Stavanger Bay We're all we need

They set out at daybreak, eating breakfast near the edge of the terrace before heading north. She and @Floki bypassed the quarry, threading through the thick bracken of Deepwood Weald and emerging on the far side shortly before noon. The pair of young wolves veered east from there, avoiding the scent markers—several of them familiar to Wildfire—of a pack as they aimed toward the distant beach. It was the middle of the afternoon when they finally reached their destination, her small red toes sinking into the soft sands that surrounded the bay.

Even when exploring the other day, Wildfire hadn't gotten very close to the sea. Now it was just yards away and she craved to dip her toes into the surf, icy as it would likely be. For the moment, she planted her feet and cast her companion a sidelong smile, waiting for Floki to take point. She wanted the grand tour and would follow his lead, wherever he took her on this pleasant little field trip of theirs.

Floki was eager to introduce Wildfire to the beach and the ocean, his childhood companions. The trip was an easy one, made even more so by the friendly banter between the two youths. Although he hadn't been back to Stavanger Bay since the move to Moonspear, he still remembered the way and even found his heart rate accelerating with excitement as they drew near.

He breathed deeply, inhaling the familiar and comforting scent of salty air as the sand wedged itself between his toes. He came to a halt next to Wildfire, his gaze roving the landscape thirstily. It didn't seem to have changed much, and yet he knew that it was subtly different. The waves altered the shape of the shoreline on a daily basis, but to an untrained eye it all looked the same.

Knowing that Wildfire hadn't been to the sea before, Floki urged her forward. "Come on," he said, striding towards the water. "It'll be cold, but just stick your toes in for a second." He paused, his paws sinking into the damp sand as a frigid wave sluiced over his feet, laughing through gritted teeth.

She didn't need to be told twice. Wildfire eagerly trailed after him as he led the way toward the waves licking their way up the wet sands. The instant the water nipped at her toes, she felt a little thrill shoot through her. It was partially due to the cold, though mostly it was the exhilaration of wading into the sea. She thought briefly of her Uncle Papa Pan as she took a few steps forward, walking until the water swirled around her red ankles.

Without thinking, the young she-wolf dipped her head down toward the water for a taste. Despite the briny scent in the air, she didn't realize she was standing in saltwater. The instant her tongue broke through the foam, however, she realized her mistake. She let the water dribble back out of her mouth, her lips puckering after she washed the salt from her lips with a sweep of her tongue.

"I didn't realize it was so salty," she sheepishly said to Floki, coughing slightly at the flavor that lingered in her mouth. "I need a drink of water after that drink of water," she quipped, moving back toward him and swiping a paw to fling a little bit of the cold water in his direction.

:D fambly now!! Hope y'all don't mind a crasher <3

Because he hadn't managed to finish his beach trek the other day (his talk with Osprey blowing it completely from his mind, understandably) he went this morning instead.  The food he might find was a mystery to him and he wanted to check it out.  As he walked, his mind raced in circles, still riding tentatively on cloud nine.  He was a mated man now.  It was such an odd concept that he hadn't yet shared it, choosing to hold onto it for now, though he wasn't aware if Osprey had spread the good news yet.  He would need to tell Lasher soon.  There was a tentative air to the relationship still, so new and unsure it was, but the following days would likely serve to solidify it.

As he stepped down the rise, away from the trees and towards the shoreline, he saw two distant shadows in the waves of the bay.  Unsure, he made to approach them.  They were not close enough to Donnelaith to require routing, yet he knew now this was probably the bay in which a pack had once resided.  He hoped they weren't making a bid to return.  Two wolves didn't worry him, but a pack settling at their very border was a very different matter.

Niki perked her ears. More wolves! The young thick furred she-wolf found herself on a beach with a few other wolves. Niki flicked her tail and padded over to them. She was still small, compared to her full size one day. But she was not too small. Niki playbowed, her tail wagging. "Hi! I'm Niki, who are you?" she asked.

He watched with a smile as she waded ankle-deep into the ocean, his gaze resting on her face as he gauged her reaction. The water was cold, but aside from that, the sensation of the moving waves could feel strange if one wasn't accustomed to it. Having grown up beside the sea, Floki knew well that it wasn't drinkable -- but before he could even think to warn Wildfire, she dropped her snout for a taste.

