Otatso Wetlands bippity boppity

This is for @Peregrine (at least to begin with). He will call for Bazi when he's ready. Location reference, for a visual. This takes place a few days after rude awakening, so I guess on the 24th for timeline purposes.

Their journey had been a slow one. Fox and Peregrine had gone at a slow and easy pace, taking their time to eat and drink and sleep along the way. Every step closer that they came to their destination, Fox became more and more unsure of how anything would turn out. She could very well be walking into a life of imprisonment (or worse), and she doubted that she would exactly be welcomed by Bazi. Fox had abandoned them—all of them—in a time of need. Granted, she had good reasons... but she was not sure any reason would be good enough for Bazi and the rest of her comrades.

“This should be close enough,” Fox said after an hour or two of silent walking through the plains that bordered the mountains. They were on the northwest edge of the Otatso Wetlands, and Fox believed the Beta would be able to hear Peregrine's call from here. She only hoped that Bazi had done the "smart" thing and stuck around the creek. It was not what Fox would have done, but it was exactly why she had chosen Bazi to be by her side. They were different on more levels than Fox could count.

Slowing to a halt, Fox nudged Perry's shoulder and gave him a sad smile, once more wondering if she would ever see that pretty face of his again. Her stomach tightened, and she was suddenly glad that her hunt this morning had been unsuccessful.

Peregrine made sure to set his affairs in order before setting off from the plateau. His brother and Blue Willow would keep an eye on the kids and the borders during his absence. He then set off, letting Fox lead the way and keeping his complaining to a minimum even when his foot began to ache only hours into what turned out to be a very long journey.

"I deserve to get laid again for all this," he muttered playfully when his companion suddenly drew to a stop. He fell silent and glided alongside her, her larger, darker shadow. At her nudge, he looked down at her sad face and bent down to nuzzle the top of her head. "I'm here," he said simply before asking, "Are you ready?"

"If I get through this," she replied, "I will make your wildest dreams come true." Granted, she didn't know what his wildest dreams were... nor if she could make them come true, but considering she might very well be facing a death-sentence, she was willing to make whatever promises necessary to have him keep his end of the deal. Fox had certainly not disliked their foray into intimacy. In fact, she would even go so far as to say she had enjoyed it. Had they not been traveling, she likely would have let him have her every night afterward. His offer to give her as much had been remembered, but so much was still undecided.

"Am I a coward if I say no?" Fox asked, although she was fairly certain she did not want to know the answer. But she wasn't about to stop him from making the call. The yearling gave him a nod to say "go ahead," and then gritted her teeth. She wanted to hide behind his hulk and away from Bazi, but Fox stood tall and as proud as she could make herself. She could only imagine the kind of bullshit that might have sprayed forth from The Sunspire wolves, and she would have a hell of a time correcting it if Bazi believed them. When his call went out, Fox would remain silent, waiting.

Peregrine's lips twitched in response to Fox's wild promise. "When you make it through this," he replied, "I'm going to fuck you silly." He cocked his head at her, gave her a sultry leer, then recomposed his face. There was serious business at hand now.

He shook his head lightly at her, then skimmed his nose along the curve of her neck before withdrawing, throwing back his head and howling simply the name, "Bazi!" He suspected Fox's second-in-command would know why he was calling, even if she didn't know who was calling.

He wanted to step in front of her, put himself between Fox and Bazi, just in case. However, he stood stolidly at her shoulder instead, his face becoming a stony mask and his eyes looking like burning gemstones against his dark fur.

Blargh, just saw the tag in the Gossip thread. :D Setting this after Bazi's ultimatum to Jace.

It had already been one of the more exhausting days of her life, and when Peregrine's call rose up from the north, Bazi seriously considered ignoring it. Most of all, she wanted to sleep - to forget that Leaf and Magpie were in a precarious situation, and that Swiftcurrent Creek was all but leaderless.

But she didn't.

