Kintla Flatlands we are the fortunate ones

Possibly for @Junior, but open! :) For the Outrider trade.

Kaskara wondered sometimes about the health and safety of the kids she had left behind on the plateau, especially Pura. She liked the boy and wondered how he was fairing after his sister's death. Kaskara's heart still mourned for the little Junior, whose life had been so full of potential, but had been tragically cut short. Today, the chocolate wolf found herself in the Kintla Flatlands for the first time since she'd been expelled from the Plateau, and occasionally she would glance in the direction, wondering how everyone was doing.

She had said things in anger, things she should not have said aloud, during a time of great loss and pain. Kaskara knew that what she said was what she believed, but that didn't give her the right to say those things during such a tragic time. Eventually, she would come back and apologize to Peregrine and Blue Willow for her actions, but she wasn't sure they wanted to see her just yet. She would give them a few more months, perhaps even the entire winter, to mourn their loss, and return to make amends.

Today, however, Kaskara was simply scouting the land, hoping to come across someone who could give her news of the plateau family and their collective well-being.

Dante's handsome face floated through Osprey's head as she roamed the plateau's borders. She didn't even want to be a Warden and found patrols severely boring, yet the Gamma's interest in the trade made her want to give it a whirl, if only to have something in common with him. Maybe it would even impress him, what with her other two pursuits. It didn't occur to Junior that her preoccupation with it came at the expense of her other (actual) interests, particularly the Outrider trade. She couldn't very well explore if she was sticking close to home.

When she spotted a wolfish figure skulking in the flat lands below the plateau, Junior thankfully reverted to her usual interests without even thinking about it. Rather than stand her ground and make a point of making sure the stranger didn't come near the borders, like a Warden might do, she located the towpath that delivered her onto the unclaimed terrain below. Confidently, she strode toward the dark wolf, a female by scent... and familiar too, in a vague sort of way.

Squinting her telltale two-toned eyes, Junior demanded, "Hey, do I know you?" as she came to a stop a few feet from the older she-wolf.

Kaskara had all the intention in the world to move on after a few hours' search, to find what she could and return to the Creek. But it was with an almost comical confused expression that Kas was faced with the ghost of her past, though a much bigger ghost, if truth me told. Could ghosts grow? It wasn't even dark yet, and she was seeing ghosts. Was this place haunted? But then the figure stopped, squinted her similarly two-toned eyes at her, and spoke.

Blinking away the happy tears that had sprung into her eyes, Kas grinned widely and nodded. "Yes. Or you did, when you were younger." As much as her heart soared and rejoiced at seeing the little girl alive and well, she wondered what had happened after she left, what explanation could possibly dismiss this miracle before her. "You were the first wolf I met after your father accepted me into your pack, Junior. You asked if I had any milk, because you were hungry." She wouldn't keep the girl waiting for long, but Kas wondered if Junior could remember her name on her own.

The appearance of tears in the other female's eyes made Osprey's lips purse in quiet confusion. The affirmative answer made her blink, then screw up her eyes as she thoughtfully studied the woman's face. She tried to jog the youngster's memory... and it worked. Junior's eyes flew open again and she found a slight smile twitching the corners of her mouth.

"K... uh... Kas?" she guessed after a moment, her tail beginning to wave slowly. After the she-wolf confirmed, Junior asked, "Why don't you live at the plateau anymore?" Because there was no way this wolf was in the pack's ranks; Osprey hadn't seen nor smelled any sign of her until this very moment and here they were, standing on neutral ground.

Kas was right, Junior had guessed pretty quickly. The young girl wasn't so small and bumbling anymore. Her words were clear and bright, her eyes alert and curious. She wondered why she wasn't part of the plateau, and Kaskara frowned. Clearly nobody told the girl about Kas's outburst or her rude words flung at Blue Willow, which had rightfully gotten her thrown out. But she deserved to know the truth, even if it wasn't nice.

"Well, after we all thought you were dead, Blue Willow and your brother brought back what we thought was your body. It was very small, with black tufts of hair on its ears." Even now, after she knew Junior was alive, Kas could feel a lump forming in her throat. She swallowed it, took a steadying breath, and continued. "I was exhausted and hungry, and those two things are never a good combination for me. I was angry, too, about your death. I was mad that I wasn't there to protect you, to keep you safe. So I lashed out."

