He made good time at first. As the voices dwindled in to silence, Amon could only follow his gut when navigating the terrain. The land grew more difficult to traverse as he left the lakeside, weaving between the trees and then along a natural corridor. The hills grew rocky and uneven, and yet they seemed to constantly slope upward, telling Amon that he was going in the correct direction. It took a couple of hours for the man to hike closer, which surprised him (either because he didn't think he had become geriatric yet, or he hadn't anticipated the incline). When he came to a halt, he could only hope that this was the right area. If he had made a wrong turn, then Amon would have surely made a fool out of himself - pledging to aid these strangers, and then not sticking around. For a few moments the beast considered calling out again, but out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw movement - and upon turning to face it, the man took on his usual hunch.
After the episode with Ashton, Fox had cut back on her daily intake of Finley's medication. The side-effects, while terribly amusing, also made her feel extremely vulnerable. That, of course, did not mean that Fox had stopped entirely. Instead, she ingested just the smallest amount of the substance, rather than an entire mouthful. It kept the pain away and made her slightly elated, but didn't cause her to completely shut down or forget what she had been doing every few minutes. Her reaction time was slightly slower, but that wasn't too much of a boon considering her fractured rib hindered her movement anyway.
She stuck to the buffer zone between their home and unclaimed territory, eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Now that they had made their claim official (with that extra, distant voice she'd never heard), she wanted to make sure that they kept it secure. So along she limped until she spotted a figure that was a little too close for her comfort. Hiding her limp as best as she could, Fox raised her tail and pointed her ears forward and up, commanding respect with her posture alone. A questioning look was on her face as she awaited the stranger to explain himself.
The movement stopped, almost as if he had been spotted, and then resumed. While Amon sat watching, a stranger seemed to materialize before him. Her posture demanded respect and he was ready and willing to give it. As Fox got closer, Amon did not notice the limp - but was quite taken by the vibrancy of the stranger's pelt, as well as her diminutive size. Then again, it was rare for Amon to encounter anyone even close to his own burdensome weight and build, so everyone seemed small by comparison.
The girl did not speak. She watched him, and he watched her as closely as he could without offending, but there were no words. When he assumed she was awaiting some sort of explanation, the man cleared his throat with a rumble and attempted to make nice; another rarity in the life of a rogue. Must've gone a little astray in my walk.
My, didn't he sound surly and old. He could do better than that. My name is Amon. I believe a pack is forming in the area - do you know anything about it?
He had seen a few wanderers in his time upon the lake shore, but nobody fitting this girl's description. That would make her one of the pack wolves, or at the very least, one of the beasts lured close by the group howl. Either way it was a good idea to make a positive impression.
“Formed,” she corrected. “This is Redhawk Caldera, and I am Fox Redleaf-DiSarinno. My mate, Peregrine, and I settled here not long ago, and others have joined us.” His voice did have a certain familiarity to it, but Fox didn't connect it to the howl she had heard when they had all raised their voices in unison. If she had been a better judge of age, she might have asked him what he was doing all alone, but for now, she simply awaited further explanation, if he had any. Like most of those who visited Redhawk, he was either here for information or to pledge himself to them.
Accustomed to leaders with at least a few years under their belt, it was peculiar to Amon when this red-furred girl introduced herself, thus sharing the information he was searching for. At first he thought it to be a joke - nobody would follow a child back where he was from. But surely for someone so young to have founded a pack - either because of their mate's wish, or because of a personal desire - they must have quite the backbone. That was something Amon could stand behind.
It was entirely possible for his inner thoughts to be exposed through a brief expression of surprise. He curtailed the expression as swiftly as it appeared. Redhawk Caldera. Sounds fancy.
Oh, get on with it you old codger. Amon glanced beyond the self-proclaimed leader as if to suss out another; perhaps she was only kidding, and was biding her time before the real man of the house popped by. When he surmised that she was quite alone, Amon expressed what he had come here to express. You might've heard me from the lake. I heard your group and thought it'd be a great idea to enlist, so, here I am.
There was no point in playing games when all he wanted was a safe place to lay his head at night and a warm meal. As his rumbling voice ceased, Amon waited for the girl to acknowledge his earlier song - for surely if she was one of the leaders, she must've heard it. Heck, if Amon had been the alpha in this position, he'd be mighty curious about it.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when he commented that her home sounded "fancy." When he mentioned the lake, she assumed it was the giant one further south of the caldera. Peregrine had pointed it out not long after they had gotten here, though Fox's injury had kept her from exploring it. It also clicked that his voice had been the strange one during their pack howl, and she gave him a soft, “Ahhh.” Pausing to consider this, she spoke again. “So you’re the strange voice that joined up with us the other day. I pledged myself in a similar manner some months ago... though not to this group of wolves.” It was a bit sad that none of her fellow creek members were around any longer. Magpie was here, but she had only been there during the very end of Fox's reign.
“What value do you bring to us?” she asked, grunting as she settled into a sit.
The notion of a wolf having value was something that disturbed many youngsters - most of which having never left their mother's side before. But Amon was not among them. He had been around the block a few times and knew not to be offended or discouraged by the question. Though, he didn't immediately begin listing off his various abilities either. The man was thoughtful for a moment - still wondering if this was a trick left to the gullible - and then rolled his shoulders in a shrug.
I'm not exactly a spring chicken, but I know how to do most things.
