Redhawk Caldera the body

Takes place November 1st. We'll do this thread in rounds, and each round will start with my post. I like control. <<

Fox had worked tirelessly to dig a Peregrine-sized hole next to his body. At least he'd died somewhere convenient with soft enough earth, she thought, feeling a slight bit crazy at the notion that he'd done it on purpose. She'd lost two sons and a mate this year, and somehow, losing Peregrine didn't feel as bad as she thought it should have. Guilt had crept up on her through the night, and as the sun began to lighten the world around her (and the corpse), she suddenly felt exposed for what she truly was. Somebody would come looking for them, right? Or maybe they wouldn't, assuming (rightly) that they would be fucking the next week away.

The Redhawk matriarch continued to dig away at the ground, her paws becoming more sore with each swipe. A quick glance at the body confirmed that he was, in fact, still dead. His eyes had glazed over, and his mouth was still open at an odd angle. Breathless, lifeless, dead. She couldn't stand to look at it longer than a split second before she returned to the task at hand: the grave.

After the fear of the previous night had faded away, having all been expelled by the light of the next day, Whip emerged from the hole in which he had hid to tell his parents the news about what he had smelled. About who. Primarily, Whip sought his father, as Ferret's presence was an outright danger to Peregrine's safety, but Whip would also settle for his mother's audience. Thankfully, their scent trail mingled together as one so Whip felt no compelling reason to worry.

When he first found his parents, Whip was met with a peculiar sight. At first glance, Dad appeared to sleeping -- so Whip thought nothing of it. Not yet. His mother, on the other hand, was digging herself a mighty big hole. It took a moment before Whip put the pieces together. But when Whip finally saw that father's chest did not rise and fall with breath, he finally knew.

He didn't want to believe it. 

Whip took a step forward. "Dad," he spoke, hoping that his father would awaken and that this was all some sick misunderstanding.

All was calming down and all seemed pretty well. Especially as Trick trotted through the volcano, searching for more herbs he could dry for winter. After he could go out hunting or do whatever was needed at the moment. Life was looking up for him. Even his leaders seemed to somewhat appreciate what he was doing, as he had definitely risen rank-wise. Unfortunately his frame had stayed the same height. He sighed at the thought. What was he even worrying about anymore? Life at the Caldera was peaceful, even with ts hiccups every now and then.

Like the scent that reached him. It smelled like a dead animal, but not a scent that brought his mouth to water. Something was wrong. VERY wrong. He quickened his pace, finally finding Fox's trail and following it to a scene that would be carved into his memory. Peregrine was dead. A young man, Trick assumed a pup of Fox and Peregrine, was also present, which only made the air around them feel thicker.

What happened? Trick asked in a small voice, dropping his herbs on the ground.

Elwood hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, having spent a majority of it looking for and then comforting Liffey. He wasn't fully awake as he trudged across the caldera, his eyes bleary and his senses dulled. It was by total accident that he came upon a small gathering of wolves comprised of Fox, Whip, and Trick.

He blinked, taking it all in: the expressions on the faces of Whip and Trick, the hole that Fox was digging, Peregrine's body slumped on the ground nearby. Wait, what?

His mouth fell open and he took a step back, staring at Peregrine before focusing his gaze on Fox. "Peregrine...?" he asked, his tongue too heavy to allow him to complete his sentence.

Others are welcome to hop in! No posting order, but please only post once per round. ^_^

Though she didn't notice him right away, Whip was the first to arrive. It wasn't until he spoke that Fox slowed—and eventually stopped—her frantic digging and pulled herself away from the task at hand. Her front paws were bruised, strained, and dirty, and she rushed to her son's side, all at once wishing to comfort him and herself.

Trick arrived next, asking what happened, and Elwood was only a few steps behind him. "He's gone. In his sleep," she lied, her voice unsteady, knowing that she was going to take the actual circumstances of Peregrine's death to her own grave. She couldn't handle explaining in detail what had happened, so him passing in his sleep was far easier for her (and hopefully everybody else) to stomach. Her gaze was somewhere between Peregrine and Whip, wanting to be as close to her family as possible right now.

Luckily, Gannet had it in mind to stick somewhat close to Whip after the previous night's fear, or he mightn't have known.  Instead he came later, after his brother's arrival, and when he saw what was going on he stopped short.

Silently he surveyed his father, immediate dread setting in when he saw there was no movement.  Peregrine was gone.  

