Redhawk Caldera who tells interns what to do.

It was strange, learning about new lands and marking new borders. The former times he'd moved, he'd been too young for it to have that much of an effect on him. He was very aware of it now, though it certainly wasn't a bad thing. He didn't mind leaving the Copse behind for his attachment wasn't to a place, but to his loved ones. This move brought him closer to those that had left while still keeping him near those who had stayed. It was all in all a good thing, even if in some ways it meant starting over.

Fig squatted again to mark one of the many rocks that dotted the slopes that lined their new home. It wasn't as pretty as the Copse had been, but he had to admit, the view from the high ridges was one of a kind. He peered up at them, then looked away to the West where Moonspear stood tall and imposing. The sight was a comfort, knowing they had allies nearby when their hold on this new territory was still tenuous. At random, a memory came to him of he and Fenn as children, running along the borders looking for "coots". He smiled to himself as he marked another rock.

Having caught up with Wraen and then catching a rabbit in Bramblepoint, Phox was now heading back home. The long-eared animal hung from his jaws, where Phox would then take it back home and bury it near the rendezvous site where he had spent several months of his life as a child. As he neared the borders, he spotted Figment up ahead, and he smiled, mouth still full of rabbit fur.

When Towhee had told Phox about setting Figment up for leading success, Phox couldn't have been happier. While Phox didn't think that he would ever be a top dog anywhere, he was happy that maybe, just maybe Figment would be able to hold that crown. Alyx showed potential, too, and Phox wondered if the two of them would team up or go their separate ways. In any case, at least one of them was bound to succeed, right? Figment was older, and although Phox adored having him right here all the time, he wouldn't begrudge his son of branching out and extending their claim.

The Regent dropped the rabbit when he was close enough, hailing Figment with a woof and putting himself in Fig's path. No way of avoiding your silly goof of a dad now, kid!

Being in a new place has Fig a little more on edge than usual, so he whirled when first he heard someone approaching. He settled when he spotted Phox and offered his initial greeting in the way of a tail wag and a smile, then moved to close the distance between them.

”Hey dad,” he said once he was nearer, ”Find some good hunting grounds already?” Fig eyed the rabbit at Phox’s paws, wondering if he’d come across new grounds or gone to places he’d stored in his memory from living here before.

Sure did! Phox replied, patting the rabbit corpse like one might an old friend. Well, I guess I found them as a kid, but it was nice to revisit. Bramblepoint, that dense little forest back there—Phox motioned toward the orchard—It's great for grabbing grub of all sorts. Apples are all gone this late in the year, but there are still plenty of berries. And o'course I got this rabbit. That's right, Dad's still got it!

What about you? Practicing for when you're a big bad leader? he asked, having spotted Fig doing some border patrolling of his own. Towma told me she wanted you to eventually add to our range. In a way, Phox was trying to get a feel for what Fig thought about all of that. Figment had always been a huge help wherever he was needed, and he couldn't imagine it being any different if he was asked to go expand their empire.

Fig didn't need to ask the question for it to be answered. He turned his gaze towards the woods his father mentioned, mentally cataloguing the information that was shared. He wasn't the best hunter, but he managed just fine. He likely could've been better if he spent the time and energy on improving, but he was more focused on becoming a guardian and protector for the pack. He pondered how it must feel for his father to be back here again after so long, and wondered if he would remember hunting spots at the Copse once he was further down the road. He supposed it just depended how far down the road he got before he tried to remember.

The question threw him for a moment, but it was a brief one before he smiled his humblest of smiles. "Just trying to help get the borders established," he explained, "I didn't think of it as a leader job. Just a regular old guardian job." It was an honest answer, and for a moment, he couldn't help but stop and wonder. Was that a leader's thing to do? It was just an everyday activity for him, but had it secretly been a sign of his potential all this time? He shook his head when the moment was up. He was deluding himself again. He was just Fig--nothing big and bad about him.

Figment seemed to brush off any notion that it was a leader's job. Phox, however, knew that feeling. Towhee had once pushed Phox to start his own pack when he'd brought up the mere mention of moving. In the end, it hadn't worked out. But did Phox regret it? He still wasn't sure. The times he spent in the grove were hazy memories clouded by losing Fennec and being trapped with no escape. Unpleasant memories he wasn't particularly keen on revisiting, but also memories he didn't want Figment to have about his own experience.

It was hard not to want to protect his children—even the ones who weren't blind.

Phox found himself searching for the right way to ask the question that lingered between his ears. It itched the back of his throat, clawing at it there until he changed it into something more palatable. Is it what you want? he asked, To lead? There was some saying about how the reluctant leaders were the best, but Phox did not subscribe to that belief. Based on the stories about his mother (painted by some of her best friends: Finley and Elwood), she had fought tooth and nail for her position at the top, and she'd been a fine leader.

The question asked was one he often asked himself. Is it what he wanted? Fig could never give a satisfactory answer to himself, so he doubted he would be able to provide one to Phox. The truth was he simply didn't know. He had never aspired to become a leader. The thought had never even occurred to him until Towhee planted it there. But it had made him realize that he really hadn't thought of his future at all up until then, and it probably should have.

