Sequoia Coast this little piggy went

For @Atlas. Somewhere along the coast, north and east of Horizon Ridge.

Fox had been thinking of Junior when she headed north to scout for more game. The plateau wolves' most recent hunts had not ended in success, so Fox was eager to seek out their next large meal outside of the territory. While she had found some sheep atop the cliffs not far from their home, the terrain was much too rocky to consider hunting as a group there. Perhaps there was more exotic cuisine to be had on the coast. She had enjoyed many a fish while in Swiftcurrent Creek, and she missed the cold, slimy taste of them. Granted, these fish dwelt in warmer, saltier waters, but Fox figured they couldn't be that different.

Upon reaching the coast, Fox began to sniff about, seeking out any potential food. The majority of what she found was seaweed and shells that didn't look appetizing at all. She even came across a squishy, translucent blob, but instinct told her to stay far, far away from it. The thing gave off vibes she just wouldn't dare to get close to. And so she continued northeast, eyes, ears, and nose on the lookout for the plateau's next big meal.

The coast was poorly sheltered from the elements, with a chill upon the beach that lingered even in the brightest sunlight. He didn't mind too much - being far too busy roaming the edge of the rocks and hunting for trinkets. Atlas nosed at a few loose stones and listened as the wet sand slurped the object free; it clattered to a rest with a flick of his snout, and the boy begins to peer in to the moist cavity left behind. A few crabs scramble for safety. Tiny things, quick and young, hardly worth his attention. He does not see any shining stones or purple-faced shells, so Atlas begins to move on.

He noses aside a few more rocks and gradually, unknowingly, migrates towards a flickering figure nearby. She is distant and searching in her own right; above, a gull calls out to its flock to alert them of the presence of wolves. Perhaps they would be dining soon as well. Atlas lifts his head at the noise, and this is when he sees the ruddy red animal. At first, he is confused - led in to error by the mixing scent of salt and canine, he thinks it is only a fox.

But a fox is a worthy prize, or it could be. A vaulting step brings the boy closer, and as he nears the smaller creature he grows more intent on hunting it. Akantha would surely appreciate a gift as beautiful as that pelt (it was too bad Atlas was so distracted, or he'd have realized how wrong this situation could potentially end up).

Do you mind writing in third-person past tense? It's easier for my brain to comprehend. :B

Fox continued her search for possible food, eyes scouring the horizon and ground beneath her feet for options. What she didn't know was that somebody had mistaken her for her namesake, despite her obviously wolfish smell, and was thinking that she would make a delightful meal. The girl continued trotting leisurely northward, and it wasn't until the other wolf was practically on top of her that she noticed him. When she did, his body language gave away his intentions immediately, and the young Alpha bristled and bared her teeth.

Her scarred body should have been enough for him to know that she had been in her fair share of battles. And the fact that she was still alive should have led him to believe that she hadn't lost all of them. Fox was a well-seasoned warrior, and she did well on her own. Now, the stranger had two choices: back down or fight.

Oh, my bad, I didn't even realize I was doing that.

He realized his mistake when the stranger began to bristle, flashing a sharp look his way and lifting her posture in a defensive but controlled manner. Her bared teeth made him turn his head as if to avoid them, and he readied a defense of his own, but even before his lips pulled back Atlas noticed the mixture of scents that she carried. It wasn't anything like fox to begin with, but the smell was of many wolves. He pulled back and stumbled to a halt in the next instant, his fangs hidden. You're not a fox- the consort commented sharply, his voice showcasing a mixture of surprise and disappointment. -I'm very sorry, I thought... I don't know what I thought.

The other backed off, and Fox's posture softened to neutral. Convinced that he wasn't going to hunt her down, she shook her coat to smooth out her hackles. “My name is Fox,” she replied, “but I’m very much wolf.” Now that she was focusing less on defending herself, she noted his scent. He smelled of the wolves who had come to take Junior away. Or rather, whom Junior had gone away with.

“Are you with those religious wolves?” she asked. Fox couldn't remember the name of the group, even if their leader had stated it. Perhaps this one could give her an update on Junior, if nothing more.

