Lake Rodney Please enter a subject

Look, we have a Lake Rodney prefix in here now (and a Bramblepoint one too)! Since it's still a relatively new concept, I wanted to clarify: Lake Rodney inside RHC forum = inside our bubble, Lake Rodney outside RHC forum = outside our bubble. Outsiders are welcome ITT (by me, not Perry... ;)); just keep in mind that the trespassing rolls do apply here. :D

He divided his time three ways: primarily, he stuck to Fox's side (backside, more specifically) like glue; secondarily, he patrolled their freshly claimed territory near the lake and forest; and thirdly, he paid regular visits to Raven to help him tend to new and old wounds alike. He never mentioned it to her, of course, but he quietly hoped nothing she gave him would affect his sperm and result in mutant puppies, considering he and Fox were still getting busy as often as possible.

He went with option two presently, tirelessly roaming back and forth along the newly claimed part of their range. Peregrine's mind strayed east, toward the other side of the caldera. There were certain features he would miss, though he reminded himself he could always visit. The land just wouldn't belong to him anymore. If that thought made him nostalgic, all it took was a single glance at his surroundings to remind himself that this was an awesome trade-off.

It had been approximately two weeks since Finley had been rescued, and now that her healing was well underway, Elwood no longer felt the need to stay by her side constantly. Much had happened during the time that he lingered near home, the most notable being the shift in Redhawk Caldera's claim. He had heard all about the wolves seeking to take Haunted Wood, though he hadn't ventured that way to lay eyes on them, and he fully supported Peregrine's decision to expand their territory to the northwest in order to get away from them.

The Beta male wanted to familiarize himself with their new land, so he pointed his paws towards Lake Rodney. He had visited the body of water a handful of times before, but now that it was theirs, it was like looking at it from a whole new perspective. He stopped here and there to scratch the ground with his claws or mark the underbrush with his urine, and when his eyes lit on Peregrine's familiar form, he beelined towards his friend.

He could see fresh lacerations marking Peregrine's pelt and wondered just how many times he had battled with the wolves of Haunted Wood. He was unable to make any sense of their actions -- why the hell would they want to live in the backyard of an established pack? Just the thought of their apparent idiocy made him want to roll his eyes, but his countenance was friendly as he approached Peregrine. "Well, we've got a nice view of the lake now," he quipped with a chuff.

Company was most welcome, particularly because he could definitely use some help saturating the borders. When Elwood approached, Peregrine stopped and turned to face the Beta, favoring him with the sighted side of his face. He smiled, the tip of his tail wiggling ever so slightly. He knew things were much better now with Finley back home. He could see it on Elwood's face and in his manner that he wasn't nearly as stressed as before.

"I think we always had a decent view, though now it's much more up close and personal. And now it's interactive," the Alpha quipped, trotting over to the water's edge and splashing in up to his ankles. "Shit, that's cold!" he yapped, leaping back out onto dry land and shaking each paw in turn before shooting his second-in-command a sheepish grin.

Moving back toward his comrade, the swarthy wolf said, "If you don't mind, I could use some help marking the new borders. I don't want any more outsiders traipsing around here again," he said, his voice souring as he thought of that dumb black bitch. But his expression brightened considerably again when he added, "Especially because I'm doing my best to knock up my wife at the moment. I mean, not right this very minute, obviously... you get what I mean." Peregrine chortled.

Elwood laughed out loud at Peregrine's reaction to the cold water. He hadn't realized that the change in seasons had already caused the water temperature to drop, but he was going to avoid sticking his own toes in for now. Of course, he was quick to accept Peregrine's invitation as the Alpha male moved back towards him, and he nodded his head. He wanted to ask more about the intruders, but Peregrine shifted the subject to a topic that made Elwood's brows raise, though a smile simultaneously pulled at the corners of his lips.

"Firebirds, round two?" he said as he fell into step with Peregrine, his tail giving a pleased wave. It was no secret that the Alpha pair had planned for another litter once Wildfire, Nightjar, and Raven were old enough, but there hadn't been a specific date set on the calendar. Elwood was excited to learn that Eljay would have a set of younger "cousins" to play with sooner rather than later. "Congratulations, man," he added, thoughts of Haunted Wood slipping to the back of his mind for the time being. He paused to mark a bit of shrubbery, then extended his stride to regain his position next to Peregrine.

"Yep!" Peregrine declared, smiling a bit foolishly. "I don't think either one of us expected her to—you know—so early." And had they been less feral and instinctual, they might have resisted their natural impulses. But it was not their way to question nature. They were wild animals. If Fox's body said it was go time, it was go time. "Thanks. We're both excited, even though we haven't even had time to really wrap our heads around it happening so soon." He paused, then quipped, "I promise we won't do the dirty over dinner this year."

The black wolf looked around himself, trying to decide the exact boundaries he wanted to lay. He then motioned for Elwood as he led the way toward a very specific spot along the shoreline. Peregrine sniffed around a bit, then hiked a leg and marked the spot. He then began to trot perpendicular to it, stopping every so often to wipe the scent glands on his paws or spot a drop or two of urine.

"How are Fin and the rugrat feeling today?" he asked conversationally as he worked.

