Bramblepoint can you hear me now?

all welcome!!

The boy was no longer a boy. Well, at least in mind. The she wolf that had ushered him to safety had soon grown his closest companion, traveling without the eyes of a a pack watching closely. He also learned that the she wolf was infact not a she wolf at all but a coyote. Such a thing never existed at the mountian, although slowly but surely, all memory of his morbid puppy-hood at that place was evaporating from his consious. These days, he thought little about his once tight knit family, but now of where his next meal would come from. On a normal day, Artemis would catch something for him, just enough to keep his energy up. He would sit in the shadows of a nearby bush and watch as she gracefully look an unsuspecting bird in her jaws, snapping her teeth down to end it's short life.

But she was not his mother.

And she didn't act like she was. He would wander by himself, without her, growing accustomed to his single presence scoping out the oddities of the forest. He had not met any strangers yet, but he was bound to. The life of a lone wolf was free yet he would soon learn it was dangerous. His obvious small size made him defenseless against those who wished to do him harm. While he was ignorant, he was also alert. But besides, he still believed himself to be the greatest warrior ever to roam the forests, for none had told him differently.

He didn't know why he'd come back, not when it was increasingly clear that Lasher wasn't coming. He tried not to dwell on what that likely meant, especially considering his companion's condition and Deirdre's concerns when they'd last parted. Peregrine couldn't help but be reminded of Pan as he skulked aimlessly threw the recovering woodland. Of course, Pan's loss had been much more immediate but the weight on his heart was the same. Something had happened. And while he knew he could probably find out somehow, he was almost afraid of obtaining closure at the expense of hope.

The appearance of a pup in his field of vision put an immediate stop to Peregrine's wandering thoughts. He drew up short, squinting his jade gaze at the spindly youngster. He then scanned the trees, searching for some sort of escort. He'd raised enough pups to guesstimate this one's age: younger than his own, which were a little over four months old now. The Firebirds were scarcely permitted near the borders with supervision, much less welcome to roam no man's land unguarded. Although the woman who had killed Peter had been eliminated—the passing thought of her made his blood run hot, then cold—there were still many other dangers for a pup wandering alone.

When no adult made an appearance, Peregrine slowly approached the boy, eyeing him shrewdly. "Where are your parents, kid?" he barked, simultaneously announcing his presence and commanding the littler wolf's attention.

However alert he thought he was, he truly wasn't. Instead, he looked to the ground as he walked, inspecting the cracks and crevices below him, absentmindedly searching for the perfect rock. If it was one thing he missed from The Mountian, it was his rock collection. He remembers his brother's extreme disinterest in his hobby, Solemn had been disinterested in many things that involved the tiniest amount of fun. Yet, he could hardly recall the sound of his brother's voice; it seemed so long ago that the first of the Silvertip siblings had perished right before his eyes. Yet, Stoic continued on, willing himself to forget his rather morbid childhood for now he was free from the cannibalistic family he had come to fear.

As a voice boomed from over head, he raised his eyes, but not his head as if caught in the act of doing something bad. For a mere second did the boy believe Steady had caught up to him, the same dark coat was enough to fool him. But as he fully raised his head, his eyes meeting the strangers, he knew that this was not the man who ate his mother. Steady did not have green eyes. It took him a moment to collect himself, the shock wearing off from his features. He was not afraid of this man though his body quivered the tiniest amount, ready to run at the last second. But as he responded, he did so without much emotion. He had given the same answer so many times before.

"Dead,"

He sat, awaiting further interrogation for he knew an orphan such as he was not meant to be wandering alone. But he would never return to The Mountian; he was definitely sure about that.

He did not visibly react to the simple, blunt answer, yet Peregrine's insides clenched. He had no idea what to do. If the pup wasn't lying (which was always a possibility), could he just leave him out here? If he took him home, what would Fox think? Did they have enough resources to take on a charity case, because that's exactly what a pup this age would be? His mind wandered to Peter but he shut down that train of thought immediately, just like he tried to ignore the fact that this kid looked a lot like his dead son.

The youngster faced him boldly, though even the one-eyed Alpha saw the slight tremor. He was right to be wary, though Peregrine said, "I won't hurt you." He blinked when the pup promptly sat. The swarthy wolf took the cue and did the same, if only to make himself appear less intimidating and more open to conversation. "Sorry to hear that, about your folks." He paused, deliberating. He almost asked if anyone else was looking after him but clearly not, if he was wandering around all by himself.

He sat there, thinking, for longer than was socially acceptable. And when he opened his mouth to speak, even Peregrine himself wasn't sure what he was going to say until the words were coming out of his mouth. "I know you don't know me from Adam," he began, "but my name is Perry. And I think you should come with me. You can't be out here alone." Again, he thought of the wretched bitch that had killed and eaten his son. He was too late to save Peter... but maybe he could do something for this wayward youth.

