Redhawk Caldera I'm drunk on a plane

tags (or just mention since it doesnt appear to be working?) for ref, no obligation. Anyone can assume they've met this dude by now

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@Ruenna was on his mind that evening, the woman had been chosen quite sometime ago to be regent of the caldera. With her position of power Sifaka knew befriending her would be of great use, his intentions were not to make her a pawn but simply an ally. Friends in high places gave him advantages in his past and he decided the befriending tool was to be applied wherever he went. It was not malicious, though Sifaka did see himself in brighter light than others, he knew better than to be the puppeteer or the puppet for that matter. 
The recent drama of pack relations with their allies had greatly indulged the mans curiosity, a simple squabble blown up into larger proportions than truly need be. It was trivial fights from bored pack members looking to brew excitement in their dull little lives, or so Sifaka thought. He wasn't completely in the know of everything going on in the pack, rather for the last two weeks he's failed to find the energy to delve into the thick of it. Filling caches and marking borders appeared more palatable for the lion but the lack of excitement was beginning to dull the man. His demeanor was growing tame, he wasn't appreciative of the new attitude his body and mind was holding. It was time to do something about it but first he needed to gain more information, of any kind really. Anything to get him back into the loop.     

With Ruenna's promotion, she had been pulled more into the fold of the Redhawk drama, while Sifaka had remained on the peripherals. Rue hadn't done much to change that either. It's not that Ruenna avoided him persay, but she did find the man's rigid thought patterns a little tedious for casual conversation. 

She hoped he was settling in though, and that he was possibly coming to realize that he might not necessarily need to be constantly vigilant for danger when he was within the borders of the Caldera. 

There was one task to which Sifaka would be especially well-suited, in Ruenna's opinion, and so for this reason she approached him. 

"Evening, Sifaka," Rue greeted him. "How are your patrols? Anything I should be watching out for?" Whenever she needed a general threat assessment, Sifaka was her go-to man.

Ruenna emerged with greetings, her hind limp accompanying her per usual. Sifaka paid no mind to it, not caring to inquire more about it. The lion rumbled a greeting in return, "Evening." His stark yellow orbs sought Ruennas similarly colored irises. The regent questioned him, requesting an assessment on the state of borders. Sifakas ears twirled towards her curiously, he hadn't expected her to inquire about his latest encounters on patrol. Still, he would oblige her; though the details were banal. 

"Nothing of urgent dangers, coyote scents lingered on the border not long ago but have since dissipated. Things are too quiet for my comfort." His eyes shifted to the outer layers of forest, they scoured the land for a blemish, scrutinizing it before returning to her eyes. "I intended to find you with questions of my own, mainly what has been happening with our pack. I have only heard rumblings of the latest quarrels." A low roll of laughter emitted from his chest, his days of yore brought to him pleasant memories of witless brawls over minute issues. What a time for the then young lion.   

Sifaka noted that it was too quiet for his comfort, and Ruenna had to hold back a chuckle. Of course Sifaka would view times of peace to be merely bookends for long stretches of untold danger. 

The man requested to be filled in on the drama. Ruenna noted that he made no attempt to hold back his own laughter at his packmates, and the Regent couldn't help but sport a small, rueful smile as well. "Yes, I'm afraid it's difficult not to overhear the quarreling," she allowed. 

"I suppose it centers on Reyes, the father of Towhee's pups. He's proven himself to be unpredictable. He was on thin ice after he was in a physical altercation with Niamh-- Phox's mate-- who was pregnant at the time. She.. well, she died.. succumbed to her injuries, presumably." Ruenna took in a breath. Stars, there was a whole lot more to that story, but one thing at a time for poor Sifaka. 

"But once Reyes began to show aggression with their pups, that was the last straw for Towhee. He resides with Brecheliant now. They are our allies to the south, on the other side of the lake." Ruenna paused again, this time waiting to see if Sifaka had questions.

The lion listened, his ears occasionally swiveling in every direction once prompted by unknown sounds which quickly where dismissed as naturally occurring. The Niamh woman had surfaced once again, an intriguing notion that was quickly soured by her presumptuous death but Sifaka still held the same reprimands for her actions as before. Then there was Reyes, a heathen and contaminate to the Redhawk clan, the domino that fell from highs untold and created a deadly ripple. The mans expression was stoic, nearly void of any emotion. Yet, anger lingered in his partial frown, hearing their so called allies harbored the offender sent heat ripping across his skin. 
"These allies are protecting this cretin? What for? He has slighted the heirs to the Caldera and supposedly killed a member of this clan. What have we done to prosecute the man?" He seethed. Anger boiled just beneath the surface of his face, only held back by the willful composure Sifaka chained it to. He could not understand the gall their allies had to keep a delinquent within their ranks, it was detestable.      

Sifaka made a very good point. Ruenna had no satisfactory answer for why Brecheliant had chosen to take in Reyes. It defied all logic. 

"I can't say for certain what Brecheliant sees in him," Ruenna confessed. "If the roles were reversed, I would be extremely reluctant to shelter a wolf who had fallen out of favor with an allied pack." She paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps he has family in Brecheliant?" Ruenna knew very little about Reyes's background, but it was the only explanation that made sense to her. 

What had the Caldera done to prosecute the man? Truly? Not much, in Ruenna's opinion.

"His fate is decided by Towhee, given that she's our Sovereign. And his mate." Ruenna couldn't help but cringe. Stars forbid her ever from ever having a mate at all, if her future mate was to be anything like Reyes. 

"She has decided that her children will participate in supervised visits only with their father, within the borders of Brecheliant. They will be escorted at all times by a member of Redhawk Caldera. It is my hope that you could take primary responsibility for this task," Ruenna admitted. "The children will need a warrior escort with a watchful eye, and I can't think of anyone more suited to the job, Sifaka." Ruenna's tail switched back and forth hopefully. "Just think on it, and let me know."

"What else can I answer for you?" Ruenna asked, settling in for a long talk. The pair would discuss their various observations and musings for a long while, and Ruenna would eventually come away from the conversation with a newfound respect-- if not genuine enjoyment-- of Sifaka's astute observations 

Fading this one out.