Redhawk Caldera some day they will all be dead

vesper returned to the caldera as the first light of dawn was beginning to break over its ridges. the cut on her muzzle had scabbed over, and she moved stiffly from aching muscles and hidden bruises left by the wolverine. she had kept to the outskirts of the pack, refusing to socialize with anyone other than her littlest sister— even then, her words were few. there seemed to be an unspoken agreement amongst the redhawks, including her parents, to allow vesper this distance as she settled it. perhaps they could sense she was a powder keg, ready to explode if met with the smallest spark.

but if this was home now, she supposed she would need to start making an effort. instinctually, she knew if she did not learn to pull her weight within the pack dynamics, she would be driven out. for all her unhappiness, the darkling did not wish to be without the security of other wolves at her pack.

she made her way to a cool water source, and wincing, moved to lay next to it— her wounds protesting. but she was thirsty after a long night on her own and the adolescent leaned her head down to stiffly drink the from the refreshing pool, breathing against the physical pain that currently served as her anchor.

Caracal wandered the caldera in a daze, sick with worry for Towhee. Keeping her company—and fed—hadn't been enough. He looked listlessly in Brecheliant's direction, wondering what Bridget would say if he went to visit again. But he let out a wounded noise as he thought about running into Reyes. He'd like to see his dad again but he just knew that would further destroy his mother...

He shook his head and began picking his way toward one of the offshoots near Tailfeather Creek. Caracal stopped in his tracks, all his thoughts about his poor mom scattering as he found himself staring at a small, dark figure by the water. This must be one of the newcomers, which meant she was family. He remained motionless for several beats, until his senses caught up with him and he realized...

"Hey!" he shouted far too loudly, scooting over to the stranger. "Hey," he said more softly as he came to stand over her, "are you hurt?"

one of vesper's large ears pivoted at the sound of approaching footfalls, but the darkling did not lift her head from the water. she was still thirsty, and it would be too painful to lift her head up and down unnecessarily. when he shouted, however, her ears went flat at the noise and she slowly rose her neck to face the male sitting altogether too close to her. if her body wasn't recovering from yesterday's squabble, she would have put some distance between them before he could get this close.

i'll be fine, she told him, gruff. the longer answer was that, yes, she was hurt: inside and out. but the bruises left by the wolverine would leave no lasting damage, and by the time the pain of them would begin to subside, vesper would be on the lookout for another scrap to replace them. as for the internal hurt... vesper didn't know what anyone could do to heal that. she quietly assumed everyone else around her felt this way, anyway, and that it was a personal issue that she didn't understand how to cope with it.

her orange eyes watched him, defiant, but the darkling did not attempt to get up and leave, nor did she show him any other signs of aggression.

cameo? maybe?

The large body of water that gave the caldera its name was one of Phox's favorite places in the world. He was so at ease here, and while he could still feel a rift between himself and Vesper, he had not abandoned all hope of a relationship with her. How could he? She was his flesh and blood. He would keep trying until his last breath—that much he knew.

He hadn't noticed either of them, plenty a ways down the shore, until an unfamiliar voice began asking if he was okay. At least, that's what he had thought the voice was asking.

He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could shout back, he heard Vesper's quieter—yet still distinctly her—voice. Phox frowned, but he made no move to approach. In fact, after waiting a few seconds, he didn't want them to think he was dropping eaves, so the Redhawk picked himself up and began to move away from the two of them, letting them carry on their conversation without him. Maybe if Vesper made some friends... maybe she would be open to being his friend one day, too.

Whoever she was, she didn't seem particularly thrilled by his presence, much less his concern. Conditioned by his twin sisters to expect such things from girls his own age, he didn't bat an eyelash at her moody reply. An errant thought cross his mind: was she more dramatic like Tierra or high and mighty like Sphyra?

Whatever she was like, he could handle it. "Okay," he replied, taking half a step backward so he wasn't hovering so much but making no move to actually leave. Maybe she didn't need his help, though they were still pack mates, so he figured introductions were fair play. "I'm Caracal, your... cousin?" He was like 86% sure of that.