The run helped cool her head after the stressful run-in with Jace, whose hotheadedness had frayed her already tender nerves. Sure, Bazi was no Yogi, but she had a very clear sense of what needed protecting. Swiftcurrent Creek, land and wolves - especially Maera, Jökull, Larus, and Valtyr. Whatever she said or did today had to be in their best interest. The Sunspire would not be going anywhere, she thought darkly, and spent several minutes plotting their future demise. Fox had the right idea, at least.

At first, she was only a distant red blur. Bazi slowed to a walk when the shape became a wolf, and stopped ten or so meters short of Fox and her dark, handsome companion - the one who had called her, though the Beta had correctly assumed that the summons concerned the Creek's leader. What Peregrine was doing there in the first place - or 'this random dude', to Bazi, who had never met him - was beyond her. Was he some kind of hired mercenary? Haunter 2.0, now with two ears and 50% less brain tumour?

A hundred vicious comments rushed into Bazi's throat, and it took quite a few seconds of grimacing and snake-like flicks of her tongue to settle on something useful. With Peregrine there, she couldn't exactly lead with a smack to the face. "We filled in your den," came first. Innocuous - good. A pause followed. "Ferdie wants you in trade for the girls. I told him that you were a free agent and that he could find you himself." The control lapsed - Bazi's ears fell back and her expression turned sour, like a flimsy cardboard shell falling away from its contents. Her voice took on a rather more screechy quality. "Magpie is a child! How could you do that to us?"

Fox gave him a half-hearted smile. She wasn't convinced that she would make it through this, no matter what words of comfort he gave. The minutes between the last echoes of Perry's call and Bazi's arrival were long, dragging on for hours and hours until the end of time. Fox wondered if she would die of old age before Bazi finally heeded Perry's call. In reality, of course, Bazi was quick. She always had been. Fox stepped in front of Peregrine when the white girl arrived.

We filled in your den. Fox gave Bazi a silent, sad, thank-you, but said nothing aloud. The next statement was not unexpected. The word "free agent" stung her heart, but Fox knew that it must have seemed as such to her Beta. But it was the final, screeching demand that hurt the most. Bazi had not heard Fox's side of the story, and considering Fox had no clue that Danica had been there at all, she didn't even know that Bazi had gleaned some of the information from their pack-mate.

“Nobody was meant to get hurt, let alone captured,” Fox replied, her tone taking on guilt at the last word. “I told both Leaf and Magpie to run, but… but I didn't realize they hadn't gotten away until I was back in the creek.” A piss-poor excuse, sure, but Fox wasn't telling lies. “I intended to find them the next morning, but Haunter, he—” she choked, unable to say the words. “I lost myself.”

Quickly, Fox ran through the options, presenting them to Bazi plainly. “I can give myself to Ferdie, but I only want to do as much as a last option. We can fight them, Bazi. I’m more… more myself, and I know we have more than a fighting chance. Or I can leave, and you may continue to tell Ferdie that you've no idea where I am.”

“Or…” Fox trailed off, furrowing her brow. “You can tell Ferdie you don’t know where I am, we can get them back, and then we go to war.” It was an option she had not considered before, but it was somewhat feasible.

When Bazi appeared, Peregrine relaxed slightly. She did not appear threatening. He didn't even protest when Fox moved in front of him, though he crowded her hindquarters, looming ominously, like a bodyguard. He remained silent, not even bothering with an introduction, as the two she-wolves began to exchange words. He didn't follow everything, though he used contextual clues and previous knowledge to fill in some of the blanks.

Haunter? he thought to himself. This must be the wolf Fox lost. Strangely, Peregrine felt no jealousy. He only felt sympathy for his friend. He nudged her from behind, a silent reminder of his supportive presence, then drew his head stiffly upward at the mention of war. He hated that Fox had no choice but to put herself at risk. He reminded himself that she'd gotten herself into this, yet it was hard to remain objective.

