Redtail Rise coffee bar

a simple little phone post on lunch break to get something posted.

towhee jr learns the rise by patrolling the borders, the shadow of ghost as he takes to the overcast skies overhead dipping in and out of her sight.

the days temperature levels out cool; a crisp breeze flowing off the rise.

her steps are careful; eyes alert.

Masquerade stood on the highest crest of the rise, eyes narrowed and tail lashing as they watched the youth patrolling in the distance below. They hadn’t realized until very recently that their adoration of the young only extended to those born and bred in Redtail Rise. They did not approve of this young interloper coming here and using the pack’s resources. Where were her parents and why weren’t they taking responsibility for her?

The Ulfr supposed they should be glad the newest Toweard was at the very least contributing by guarding the borders. And perhaps she would provide companionship to her peers. In any case, it wasn’t up to Masquerade to decide who could and could not be part of the pack—a thought that suddenly rankled the loyalist—so they redirected their squint to the other side of the rise and descended to do their own duties.

Cameo for character development! :)

Over a year ago, Lilia had come to Redtail Rise as a malnourished, snotty-nosed lost kid, abandoned by her birth family, to be taken and accepted at the Rise with her poor attitude and all. She had survived thanks to the mercy Avicus had chosen to show her, regardless of how some of the others must have felt. 

Now, they had a new one- a fledgling who had come to them seeking a new home. Lilia found her scent trailing along the borders and was pleased that the young girl was making an effort. 

She thought she caught a flat, unimpressed stare from the ulfr in passing, as she turned away from the patrolling youngster and moved off. Lilia huffed. The behavior was unbecoming of the former Caru, though she had her guesses as to why it was Masque had looked upon the child, unimpressed.

She wasn’t blood.

Fortunately for Towhee Jr, she had a strong advocate on her side, and she approached, tail swinging and nose working as she inspected the area where the girl was patrolling. With a forward flick of her ears and a lick of her lips she requested to join the girl.

there is a pinprickle down her spine, that distinct gut feeling of being watched. her steps falter for a moment, a glimpse spared from the neutral territories outside the borders to the shadows within it. a brief flash of movement, there and gone in the time it takes jr to blink once; twice.

the watcher does not stay for long and jr's attention is stolen, at any rate, by the burnished woman who had met her at the borders.

golden gaze reads the intention in lilia's gestures and she offers a soft nod, gesturing with her muzzle; inviting.

Lilia growled softly as she was invited along with Towhee Jr, noting the way the girl's posture softened slightly in friendly deference. She looked the girl over when she approached, soft breaths winding their way over her shoulders and back as she gauged the girl's condition. She didn't look as though she was fading, or as though any others had been picking on her. Lilia nodded and huffed her approval. Towhee Jr was even beginning to smell like them.

So she led forward, moving along the borders quietly, investigating the scents left behind by other guardians and reinforcing them. She kept an ear flicked toward her assistant, lest she show any signs of having picked up on anything unusual as they patrolled together.

it is a familiar routine; patrolling. it fills jr with a sense of purpose, and a sense of pride that she can still help despite the distinct disadvantages she rallies against daily.

ghost’s presence as her feathered sentry helped. if nothing else, it soothed.

she falls back in deference, letting lila, as presumed leader, take the lead. but she is a few steps behind, pausing here and there to sniff the borders. growing more familiar with the scents of those within the pack, it is easier to determine what is supposed to be and what is not.

She reminded herselt to try and remain in sight, and keep her facial expression visible, considering the fact that Towhee Jr would not be able to hear her voice. Fortunately, for the most part, patrolling was fairly dry news. Scents left behind by the last to pass through this direction, and a few others mixed in. She noticed that the Toweards had begun to step up and fulfill the positions they had claimed for themselves. Their scents as well had become more prominent along the border. 

But every now and again, something had to come and test their boundaries. First she saw some small scuff marks, as though someone had been trying to dig up a cache. Whoever it was, they weren't wasting their time- and it smelled like a coyote. Lilia's eyes widened and she gestured for Towhee Jr to pick up the pace. They might have a thief nearby.

nothing smells out of place ... until it does. and jr is not the first to notice.

the burnished woman notes it first and then jr, who lingers a few paces behind.

jr pauses to inspect the markings along the earth, the musky scent of coyote hitting her nostrils a moment later as she dissects the scents.

unwanted and clearly on a mission.

jr's eyes catch lilia's movement, an urge for her to follow closer; quicker. she offers the woman a nod, glimpses up at ghost for a hairsbreadth of a moment before following close behind in search of the potential thief.

