Redhawk Caldera time after time

Meerkat couldn’t let someone as young as Frolic go home alone, regardless of how she’d found her way here. She kept her on the mountain until she could personally take her home, rising early in the morning to make the trip. Swallowing a sigh (and her words to her husband), she kissed @Njord and Seal goodbye, promising to only be gone as long as it took to escort the girl to the caldera and then walk back.

But, of course, as long as she was out this way, she wouldn’t mind checking on her brother. Before they even reached the borders, Frolic zoomed toward the foot of the caldera and raced upward, soon disappearing over the rim. That left Meerkat to close the distance, paws halting primly outside the familiar territory as she announced her presence with a low howl.

This is back-dated a few days. :)

Dwin had been out scouting the previous day and had had a very good time until she arrived home late in the evening to the utter panic and turmoil that ensues, when a kid goes missing without a trace. Under different circumstances she would have congratulated her sister for her bravery and curiousity. But there were her parents, who worried immensely and had been very hard to console. Not least because each blamed themselves for not being on guard and also had come up with all the horrible ways she could have died. 

Dwin, who had felt exhausted already and had now been robbed of a well-earned rest, spent the rest of the night looking for the kid. Heavy rainfall at dawn had not helped the issue the least and eventually -angry, tired and drenched to the bone, she had decided that nature was nature and you could do nothing about it.

Few hours later. A summoning howl and a flash of familiar coloured pelt running past her. Dwin was relieved for her parents' sake, but she was not quite ready to forgive that easily. She harboured murderous thoughts on, what she would do IF Frolic's upbringing were in her jurisdiction only, while she made her way to meet the hero of the day. "Morning," she greeted the sand coloured she-wolf before her. "Where did you find our little," piece of shit, "piglet? We were worried sick." 

She had never met the she-wolf who came to greet her, though she possessed familiar Blackthorn traits. Meerkat waved her tail and smiled, keeping her head low as the young woman closed the distance and posed the expected question.

She came to see my daughter, Seal, in Moonspear yesterday. I believe Frolic was there when the cat attacked and wanted to check on her friend, which was admirable but, I knew there was no way her parents would’ve let her come alone and of course I couldn’t let her go home alone either.

She paused, wondering if the yearling was Frolic’s older sister. That made her realize she’d failed to introduce herself.

I’m Meerkat, by the way. I’m actually Bronco’s sister. I was hoping to check up on him while I was here. How is he?

Good intentions pave the road to hell... 1% of Dwin's being tried to see this explanation for Frolic's disappearance as something that would make everything right. The remaining 99% of her still wanted to wring Frolic's neck or at least give her a good shake and yelling. Because - of course - parents would go soft on her and she knew from her own experience of being a difficult child, that would not stop her younger sister from pulling this off again. It was not easy to keep these thoughts from surfacing and being spoken out loud. 

"Bronco does not have a sister called Meerkat," Dwin corrected the stranger and looked her all over very carefully. "There was Nelly, Quetzal and Alyx, but no Meerkat," she explained. She was not good at remembering facts correctly, nor did she possess the talent of being a good story-teller. But her memory in genealogy, when it concerned her immediate family members was quite good. "Were you adopted as a kid? Or are you a distant cousin?" because that could happen, even if it did not count. 

The young woman refuted her. Meerkat was taken aback and blinked, then laughed wryly when she listed some of their other siblings. She supposed the yearling was technically correct, although Meerkat thought it was a little rude. It gave her pause too, making her wonder if perhaps after all this time and distance between them, Bronco no longer thought of her that way and thus never mentioned her.

It’s complicated, she replied, which was the truth. Trying to keep any anxious impatience from her tone, she repeated, How is he? Do you think he’d be up for a visitor? I didn’t get your name, by the way.

Rude Dwin may have been, but you have to step in her shoes for a bit. Here was a complete stranger, who had (supposedly) done a good deed - brought back a stray kid. But then you claim being related to someone, when it is factually incorrect, and now you start wondering, whether this person is truly harmless and has no other intentions in mind. Perhaps, even the story about the kid may not be that simple and straightforward.

Had Eljay never fallen out with Towhee in the past, maybe this branch of Dwin's family tree would have been mentioned more often or attempts made to create more lasting relationships between the family members. Since things were the way they were, Dwin may have heard Towhee's name in passing, but Meerkat did not exist in the tree at all.  

"Yeah, sure," Dwin shrugged, tipped her head back and called for @Bronco . "How do you know him exactly?"

She felt some of her anxiety dispel immediately at the, ”Yeah, sure.” But Meerkat’s mood quickly turned into puzzlement when the yearling called for him. Wasn’t Bronco badly injured and recovering? Perhaps he was in better shape than she’d thought, which was a relief.

Is there a reason you won’t give your name? Meerkat asked before saying, We grew up together. Well, he was older than me but we were very close when we were younger. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other but I know he helped save Seal’s life. That’s why I want to see him, to thank him and make sure he’s okay. Is he well enough to come out here?

