as she rolled onto her side. Fox's heart was pounding and her body was sore from her head to the tip of her tail. "Only a dream," she told herself, the flood of the past week's events filling her mind as quick as the water had filled her lungs in the dream. But she was parched, and she needed to find something to eat. With an eerie sense of deja vu, Fox picked a direction and began slowly working her way to the east.

Ghostface awoke when she heard a sound in the camp. She poked her head out of the den to see their special guest, Fox walking out. Following the other she-wolf, she hoped to get to know the alpha better. "Hello," she said, a pleasant smile creeping across her face. "I am Ghostface, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

She walked beside the pleasantly rustic colored alpha, not making eye contact, but also searching the alpha's unique pelt. Fox was walking right towards the creek, and Ghostface had had a dream about the creek. It was weird.

She had been walking towards the creek, when she saw her deceased mother coming towards her. She raced forward to greet her, making it halfway across the stream, before she slipped and tumbled down-stream, not able to breath. She had woken up after that, heavily breathing and staring out into the world. "You are heading to the creek," she told the alpha, not sure if she knew or not.

Fox stared blankly at the other female who greeted her as Ghostface. Apparently, Peregrine had thought it fit to tell the entire pack about her presence here. So much for laying low. The yearling merely grunted in response, not really in a talking mood, and wondering if the other girl would take the hint. After a few more paces, it seemed obvious that Ghostface was doing no such thing, and instead insisted on following her.

Fortunately for the girl, Fox didn't have any more fight left in her. She only wanted to find some water, some food, and @Peregrine. Surely he could not have gone far. Then again, should she really be expecting him to tend to her? She was a rival, for gods' sake, and he was basically allowing her comforts he would allow a fellow pack-mate. Not just that, but a really close pack-mate.

"You are heading to the creek," chirped Ghostface, and Fox shot her a cautionary glance with the flick of her tail. “No, I’m not,” she replied. That was the last place she wanted to go. Instead, Swiftcurrent's alpha was merely searching for sustenance.

"Oh, sorry. That is the direction you are heading in, though. I will leave you be, if you want me to." The tall she-wolf took the hint from Fox's grunt. Dropping back, she headed towards a part of the creek a little farther away from the Fox character. She had looked like she was too weary to pounce on a mouse if it came right up to her.

Reaching the creek, Ghostface took a nice long drink, then looked across the creek. She saw another wolf on the other side. Her mother. She had completely forgotten her dream now, and started to head towards the short and stocky she-wolf.

When she was half-way across the stream, she slid on a mossy rock, and fell into the deeper part of the creek. Tumbling down-stream, she clawed at the bank, spluttering. She needed air and fast. Reaching the bank, she hauled her front half out, her back-end dangling in the water. She clawed her way up the bank and tried to find a spot to rest, when she saw Fox again.

Peregrine came and went as Fox slept most of the time, presumably because she was physically recuperating and mentally exhausted. He knew how that went. Each time he returned, he brought with him a small bit of food from one of the pack's caches. This time, his offering was a fat squirrel, which he carried by its tail, leaving the body to swing like a pendulum.

When he arrived at her little campsite, she wasn't there. He dropped the squirrel and followed her scent trail, which led eastward. He found her fairly quickly and glided up alongside her, touching his nose to her hip before stopping parallel with her and tipping his black head.

"Looking for something to drink?" he guessed, then motioned for her to follow and padded toward a small creek nearby. Oblivious to his pack mate upstream, he stood on the shore and turned halfway, inviting his guest to drink.

Since Ghostface is inactive for the time being, and no longer really in the scene, I'm going to ignore her presence.

"Looking for something to drink?" His voice was a welcome one, and Fox felt a wave of relief flow over her. “I... yes,” she replied, eyes darting to the leg he favored. She couldn't recall why it had been injured or even if he had told her at all. Perry didn't seem the type to go looking for trouble. At least not in the same way that Fox had been doing. When he guided her toward the small stream, she wondered if this was what that Ghostface had been speaking of. Fox had assumed she meant Swiftcurrent Creek.

