The Heartwood The fall

His tracking took him fairly far today, though what Gamekeeper could possibly resist the temptation presented to him? Peregrine ghosted after the lame moose cow, waiting for her to finally fall to the ground. He could smell death on her; it was only a matter of time. It could be hours, though, or even a day or more. In the meantime, she was on the move, slowly but surely heading northwest and eventually leading him beneath the vibrant green canopy of a summer forest. It was called The Heartwood, if memory served.

For a while, he didn't bother worrying about his location. But when the cow came to a stop and began to graze halfheartedly, all he could do was watch and wait. And Peregrine's mind wandered. He found himself thinking of his sister, Osprey, and his former best friend, Blue Willow. By now, both of them would have been turned away from him by the likes of Lasher. Neither had come calling, which was good for all involved but also a little heartbreaking in its way. He refused to let onto any of that, though. He would harden his heart as much as possible and never let Fox or anyone else know of the cracks in the concrete.

After a while, he banished thoughts of them. But when the wind suddenly changed and he picked up traces of a familiar scent, Peregrine's mind leaped to another former pack mate. FitzDutiful, he thought, recollecting his daughter's recent message to him. Well, he wouldn't be calling for the other male right now, lest he spook the cow. But as he hunched down in the grass to take a catnap, he wondered if FitzDutiful truly meant his apology and what the conversation would be like if and when they eventually crossed paths.

It had been far to long since the midnight female left Silvertip for Outriding purposes. She had felt chained to the mountain when she was Beta, however now she no longer held that title. The girl set off on a mission to recruit any that were in need of a home, and it started off in a forest she was relatively familiar with. Though she was out searching for possible members, the scent of dying prey was to irresistible the girl. However it seemed she wasn't alone in stalking the doe, but a dark figure lingered in the forest as well.

The scent of the male was familiar, though his name she couldn't quite recall. She observed him from the cover of shadows, while still keeping a close eye on the doe. Slowly she approached the male making sure not to spook the prey, and stopped when a ray of sunlight shone in her face. Suddenly a breeze blew past and her head snapped to watch the doe to see if it had noticed the two wolves yet. Thankfully not, for Bindi would need a good meal to strengthen herself for the journey ahead. 

Once securing that she had not given away her position to the prey, she crept closer and gave a low chuff to alert the stranger of her presence. 

Before he could so much as close his eyes, another scent washed over him, this one much fresher. Abruptly alert, Peregrine rose to his feet, jade eyes plumbing the surrounding woodland. He spotted her at very nearly the same moment she chuffed to announce her presence. She was vaguely familiar, though Peregrine couldn't immediately recall a name, nor why he dimly recognized her.

None of that mattered, though. Despite being far from the caldera, Peregrine had tracked the wounded cow from his home's outskirts and didn't take kindly to another wolf so near his prey. "This is my kill to make," he gruffly warned the black she-wolf, ears thrusting forward and tail stiffening behind him. "I've been tracking her for hours. She belongs to the caldera now."

He hadn't given much thought yet to what he would do after she fell. He would dispatch her, of course, but would he call his wolves to the kill or take as much as he could back to them? There was no way a wolf, even a large one like himself, could drag the carcass back that distance... or could it? His eyes danced with jade fire, daring the onyx female to test him.

Bindi's ears flattened against her skull and she was quick to shoot him a glare when he said this was his kill to make. The cow was not his nor was it on his territory, therefore in the female's eyes it was free. Free to be claimed by any who were fortunate enough to cross paths with the dying creature.

Then the male went on to say how he had been tracking the moose for hours, and how it now belonged to some caldrea. Bindi could vaguely remember Fitz speaking of that pack name before, and how it had something to do with his past. However the name held no importance to Bindi, and so she didn't care about how this male or his pack.

"Just because you tracked the moose doesn't make it yours" she spoke firmly through a hushed tone. "Besides if you really wanted that meal, you should have killed it hours ago." The male's fiery, daring gaze was returned with a cold, unwelcoming stare by Bindi, as she doesn't care about his warnings or anything else he has to say.

"Do you know the first thing about tracking? Fuck off, bitch," Peregrine snapped when she showed no sign of backing down from his kill. "You're Bindi, right?" he added when her name suddenly popped into his head. "That's right. You mouthed off about how much you hated Duty's mate," he recalled aloud, his glare just as cold as hers. "I don't think he would appreciate you muddying the waters between us further. This is my last warning, Bindi, before I defend what's mine with my teeth."

To punctuate his very real threat, the wolf stood to his fullest height, ears thrust forward and tail arced and bristling in the air. He peeled back his lips and growled lowly, eyes boring into her. He did not want to harm her but he was a wolf and wolves were territorial, particularly over resources like food. She hadn't put in the work and could stake no claim. Of course, she could try—and that's exactly what she was doing—but Peregrine would quickly put her in her place. She was nearly as tall as him, yet he had at least thirty pounds and a few years' fighting experience on her.