The boy let out a small whine as he looked from his brother to his mom, and the sudden horrifying notion of 'well, ok, who next?' crossed his mind.  Their family was disappearing and he couldn't do anything about it.

Whip's voice lingered in the air for a moment, yet he recieved no response from his lifeless father. Each passing second of silence grew more painful than the last. He could not bring himself to believe that his Dad was gone forever. But there he was, sprawled across the ground in a lifeless heap like a damp towel. He could deny the facts all he wanted, but there was nothing Whip could change. The boy was then cast into a stunned silence as shock took hold.

Others arrived, but Whip payed them no mind. His tearful gaze remained fixed on Peregrine's body. Even as Fox moved closer in an attempt to consul her children, Whip shirked away and moved closer to the corpse. Like the night of his recent breakdown, Whip buried his face in the scruff of his father's neck.

However, there was no comfort granted in contact. Whip began to sputter and wail once he felt that his father's usual warmth had gone.

"He's gone. In his sleep."

Fox's explanation rang in Elwood's ears. He struggled to process it -- he simply couldn't imagine Redhawk Caldera without its swarthy Alpha male. Peregrine had recruited him to the pack nearly two years ago, and in that time had become one of Elwood's closest friends. They were family; he was godfather to Wildfire, Nightjar, and Raven, and the most recent batch of firebirds were essentially cousins to his own children.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself as Gannet and Whip processed the death of their father. He had his own emotions to sort through, but reality slapped him in the face: this left the caldera with only two leaders, and one of them was bereft and grieving. He had always thought of himself as Peregrine's second-in-command, but now it was time to fill that role for Fox. There were a million things he would need to do to secure the borders and make sure that Fox and her children were provided for in Peregrine's stead -- but at present, there was one daunting task drawing his attention.

Elwood shifted towards the grave and began to dig, dutifully churning up the earth while Fox presumably comforted her sons.

He was gone. He was goner than what Trick thought "gone" meant. His vessel was all that remained, and the memories that they would mourn. Peregrine had had a positive effect on Trick, and only now did the emerald eyed male notice that he had no one to talk to anymore. His problems and concerns were not able to be shared anymore with the male he had trusted the most, and he almost hated Peregrine for leaving them so soon. His eyes lay half open, no life or light in them anymore - and that was the only thing Trick could spot that proved that Peregrine was truly dead. He did not dare touch or even come closer, afraid of the boundaries he'd be crossing. Though, died in his sleep? Wouldn't his eyes have been closed totally? Trick was suspicious of how true Fox's words were, but he kept them for himself. 

Trick's breathing was as quiet as the wind as he saw more wolves join them, the sight truly not one he had wished to see when he had woken that morning. Never had he thought before of the family and friends of a wolf he had killed, but this sight made him feel more than he could take. His green eyes almost turned dimmer as he selfishly thought of rising up as alpha male - follow in Peregrine's footsteps as if this had been a good thing. How dare a "changed" wolf like him think of such a cruel thing. He was not part of this family. He could not imagine their pain, only his own. It had always been him against the world.

Fox, I- He choked on his words, feeling stupid for even attempting to assuage the family around him that had just lost both their leader, father, mate and friend. We should close his eyes... He breathed out, not a single tear present in his eyes. Yes, he was sad, but crying was not the way he dealt with this emotion. He had to be strong for the Redhawks now, and he would do exactly that.

Whip pulled away, which only ripped Fox's heart out further from her chest. Gannet was not far behind, and she attempted the same comforting gestures on him, pressing her body against his in hopes that he would return the sentiment. She could only hope that Whip wouldn't revert to his old, self-harming ways. The children would clearly have a hard time getting over this, especially after the loss of their two brothers. Nothing about this year had been easy on them.

Elwood moved toward the grave, and Fox could barely stand to watch. There wasn't much left to be done with it. Maybe ten... fifteen minutes of digging, followed by dragging the lifeless shell of what was Peregrine into the ground and covering him with earth. His final resting place.

Trick said her name, and it sounded distant as he suggested they close his eyes. "Trick, no," she commanded, stepping between Trick and her former mate's body. It wasn't anything against Trick, but she didn't know him well enough to trust him. This was a decidedly personal matter, and while he was welcome to stay and grieve, she would not allow him to participate. That was reserved for his family and closest friends.