"Sorry, I should have told you how salty it is!" he said between chuckles. He made a weak attempt to dodge the spray of water she sent in his direction, splashing through the waves away from her. When he pivoted to face her once again, he was suddenly alerted to the presence of not one, but two other wolves on the beach. The youth bristled slightly; his first instinct was to feel possessive over his former home, even though he no longer lived there.

The larger of the two wolves seemed content to observe from a distance, at least for the time being, but the other greeted Wildfire and Floki with friendliness. The Xi gave a tentative wave of his tail, his line of vision slipping past Niki and towards the grey male. "I'm Floki, and this is Wildfire," he said, refraining from offering too much information just yet.

Can I call you Uncle Danny?!

Floki's amused remark suddenly triggered a memory of that dastardly Vlad fellow. She should have listened more closely when he explained the origins of his pack's name. Well, she'd tried to follow everything he'd said but his thick accent and mood swings had definitely muddied the waters. She pushed thoughts of him out of her head as she flicked her wrist again, sending another sprinkle of sea water in her companion's direction. But then she saw that he wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He was looking past her, fur bristling defensively.

Wildfire glanced over her shoulder, then spun, water sloshing around her ankles as she flanked her beau. Together, they faced a pair of gray wolves milling along the beach. The nearer one was a young female who exuberantly introduced herself as Niki. Wildfire's eyes shifted beyond her, to the more distant wolf making a slow and measured approach. Recognition registered as soon as she could see his features. Her slightly damp tail began to wave slowly behind her.

Floki introduced them to Niki, after which Wildfire muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "I know him." Louder, she said, "Hey, Dante!" in the hopes of coaxing him closer. To Niki she added a smile and dip of her snout as she said, "Nice to meet you. Are you two here together...?" Her amber gaze roamed between the pair of hoary wolves. There was enough space separating them that they might have wandered here independently, though the resemblance almost had her wondering if this was a relative of Dante's, perhaps even a daughter or something.

Another girl showed up and Dante stifled a rumble of concern. He hadn't yet recognized Wildfire and the presence of three made his fear more likely. Prepared to approach more aggressively and make their proximity to a claim known, he paused when he heard Niki introduce herself. They weren't familiar already. He relaxed with a slow exhale. Good.

When Wildfire called out to him and he recognized her, his tail lifted with a friendly wave. "Hey!" Now that he knew, he came closer, posture relaxing completely. He glanced at Niki, shaking his head. "Never met her." He was surprised she so freely approached a strange group of wolves, but since this place was unclaimed, he guessed the danger was low. "What are you all doing in these parts? This is a long way from the Caldera." He hadn't yet detected her change in locale.

Niki smiled widely. "Nice to meet you!" She said, her tail wagging. Her golden eyes sparkled. She yipped, and playbowed again. "Dose anyone want to play?" she asked. She was gentle, despite her size.

In the next breath, Wildfire murmured that she was acquainted with the male wolf in the distance. She then called out to him and he started to move closer. Floki remained wary, although his countenance and expression were not unfriendly. Dante knew Wildfire well enough to mention her former home by name, while Niki urged them to play with her.

"We live at Moonspear," he replied, glancing at Wildfire. He was sure she would want to elaborate herself and he would give her the opportunity. To Niki, he said, "We're actually here exploring. I used to live here."

Despite the resemblance, they weren't related and didn't even know one another. Wildfire shot Dante an apologetic glance for the assumption, then opened her mouth to answer his question when Niki cut across her, asking if anyone wanted to play. Wildfire's mouth clapped shut, allowing either of the other two to respond if they wished. Floki opted to address Dante's comment about the caldera, then indirectly answered both of the silver wolves by mentioning their scouting expedition.

"I moved to Moonspear recently," Wildfire explained to Dante. "It's still a ways from here, though not as far as the caldera. In any case, I'm an Outrider, so no place is too far," she quipped with a twitch of her black tail. "Like he said," she continued, glancing at her companion with a sidelong smile, "we're here so Floki can show me his previous home. His pack moved from here to Moonspear a few months back."

And though she definitely wouldn't mind socializing with Dante and Niki for a few minutes, there was an inference in her words: at some point, the two of them would like to be left to their dual explorations, so that Floki could give Wildfire the tour and show her around to the places that were special to him personally. Perhaps they might even visit his father's grave, a stopover that called for some measure of privacy.