Bending at the elbow, Fox touched her nose to the water briefly before she began drinking. And drink she did. It was a full two minutes before she'd had her fill. Fox felt like she was just a balloon full of water when she finally stopped lapping up the muddy water, and she settled onto her haunches, looking blankly at the pebbles beneath her feet. Fox wanted to say something to Peregrine. Thank him or ask him for advice... anything, but the words wouldn't come to her, no matter how hard she tried.

While she took her fill, Peregrine looked downstream. He only turned back toward Fox when he heard her stop drinking and backpedal to sit down. He shifted to face her, then did the same, his dusky blue-green eyes lingering concernedly on her pretty red face.

She didn't say anything, so neither did he, at least for a moment. Eventually, he did speak, though he didn't press her for any further details about the situation at hand. Instead, he simply said, "There's a fat squirrel waiting for you back at your little campsite. Wanna head back?"

Fox was beginning to wonder if she would ever feel "normal" again. True, it had only been two days and two nights since she had lost Haunter, but it was by far the greatest loss she had even experienced. It hurt in a way she could not even begin to explain, and she dare not bring it up to Peregrine, for fear that it would unleash something else entirely in her. Instead, she walled off that section of her emotions for now, preferring to stick to one difficult thing at a time. The Sunspire had to be dealt with, and Fox could not wait much longer. A day or two at most.

“I have to go to The Sunspire,” she blurted, failing to answer his question. “Not now, but… soon, very soon.” One way or another, she had to get Magpie and Leaf back to the safety of Swiftcurrent Creek. The sleep had recharged her mind and body, and a plan was already forming in her pea-brain. “I’m going to take their place.” It was not a question, not a request for permission, but a statement. “I’m the one they want, Perry. I have to do it.”

Only once she had stopped talking did she glance back in his direction. “Squirrel sounds good.” She wasn't sure if she wanted him to try and talk her out of it or not. Actually, there were way more things that were uncertain that certain right now, and it unnerved Fox. However, she knew that she had to go take the place of the two captives, whether Peregrine liked it or not.

Although she didn't answer him verbally, they began to walk back in that direction. Fox abruptly began talking about The Sunspire again. She told him she must go there and trade herself for the wolves they'd taken captive. He listened, his ears falling backward to show what he thought of that idea.

Of course he would try to talk her out of it. "That's stupid," he said bluntly. "I fail to see how your approach will do any good. What'll happen to you? Nothing good." He felt an icy finger press against his spine. "Your pack will be bereft of its leader and then they'll probably just recapture Magpie and Leaf and probably others once the creek's weakened. Hell, they could try to invade while they're leaderless."

He tried to think of what he would do in this situation. It was difficult to comprehend, as Peregrine tended to consider individuals versus entire packs. "How many are there of you and how many are there of them?" he pressed as they walked, determined to figure out an alternative strategy that did not involve Fox sacrificing herself.

He protested, as she had thought he would. If anything, Peregrine was gallant. Perhaps too much for his own good. He did make good points, but she couldn't see any other way around it. Fox was determined to get those two back safely to the creek, ignoring any concern about her own health and safety. But when he mentioned that they may attack the creek in her absence, her heart sank. She couldn't stand the thought of it, and she had the urge to bolt right back home in that instant.

“We have… many,” she replied, never remembering exactly how many they held in their ranks. “We outmatched them two to one for quite some time, but I believe things are not as uneven now.” Fox furrowed her brow as they continued to walk to her temporary camp. “But I know their wolves haven’t been there as long. They don’t know each other like the creek wolves do.” Fox had always been proud of the longevity of those who were among her ranks. Tuwawi, Njal, and Bazi had easily been there the longest, and there were several others who had been there for at least two moons.

