Sun Mote Copse fever dream high

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Vasa had promised @Quixote and @Raven that she'd return one day to the Frosthawks—but only after she had seen the world for herself. Inspired by @Sugar Glider and her retrospections, Vasa had decided that she wanted to explore the Teekon Wilderness—a choice that stemmed from both monotony and feeling as though life was passing her by. 

Visiting the Firebirds was the first decision she made once she was on the road. It was a logical detour; she figured that she could re-assimilate with family and learn more about surrounding territories. She arrived at Sun Mote Copse around noon, her legs caked with mud and pelt soaked with rain, and lingered at a respectable distance from the border. Then, without hesitation, she tipped her head back and howled—summoning her extended family.

Hiii!

A somewhat-familiar voice called for the Redhawks, and Phox quirked a brow. That wasn't that odd, given that their family had spread out to other packs over the past months (years?). He left the kids at the rendezvous site, knowing they were old enough to make smart decisions now. Or at least semi-smart. Considering @Towhee couldn't hear the summons, he asked whoever was around to let her know that he was headed out to greet somebody who had shown up at their borders.

When he found the howler, he was surprised to see who it was. Vasa, he greeted with a gentle wag of his tail. He hadn't seen her since he'd left the Frosthawks to come here, and that had been during winter, hadn't it? He immediately dreaded that this might be bad news about any number of his family members. Raven, Finley and Elwood's kids, or maybe one of Vasa's littermates. Heck, even Sequoia still lived there, didn't she?

What brings you here?

Hiiiii! Thanks for responding!

 

"Phox, hey!" Vasa said in reply, relieved that she recognized her greeter. He looked well—especially compared to how he had looked when he had briefly lived with the Frosthawks. "You look good," she remarked in the next breath, as she gave him a quick once-over. 

When asked about the reason behind her visit, Vasa grinned. "I decided it was time to spread my wings," she began, smirking as she recognized her pun—she was a Frosthawk—get it???? "Things were getting a little boring back home, and I decided it was time for me to see the world."  Vasa's excitement was notable; this trip had been a long time coming. 

"I figured that I'd stop here first and see what's going on with y'all first—how are things? She hoped that they were doing well.

Phew. Nothing bad. Just a little bird testing her wings outside the nest. Phox felt a pinprick at his heart, knowing that was why his own daughter had left. Had Raven been supportive of Vasa’s departure? Then again, she wasn’t blind. Phox knew Fennec wanted to be seen just as she was: a wolf, but that was so hard knowing she was at an obvious disadvantage. He returned his thoughts to the present and the question asked.

It’s been a little hum-drum, although it sounds like Wraen will be moving on soon. She gave the reins to Towhee a little while ago when she got stung by some nasty bees, and she decided not to pick back up her old role here. That was large-scale news. Your cousins are getting big! Bronco and Meerkat moved to Moonspear a couple of weeks ago.

Was that everything? Maybe. Probably. He knew that Sugar Glider had gone back and forth a few times between here and the Frosthawks, so some of that may have been old news.

Vasa lived for gossip, and Phox's report seemed to have satisfied an itch that had longed to be scratched.  "Really—," she remarked, invested in his report. "—that's so... weird..." her face scrunching as she spoke; maybe the bees had scrambled Wraen's brain? "Did she give y'all a reason why she was leaving?" she asked. "That's awesome about Towhee, though," Vasa said in her next breath. "She's going to do a great job leading—I'll have to congratulate her when I see her." Raven had always spoken fondly of her younger sister. 

The mention of her nieces and nephew brought a smile to her face. "Are they?" she prompted. "And Moonspear? Wheres that?" Vasa didn't recognize the name.

Was it really that weird? Phox had seen so many wolves come and go over the years. Towhee had been the only consistent thing in his life (and now Niamh). She had been the first one he'd sought out when he had come back from his own journey abroad, even if it was under less than pleasant circumstances. Wraen, like many wolves who had passed through his life, was just another friendly face he wouldn't mind seeing again. And he did consider her a friend.

I think she's got beef with Moonspear or something, so she didn't want it to interfere with pack relations. Moonspear is, uh... one of those mountains, I think? Phox pointed his muzzle somewhere to the east, not sure exactly which mountain it was. He couldn't remember ever visiting it, although he had certainly been around it plenty of times. He was more of a homebody than an explorer.

I know you said you were only stopping by, but... if you want to make Firebirds your home base, I'm sure Towhee wouldn't mind. We could use a good scout, y'know. Maia was the only scout he knew of, and Phox had a good feeling that she'd be leaving along with Wraen.

Vasa's gaze followed to where Phox motioned and lingered for a moment as he elaborated. "Huh," she remarked. Vasa was intrigued, and she quickly had decided that she needed to investigate further—even though it was none of her business. 

"That'd be awesome, actually," Vasa replied quickly, surprised by his unexpected offer; she couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, and she knew this was too valuable to pass up—especially with the colder months approaching. "I can go wherever you want, too."

With the Frosthawks being a sister pack (in more ways than one), it only made sense that they would offer shelter between the two. They had nursed him back to health, and Phox would always welcome Raven and her lot into the fold if they wished for it. Sugar Glider had gone on her own, wishing not to be tied down, but it sounded like Vasa wouldn't mind having somewhere to come home to. This, of course, delighted Phox to no end. When was the last time he'd recruited anybody, let alone somebody they could put to good use.

Consider yourself one of us, then, he said with a wag of his tail. I don't have any scouting missions for you just yet, but feel free to explore the copse and the lands around it for now. You might want to check in with Towhee, if only just to say hello.

Vasa nodded, agreeing with Phox's suggestion. "I'll make sure I do—I have to extend my congratulations, after all," she said with a grin. 

