Redhawk Caldera summer skeletons

@Sebastian

The grassland swayed as a golden sea beneath the late August light, and streams from the setting sun painted the Caldera in a bright and otherworldly glow. Andalusia's muscles ran tight beneath her half-dried fur. Between the search for the Rochesters and the sudden famine, the past few weeks had been a time of constant movement. Today, Andalusia had spent the wealth of the day at a thick forest stream South of the Caldera, but pickings remained slim. Against better luck, she had only managed to catch one fish, which she had covered in one of the cache sites closer to Finley and her pups. She herself would go hungry, but tomorrow, what she caught would be hers to eat.

But tonight, she didn't want to think about hunger, or anything heavy, and Andalusia closed her eyes against the warmth of evening's glow. She'd kept an eye on the clouds through her venture back, and in the midst of the chaos, and all the stress of the Caldera, the Ostrega felt compelled to watch them tonight. She needed somewhere to escape, a lighthearted thing to busy her mind with, at least for an hour, or even a few minutes. Anything to distract her - so she set her head low and parted her mouth, and roved about until she found the fresh line of Sebastian's trail snaking through the Caldera, and followed. She hadn't seen much of the man since they'd returned from their expedition to find his family. A given, as circumstance pulled them each their own ways to hunt and provide and find game outside the Caldera's boundary. Perhaps tonight she could make their paths cross; perhaps tonight, he was game to busy himself in something fun.

Sebastian had found a look out rock, much like his thinking rock he had in Broken Antler. This rock was on the slope of the caldera. It looked out over the forests and the lands below. His thinking rock before was just next to a stream. This rock showed the lands down below. Sebastian liked to just gaze in the distance and let his mind drift. He thought often about Mato, Ivy, Nova, and Pearl. Especially, about the time Mato visited and took his grandfather with him. He hoped they were alright. He was certain they were with Burke's knowledge and Mato's leadership.

It was still tough on him that Ivy and Nova, both his daughters were gone. He tried not to think about it too much and focus on Benjamin but in these quiet times, it didn't help. Only hunting helped to take his mind off things. His head lifted when he heard footsteps he glanced over his shoulder. He was pleased to see Andalusia. His tail wagged and he greeted her with a soft woof. "Hey, Anda," he greeted with a soft smile. He hadn't seen her since they traveled but he had been busy with hunting and taking care of his only son.

She found him up a steeper slope, perched upon a jutting edge of the Caldera. His massive form cut sharp against the golden sky, and when he turned, Andalusia couldn't read his face beyond the soft smile he cast her. Knowing the tenderness of Sebastian's heart, the Ostrega doubted he betrayed himself. She let a gentle wag sway through her tail and quirked the corners of her mouth.

"Hey Seb,"  she said. The Ostrega stilled herself at the base of the ledge and squinted up to him against the sunlight. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything." The place felt quiet, serene. Andalusia wondered if Sebastian had scouted this spot for that very reason. She understood grief and the need to be alone but knew the danger of too much isolation. What she didn't know was what Sebastian needed now.

Sebastian pushed himself to his feet and turned towards the female. He could use the distraction. He would otherwise just start thinking of all the bad. Sebastian quirked up his lips. "Oh no, not at all," he spoke and then stepped away more from his previous spot. "In moments alone like this I often start to think about what I've lost," he admitted.

It wasn't really a good thing. He should really focus on what he had which was Ben and Andalusia. The gray wolf let his smile drop. "So the distraction is welcome," he admitted to her. He forced back a smile on his face. She knew that he was struggling with this, so perhaps he shouldn't force a smile.

She tested a smile. "I know that feeling." Having run quite chummy with the currents of grief, Andalusia understood the nature of thoughts to fester and swell. With the solidarity of her trade, she considered herself adept at taming her mind in the presence of silence, but there were days - and recent ones, at that - where the wounds did seep to leak a messy stain into her escapes and travels.

She was pleased to see Sebastian had seen this in himself, and, even more, wanted to act now to avoid falling in too deep. A measure of self reflection did a wolf good, but too much, and life became a dull and passive shadow.

Her grin wavered at the subtle shift of his face - not at all at the brief glimpse of grief, but at the smile he forced back onto his lips the moment he let his guard fall. Did he think he had to pretend? She itched to tell him off for the mask he put on even next to her - that he could weep the sun away, and even that wouldn't drive her from his side.

Instead she tempered her tongue, and tried to settle on what her friend gave her: a downcast heart, and a want for distraction. She swept her tail in a waving arc and grinned despite herself. "Well then, perhaps this distraction can fancy you with a run down to the grasslands?" She flashed a teasing smile, "Unless you've spent so much time with the fishes your legs only remember how to swim." Between his choice of home in the wetlands, and the keenness she'd noticed he held for fishing, she actually wouldn't have been surprised if he'd said they had.