He sat, and waited for the male to say something. He did not expect an apology, his parents were dead and so was his brother and that was that. But when the one eyed guy did so, he said nothing but merely shrugged, dismissing the fact like it was nothing. Yet, Stoic did not believe the stranger when he said he would not hurt him. Once before, he had been assured that he would never be harmed yet here he was, alone and without a family. The boy had grown up too fast, learning that there was nobody left on this earth he could trust. He did not even trust Artemis; it was the food she brung that kept him with her. 

And he sat, his eyes never wavering from the male as he too sat there, thinking. Stoic had ever inclination to leave. If the male had nothing to say, he wasn't going to say anything either. He sighed, turning to leave just before the male spoke up. He sat back down, listening. Perry. "Weird name," He thought aloud, though with no concern for how rude it sounded. But it was when the strange suggested he come with him, that a warning sign went up in his mind. He started to protest, but was halted. Peregrine would not understand what he said wrong, but it was enough to spark a hint of determination within the boy's mind. 

"I can," 

His eyes narrowed boldly, almost challenging the man to prove him wrong. All previous thoughts of hesitance were thrown out the window as he was adamant on the belief that he could survive by himself. Stoic was a survivor. He had fought his way out the womb, over top of the pile of siblings, past the cannibalistic wolves of The Mountain and out the territory without a single bruise. Stoic was perfectly capable. 

Peregrine quirked a brow at the pup's offhanded observation about his name, then a little further when he refuted the Alpha's point. If he managed to get him home, the little shit would fit right in with his family. That thought made the very edges of his lips twitch upward, though otherwise he schooled his expression, keeping it neutral. There was a light in his dusky jade eyes (blind one included), though, intrigued by the child's boldness and determination.

"You can," Peregrine allowed, "but can you hunt? Can you fight? Can you sleep with one eye open? Because you'll have to do all of those things if you want to survive." And, of course, the chances he could actually survive on his own were nil but the Alpha didn't say that out loud. "Wouldn't it be more comfortable living in a safe place, having someone bring you food and looking out for you? That's all I'm offering, uh..." He trailed off, realizing he hadn't gotten the boy's name. "What do I call you, kid?"

The boy was taken aback when the stranger agreed with him, odd, for he had not expect that reaction. Someone did believe in him, even if that someone was a stranger with one eye. Slowly, Stoic's reluctance dispersed, feeling more comfortable with the man's presence than before. This one was different. He didn't try to act like Stoic's father, as others had. Perry seemed to care, even though he didn't need to. It was.. odd. And defiantly out of Stoic's understanding. But as the man rattled off all the cautionary things he would need to do to survive as a loner, he became unsure of his own footing. Artemis normally did that, but he had not seen her in some time. And just like that, the incitement of a well rounded life drew him in, and he found tempted to follow this man back to his home. But a part held him back; the terror of being abandoned once more. 

"I can fight," He assured the male, looking at him with a bold certainty. However, how good he was, was another question. And with that, he pounced on the man's rather large paw, his small yet sharp baby teeth flashing as he did so. Yet, in a second he realized a vital part of his attack. The man before him was at least give times bigger than he was. Calling off his attack, he sat, right in front of the male, peering up at him with large yet determined eyes. "Stoic Silvertip," The reply came too fast for him to contain, and he instantly regretted saying it. He looked away, and back, in that millisecond deciding that was not his name anymore. He was not a Mountain wolf. 

"Stoic Silvertip is dead. I am No-one,"

He looked to the man with honesty, for he no longer felt attached to the name given to him by his dead mother at his birth, mere days before his fathers death and then his brothers. The Silvertip family was gone, and so was he.

The whelp insisted he could fight and no sooner had the words left his mouth then he was he launching himself at Peregrine. With Ferret for a son, he had really learned to have rapid reflexes. He swiped his leg out of the way, only for the pup to seemingly abandon his assault. Once more, the black wolf raised his brow, curious and intrigued by the boy. He peered up at Peregrine guilelessly and the Alpha male returned his gaze steadily, head cocked ever so slightly to the right as if he was listening to something in the distance.

His lips parted when the pup gave a name. He recognized that surname, of course, and immediately thought of taking him home. But then Peregrine's heart felt like it momentarily stopped in his chest. "Dead," he'd said about his parents. That meant FitzDutiful was no more. Although it had been years since they'd run together, Peregrine nevertheless bowed his head slightly, eyes closing in a beat of silence.

When he reopened them, he squinted thoughtfully down at the pup who declared he actually had no name. Peregrine's lips curved into a bit of a rueful smirk. "I'm pretty good at coming up with those, if you need a new one," he said, ignoring the absurd notion of proposing the pup take the name Peter, as if by giving him a home, Peregrine could simply replace the pup he'd lost. He knew it didn't work that way, that the thought was nothing but temporary insanity. "Or you could come up with a new one on your own," he added with a shrug.