“What if…” she trailed off, trying to think of some way to get Magpie and Leaf back without giving herself up in return. That was always a last resort, of course, and she would do it, but maybe there was something else she could try first. “What if I tell The Sunspire that I will move away from them?” she asked. While Fox was fervently attached to her home base, she was more attached to the wolves who lived there. It was possible not all would follow her, but Bazi was a capable leader and could take over the reigns of the creek. Perhaps with Scimitar at her side. Fox would take those who wished to follow her to some new land, far away from The Sunspire and the madness which she had caused. A fresh start. Tuwawi and Njal would likely stay, due to the age of their children, but Fox had realized quite some time ago that neither of them had been fond of her politics.

When she said they numbered many, his lips parted to propose a war party. Before he could say anything, she mentioned that the odds had evened and not favorably for the creek. Now his lips pressed together in consternation. Given the longevity of the creek, it still seemed like they would have an advantage if they attempted to raid The Sunspire and reclaim their pack mates.

Yet he waited for her to finish and Fox suddenly went in an unexpected direction. Peregrine felt a protest bubbling to his lips. If anyone should move, it should be this newer enemy pack. It then occurred to him that Fox perhaps only meant herself and had no intention of relocating her entire pack. He failed to see how that would solve the problem but the swarthy Alpha couldn't help but spot the opportunity.

"Just you?" he queried, then without waiting for an answer, proposed, "You could move here. I'd like that." There was a very soft look in his eye when he said it. But then he was forced to admit, "I don't see how you leaving the creek will help. They'll still be in close quarters with this enemy pack. But if you think that personally leaving your post will inspire this Sunspire pack to relinquish their captives, then... maybe all three of you could come here."

Perry's suggestion took her by surprise, and she stopped and gaped at him for a beat. She had known for quite some time that they had something going, but the offer to move to the plateau... she was less certain about that outcome. Although she had screwed up miserably on numerous occasions, she had found that she liked leading her comrades. It was exciting, and while she wasn't the most responsible leader in the world, she didn't think she had done so poorly that she could simply step away from it in the capacity that Peregrine spoke of.

“The Sunspire’s main beef is with me,” she said, “You know how I am.” Perry's first impression of her had been the image of her squatting on his borders, after all. Fox continued walking toward her camp, trying to formulate some plan that would make everybody happy. Or at least not pissed off.

“What if…” she trailed off, putting the words together carefully before she spoke them, “What if you came away with me?” she asked. “I think we could make something awesome together, you and I. Your children are old enough that it’s feasible, and we could lead alongside one another.” The thought sparked something in her chest. The loss of Haunter was still heavy in her heart, but Fox was not one to linger long on death, and she had never promised herself to him in that capacity (although she had always secretly hoped that they would make a thousand babes together).

“We could gather a few more to follow us, and leave behind all this… this sadness.”

Normally, he would have smirked knowingly at her remark, yet all Peregrine could manage today was a bob of his head and a slight snort. They arrived at her campsite and his eyes dropped to the squirrel, then lifted to her face when she began to speak again. Curious, the Alpha male pricked an ear even as he sat.

There was, of course, part of him that fell in love with the idea immediately. However, there were many more parts of him that tethered him firmly to the plateau: his kids, his brother, Lasher... just to name a few. Peregrine did not answer right away. He let the thought sink into his brain and play out in his head a bit. Most of all, he was in love with the idea of making babies with this woman, even if she hadn't mentioned that part explicitly.

If he'd had hands, he might have cupped her face. Instead, he leaned in close and held her gaze as he said, "It's a very pretty idea and you... you are a very pretty woman," in a soft voice. Finally, his lips twitched into what could only be called a ghost of a smile. "But I'm not sure that running away into the sunset would solve the problems at hand here. I propose a compromise, though: you move here and become my last co-leader. You bring your reclaimed captives with you and everybody's happy."

Of course, that last part wasn't quite true. Peregrine now looked at Fox searchingly, wondering at her use of the term sadness. He had yet to tell her the news, yet somehow she'd picked up on it anyway. He decided now would be the proper time to inform her of his loss.

