King Elk Forest a bad moon risin'

Ambrose had buckled down, tried to focus on work rather than the failed bet that had led him to the Redhawks in the first place, and so he remained oblivious to much of the drama hitting the pack. Right now he was on an away mission of sorts — a self-imposed vacation from the business of the plateau — and felt a bit rejuvenated. He was meant to be gone for only a day or two, but he'd become somewhat fixated on the forest that he'd found.

There were so many twists and turns in the forest, most of which didn't fit his body shape, which indicated they were for something different—and after hiking a few of the trails, Ambrose discovered signs of the namesake elk that roamed throughout. There were high graze-lines in the trees, and the grass was short-cropped in the more exposed areas. He wanted to get a good look at these creatures if they were present, and then he'd at least have something to report back to the plateau. Maybe in the future he'd take a hunting party out this way—that was sure to win him some points.

Bat really wasn't sure what to do with herself these days. She missed Tegan sorely and worried about the fate of her pack mates. But even with her mentor away, why should she stop scouting? As soon as she felt rested and recovered from her previous trek, the aspiring ranger set out again, heading in the entirely opposite direction and with no real destination in mind. Today, she'd wander for the sake of wandering.

But she couldn't keep her mind quiet as she approached and eventually passed a watering hole sunk into a withering grassland. Her mind strayed to Drageda today. Did her mother, brothers and sister feel about Bat the way she currently felt about Tegan: worried and a little bit bereft? And what of nomi these days? The youngster who had fled her birthplace hadn't stopped to think about any of these things—not even during her paralyzing spell of homesickness—or even look back. Until now.

A sweeping forest invited her forward but Bat stopped and huffed a breath. What if... she thought and had to strong arm herself into letting the thought play itself out. What if I went back there, just to visit and tell them where I am and what I'm up to? I don't want to go back there to live—not without nomi, anyhow—but... She rolled her shoulders uncertainly. What would Wildfire do if she just turned up at Drageda after all this time? How would Kiwi, Silkie and Tux react? What would nomi say if she was back?

A whine whistled its way up and out of her throat. She couldn't face it, any of them. Sorely tempting as it was to check in with her family, Bat knew it was impossible. She could never go back now. Her ears twisted backward on her head as she squared her shoulders and marched into the forest, thoughts of her family scattered when she came across the scent of a fellow Redhawk.

There was a gap in the trees but beyond it, in the exposed grass and lingering mist, he could almost make out a shape. Ambrose crept among the trees but he paused to observe. Maybe this was one of those elusive elk—and he had to wonder why it would be so difficult to track them, considering their size and appetite. The man squinted through the mist. If he'd found an elk, it wasn't there now—the mist shifted, and instead of some sort of ungulate he spied a reaching segment of old wood; some sort of tree that had broken away and had become obscured by the weather.

He was about to press on, striding a step or two, when a sharp sound erupted behind him. It was faint which suggested some distance. But it was also a familiar pitch, one that made his ears tremble; it sounded like someone was behind him. He sniffed and turned, squaring off to where Bat was roaming and he waited for the mist to drift a little, then called out: Hello?

She froze again, trying to place the scent. Bat was sure she recognized it, though she wasn't sure she'd ever formally met its owner. No time like the present. The cliche drifted through her mind even as she picked up her feet again, pacing into the thick of the forest. A light mist swirled around her banded legs, though she only gave it a passing glance. She was much more interested in tracking down her pack mate.

"Hello?" a deep voice rung out through the trees. Without answering, Bat corrected her course (by about 30°) and found herself wending down an old deer trail in her search. When the scent grew thick and warm in her nose—she had approached its source—she ducked her head to butt her way through some undergrowth.

She emerged to find herself face-to-face with a tall, dark figure with bright cobalt eyes. Yeah, she'd seen this dude around the plateau, mostly from a distance. "I got your secret message," Bat said, apropos of nothing, her tone conspiratorial, "is this the secret meeting place?"

