Two Rivers Isle We'll drive until the gas is gone

WC: 727

There were few things that irked Niamh more than trespassers- or wolves hanging out too close to their home when they did not belong there one bit. So imagine the ire Niamh felt when she’d caught the scent of several wolves milling out in the Shadewoods...Surely they wouldn’t think of taking a territory so close to another established pack? Others had tried, in King Elk Forest, but she had paid them a visit and had made herself known to them, and they had fortunately wandered off- likely incapable of pulling enough members together to make a pack. Either that, or she preferred to think that they had been intimidated by Niamh, who certainly hadn’t let them see any weakness. She wanted them to know how she felt about them coming together so close to a pack that was already settled. But now, yet again, a group of wolves had begun to settle nearby and Niamh was fit to be tied. She was on her way back to the Plateau, having crossed the small river that separated the Shadewoods from the Isle, which she regarded as their hunting grounds, just like the Thicket.

When winter came, if that pack remained in the Shadewoods, she could already tell there would be conflict, as their hunting grounds would be shared and that never worked out in anyone’s favour. She perused the island, checking to see what she could track down for prey signs, but the herd of deer that had been there only the past week had moved on- likely intimidated by the prospect of being flanked on both sides by wolves. She growled softly as she sniffed at a set of hoofprints that were quite old by now. If the wolves of Shadewood stayed there, no prey would return to the Isle, forcing the Redhawks to spread out in search of more hunting grounds. Those fiends- she wanted them gone, and she wanted them gone now.

It was Niamh’s opinion that the Redhawks should rally a few wolves together, go to the Shadewoods and oust the few wolves that had begun to settle there. She couldn’t smell more than four or five wolves together...But then again, now wasn’t the time to seek out conflict, as they were already dealing with another conflict with Blackfeather. Tegan had not yet returned, nor had Ceara. They were slightly lower in numbers, given the fact that they had sent out a few others to search, like Colt and Raven. With those two gone, Quixote and Niamh more or less had to take care of at-home matters, and when she contemplated putting a squad together to chase the wolves out of the Shadewoods, she ended up drawing a blank. Towhee’s hind leg was healing, but it wasn’t strong enough, likely, to withstand the stress of a fight. She’d make an easy target and Niamh couldn’t have that. Ambrose was around, as was Caiaphas though Niamh hadn’t seen much of her, as she too had taken to searching for Ceara. Eljay, as far as she could tell, would be useless when it came to fighting, but he would be the one to stay and mind the adolescents. That left the Redhawks with only a few capable wolves.

She had to remind herself that Towhee’s brother had returned- Fox, or something like that- which she found to be an unusual name, given the fact that Towhee’s mother was also named Fox. Of course, the phonetic similarity was what was throwing her off. Regardless, she was curious about her Person’s brother, the one who’d returned despite the fast that Towhee sounded somewhat disappointed and hurt. She hated the fact that he’d left, of course- and maybe she was still holding a grudge. Their sister was dead, as was their other brother- that left just the two of them. From what Niamh could tell, Phox was in the area- he’d been tagging along near the borders or just outside them as far as she knew, and she wasn’t sure if he was trying to extend their borders or avoid Towhee...Prossibly a bit of both. So she set about tracking him down, hoping to get a bit of a better idea as to who exactly this guy was, and make sure he understood that if he hurt Towhee again, that he’d have Niamh to deal with.

You and your wordy posts are contagious!

Phox had kept to himself in the past week he had been Mu. His lone objective was to feed himself through hunting small prey, sleep as much as he could, and watch the night sky for whatever it might tell him. His routine had been working. His fever had broken just a day or two after finding a warm, dry place to sleep on the outskirts of his new/old home, and his chest had cleared up not long after that, making his breaths easier. He had avoided everybody in the pack, lest he pass on whatever sickness he had picked up. Aside from his brief encounter with Towhee, he had not spoken to a soul.

Today he felt even better. The only thing lacking was his endurance and general strength, but those would take time to recover. He had woken up early enough to catch the last hour of the night turn into dawn, watching the stars he loved so dearly slowly fade away into the sunlit sky. No matter where he went or what he did, he always had them above. Leo had been visible, along with Gemini, the twins. In the past, he had made a strong connection with the latter, considering his former relationship with Towhee, but that seemed distant and faded now.

