Redhawk Caldera I TOUCHED IT ON THE BOOTY AND WE EMERGED LIKE GRAVY ON SOFT APPLE JUICE

Please let @Grace post first. Not backdated since the travel should've taken a while. @Peregrine @Fox

After days of travel away from the Keep, Grace by his side, they came closer to the scent of a pack. With Grace as a good hunter and Trick with having cared for himself for a long time, they were in a somewhat good state. Even Trick's fur was on fleek, if he did say so himself. He had taken numerous baths on the way, probably annoying the shit out of Grace, but it had to be done. He almost smelled like roses, something better than his normal ash-like smell, and it was all to impress whoever they would run into. They had left only a day after making plans, saying nothing to their so called "leaders". Trick wanted to serve someone who deserved it- who he could learn from, and he was pretty sure Grace wanted that as well. Their actions had not been noticed at the Keep, not even as they tried harder and harder, so perhaps this pack would be different.

They reached the border, up it almost looked like a mountain, and Trick stopped Grace a respectable distance away from it if she didn't do that herself already. He looked at her, silently asking; "Is this okay?". Not caring much about her approval, he raised his muzzle and let his honey-like voice fill the air, calling for this pack's leaders.

Grace felt bad for abandoning the Marauders Keep, but it seemed that her time there was up. Warbone was gone, Tavi had gone completely crazy, Nova was settled in Larksong Grotto with Reek, and people just kept dissapearing. @Stark probably knew they were leaving, based off of the yearlings calls for @Kirin the morning they left and the lack of she or Trick in the resulting days. Then again, he, too had often departed briefly from the Keep, likely to look for the missing pack members. Kirin never did come to the calls, but they'd planned to end up somewhere around here: hopefully her brother would meet them there, find her again. So soon after reuniting with him, she didn't want to lose him. 
The stops taken didn't bother Grace: she took the time to rest her leg and explore the area close around them. Sometimes, there was a herb or plant she felt compelled to take, and so now that they'd reached the borders of a pack, green stuck out from both sides of her jaws, wrapped neatly in thick oak leaves to keep the herbs dry and safe. She didn't care about what pack they joined, trusting fully in Trick to lead her somewhere safe and keep her company. With the raven furred man at her side, she knew there was much more to learn about their trade. Even if their travels had been mostly quiet, as had their times in the healing den, Grace knew that their friendship didn't call for words.

Peregrine woke up on the right side of the bed today. He helped himself to a cold breakfast, then trotted down to the borders for an early patrol. He hummed to himself as he made his circuits, both jade eyes sweeping the periphery even if only one of them did him any good. For a long time, there was no sign of anyone or anything to disrupt the peace and quiet of the morning. But then the dead-eyed Alpha saw two black figures in the distance, closing in quickly before slowing at his invisible boundary lines.

Immediately, the Alpha male loped in that direction, head high and tail arched over his back. His ears thrust forward as he dug in his heels to come to a halt perhaps fifteen feet from the pair. Peregrine then prowled closer, stopping again perhaps six feet away. He studied them both, his eyes lingering on the green protruding from the female's mouth before they came to rest on the male's face. Damn, he was pretty. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Peregrine felt a twinge low in his belly that he hadn't experienced in quite some time.

"Waddup?" The word sort of fell unceremoniously from his mouth before he caught himself, cleared his throat loudly and more formally added, "State your name and business."

Not long after his call, his own emerald eyes scanning what seemed like a volcanic landscape, another man came running toward them. Well, at least this pack got it's shit together-unlike the Keep. While Trick often carried a quite dominant stance and mind-set, he was smart enough to figure out that that would not help in the slightest while joining a pack. And so his tail lowered, hitting his haunches softly as he wagged it in a friendly way, and his ears draped themselves over his petite skull. He did not bow just yet, not knowing who in the hell this man was, and he certainly didn't want to come over as a weak little doggy that would do anything his master said. Now he could finally study the taller man, his ash-like coat quite a treat for his eyes. He spoke, first not as sophisticated as he had expected, but he didn't beat around the bush for very long. Trick dearly hoped Grace would let his silver tongue do the talkie-talkie part, but he couldn't know for sure if she was willing to do so.

