Redhawk Caldera you can only live forward.
i’ve been the archer, i’ve been the prey
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#1
All Welcome 
It hadn’t taken Eshe long to fully scout her new pack’s territory. She knew her priority ought to be getting to know her packmates, but she’d been unable to help herself. She’d seen mountains, hills, valleys, ravines, rivers and more. The Caldera seemed to be an interesting combination of mountain meets plateau meets tarn, but she quickly realized there was even more to it if you were adventurous enough to dig deeper.

The Frostfur was up at dawn that morning, trailing along the cliffs on the higher reaches of the Caldera. She’d found a couple of openings in the earth that had led her to shallow caves within the territory’s walls. She was certain there were likely caves that went deeper and she was determined to root them out.
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#2
Per your message in Discord, I hope it's cool to scoot this to present day? :D

Meerkat didn't know what to do. She had meant to drop by, tell Towhee the news, then return to help Phox continue searching for Prevost. But her mother was missing, which was a wrench she had never anticipated. With Ruenna off on a diplomatic mission and Reyes's status up in the air, Meerkat was just glad there were still a few trusted adults in the ranks who could keep an eye on the pups in the Sovereign's stead. But she couldn't just leave, not without making sure Towhee was okay.

No one had seen Towhee around the caldera for two days, so Meerkat decided to perform a perfunctory search of the nearby territories. Which direction should she head first? Where would Towhee go? She knew her mother didn't leave the territory easily or often, nor could she come up with a particular destination, especially with Wraen's recent death.

Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone by searching to the north. This could put her within earshot of her dad, so she could pass along a message. Deciding it was her best bet, Meerkat set out from the temporary rendezvous site beside the creek, hastening past Evergreen Woods. She was just gearing up to begin climbing the caldera's northern face when she spotted a gray figure roving along the foot of the slope.
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i’ve been the archer, i’ve been the prey
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Ooc — Chan
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#3
Eshe paused along the line of the mountain slope, having spotted a dark crevice in the rocks. She hurried forward and stuck her nose in, that being just about as much as she was able to fit. It was a shallow hole, only a foot or so high and far less wide. Still, she sniffed at it for a while before pulling away and turning her gaze further down the way, only to land on a stranger on the approach.

Her tail wagged and her ears fell as she struck a friendly, unassuming posture. She didn’t know who the girl was, but felt secure in assuming she was of a higher rank, Eshe being a newbie and all. ”Hello!” she called with a smile.
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As she watched, the stranger seemed to be scoping out the various crevices at the foot of the slope. Meerkat blinked, wondering if there was any possibility Towhee might be inside one of the caldera's many hidden caves. Maybe she had gotten lost in one of them. She swallowed, then shook her head and let out a breath. Her mother had been born here, had grown up here, she wouldn't just lose her way in the caves.

While she stood there, contemplating this, the stranger took notice of her. Despite her partly frantic mindset, Meerkat managed to returned the wave of her tail. She even forced a smile onto her lips, though it didn't reach her eyes as she padded closer. She wondered if this woman knew about Towhee's disappearance. Was that why she was poking around here? Somehow, the yearling doubted it.

"Hi. I'm Meerkat," she introduced when they were mere feet apart, "one of Towhee's kids." The question was on the tip of her tongue but she pressed it against the roof of her mouth, waiting to see what the she-wolf would have to say.
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i’ve been the archer, i’ve been the prey
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The girl introduced herself and while she offered a smile, something seemed a little off about it. Eshe wasn't one to pry, especially not on a first meet. She noted it, though, and thus had to stifle the curiosity she couldn't help but feel over it.

"Well that makes us related, then!" Eshe replied brightly with a wag of her tail, "Well, sort of. Finley and Elwood Blackthorn were my grandparents, so I guess you're sort of my... cousin? In an adopted, friendship-as-close-as-family-for-generations kind of way?" She screwed up her face as she pondered her way through the family ties. If Towhee and Liffey were both children of Finwood, whether by blood or adoption, then yes, they were cousins. I did it, everyone! ...Right?
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She didn't offer her name, though she did provide a detailed description of their interconnected family tree. Meerkat's lips twitched in amusement, though most of the details would not really sink into her overworked brain. There would be plenty of time to catch up with this distant relative some other time, when she wasn't so appropriately distracted.

"That's cool. What did you say your name was?" She hadn't, though Meerkat didn't want to put her on the spot about it. After giving Eshe an opportunity to introduce herself, the yearling said, "It's nice to meet you, though I have to admit I'm on my way out. My mother's missing, actually. I'm going to go look for her."
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i’ve been the archer, i’ve been the prey
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#7
Eshe didn't even realize she hadn't offered her name, so when it was politely pointed out, she shook her head with an embarassed laugh. "Right! Sorry, I got distracted. I'm Eshe Frostfur," she answered with a smile. She listened as the girl continued, her features falling some. Had she known about Towhee's disappearance? Fuck if I know.

"I didn't realize," Eshe answered, feeling dumb and guilty, "Can I help?"
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She didn't like being the bearer of bad news, though Eshe quickly responded with an offer to help. Meerkat considered the question for a moment. She could ask her to come along on the search to the north. Better yet, she could ask her to go in the opposite direction so they could cover twice as much ground. And there was always the third option: stay home, help keep an eye on the pups whose parents were currently both out of the picture.

"You could search to the south," the yearling replied, "or stay here and hold down the fort. The pups will need looked after." Meerkat wondered if Towhee trusted Eshe enough to allow that, though it was kind of irrelevant right now, with the Sovereign missing in action. "Whichever ones makes the most sense to you," she tacked on with a bit of a shaky smile.
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i’ve been the archer, i’ve been the prey
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#9
Eshe listened to Meerkat's suggestions about how she could help. She loved the idea of taking care of the pups, but she wasn't too sure if that would be welcome. Sure, she was family, but that didn't mean the parents would automatically be comfortable with her. She wondered briefly who the kids were even with since Towhee was missing. She seriously needed to get to know more of the pack.

"I'll can check in on the kids and offer my help," she answered, "Who are they with? I'm guessing it's someone I haven't met, which probably minimizes the chance I'll be allowed near, which would be totally understandable. If I get sent away, I'll head South. Would that be an okay plan?"
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"Definitely," Meerkat replied right away, appreciating Eshe's ingenuity along with her willingness to pitch in and help. "Ruenna and Fennec are probably keeping an eye on them, though they're old enough that they don't need constant supervision," she answered the woman's question. "They're the pack's Regents, so it would probably be a great idea to introduce yourself to them regardless. I know offering to help will make a good impression on them too. They can always delegate further."

She flashed the Frostfur another quick smile, truly wishing there was more time to hang around and get to know her. Meerkat bet they could be fast friends, there just wasn't time right now. "I'm gonna head out. Thanks again, Eshe. I'm sure I'll catch up with you later. See you." The sandy yearling waved her tail, dipped her head cordially and then began to climb toward the northern exit.
I archive threads if my partner goes inactive and/or there are no new replies for several weeks. I'm more than happy to continue an archived thread if you're interested. Just revive it (via maintenance) and tag me in your next reply. :)