There was silence for a few seconds, then a scurrying sound as a body pressed itself against the dirt (perhaps commando-style), and before Ambrose knew it a face was erupting out of a cluster of wilting, naked bushes. The face was young but not familiar. He was caught on how large those ears were — they flipped forwards after a second, each ear practically the same size as the person's long face. He opened his mouth to protest and ask more questions — but then they spoke instead, not giving him a chance. This must be what it's like to run in to a sphynx in the middle of a road, he thought cryptically; perhaps she'd have riddles for him too.

I got your secret message, she mentioned; he couldn't tell if she was being serious but gave her the benefit of the doubt, and without missing a beat Ambrose narrowed his eyes and turned away. Agent, you know we can't meet face-to-face, there is a protocol. He swished the tip of his tail, slowly releasing whatever tension Ambrose had built up during his few uncertain moments, and began to play her game.

She blinked loudly at his rejoinder, absolutely tickled by how quickly he picked up on her joke and played along. Eager to keep it rolling, Bat quipped back, "Oh yeah, I forgot we're supposed to do these things butt-to-butt. Hang on." She made a right demonstration of swiveling around so that her hindquarters faced him. "Okay, is this better?" she huffed, addressing the nearest tree.

The kid shifted around so she was facing a tree, mooning him with her gawky little butt, and Ambrose thought it was both bizarre and adorable. He wasn't sure what to do next, not quick enough this time around evidently, and after giving her a quizzical look (that she'd no doubt miss) he, holding back chuckles, said, Alright, agent. What is your report? he tried to make himself look as serious as possible by the time she turned around again (if she did), but it proved to be difficult.

She had to suppress the bubble of laughter that crept up her throat as she awaited his unseen reaction. He prompted her to give her report and Bat mentally scrambled for a witty retort.

"What? I was told to meet you here to accept a super secret mission." She glanced over at him, pulling a theatrically baffled face, then caught herself and faced the tree again. Bat really hoped he would come up with something interesting.

Right, right. A mission. He need not wrack his brain for long, because when he finally opened his mouth to speak he sucked in a deep breath, and noticed a scent on the air that made the fur along the back of his neck stand on-end. It was a scent he hadn't found in the wilds before; certainly at Red Rock, but not here - it was cat. The wild cats of the canyon were fierce things and Ambrose worried, in that speedy sort of way any adult would fret over a child, if maybe this forest wasn't as safe as he thought. If there was a cat here then they were in danger - he'd have to get the girl to move, and quickly, but without causing alarm.

Affecting his voice so that he could sound imperious and confident, he stood tall and theatrically commanded, Your mission, should you choose to accept it — there is a mole at HQ, which means we must investigate! I will escort you back to the plateau but once you are there, you are to hunt down and find the sneak who has been spying on our people. It was a game, but would hopefully drive her back to the plateau. He'd take her there himself, or as far as she was willing to go.

The man cleared his throat and added, Bonus points if you can find the origin of the spy. Perhaps it is a rival pack - but we know next to nothing, Agent. It is up to you to keep us safe.

A mole? Bat thought, immediately picturing one of the ugly rodents. There was a... fucking mole spying on them?! Unaware of the term's other meaning, the youth could only stare at the tree, stumped. Then she remembered that this was all just a game anyway. Her confused expression gave way to a smile and she grinned at the nearby patch of bark.

That a rival pack could send a mole forth to spy on a pack intrigued the young Redhawk. He must be joking around but was there merit to such an idea? Moles lived underground, burrowing through tunnels. Plus, who would suspect a goddamn mole? If Bat could manage to wrangle a mole, she might just have to try to train it as her secret weapon.

She could hardly wait to tell @Tegan about this, once he got his ass back home. "I accept!" the youth shouted, digging her paws into the loam and bursting forward, back in the direction of home. Her worries about Drageda and nomi were left behind in the forest.