Sebastian gave the female a knowing smile. She had lost loved ones too and even other things that she could never replace. The male knew about that now and offered her a soft smile. They had each other. It was a nice feeling. Slowly that soft smile turned into a grin when she teased him. "Ha! race you to it!," he spoke and started to run. He would show her how well he could still run.

She helped to put him in a rather playful mood. He was running and looking over his shoulder if she was following him. He wasn't the fastest wolf with his large size but that didn't matter to him. He enjoyed running and it didn't matter to him if he was fast or not. He felt like Anda would be faster than him. Perhaps they could play a game of tag. It had been such a long time he played that game!

The abruptness of his start startled her, but she recovered with a broad and sudden grin. Her fur settled from the whisk of his movement and, eyes alight, she leapt after Sebastian's retreat.

Somewhere ahead, Sebastian tore through the tangle of forest growth. Her tall ears piqued and turned to catch the sound of his run, her nostrils flared to catch his scent. He ran with impressive speed for a wolf his size. Her own paws ate the ground, until she caught the glimpse of him again - and with a sly grin and a twist of her legs, the Ostrega veered to the side.

Sebastian disappeared from sight, but his scent remained thick, and this guided her. Nimble paws carried her through ferns and brush, and trees fled in her periphery, until she caught the sound of his footfalls somewhere to her left. Andalusia turned her ear, kept her eyes ahead, and quickened her feet. Her smile still twisted her maw, and with a sudden leap, she broke the tangle with a short and wild howl, to cut Sebastian by surprise and route herself in front of him - unless he intercepted her first.

I do hope my ~ambiguous ending~ leaves this open for tag ;D

LOVE IT!

Sebastian thought for a moment that he was winning. There was not really a winning aspect to his all but he felt like he was faster. He could feel the wind tug on his fur and Andalusia's footfalls behind him. He put some more energy in his legs to propel him forward. He only noticed later that Anda wasn't behind him anymore.

He let out a huff and looked behind him. Empty. Did he run that fast? His tongue was hanging from his mouth to let all the excessive energy go. He was panting harshly. Oh, the joy in running. He slowed a bit down but just at that moment, Andalusia caught up right before him with a wild howl. Sebastian let out a playful grow and chased after her.

The male tried to lengthen so he might be able to go faster. He made nipping sounds while chasing her to just try and tease/rile her up. The trees made way for the meadows around the Caldera. Sebastian used the space and put in his final sprint. He tried to nudge her side and try and tag her. If he would manage to do so is first reaction would to dash the other way, of course.

Leaves kicked up beneath her ambush; with his head turned to look behind, Andalusia reckoned Sebastian hadn't seen her drawn up through the bushes along the side. But he recovered fast, and she quickly heard the sound of his paws batter the ground behind her again.

The rush of the wind and Sebastian's play shot a buzz through Andalusia. How long since she'd run like this, had felt so free? The thought flitted in and out, herself too preoccupied with the hot breath on her heels to dwell on something as introspective as that. Her face danced with laughter and she turned to snap a playful nip at Sebastian, who seemed to be corraling her like a bison for the kill.

Of course, this slowed her paws - a calculated expense, but she hadn't factored in Sebastian's plan - or even that he had his own ideas hidden up his sleeves. For just as she turned, she met the sight of his stretched out face and felt a thrust against her side. And then, he sprang like a boomerang, and Andalusia skittered to a jerking stop before rounding herself to tear back after him with a laughter laced shout of, "Hey! You get back here!"

She hadn't been so slow to lose him yet, but the moment of stupor had set her at a decent lag. He had turned them around, but at an angle, so that the trees still thinned toward the meadow. The Ostrega set her brow, put on her own final sprint, and pushed the forest floor to cover the strides between them, hoping Sebastian had depleted himself enough in his advance to let her gain her ground on him. If she managed to draw near enough, he wouldn't feel a gentle tap on his side, but the force of her body barrelling him in a playful tackle to the ground. She couldn't run fast enough to win these games alone, so she would take her chance at crashing him down with her into the swaying grasses of the meadow instead. She leapt.

Sebastian felt an immense joy when he managed to tag Andalusia. He turned towards the other direction so he would have a bit of an advantage. He grinned happily. Though that grin couldn't stay on long as he needed the pant to let out all the heat that was gathering under his hot coat. Still, he loved this. He had forgotten about his problems. He laughed as well as she told him to turn back to her. NEVER!

Sebastian continued to run, however, he was getting tired. The male wasn't very speedy by nature so now he was only getting slower. He broke out from the tree line into the meadow. But he was certain that Anda was hot on this trail. Before he even realized that she was that close he was tackled to the ground. Instantly he started laughing in surprise. The ground was a soft landing.

He kept on laughing as the tall grass swallow him. His tail was wagging. "Damn, that is how it feels to be prey," he chuckled. She had tackled him down well. He had been instantly floored. Sebastian didn't mind because it gave him time to catch his breath.

A wide-eyed, momentary realization of what the heck she was doing flashed across the Ostrega's face, but her limbs already soared on the downward sail, toward Sebastian and the ground. She only had enough time to brace.