"Fox, I lost Osprey recently. She drowned." He let that hang in the air momentarily before continuing. "That's why I sympathize with your own loss... but nothing would make me sadder than leaving my home, my family and everything I've built here. Even with a foxy lady like yourself beside me..." Now Peregrine managed a smile, albeit a sad one. "I can never leave the plateau. I've lived here, I've loved here. I became a father here, lost a child here. Most importantly of all, my little girl is buried here. I will never leave this plateau," he finished with a slight apology in his tone.

These two right now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irresistible_force_paradox

When he paused to consider her offer, she wondered which way he would swing. For a moment, she thought he was about to agree to her suggestion, however, the word "but" shot down her idea as quickly as she had thought of it. Well, not exactly "shot down," but he didn't exactly agree to it, either. Fox didn't understand why he wouldn't just do whatever she told him to. But perhaps that was part of her attraction to him. She wasn't sure how she felt about being handed a spot in the plateau's leadership. How would she gain the respect of his followers? Then again, she'd basically been handed leadership on a silver platter before, so how was this any different?

As she contemplated his offer, he began speaking again, though the subject was entirely different. She realized then that she wouldn't couldn't try to tear him away from his home. “Perry, I didn’t...” she stuttered. “I’m so sorry.” She knew that he and Hawkeye had ended things some time ago, but the news that Osprey had passed on was heart-wrenching. Fox had only met the girl once, but it was enough to know that Perry had loved her dearly.

“I need time to think,” she said, eyeballing the squirrel with ravenous eyes. “And eat.” Fox was still undecided, and she was not sure when she would be ready to make her choice. Talking to Perry had only made more choices appear. And she would need to consult with both The Sunspire and Swiftcurrent Creek before any final decision was made. For now, her plan was to offer up some kind of proposal to The Sunspire after speaking privately to Bazi, and perhaps the rest of the creek, depending on how their conversation went.

And that's why I love their dynamic. :)

Even as she spoke, he said, "I know," and then, "Thank-you." He understood perfectly her need for both time and sustenance, so he gestured for her to go ahead and eat. He wasn't in any particular hurry, nor did he want to linger on the subject of Osprey's death for longer than necessary.

He watched her, his old crush resurrecting with sudden force. He felt a little guilty because of his relationship with Lasher. Somehow, though, he didn't think his lover would mind; he was much too selfless. And Lasher was Peregrine's favorite dirty secret, so he wasn't about to cast him away either, no matter what transpired with Fox or any other woman. Of course, he would never be able to tell his mate, should he ever take one again... Peregrine was presently convinced he could never go public (or even semi-public) about his feelings toward Lasher.

Gently, he set these thoughts aside. Still he continued to stare at the delicate arch of Fox's swan-like neck. Despite his sadness, he found himself wanting to sidle up next to her, preen her fur, kiss her face and neck, convince her to stay here with him and take him up on his offer. Peregrine got as far as moving to stand beside her, his nose skimming lightly from her hipbone to her shoulder, before he hesitated. He withdrew, managing a very small, quiet and patient smile as the tip of his tail twitched as if to suggest his subtle, carnal hunger.

Oh Perry, haha.

When he motioned toward the squirrel, Fox dove into it without so much as a moment's hesitation. She crunched the bones as if they were crackers, and chewed the entrails as if they were gummy worms. When she took her last bite and swallowed it, she followed it up with a ladylike burp. That is, if burps could be ladylike at all. She had been ready to settle down and take a nice, long nap, but before she could do so, Peregrine was close beside her, touching her in a way that was... well, much like the way she had been treated by Haunter.

She wasn't quite sure how to process it, and in doing so pulled away from him with a sidestep. Instead of calling him out on it, Fox gave him a smile that said it all: there was one more thing she needed to get out. “Peregrine,” she said, using his unshortened name to convey the force of the request she was about to ask of him, “Can you go to the creek? Or send somebody? And tell Bazi that I am here? She is my Beta, and I cannot make a decision without her. It would mean the world to me. Nobody else at the creek needs to know where I am, but I must speak with her.”