He heard his name on the wind and thought it at first might be death singing to him- but the timbres of Ceridwen's youthful voice made him pause for a moment. He never would have imagined that Death would sound like her. It was likelier to be a fairy imitating her voice, than the one who called wolves into darkness. 

Drearily, he wondered why he was being summoned. It wasn't likely for guardian duties, he thought- Teya could handle such things while he healed. He shifted slightly, but heard a soft whine from his daughter, who had been resting alongside him. Sweet Bronte reminded him to stay still, and to rest and relax while Teya was out holding the pack together. 

Also concerned, Boris wandered back into the den as if to make sure Bronco wouldn't get up to go and answer the call. He brought with him a mouse, which was then offered to Bronco. He sat up, masking the grimace he would have shown had the children not been present. He thanked his son, who trotted off, to hunt more. 

His apatite had not much improve but under the stern, caring eye of his daughter he ate the mouse more or less whole. It might bother his stomach later, but he knew if he did not eat, he would not heal. 

He slumped, and set his head back down. A quiet word from his daughter reminded him why he'd been awakened. 

He howled back: Can't go, sorry. Who is here?

"You're not here to see me, are you?" Dwin shot back a toothy grin. "Won't make a difference then, if you do not know, who I am," it was not often and not with everyone, but she had this annoying habit of not giving her name to people she either did not particularly like or did not trust very much. She was undecided with Meerkat here. 

Bronco replied - and Dwin felt a pang of guilt for not remembering that the man in question was not fit to go anywhere at the moment. In her defense - she had been up for the past 20h or so and had had awful lack of sleep. They exchange another set of howls, where the man quickly affirmed that Meerkat was someone he knew.

With that settled, Dwin's cool demeanor changed to somewhat more welcoming. "Oookay, let's go," she took a step to the side, turned and waited for the visitor to join her. She led the way, until they arrived at Bronco's densite. After greeting him and the kids and asking, if he needed anything, she excused herself and let the two have a conversation in privacy. In case he had expressed the need for something - she would go to find and fetch it.

Dwin's out of the picture!

Meerkat looked bewildered at the strange riposte. She didn’t really have time to dwell on it, much less reply, because it turned out Bronco wasn’t capable of coming to the borders to meet her. Meerkat looked skyward when she heard his voice, familiar despite the distortion of time, space and possibly grievous injury.

She resisted the urge to call out again herself, fidgeting a little as the nameless she-wolf and Bronco exchanged another call before Meerkat found herself being ushered into the territory. She flashed a quick smile and nodded, expression morphing into something a bit soberer as they passed through the familiar landmarks of the caldera.

Bronco wasn’t alone. Meerkat glanced at the young girl—about Frolic’s age, if she had to guess—and wondered if she was his. Or perhaps she was one of Frolic’s litter mates. During her overnight stay, Meerkat had sussed out the identities of the little runaway’s parents.

Hi, she said quietly, eyes skipping over to Bronco and widening more than a little. Meerkat schooled her expression. Is it alright if I come in? she queried, looking over her shoulder to thank her no-name escort only to see that she had left.

Thanks for playing, Me!

"She's on my side of the family," He explained to Bronte, with a fond smile. He'd just finished regaling his daughter (likely not for the first time) about some of his earliest travels and experiences in a quiet, gravelly voice when Ceridwen showed up. He smiled, and made to welcome her as well, though she seemed keen on doing her duty as an escort before trotting off. Her offers were generous; Bronco was well cared-for. 

"Thanks 'Dwin!" He called after her, before his gaze fell upon Meerkat, and he lifted one foreleg carefully to gesture with a scooping motion of his wrist. He snorted at her timid request and growled fondly. "Get in heeeere." He made an effort to rise and meet her, but his hind feet scraped and slid against the bare earth as his hocks trembled. He sat, for a moment, before he afforded himself a guilty, pained smile, and slid back to the ground. Feeble as he was, the warmth glowing in his bourbon eyes flickered like a strong flame. 

"Meerk, this is my daughter, Bronte," he introduced, honey-warm tones expressed for his sweet little girl who smiled a bit shyly. "And this is your Auntie Meerkat, the one and only." He said with a faint laugh. His eyes settled on her again, glittering; a mix of concern, nostalgia and relief.

‘Dwin, Meerkat repeated under her breath, glad to have a name to attach to the face.

But she was gone and Bronco wanted her to come further inside. Meerkat ducked her head and obliged, freezing when he attempted to stand. She shook her head and gave him a sympathetic look, relieved when he settled down again. He’d looked rough for years but now…

You look like hell, she said with nothing but fondness, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

She meant to say something much kinder when he introduced Bronte. She blinked tears out of her eyes as she faced the girl, smiling at her and crooking a paw. Meerkat didn’t trust herself to speak, so she glanced down at her paws a moment to collect herself before meeting her brother’s eye again.

You saved my daughter’s life, she said, eloquence once more escaping her as she choked up again.