For now, she focused her warm amber gaze on Niki in particular and questioned, "Where are you from?" She knew Dante was from the plateau, although on second thought... "Hey, weren't those your scent markers back near The Sentinels?" she added, this time her inquisitive eyes gluing to Dante's handsome pewter features.

Dante nodded at the revelation that she had moved, allowing Floki to answer the other wolf's request to play while he listened to Wildfire's brief but clear explanation. So she'd moved on from her parents' claim to find a spot of her own. That was a large step, yet he was glad she seemed happy with her new company. "I'm glad you found a suitable spot." He said, glancing at Floki. If she'd come asking, likely they would have been glad to have her as well, though he was sure her parents wouldn't have taken the news quite so well.

Her parents.... Peregrine. Thoughts clicked and an unexpected hitch caught him. That made Wildfire his... Niece? Somehow, until this moment, the idea that accepting Osprey's proposal would grant him more family was lost to him, but now with that knowledge came a bittersweet ache. His instinct was to keep it to himself, for he wasn't much for sharing non-connected information with non-pack, but he went the other way for once. This was a chance meeting, not an out-of-the-way message, and he'd thought the title of 'uncle' was one he'd lost the chance to wear.

"Yeah, we've moved out here. Lasher laid claim to the sequoia forest, Donnelaith. It's beautiful." A smile tugged at his lips. "Actually, I took a mate recently too. Your aunt, Osprey. I guess that makes us family." This he said almost tentatively, smile askance. If she didn't claim her somewhat estranged aunt, he'd easily let the matter drop, but... there was a note of hope in reclaiming something he'd lost, and he grabbed at it, knowing he would regret if he walked away without trying.

Niki's smile faded. She pawed a patch of sand, wondering if she could avoid the question. "I'm from north of here. In a place I once herd a wolf call Alberta." She said, her voice wavering. Her tail drooped, and her playbow had dissipated with her smile.

As anticipated, Wildfire gave a bit more of an explanation to Dante. Floki nodded his head to reinforce what she said, though he remained quiet for the time being. There was more to the story than anyone initially realized; it turned out that not only had Wildfire moved from Redhawk Caldera to Moonspear, but Dante's pack had recently relocated, as well.

Floki's interest was piqued at the mention of their new claim, Donnelaith. The name was unfamiliar, but he knew exactly what gathering of sequoias Dante referenced. As an outrider, this was important information for him to learn; it wasn't often that packs migrated, but Moonspear and Donnelaith were two prime examples.

The conversation then shifted slightly. Dante revealed that he was technically Wildfire's uncle by marriage, while Niki spoke of her northern home. She seemed suddenly sad, which was a drastic change from her previous demeanor, and Floki flashed her a sympathetic smile before looking back at Dante and Wildfire. He was curious to hear more about the new family dynamic between them.

Niki wilted like a dying flower at Wildfire's question, eliciting an immediate feeling of uncertainty and guilt in the young adult's breast. She had a habit of unintentionally bringing up sore subjects, though her question had been as general as they came. She chewed on her lip, unsure what to say about the other female's reaction. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you looked at it), Dante's words served as a distraction. For the moment, Wildfire relegated Niki and even Floki to the periphery.

Her amber eyes widened when he professed them family. Wildfire's black tail wagged in immediate approval. "I've never met her, though my dad always seemed especially fond of her. Hey, maybe I could stop by Donnelaith sometime and you could introduce us? I'll mind the borders," she promised with a wink. "How come you guys moved anyway?" she queried in the next breath. As she awaited a reply, she shot Floki a look, apologetic about the momentary delay, then offered Niki a similar glance.

He gave a glance to Niki, his conversation probably a bit out of place with her stilted answer and down expression. But, for a counselor, he wasn't much of one for sympathizing. If she had a past, it was behind her now. Better to move on.

He did not say as much, however, knowing on some level that the words were unnecessarily harsh. If she was passing through, she likely needed a pack. But his numbers were full, so inviting her to come with him wasn't much of an option. Maybe Wildfire and her friend needed some new blood. "We decided we needed a change. The plateau had a lot of history." He smiled, glad they had chosen to do so. Donnelaith was more theirs now, and it truly felt like home, even after so short a time. "I'd love it if you stopped by. I'm sure Os would love to meet you." And perhaps to hear how her brother was, he thought silently, knowing that his mate likely missed her brother terribly, even if she did not often speak of him. Some things never really went away.