"So... what's it like here?" Vasa asked then, her gaze sweeping their surroundings. "I've never been here before, so all of this is super new to me," she added, gesturing vaguely with a forepaw; now that the glade was her home base, she wanted to know the lay of the land.

Oh, let's see, he said, trying to think of some good descriptors for the copse and its residents. Most of us are family, but I'm sure that won't be a problem for you, considering you're family, too. Primrose, Alyx, and Quetzal—my three kids with Niamh—are the only youth here now. They can typically be found at The Roost, which is what we call the rendezvous site near the middle of the place. The copse itself is pretty chill. Lots of room to hunt, plenty of water to drink... and I swear it's not always so rainy. He paused there, wondering if there was anything else.

I think that covers the basics. Was there anything in particular you wanted to know before I let you loose on your new home base? Or I could give you a quick tour, if that's more your style.

Vasa listened as Phox described, nodding ever so often to indicate that she was following along. His explanation ended in a question, and she spoke her mind quickly. "I'd love the tour," Vasa said; she felt like a child on the first day of school—lost and in need of a little hand-holding. Vasa was usually more independent, but with this being her new home, she wanted to learn everything she could.

Ask, and you shall receive! Phox said, motioning for Vasa to follow. He would take her around the borders first, then he would show her The Nest, the strange underground formation with an entrance covered in tree roots. After that, they would retire to The Roost, and Vasa could greet whoever happened to be there. Hopefully they'd run into @Towhee somewhere along the way.

Phox thought about how nice it was to have another family member around to get to know. Sure, he'd been around Vasa when she was a child (and she'd been kind of a brat), but she seemed to have grown up and become much more pleasant to be around.

Vasa met Phox's compliance with a wave of her tail, and then followed once he motioned for her to do so. "Thanks," she added once she fell into pace alongside him. Vasa figured that Phox had other things that he could do instead of showing her around, so she appreciated him taking time out of his day to do so. 

"So, how long have y'all been here," Vasa asked after a pause; she loathed silence—awkward or not. "I forgot," she added, chuckling nervously.

Maybe it was the rain making her particularly pensive today. More likely, it was the thought of Wraen leaving and taking some of their most capable comrades with her. Their last conversation replayed in her head whenever she patrolled, needling at her. Towhee knew she needed to just accept it and move on with her life. She was the true Sovereign now and she was responsible for the Firebirds' future, so she needed to focus.

But her attention was shot, which became painfully obvious when she looked up from a vague staring contest with her toes to see Phox leading a dark figure through the copse. Her ears fell back, her muscles stiffening. Wraen had always permitted guests in the copse, as long as they were escorted. Towhee didn't mind that idea so much, especially considering Meerkat's recent decision, but they should really only allow family...

Moving toward them, she realized she recognized the dark yearling. She was family. She looked so much like Raven, it made Towhee's chest hurt a little. -"Vasa! Hey!"- she said a bit too loudly, -"How are the Frosthawks?"- Specifically, Figment. That thought made her realize there was another possibility: she wasn't just visiting but had come here to stay, another welcome exchange student among the sister packs.

Towhee came here after the landslide, but Wildfire and the Blackthorns had been here for a little while before that. Niamh had followed them, too. Phox remembered how hard Towhee had taken that, but he supposed it was nice they'd all ended up together in the end. That was back when Colt had still been alive, when Wildfire had still been alive. Now... were there any of the original members here? He wasn't quite sure, but even his own foray into pack-forging had ended up here.

I came here after your mom got me all healed back up. Phox had been in a dark place then, although he realized now he hadn't had a headache in months.

-Hey, sis!- he spoke/signed when Towhee approached them. -Vasa wants to stay here; says she wants to do some scouting.-

Vasa remembered hearing about the landslide from Raven, and the subsequent concern that had followed. She did not want to dwell on it and remained quiet as Phox continued to fill her in. "That makes sense," Vasa said, tracing the timeline in her mind; time flew—it seemed as though ages had passed since he had lived with the Frosthawks. 

When Towhee approached, her expression brightened. "-Towhee!-" Vasa greeted. It had been some time since she had last signed, and she felt a little rusty from the get-go. "-Everybody is good! All the kids are growing like weeds... and-" She paused then and glanced at Phox, embarrassed. "How do you sign boring?" she asked.

Within seconds, her brother confirmed her hunch. With no fewer than five of their core members recently leaving or getting ready to leave, Towhee felt perhaps inordinately welcoming. Her tail swayed and she smiled at her niece, huffing a laugh when Vasa struggled a bit with the signing. Not only didn't she know how to say "boring," she also accidentally made the sign for "herbs" rather than "weeds," though Towhee at least knew what she meant.

-Boring,- she demonstrated silently before opening her mouth to add, -"And it's 'roots,' not 'herbs.'"- The Sovereign signed slowly and emphatically, flicking rainwater hither and thither. She smiled throughout, always happy to help someone get a better grasp of ptero.

-"Well, we're happy to have you,"- she continued in the next moment, thinking of how they were losing one of their scouts. And she barely ever saw the other. -"We could definitely use someone with your skills. Are you giving her the tour?"- Her eyes shifted to Phox, then back to Vasa. -"I'll join you."- Her patrol was pretty well shot anyway. -"Is Fig being good? How's your mom? How many kids are we talking?"-

Tag me back in if you'd like, but I'm good for this one!

-Sure am!- Phox replied emphatically. He listened as the two chatted back and forth, happy to take a backseat to this conversation for now and only popped up for the occasional referencing of an important copse landmark. Other than that, he remained quiet, thinking about how nice it was to have another Redhawk Frosthawk among them.