Redhawk Caldera You're gonna have to learn to like the rockin' of the waves.
Ghost
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All Welcome 
The humidity outside of the den was, in a word, soupy. Inside there was a lack of airflow which made it immeasurably worse in Reyes' opinion. He peered outside frequently and saw gathering clouds indicating rain; but it would likely be the warm summertime rain he disliked. The kind that felt like gobs of hot spit.

C'mon Captain, he called to @Sorana as he departed the den, hoping she was up for a real adventure. Teya wasn't around and Reyes was going a little bit stir-crazy with the weather so oppressive.

Reyes was smiling as he lead her towards the most shallow part of the waterworks around the little island. By  now Sorana had witnessed various adults crossing here.

Has your mum taught you to swim yet? He asked as he looked down to her, smiling expectantly. Maybe Sorana was too young for this, or disinterested. It would have been safer if he had Teya there as backup too, but, he only thought of the fun they could have together.
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Across the lake, Bronco had approached to scout the shorelines for tracks. As the main water source in the Caldera, the lake drew to it all manner of life, which allowed him to keep a decent tab on what kinds of prey were either living nearby or passing through. 

He liked the humidity, and also sensed the rain that might fall later on. For him, the warm rain was welcome; he disliked the cold rain that stung and chilled. 

He’d just begun to wander along the lake’s edge when he thought he heard a voice, and looked up. Out on the island, within view, was a figure he recognized- with a small, auburn pup alongside him. 

He balked slightly, not sure exactly if Reyes might be protective over his young one, and unsure still if he held any grudge toward Bronco for his mother’s wrongdoings. They couldn’t avoid each other forever, he supposed.

He uttered a soft woof of greeting- and unless he was invited over to the island, he’d simply continue tracking along the shore.
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Sora trotted out of the den on command, following so closely to Reyes' heels that she nearly tripped on them several times. She paused to sniff at the muggy air and sat abruptly to scratch an itch behind her ear, then scampered to catch up. The mahogany tail bobbing ahead of her was an unspoken invitation she didn't hesitate to seize, snatching playfully at the tip with her teeth and giggling all the while.

She knew exactly where they were going and even hastened ahead of daddy when they got close. Sim? she queried, throwing her head back as far as it would go to try to look at Reyes behind her without turning around. It made her neck ache, so it wasn't long before she gave up her poor owl impersonation.

A nearby woof captured her attention. Sorana looked around, doing a double take when she finally spotted the wolf disguised as tree trunks across the water. Reyes stood out in most environments, as did Teya in her own way, and really everyone Sorana had ever met, so to see a wolf who blended so masterfully into their environment was perplexing. She gave a curious tilt of her jaw, one ear propped high over her brow while the other drifted toward her shoulder, then glanced at daddy for some sort of cue.
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Yes, swim. Reyes reiterated with a smile, and moved to pat the surface of the water. A tiny funnel of water followed his paw up and then splashed back down, causing ripples to fan out from the position.

Sorana was looking at him upside-down, looking a touch demonic. For a second Reyes wasn't sure what he was looking at, but then she moved, and his brain processed the odd position. Hey now, c'mere, before you get stuck like that— but by the time he'd called to her, she was looking across the water.

Something had caught her attention. Reyes moved up beside her and looked to the other side as well, trying to discern what had distracted her.

A sound crept over the water and that was when Reyes noticed Bronco, which surprised him. Hey, kid, maybe we'll do swimming lessons another day, yeah? His eyes were upon Bronco but his words were for Sorana, so they were spoken low and soft for her.

Louder now, so that Bronco could hear: Looks like we have a visitor. Long time no see.
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The youngster’s eyes caught him first, and looked upon him without bias. Curiosity tilted her head, which directed Reyes to follow her gaze and catch sight of him. 

He felt a pant of anxiety hit him, and hasten his heartbeat. Maybe he shouldn’t have caught Reyes’ attention while he had a kid- there was a chance, after all, that Reyes might still hold some grudge against him given everything Niamh had put him through. Bronco dipped his muzzle low, allowing Reyes time to recognize him, and form some sort of judgement. Bronco suddenly wished he’d said nothing and had continued on, unnoticed, but he couldn’t just avoid Reyes forever. 

He wasn’t sure the greeting was an open invitation to stay, and even when he lifted his gaze, he found it difficult to read the man’s expression. He paused and hoped his heartbeat wouldn’t punctuate his reply too much. 

”Quite a while, yes,” His voice felt higher than usual. How long had it been? It was impossible to pull together an estimate on how long it had been without using such unpleasant events as time-markers. He knew his nervousness showed; he flicked his gaze over to the young, chestnut girl at his side. 