In general, Shrike had found it much easier on his nerves to stay as far away from Fox and Peregrine during the mating season as possible, as he certainly was not interested in seeing or hearing his cousin and her mate going at it. He mostly kept to himself, continuing his search for Lucy though his hopes had begun to flag as he knew now that Lucy had disappeared from Allure's pack and would be much harder to find now that she was out, roaming anywhere in the world. She had survived the abduction, which was a blessing in and of itself- but it did not mean that she hadn't fallen prey to yet another kidnapping, or injured while she was out on her own. Surely she would look for a pack, he thought, if she was capable of doing so- so he would have to continue journeying from pack to pack to see if she had arrived at any of them. 

Having caught a rabbit just outside the pack's borders, he'd been on his way to the Rendezvous site to devour it when he caught the scent of Fox and several others in the area. Curious and wondering if he'd missed a call, he hastily dug a hole in the ground, stashed the rabbit for later and after he kicked some dirt over it, Shrike picked up a jog and casually followed Elwood's scent toward where the others must have been gathered. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the scene he came across. His eyes were drawn immediately to the form of Peregrine lying far too still on the ground, and then to Elwood who was digging. Panic gripped him and his knees buckled for a moment before he was able to catch himself. He felt cold sweep over him when he looked at Peregrine's body again, and his breath hitched. "No," He whimpered, his voice barely a croak. A heavy lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard. Tears pricked at his eyes when he looked at the dark, lifeless form, and he felt his lips quiver. Be strong, he told himself, but Shrike was not used to experiencing such a strong emotion. His first feeling when he'd seen what had happened to Peter was anger- but Peter had been killed. Though a quick look to Fox revealed injury, he somehow did not suspect that Peregrine had been killed. Everyone was far too sombre, and no angry calls had been sent up. Without asking, Shrike seemed to sense that Peregrine's body had simply given up, as unfair and unreal as it seemed. 

Whip had curled up next to his father's corpse and was crying into the cool fur of his neck, and Gannet looked almost deadpan, an expression which warned Shrike against moving closer to comfort the boy. He couldn't bring himself to meet Fox's gaze, and he more or less completely ignored Trick. Part of him wanted to help Elwood, but he did not want to step any closer to either the grave or Peregrine's body, for fear of upsetting Fox. Timidly, he crept toward her as she stood by Gannet, ears flattened and tail limp, ready to halt or move away should she lash out in grief. "Fox." He choked out, quietly. "I'm so. Sorry." He did not reach out to touch her, but stood ready should she want an embrace or a shoulder to lean on. Oddly, he found himself craving contact, which would have been quite obvious by his deflated stature. He found himself wishing Allure was there, or Sassafras- someone he could lean on, but he knew that it would be more important for him to be a shoulder for Fox, should she need it.

His eyes roved once more to the figure of Peregrine lying on the ground, as he still tried to process what had happened. Their alpha was dead. His cousin was dead. He was reminded of the conversation he'd had with Peregrine when he'd joined the pack- about how he'd wanted to have more children than March Owl, and his heart sank. Peregrine's life had been cut far too short, and Shrike struggled to process what had happened and scrambled to think of what would happen next to their family and their pack.

Gannet watched as Whip went to their father's body, but he remained where he was - dad was gone, that much was obvious.  And there was no comfort left there.  This redirected Fox's attention to him, and he almost turned away also, not sure how to process yet another loss.  But something stopped him.  Innately, perhaps, he sensed that she needed this as much as she thought he did, and perhaps he did.

Family left, and when they did, it hurt.  But did that mean it wasn't worth it?  No.  The answer was resounding, and so he pressed himself closer to his mom's side.  Because even if one day soon she too disappeared, she was here now, and that was all that mattered.  He wanted to go to Whip, bring him in as well, but he didn't want to leave Fox's side.  So he remained where he was, still a bit out of it, but also grounded by his mother's proximity and warmth.

In an effort to keep things moving along, considering how important this thread is to what happens after... I won't post more than once per 24 hours. :)

It wasn't until he was practically on top of her that Fox noticed Shrike. Him saying her name, his consoling words, were more comforting than anything else right now. She leaned on him for comfort, eyes looking on at the body that was once her mate. Fox let herself be weak as she used him for support. And really, who could she trust more than Shrike? Elwood had his own set of problems, Finley was off searching for her child, Fox barely knew Trick, Eljay was practically useless, and her own children were too young to handle this kind of burden. Shrike even shared their last name.

A myriad of thoughts passed through her mind, many of them uncouth, and she wanted nothing more than to unbottle them and send them flying into the world, but she kept them hidden to her best ability, allowing herself to be pressed between Gannet and Shrike. This was her family. These two and Whip, even if he was dealing with things in his own way. Elwood and Finley were family, too, as were their children, but they were distant, detached, and Fox could feel that now more than ever.