All of these thoughts whirled in his head in the moments before he answered, but he picked the ones that he most wanted to get off his chest. "I've honestly never thought before about what I wanted..." Fig admitted, feeling foolish, "Not before this, anyway. I've always just thought about today and tomorrow. Maybe next week or this Winter. I've never thought about what I wanted to become, or who, other than just someone... useful."

As Phox had suspected, Figment was doing what he had always done. He was going with the flow, letting the river of life take him where it would. The others in Phox's life had so often been the banks of that river, thrashing him this way and that. First, it had been Towhee, then Camilla, then Towhee again, and now—in a way—Niamh. But Phox had grown a spine somewhere in there, and he'd figured out what he needed to be happy. Part of what made Phox tick was seeing his children happy.

Yeah, I didn't think about long term plans for a long time, believe it or not. It was probably around the time he'd hit his head that he truly honed in on where he wanted to go with his life. There was something to be said about passing this wisdom down to his kids. He wished he'd known how to articulate it back when he'd been Figment's age and younger.

Well, you don't have to decide right away. There are plenty of other ways to be useful if leading doesn't turn out to be what makes you tick, and don't let anybody—even Towma—pressure you into doing something unless you're one hundred percent behind it. Eljay was a prime example of that, even if Phox had thought poorly of him in the past. Now, though, he saw Eljay in a brighter light. He wasn't sure exactly what had shifted between then and now, but it was there.

Fig looked at his father when interest when he confessed that he too had spent little time contemplating his future when he was young. Maybe he wasn't such an idiot after all, then. Ever since meeting Osiris, he'd used the other boy as a yardstick by which to measure himself. Maybe he was being unfair to himself. Osiris was clearly exceptional and while Fig wanted to be the best he could be, he could be content with being average.

Well... He would at least strive for above average.

He wondered if it would ever not be strange to hear Towhee being called Towma.

"Don't worry. The only one I feel pressure from is myself," Fig admitted with a wry grin, "I just want to help the pack however I best can. And I always have been kind of intrigued by the pack politics. Y'know... the decision-making process and coming up with what to do in tough situations for the good of the pack. I don't know that I necessarily want to be the one making the call, but... I think I'd like to help."

When Figment spoke of what he wanted to do, it sounded like he wanted to be in the same position as Phox was now. Phox also enjoyed helping, but burdening the whole weight was too much. That was likely while the grove fell apart shortly after Towhee left. Well, that and the fact that a landslide had really fucked with Phox's head. Being stuck had been awful, even if he was a homebody. He never ever wanted to be cut off from the rest of the world again.

Next time we have one of those oh-so-important decision making talks, I can make sure you're there to observe, Phox offered. He wished that he'd had that kind of guidance at Figment's age. Instead, he'd steered very clear of it. Hell, he'd even resented Raven for it to some degree, especially with her choice of lame (to him) co-leaders. Maybe giving Figment a chance to see how they made decisions (and why they made them) would make him into a good leader someday. Quixote, Raven, and Colt had never given Phox that opportunity.

Fig's tail wagged at the invitation his father gave him. It felt like the weight was lifted off of his shoulders. It was overwhelming to try and see himself in a leadership role when he had no experience. Getting to observe would at least give him a taste of it, and it would give him a way of learning how to be good at it. Figment didn't like to do things without being prepared, especially when the stakes were so very high.

"That would be great," the young wolf replied, "It's hard to agree to something I have no experience in. Getting to observe would help a lot, so I have at least some clue what I'd be in for." A sound caught Fig's attention as he finished speaking. He turned to peer sharply at their surroundings, but saw only a squirrel skittering up the trunk of a nearby tree. He settled again and turned back. The sooner these borders were established, the more comfortable he would be.

Last from me! Tags for reference. <3

Phox could hear the relief in Figment's voice, and he smiled. He liked to believe that he had raised his children right, and so far, none of them had proven him wrong. Guiding them and teaching them how to grow up was the most fulfilling thing for Phox, and he was so glad to have them. I'm gonna go store this bun-bun, he said. I'll let ya get back to your patrolling.

He'd be sure to let @Niamh and @Towhee know that Figment wanted to be included in their next leadership huddle. Having Eljay at their most recent one had turned out to be helpful. Maybe they should always be adding at least one member into the mix when they made big decisions. Inviting everybody usually turned into a slog, but just one or two seemed to help them get another perspective on things.

Grabbing up the rabbit, Phox nudged Fig gently on the shoulder before heading deeper into his new/old home.

Fig nodded when Phox made his leave, shooting him a smile as he picked up his rabbit and left. He watched him go for a few moments, thinking about the conversation they'd just had. He did feel relieved, but there was still some uncertainty in his heart. He supposed it might be one of those things that always remained. He couldn't imagine a day when he was 100% confident in himself as a leader, but he supposed time would be the one to tell.

The young Redhawk turned back to his work then, continuing along the borders and marking here and there, and thinking he might make a couple of consecutive rounds around the territory, just to get them that much further established.