Good day, sir. He started in his soothing voice. I am Trick, Trick Likoto, and this here is my companion Grace. We have traveled quite some time, and we are desperately searching for a new home. So, by this, we were kindly wondering if there was a place for us here. He did not stutter nor let his voice tremble. As far as he could remember, he had never been one to do so. 

A tall, dark man answered Trick's call, and the closer he got to the pair, the closer the russet yearling crept to her companions side. Unlike Trick, she was okay with being seen as fully submissive and even scared, if it meant she wasn't seen as a threat and hurt. Her inky ears pinned back, tail curling around her displaced leg, and her spine bent as she curled into herself. Her golden eyes rested on Trick's face, glad he was willing to talk for the two of them. She had no problem showing her skills or proving that she wasn't useless, but unless adressed she wouldn't speak.

Both of them lowered themselves in front of him, the she-wolf appearing much more submissive than her companion. When he spoke for both of them, it solidified this notion in the Alpha's mind. He continued gazing at them coolly as Trick introduced both himself and Grace, then cut right to the chase. Peregrine pondered the use of the term desperate and what this might mean for their chances of getting through him and into the caldera's ranks.

"Well, that depends," he said with a blink. "Where have you come from? What makes you so desperate?" he couldn't help but wonder. "More importantly, what skills do you both possess that would make you assets?" Peregrine shifted, his head, ears and tails still erect as he added one last question, "Are you two together? Like, together together?" If they hoped to settle down and start a family, well, they were shit outta luck; there really wasn't room for any more litters here. And Peregrine had an even more selfish reason for asking, as he idly wondered whether there was any possibility at all of getting into Trick's nonexistent pants.

Trick smiled, if only to appear somewhat approachable and nice, but also because Grace kept her mouth. It wasn't like he didn't like her talking, or her as a friend, but he was just so used to doing things alone. He felt her shift, feeling sort of protective of her- perhaps for selfish reasons. He was no good guy, which made him wonder why Grace had even stuck around him for as long as she had. Sure, he had promised to teach her, sort of, but one just didn't cross the whole Teekon for that- right?

He placed that in the back of his mind as he was overflown with questions which were much expected. He took a soft yet deep breath. We come from the Marauder's Keep- it's somewhat close to the sea, over the mountains. He did not care about revealing the Keep's place. Hell, he hoped they wouldn't exist for any longer anyway. Well, you could call it desperate for learning. We both have knowledge of plants, herbs and healing, and Grace here is quite a talented hunter. He flashed a smile at her. Of course, we are open for learning as much as we can. 

His next question made a shiver run down his spine as a picture of his patched beauty shot through his mind. That was the closes he had gotten to a relationship with a female, and who knew where she was now? He shook his head. We're just close friends. Well, he didn't know about "close", but she was the closest to a friend he had. Tea-douchebag had been more of a onenightstand, and Banner was just there.

Grace nodded along with Trick's words, calming and straightening out upon realizing Peregrine was not aggressive, yet. Man was he big though....Heat seared her skin as the alpha asked about them being mates, and her brow furrowed in confusion until she realized how they must look. She limped a step away from Trick just as she shuddered, blushing hard and thanking god nobody could see it; unaware that her own face gave away the clear embarrassment she was feeling. Sure, Trick had once been a thought in her mind, but she'd long ago accepted that he wouldn't be interested in someone like her. As she'd once told Stark, she was married to her job, convinced that nobody out there would ever want her in that way. Golden orbs aimed down at Peregrine's paws, and her stutter was far from gone, but her bell-like voice was at least louder than a mumble. 
                     "I-I'm also aiming to b-be a Naturalist, in-instead of a Hunter, and I'll grow my herbal stock. S-scout around for herbs that wouldn't grow here usually."