Just like that the male's temper went off as it seemed he didn't enjoy anyone's opinion except his own. Just as she was about to speak, her name was said by the stranger and her hackles immediately raised. "How the hell do you know my --" she began but stopped as she squinted and realized exactly who was standing in front of her. "Wait a minute, your that Peregrine who thought I was some puppy murder" she spat.

"News flash asshole, Riassa's gone and I'm Fitz's mate, which I also happen to be the mother of his children" she let the lie roll right off her tongue as if she was stating the truth. Part of it technically wasn't a lie, as she was helping raise June and Mason and was determined to be a mother figure for them. She let the conversation of Fitz slide as the topic of the injured cow was brought back into focus.

She had no need to speak as he attempted to tower over her and warned her one last time. She felt a growl bubbling up in her chest as she shot him a twisted glare full of hate. Bindi didn't give a damn about who's moose it was, or how territorial they were over it. She wanted it and she set on getting it. However with all the commotion going on between the wolves, the cow could have very likely wandered off and neither wolf would be eating.

...Bindi is such a stubborn bitch

She seemed startled by his familiarity, though she quickly connected the dots. He said nothing as she spat words at him. She had certainly given him that impression, by freely sharing her thoughts and feelings with a perfect stranger. Peregrine remained silent even when she asserted herself as FitzDutiful's mate and the mother of his children. It made no sense, based on what he knew of Duty and his previous encounter with Bindi herself. But he didn't give a damn about Silvertip's drama.

In response to his dominance display, she glared hatefully at him, a growl bubbling from her maw. Peregrine arched his neck even more severely, snapping his jaws just inches from her face. His ruff bristled, the only warning before he lunged, aiming to grab her by her muzzle and force it into the dirt. As he endeavored to show Bindi her place, he was indeed unaware as the moose cow started and cantered away, heading west toward Ouroboros Spine.

Soon there were teeth flashing before her eyes and a large dark shadow lunging at her.  She only managed to get out a half-growl before she was grabbed and shoved down into the earth. Even though she was in no position to fight against the force that was above her, Bindi was never known to be the submissive type.

The midnight wolfess was already ugly as hell with the many scars that decorated her body, she didn't see how she could get any worse. She squirmed around underneath the male like a worm. Quick breaths were taken in as she tried to free herself from Peregrine's grasp, for she didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her submit.

He managed to grab her, his jaws clamping around her muzzle. He did not apply enough pressure to break the skin. Peregrine didn't want to injure her, just force her to submit and back away from what belonged to him. With a growling grunt, he pressed her down toward the ground, his tail inching up to declare his dominance over the belligerent Bindi.

Without warning, a bolt of pain shot from the rear of his skull and popped behind his left eye. Peregrine let go of Bindi as he emitted a noise somewhere between a snarl and a cry of pain. The sensation repeated a second time, like someone driving a knife into his eye socket, and he swooned. He began to fall right on top of his opponent, possibly crushing her to the earth as he went down.

She continued to buck and fight against the dark male as he forced her to the ground some more. She watched as he stood over her, and was soon faced with the fact that she would have to submit at some point. However an unexpected turn of events caused the jaws around her muzzle to release, and a painful cry to fill her ears. The girl was quick to roll onto her stomach and try to stand, but she had no such luck.

A crushing weight pushed her right back into the position she was in before, but this time something was different. It almost seemed like the weight was simply laying on her rather than forcing her to submit. Bindi wondered if she had done anything to injure Peregrine, and with all the squirming she was doing it was possible. However she couldn't recall ever harming him, which left her puzzled on why he was just flat out laying on her.

She attempted to speak but only a grunt came from the girl. Peregrine's weight kept her crush against the dirt and she hoped that he would get off of her soon.

Feel free to injure him if that's in character. No killing, though, please and thank you. ;)

Bindi cushioned his fall quite efficiently, yet Peregrine was only dimly aware of this and her subsequent discomfort. Her struggling did rouse him somewhat, just enough for him to groan and roll off her, but the instant his body impacted with the ground, it was lights out for him. He fell still at the she-wolf's feet and was entirely at her mercy, should she attempt to harm or even kill him for his actions prior to this moment of absolute vulnerability.

Shortly after wishing that Peregrine would get off of her, a huge weight was relieved from her chest and Bindi was left gasping for air. She didn't except a wolf to be able to weigh that much but, in that moment the dark Alpha made it feel like a grizzly was sitting on Bindi. She lay still for a second, before pivoting so that she could see where Peregrine was. To her surprise he was just resting in one spot almost as if he was lifeless, but the rising of his chest made it clear that he was alive.

She stood to her feet and moved to where she was now standing beside his unconscious body. Bindi didn't know what the hell to do to him. Leave him to be eaten by a bear? Call for help? She bent down and grabbed onto the right side of his ear and began tugging on it in hopes of waking him up. After a few failed attempts of trying to wake the male, she let go and stood over him curious as to exactly what happened. She had never seen a wolf just fall asleep in the middle of trying to get another to submit.

