Sun Mote Copse haters gonna hate

Looking for @Towhee but AW.

The tautness of a sharp jawline was the true glimpse outwardly of his emotions. The lean Ostrega stood at the borders of where he had tracked down Towhee, and as he stood at its edges, his annoyance was swallowed by a stoical mask as he tipped his muzzle back, eliciting a clipped howl to announce his presence.

The pass had opened, but while making his way to investigate the shattering noise of falling rocks and debris, he had been struck further within their old home by a desperate lynx. The creature had been as thin and malnourished as himself—and while he had come out victorious, he had been injured.

The claw marks along his backside were still noticeable enough to tell the tale, and as he had quietly recovered, Pippin could only stew about how quickly he had been forgotten.

And so he waited—his yellow eyes sharp, and his lean figure stiff.

A cold wind gusted at her back, kicking up snowflakes, as Towhee made her rounds. She felt numb with cold, which fit: she felt rather dead on the inside as well. Although it was wonderful knowing Dorea and Sundance were okay, the hope she'd felt about Phox and Fig turning up too had burned brightly and guttered out since. Winter had sunk its teeth into the wilds and still there was no sign of them, nor the others still missing from both the copse and the grove.

The entire past six months began to take on a dreamlike quality in Towhee's mind. She desperately wished they'd never branched off and gone to live in the strath. It had all been doomed from the start and now her family was in the wind. She ached not only for her brother and her son but Raven et al as well. Towhee would've gladly put up with Quixote for the rest of her days rather than be where she stood now, bereft and broken, a shell of her former self.

She arrived at the southwestern stretch of borders with another breath of frigid wind and stopped at the sight of a sandy figure. Even from a distance, Towhee could see the marks on his hindquarters and the way his skin clung to his bones. She let out a breath. They were matched in their battle wounds; she still bore the scar on her thigh and her own pelt hung too tightly on her lean frame. Despite herself, Towhee felt a spark of relief.

"Pip? That really you?" Towhee said gruffly as she came closer. There was a small warmth spreading in her chest at the sight of him. "What happened? Where've you been?" she questioned, the bitter wind snatching the words from her lips and carrying them away so they were barely audible.

His glinted eyes fell to her as she came—rather quickly, at least, he admitted quietly to himself—and he prepared to let loose his anger at her when his eyes fell upon the injuries that adorned her dark form… and he felt the wind of his rage quickly dissipate to weariness.

“Yeah,” he snorted gruffly, his eyes snapping back to study her face as his brows pulled down in contemplation. “Hungry cat,” was the only answer he gave her—it should be enough. He was less interested in himself, though.

“What the fuck were you thinking scaling over the landslide? You could have killed yourself.”

"Hungry cat," he said, which made Towhee's brow furrow. When? Where? How? She felt a familiar sense of bewilderment bubbling inside her. Had Pippin been in the grove? Why hadn't he answered their calls? How hadn't they come across him, especially if he'd been injured? None of it made any damn sense.

She met his unexpectedly acerbic question with a blink. Since when did Pippin speak to her that way? Since when did she allow it? But Towhee was too tired—and too relieved to see him, even if he wasn't one of her dearer loved ones—that she simply shook her head with that same weariness afflicting him.

"I wasn't," she did supply, though that was all she was going to say on the matter. "I'm going to call @Wraen. You need to stay here, with us, at least until you're better, though hopefully longer." Without waiting for a reply, Towhee sent up a quick (and ungodly loud) howl for the Sovereign.

While they waited on the leader, Towhee's tongue pressed against the backs of her teeth. She had so many questions... but were there any answers? She shook her head again, mostly to herself this time, though in the end, she couldn't resist the impulse to say, "Fen, Sundance and Dorea turned up. Now you. But what about Phox? Fig? The others? Where are they? Do you know?"

It was two days, since Firebirds had feasted on the coast and lost Sugar Glider in the snow storm that had followed. Wraen had tried to retrace their steps later on, but all the smells and footprints had been wiped away already. Her calls were met with silence and eventually she returned home, leaving scouting for others to deal with, while she kept the matters within pack going. 

Work distracted her mind from all the troubles, but once the day was over and she was on her own, the weight of the world pressed her down. Her heart was heavy and she thought of all the children they had lost - sweet golden-furred Nelly, then brave and spirited Elfie and now - quiet and inquisitive Sugar Glider. None of the first two had returned and at this point the Sovereign had no hope of ever seeing the little healer again. 

She woke up feeling tired and depressed, spent the better part of the morning either hunting on the outskirts of the copse or sitting down and thinking hard. And almost did not respond to Towhee's urgent and loud call that echoed through the forest. Time and time again it had turned out that, while her cousin constantly met people on the borders that she wished to see, none of them were, who Wraen hoped to meet.

But duty was duty. She arrived to the place of gathering, gave a quick and curious glance at the man and acknowledged him with a nod, then turned to Towhee and asked: "Who is your friend?"

Just tossing Niamh in 'cause she'd get a kick out of her lookalike. She has a thing for other blondies. Feel free to skip me if ye need/want to.