That was vague, but true. It was difficult to survive on your own for the few months let alone a couple of years, but that also begged the question of why. Amon didn't mention his history yet. It would probably be used as a black mark against him anyway. I've been in packs before, so this ain't my first rodeo. I can fight, hunt, track, whatever you want.
What else could he say? 'Hey there kid, let me join your club because: reasons'?
As if anticipating rejection, Amon shifted his weight and got to his feet. This resulted in his great dark figure looming over her's, so he took a step back to compensate for any unease this caused. I've lived off the land for over a year now, on my own. I could probably keep goin' on my own if I had to, but I've been missing the redundancy of pack life. Do you have room in your ranks for someone like me?
"And why were you alone for a year?" she questioned further. Had he done something so terrible that nobody could trust him? Perhaps he was an outcast of some sort... and maybe for good reason. The support of a pack was something that Fox had always known she had wanted—needed, even. She'd spent approximately a month traveling from her birth pack to the Teekon Wilds, but other than that, she'd been glued to a pack in one way or another.
Amon wasn't ashamed of his age or his knowledge, but he felt a deep worry when his thoughts inevitably led to the end, and that resulted in some minor hostility. At present he was in denial about his own limitations. Such things would increase as time passed, until all of his strength was stolen away from him. Today was not that day; however, Fox's question made him want to withdraw almost instantly. Amon remained resolute, save for the brief flicker of his ears against his head, and up again.
Old enough to be your grandfather, likely.
He all but slurred, attempting humor but finding that his voice lacked the enthusiasm. Age could be a deciding factor here - either these Redhawks would see his experience as a boon, or the inevitable end as a great fault. Why were you alone for a year?
Fox abruptly appended her question, which earned another roll of Amon's wide shoulders.
I served a legion of warriors and gradually grew to dislike their practices. My superior at the time did not take kindly to my attempts to influence a few of my allies, to try and change some things I didn't agree with.
He spoke of this slowly, as if unsure of the implications such a tale would bring to light; Amon had no intention of causing doubt or spreading chaos among the ranks of the caldera wolves, after all. I was forced to leave. Then whenever I attempted to place down roots, agents from this particular group of warriors would find me and drive me away. The only way to avoid this treatment was to leave, so I did. I traveled quite far, actually.
There, life story: abridged. At least, part of it.
"We could use somebody with a few more years on them," she admitted. After only a brief moment of hesitation, she continued. "Peregrine and I will be bringing young into the world when the time comes. Are you prepared to help in whatever capacity we need? I imagine you've encountered pups in your time." Fox wanted him to be truly committed before she said or did anything to finalize the deal. She wanted to vet their pledges more thoroughly than she had in the past. These wolves were to become family, after all.
Babies having babies. That was always the way of things. Upon Fox's reveal of her intentions, Amon appeared pensive - but only for a moment. Whatever this girl wanted to do with her body was up to her and this Peregrine she kept mentioning. I'd happily protect them.
The beast rumbled in as pleasing a tone as he could muster, and already began to relax in place. Things appeared to be going swimmingly.
As part of my early training I was required to take a... Vow, more or less. To remain celibate and serve my leader. At the time it was my father, and his only wish was that his chosen heir remain protected.
There was experience there, too. Even if this pack was run by a pair of children thinking with their groins, it was a safe place far from the influence of the Guard. If they needed a babysitter, he could fill that roll. Ask anything of me, miss Fox, and I'll oblige to the fullest extent of my abilities.
For as long as his abilities lasted. A deep part of Amon was instantly regretting those serious words; the mere thought of children making a chill creep across his skin. Sure, he'd had some experience dealing with kids - but usually new recruits to the Guard. And even they were older than the red girl before him now. A little fib wouldn't hurt... Kids couldn't be that hard to manage.
“You can busy yourself with meeting your new pack-mates,” she said in a voice a bit more cheery than it had been. “We’re a small bunch right now, but each and every one of the wolves who lives here is dedicated to our cause.” Fox was determined to make them a family, one way or another. She was certain that Redhawk Caldera would not only survive, but thrive.
Since beginning his travels those many days ago, Amon had learned of various lifestyles - many of which were different from what he grew up with - and over time he had come to appreciate the differences. It was mirth that filled him now, as Fox swiftly deliberated over his assets and came to a conclusion, and Amon gave her a sharp nod of the head. Stooping so low as to nudge her chin seemed a bit too... Ritualistic. And probably hard on his joints (not that he'd admit it); so he didn't bother with such nuance. A smile lit up his features instead which didn't exactly fit the old-timer.
Hm, I didn't hear many voices when I picked up on your call. It should be easy enough to find them.
With that said - and his body growing tired from the stagnation - Amon began to mentally plot a course which would take him closer to the caldera. Is there anyone in particular I should meet first? Your Peregrine, perhaps?
That would make the most sense. But maybe the young man was too busy for a private meet-and-greet. Before Fox could answer, Amon came to his own conclusion. Ah, no matter. I'll find someone eventually.
As he began to stride beyond Fox's position, he paused and gave another nod; this one however, became more like a bow. The hunch of his shoulders was made quite apparent by the movement, and Amon briefly resembled some kind of bear. Thank you, miss Fox.
The fireball watched him leave, and only after he had vanished from her vision did she continue her patrol, eyes alert for anything that might need her attention. She was proud of what they were becoming, and she looked forward to many happy days with her pack-mates.