The impact came faster than expected - and the landing just as rough. She lurched with Sebastian and the tipping world, and crashed through the air as one tumbling and montrous heap. "Oof!" Her remaining breath wheezed from her lungs and she coughed. They didn't roll far, but when she finally gained some semblance of uprightness, she hardly had the chance to recover her breath before an unbecoming bark of laughter constricted her throat, at what she imagined they both looked like, sprawled like unruly children on the grass.

She had managed to land on top of him, and she log-rolled off until her back met the grass and her belly watched the sky. Andalusia tipped her head to catch Sebastian's laughing face, and she felt her own eyes beam. "Let's hope that sudden empathy doesn't make you start eating nuts and berries instead," she teased, and flopped her head back down with a deep sigh, content to rest here for a moment longer. The clouds had since fled from sight, but as the golden sky turned a canvas of purple and pink, new eyes blinked down from above. "Look," she said, and tipped her nose skyward, "just in time to watch the stars come out." And she wondered if that was something he did, and queried her thoughts aloud, "I don't actually know what you do for fun." Her brow furrowed, and she laughed at the absurdity of what came next. "Actually, I really don't know that much about you at all." And yet, somehow, it felt like she did.

Sebastian laughed as well. This was so much fun! He couldn't remember the last time he laughed this hard. Sebastian felt joyful as he spends more time with Andalusia. He never really played like this. Sebastian rolled over on his belly and cast Andalusia a fond look. "Nah. I don't think I could keep this big body alive on nuts and berries only," he chuckled.

His attention was grabbed by the sky, which Andalusia pointed out for him. Pearl always liked the stars, along with his children. He never paid much attention to them as he was raised to have ... useful skills. The wolf turned his head to Andalusia and tipped it. "Fun?," he asked. He then looked thoughtful. He wondered what he did for fun. "Umm.." He was always busy doing his tasks as a leader or as a father. "I like...," he paused. "Fishing."

He glanced at Andalusia if that was a right answer. Sebastian scrunched up his face. "I guess I never really have fun like we have now," he admitted then. "I wasn't raised to have fun. I've always been serious. I do have my playful moments, I guess?" He wanted to give her an honest answer.

"Fishing?" A breath of laughter escaped her, and she tipped her muzzle toward him, brows quirked and smile not knowing what to do with his answer. But when she saw his searching gaze - as if not really knowing what kind of response she wanted from him - every tease fled her tongue, and she flopped to her side to give him her focus.

Andalusia had seen a great many cultures over her months on the road, but Sebastian's surprised her, and her brow lifted with her unspoken thoughts. Perhaps she had taken her own childhood for granted, the days spent wrestling with her siblings, vying for dominance and learning the forms of hunting and fighting without truly knowing the games their parents encouraged were for reasons far beyond having a good time.

Growing up, of course, tempered this. They were expected to work now, to take those lessons learned in play and put them to use. Their lives depended on this ability, but Andalusia hardly believed they had to stop playing just because they grew old - or because they had come to know the weight and burden of life.

That was almost more reason to find moments to laugh, and finally, her face settled on a true, if somewhat mischevious, grin. "Well then, Sir Serious, we're making this moment one of those rarities." She laughed, nudged him with her forepaw, and tipped her muzzle skyward again. "Here's another game for you, if you choose to accept. See all those little things glowing up there in the sky? Those are stars. And we make pictures and stories out of them." She danced her gaze to the brightest star, and motioned toward it. "That one is the stareater. He's so bright from all the stars who've tried to stand up to him and failed, and though the sun frightens him in the day, he flaunts his terror all through the night. But now we're gonna change that. So it's your turn. I've chosen the villain of our story - " She turned her dancing eyes on Sebastian, hoping he'd play along - "you get to choose our hero."

Sebastian glanced at her a bit sheepishly when he admitted that he liked fishing. But that was the problem. He liked fishing but he didn't love it. It wasn't something he would do for fun. It was one of the tasks he had the least of his troubles with. Sebastian watched Andalusia. She seemed to make up a new game. She didn't ridicule him so much that he felt embarrassed. He had no time to play when he was little he wanted to do his best as much as he could.

His gaze was turned up the sky. He watched the dots that his family had loved so much, seemed so interested in. Andalusia as well. His ears pricked up curiously as he listened to her. "Aww no," he spoke softly, feeling empathic for a moment. He didn't want the stars to go away. Then he realized it was part of a story and frowned. He had to think deeply. "Umm," he spoke softly and tipped his head. "So the moon is the villain. Or so um.. The moon could only invoke his terror at night... Wait you just said that."

Sebastian looked a bit embarrassed. "Well, then the sun would be the hero right, as it chases away the villainous moon. But maybe the moon isn't all bad you know? Because the moon helps with things as well." Typical of Sebastian, always wanting to see something right in everyone. "Um Hero.. The sun then?" He was not used to doing this. He was a practical man.