Trick spoke for his companion again and Peregrine glanced at her, wondering if she ever intended to speak for herself. The Alpha's attention then drifted back to the mouthpiece as he mentioned their skill sets. Although the idea of recruiting healers did appeal to him, it was the mention of hunting that naturally caught his interest. It was very disappointing for him, then, when Grace finally found her voice and promptly said she would go for naturalist rather than hunter.

But Peregrine's disappointment was tempered somewhat by the pair's reaction to his question about their status. Grace literally moved away from Trick as if embarrassed and/or repulsed by the mere implication. The Alpha's brows lifted in amusement at this, though his jade eyes were a little predatory as he zeroed in on Trick again, his face seeming to say, So you're saying there's a chance.

Business before pleasure, he reminded himself and Peregrine said frankly, "We could use a healer, maybe even two, but if I accepted you, I'd prefer you continue pursuing hunter." He blinked down at Grace, then regarded them both evenly. "There are many mouths to feed in this pack, so meat is more important than leafy greens. If you understand that, then I can make room for you both."

Trick didn't really care about height, or size, and therefore felt less uncomfortable in this situation. The only thing he would ever say about size was that they should not write him off just because he wasn't a brute. That's right, he hadn't said anything about his poisoning skills, perhaps proving that his raging fire inside was dying down. Maybe it really had been the Keep that was fueling his anger... Nah, he was always angry at himself, but without he wouldn't be Trick.

He bowed down, somewhat, his regular way of showing some respect to his superior-something he had never truly meant at the Keep after Warbone's sudden departure. He was shocked to hear Grace wanted to instead be a naturalist. That wasn't Grace at all. He knew she liked herbs and stuff, but naturalist was something way more. It was having peace with nature or something- or did she have abilities he didn't know about? His ears twitched somewhat when the strange tall man spoke, but he kept them low. As long as he didn't look him in the eye, everything would be perfectly fine. 

I'm sure I could provide some food for your wolves as well. Or, well, I'll try my very best to do so. He spoke with less confidence than usual- but he doubted the man would notice. They had barely met after all. If it helps, I studied poisons for a great portion of my life. He said as he went back to standing. His back was aching because of the journey here, and to screw it up more by bowing for a somewhat handsome man that hadn't even revealed his name yet was not what seemed the best option here.

Grace was glad that the alpha's attention was more on Trick than herself, but she didn't miss the dissapointment when she voiced her wishes. It was a surprise, really: almost all wolves knew how to hunt either big or small game, wouldn't a healer and botanist be more useful? Someone to retrieve and grow their own stock of herbs, to always know that they have the herbs they need. Thankfully, the dark male didn't seem the type to be over pissy all the time, and she wasn't sure if he'd make a big deal out of her change of trade. After all, it wasn't as if she still couldn't hunt.... It was just uncomfortable on her leg. Still avoiding eye contact and ever thankful for Trick and his silver tongue. Stutter as she did, and was happy to realize that though she shifted on and off of her bum leg and clawed nervously at the earth, she did not tremble. Small as a difference as it was, it was a big step for the skittish girl.
                      "I'd b-be happy to keep on h-hunting as long as my l-l-leg will hold out, sir, I'm n-not against splitting my t-time between studies a-and feeding the p-pack."

Truthfully, Peregrine had his doubts about Grace. He hadn't noticed her bum leg until she mentioned it and he gave it a long, dubious look. But she promised to keep at it and he was pretty sure that if he turned her away, Trick would go with her too. So if he wanted one, he had to take the other. He wondered what would happen if Grace ended up being dead weight and he kicked her to the curb. Would Trick follow then, once he was established? But maybe he was getting too far ahead of himself. Perhaps Grace would rise to the occasion, despite her gimp and stutter.