Speaking of which, movement in the distance caught his eye. There was another swarthy figure along the shore, larger than his current companion. Maybe this was the infamous Phox? Towhee had told her kids all about her brother, their uncle, and his kids. Caracal wondered if Phox's presence here might help with his mom's recovery.

"Hey, isn't that your—?" Caracal started to ask, eyes drifting back to the young lady at his feet, then back up to the man as he moved away. He tried to grab his attention by shouting, "Hey!" If it was Phox, that made him her dad, right? Caracal vaguely recalled Towhee trying to explain the weird details of this situation, though he couldn't presently recall. Oops.

she allowed herself to relax as he took a step back, her defiant gaze replaced with wariness— vesper didn't trust easily, not anymore. she remained unmoved by his assertation that they were cousins, whatever that meant, but appreciated the introduction. whoever this was, whatever a cousin was, the darkling felt confident that he had nothing to do with the situation that led her to this place. and though he was certainly friendly, and even making note of the fact that they may be related, he at least wasn't attempting to shove it down her throat like everyone else.

vesper, she offered simply in return, as the tawny youth turned to look at some movement in the distance. she didn't bother to follow his gaze; whoever it was, they were far enough away that she didn't really care, figuring it was one of her many new pack mates going about their day. they'd approach on their own if they were interested.

isn't that your... vesper did turn to look, then, wondering if maybe he had spotted father, mother or perhaps blueberry— but— no, she said firmly, at the same moment caracal called for the dark stranger's attention. the darkling made to move to a seated position, first, in an attempt to get to her feet... but the stiffness of her muscles was taking a stronger hold now, and as she inhaled sharply in pain, she wondered if the wolverine had managed to break something like a rib, after all...

Phox was already too far away to hear the shout by the time Caracal called it out, and he didn't bother to look back to see how things were going. The last thing he wanted to do was crowd Vesper and make her feel even more suffocated.

phox out!

The guy didn't even tun around, so he must not have heard him. Caracal sucked in a noisy breath to yell a little louder when the girl's mutter registered with him. "No." The air escaped him with a rude sound and he looked at her face with a lame, "Oh."

The departing figure was spared one last glance before Caracal shrugged internally, turning his focus back to the young she-wolf. Childishly, he wondered who was older. It didn't matter, though. Although she remained aloof, she'd at least offered a name, so he decided he must not be entirely unwelcome.

"Sorry about that," he said, for lack of anything better to say. Caracal could've pushed her about whether she was really okay but between Towhee and the twins, he knew that poking and prodding never got him anything except maybe an exasperated bite to the nose.

Plopping to his haunches, he sifted through other things he could say to her, then eventually let out a sigh when Towhee inevitably crossed his mind. "I just wish I could help," he huffed without really meaning to, one ear pinning backward.

she relaxed, allowing herself to rest back on the earth, as phox continued on his way— either he hadn't heard the boy, or he had and made the wise decision to continue leaving her be. that pleased her, until she realized he wasn't really giving her a reason to continue hating him (besides, you know, being the reason her whole happy world had shattered). she shoved the thought that peregrine and boo might have the right of it way, way down.

vesper made no acknowledgement of his apology, knowing that anything she might say would open this up to a conversation she really didn't want to have— she was so sick of this situation permeating every aspect of her life. an awkward silence spanned between them, and her fiery gaze continued to rest on him, looking for anything that might tell her if he was someone that was going to keep rubbing salt in the wound or not. most people she met in her life did, after all. but besides her siblings, she had never met anyone else close to her own age, and curiosity was beginning to win out.

he expressed a desire to help with a huff, and she squinted at his annoyance. it didn't occur to her that he might be talking about something beyond her own physical and mental turmoil, but following that line of conversation also led... right back to all the things she didn't want to acknowledge.

so... she started, unsure of how to shift topics without all of this awkwardness. what vesper really wanted was to get him talking about... anything. in great detail. so she wouldn't have to. what do you do in this shithole?

that felt good. it didn't occur to her that such a statement might come across as rude— she was so tired of trying to manage everyone else's emotions that it was cathartic to just say what was on her mind without a filter.