The rest of the morning had been spent catching some small game: three rabbits. He had eaten the first one on the spot, and he had stashed the other two in an existing cache for the rest of the pack, determined to give back.

WC: 562
*sneezes wordgerms on everybody* XD XD XD

From what Niamh could tell, Towhee was upset with Phox for being a deserter, but that they had been very close when they’d been younger- practically inseparable. Phox had likely been there when Towhee had first begun to speak using Ptero, something which had been developed over Towhee’s life until it had become a legitimate language that most of the wolves in the pack- if not all- could speak fluidly. Niamh tried to imagine what it would have been like, had Ambrose left her without any sort of goodbye, or without a purpose that Niamh would have deemed worthy of his taking his leave...Eventually they had split up, but it had been under agreeable circumstances. Now they were back together again, just like Towhee and Phox were- and Niamh hoped, for both Phox and Towhee’s sakes, that that didn’t change. She didn’t want Towhee to lose yet another littermate, when she only had one left.

Phox, too, would have some mourning to do upon his return. Both Orca and Screech were gone, and the circumstances of their deaths...Well, it wasn’t pretty. Poor Orca had been a kind soul, and she’d not deserved the gruesome accidental death she had received. All that Niamh could hope was that she’d felt no pain and had been gone instantly. Screech, on the other hand, had definitely suffered...But he was gone now, too. She imagined that for Phox, it would be a lot to digest- so that might have been why he had been avoiding the pack. He’d had some time to himself, though, and now it was Niamh’s opinion that he should integrate himself into the pack, starting with her. Because there wasn’t anyone’s business that was safe from Niamh’s intervention.

She found Phox’s scent became stronger as she moved along so she hastened her pace until she spotted a fairly decent-sized dark figure in the distance. He was mostly black, as she might have expected from a wolf in Towhee’s family- but unlike Towhee, he had a silver-ticked pelt, and lacked the orange markings that made her so unique. He was more like Orca, perhaps, in resemblance- both Towhee and Screech had had orangeish-reddish markings, whereas both Orca and Phox seemed to be more just blacks, greys and whites. He was a good size, another common trait he shared with Towhee. There was no mistaking it- this had to be Phox Redhawk. This was her Person’s brother...And while Towhee was content to give him the cold shoulder, Niamh naturally wanted to intervene and make everybody love everybody. And to tell him she’d make him hurt if he left again. One or the other- it was up to him to make the right choice.

”Hey there, new guy,” She called out as she approached. She meant the remark as more of a joke than anything, but at the same time, she didn’t really want to go and make it seem as though she and Towhee had already talked about him for hours...Even if that might have been the case. No one wanted to feel as though others were talking about them, so she was content to play it by ear and act as though she didn’t really know much about him at all. ”’Cha been up to?” She asked congenially, tipping her head to him in greeting.

It didn't take a psychic to dream up that Towhee had probably told horrible stories about what Phox had done to everybody under the sun. The fact that she had immediately spilled the beans about their siblings, especially Titmouse, made him doubtful that she had kept anything to herself about Phox's own piece of shit cowardice. Not that he thought she should have kept it a secret. His low ranking would be enough for others to know that he was not meant to be immediately trusted despite his place among them. He knew that he was here on a strictly trial basis and would not be allowed to stay if he made a misstep that displeased a single other wolf who lived here.

Towhee wasn't the only wolf who knew him, either. Raven, Elwood, Finley, Eljay, and probably a few more he couldn't name would also have known him during the time he fled the pack to avoid war. At the time, it had been an impulse decision. He knew he could have turned around at any moment, but he hadn't, and now he had to live with his decision. Hopefully his return would begin to mend some of those old wounds and though he knew there would be scars, that would be better than the scabs that currently lay over what he had left behind.

A voice caught him off guard just as he was covering the last rabbit in the cache, and he turned to find a blonde wolf staring back at him. Her eyes seemed to blend into her coat, and she held herself in such a way that demanded respect. This was no ordinary pack mate, but a leader. Immediately, Phox lowered himself and showed the proper signs of submission, tucking his tail beneath him and flattening his ears so as not to appear as a threat or insubordinate.