It did not surprise him so much when the red-furred woman spoke so sharply; he had thought of her as a meal, after all, and been rather hostile about it. So as she rebuked him with her tone, Atlas simply sat and listened. He took on the stoic expression often reserved for strangers to the faith, and the rest of him eased in to a submissive posture. Then, when Fox mentioned religious wolves his ears perked up, and he nodded briskly. I am a servant of the Nereides.

But how did she know about them? They had been careful, spreading the word only if such an action benefit them as a whole. The only new blood among them consisted of the vile skinny wolf and -- oh. Junior's image flashed through his mind and Atlas was reminded of the girl's journey to talk to her father. It was something Atlas had not been privy to, but he had heard of the event regardless.

You are a friend of Junior's, I assume. Are you here to visit her? Was that even permitted? A brief expression of concern flitted across his face as he pondered this, but shifted quickly back to the blank expression. He had no knowledge of the rules when it came to gaining converts - something he would have to remedy if more strangers came knocking.

A servant? Did that make him a captive? The closest thing to a servant Fox had ever encountered was Cutthroat, the Tortuga wolf whom she had taken into her service when her dear Bones had been stolen away from her. Fox opened her mouth to ask him to clarify, but her mind was quickly thrown off course by his question.

“Less of a friend, more of a… well, I’m her father’s mate, but not Junior’s mother.” Fox had never spoken in depth with Junior about much of anything. They had chit-chatted here and there because they had been pack-mates and they were something akin to relatives, but it was mostly surface conversation. Like, "how 'bout that weather?"

“I was just out here scouting for food.” It wasn't her assigned duty, but Fox had never been one for being assigned to do anything. She'd do what she wanted to. She was the HBIC, after all.

Her explanation would've had him furrowing his brow and looking very quizzical, had he not been trained to keep calm. It wasn't so much Fox's explanation of her relationship that confused him, but the thought that a wolf could be considered a mother; to him, the sea was always the Mother. For Junior to have come from such a backwards place was curious as well, but in time Atlas knew the sisters would remedy the error of her upbringing - all of which he dared not voice.

I can help you, if you'd like. Atlas piped up in the next moment, eager to put his thoughts to rest by putting in a little work. What harm could come of this little interaction? He wouldn't be spilling the beans on the Nereides, and maybe if he could befriend Junior's... Previous caretaker, they'd all be better for it. Atlas took a step back and began to survey the sands, but there was nothing too worthwhile. It can be difficult to find fresh meat upon the beach, but it isn't unheard of. Maybe there are crabs around here or something... And as his voice drifted off, so did he - taking a few steps around the red woman and searching in earnest.

There were plenty of ways in which Fox could have questioned him further. And while Peregrine seemed to think it was some kind of cult, Fox, thus far, had no reason to believe so. This guy was being friendly and helpful, at least as far as she could tell. Then again, Fox had never been the best judge of character, and she couldn't pick up on things like others often could. Her deception-detector was practically nonexistent. Sure, that had gotten her into trouble now and again, but she was still alive, wasn't she?

“Sure,” she replied when he offered to help her seek out some food. She had no reason to refuse, and it might be nice to have somebody else doing the hard work while she sat back and learned. Fox was still young by plenty of standards, and she had a feeling there was plenty of knowledge in the world to be soaked up. She had spent her youth sharpening the physical aspects of herself, but now that she grew and matured, she was finding that the mental and emotional parts of her would need to catch up.

Fox followed the sea wolf, letting him guide the way while she observed.

Ah, good. He was contented when the red woman took up his offer, and Atlas became set upon the job bestowed upon him. She was not a Nereides, but she was a woman - ultimately, even a heathen woman was his superior (something he resisted when Caiaphas was around). Atlas was slow in his search. He moved along across the sand with his nose pointed down, sniffing at patches of dry green clots of weeds or the occasional bulbous string of kelp. Eventually he was flanked by a series of large rocks, many of which were buried deep within the sand and were thickly covered with barnacles. This too he sniffed at, and noticed the distinct aroma of birds.

Ah, this is perfect, he exclaimed - and his voice seemed to alert the coasting birds to his locations. In actuality they had been watching him, but as he neared the stones and stopped, a trio of gulls dived towards him. One shrieked, the other sounded off, and before Atlas could react he was besieged by the tiny flock - but he only laughed and hopped away with the birds following. There are eggs among the rocks, I think. These birds are protecting their young - if you want them, I'll keep these things distracted!