Looking to Niki one more time, then to Floki, he decided now was probably a good time to make his exit. He could play catch up in a bit more detail later. "I should probably be heading back. But it was good seeing you again. And meeting you two. Feel free to stop by - just call first." He joked lightly, smiling somewhat apologetically before nodding farewell. He'd accept any return goodbyes before setting off back in the direction he'd come, the unexpected encounter delaying any further exploration for another time. He didn't want to interfere with Wildfire's own tour. He already felt as though he'd intruded, despite both Wildfire's and Loki's polite acceptance.

Niki sat, but quickly regained her perky-ness. She stood back up, tail wagging. "I would LOVE to have a pack!" She yipped, almost jumping up and down. She rolled over and then playbowed. Donnalith sounded like a pack, from the way the older wolves were talking. Niki was ill-suited to be a loner, she was a friendly wolf. Her biggest goal was to be friends with every wolf she met. A pack! I might not be alone anymore, and I'll meet new wolves to be friends with!

The conversation continued between Dante and Wildfire, and Floki listened with interest. Although he didn't have much to add, he was invested in Wildfire and was curious to learn about her extended kin. He had met her father some weeks ago, and just from hearing her talk he knew that she came from a very family-oriented pack. He glanced at her when Dante invited her to come to Donnelaith and visit her aunt Osprey -- he would be happy to accompany her on such a trip, but also would not be offended if she chose to go alone.

At that point, Dante excused himself. Floki was relieved, if only because he wanted to get on with the tour of Stavanger Bay. He smiled politely and gave a dip of his muzzle as Dante retreated, then glanced at Niki. The she-wolf lingered, though she seemed to be excited by the idea of joining Dante's pack. "You could go talk to Dante more about it if you want to join their ranks," he suggested; his advice was not fully selfless, because once Niki departed, he and Wildfire would finally be left to their own devices.

His reason was simple enough and Wildfire found she was glad it wasn't something more dire. Dante welcomed her to pay a visit and her tail waved. He had mentioned the plateau's history and she knew it included her parents. There was still bad blood there. But no one had lumped Wildfire in with her parents in that sense (save for Saena's brief rant) and she was glad for that. She looked forward to meeting her aunt. Peregrine had talked about her quite a lot throughout Wildfire's childhood and she wondered if Osprey would match her niece's mental image of her.

Shortly thereafter, Dante announced his imminent departure. "See you later, Dante. Take care!" Wildfire called genuinely, amber eyes shifting to Niki when she suddenly shouted about a pack. Wildfire's lips parted, though before she could say anything, Floki suggested Niki go with Dante and talk to him about Donnelaith. The slender redhead shot her beau an amused look. They could have tried recruiting her to Moonspear but it was just as well; they had other things to do right now.

It was time to get back to their entire reason for being here: a tour of Floki's birthplace. "All right," she said, leaving Dante and Niki to their own devices and facing her pewter counterpart with a soft smile. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? Where to next, Mr. Tour Guide...?" she wondered, brushing her cool, damp nose over Floki's right shoulder blade.

Happy to finally have Wildfire to himself, Floki turned his back to the ocean and assessed their surroundings. Stavanger Bay was a large territory; they likely didn't have enough time to see all of it. He would have liked to show her Shield Maiden's Sorrow, the waterfall in the woods, but he rationalized that it would be best to stick with the beach for this trip. After all, the sand and sea were what Wildfire was unfamiliar with, and he had no doubt that she would be more than willing to visit with him again later to see other aspects of the former packland.

"Let's head this way," he said, reaching out to nudge her shoulder before moving back towards the water. He padded across the damp sand, leaving pawprints in his wake that would be washed away by only the most daring waves that ventured that far inland. He moved parallel to the ocean, towards one of the rocky cliff faces that formed a protective boundary around the bay.