"Fox," he replied as she sidestepped, thinking she meant to tease him. His eyes quickly sharpened when he saw the serious look on her face and he set aside his desirous thoughts. In any event, her proposition effectively dampened any libidinous impulses.

"You know I don't mess around with other packs," he said slowly, after taking a moment to think. He felt torn. "You know I'm here for you, as an individual... but I'm not going to involve anyone else from the plateau more than I already have by sheltering you, nor do I want to get too involved with the creek's affairs. Anyway, I can't make such a long trip myself." He motioned to his bum leg. "I'm sorry."

He felt bad, yet Peregrine wasn't so foolish as to make decisions based on a crush. Besides, he wouldn't break character that easily. "Here's my compromise, though," he said, "I'm happy to provide you food and shelter until you're ready, then I'll go with you to neutral territory to call for this Bazi. I'll stick by you until you two can come up with a resolution... one that doesn't involve your sacrificing yourself," he finished.

In spite of himself, he couldn't help but wonder how this Beta would react to this entire situation. Would she do her best to protect her Alpha? Or would she happily go along with the plan to exchange Fox for the captives? Would Bazi be worried about Fox or pissed at her—and mad at the plateau for harboring her? Peregrine did and didn't want to find out the answers to these questions. Well, if Fox took him up on his offer, he would be along for the ride, one way or another.

That bus driver was so terrible it gave me motion sickness while trying to read, whereas I'm normally fine. D:

It was a... disappointing answer, to say the least. And she initially rejected his plan. Fox couldn't decide if Perry's suggestion would fly or not, but she supposed it would be worth a shot. “Okay,” she replied stubbornly, “but if it comes down to it, I will do whatever it takes to get Magpie and Leaf back.” If she had to, Fox would fight him for the right to do what she felt was best. She only hoped it would not come to that. And even then... well, she was not sure how this would all turn out in the end. So many factors played into the outcome, and so few were factors Fox could actually control.

“We leave tomorrow morning,” she said. While she would not be at full-strength, she would be capable of traveling by then, and it would allow Perry time to let his family know that he would be gone for a little while. “We can travel east across the mountains, through the valley there, and around Mount Apikuni. Bazi should be able to hear your call from there.” It wasn't the most direct route, but it would allow them to avoid The Sunspire. Surely those bastards had plenty of wolves on patrol by now. And if Perry thought that was too soon, Fox would leave by herself and find somebody along the way to do her dirty business.

Speaking of dirty business... with her peace said, she sidestepped back to Perry, her nose touching his shoulder before giving him a "now where were we?" glance. Fox wondered if he had thought she had missed his advance.

Hopefully not bad enough to toss your cookies!?

"In the end," he agreed, "it's up to you what you do with yourself. It's your life." Although this could have sounded petulant or callous, there was begrudging admiration in his tone, indicating that he would've stopped Fox if he could but that he knew that he couldn't. She was young and headstrong. And although they'd never run in a pack together, they'd known one another a long time now and he was very aware of Fox's nature.

He didn't like the travel plans, yet his only reply was simply, "I'm going to slow you down. My apologies in advance." He bit back a sigh. He hated to leave the plateau, especially right now... although perhaps a foray outside of the territory would refresh and distract him. Perhaps continuing to focus on someone else's problems would help him keep moving on from his own personal tragedies.

She surprised him by moving toward him again, touching his muscular shoulder blade with her nose and then giving him a suggestive glance. Words sprang to his lips before he could think about them. "You know, despite all your bad decisions, I'd totally make love to you." He unleashed his most molten bedroom eyes on her. And although it was no time for jokes, he added in a deadpan voice, "And there's a chance that your ill-informed behavior will finally get you killed this time. I'd hate for you to die a virgin."