Atlas began to side-step around the rock, diving towards it and being herded away by a bird or two, but they never caught him. For all his girth he was surprisingly quick upon the sand, and quickly tired out one of the three creatures; it coasted away and landed out upon the water, resting there briefly. The other two circled above the nests, eyeing Fox but concerned over the bolder, larger wolf.

It looked like birds were on the menu. Fox licked her chops. They would not be enough for the whole pack, but they would be good as a snack, and she could use one of those. Besides, she still had plenty of time to scout out the rest of the shore and see what else it had to offer. The nameless servant bounded off to keep the birds distracted, and Fox headed toward their eggs. She hesitated only a moment before chomping down on one, the ooey-gooey insides dribbling down her chin. She ate four or five of the eggs, gobbling them up whole.

Once she felt she had gotten her fair share, Fox more carefully picked three of them out of the nest and backed away from the easy pickings. The three eggs were secured between the roof of her mouth and her tongue until she had gotten several yards away from the birds. Setting them on the ground, she barked at her egg-hunting buddy. “I got some for ya!” she yelled.

The birds wheeled around him as a mess of blue feathers, their white bodies blurred by the force of their pointed wings; sometimes they'd plummet down and drift quite close to the consort, kicking with their orange feet or smacking with their slick wings, but always he would be leaping out of the fray. When the birds finally noticed a streak of red near their precious nests, they abandoned Atlas and changed direction - but by that point, only a few nests were left intact. The birds had been outwitted.

Atlas chuffed happily and watched as the birds circled their cluster of rocks. He was energized by the run. As the adrenaline began to subside, he started looking for Fox, and discovered her fiery profile settled in the grass. I got some for ya! She yelled his way, and for a moment Atlas was stunned. He didn't know what to make of the statement at first - it wasn't customary (at least in his experience with Akantha) to expect any handouts from a lady.

For me? The boy's voice was incredulous - still filled with mirth from the bird chase, but also exceptionally surprised. When he was close enough to peer next to Fox he saw the collection of eggs, and his eyes grew wide. Thank you! You didn't have to... Save any. He didn't move in to crunch at the eggs quite yet; there was always the chance that this was a trick, or some kind of test set up by the Nereides. Perhaps one of them was laying in wait - probably Caiaphas, the boy thought suddenly.

Last post for me!

"Yup," Fox affirmed when he asked if the eggs were truly for him. Why would she lie about such a thing? When he stated that she didn't have to save any, she replied with a chipper, "Well, duh. I don't have to do anything. Consider it a token of my thanks." To make her point more clear, Fox took a few steps back from the eggs, making sure he had plenty of room to eat them. He seemed oddly hesitant, and she wondered why. But it was none of her business, really, and she didn't care enough to inquire further.

"I think I'm gonna head back to the plateau, Mister Bird Chaser," she said, eyes turned upward to look at the sun's position in the sky. "I'd ask you to tell Junior I said hello, but I don't think she likes me much. Family issues and all." The red girl shrugged to suggest it was no big deal. "Thanks for your help!" Even if the plateau wolves wouldn't be hunting birds, it was good to know that the coast had easy pickings of some sort. With a final wag of her tail, Fox gave Atlas one last look before heading southeast.

She seemed totally unaffected by the offer, as if it were common to give up valuable assets to complete strangers; and while he was still a bit stunned, Atlas moved towards the eggs with a thankful ducking of his head. Fox was quick to thank him, and before the boy could get a word in, she was departing - leaving the prize behind. To her fleeting figure he called out, Come back anytime! I'd be glad to help! but she was already quite a distance away. He chuffed to himself and looked down upon the collected eggs, suddenly feeling a hunger in the pit of his belly which was previously unnoticed. Should he accept this gift? It was such an unnatural situation for the consort that he was unsure, still. He nosed at the eggs and hovered over them, considering the options, and then abruptly turned - off to seek Akantha or another of the sisters, so that he could lead them to the eggs and present them as a gift. His hunger could wait.