He almost started out in ptero, but he remembered at the last second this was not Towhee. Catching food for the pack, he explained. Considering she had called him "new guy," he assumed she already knew who he was in the broadest sense of the word. Surely the rest of the Redhawks had been told to keep a close eye on the dark silvery Phox.

WC: 596

Phox looked up, obviously a bit surprised to see someone in the area, and from what Niamh could see, he’d been scuffling in the dirt a bit. Naturally, Niamh hoped that it was a cache- she was almost always hungry, and she liked to see others taking care to fill up caches- though she couldn’t understand why someone would choose to make a cache in a neutral territory. What she didn’t think about, was the fact that he might have buried whatever it was so that he could keep hunting. When he responded, he did so after crouching down and turning his ears back, which was appreciated and expected of a wolf who’d been placed in the lowest rank. Naturally, Niamh wanted to impress Phox, as he was Towhee’s brother...And unlike other situations where she might have held a grudge simply because Towhee had one too, she wanted for this situation to be different. Maybe Phox wasn’t that bad of a guy- here he was, trying to catch more food for the pack, after all- that was definitely a bonus and it made him seem responsible and useful, in the very least.

”That’s great; much luck out here?” She asked, then. ”There was a herd of deer here last week...But there’s a bunch of wolves just starting to kind of settle down across the river thataway,” She said, gesturing her muzzle toward the Shadewoods, distaste showing plainly on her features. ”Probably scared them off.” She said. If Phox was still able to hunt something small in the area, it’d be a bit encouraging- but there was so much more use for larger prey than small prey. Niamh didn’t want to live the entire winter on rabbits and squirrels, she wanted to eat deer, mountain goat, elk- whatever there was that was big enough so that she could eat until her belly was almost bursting. As evidenced by her tall, slim physique, that didn’t happen terribly often- but she sure enjoyed it when it did.

Her gaze strayed off into the distance for a moment, and she began to formulate a bit of a plan. Phox was new- and it didn’t appear as though he had too much on the go at the moment. If he’d already caught some food, then he’d already fulfilled the task he’d set for himself. Still wanting to go and check out the wolves who were settling far too close to the Plateau for her own liking, she contemplated asking him to go with her to see what the wolves were up to...But she could hear a bit of congestion in his breathing, still, and wasn’t sure if he’d be up to it just yet. She also had to confer with Quixote first, before doing anything that foolhardy. For now, though, she’d just keep Phox in mind for the task. Then maybe she, Phox and Ambrose could take her plan into action.

”I’m Niamh,” She said, then, realizing suddenly that she hadn’t exactly introduced herself. ”You’re...Fox?” She asked, still finding the male’s name odd, given it had been his mother’s too. ”Heh, I thought all you Redhawks were named after birds,” She said, with a slight chuckle. Of course, Niamh had no idea that an Orca wasn’t a bird- but had been left to assume as much simply because she’d never paid much attention when it came to learning about seaside creatures. She had, after all, called sea lions “Legless Fatdogs,” when she’d first seen them.

A bit, he replied, but he did not make a move to elaborate. The mention of a herd of deer piqued Phox's interest. He had followed a herd for quite some time in his youth not far from here, and he wondered if it was the same group. Phox thought it unlikely, but it might be possible. Herds rarely strayed too far from their original location unless they were forced out due to overfeeding by the wolves themselves. He looked in the direction that she had motioned wolves had settled. It did not sound like she was terribly happy about it, and Phox nodded understandingly. More wolves meant more competition meant less prey for the Redhawks.

When she guessed his name, he nodded. Considering neither he nor anybody he knew could spell, he had the same name as his mother in every way, shape, and form. Animals, he gently corrected, worrying immediately that he might be out of bounds by doing so. A tradition of our mother. He had gathered as much knowledge about his parents as he possibly could when he had been a child, and he had clung to every word.

He realized now that he was a bit further from home than he had originally thought. The cache he had placed the rabbits in must have been one belonging to somebody else, and he stared down at it blankly. Being in a pack was going to take some getting used to, and he looked back up to Niamh. This isn't even Redhawk land, is it? he asked, realizing his mistake.

