Redhawk Caldera Seek and ye shall find

Just for tagging purposes @Peregrine @Fox @Elwood @Finley

The caldera was far from the most impressive landmark on the horizon. To her north and south, Nashoba saw mountains, crags reaching effortlessly to the slate-gray skies. Glittering blue lakes dotted the landscape, as did thick forests--though vegetation was severely damaged by the famine--and ahead, the female caught a faint whiff of sea salt, and could almost hear the crash of waves upon the shore. Yes, the base of the caldera was a strange choice of place to stop and rest, among all the wondrous beauty around her.

Yet scent markings here had brought her short, wary of being ripped to shreds by the wolves who inhabited this place. She inhaled deeply. There was strength in this pack; it was clear by the confident smell they left behind to keep intruders out. The markings told her other things, too: they were tight-knit, and had pups, raising a future generation of warriors to take their place when they perished. Yes, this was a strong band of wolves who resided in the caldera.

She had wandered aimlessly for too long. Ever since her sister's little twit of a son had attempted to push the agouti woman down the ranks, she knew there was no place for her back in her familial pack. She had to leave. But the lack of ties and loyalty had weakened her; even more so, the lack of food. Frankly, Nashoba was tired of roughing it out here alone. She had no great love for others--never had--but what she did have was respect, and a knowledge that wolves did better together than by themselves.

With all this in mind, she let out a short howl, and stood behind the border, her head and tail lowered as she waited for whichever one of these strong wolves to greet her. Perhaps they would find her useful. Perhaps not.

"But it doesn't hurt to try," Nashoba muttered in response to her thoughts, silver eyes searching her surroundings for any sign of life.

With Peregrine gone, Finley pregnant, and Fox still recovering from her eye injury, Elwood felt the pressure of leadership weighing heavily on his shoulders. He hoped that the Alpha male would come back with something, whether it was food or news of a fruitful search. But in the meantime, he ignored the clench of hunger's grip on his stomach and forged ahead with his duties.

There was a soft howl and he made his way towards its source, moving slowly so as not to expend more energy than necessary. His gaze lit on an agouti female waiting patiently with lowered head and tail. He approached her without any pomp and circumstance, his yellow eyes tired and betraying the emptiness of his stomach.

"Can I help you?" he asked, voice gruff but not unfriendly.

The gray wolf that came to greet her belied her thoughts that this pack was one of strength. He walked slowly, gingerly, and there was hunger in his bright yellow eyes. Still, she figured this must be a leader of some kind, and so she lowered her head further in respect, gaze fixed on his paws.

"I wish to join your pack," she responded without preamble.

If he demanded more of an answer than that, she would give it. For now, she kept quiet, waiting for the wolf's reply. Nashoba supposed she had been a little unfair in quickly judging him by his thin, almost ragged appearance. The famine that currently had this land in its grips had been a harsh one, and all wolves, even the strongest, had been affected.

She was quick to explain her purpose; she wanted to join their ranks. Elwood nodded his head. Although things were not looking good for the Redhawk wolves, they were better off together than they would have been alone in the wilds. He imagined that life had become very difficult for loners after the locusts did their damage.

"We're in the middle of a famine," he said rhetorically, a crease appearing between his brow as he regarded the she-wolf. "We have four young pups and more on the way. It's difficult as it is to keep everyone fed. How can you help us?" His stomach gave a twinge, though he couldn't be sure if it was due to hunger or worry. He fretted incessantly about Finley's pregnancy and what the lack of food would do to their children.

Pups. A sudden pang of emotion hit her, though she wasn't quite sure whether that emotion was anger, sadness, fear. . .or all three. Four pups, and more on the way. Yes, this pack had the potential to be powerful; they just needed food.

"I can hunt, sir," Nashoba responded. Her voice was measured, formal; her parents had taught her the proper way to speak to wolves in power. "Or fish. Whatever you need. I also don't need much food myself"--she pointed with her muzzle back toward her trim figure--"so anything I catch will go to the young and those most in need."

"I can also fight, if it comes to that," she added, trying to lay out her resume in a descriptive yet concise way. "I come from a family of warriors."

She gathered this must be a pack of warriors, too. Despite his hunger-weakened form, the gray male's yellow gaze was firm with resolve. He would not back down from a challenge. Nor would she. She cast a brief gaze up at the caldera, then back down at her interviewer, waiting for a response.

Normally, Elwood would have accepted her explanation without further queries. An able-bodied hunter and warrior was just what Redhawk Caldera needed. However, even the best hunters -- himself and Peregrine included -- were struggling these days. There simply was not prey to be found.

But he did not feel right about turning her away. The famine would end at some point, whether that was when the herds returned or when the pack finally decided to move elsewhere. And he couldn't deny that they would need another adult to help provide for the horde of puppies. He couldn't be sure how many Finley carried; it could be just one, or many more than that. It was the uncertainty that drove him crazy.