"In any case, look..." Peregrine continued, changing tack a little bit. "I knew your dad. And he was a big fan of mine. Like, huge. He'd be thrilled if you came to stay with me. Tell you what. If you come back to the caldera, I can teach you how to hunt and fight. Then I'll release you back into the wild as soon as you're ready. Deal?" His jade eyes bored into the pup formerly known as Stoic, wondering if it would work on him, still wondering what Fox and the Firebirds would say if he came home with a stray.

He watched as the male before him closed his eyes at the mention of his name. Had Stoic made him cry? He did not understand. His attack wasn't that severe, or maybe Perry was just a baby like Oddie. He shrugged it off. Maybe he was stronger than he had thought. Well, that was good news. But when the man proposed coming up with a new name for him, he was left deep in thought. Could he simply change his name.. just like that? He could and he would. Though Stoic did not know any names, other than what he seen around him. His eyes shifted from object to object, trying to decide which was name worthy. Rock, stick, dirt, leaf, shrub, snail. No, this would not do. "You pick," While he favored the name Rock, he doubted he would be taken seriously at all.

Yet, Perry's next words took him by surprise, his eyes widening with astonishment. He had not known his own father, but this man had. That had to mean this guy was a good guy, if his father held him in such high regard. There was also the possibility the man was lying, but he didn't believe so. Perry wasn't like that, he had gathered from their very brief meeting. But it was truly Perry's talk of fighting and hunting that got him going, for he would need those things if he were to become a better warrior than he already was. And the best part was, he would let him go. Stoic didn't want another family, he wanted a home. And with one without wolves that ate other wolves. "Promise?" He looked up to the male, his eyes meeting his as if to make sure that this male would keep his word. If Perry's home was filled with cannibals, Stoic did not want to be pressured to stay.

"You pick," the youngster said and Peregrine pondered that a moment before telling him, "Okay. But I'm gonna get to know you a bit better, make sure I pick something that fits. Sound like a plan?" He waited for a sign of assent from him, then bobbed his head, "Yeah, I promise. If your dad was here, he'd tell you I'm a man of my word too. C'mon, I'll take you back to the caldera. I have f—three boys your age: Ferret, Gannet and Whip. You'll like them."

There was a lot more to tell him about his (temporary or permanent) new home, yet Peregrine held his tongue as he motioned for the pup to follow him. He turned toward the caldera in the distance and broke into a steady but not overly quick gait, to make sure the younger wolf could keep pace. He didn't say anything for a while, getting lost in thoughts of how badly Fox would beat him for bringing the boy home, but he knew he'd stick up for the little guy. And maybe, just maybe, his mate wouldn't mind the distraction from their recent tragedy.

"Your dad," Peregrine spoke up abruptly, breaking the silence and glancing sideways at his young charge, "was himself a Redhawk once. That's where we're going: Redhawk Caldera. I'm its Alpha... well, one of them." He paused, wondering how no-longer-Stoic would receive this information.

I was gonna give him an RHC title but only if you want? :D

That'd be great! I wasn't expecting this lmao

He nodded as Perry agreed, willing to accept whatever name the man would come up with for him. It didn't matter so much to him, only that he would never be called Stoic Silvertip again. His interest spiked when the man spoke of his own sons, ones with the same odd name's as their father. Would Perry pick a weird name for him too? Anything was better than Rock, he decided. But he did not know how much he was looking forward to meeting these sons, not matter Peregrine's assurance. He had not interacted with any other children besides his siblings, only one of which was still alive as far as he knew. But he didn't really have to talk to them, right? He followed Perry for reasons other than finding a new family, which he knew would never happen. He had been let down too many times for him to have the hope he would find a proper home once again.

He loped alongside the man, as fast as he could though for Peregrine it was certianly not his fastest pace. He could not wait for the day when he was big enough to take on even the biggest of wolves, including Perry himself who had to be the biggest man he had ever seen. He wondered if his father had been as big as Perry too, and if they had ever fought each other like he and Solemn did. With the new information of Peregrine and his father's close friendship, he had many questions, questions that Zaria would have ignored. Mother had never talked about their father so much, most of the time he could tell she was just sad. So he had never asked. But now, she was gone and he sure wasn't asking Steady. 

His eyes widened as the male went on, speaking of his dead father's presence in the very place he would rest that night. "My father?" He could still not wrap his head around the fact that Perry knew his dad, and the utter coincidence it had been for them to meet. Now, nothing would make him regret leaving The Mountain, for it seemed it was his fate to meet the one eyed Alpha afterall. "Redhawk?" His brow furrowed. That was a silly name. How could a bunch of wolves call themselves hawks? Did they not know their own species? Many things about Perry and his home seemed odd, yet, it amused him. Maybe the rest of the world wasn't as bad as Silvertip Mountain.