Elwood thought back to the circumstances of Finley's pregnancy. They hadn't intended for it to happen, either, but nature had had other plans for them. Of course, this was different because Fox and Peregrine were the Alpha pair -- there was no one above them in rank to give them consent. They could do it whenever and wherever they pleased -- including in the middle of a pack gathering, as Peregrine reminded Elwood playfully. Elwood laughed out loud at the memory, shaking his head as he thought of the shocked faces of the other wolves as Peregrine interacted with them while literally stuck to Fox's pelvis.

"I thought that dinner party really brought us all together," he chuckled. He likely wouldn't bat an eye at the scene now; after all, he had been friends with both Peregrine and Fox for nearly a year at this point. He had hardly known them at last year's debacle of a feast. He mused over these thoughts as he padded along the shoreline, pausing to mark the ground and plants just a frequently as Peregrine did.

The conversation shifted naturally, and Elwood answered his companion's question with one back leg suspended in midair. "Much better," he replied emphatically. "Finley's on the mend and Eljay has been sticking close by her. But I think he's finally starting to feel a little more secure," he added. The whole pack had seen how Finley's absence had affected Eljay, especially during the firebirds' first official pack hunt.

The report was positive. Peregrine smiled, glad for it. He didn't say it out loud but he wondered if Finley's prolonged absence would have long-term affects on her son. They could be either positive or negative. There was no way to know but to find out over time.

"Speaking of secure, that's why I'm doing this," the Alpha piped up even as he sprinkled a few drops of urine along the fresh borderline. "I want to shift our claim away from those shit-for-brains asshats parking in Haunted Wood." As he spoke the words, Peregrine felt a jolt of indignation. He hated that he was moving because of them but it was important that he and his family (now including his unborn pups) were safe.

Lips pressing together and smile vanishing, he glanced down at the ground, paused thoughtfully for a long beat, then continued marking in silence.

"What's their deal, anyway?" the Beta asked with a snort and a shake of his head. "Out of all the places around here, they had to park it in our backyard. It just doesn't make sense to me." He wasn't the type of wolf to seek out confrontation -- like Peregrine had now on multiple forays into Haunted Wood -- but he would defend Redhawk Caldera with tooth and nail. If he saw even a glimpse of their new neighbors near their land, he wouldn't hesitate to attack.

After a moment, he said, "I think it's a good idea to move away from them, but it still sucks to have to do that. We were here first, you know." His logic was similar to that of his four-month-old son, but it made sense. Finder's keepers, and all.

"They're stupid as fuck," Peregrine answered simply. There was no logical explanation otherwise. In an area as big and bountiful as the Teekon Wilds, only the most moronic of wolves would choose to live in a territory so close to an existing pack. Their idiocy made his blood boil and he paused again, quietly seething at the sheer stupidity of it all.

Elwood pointed out that they had been here first. Peregrine's gaze flicked to him, his head tipping slightly as it often did these days, so that he could better focus his good eye on his Beta's face. "You're right, of course," he replied, standing still for a moment before slowly beginning to mark again. He chewed over Elwood's food for thought as he went, although suddenly his motions were halfhearted.

"Hey," he spoke up after a short bout of silence, "let's do something else." Now he wasn't so sure about the shift and he didn't want to waste anyone's time. He would think about it. If he decided to go through with it after all, he knew Elwood would assist again. "Something more actively constructive. Wanna go hunt?" Peregrine proposed.

Peregrine's response drew a short, sharp laugh from Elwood; though the way the Alpha phrased it was somewhat humorous, his sentiment was quite serious. Whoever these wolves were, they seemed to have some sort of death wish. What else would compel them to camp out on the doorstep of a well-established, long-standing pack?

There was a moment of silence while Peregrine appeared to be lost in thought. The quiet was only broken by the sound of urine hitting leaves as Elwood watered another bush. By the time he lowered his hind paw back to the ground, the grizzled male was making a new suggestion. A hunt was appealing to Elwood, especially since he hadn't really been able to participate in the last one.

"Sounds good to me," he replied, already shifting thoughts of Haunted Wood into the back of his mind. He wasn't as familiar with the land bordering Lake Rodney, but maybe they would have a whole new selection of prey to feast on. Without further ado, he lowered his snout to the ground and began to sift through the myriad of scents scattered about, trying to smell past the pungent odor of their own markings.

Wanna fade? :D

Haunted Wood might have fallen to the back of the Beta's mind but Peregrine forced it right back into the spotlight by proposing, "Let's hunt in the woods." He pointed his swarthy muzzle toward the distant trees of Haunted Wood, then shifted his eyes back to Elwood. "You up for it?" It would be a bit risky, of course, but Peregrine wasn't afraid of those morons. And he would gain such satisfaction from hunting on the turf they were trying to claim.

Assuming the sterling male didn't raise any objections, the Alpha began to move away toward the spooky forest. He had hunted there before and the Master Gamekeeper led the way directly to a familiar game trail that wound deep into the thick, dark trees.

I'll archive! :)

Elwood's brows raised at Peregrine's suggestion, though his doubt lasted only a moment. "Why not," he replied, feeling a rush of exhilaration at the thought of hunting in enemy territory -- literally. While he wouldn't venture into Haunted Wood alone, he was happy to do so with Peregrine at his side.

When they reached the dank forest, he would only question Lusa's pack's sanity even further -- not only was Haunted Wood directly at the base of Redhawk Caldera, but there was almost nothing appealing about it.