Blacktail Deer Plateau This old world is cold and getting colder

for @Eilidh!! :D

Now that things seemed calm again (relatively speaking), Dante felt it was time to travel west again and scout the region he and Lasher had explored their last outing. This time he wondered if he shouldn't go alone, but another part wondered if maybe, if Osprey saw the spot, she would come to feel a little better about the change. He did not know if she felt well enough to want to make that journey, but it never hurt to ask. The trip wasn't a terrible one at least.

First he would need to call a meeting. And soon. Doubtless word would soon get out amongst the pack that they were planning this and he wanted to keep speculation down. And then he could announce the other change, if Lasher agreed such a statement to be appropriate. He was ready to turn over the mantle.

All of these thoughts filled his mind as he patrolled, the brisk morning lightly fogging his breath as he trotted lazily round. He did not expect to find anything, but his ears pricked up as he passed away from the ledge and into one of the actual entrances to their claim. It was more a fortress than the new place, this plateau. Perfect for defense but a little isolated for growth.

Yay! :)

Eilidh had run away, but it didn't last very long. She was tired and hungry and cold, and her fur was strewn with bits of grass and dead leaves and even sticks. She felt awful, like someone had bowled her over and over. Sniffling, the pale girl trekked toward home, feeling the weight of shame and insecurity pull on her heart. The princess wasn't used to being alone, but she had tried. The hunger and the cold were what eventually drove her to return home.

She was climbing up the steep hillside into the plateau territory when she saw a grey figure ahead. Ears flat against her head, Eilidh whined softly and fell to her belly. She had been gone long enough for her family to wonder where she'd gone. She hadn't told anyone where she was going, and even though shame flooded through her at her childish action, she was still quite angry at her father. Her emerald eyes were dull and downcast as she waited for Dante to say something, anything, to his wayward subordinate.

Dante had noticed the girl's absence but had tried not to worry overly much. She and her brothers were growing quickly, setting out and finding their own paths. All seemed to have a knack for exploration, so it didn't occur to him that her disappearance would have meant more than a trip to visit far-flung lands. The only tip-off that gave him unease was that she'd said nothing of it to him.

When the lurker nearby turned out to be her returning, bedraggled but seemingly sound, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. He remembered too well how Peregrine's children had scattered to the winds and dreaded the day Lasher's brood chose to do the same. It was natural, and their prerogative, but he enjoyed having them and would sorely miss them if they left.

"Where've you been?" he asked, his tail waving in greeting but his voice holding a stern note beyond the curiosity. He would have liked to have been told when she decided to depart, as it was hard to lead when you had packmates wandering about willy-nilly.

There, now she had it coming. This was it. Dante was going to tear into her and rip her a new ass, she just knew it. Braced for his harsh words, she closed her eyes as he approached, and felt her whole body tense in fear. Then she relaxed, her eyes popping open to see his tail swaying behind him. He was happy to see her, and yet his voice was stern. Less stern than she had anticipated, but still. It wasn't something to ignore. "I, um.." she began, unsure how much she should give away. But then her pent-up emotions and ever-increasing hormones got the best of her, and she screwed up her face in pain and disgust.

"I ran away! Pappa thinks Cas and Constant are better at everything than me! EVERYTHING!" She sobbed, the hot air screaming through her throat. She felt like a wildcat, her hair mussed and tangled. Her emerald eyes shone with pain and uncertainty, something Eilidh had never experienced before. "He never picks me to do anything. He doesn't love me cause I'm a girl." She broke down sobbing and flung herself on the ground at Dante's feet, for once not acting overly dramatic for the drama's sake, but really and truly feeling like a terrible daughter and a downright horrible wolf.

On the list of Dante's top 5 nightmare situations, having Lasher's teenage daughter collapse in a sobbing heap at his feet was probably right below being trampled by an angry herd of elk. He was prepared to rebuke her for running off without informing them of where she was going, but he wasn't ready for the broken explanation that escaped her of why she'd gone. Lasher? Not love her? Because she was a girl?

If he wasn't made so uncomfortable by her crying, he might have laughed. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard, but she seemed truly upset about the matter, and Dante knew enough about youth to know laughing at an upset wolf was a sure way to set them off. His ears pulled back, but he attempted to hide some of his awkwardness as he sat down next to her, resolved to wait on his lecture. "What makes you say that?" Perhaps some examples would help him to put this nonsense to rest.

She sucked her sobs back into her body, trying not to totally break down like an idiot in front of Dante, her alpha. That was certainly the best way to look strong and capable, right Eilidh? She was certain he was going to lecture her for leaving without telling anyone where she was going, but why would she do that? That's what running away meant! But she noticed that he sat beside her and asked her why she thought that.

Sniffling and swallowing her sobs, she sat up a little and looked up at her alpha. "He picked Cas to go north! To scout. He didn't even ask me if I wanted to go." She was also quite angry at her brother for not asking her, either. They were thick as thieves and she had expected him to at least invite her. But he hadn't even done that.

Oh, that.  She clarified and instantly Dante saw what (he thought) had gone wrong here.  "You are interested in outriding?"  He asked, sincerely curious.  Casmir had made his desire obvious but Dante had never had this conversation with Lasher's daughter.  Perhaps she could assist with scouting if she was of a mind to.