Gotta love curve balls. ;)

Do you care if I start another for us in RHC so he can meet Fox + Firebirds? :D

Not-Stoic seemed intrigued both by the pack's name, as well as his mentions of FitzDutiful. "Yeah, your old man was part of my pack for a while before he decided to go off on his own. He was one of the only wolves who ever had the balls to come tell me he was leaving. He was a good dude." Unaware that the pup had never even met the guy, Peregrine didn't realize how much weight his words might truly carry. "And as for Redhawk, don't knock it 'til you try it. Maybe if you decide to stay—and that's entirely up to you—you could become a Redhawk one day. And you don't know it yet but that's, like, a huge honor." He winked his bad eye.

It wasn't long before the short, squat caldera rose into view in front of them. "It's not much to look at it but it's been a great home for nearly two years now. I think you'll like it, especially since you lived on a mountain before." He tossed the whelp a speculative glance. "I'll take you to meet my mate, Fox, and the boys right away. Just a head's up: all of them can kind of be dicks, particularly Ferret. But if any of 'em give you shit, just let me know and I'll deal with it. Just like I'll deal with you if you give them any crap," he added with another wink.

totally xD 
go ahead, thanks a lot for this!

 

He listened, taking in the new information with much awe. He knew Zaria would have never told him of this if he asked, or she never knew. His dad was a Redhawk. Suddenly, the prospect of becoming one seemed more appealing than living life as a loner, and if it was a legacy of his, he needed to fulfill it. The name in itself seemed a special thing, an a surge of pride arose within him. His dad was a cool dude. Redhawk Caldera seemed home worthy, if it was good enough for his father. Stoic wondered why he had left, if it was such a huge honor, yet he would be sure to ask that another time. "Did you know my mother too? Zaria?" He peered up to the male as they walked. While he still had many questions about his father, he realized he hardly knew much about his mother either. What was she like before? She couldn't have always been sad. 

Their pace slowed, an indication that they had arrived. It had not been too long of a journey, but it had also told him The Mountain was far behind. He listened as he surveyed the area, taking in his new surroundings with curiosity. "You live on a rock?" Oh, all the rocks he would find! But his attention was soon drawn away from the squat Mountie; his head snapped up to Peregrine as he spoke of his sons. As Perry described, his sons sounded like Solemn, yet it was a new adjective he used to explain. Dick. He had been struggling to find a word to perfectly describe his deceased brother, but in his prime, Solemn had been a dick. With that, he wasn't so sure he would enjoy Perry's odd named son's company, but as suggested, he would try it out before making his mind up. 

He wanted to talk back to the man beside him, for Perry could try and reprimand him but come to no avail; but decided not to. For once, the boy had kept his tongue in check, for he did not think it was a good idea to disrespect the man right before he was allowing him to enter his home. He shrugged instead, keeping in mind that he was no pushover and wouldn't be bullied by Peregrine's sons if it came to it.

"Does all your family have weird names?" He inquires, his tongue yet again, flowing freely with whatever thought came to mind.

I'm gonna segue this smoothly into the thread I just posted! :D

Peregrine shook his head. "No, sorry. I think he must've met your mom after he left the caldera. That's why he left, you know." He peered sideways at the youth. "He wanted to lead his own pack, find a mate, start a family." How exactly that had panned out for Duty, Peregrine couldn't say for sure. He knew none of the details. The two of them had unfortunately lost touch, never really speaking again aside from that tense howled back-and-forth that one time.

They were nearly there, their shadows stretching out before them to touch the mountain's base as the sun began to set at their backs. Before guiding the boy into the innermost fold of his home, Peregrine slowed and paused. "It's so much more than a rock," he mused in delayed response before answering his second question by saying, "Yep. And guess what? You signed up to get a weird one too."

So far, he hadn't so much as touched the pup. Peregrine reached out now to give the young male's shoulder the lightest of nudges. "C'mon," he said simply as he strode toward his own borderlands, "let's do this."

His hopes faltered slightly as Peregrine knew nothing of his mother. Would anybody? It seemed both of his parents were one giant mystery that he would never get to truly experiance. In a way, it saddened him, but now he had the opportuinty to learn about his father. And with what he already knew about his mother, there wasn't much else he needed to know.

He rolls his eyes theatrically to Perry's faux amusement, though not directed to the man himself. Truthfully, he didn't really mind. As long as he had a name that wasn't Stoic Silvertip, he was okay. He followed Peregine with a soft excitement in his step. While his intentions weren't to find a new family, he had to admit, he was lonely. Loner life wasn't for him, so maybe this would turn to his advantage. 

"I'm ready"

He was sure, confident even. He would give this place a go, even if it didn't sail so smoothly at first.