Here she paused, watching the girl, who wasn't so little anymore, wondering what she made of this. "I didn't hurt anybody physically, but I did blame Blue Willow for your death. I said she was responsible for you and your siblings while your father was hurt, and that she should have been watching you more carefully." Eyes closed, she shook her head briefly. "I know I should have never said those things, but in the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking clearly. Blue Willow and your father told me to leave the pack, and your uncle drove me off."

As much as she wanted to explain how she wished to apologize, Kas simply couldn't continue. She watched Junior's reaction carefully, studying her. What Kas had done wasn't the end of the world, but it hadn't been right to say those things during their grief, fresh as it was. She should have kept it hidden in her head, tucked out of sight, but her anger and exhaustion had overcome her good sense. She wondered at herself, at why she felt afraid of what this young lady might think of her temper, and why she craved her forgiveness so fiercely.

It always made Junior feel a little strange when someone referenced her "death." Her elders didn't like to dwell on the subject, nor did she. In fact, they'd really barely touched on the subject of what had happened during Junior's time away, when they'd all presumed her dead. She certainly hadn't heard an account so vivid and detailed as Kaskara's. Her stomach knotted and she frowned at the misery she had unwittingly caused.

Her mismatched eyes slowly closed when Kaskara told her about how she'd verbally lashed out at Blue Willow, blaming her for Junior's death. And because of her behavior, Peregrine had chucked her out of the pack. Junior's eyes reopened, shimmering with guilt. She hated the idea of anyone yelling at sweet Aunt Willow for any reason and it badly bothered her that all of this had happened because of her.

"But I'm not dead," Junior stated the obvious. "It was all... a big, big, big mistake. That's all. What if you talked to my dad and Aunt Willow? You could say sorry for yelling and they'd let you back into the pack." She sounded hopeful, unaware that Kaskara had likely moved on long ago. She didn't want to be responsible for the woman's homelessness. "And if you don't want to talk to them face to face, I can pass along a message," she offered in the next breath, always prepared to do her duties. "Then I could come back here and tell you what they say. But I'm sure they'll say you can come back!"

"No," Kas agreed. "You're not dead, Junior." The rest of the girl's words were touching, but unrealistic. Kaskara had a feeling, though she didn't know for certain, that Blue Willow would never forgive her for what she had said. Peregrine certainly wouldn't forgive her for shouting at his best friend right after he had seen what he thought was his daughter's remains. But how do you explain that to a young girl? That adults didn't always forgive each other, no matter how much of a mistake it truly was? "I know it was a mistake, Junior, on everybody's end. But I don't think your father would ever forgive me."

She smiled softly, sad though pleased that Junior wasn't angry with her. Of course what she'd done hadn't been nice, but she hadn't lied about it, hadn't tried to cover it up. She had made no excuses for herself that weren't truthful. "I would love to apologize to them, of course I would. I just don't think it would help. Anyway, I've found my big brother and live with him now. I'm happy there." She glanced toward the plateau and wondered something, though she didn't have the heart to ask just then. Shaking her head, she turned back to Junior. "Enough of this sadness, though! Tell me about you! Where were you when we were all looking for you? Probably out slaying dragons, huh?"

Junior sucked in a breath, prepared to argue with Kaskara. Of course Peregrine would forgive her; he wasn't some big meanie! Before she could say this, the black she-wolf informed her young companion that she'd found a new home. More importantly, she was happy. The pup let out her breath in a gusty whoosh, deciding it would be better not to pursue the matter further.

"I can take them a message from you want either way," Junior repeated, then answered Kaskara's question by saying, "I fell in the river and washed up on the shore. I didn't know where I was. Ragnar and Thistle found me and took me home with them. I lived there—in Stavanger Bay, I mean—until I figured out how to get home. I didn't know everybody thought I was dead," she added in a partly defensive, partly guilty tone. She'd known how to get home several days before she'd actually undertaken the journey, prolonging her loved ones' misery. It was a difficult truth to contemplate and there was no way to go back in time to do things differently.

