Redhawk Caldera come together

For @Robin!

She couldn't stand being stuck in one place for so long. It wasn't the brightest idea (although Fox had never been full of those), but Fox was soon hobbling her way up one of the less steep slopes toward the peak. She went slowly, stopping often to catch her breath. Her foot felt much better, but her rib ached with each stride. Even so, it wasn't as sharp as it had been the first day, and she simply couldn't stand to sit around and do nothing while Peregrine and Finley were working so hard on securing their borders.

Fox took the absolute easiest route, following an old deer trail down the mountain's slopes until she reached the bottom. There, she stopped for a drink at a small pond and then headed toward the boundary of her new home. She could already smell Perry's scent laced with Finley's, and Fox fully intended to make her own prominent as well. Stopping to squat every few paces, she marked the earth with her urine. Every time she came across a tree, she would rub her red fur against it (on her good side, of course).

[size=medium]Robin moved slowly up the slope, picking her way through the underbrush with an anxious expression on her pale face. Her ears held at half-mast, golden eyes darting carefully, the songbird tried her best not to be noisy as her body brushed against the twigs and crumpled leaves underfoot.

The female usually traveled in confidence, but something was troubling her today: a very particular scent, scattered along the mountain path she now climbed. Perhaps it was silly of her to think Fox would actually harm her for a broken promise, especially since she did not know her fire-pelted sister that closely. But the other woman was difficult to read, and with all life's situations, anything was possible.

In spite of her fear, Robin trundled along until the blatantly red fur of her sister was visible amid the murky green and gray tones of the forested mountainside. Fox was just rising from a squat, unknowingly drawing her wayward sister closer as she marked her territory. Robin approached, pressing her dark ears against her skull, wearing a sheepish expression. "Fox?" she spoke, softly.[/size]

The greeting caused Fox to turn around and face her older sister. Robin was something of an enigma to Fox. The older child promised again and again to stay, but every time, Fox's sister left without so much as a "good-bye." In a sense, Fox had gotten used to it. Robin was just a flighty little bird who had the attention span of a gnat. And while she may have been flaky, Robin had never done anything to upset or harm Fox.

"Robin!" she called out, her tail wagging. If she could have, Fox would have run to her and tackled her. Unfortunately, that didn't seem like such a great idea, taking her injuries into consideration. "I suppose I should get you up to speed," she added, wincing as she sat down. "Perry and I decided to strike out on our own. I took a mighty tumble right after we got here, which made our departure from the plateau... not quite as planned. Now we're rounding up recruits." That was the shortest possible version, but Fox figured it would do.

"You just passing through, or...?" Fox asked. Maybe Robin would once again say she would stick around only to up and leave again. That would be just like her, but Fox couldn't help but ask.

[size=medium]

The moment of truth came as Fox turned to face her. Her sister's fiery plume waved behind her and a smile of relief lit Robin's face. Certain that her younger sibling harbored no resentment (at least not to a worrisome degree), Robin closed the distance between them by touching her snout gently to the other female's muzzle.

She had noticed the limp, and as she backed away from the brief embrace, her lips were ajar with unspoken questions. But Fox had already begun to speak, wasting no time explaining her presence on the mountain, and the lilting gait that spoke of injury.

"That is good to hear. I must admit, I was worried about your state of mind... all bent up, and pissing all over the place," she spoke with a smirk. She joked, but she was truly proud of her little sister. Her personna belied her small stature - she was a strong soul, always willing to take charge and make things happen.

"I would like to stick around this time. Really, Fox, I'm sorry," She glanced at her paws as she spoke, ashamed of her flighty nature. Still, she could not bring herself to make a concrete promise... as always.