WC: 374

Animals- that made more sense, though as far as Niamh knew, all the others had been named after birds. It was more of a Blackthorn thing to name children after animals, was it not? Both families had taken after naming children after other animals, which was somewhat of a novelty for Niamh who’d come from a family that tended to give their children a wide variety of names that had nothing to do with each other. She nodded in understanding when he corrected her and shrugged one beige shoulder casually. ”I getcha. The Blackthorns do the same thing, kind of,” She said. ”My mate’s named Colt,” She said, wondering quietly if Phox would have known Colt at all. She studied his features for signs of recognition, and laughed gently. ”Guess we’re gonna have to do something along those lines too, when we have kids. God help them, though, I kind of suck at coming up with names.”

Niamh had of course been spending some time thinking about names for the thousands of children that she and Colt would have, but found herself struggling to find names that would appease both Colt and Towhee, as she wanted to honour them both. Her side of the family was fairly loose on giving names, but she found herself struggling to find the right names for children she and Colt would have. She wasn’t terribly imaginitive, and found herself constantly wondering if Horse would make a nice name for a boy...So that he was something like his father. She’d pondered naming a female that- but it sounded too much like a much more derogatory word, so she’d decided vehemently against naming a daughter Horse.

When he asked about where they were, she shook her head. ”Nope. Across the river,” She said, gesturing toward the Plateau. ”BUT,” She emphasized, ”This is like….Sort of our hunting grounds. So is the thicket just North of our pack; not exactly claimed, sure, but when winter comes, this’ll definitely be one of the most common areas our pack uses, as long as those vagrants,” She said, gesturing once again to the Shadewoods, ”Don’t give us any trouble.”

Phox tried to remember if he had ever met Colt, but he couldn't recall. How was Colt related to the lot of them? Phox knew enough to remember Elwood and Finley's children who had been born the year prior to himself: Liffey, Lucy, and Lagan, but he couldn't recall the names of those who had been born the same year. He vaguely remembered that they had been born in the summer, but even he had just been a boy then. And what was he now? An adult? It hardly felt that way.

That made Niamh a Blackthorn, which meant that she was probably on good terms with the rest of the pack. Not only that, but she was definitely higher ranking than himself, and he suspected that she was more than just a member of the Redhawks. Her scent was thick upon the borders, which meant she was likely a leader of some sort. Did that mean Colt was a leader, too? That was how things had always been with Elwood and Finley at the helm (and from what he recalled, it had been that way when his parents were alive, too).

Niamh explained what he had suspected, and he silently cursed himself for making such an obvious mistake. He would dig the rabbits back up and carry them home before he left here. It was good to know, at least, that this was a common hunting ground for the Redhawks. That was likely why his nose had confused him in the first place. With the pack coming often to hunt, their scent was still rather strong here.

He did not understand why another pack would wish to compete for food when there was plenty of open space in all other parts of the Teekon Wilds, but he supposed he had seen stupider things happen. Blackfeather Woods, for example, seemed intent on capturing and torturing wolves, a concept he would never comprehend. Will they put up a fight? he asked, feeling the urge once again to flee if such a thing happened. This time, though, he resolved to stay. He was older, wiser, and knew that he would be of more use here than he would anywhere else.

WC: 472

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To Phox’s question, she didn’t have an immediate or direct answer. She still wasn’t sure how many wolves there were, how strong they were, what their work ethic was or how defensive they were. If they were the peaceful sort, they might simply take the suggestion to leave and go with it. If they were the warrior sort, they would likely feel entitled to the land they sought to claim and push back, perhaps even demanding that the Redhawks leave, which Niamh thought would be utterly foolish of them to demand. But then again, she had no idea what to expect, so Phox’s question gave her something to mull over in her mind, and brought new ideas to her that she might not have come up with before.