And part of him wanted to volunteer to help, to do whatever it took to keep Fox safe and otherwise resolve this entire quandary. Yet, as fond as he was of her, Peregrine couldn't risk his life or his pack's well-being by involving himself beyond providing personal support. If Fox and her wolves went to war, he would have to take a step back. He really wished she would just tell this Ferdie that she would get out of his hair and leave the creek in exchange for the captives, then come to the plateau... surely that would satisfy everyone?

Fox already knew of this proposition and he would've liked to tell Bazi about this option as well. For the moment, however, Peregrine did not deign to interrupt.

The first screeched accusation paved the way for others. Bazi felt a prickling along her spine, like a queue of a thousand tiny, impatient feet. Physical and mental exhaustion was the only thing that kept her from laying into Fox without giving her a chance to explain herself. She contented herself with glowering instead, eyes occasionally flickering in Peregrine's direction - he maintained a respectful silence, letting the girls hash out their problems without interruption.

"I lost myself."

"We can beat them, Bazi."

Bazi's tail twitched. For a long time, she didn't answer - only sighed, turning her delicate head away from the two pairs of eyes in front of her to mull things over in peace. We can beat them, Bazi. But why? Was it worth sending Njal and Scimitar into battle to risk their lives for a principle - when there were pups to think about? Did she want to come face-to-face with Jace in battle? What would Ferdie do with their captives? Even if they retrieved the two Swiftcurrent wolves, that expedition would come at a cost - and there would still be a war to fight after that. The very thought of planning a large-scale encounter filled Bazi with the same pre-preemptive exhaustion that an auditor feels just before the financial year end.

When she turned back to the two wolves, she looked at Peregrine first. In her time of need, it was this wolf that Fox had run to. Not to her Beta, not to Scimitar - not to Razo. "No," was the eventual response when her gaze returned to Fox. The northerner's voice was gentle, a little sad. It wasn't very specific - no, we won't fight? Or no, I won't tell Ferdie that you're missing? "Why did you run to ... him, and not me?" Peregrine hadn't introduced himself; this was no social occasion.

"No," was the only answer given, which wasn't much of an answer at all. It only stirred frustration and upset in Fox's breast. But Bazi's next question was even more perplexing. Had she not heard a single thing that Fox had said? “I didn’t,” she replied, “He found me.” That wasn't the entire truth, but it also wasn't a lie. She had never really thought out where she was going at all. She had merely gone where her legs had taken her, and she had known where she was once she had arrived.

“Do you want me back?” she asked Bazi flatly, feeling the answer could go either way. It was feeling more real than it ever had before, and the pain, anger, and frustration burned more brightly with each passing moment. She was being unfair, although Fox would never see it that way, and she was demanding an answer now. Magpie and Leaf had waited too long already, and Fox did not wish for them to be in the hands of The Sunspire any longer.

Peregrine expected more words than this, more sass and spit or at least some heat. After Fox's initial soliloquy, however, they exchanged very few words at all. He supposed they spoke loudly and clearly with their various facial expressions, not to mention the body language. The question Bazi did pose was not one the Redleaf-DiSarinno had anticipated himself.

After allowing Fox to reply, he added, "If they don't, I do." To Bazi, he said, "I let Fox know she'd be welcome in the plateau. I don't know how that might factor into the situation with your captives—I've told her they'd be welcome too—but I want you to know that the option's there. I'm Peregrine, by the way, Alpha male of Blacktail Deer Plateau and longtime friend of Fox's. In fact, she is my only friend outside the pack." Somehow, that seemed pertinent, though he lapsed into silence then. Why should he be the one to speak the most at this little tête-à-tête? This wasn't his fight.

I am ready for a helping of Bazi unreasonableness now! Remedy, thank Ian for his glorious contribution to this game.