"All right," Peregrine said after a pause, "I'll welcome you into the ranks on sort of probationary terms. Prove you're worth your salt, you'll stick and rise up in the ranks and all that jazz. Fail to meet expectations and you'll be asked to leave." He gave each of them a final, appraising look and then said, "Welcome to Redhawk Caldera, then. I'm Perry, your new Alpha male. Show yourself around, make yourselves at home, introduce yourselves to the others... just stay away from the rendezvous site and the Blackthorn den for now. Any last questions?"

Whoops, a little late. Sorry, I was working on some fanart XD

Ooowhyeah. Trick had totally forgot about her leg being the way it was. But she had traveled just fine with him. Maybe he should've gone a little easy on her after all. Guess this proved he truly wasn't a good friend yet at all. Well, that and the fact that he kept telling himself that he truly didn't give a damn about her. If she was the reason he wouldn't be accepted, he would indeed leave her behind. The longer he stood there, the more he began liking the place. The willows in the Keep had been calming, but what seemed like a volcano in front of him- it just suited him better. Her ears twitched as the alpha spoke again, finally raising his eyes to focus on the man's muzzle. He didn't dare make eye contact, because even with his speed and wits he knew he wouldn't win a fight now.

He charmingly grinned, bowing one last time. We can't thank you enough, alpha Perry. He spoke, keeping in a laugh. Perry was a rather unusual name, but so were Trick and Wylie. He understood that the pack most likely had puppies, and that it was only natural that they would not be allowed to come near. He had many questions, but none related to this, and so kept his mouth. He just hoped he could find someone that was worthy of his company here. Perhaps some information about the pack itself would've been good to hear, but he'd figure it out himself eventually. Nothing worth time right now, but I thank you for giving an option to do so. I'm around 87% sure you will not be disappointed by us. He smiled.

He took a few steps forward with a wag of his tail, unsure if they had to follow Perry or just go themselves. He looked back to see if Grace would follow him or rather go exploring herself. Grace, what color are your eyes again?

It seemed nobody really noticed her leg, even Trick who looked momentarily surprised, and while it made her feel good somewhere, Peregrine's pause made her think she'd just cost them ranks. Trick would stay with her even if he wouldn't have been turned down too... Right? He'd brought her all the way out here with him to find a new home, surely he wouldn't abandon her. 
Just as her heart rose in her throat, Perry gave in, agreeing with their mutual terms and being accepted into Redhawk Caldera all at once. A shudder went down her spine, one of excitement, and a smile lit up her face, such a bright thing framed with many, many scars that even her thick fur couldn't hide. Grace listened to his last instructions with a wagging tail: there were pups here! Hopefully, these ones were younger, like Tamborine. Pups were fun to play with, and fun to teach, not to mention just plain fun to watch sometimes. 
                     "Thank y-you, Perry. I understand."
Trick went forward, and the russet girl stayed where she was even when he looked behind. The ebony males question brought her brows to a furrow and a frown on her face. Forgetting her new alpha was right in front of her, she tipped her head and focused on Trick. 
                                         "They've been gold as long as I can remember.... Why such an odd question?"

"Er," Peregrine said, biting back an incredulous laugh, "it's just Perry." Like his mother, he had never been much of one for formal titles, even if he took respect very seriously. "And, uh, I guess I'll run with those odds," he added. If the joke had come from someone less easy on the eyes, Peregrine might have reneged based on the apparent lack of total confidence. But he already had a little thing for Trick, so he let it slide.

Whether or not that would ever come of anything, the Alpha had other things to do and people to see. He nodded to the new Eta and Theta, then turned and went on his way. He could hear them conversing behind him but he paid no attention to what they said. They would be left to their own devices to explore and discover the way of life here at Redhawk Caldera.