She could hear the adolescent following along behind her, and occasionally felt the hot puff of breath near her heels. She considered for a moment how she might ask the young girl which trade she might pursue, but perhaps it would be something that might be demonstrated, rather than spoken-for. This test- chasing down and harrying a coyote- might show off whether she possessed the will to attack and fight. From there on, she felt certain the youngster's preferences would show.

Ahead in the distance, the coyote's head snapped up. It tilted back, and called out with a bark and sure enough, another coyote'd head lifted above the bushes to stare toward the approaching wolves in surprise. Large ears flicked forward and back before both the smaller canines began to lope off- and with a growl, Lilia began to gallop, closing the distance with the intention of teaching at least one of them a lesson.

although jr's instincts always operated in 'fight' mode, it is triggered the moment she notices the two smaller canines.

her gaze locked on the slinking beasts raiding the rise's caches, she wastes no time in taking off after them as the burnished woman had moments before.

jr does not follow in lilia's steps though, instead arching around in the hopes of cornering at least one of them. the rush of adrenaline, the endorphins give her a satisfying battlerush and she itches for a scrap.

for a fight.

chasing them off just didn't seem like punishment enough and following a fight was a language she could understand without effort.

she veers sharply right towards one of the coyotes, gaining speed; teeth snapping at it's hind leg.

Towhee Jr moved around wide, and Lilia assumed she might come back in a sort of pincer-like move. Lilia worried the creatures from behind, though she chose a target when one of the veered off- likely deterred by the other wolf coming in at an angle. Had she thought Towhee Jr incapable of handling a coyote on her own, perhaps she might have pursued the same one- instead, however, she chose to let the youth have a chance at proving her mettle, and let her be. 

Tail tucked, the coyote that Lilia pursued yelped and begged for mercy with high-pitched cries when it realized it was alone, and could not outrun her. It might have rolled over to submit if it had not been running so fast, and had Lilia given it the chance to do so. Instead, she bowled straight into the creature, tangling with it on the ground, spurred on by the crescendo of its anguished cries.

jr's focus is like a sniper's; the thief in her crosshairs. it's easy for her, in this, because there is no outside noises to distract her. it was also a vulnerability but she feels safe enough in the rise and confident enough that the burnished woman has the other coyote distracted that she does not worry about it.

she takes a bit of skin and fur the first snap.

the second snap brings it down. thin ankle betwixt her jaws; a violent twist of her head given.

but it is quick! quicker than she anticipated, it swings 'round quick and sinks it's teeth into her shoulder.

her cry of pain is a pitiful keening; that is more breath than it is sound.

the coyote's teeth cut sharp, white hot pain radiating along her shoulder as she wrenches it free. it distracts her and allows the slippery thief time to scramble to it's feet.

she tries to give chase, but it escapes the territory and she ceases her pathetic limping after it at the borders; breath pushing out of her lungs in harsh snorts. angry at the thief and angry at herself.

Once or twice, the coyote slipped free of Lilia's grip and managed to bolt away, but she dove after it, harassing it into the ground again and again, until finally, mouth drenched in its blood, she sent the cowering creature skittering off past the borders trailing blood from a long tear down its abdomen. Its cries faded as it ran, and she noticed then that the other coyote's cries had faded as well. 

When she reached Towhee Jr, she was panting, but looked relatively unharmed aside from a wound on her shoulder. Proud of the girl for having shown such tenacity, she gives her forehead a gentle boop with her bloody muzzle, before she began to tend to the girl's wound if she would allow it. 

Like the others, this one would root and grow too; and it made Lilia's heart burst to know that the freshest blood in the pack could also prove herself to be as good as any born to inherit the land.

the sting of the coyote's bite feels tenfold as the adrenaline begins to wean itself from her system and she winces, shifting her weight to her non-injured leg.

it is jr's first real injury; deeper than any bites left behind by sable when they play fought as young(er) children.

her shame is souring any feelings of pride at having had her first real fight and it is a struggle for her to accept the boop the burnished woman offers her; trapped in her own woe-is-me self pity party.

but she does.

and she allows the tending of her wounds, wondering all the while if they will scar; secretly ( or perhaps not so secretly ) wishing they do.

She could sense that the young wolf was disappointed- perhaps because she hadn't had the chance to make the kill. Wounds, in her eyes, were nothing to be ashamed of. Towhee Jr had earned the wound as a mark of her bravery and willingness to defend the pack from intruders. She wouldn't hear it, but there was a thrum of a proud growl in her throat as she tended to the girl's wounds. 

Once she had finished, she nudged the girl's cheek again, searching for her gaze so that she might see the look of approval, a proud smile that was much different from the one-sided smirk the Berserkr often bore. She chuffed and clicked her teeth together, and gestured that she be followed. She knew where some food was stashed away nearby, and felt the youngster had earned herself a meal.