"You sound skilled," he commented. "And we could use someone like you. What's your name?" He hadn't awarded her the stamp of approval just yet, but he couldn't see how Peregrine or Fox would find fault with this new recruit. She seemed almost too good to be true.

He asked for her name, and she gave it freely. "Nashoba, sir," she said, her voice level. "I come from the east, where the plains are like a sea of green and gold." It was the way her father had always introduced the plains to newcomers; the words slipped from her mouth unabated.

"I can, and will, serve your pack, with your blessing." Nashoba pointed with her nose toward the caldera. "What do you call this place? It's so. . .unique."

She hoped she had a place here in the pack. The grey wolf had commented on her usefulness. Could she follow through? She would certainly try. All she knew was she was sick and tired of being alone. She wanted a family again.

Welcome to the pack! :)

He gave a smirk, cataloging her name to memory and feeling a twinge of jealousy as she spoke of her homeland. It was an odd feeling, but he knew it was because their caldera and the wilds beyond were so barren. What he would do to see her rolling plains of green and gold!

"I'm Elwood, and this is Redhawk Caldera," he said, gesturing at the squat peak over his shoulder. He beckoned for her to walk with him across the borders. "Our Alphas are Peregrine and Fox. The litter of pups belong to them; they're a few months old now, but I would still keep my distance until you get to know them better. My mate, Finley, is the one who is pregnant," he explained as he padded towards the dormant volcano's slope.

Her heart gave a small thrill of joy, her body going numb with relief. She had passed the test. A small smile made its way over her usually-stern face as she walked with Elwood over the border, walking toward Redhawk Caldera. She began to commit the names to memory. Peregrine. Fox. Elwood. Finley. The names felt sweet as honey on her tongue as she rolled them silently around in her mouth.

"Oh, that is wonderful," Nashoba said to Elwood as he told her of his mate's pregnancy, her voice genuinely happy. "My congratulations to you."

She looked at the caldera looming ahead, its mass high above the flatlands that surrounded it. "Why is it called 'Redhawk'? Just curious." She felt as if she was asking much too many questions, though in all actuality, she had only voiced two or three.

"Thank you," Elwood replied, though when he smiled it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was happy to be having another litter with Finley, but the timing was less than perfect. It made him wonder if they would ever have a normal pregnancy.

He was thankful when Nashoba changed the subject, asking about the pack's name. He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully, considering her question. He didn't recall ever having a conversation with Peregrine or Fox about its moniker, although the answer seemed pretty self-explanatory as it sprang to the forefront of his mind. "That would be a good question to ask Fox or Peregrine, but I think it's because there are some red-tailed hawks that make their home here, as well," he said. He had seen them sporadically in his time there, circling over the peak, but they had been conspicuously absent as of late -- surely because they, too, were suffering from the lack of prey. His gaze turned upward, scanning the empty sky.

"You said you came from the east -- can you tell me more about your life before you found your way here?" he asked after a brief pause.

Her old life. What was there to say, really? Idyllic, yet imperfect. Cherished, yet scorned. She had been set up to have it all, yet had been usurped by her own blood. Eventually, her brain settled on an explanation for Elwood, something innocuous, and she gave it, voice cool.

"The plains spread for miles and miles and miles," Nashoba said. "Game was always plentiful. The herds spent lots of time there. The sky was bigger and bluer than I've seen anywhere else. It was. . .heavenly."

She pointed her brindled nose up at the caldera, eyes surveying the landscape coolly. "This is my home now, though," she added, nary a trace of wistfulness in her tone. "This is where I belong."

He gave a wry chuckle. "I'm jealous," he said with a swish of his tail, imagining the perfect, plentiful landscape of Nashoba's homeland. Once upon a time, the Teekon Wilds had been similarly idyllic; he had lived in Redhawk Caldera for over a year without having to worry about food. There had been other concerns along the way, of course, but he had never wondered where his next meal would come from.

He then nodded his head. "Well, I hope it lives up to your expectations," he quipped. He paused, glancing up at the misshapen peak, and then made to excuse himself. "I'll let you get acquainted with the territory. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." With a last look at the pack's newest member, he then turned and departed, immediately feeling the weight of his problems descend back onto his shoulders once his mind was no longer distracted.

She quite liked this gray male. His speech and gaze were both kind, sincere. He came off as a good guy. She hoped that every caldera wolf was this down to earth--unlikely, but hope sprang eternal.

"Thank you, Elwood," Nashoba responded, her voice suffused with gratitude. "I appreciate your leadership and will be happy to be a part of this new pack."

Nashoba watched him walk away for a while, her grey eyes fixed on his receding tail, then turned on her heels and spun off herself. After all, there were young mouths to feed and borders to protect. There was work to be done.