She made no reply, though the statement hadn't necessarily been directed at her anyway. Caracal looked down at the ground, not really sure what to do with himself, then looked up sharply when Vesper did say something. He let out a huff of dry laughter. He wouldn't have phrased it that way, though he appreciated the gist of it, particularly right at the moment.

"I know it looks like a giant toilet," he replied after a thoughtful beat of silence, "but I promise it's not actually a shithole." He grinned a little. "And, uh, there's lots to do. What kinda things are you into?"

of all the responses vesper might have anticipated, she hadn't expected caracal to agree with her, even partially. she thought everyone in the caldera loved it and believed it a paradise, otherwise why would they call it home? wasn't that the reason they had left their island behind? if it wasn't for something better,  what had been the point? that there had been no backlash to her blunt remark gave her a sense of ease she hadn't felt since she last drank from mother's best.

vesper responded with a startled laugh, prove it.

he didn't immediately jump into telling her all of the things, instead asking her a question in return. she looked at him with a tilted head, one of her large ears flopping into the other, and said simply, fight.

Out came her own surprised laugh and Caracal smiled warmly without realizing it. "Prove it," she said, then, "Fight." Oh, she was definitely more like Sphyra. He wondered if they'd met and if their similar temperaments would mean they butted heads or became the best of bosom buddies.

"You like to fight?" he asked to clarify her monosyllabic response. "Have you met Sphyra yet? She's my sister... well, one of them. She and Tierra are twins. They look kinda like you," Caracal said, only suddenly noticing the resemblance. "Anyway, she's a mercenary apprentice. I bet she'd love to spar. I would but," he continued, holding a paw to his chest, "it turns out, I'm a lover, not a fighter."

she shook her head. vesper had seen the twins in passing, perhaps even learned their names, but she hadn't care to commit any of that to memory at the time. she realized suddenly that if she did stay here, the hierarchy that had been established between her siblings meant nothing— they would have to start over in the caldera, amongst their cousins, and they were all at a disadvantage. she felt a sudden irritation and sense of competition; what had happened so naturally on the isle would be something that required intentional effort here.

vesper's jaw clenched, and she made a mental note to watch this sphyra. she swallowed forcing herself to relax again, and asked, and what makes someone a lover? not being sexually mature, and certainly never having a lesson about the birds and the bees, her question was completely innocent.

She posed the question innocently and he answered in the very same spirit, saying, "Well, it just means I'm not really into fighting. I'm not bad at it," Caracal was quick to clarify, "it's just not really my thing. I like helping people, not smacking them around." And he was big on cuddling, especially with his mom, but he really didn't want Vesper to get the wrong impression and think he was some kind of wimp or something.

"Want me to call for her? Sphyra?" he suggested in the next breath. "Maybe you two could spar and I could referee. And patch up whoever loses," Caracal quipped, eyes shining to show how much he liked his own idea.

vesper moved to sit up again, and the same pain in her side made her gasp as before. she paused as he answered, giving the pain time to subside, before ultimately sitting back on her haunches. thankfully, her side dulled into a more tolerable throbbing. no, she answered his suggestion, then saw the pleading in his eyes. don't think that'd feel very good right now, she clarified. less than a minute had passed since he approached, noting that she was hurt... but she had said that she'd be fine.

you're an apprentice? vesper asked, then.

If not for the pained noise, he might've felt a bit deflated by her refusal. Instead, he only furrowed his brown in concern. The question was at the tip of his tongue—"Are you sure you're okay?"—but he pressed it against his teeth. Caracal guessed she was doing what his mom always did: downplaying the pain or outright fibbing, for whatever reason.

"I'm working on it..." he replied distractedly to her question. In the end, he just couldn't help himself. "Let me help you help me," he blurted dumbly, then began to crack up at his own idiocy. "I mean," he tried again between breathy blurts of laughter, "I need practice and it seems like you could use some aids," or first aid. Whatever it was called. He wasn't an expert, yet.