Patrolling the borders came back to Niamh slowly as she recovered from her injuries, as bruised and broken ribs took a considerable amount of time to heal. The pain was thankfully fairly dull unless she moved the wrong way, but the discomfort was terrible and dogged her every waking moment. There was no way she could be truly comfortable, and she moved in such a way that sent a shock of pain through her sides and up through her spine so often that it had begun to drive her bonkers. Fortunately, with time, those painful moments seemed to lessen, though she could still find no way to truly alleviate the dull pain. Standing, sitting, walking, laying down- everything hurt a bit. It would just take time. 

At least she could talk and jog now, without too much pain. The worst had been when she'd discovered that she could not laugh without making herself nearly cry, and the first time that she leapt over a log and landed on the ground she found out just how terrible of an idea that had been as well. She'd had to take it easy, but was now at the point where she could move with relative ease, so long as she didn't experience any real impacts, or run too fast. 

She was patrolling the borders in her routine manner when she spotted Towhee's dark form in contrast with the stark backdrop. She'd heard someone call out for her, and had assumed that it might be another of her former packmates. Wraen was there too, making Niamh assume this was a possible joiner, and she froze for a moment when she caught sight of the lone wolf who'd called out for Towhee. 

At first, she thought it could be Nellie...But Nellie had a darker colouring along her spine, and of course, her voice would have sounded different. But then she thought she recognized the young male, and approached the three wolves with her tail wagging. It had been quite some time since she'd seen another wolf who matched her in colouring so well, so she assumed then that this was a visit from young Svalinn- who had been little more than a child the last time she'd seen him. But as she closed the distance, the slight eagerness to her step faded, and the waving of her tail slowed. No, this wasn't Svalinn; this guy had to be at least her age, and Svalinn wouldn't be much more than a year old yet. The markings, she noticed as she came closer, didn't match up- nor did the colour of his eyes...Which were a shade of whiskey that made something in her gut heat up and stir. He had the exact same colour of eyes that Colt had had. She couldn't help but wonder, then, who this male was; her expression could easily have been read as one of keen interest, with a slight tinge of brazen lust, simply for the sake of his coat and eye colour. She knew she'd be more or less joining in on a meeting that was already underway- so she probably could have simply continued on her patrol...But she was far too curious about this new guy. 

"Who'sis?" She asked, her muzzle tilted toward Towhee, though her gaze remained fixated on the golden male.

“I wasn’t,” she supplied to him, not truly answering him and yet finalizing how far she wished to discuss the matter. His eyes sparked in annoyance—partially from her stubbornness and also from the mere fact that he cared.

When was the last time he had cared about the well-being of another?

She continued, requesting he stay while also questioning the others. The others… What indeed had happened to them all.

“Dammit, Towh—“ He started, but his amber gaze shot to another, the silver female asking Towhee who he was rather than him. His jaws clipped shut, his eyes swaying to the honeyed wolf that came next—a flash of something flitting in her gaze that he could not place.

His tongue stole over his lips as he fell quiet, despite the furrow of his brows as he squarely placed his eyes on Towhee and what she intended to say.

He cursed and Towhee's insides curdled. He didn't get any further—and she wasn't certain she wanted him to confirm the bad news: he had no idea, either—because not one but two other Firebirds drifted onto the scene. First came Wraen, followed shortly thereafter by Niamh. After a moment's deliberation on where to position herself to uphold conversation, she slipped to Pippin's flank, pressing lightly against him as she looked to her superiors.

"This is Pippin. He's from the grove. I know I've asked a lot of you lately but, like me, he'll prove a great asset once he's back on his feet." Her eyes flicked between Wraen and Niamh before settling on the Sovereign's face in particular. It was her call, though Towhee's orange eyes implored. "I'll personally vouch for—and look after—him," she thought to tack on, nudging him a little with a shoulder but currently unable to look at him to see if he had anything to say.

Wraen had never got the exact numbers of Asterism Grove, but by now quite a few had joined the copse wolves and she wondered, how long would this influx continue. It was good to have fresh blood in a group, where for the most part of the year the majority of members had been puppies. They needed adults for defence and hunting. Even better, if any of them were medics or scouts, or naturalists to cater for the intellectual needs of their young. But then, how long would territory provide for them all? Sunspire had exhausted it's resources in a matter of months. 

Then there was a question of, what would happen in the spring? She had not yet asked Towhee about her plans for the future, but with enough former Asterism Grove wolves by her side it would not be unlikely, if she got up and left with a good chunk of Firebirds numbers. Wraen was a little torn and Niamh's arrival saved the day. She acknowledged the guardian with a look and a nod, then listened to Towhee's explanation and finally regarded the man with an inquisitive gaze. "You should realize that at times like this we cannot promise you much in terms of food. We have some caches to provide for empty days, but you are encouraged to scout and hunt on your own, when you are able to," Wraen explained.

"What are your interests and skills?" she asked.