Junior seemed on the verge of arguing with her, but then decided against it. Kas smiled and nodded when she offered to bring them a message. "I think that would be nice, at least to see if they would agree to meet with me on neutral ground so I can apologize." She didn't know if they would, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Plus, she was sure Junior could be very persuasive when given the chance. "Maybe if they'll let you, you could bring me their answer after you talk to them. I'm living in Swiftcurrent Creek now. I could show you around, maybe show you my favorite fishing spot."

The little girl had washed up on the shores of a strange pack, one she hadn't heard of before, Stavanger Bay. She'd have to visit them and give them her thanks for saving the small girl, even though in all reality she had no ties to the girl's safety. There was something about her that made Kaskara's protective side come to the forefront, and something else akin to friendship. Of course they hadn't known each other long, but Kaskara remembered the little girl fondly, and was glad to see she was alive and well. "Don't dwell on the guilt, Junior. You were very young when it happened. Feeling guilty won't change anything now, and you're home safe and sound. Be thankful for that."

The idea of visiting Kaskara at her new home delighted the adventurous youngster. "Okay!" she replied enthusiastically before adding, "Hey, my dad's new mate used to live there. Her name is Fox." She canted her head, wondering if Kaskara was familiar with her father's new, fiery mate. Maybe Kaskara would even want to send a message to Fox individually.

Kaskara's sage advice was met with only a nod. Luckily, Osprey Jr. was too young to really dwell on the what ifs in life, so her bother about it would probably be short-lived, fading and disappearing before she even set foot back on the plateau. Perhaps when she was an adult, she would look back on the entire situation with more perspective.

Junior seemed excited to visit her, and Kaskara grinned. Before she could warn her to make sure she had permission, the girl dropped a little nugget on her that she wasn't expecting. Fox and Peregrine were mates already? Kaskara wasn't sure what to make of this, but Bazi would certainly want to know about it. "I never actually met her, but she was the alpha when I joined the creek." She smiled softly, looking down at the girl. "Do you like her?"

Whatever she had expected of this trip, what information she now had was interesting. Perhaps not useful when dealing with pack politics, but something her alpha would interested in, nonetheless. Kas seated herself then, watching Junior. It seemed she couldn't get enough of the little girl's movements, so alive and vibrant, after thinking her dead for so long. "Tell me about everyone. How's Pura?"

That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? Did Peregrine's kids like his new wife? "Sure," Junior replied with a noncommittal shrug. "She's weird and she has fleas. But... so's my dad." She didn't know that most wolves probably expected her to resent or reject Fox. Yet the young Alpha female hadn't insisted upon being a stepmother figure. And the pup's home life had never been normal, per se, so it didn't even really cross her mind that there might be bad blood between her mother and her father's new sweetheart.

Although Junior was now itching to return home and deliver the message, she humored Kaskara. "Pura's fine. He spends a lot of time by himself. We all sort of do now. I stay busy bein' a Warrior and Outrider, Pura keeps to himself, Ty's off in her own world and... I dunno what Saēna does." She shrugged again. There was a warmth in her voice when she spoke of her siblings that betrayed the fact that she loved them and got along with them, even if they were all very different from each other.

"She has fleas?" she gasped, pausing for effect before busting into laughter. "That must be gross and...itchy." Kaskara didn't have an opinion about Fox as a stepmother, but as a wolf she was disappointing. She had fled when her pack needed her most, had left them during a crisis, and for what? A male? Kaskara still couldn't believe it sometimes, but she didn't have the right to speak of it. Everything had been settled and in the end nobody had really gotten hurt, except Haunter, but from what she understood his death had been from natural causes.

Junior explained about her family, reciting what her siblings did during their spare time. Kas was pleased to note that everybody seemed to be doing well, at least from this quick assessment. "A warrior and an outrider, huh? I'm training to be an outrider too." Now that she was settled in the creek, she felt the need to move forward in her life and gain a trade or two. The first, most obvious one, was warrior, but she enjoyed traveling and talking to others, so outrider was the first she would try for. "What's your favorite part?"