Since she reminded him of his mother and sisters in various ways, Caracal tried to head off any protests Vesper might make by promptly suggesting, "Have you tried getting in the water? It's pretty cool, it could help numb the pain."

she peeled back her lips in a growl, despite herself. vesper was so sick of that look that appeared on everyone's face when they cast their eyes in her direction. pity. worry. like she was some fragile thing that needed to be taken care of, even though she felt as if she had been taking care of herself— and boo— for some time now. luckily, caracal appeared to be distracted, and before the sound could erupt into something more aggressive, he answered her question. an apprentice medic, then.

vesper clenched and unclenched her jaw, considering his offer. her gut reaction was to refuse the same way she refused everything and everyone else— until she realized what a benefit it could be to have her own personal medic after scrapes like the one with the wolverine. she released her jaw and sighed before fixing him with a stern stare, her orange eyes locked on his loam-colored gaze in a display of dominance, you can't tell anyone.

the last thing she wanted was for father, mother, or phox to find out about these adventures of hers. she would make him swear this all to secrecy before she would allow it, and vesper would hold him to that vow by whatever means she needed to. if he could keep this secret from the adults, and help her heal from the limiting pains (just not all of it)... well it would be win-win, wouldn't it, and mostly in her favor?

i mean it, vesper emphasized, her tone the commanding one she used when peregrine and prevost used to get too rough with blueberry. you must swear.

only then would she take his advice.

Vesper didn't reply to his helpful suggestion, much less act on it. Instead, she just looked at him. He looked back guilelessly, feeling the weight of her gaze eating into his acicular face and wondering what that look in her eye meant. Just as he was about to glance away, she heaved a sigh and spoke.

Her words were mysterious. His eyes flicked from side to side for a beat, wondering exactly what she meant, but there was nothing for it. Caracal had to ask, "Tell who what?" before quickly agreeing, "I won't."

he looked nervous in response to her demands, questioning what she meant— was it really not obvious— before quickly agreeing. it was enough for her, and she relaxed her dominant posturing as she elaborated, if only slightly, that i get hurt. and that you help me.

with that, she followed his suggestion and moved into the cold water of the caldera. once more she gasped, but this time from the sudden change in temperature as it seeped into her fur to her skin. the pain increased as her muscles tensed against the shock of it, but she kept moving until the level was just above her shoulders. she looked at her for some reassurance that this was correct.

For reasons he couldn't quite put his finger on, her response sounded strange to his ears. Caracal pondered it as Vesper finally stepped into the water. She gasped, presumably at the cold shock of it, but soon sank down so only her head remained above the surface. By the time her eyes sought further guidance from him, he'd figured it out.

But he didn't say anything. Maybe she was simply bad at grammar and had mixed up "get" with "got." It really wasn't that important. Caracal brushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand. He really didn't know the first thing about how to help her, it was just a strong desire that compelled him. Besides, she was family.

"Is it helping?" he questioned, toeing up to the edge of the water and crouching close to her. "If you want, I can help you clean the cut on your face. How did you get it, anyway? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

she considered whether or not to tell him the truth— this was causing more ache as her tense body shivered, and as her breath shortened against the cold. after a few moment of acclimation, however, she had to admit that the sharp pain in her side was dulling to something more bearable. vesper really didn't want the entirety of the pain to go away, anyway. a... bit, she finally told him, which was true enough to not be an outright lie.

lying is wrong, she heard her young voice tell her parents. the memory came back suddenly, and the darkling closed her eyes against it, willing it back down.

got on the wrong side of a wolverine, vesper answered this easily, though it was much more that a wolverine had gotten on the wrong side of her. it likely would have just kept to itself had she not goaded it into a fight. she moved closer to him, towards the shore, grateful for the sun on her dark back as it broke the surface just slightly. how will you clean it? vesper asked, suspicious— it seemed a bit intimate to allow a perfect stranger (claiming family or not) to lick her muzzle.

