Hideaway Strath Get busy livin'

Forwarded to the 6th.

Now that they were more or less settled, Phox felt good about things. The pups were napping safely at the rendezvous site, Towhee was off doing her thing, and Phox was wearily beginning the most arduous task of marking the borders. A few paces, stop, pee, repeat. This would go on for hours, he imagined but it wasn't the most difficult thing to do. He wanted to make sure that this claim was well-marked and nobody would consider crashing through it once it was finished.

In the meantime, he wondered how to go about recruiting. Was he supposed to go on missions for that sort of thing? For as long as he could remember, wolves had always come to the Redhawks, not the other way around. But this wasn't the Redhawks. This was Asterism Grove. Perhaps they would need to change their strategy. Or maybe not. Only time would tell.

Leen. Fresh in from the bitter wilds of the north, looking to settle quietly in a new place with new aspirations. New. He was rather happy to stroll through this land he knew as the Teekons. Has passed through once moving north long, long ago when he was still just a pup, fresh from the dens.

He'd passed many packs, but none of the scents were enticing enough. Family packs, ones with fresh bear traces, one he'd heard howling atop a great mountain. He didn't fancy climbing up that. 
However, he'd reached what seemed to be a borderland, a pit of wet and soggy land surrounded by mountains he didn't like his chances on. He wasn't old by any means, just weary from travel.
But now, as he neared those peaks, a figure moving through the trees caught his attention. Border marking, if Leen had money to bet.

He chuffed, waving his tail at hip height in greeting. He'd love to stop for a chat and see what this pack was aspiring to be. "How goes the day?" He called as he neared, letting his tail lower slightly to not feel imposing to this other male that'd rather like to protect his new territory. Or so Leen would think.

Somebody approached, and Phox froze in his tracks, remembering that he had very little experience with this sort of thing. He'd scarcely talked to anybody outside the plateau for a good six months, so it wasn't exactly his strong suit. Nevertheless, he knew he was going to learn by doing, so here he was... doing. The other wolf, a male, based on his scent, was friendly enough, and Phox bobbed his head in a polite greeting.

My sister and I, along with my two children, are settling here, he replied. Might as well get straight to the point. The kids were Towhee's, too, but he didn't want to give this strange the wrong impression, so Phox chose his words carefully. Their biological mother hadn't been around for half their life, and it was unlikely that they would remember Camilla at all.

We are seeking recruits, provided those who want to join can contribute.

A family pack eh? Starting small. His ear cocked, thinking over the words. He half wondered if this man was hiding the fact his kids were his sisters too. He hoped not because those who were from incestual relationships were often broken in a physical manner. He wouldn't know of the mental way, he'd never met one who'd been alive long enough.
He told himself not to jump to conclusions.

"A pack then. It is a beautiful place though rather closed, don't you think?" He raised a brow, half a question in his gaze. 
He moved the conversation on, not too worried by the response. Everything is done with one's heart or logic and Leen saw no problem in that.
"How about I join you and your family? I was once an ambassador." He offered a genuine smile, offering his trades and friendship.

Phox nodded. He had chosen this partially because it was closed off from the rest of the world. He and Towhee had never been outgoing social wolves with those outside their pack, and he didn't expect that to change. Besides, it left fewer borders to patrol as diligently, which meant things should be easier. Fennec should have an easier time of not straying from home if there were fewer places to wander off to. All-in-all, it seemed perfect for the Redhawks to begin anew.

Slow down there, buddy, Phox said with a light, bemused smile, I don't even know your name yet. I'm Phox Redhawk. My sister's name is Towhee, and the kids are Figment and Fennec. What's yours? The Redhawk had never been one for making hasty decisions, and he wasn't about to start now. He wanted to vet this recruit a little bit more before he allowed him to join the family.

Leen laughed with amusement and wonder.
"You'll make a good leader Phox. I'm Leen." He looked to the sky for a moment in wonder. This Phox dude knew his shit, not jumping the gun to let a stranger into his family. 

He'd not taken to a liking to the other familial packs he meandered past. Why?
He thought he was just going to keep meandering, for a start. Thought he'd not be welcome into them. Perhaps this interaction proved his presumptions. Over his years of collecting information and storing them in his extensive knowledge of pack life -- for he'd lived with many -- he was rarely far from his hypothesis.

For half a moment, the name Redhawk kindled something in the Chroniclers mind but that file was buried deep under many others that were more prominent. Perhaps they were just an extensive and scattered family with many half relations. He mentally shrugged, gliding over his thoughts, living in the present.
"Seeing as we'll take this slow, tell me more about what you seek to build here."