Then a thought popped into her head that he might be sick, however he didn't look physically ill. After some time of trying to determine what was wrong with the guy, Bindi asked herself why she even cared about him. He was not her packmate and had absolutely no connection to her, so why was she helping him? The dark girl began to trot away leaving Peregrine's body behind, not caring if he would die or awake.

Peregrine had taken off hunting hours ago, and Fox had been tending (as best as she could) to Dove. Her breathing was ragged, worn, and shallow. A twisted frown passed over Fox's mouth. She did not think her sister was going to make it. She'd grown feverish days ago, and nothing seemed to help. She would not eat, could no longer make the walk to the nearby stream, and was wasting away. "Dove?" Fox asked. "Dove, can you hear me?" But her eyes did not even open. Knowing that her time was near—and that they could not call upon Blue Willow—Fox set off after Peregrine. They would need to move Dove somewhere out of the hustle and bustle so she could spend her last hours in peace.

Fox hustled toward the scent of Peregrine, picking it up here and there until she found the freshest one. It took her a good long while to find him, and she was surprised he had not headed home already. In fact, he was napping. "Peregrine, you lazy ass!" Fox called out loudly, though he did not stir. Was he going deaf, too? She attempted to rouse him, licking his face, still unaware that other ailments were at play. There was the faint smell of another wolf, but Fox assumed he had simply run into somebody while he'd been out here and attempted to recruit them.

Bindi departed, unbeknownst to Peregrine, who lay unconscious for several more hours before Fox arrived. He did not rouse when she called out to him, though the licking did the trick. His eyelids fluttered and he groaned for a few seconds before stiffening suddenly and snarling. He tore himself away from the licking sensation with his lips peeled back in angry confusion. He was unaware of what had happened, or of the time that had passed, and assumed it was Bindi tonguing his face.

But it was Fox. Peregrine's face fell slack as he stared at her in confusion. He then looked around for Bindi but saw no sign of her. The moose cow was long gone too. There was something else odd about his surroundings, though it took him a moment to realize the sun had moved quite a ways in the sky. Although his head felt totally normal, he vaguely recollected the bursts of pain and deduced that he must have lost consciousness.

"Holy shit," he murmured, his mouth dry. "I think I passed out. I was confronting Bindi and the last thing I remember is pain behind my left eye. That must have been hours ago," he mused, brow furrowed as he glanced at the sky. His jade eyes then fell back to Fox's silvery gaze. "I'm all right, though. Why're you here?" he wondered, moving forward to nuzzle her.

Fox furrowed her brow at his explanation. It was eerily familiar to what Haunter had gone through, and even Peregrine's brother. She did not like it one bit. Still, she remained quiet. Fox was not about to make things worse by worrying her mate, the father of her children, by telling him he was about to die. They had other pressing matters on their paws, and she did not want to even think about the possibility of Peregrine wasting away when her sister was doing just that. Besides, it could be a fluke. Just a random happening that would not repeat itself. Fox told herself this, then answered his question.

"It's Dove," she explained, "I don't think she's going to make it through the night. She's come down with a fever, and her breathing is really—I mean really—shallow." In fact, Fox wasn't even sure if Dove would still be alive when they got back to the caldera. The Redhawk knew next to nothing about medicine, but she knew a dying wolf when she saw one... and Dove was one of those. At least it would not be a huge loss to the caldera, as cruel a thought as that was. Dove had been an asset to them when watching the children, but the three firebirds were more or less independent now.

"I don't really know what to do, but I think we should move her away from the center of things." To prepare for her death? Another cruel thought, but Fox had always been a realist.

If he harbored any secret concerns over his own health scare, they were swept aside when Fox delivered the news about Dove. Although he had never been particularly fond of his sister-in-law, he frowned and motioned for his mate to begin walking back in the direction of the caldera. He felt partly responsible for her injury (having targeted the young stag) and hated to lose an otherwise able-bodied adult. He knew it might be a tough loss for Fox and the kids.

"I wish there was more we could do," he echoed, mild frustration in his voice. "I guess all we can do is make her comfortable. We could carry her to the rendezvous site, so at least she'll be close to family... unless you think it's a bad idea to expose the kids to that." Peregrine wasn't sure how he felt. On one hand, he wanted to shield his children from the hard things in life. On the other, they were old enough to understand and handle it.

He exchanged a glance with Fox, welcoming her input, even as he hasted his step. He halfway expected his head and/or eye to start hurting, yet neither bothered him. He focused his attention on getting back to the caldera as rapidly as possible. Personal feelings aside, he wanted to make sure Dove didn't suffer any more than was necessary.

Another thread in RHC? That will probably make the most sense. :3

Fox nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was an agreement nod. It was more of an acknowledgement nod than anything. Fox had never liked the idea of bringing anyone sick closer to herself or the children. It would have been one thing if Dove had been improving, but she was only getting worse. Unlike Peregrine, Fox saw no reason to shield their children from death. They'd seen plenty of it already, and they would see more. It was the sickness she feared, not somebody else dying.

What they did not yet know was that Dove would be gone by the time they got back, having breathed her last breath alone while Fox and Peregrine were on their way back.