Upon hearing that Kaskara shared her interest in the Outrider duties, Junior's eyes brightened. "Really? Cool." When prompted to name her favorite part about being an Outrider (in training), she tilted her head, stuck her tongue in her cheek and thought on it a moment. "I guess all of it," she finally answered. "I like wandering and exploring. I like sending messages. I don't really know if I know how to be an am-bass-a-dor, though," she admitted, enunciating the big word carefully. "Do you?"

Kas laughed softly, a warm sound that bubble from her chest. Junior was definitely a character and Kaskara was thankful that she was alive. She knew that Peregrine was also glad, ten, no, a hundred times more so than Kas. "Wandering and exploring is definitely fun," she agreed. "Sending messages is fine, too, if you're good at remembering them."

When asked if she knew how to be an ambassador, Kaskara had to admit she didn't. "I was never very good with others when I was younger. I fought with my brothers all the time and I eventually became alpha of the pups." She smiled, remembering her childhood fondly. She missed her brothers and her packmates, especially her parents. "My father was the general of our warriors, and he taught me everything I needed to know. Part of that was how to listen and speak to avoid war, when necessary. I think I could do it, but this place is more peaceful than where I came from."

"I'm Alpha pup too!" Junior declared, happy to have yet another thing in common with Kaskara. Although the dark she-wolf didn't appeal to her physically the way Dante did, the youth felt herself warming to her much the same way she'd become attached to her pack's Gamma. "I used to be a lot meaner but now I'm not." She did not elaborate on the reasons, as Junior herself didn't really know.

"Is a general like the boss of Warriors?" the youngster wondered, picking up on Kaskara's contextual clues. "I'm a Shield Maiden, which is a girl Warrior. Boy Warriors are called Berserkers." Why were there so many terms for the same thing? Junior didn't know and didn't bother pondering it long.

"With strength like yours, who else would be alpha pup?" she laughed, enjoying the conversation. Kas didn't know that they had shared so much in common, but apparently their first encounter hadn't been for naught. Maybe she could teach the girl a thing or two, if her father would allow it. "Yup, the general is the boss of all warriors. He was in charge of making sure we were all trained and ready for battle, and that we knew what our roles were."

Shield Maiden? Berserker? She hadn't heard such things before, and they didn't fit in with what Kas knew of the plateau, but maybe those terms came from Stavanger Bay. "What does a Shield Maiden do that's different from a warrior?" she asked, genuinely curious. This was the type of information that an outrider would gather. "The reason I ask is my alpha wants me to be an outrider, and part of my job is gathering information from other packs. So knowing a little about Shield Maidens may help me gain the trade."

"Nothing," the youth answered quickly. "It's just another name for it. Ragnar, the Alpha of Stavanger Bay, taught me all about it when I lived there with him and his family." She felt a slight knot form in her chest as she spoke of the scarred white male. She really missed him and everyone she'd come to love in the bay. "Ragnar's the fiercest Warrior I've ever met. I think he might be a general," she deduced sagely.

"What other kinds of information do you gather?" Junior pressed, wondering if there was anything else she could provide. They could help one another earn their stripes as Outriders. The pup liked that thought. "Like, is there anything you need to know about the plateau? Even though you used to live there?"

"Well, you've just told me that Ragnar is the alpha of Stavanger Bay, and I didn't know that before. That's something my alpha will want to know." Before that, Kas didn't even know that pack existed, and she wasn't sure if Bazi knew, either. "I gather anything that may be useful. For example, you told me that your father and Fox are mates. That's good to know, because they will probably have a litter of puppies, maybe in the spring, and that means your pack will grow."

Kas smiled, watching Junior. She was very enthusiastic about being an outrider, which was good, because not everybody had an aptitude for it. "Not all information gathered is used, of course. The information about Fox is good, because potential future puppies mean growth and wealth of prey in our area." There could be a downside, though, if things weren't handled properly between packs. "But that could be bad, too, if our packs weren't friendly. It could mean more competition for food and maybe even land. But for now I think our packs are on neutral terms, so there wouldn't be any issues that I could see."