The weight of the decision pressed down hard on Bazi. She gritted her teeth and stared hard at Fox, willing some divinely sanctioned answer to appear in a clearly written label above her head. The question she posed did not buy as much time as she had expected it would; Fox did not stumble over excuses or introduce her friend - the answer was entirely neutral, and the ball landed back in Bazi's court again. Leaf, Magpie, the pups, Njal and Tuwawi, Jace.. there were bodies at stake, lives in the balance - and Bazi had to decide. The pressure in her chest rose. It was almost painful now. Did she want Fox at Swiftcurrent's helm?

It was Peregrine that inadvertently punctured the bubble by adding yet more variables into the mix. Bazi was having a hard enough time balancing the plates that were already spinning, and the idea that Fox could just swan off into another pre-made family made her head spin.

"Is that why you brought him? As a get-away vehicle if I said no to you?" She puffed up like a flustered cockerel, grasping for facts and finding only hot, unedited emotion. "Then no, I don't want you back! You never consult me, you buzz around the Sunspire like they're not going to retaliate, you put our wolves in danger - you created that pack when you threw the baby out with the bathwater!" Despite her best efforts, Bazi simply could not accept that booting Jace out alongside Ferdie had been a good idea. One wolf dies quickly in the wild - two wolves form a pack and live on. Her voice was high and screechy now, laced with equal parts frustration and rage. "Nobody trusts you any more! Njal and Tuwawi would sooner leave than raise a paw against that mountain - they have children now! Just.. just go with Peregrine. Go with him."

Bazi's nostrils flared like two black trumpets, and her face was so sharp and pinched that it looked like it might cave in under the strain of so many tensed muscles. No sooner had she yelled 'no' in Fox's face than doubt began to creep in. Could they have concocted a plan instead? Showed Ferdie Fox's filled-in den, retrieved their captives, and relocated elsewhere? Sensible options - always late to the party - flooded the Beta's brain as she caught her breath.

Staying true to her character, Fox ain't gonna take shit from nobody. EVEN BAZI.
I'mma go ahead and start a spar thread for us, but you can ignore it if you want Bazi to submit. <__<

Fox felt her heart melt a little when Perry spoke his first sentence, but after that, she grew irritated. She had not wanted to divulge that possibility to Bazi. She had worried it would make it look like she was just going to go run away and hide to live out her days. Which was never the case. And before Fox had a second to answer him, to explain that it was an alternative plan if she was captured and ever able to get free, Bazi went all-out.

A part of her wanted to just obey. To shake her head and toddle off with Peregrine and find a nice, happy home with him in the Plateau. Then Bazi would understand how difficult it was to lead a pack. That every little thing you did was turned around and made into something so much worse than it actually had been. What Bazi had failed to remember was that Fox had little time for arguments and words. Time and time again, the girl had been shown through her experiences that talking did nothing at all, and actions spoke far louder than any yelling ever would.

No sooner had Bazi said the word "then," did Fox attack her Beta, teeth bared and hackles raised. She had no intention of hurting her, of course. She merely wanted the little bitch to understand that she wasn't about to be talked down to like a child.

Peregrine's eyes narrowed when Bazi referred to him as a getaway vehicle, yet he did not presume to respond. Then came the waterfall of angry words he'd expected all along, though Fox did not respond in kind. Rather, she lunged at Bazi in the middle of her loud tirade. Evidently, she wouldn't just stand there and take it; the Alpha would put the Beta in her place.

Of course, his instincts told him to swoop in and protect Fox. Instead, Peregrine hung back, watchful and more than a little admiring. His little spitfire surely wouldn't appreciate his interference and he doubted the fight would escalate, not with him standing here. He would let the girls duke it out among themselves to a point, though he wouldn't hesitate to step in and protect Fox should it get too bloody. Surely Bazi—who should've thought to bring someone else along with her—realized the odds weren't in her favor and wouldn't do anything stupid.

The two smallest leaders in the Teekon Wilds clashed in a flurry of red and white fury. Despite knowing full well that half the pack referred to Fox as a 'firecracker', the suddenness with which the red girl turned to teeth and claws took Bazi quite by surprise. Or did it? What had she expected? The situation was new to everyone present - perhaps not Peregrine, who looked a little older than the squabbling ladies, but those under the age of two were treading new ground.