Trick had not been planning to close Peregrine's eyes himself - that was not his place here. It just felt more... Natural if it looked as if he was sleeping. His tail was hanging limp in between his legs. He had upset her, hadn't he? Why did this happen to all he trusted? First Warbone's disappearance, now the death of uncle P... He doomed everyone around him somehow. Perhaps Grace had sensed that too and that had made her leave the Caldera. He closed his eyes, muzzle lowering to the ground. Fox, I didn't mean to- I should've... There he was again, tripping over his own words in an attempt to excuse himself. 

Shrike joined them, and that only came as a harder hit. He did not belong here. This family did not know him - did not need him. Even though he was accepted within their pack, a place truly among them was not for him. I just thought he could rest easier without looking at us mourning him... He voiced his opinion softly, not sure if they wanted him here.

As he looked upon Shrike holding up Fox, comforting her, he understood. The Redhawk family already had a capable male to lean upon - a big and strong one. One wolf leaning on Trick would end up with them both on the ground. Silently, as if not even to disturb the air, he padded backwards. With one last look upon on Peregrine's lifeless vessel, he turned and padded away to his home.

Now that he had given himself a duty, Elwood felt useful. The other wolves spoke quietly and moved around him, and he was dimly aware of Trick suggesting that they close Peregrine's eyes and Fox's sharp refusal. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Shrike's approach and paused only momentarily to watch as Fox leaned against him. She seemed comforted by his presence, so Elwood refocused his attention to his digging.

His mind wandered and he found himself wondering what Finley would make of this when she returned. The caldera had veritably fallen apart in her absence; he vaguely remembered making a joke about that very thing happening when he first met her. He shook his head gently but said nothing, simply continuing to churn the earth where they would lay his friend to rest.

one post cameo~

The call sounded urgent, but Eljay couldn't bring himself to come. It wasn't likely about mommy. Normally he would've reacted, but now he found himself staying here, at the rendezvous site (possibly with the twins, were they staying here rather than being with Elwood). Daddy'd probably tell him later about what was going on. The fleeting thought passed that maybe Peter had returned again, but he shook even that thought away. It wasn't about mommy. Later he would regret not going, when daddy would tell him everything, knowing he could've said good bye to Uncle P's body and hadn't, but for now he did not realise the gravity of his decision.

Fox leaned into his shoulder, and while he was relieved that he hadn't been snapped at or ignored, it did make him feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable. He didn't like having to comfort someone- it meant something bad had happened. He was much better at doing productive things to show that he cared, rather than actually offering himself up as a cushion. His eyes trailed to Elwood who dug the grave for Peregrine, half wishing that he was the one doing the task, as at least it would get him doing something. But, knowing it was important for him to do whatever he could for Peregrine, rest his soul, he stayed rooted to his position, and comforted Fox with a soft nuzzle to the top of her head.

Last one for me. <3

Trick skulked off, but Fox didn’t notice. She hadn’t really even heard him apologize. She was still in shock, neither her mind or body quite prepared to handle such a thing. The hole was deep enough now, and Fox stepped back over to the hollow vessel that had once held her husband. Looking at it was difficult, and it was even more difficult to drag it into the pit that they had dug for him. Slowly but surely, she began to pile the earth onto him, each soft sound like a stab in the heart.

When it was done, she would isolate herself and sleep.

My last as well!

Once Fox deemed the grave was deep enough, Elwood stepped back. He turned a sorrowful gaze towards their deceased leader and friend, watching as Fox began to move him into his final resting place. He didn't want to overstep his bounds, but he offered his assistance, giving a gentle nudge to Peregrine's shoulder as Fox did most of the tugging and pulling. Had she asked him to stop, he would have stepped back promptly.

When Peregrine was buried, Elwood stood and looked at the mound of dirt for a long moment. It was still hard to believe that the Alpha male was gone. Eventually, he turned away, offering a solemn glance at the wolves still gathered before retreating to the rendezvous site.

It was a painful ordeal, resting his cousin's body in the ground. He helped where he could, trying to avoid getting in Fox's way, and deferring to Elwood as well. He stood by Elwood's side, silently, for some time after Peregrine had been buried, and finally shook his head softly, wished his friend a quiet goodbye, and moved away to try and deal with his thoughts alone. His mind spinning, he tried to imagine what this would mean for him, and for the pack.