Niamh's brow raised as she was given nothing more than a mere glance from the gold-tinged male, who then turned his gaze to Towhee. She tilted her chin up slightly, and couldn't help the slightly sly grin that tugged at the very corners of her lips when Towhee moved to his side, and vouched for him. Her eyes went from the male, to her best friend, and she immediately assumed that perhaps there was something more going on there than what met the eye, and Niamh immediately wanted to drag Towhee to the side and prod her for answers. As much as she liked the look of the guy herself- if this guy was Towhee's beau, he was off-limits. All Niamh would have to do now was make sure that he was worthy of her. 

In Pippin's favour, Niamh was willing to accept anyone that Towhee would vouch for, and offer to take care of. "I trust Towhee's judgement," Niamh said quietly to Wraen, ever willing to follow Towhee's lead. It was perhaps the beginning of a fissure forming, with Towhee being in the pack, and Niamh still clinging to her undying loyalty to her friend. But as long as no massive rift came between Wraen and Towhee, then Niamh wouldn't be forced to choose her side. Wraen gave Pippin a chance to explain his strengths, so for then, she stood by her Sovereign's side, hoping he had something good to say for himself.

Whatever reaction he had expected from Towhee, it hadn’t been her loyalty. The golden wolf repressed the instant need to stiffen his body, unused to the camaraderie that she now offered and there was a flashed gaze given her way, his amber eyes alighting with something unreadable, even to him.

She vouched for him, and it never had fully occurred to the molten wolf to join the ranks she had sought refuge in—and so as his eyes swung back to the leader of the pack, Pippin’s posture adjusted submissively, his mind whirling with the sudden pressure of decision weighing upon him.

He had friends here—how stupid would it be to jeopardize that and leave? He had Towhee here.

He only nodded mutely at her explanation of food—they were all hungry. He had no expectations of it being any different in other aspects of the Wilds. A flick of his ear was given when Niamh spoke, vouching for Towhee as she vouched for him, his eyes streaming over the leggy honeyed wolf with a touch of interest. A scar stood out to him, as well as the jut of a tooth. There was a story there, certainly.

Instead, he focused on the silvered woman, his ears flattening to show his flighted decision made—he needed to stay with Towhee and the others. If this she-wolf would let him. “I actually excel at scouting and hunting, so I hope that’s something that can be of use,” he noted, his bright eyes casting a sideways glance to Towhee, pressed warmly to his flank. "I won't be laid up for long." After all, he finally found the energy to seek out the scattered residents of the Grove, hadn't he?

Towhee's word seemed enough for Niamh, which earned an appreciative smile, but she was neither fussed nor surprised when Wraen wanted to ask Pippin some questions. Surely he wouldn't be bothered by some standard inquiries. True to form, he answered the Sovereign, though the angle prevented the mercenary from following anything he said for himself. It didn't matter, she had no doubt that Pippin would bring value to the Firebirds and, after a routine interview, she would get to welcome him home.

Niamh was not much help after all - she did not question Towhee's judgement and this did not escape Wraen, when she turned to briefly look at the she-wolf. From the resident Sergeant-at-Arms she would have expected a little more initiative. Being more critical about claims of a complete stranger. Even if it was a good friend of her good friend.

Pippin assured the Sovereign that he was going to be a good addition to the pack, as soon as he got on his feet. But something in his voice did not convince Wraen the entire way that he truly wished to be here. Maybe he had come here with an intention to reunite with Towhee and had not even planned on staying. Wraen could not say that she felt entirely satisfied with his answer, but decided to give him time and see, what happened. 

After all was she at liberty of saying any other answer as a "yes, you can join"? It occurred to her then for the first time that with Redhawks and Blackthorns reuniting forces, her rank had begun to lose meaning. Towhee was a former alpha of almost half of Firebirds crew, they would support her, even if Wraen's opinion on matters were ever different. Her decisions would have to appease the crowd beginning now. 

"Very well then, Towhee and Niamh will show you around and you can meet Sugar Glider to see, if she has anything in her stash to help you. There is a cache not far from the Nest at your disposal," Wraen said calmly and smiled politely at Pippin. "I have some scout training to do with Chanel," she excused herself from the group. "And I will see you later to see, how you are settling in."

Last one from me. :)

Last one from me too :)

Niamh snorted at the male's comment- her mind had immediately ventured to a more immature, dirty place when he mentioned being laid up, and she thought to tack on some wry comment about him not being the only one laid up if he was being kept in check by Towhee- but she held her tongue, and tried to cover her snort with a small cough, and cleared her throat. She nodded, then, in approval of what he said were his skills- scouting and hunting? Good enough. It was typical for Niamh to side immediately with Towhee without questioning- something which earned her a glance from her Sovereign, but Niamh didn't notice it, nor might she have cared. Her loyalty of course was with the pack- but with Towhee now a part of the pack, she felt even more obligation to stay and throw her focus into her work. As long as Wraen trusted Towhee, then Niamh wouldn't find conflict between her devotion to the pack, and her devotion to Towhee. 

They were then entrusted with the task of showing Pippin around, and she nodded. She waited until Wraen left, and then chuckled softly. "Welcome to the hive," She drawled, a harmless, joking reference to the fact that they had a female sovereign as a leader. "C'mon. S'a good idea to see what Sugar's got hidden away for herbs and such," She said.