Phox wasn't sure if he would make a good leader or not, but he sure would do his best. He couldn't do any better than that. The other wolf introduced himself as Leen, which Phox thought was kind of a dumb name, but he kept that to himself. No sense in shitting on somebody's name when they probably didn't even pick it. Idly, he wondered if Fig and Fennec would like their names as they grew up. What if they decided to change their names out of spite? He didn't suspect they would, but it was an interesting thought experiment.

Leen asked what Phox hoped to build here, and the answer came bubbling up quicker than he expected. A safe home for my kids, he replied. Phox was a simple wolf. He went on to explain further. Fennec is blind, so she in particular needs somewhere that will take care of her. Somehow, Fenn's blindness seemed much, much more difficult than Towhee's deafness. It hadn't really occurred to Phox until now that he could theoretically create a safe-haven for wolves with disabilities.

Leen didn’t care much for names. His meant something about reading, his mother born from the deep south gave it to him. He only found names useful for identification. Rock, river, Phox. Just a word to use in conversation to give reference. 

The answer was simple. Everyone wanted a safe home for their kids and Leen had a momentary panic he’d be stuck in another boring pack where he didn’t particularly belong. Though, what came next almost settled his thoughts. The kid was blind. His lips pursed, running back to his earlier thought that these kids were from an incestual lineage. Even so, Phox wanted them safe. Leen respected that. Perhaps he could get a better orientation of why Fennec was blind to add to his experience and knowledge. 

“You’re brave too, I see.” He commented waywardly, half in reference to the scar that ran down his face. “I think this a good opportunity. Something big.”

"Brave" wasn't really a word that accurately described him, but Phox would take it. He was pretty sure he'd only been referred to as "piece of shit coward." Perhaps Camilla really had changed something in him after all. He had fought for her tooth and nail. He would have done the same for Towhee and their children.

I should also mention that Towhee is deaf. When you talk to her, make sure you face her and speak clearly. She can read lips. Don't sneak up on her, or you're likely to end up looking like me, he said with a small smirk. Towhee hadn't done this to him, but Leen didn't need to know that. He would let Towhee decide if she wanted him to learn ptero, although Leen would probably pick it up if he paid attention and spent enough time with them.

You said you were an ambassador before. Do you think you'd be up to that task again? Towhee and I still have to keep a close eye on the kids, so we can't wander too far recruiting others.

Ah. So it ran in the family. He almost muttered it out loud but that'd probably piss the lad off. Leen was a forward hearted character but he had a filter on his mouth, just not his mind.
"Firey, eh. I suppose you're the brains and she's the brute." He joked, thinking it to be harmless enough. He'd be sure to not try and sneak up on Towhee, though he'd perhaps take time getting used to it as he couldn't just call out if he found himself behind her and needed to talk or something. He'd figure it out.
He inclined his head in suggestion to keep Phox's patrol, not wanting to delay him in his tasks.

"Sure. If you have any suggestions on the direction to take then, please, indulge me. I wouldn't want to recruit someone you're not happy on having around here."

I'd like to think we're both a little bit of both, Phox replied with a smile. Towhee was plenty smart, and over time, Phox had managed to pick up a few fighting skills. He wasn't offended by the remark at all, he just didn't want Leen to get the wrong idea about either of them.

As for who Phox was looking to add to their crew... he pondered for a bit, trying to think of a few good characteristics of those he might want to bring into the pack. No whackos, obviously. More wolves like you, I suppose. So far, Leen seemed entirely normal, which was exactly what Phox wanted. He didn't need any super macho warriors and he didn't follow any crazy religion, so nobody would need to sign up for that. Preferably those that can provide something for the pack, but that doesn't necessarily mean food. Knowledge works, too.

"Ah, well I have plenty of knowledge and all four legs," he grinned, his tail waving softly. The man should've guessed that the reply would be something along the lines of both for they were from the same litter, or so he assumed. Littermates were often closer than other siblings from other years.

"I'm sure I could conjure up a good bunch for yah." He concluded, starting to already plan his route mentally. Diverting from his path of arrival but not too much. It wouldn't do for him to get lost now, even though the likely hood of that was slim. "I'd think I should meet with Towhee and see if she's just as approving of me before I start out in your name." Leen looked off into the trees as if the Redhawk would be summoned by some whim of ethereal magic. 

Feel free to join the pledged group. ^__^

She's a bit hard to call for, Phox said, but you're welcome to track her down. He wondered if X would find them here, or if he she was gone for good. After what Tegan had done, he couldn't imagine the bird would ever trust a wolf again. Why Tegan had done that still baffled Phox, but then again, Tegan had never been the sharpest tool in the shed from his perspective. Yet another wolf he wouldn't have to deal with in their new home.

I'll leave you to that. This territory isn't gonna mark itself. But how handy would that be if it were possible? It would certainly mean fewer territory marking threads.

He nodded, giving Phox a last smile and his farewells, moving off into the territory to track down the deaf Towhee; however hard that'd be. All he hoped was that he wouldn't startle her.