Perhaps because Junior did not really understand the real ramifications of her father's relationship with Fox, she hadn't really considered that the pair hoped to have more puppies one day. When Kaskara mentioned it, Junior felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Her face fell. She barely heard anything Kaskara said beyond that. She fidgeted, trying to make sense of her abrupt change in mood.

"Wait, why does my dad want to have more puppies? He already has four," she murmured thoughtfully, eyes fixing on Kaskara's face. She'd brought it up, so perhaps she knew the reasoning behind it.

Uh oh. She hadn't intended on upsetting Junior or causing any strife between her and her stepmother. "I don't know if he does want more pups, Junior. I was just saying that when wolves take a mate, it is usually to create life and grow the pack." Kaskara felt stupid for even bringing it up in the first place. "I'm not sure if they have any intentions of doing that at all, so don't be upset. It was just an example."

She wondered if Junior was upset because she would not longer be the center of attention, or because it would mean her father would have a new family to look after. "Mated wolves usually have one litter per year, so that when their children are old enough to take care of themselves, they can focus on having puppies. Not everybody is like that, though."

Kaskara quickly backpedaled and explained she didn't actually know if her father intended to have another litter. Yet the seeds of discord had already been planted in the youngster's mind. Her heart squeezed painfully. Peregrine already had four perfectly good pups; why did he need or want any more? Junior rejected Kaskara's explanation on a purely emotional basis. And the plateau pack was huge; her dad and Fox didn't need to add to their numbers!

"What do you mean by 'take care of themselves'?" Junior demanded. That day was still far enough away that her parents and guardians hadn't even touched on it yet. Although the pups no longer used the den, nor even the rendezvous site, young Osprey didn't really realize that they were growing up, at least in the sense that one day they would be full-fledged adults who didn't need their parents anymore, and that Peregrine would move on to raise up another litter.

Without being aware of it, Junior began to breathe faster and more shallowly, her small chest rising and falling in an arrhythmic pattern. The pressure in her chest grew and her small face contorted with both psychological and physiological pain.

I've created a Fox-hating Junior. Whoops!

Kaskara felt like a royal idiot. This was almost worse than being kicked out of the plateau, because this time she didn't know what she was doing. Everything about what she had said was meant to be harmless, educational, not to create any turmoil or strife within the plateau. Kas frowned, "Well, one day you'll be able to hunt for yourself and make decisions, too." This wasn't making things any better. "I didn't mean to upset you, Junior. I bet he's not even thinking about it."

The young girl started breathing rapidly, something Kas had seen before. She closed the gap between them with a few strides and cooed, "I'm sorry, Junior. I was just talking. I don't know anything for sure, I can't even say he'll want any pups with Fox. This is all my fault." Kas kissed the top of Junior's head, gently preening the girl, hoping that with her steady motions, she could help her calm down. She felt so stupid for saying anything, even if she hadn't meant anything by it.

Heh heh never apologize for creating IC drama. ;)

Kaskara moved closer, speaking soothingly in her ear. When she apologized and took responsibility for the pup's upset response, Junior shook her head. "No... it's... fine..." she lied. She didn't blame Kaskara. She really rather liked the dark she-wolf and fully intended to come visit her. This didn't change any of that.

Osprey realized she needed to push the thought out of her head, at least for now. "I just... won't think about it..." Junior said haltingly. She sucked in a deep breath, which helped steady her somewhat. She was still breathing faster than usual. "Maybe they don't," she added to agree with Kaskara's previous statement, offering the she-wolf a tight-lipped smile.

Junior calmed as Kaskara continued to comfort her and, in a moment, her small panic attack passed. "I never thought about it," she admitted in a small voice. "I don't want to think about it," she repeated, swallowing hard. She shook her head lightly, as if hoping the thought would fall out of her big ears and be forgotten.

"I should go home, Kas," Junior said at length, feeling strange and exhausted now. "But I'll come visit you soon, I promise. And I'll pass along your message." She didn't mention that she would avoid her dad and take it directly to Blue Willow instead. She didn't want to face Peregrine just yet, not with the knowledge that he might be planning to effectively replace Junior and her siblings.

"Bye." She gave her friend's muzzle a lick and then turned, walking with a strange mechanical stiffness as she made her way back in the direction of Blacktail Deer Plateau.