Just about! I was worried I might have to rush to the front of the bus and vomit in the trashcan right next to the driver. He would have deserved it! :|

While his first statement was true, Fox was ever-so-slowly beginning to realize that her life wasn't the only thing that mattered. She truly did care for the Swiftcurrent wolves, and she would make a martyr of herself if that was what she needed to do in order to get them back... but it wouldn't be her first suggestion, and perhaps it would not even her second one.

She smiled (a bit sadly) at his mention of going slow, but she made no mention of it. It was probably best if she had somebody to keep her from straying too far away or pushing herself too hard. Fox was not exactly one-hundred percent herself, so she was better off having him along. Not only that, but she could use the company to keep her sane. Haunter had not been forgotten, though she guarded her heart even more closely now.

His words were... well, straight-forward and to-the-point. Fox's eyes widened for a split second at the thought of him doing that with her. But, as was her nature, Fox played him on the sly. “You think you’re the first to try and get with this?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow to insinuate that this would not be the first time such an opportunity had presented itself. Fox was well-informed in the "ways of womanhood" as her mother had always called them. "Shy" was not really a word in her vocabulary, as Perry had likely already guessed.

When I was in elementary school, another student barfed on the bus, right in her seat. IIRC, they evacuated the bus, haha.

"No," he answered unhurriedly, "I don't think that. I know I'm not. Like I said before, you're a beautiful woman." He paused and chewed on his lower lip a moment, wondering about the wolf she'd lost. Somehow, he felt certain that this deceased wolf had known this too. "But as risqué as you tend to be, I doubt you've given yourself away to many... if any at all," he finished in a low and much more serious voice.

Despite his ribald joke, he didn't make another move. He continued gazing at her, his dusky eyes roving her pretty face, waiting for her to make a move if she wanted. And if she decided she would rather talk the talk than walk the walk, that was fine too. Peregrine really had no expectations. He just liked the feeling of making himself available to Fox, in whatever capacity she might need him.

I wonder if this makes Fox a prostitute... Also, feel free to fade in your next post if you don't want to get into the nitty gritty. I don't really mind either way. I'll also mark this as ~mature~.
MATURE from this point onward.

Fox wondered, as she awaited his answer, if he had been with anybody else since he had broken ties with Hawkeye. Now that he was ~single~, she wondered if he spent all his days seducing women for his own purposes. Not that she could judge him, considering she was stringing along a handful of boys herself... but the thought had crossed her mind. The yearling had only ever considered the act of making babies for... well, making babies. The fact that she had something he wanted was just one of the many realizations that Fox had discovered during their conversation.

And maybe she wouldn't feel so bad about dragging him halfway across the world if she were to give him something in return. It was a price she was more than happy and willing to pay, and if any of the things her mother had said were true... it couldn't be that bad. Considering Fox had not even reached a year, there was no risk of becoming pregnant after the fact, and as she considered all these factors, she realized that she had very little to lose... and everything to give away.

Fox flicked her tail this way and that, pressing her small body parallel to his massive one, black and red together. There, she felt the heat of his body along her hip, ribs, and shoulder. Her head was even with his chest, and she curved her neck so it was tucked beneath his chin. Her body language said it all: "Do what you want with this hot bod."

I suppose it kinda does lulz. I like how their heads are in pretty different places with this.

*tastefully fades to black...* :)

He really didn't expect what came next: Fox moved to press her lithe body against his. Peregrine growled under his breath, making his pleasure at this development known. He arched his neck and nibbled at her cheek, her ear, her neck... slowly, he moved down her soft, slender flank until he stood at her rear.

He paused, momentarily wondering if they were using one another—just another coping mechanism for their respective tragedies—but Peregrine felt there was genuine chemistry here. It had been there for a while now, as a matter of fact, and now it was time to take it to the next level and see what happened.

"Consider this a taste of what you'd get every day if you came here to be with me," he said in a deep, husky voice before swiftly (and a bit forcefully) tugging Fox's hips toward him and wrapping himself around her in a most intimate embrace. His black muzzle reached her ear, into which he muttered sweet nothings when he wasn't busy moaning her name.