Shock quickly turned to appalled fury. Bazi responded in kind, and the two girls battled it out at the feet of the Blacktail Deer Plateau alpha like a pair of sorority girls fighting over mascara. The blows they exchanged would undoubtedly bruise, but neither was out to kill; from Bazi's point of view, this was a fight born of hurt feelings and immense frustration. It wasn't long before her exhaustion caught up with her, and the fighter in white corner began to flag.

Remedy - I'll let you play out what you want with the final 'hit'; feel free to powerplay.

Karm, I'm leaving this open enough so that Bazi can try and convince her otherwise (if she wants to). I AM SO SAD.

The two girls beat at each other, though neither one seemed to be trying to hurt the other. Fox had the upper hand during the start of the fight, but it seemed the past several days of fighting and travel had worn her down more than she had expected. Eventually, Bazi was on top of her, and as much as Fox struggled to free herself, she could do no more. The girl fell limp, though her lips still curled at the Beta, baring her teeth like little white Tic-tacs. Fox had more or less forgotten about Peregrine at this point, but silently thanked him for not jumping in.

When it was clear that Fox made no move to continue their spar, Bazi allowed her to be freed, and Fox shook her coat, the wound on her back stinging and now covered in dust and dirt. “You take the creek,” she spat, “But don’t come running to me when everybody starts questioning you.” If looks could kill, Bazi would have fallen to her death right then and there.

Still breathing heavily, and covered in bits of saliva and dirt all throughout her coat, Fox rolled her shoulders back and pointed herself toward Peregrine. “Let’s go.” If Bazi did not want her help, if this was how she wished to "lead," then she could explain to the members of Swiftcurrent Creek that she had ruined any chance of getting Magpie and Leaf back home safely.

The longer the fight ensued, the tenser Peregrine became. His muscles twitched pensively beneath his black coat. At least it didn't seem like the she-wolves were really attempting to hurt one another. It was more or less a cat fight in that sense. Still, it made him uncomfortable as they went at one another relentlessly. It didn't help that he couldn't decide whether he hoped Fox won or lost.

Finally, Fox relented. She spat some choice words at Bazi, effectively relinquishing her leadership to the victor. She then turned toward Peregrine. He let her come to him, then reached out and nudged a splotch of dust off her forehead. If it hadn't been wildly inappropriate, he would've said something totally crass right then, such as, "Don't worry, baby, I'll fuck the pain away." The Alpha male held his peace.

He glanced at Bazi, wondering if she would let them go just like that or if she had anything left to say. He hoped she wouldn't say another word. He could take Fox back to the plateau and give his friend a good life there. And he would have her all to himself, which was the first thought that gave Peregrine a true sense of joy since his daughter's death.

Before she could understand what was happening, Bazi was pressing the little alpha into the ground. Both girls snarled viciously in each other's face until it became clear that the fight had come to an end, and the 'victor' (she felt just as beaten and run-down as the wolf she had supposedly defeated) moved back. Peregrine lingered quietly in the background, ever the king of restraint, neither intervening nor taking the opportunity to fap himself into a coma¹.

Fox's words fell on Bazi like a spray acid rain. She flinched away from the red wolf's acrid glare, recovered poorly, and could only gape soundlessly at the other girl's retreating back when her wits finally returned. There she stood, marked by the colours of battle, feeling a terrible weight settle on her small shoulders. You take the Creek echoed in her head.

You take the Creek.

As her breath slowed, an ugly, sour look appeared on Bazi's face, burning across the grassland that now separated her from Fox and Peregrine. You take the Creek? Like it's some kind of carcass? Fine! With a furious snarl and a toss of her head, Bazi wheeled around and trotted stiffly back towards Swiftcurrent Creek.

¹ For you, Kat. :P

Last post from me. :O Remedy - I you did want to do some OOC planning to get Fox back in the Creek, I'm down with that.