”I…Just joined the pack, recently. I’ve known Eljay all my life…” He thought this was something Reyes would know, but he stated it more for the sake of his daughter, as a set up for what he said next. He bobbed his head to her, respectfully. ”You must be the Queen of Brechelient then, yes? I um. I was told she was…Very smart, very brave. That must be you, hmm?”
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Awwww, Sorana whined when Reyes reneged on the swimming lessons. It would be easy to take it with some grace if it was leaf collecting or bug hunting or hide-and-go-seek, but Sora was terribly curious about the other side of the lake. Even a hint that she might be getting close to crossing was ambrosia, and having it snatched away, the greatest of disappointments.

To mask it and distract herself, Sorana focused on the newcomer. His fur was a lighter shade of brown than hers and paired with striking pale undersides. His eyes were a burnished gold colour, similar to daddy’s but not so bright. Sora took little note of the numerous scars. Bronco was wreathed in nervous energy that contrasted sharply against the tight aura that often surrounded her parents, but Reyes seemed calm, so she didn’t tense up.

Keen? she repeated, looking up at Reyes.
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She sounded sad to have swimming taken off the table, and for that Reyes was filled with regret. He didn't mean to disappoint her. He didn't have time to explain with Bronco there either.

He called her a queen and Sorana's response was so endearing, Reyes wasn't even mad that another man was taking his daughters attention away from him. For a few seconds at least. He laughed and tried to clarify for her: Aye, Sorana! You're the pirate queen, its like bein' a captain of a crew but better!

Maybe she was too young for this to click, but Reyes tried anyway. He'd called her the captain of the little island often enough, he thought.
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Maybe some of his humour went over her head- but she definitely wasn’t too young for pretend. He felt the muscles along his sides and lower back relax when Reyes joyfully continued with his proposed scenario. The whole “pirate” theme wasn’t something Bronco had anticipated, but it was a fun idea- he could roll with that. 

”Exact-“ No, that wasn’t how pirates sounded. ”Aye,” He said, casting a quick glance to Reyes. He didn’t naturally have the same confidence, but he’d muster up what he could for Sorana. He dipped himself into a deep bow. ”Pirate Queen Sorana!” He echoed, becoming a bit more familiar and agreeable to this concept. ”I’m Bronco Blackthorn; at your command,” He said with a wink.
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So much power put in the paws of one so young.

Sorana understood some things about hierarchy. She understood that mama was the Raven of the pack, meaning she was high enough to make a lot of decisions all by herself. She understood that only uncle Eljay was higher ranked, and he was the Auspex, which meant he could do anything he liked and he could tell everyone else what to do, too, if he wanted to.

She understood that Reyes was comparing her to the Auspex when he called her the captain of the crew, even though queen was an unfamiliar title. This was compounded by Bronco bowing and saying he was at her command. That meant she was just like uncle Eljay! She could tell them to do anything and they would have to do it!

Sim! she loudly decided, wanting to go back to what she and daddy had been doing before Bronco showed up, only he could join them now!
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#10
"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc."

We gladly feast on those who would subdue us.



Bronco bowed, getting right in to character. As awkward as Reyes might've felt with him there, he felt a lot better watching the other man act like a pirate; it was somehow endearing, but also unsettling to hear Bronco using the Tortugan twang.

Sorana seemed to like it, which was all that really mattered.

Ah! The queen wants ta swim. He looked to Bronco a second. What say you, pirate? Shall we find her a plank for inspection? Something extremely shallow - like a puddle, maybe. Not the actual lake.
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While Bronco had lots of experience figuring out what a kid wanted when they were babbling, it was harder when it was a kid he’d only just met. He didn’t know her ways of pronouncing things, or the words she used for requests nevertheless, Reyes was an adept translator and Bronco’s ears flicked forward. 

Nevertheless, he had no idea what a “plank” was or what it’d be used for. He was likely in over his head with this whole sea wolf thing. Still, though, he admired Reyes because he had come from a place of such strength and adventure. Bronco feared and respected the wolves who lived in Sapphique. 

”Aye, a plank for the mighty pirate queen Sorana!” if nothing else, he’d make a good parrot. He gave Sorana a wink. ”Swimming’s an important thing for pirates like us to know how to do,” He chimed. ”You’ll be out swimming sharks in no time,” He added.

While Bronco might not have made for the best pirate, he did find himself becoming a bit more trusting of Reyes, and did what he could to be a good sailor for Pirate Queen Sorana.