”Y’know, I dunno.” She admitted honestly. ”I don’t know how many of them there are, whether they’re the peaceful sort of wolves or if they’re a pack of idiots that have just stubbornly settled there and are ignoring the fact that they’re super close to another, well-established pack.”  She confessed, shrugging her shoulders again. She sounded a bit wistful- she truely did wish that she had that sort of information, as it would be useful when planning exactly what it was that they could do with their new neighbours. Niamh had become very accustomed to not having competition for food, except for with lone wolves, or pack wolves who wandered far enough away from their own packlands. Those wolves could be forgiven for wanting a meal as they travelled- but a pack that settled was something completely different. That meant that they would be competition for quite some time.

”I’m kind of thinking that we need to get some information about them, if they really are going to settle there.” She said. ”But I’m kinda tied to the pack right now, what with everything going on.” Yes, she was totally going to hint here and there, hoping he picked up on her message. She herself couldn’t go and mess with a bunch of wolves stringing together to start a pack- but perhaps he could. ”Gotta keep what leaders we have left inside the pack’s boundaries as much as possible, with Raven away looking for Ceara….One of our packmates has been missing for a while,” She said almost tiredly. How long had it been since Ceara had wandered off, now? Niamh had begun to lose faith, and had begun to wonder why they were dividing up their pack so much, for the sake of one wolf. She tilted her head to the side. ”We’ll get it sorted out eventually. Just sucks that these dingos had to go and start settling right now, when we’ve already got enough on our plate.” She complained.

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/me sneaks in a Nereides reference

Unlike his late mother, Fox, Phox did not mind listening to somebody who wanted to talk. His mother would have cut off the conversations about five words in, but Phox stood patiently, listening intently and attentively as Niamh explained things. She explained that the wolves were a bit of an unknown variable, and in so many words, she noted that she wanted more information. Phox was smart enough to read between the lines. She wanted him to step up. Niamh wanted him to figure out what was going on there, and she wanted him to bring the information back to the Redhawks so they could formulate a plan, assuming one was needed.

I could go check them out, he said, hoping to gain some kind of favor with Niamh in doing so. I would need time, but I can do it. With time, he could regain his strength and venture out further to find the wolves that had been attempting to make the nearby territory their home. He was nothing important to the pack, and his absence would not make an impact. Not only that, but it would give him a chance to prove that he was a loyal, trustworthy, and contributing member.

He looked in the direction which the group was said to be settling, and he wondered what they were like. The yearling had encountered several packs during his absence. Some were much like the Redhawks, while others had strong beliefs he could never really get into. Others still had strict rules about what you could and could not do. One even put males below all others, assuming that they were lesser beings. Nereides, he recalled them being called. He had not stuck around longer to find out more.

Phox wondered what sort of pack planned to pop up nearby. He would not leave the Redhawks, but his curiosity would certainly draw him to learn about other packs in the area eventually... especially if they planned on inhabiting somewhere so close by. Perhaps they could even come to an agreement in which the other pack would not encroach on the Redhawks' hunting grounds. Surely that was an agreement that could be made.

WC: 367
*wiggles*

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As soon as Phox volunteered, she knew her subtle- or not so subtle- hinting had worked. Of course, he might not have been her first choice to send, as she didn’t exactly know how cool he could be under pressure. Thus far, though, he’d seemed fairly calm- almost sullen. Niamh was more used to wolves who listened so that they could speak, rather than listening for the sake of letting the other wolf talk, so she’d been pleasantly surprised by Phox. Niamh quite enjoyed talking, and it probably showed- but he didn’t even look like he was tiring of it, or that he minded the attention whatsoever. He was simply more of the quiet type, she decided, but that wasn’t necessarily bad in the company of a pack of wolves who were avid talkers.

”In a day or two, sure,” She commented agreeably. ”Give you some time to settle in, sure, before we start flinging you at other packs,” She said, and chuckled softly. She gazed off, as he had, in the direction of the Shadewood, and her lips pulled into a gentle frown. Sending a stranger to do a job she normally would have done could be tricky, but at the same time, Phox seemed calm enough that he could possibly do the job. All she wanted was information, she didn’t want to deliver any threats or make them feel as though it was a ‘move or die’ sort of situation. Had Niamh elected to go herself, she would have had to try quite hard to avoid doing something like that.