Trick was raised like a polite little fella, and his silver tongue almost forced him to use formal titles. But, he guessed it could make for an awkward conversation. Splendid. He voiced with some genuine joy. He wondered if everyone here was as cool as Perry with titles. As his new leader began retreating, he stepped over the border himself, turning around fully to mess with Grace's brain some more. He smirked.

So I can come up with a better nickname for you. He explained. The girl with the golden gaze might be a little long, but he'd trade his title for hers. You do realize my mother didn't name me Trick, right? He said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. With Perry gone, he could easily tell Grace his real name. They've traveled the whole Teekon with each other, yet he only just noticed how little she knew of him.

Perry made his leave, and Grace was left with Trick and his odd questions. It wasn't long, however, until the raven male revealed his intentions. A nickname? She'd never had one of those before, not really. The yearling smiled, tail wagging, and bumped her muzzle against Tricks shoulder fondly. Unlike the dark male, she saw him as one of her best friends. He'd allowed her to share his medicine den, helped her through some rough times, even if they didn't actually know much about each other. They had a silent friendship.
               "I've never had a nickname before. Lemme know if you think of one."
 He then admitted that his name wasn't Trick, though the raven man acted like it was something she should have known. Her smile faultered, a hurt look flashing across her face before her golden eyes flickered down to her paws. 
                                 "N-No.... I trusted what you told me."

He saw her face light up as he revealed his actual plan with his odd, out of place questions. He had given many wolves a nickname in his head, some funny and some tragic. Like, Teagan was Teabag. Warbone had been either The Brute or The King. Hmm, guess he hadn't given so many nicknames after all. I already had one in mind, but it's a little long. He revealed with a mysterious tone. The Girl with the Golden Gaze. It could be a book title, if he knew what a book was. It sounded so ominous, something that spoke from his heart.

He seemed to have hurt her feelings, something that wasn't entirely what he had planned. A concerned look took over his smirk, and he nosed her shoulder to comfort her. Come on, what cruel mother would curse their child with a name like Trick? I'd rather you call me Trick, perhaps that's the reason I sort of lied to you... He explained, eyes shimmering with the traces of quite a bad feeling for not coming clean sooner. I'm Wylie... Trick was a name the bullies used to call me, at my home before the Keep. I guess I thought it suited me better. She could call him whatever, though. But only if they were one-on-one. There was a reason he kept his real name hidden- it was lame.

The Girl With The Golden Gaze.... It wasn't a bad one, but as Trick had said it was too long. Right now, though, it didn't matter: her feelings were indeed very hurt, and even as the obsidian male reached out to comfort her Grace just couldn't look him in the eye. He claimed he liked it better than Wylie, but the yearling found she liked his real name much better.... If it really was his birth name. 
                "I-I would have been okay w-with that.... I like Wylie better."
She stuttered at first, but her voice grew stronger near the end, more laced with venom. It was a tone that didn't suit her well, and she sighed soon after. There wasn't a mean bone in her body.... The next time she spoke, it was again in her usual quiet bell-like voice. 
                        "Why would you take on a name that bullies gave? Why be so ashamed as Wylie?" 

Never did he think someone liked his old name. Why else would they call him differently? The world liked him better as the tricky trickster, and he went with the flow of it all. It had grown on him over the past few years, and to be honest, Grace was the only "friend" he had ever told. That was something this friendship thing came with, right? Sharing secrets and stuff? Uggh, how could something so simple be so complicated to him? He didn't know how to feel, how to tell or how to listen. He only knew faking...

You w-w-w-what?! He exclaimed as she voiced her opinion. Keep it down will you, it's a secret, so sshhhttt... He shushed her a bit. What had he gotten himself in? He didn't know how to be a friend. He would end up betraying her- hurting her more and feel bad about his entire existence. breaatthhh, Tricky boy.

If the world wanted me as Wylie, I would've known.. Trick grew on me, and I just accepted it. I-I think Trick's a great name! He almost shouted, but unlike her, knew how to shout softly. Did that make sense?