"So, there is a lot to see if we go inland -- but I kind of want to keep you on the beach," he said with a smile. "But we can climb the cliffs if you want; the view up there is spectacular." He had only done it once or twice before moving to Moonspear, and even then he hadn't reached the top. At the time, he had been much too young -- but now he was more than capable of scaling the rocky arms encircling his home.

She shot one final glance over her shoulder, watching as Niki galloped away in the same general direction Dante had gone, before facing forward again. Floki led her along the sandy strand, walking parallel with the ocean but just out of reach of the roiling surf. Ahead, she could see some jutting cliffs that formed a sort of barrier at the bay's furthest reaches.

He mentioned climbing them to check out the view, although it sounded like he would rather stick to the beach. "Next time," Wildfire said softly, turning to smile at him and closing her eyes against the cold, salty breeze that whipped around them. "Is it weird that I love the cold?" she murmured, the corners of her mouth upturned and her eyes still shut as she leaned into the wind. "Because of my name and stuff?" she elaborated, popping open one eye to squint at Floki.

But they weren't here to talk about her peculiar preferences. "When I met your mom, she mentioned sea lions. Any chance we'll catch a glimpse?" she wondered. Wildfire wasn't sure whether or not she hoped to see one. They sounded a bit terrifying and definitely dangerous. But they also intrigued her, these bears (or lions, rather) of the sea.

Floki glanced at Wildfire with some confusion at her question, though understanding became evident on his face when she clarified. He hadn't really thought about it, but it was a little ironic that she enjoyed the crisp weather when her name suggested otherwise. "Well, you're a little weird anyway, so," he replied teasingly, then added, "I like the cold too, though. It's cool to see the beach during winter -- I was here all summer, you know. I wonder if it'll snow here."

He cast a glance up at the sky as he mused on that thought, though one ear tilted towards Wildfire as she posed her next request: she wanted to see sea lions. "If we go far enough north along this beach, we'll definitely find some," he said. After all, the strand's name changed to Sea Lion Shores just beyond the cliffs. Raising his brows as a prompt, Floki accelerated to a trot, his paws sinking into the cool, wet sand as he propelled himself towards the sea lions.

She clucked her tongue at him, eyes gleaming. Wildfire would take that as a compliment, of course. Why did it not surprise her that he enjoyed the cool weather too? They were two peas in a pod, after all. He wondered aloud about whether it would snow here at the seaside. She didn't see why not, though even with her history of naturalism, she couldn't say much about the oceanic climes. If there were very particular animals that lived here, then perhaps the weather would be unique too.

In response to her question, he pointed the way and began to trot in that direction. Wildfire did not follow him immediately. "Wait," she said. It would have been a shout, had her voice box allowed such volume. "I'm not sure... your mom made them sound like bears or something." And they both knew how she (and he) felt about those. "Is it safe, boo?" she asked, moving to catch up with him but stopping again.

If he deemed it safe, then she would place her trust in Floki absolutely. Perhaps they could take a look without putting themselves in the way of danger. But if sighting them involved any sort of risk, Wildfire didn't want to go through with it. They were far from home and all alone. If anything happened, they would be shit out of luck, as her dad might say.

The uncertainty in Wildfire's voice forced Floki to a halt, and he pivoted to look back at her. Understandably, she felt some apprehension about "meeting" sea lions for the first time. Floki had only encountered them once or twice, but he knew that if they kept their distance, they would be just fine. "Yeah, it should be safe. They're usually just sunbathing on the beach; obviously we don't want to try to strike up a conversation with one, but we can watch 'em as long as we respect their personal space," he said. She had compared them to bears, but he had no reason to dislike sea lions the way he did the land-bound ursines.

He took a step back, in the direction he had been going before, though he waited for the go-ahead from Wildfire before progressing any further. "If you don't want to, we don't have to," he promised; he would happily come up with something else to show her.

He seemed to consider her concern a moment before reassuring her. He insisted they would only observe from afar, not get up close and personal with the beasts. Wildfire bobbed her head. That sounded okay then. When Floki let her know they didn't have to proceed, she then shook her head lightly and motioned for him to begin moving again. She really did want to see them, she just didn't want to risk her neck in the process. It didn't sound like that was going to be an issue.

"How big are they, exactly?" she wondered as they strode just out of reach of the lapping waves. Although she would get to see for herself within moments, her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the side of Floki's face. She was picturing mammoth bears... with fins.