She motioned for them to walk, but paused, remembering the rabbit he’d stored away. ”Why don’t we bring that back to the pack, an’ I’ll fill you in on deets on the way?” She volunteered, keen to get him spending more time at least closer to the pack, and to get his kill back where it would be safe inside the pack’s borders. At least he was a capable hunter, and he had the instinct to bury something once he’d caught it, so their caches would be well stocked if he kept putting himself to the task of hunting.

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Quick cameo to possibly entice Phox to come looking for answers in a different thread, hope you don't mind ^.^

The youth has wandered out from her new home in search of what was lingering around her territory. It was the early hours and would be back within the woods later in the day...perhaps after the sun had set. She graced the land she trod on, intently sniffing at the flowers that always intrigued her, but it was more of what lay in the land and where. She could distinguish differences between areas and will soon excel at it; noting the smaller differences such as the animals that thrived there. She happened across stale deer droppings. Damn, they'd moved on already. Her head perked up at the scent she'd come across before, the scent of a claim. Where had she found that scent before?

Her ocean eyes scanned the land for any signs of other wolves, and her eyes snagged on a pair. The girl frowned, hoping that they weren't plotting trouble for her adopted family. Either way, she didn't mind meeting strangers but she wouldn't take the risk of meeting another pack so close to their borders. She knew now that their position was very close to this established pack. She shook a small dusting of water from her paws and sighed. As much as her youthful ignorance encouraged her to, she wouldn't go over to them. 

The youth turned and wandered in the north-easterly direction from the wolves and put her nose to the ground again to find something of interest.

We can fade out here if ya want!

It sounded as though Phox had offered the right thing for the taking (or rather, for the going, since he would be venturing out). He would likely spend the next few days resting as much as possible in preparation for the journey. The Mu did not expect it would be a particularly difficult one, considering the settling pack was so close, but one could never be too careful. It was too bad his plans would have to wait a few extra days due to the attempt by Caiaphas to overthrow the leadership. This would be later knowledge though, and surely Niamh would understand his wish to wait a few more days before heading out.

He nodded when she suggested he take the rabbits back. Phox carefully unearthed them, dirt still clinging to their soft fur when he clamped his jaws gently on them. The taste of dirt was none-too-pleasant, but he didn't mind too much. He thought he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked again, it had vanished. Whatever—or whoever—it was didn't seem to be a threat, and that was his only concern at the moment.

With the two rabbits safely secured between his teeth, he gave Niamh a nod to lead the way.

WC:  406

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Niamh waited patiently while Phox unearthed the rabbit he’d buried and picked it up to carry it along with him. Though Towhee had expressed disdain at his return- given he’d abandoned them in their time of need- Niamh did hope that the two would reconcile- as he was the last sibling that Towhee had who was still alive. She knew she couldn’t get too buddy-buddy with Phox, for fear of upsetting Towhee, but in the very least she could set him on the right track when it came to working for the pack and improving his overall situation. It had been Towhee’s request that he be placed at the bottom of the heirarchy- and even any newcomers who joined after him would be ranked above him, until he proved himself. Nobody wanted to be the omega, of course...But Niamh wasn’t about to look down on her Person’s brother, not when she wanted them to get along.

The young wolf who had watched them for a moment went unnoticed by Niamh, who’d taken a moment to try and pull a burrdock out of the fur behind her elbow. When Phox turned his head to look suddenly, she did too, but saw nothing, so assumed maybe he’d just seen a bird or a SQUIRREL or something along those lines. He looked ready to go so she gestured, and led him back toward their pack. They’d have to cross the river, but she knew already- from having crossed it several times already- where it was the shallowest so they wouldn’t have to get too wet and cold.

On the way back, she kept the conversation fairly business-like. She filled him in a bit on the members of the pack, their values and such, and their current situation, which was the fact that one of their members was missing, so a few of the members would be away searching for her. She did her best to hide any disdain when talking about Ceara...Though the time it was taking to find her and bring her back to the pack was wearing her patience mighty thin. Phox would know several of the members of course, from when he previously lived with the pack so she updated him on their adventures, mentioning Clover and Fiadh and how they had chosen to go out into the wilds, and answering as many of the questions as she could that he might have had.

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