Her phrasing evoked such a weird mental image, Caracal could only snort a laugh as she rearranged herself in the water. "They have right sides and wrong sides?" he questioned with an amused cackle. "What's a wolverine, anyway? Like, what's it look like?" He'd heard the word before but, as far as he knew, he'd never seen one in the flesh.

As for Vesper's question: "I'ma use my tongue." He blinked at her, wondering what else she expected.

umm, she murmured as she considered the best way to answer caracal's various questions. i mean, i made one angry. it was an expression she must have learned at some point in her childhood, and vesper thought he might be a little dumb for not knowing it, though she didn't say that aloud. that he had never seen one before made more sense— they were prey, and were smarter than to nest somewhere with a heavy pack presence. she frowned as she realized the only reason she had learned of them was because of her fairly nomadic childhood. they look like big, dark badgers. or really small bears.

when he confirmed he would be using his tongue— of course he would, vesper!— she briefly turned her head away. only her immediate family had ever done that, and she didn't really like the idea of someone she didn't know touching her like that. it felt too familiar, like unwanted affection from a stranger. but she knew there was no other way to lean it, as her own tongue had clearly not been enough... so after a few moments of consideration, vesper moved her heads toward him and tilted her nose up.

but she very pointedly looked away, refusing to make eye contact as caracal worked.

He hadn't seen a badger or a bear, for that matter, though Caracal didn't mention this. He also summarily ignored the fact that he didn't actually know what he was doing. He only knew the very basics of wound care, which was to keep it clean. He just hoped it would be enough, because he truly wanted to help Vesper.

She offered up her muzzle with evident reluctance, which he noted with a puzzled furrow in his brow before shrugging it off and proceeding. "Hold still," he instructed quietly as he moved in to inspect the cut before applying careful pressure with his tongue. He kept trying to catch her eye—was he hurting her? Was he being too delicate?—but Vesper avidly refused to meet his gaze.

Taking the lack of flinching as a good sign, at least, Caracal bathed the cut thoroughly before telling her, "Maybe rinse it off in the water. It should help with any stinging." He then drew back, assessing his handiwork with a critical eye. Honestly, it looked redder than before.

Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a medic, though he was glad he'd tried. Caracal backed up a few more steps and took a seat, only to get back onto all fours and move toward the water again a moment later. He dipped his head down to take a drink, rinsing the slightly copper taste of her raw flesh out of his mouth. Then he sat back again.

"So you don't want me to tell anyone you pick fights with wolverines," he mused, rather apropos of nothing. Caracal's eyes sparkled. "What other bad-ass things do you get up to?" he couldn't help but wonder.

it stung, but she relaxed slightly as the touch proved to be very different than the kisses father, mother and blueberry often gave her— it was intentional, focused. but she still refused to look at him, the intimacy of a shared gaze while they were this close being too much for her. she could smell metal in the air, so he must have reopened the scab that had begun to develop overnight, but oddly enough... it felt slightly better, regardless. his care removed whatever debris she had been unable to remove on her own.

she followed his instruction as he drew back, plunging her nose into the water and exhaling through her nostrils to avoid anything going up her nose. the cool liquid soothed any remaining stinging after an initial increased intensity. vesper sighed as she drew her head back up, and she exited the water as caracal sat, then stood, then drank.

vesper stood some distance away to politely shake the moisture from her coat, then moved to sit next to him as he left the water's edge. her side felt a little better, at least. the pain wasn't as sharp. her muscles felt more sore than they had before, but she kept that to herself, too. part of her wanted to continue feeling the pain.

nothing, she told him flatly. this was more or less true; for all the eventfulness of her childhood, that had all stopped when she got here. there was nothing to do. prevost was gone, and peregrine wanted nothing to do with her. and the rift between vesper and her parents only seemed to be growing. eager to turn the conversation away from herself, she asked, what about you? how do you stay occupied in this place? as if to emphasize this, vesper looked around with a slight, disappointed frown.