"Your father sent Casmir, true.  But we cannot always send everyone.  Those who stay behind, to hunt and guard this land, are just as important.". He did not know if those words would help, but he tried them anyway.

Eilidh sniffled away her tears, turning her big green eyes to Dante. "Ma-maybe." Her breaths were hiccups now, and although she tried to settle her nerves, she felt frayed. Was this what it was like to be an adult? To have emotions forced through you at an accelerated rate? To not understand what was going on in your own body?

If so, she wanted nothing to do with it.

"I can't hunt or guard very well, Dante. I'm small, tiny compared to you! What use am I?" She sighed, shaking her head to rid herself of those silly thoughts, and tried to staunch the tears that leaked from her eyes. She did feel quite useless, especially now that her body was betraying her with those tears.

Alright. Knowing this now, perhaps he could help her out a bit in that regard. "I'm sure the scouting is barely begun. Next time there is a task, I shall have to use your help." He smiled at her, hoping this would brighten her a bit. He would not send her on her own, as they hadn't sent her brother alone, but if she was interested it was high time she had a job to do. Lasher would hopefully understand this.

"Just because you are small does not mean you cannot win a fight, or a hunt. There are other things - strategy, speed, agility - that can give you an edge. I have been beaten by those smaller." He thought back to Koda. The man had been slighter, but his superior speed had allowed him to trounce the alpha. "But, if you are not interested, there are other talents. Malachi holds naturalism, and uses it well. Your mother is accomplished in healing and care taking. All are important. You just have to find what you love and hold to it." There was no rush on that, either, and he hoped she wouldn't stress herself out on the subject. There was plenty of time to explore all areas and find what she wished to do.

Dante suggested that next time he needed someone to scout, that he'd send her. She smiled and nodded, her spirits lifting even as she felt the weight of her anger fade. She was still angry, to be sure, but she wasn't as spitting mad as before. "I'd like to help, Dante." He then spoke of her small stature as a strength, telling her of a time he had been beaten by a smaller wolf. It was true: she was agile and quick. But sometimes that wasn't enough, especially in a fight or while hunting large game.

In her heart, Eilidh knew Dante was right. Even with that knowledge, the girl was still upset and, in her mind, rightfully so. His mention of Malachi sent her heart stuttering, but she tried not to show it. She was working on hiding those emotions better, though she truly wasn't any good at it. "It's not that I'm not interested, Dante," she said softly. "I just don't think I'd be any good. Malachi has offered to teach me about being a chronicler, and Mamma is teaching me about healing. I just...I don't know. I want to be useful to you and Pappa."

"Wanting is almost always enough. If you want to, you will." He said this with assurance. He had no doubts she would contribute well.... Both she and Casmir had a lot of drive and already served the pack well. "You have some time. If you try some things, I'm sure you will find one you enjoy."

He was glad to hear she was already reaching out to packmates for guidance. Malachi and Lasher could both teach her many things, and he was sure others could as well. "If you ever want to try your paw at a spar, let me know. I can show you some of what I know." He had learned at a young age, younger even than she, and most of his training was in using his size. But he knew some of the strategy that had been used by smaller opponents through the years and could perhaps give some pointers. If anything it would provide a little experience.

Dante was wise and brave, a combination that most wolves she knew possessed. He was also kind and thoughtful, which she loved in her alpha. His suggestions were taken to heart, even if the girl didn't seem to be listening. Sometimes it was hearing these things from someone other than your parents that made the message stick. But his offer to teach her sparring perked her up quite a bit, and she smiled up at Dante. "You'd really teach me? I think I'd be dreadful in a spar." She wasn't strong or big, but she was fast and slippery when she needed to be. Perhaps that would be enough to help her in a fight. The only way to find out would be to practice with someone she knew and trusted.

She latched onto his offer, to his pleasure, and his tail gave an excited thump when she reacted so favorably. "Anytime. I'd love to help you find out, but I am betting you'll be surprised. A little practice goes a long way!" She was clever, and while perhapa she hadn't the desire to pursue full Warrior status, he bet she'd acquit herself well enough for a solid defense. That was important for any wolf in his opinion, especially if she wished to explore.

Let's fade this and I'll start us a new thread for healing! <3

Eilidh nodded, happy to finally find someone who believed in her, especially when she didn't believe in herself lately. "I'll take you up on that, Dante. But for now, I think I should find my parents..." She really didn't want to, but she knew she'd better get it over with. She knew her mother would be worried sick, and her father, well...she wasn't sure how he'd react. Tracing her paws in the dirt in front of her, she waited patiently to be dismissed by her alpha before facing the music at home.

sounds good! My last :)

"That's probably a good idea."  Likely they would be worried, no matter how near adulthood their daughter was climbing.  They would be glad to see her safely home, and he wouldn't keep her from that.

"Let me know when.  Until then, I'll see you around." He dismissed himself and her with a friendly smile and a wave of his tail, glad she might take him up on his offer.  There wasn't a whole lot he felt he could give when it came to those younger, but practice in skills was an easy and fulfilling way of helping out.  He would be super happy to do so if she did.