"Sure is nice to see you," she finished, once more meeting her sister's eyes, but this time with a more gentle smile.[/size]

No need to edit, but Fox's injuries are all internal (sprained ankle and fractured rib). Although I suppose Robin could have seen her limping. :)

"I'm sure Peregrine would be happy to have you," Fox replied, tail waving behind her. And if he wasn't happy, well... he could tell Robin himself! And while Fox didn't expect Robin to stick around, it would help to have another body on the ground to patrol and keep watch over things as they got themselves established. Considering Robin looked to be in good health, Fox thought she would be perfectly capable of helping them out. And if she decided to go on her way after they were fully functional, that was her prerogative.

"Good to see you too, sis. What did you get up to since the last time I saw you?" she asked. She assumed that her (beloved!) bird brain sister had just wandered off and gotten a little bit lost, but perhaps something else had drawn her away from the plateau.

Whoopsiedoodles. I edited it anyway lol, sorry about that <3

[size=medium] "Oh, I've just been, you know... here and there, to and fro, over the river and through the woods. Nothing very exciting, Foxy." she replied, lamely, but with a brief snicker. "But... I've grown tired of wandering aimlessly. I really hope your little man-friend will accept me."

Though Robin could never promise to stay in any one place for very long, she did not lie. Exploring was fun, but as the months passed, even the excitement had dulled, loneliness seeping in along with a sense of worthlessness. She missed the brief moments that she had spent as a pack wolf. Now her interest was drawn to pack life, and she sensed that her excitement would now come with having a purpose, and a responsibility to others.

"Anything I can help you with?" she ventured, her tail waving slowly at her heels.[/size]

"Pff, he's hardly little," Fox said with a grin. Peregrine towered over her, and she was already wondering how his giant babies were going to be birthed by her. Granted, that was several months away (perhaps more), but Fox often thought of the family that she would bring into the world. It would be pleasant to have Robin around to help with the children, as Fox was unlikely to trust many with them. Then again, she would have trusted both Finley and Fitz, so perhaps she wasn't that terribly protective of them.

"I could use some company," Fox replied with a nudge to her sister's shoulder. "And after that, I think if you wanted to seek out some potential recruits, that might help." Robin made three, which would be a good start, but Fox knew that they would need more to truly secure their hold on the caldera.

"You should meet Fitz and Finley, too." Those would be Robin's new pack-mates, and Fox thought it would be best if they all, y'know, knew one another.

[size=medium] "I'm teasing," replied the songbird. Fox had found a decent mate, and Robin had nothing foul to say about him. She pushed back on her sister's shoulder, gingerly, keeping Fox's injured state in mind. Her heart welled with excitement at the prospect of assisting her sister in establishing the caldera... a pack, a home, and perhaps a family. Eventually.

"Sure... whatever needs to be done." She fell into step with the vulpine-hued woman. "But how shall I go about recruiting? Is it simply a matter of asking transients, such as myself, if they would like to have a more permanent home?"[/size]

Want to fade with your next post so we can mark this complete? I'd love to have another soon! :)

"That's a good start," Fox replied, "But you can do a couple scouting missions for them. Try and track a few down outside of the caldera's borders and tempt them with your pretty lil' face." A bemused grin fell upon Fox's face, wondering if Robin would ever find a hunky dude to settle down with. Maybe Fitz would be a contender. Now that Fox had her prized possession, she needn't worry about competition from other ladies. She was trying not to get too ahead of herself, especially knowing how often Robin disappeared, but she did think it would be awesome if their kids grew up together.

"Just trolling the borders might be a good start, though," Fox added. She'd met more than a few recruits that way when she'd led the creek. At the plateau, she'd shoved those duties off to Peregrine, Blue, and Dante, though she didn't really have any reason to. Fox continued along the edge of her new home, squatting every few paces and chatting with her sister about their new home.

[size=small]Yes, let's thread again for sure! Thank you for the thread~ <3[/size]

[size=medium]"That sounds good to me," replied Robin with a shrug. Her manner was nonchalant, inside she was serious. She had been a selfish twit before, leaving because it was what she wanted to do, with little consideration for Fox's feelings. Yes, this time she would stay, and try her best to settle down... to make use of herself. Falling into step beside her sister, Robin moved happily, her tail waving, her mind in the future.[/size]