There was sympathy in her eyes, though her humour acted as a coping mechanism that suited the both of them. He feared still the possibility that he might die as his father had, of a latent infection that might steal him away in his sleep. He did not want to go peacefully, not when he had fought so hard for life. 

"I've been working on this look for years." He replied. "Was tryin' to make it a trend, but. Y'know." He said, and coughed lightly. His daughter looked up in concern, but he gave her a soft smile. Mobility issues made it more difficult for him to stay hydrated, and he'd begun to feel his throat dry out more and more. 

Bronco could see that Meerkat was a well, over-filled with Spring rain, fighting to keep everything within its brim. Bronte seemed to sense the same, and sat up. Meerkat choked out a statement that caused his heart to clench. Her daughter might not have survived had it not been all three of the wolves who had stepped in to fight. "And your husband saved mine," He said with a light twinkle in his tired eyes. 

Bronte looked to him, and he knew how she felt. At this age, the children shied away from the dry, boring talk of adults, but this time, he suspected Bronte sensed that her father and aunt had gone too long without having a deep conversation. She asked if he needed anything, and he nodded. "Some of that wet, mossy stuff," He said, his throat rasping. He cleared it, and gave her a kiss on the nose as she awkwardly but politely excused herself. 

He chuffed. "Her mother let me name two of the kids this year. And I l feel like "Bronte" was an OK choice, 'cause it's a combination of our names. But then I named one of our sons "Ponyboy" so I think I'm banned from naming kids from now on."

Bronte exited while Meerkat struggled to regain her composure a second time. She felt a little guilty, though she was also grateful to be left alone with Bronco. He wouldn’t fault her for the two large, hot tears that slipped free, tracking down either cheek. She managed to stem the flow beyond that, in part because his comment earned an unbecoming snort from her.

That’s pretty vain, she joshed, though why Ponyboy and not something more ritualistically narcissistic, like Bronco Jr?

Meerkat snorted again, a bit more lightly, then frowned a little as she tried to remember what, if anything, she knew about the mother of Bronco’s children, aka his wife. It wasn’t Fennec, that much she knew for certain, and she was pretty sure Towhee had spilled some hot tea at some point… Meerkat remembered rather abruptly, her glistening eyes widening.

That’s right, she said without context, then caught herself and smiled sheepishly at Bronco. Tell me about your life here, with… Teya, right? And your kids. Good things only! she tacked on with a playfully imperious air.

He snorted in response. "Pfft, hell nah." He said, with a smug purse of his lips and a roll of his eyes, though the gimmick didn't last long. The thought of naming a child after himself made him cringe. He suddenly remembered, and his lips drew into a grin. "Though apparently that ritualistically narcissistic naming thing is right up your Mom's alley; I met Towhee Jr not long ago," He said. "Nice kid," He said with a wink. Considering their likeness, it had made almost too much sense for the girl to be named after her mother- and at this point, he figured Towhee had probably had so many children that even a skilled ornithologist would have to start recycling bird names at some point, or get another Audubon book.

He was relieved that Meerkat didn't seem put off by his marriage to Teya, considering the history she had with the family already. If she did, she hid it well. He nodded softly. "Good things," He agreed, and crossed his forepaws carefully so he could settle more easily on his elbows.

He'd been trying to live a life where he simply ignored the things that weren't good things. He thought of his eldest son, wishing still that things had gone differently so that he might've seen him grow up. The agreement made with Fennec over Killdeer's guardianship had not aged well, and the more he thought about it, the more his resentment grew. Not only had he missed out on Killdeer's adolescence, but now his adult life as well, considering the fact they'd become more and more estranged. 

Good things only.

he wasn't sure such a bargain existed, but he mustered the courage to omit.

"Teya and I have the three, this year," The children and his mate, naturally at the forefront of his mind, always. "Boris, Bronte and Ponyboy. They're all," He paused, and he laughed, shaking his head. "They're all very different, but they're good kids, in every way." He said. Even Ponyboy, the little rogue. "Maia and Eljay are more or less retired now, had a litter of uh, three this year, too," He said. "Blackthorns everywhere, as per usual," He said. He would bet the farm that Finley and Elwood would be pleased to know that their family still continued to grow, and that the gene for mischief was still very much in the mix. 

"I'm the Auspex now, but uh," He said, gently shrugging sore shoulders. "More of a sitting duck at the moment." he said, aware that he was straying toward things that weren't so good. He jutted his chin toward her. "Your turn," He prompted.

Meerkat could only smile quietly when Bronco joked about Towhee Jr. She didn’t know her younger siblings very well. They sort of kept to themselves. She supposed she could’ve made more of an effort, though there was only so much time in a day…

She stayed silent as Bronco came up with some happy facts about his life. Like she and Njord, they’d had three pups this year. The same went for Eljay and Maia, despite getting on in years. Bronco mentioned a word she didn’t know, though the context told her that it was an important station, perhaps even the highest rank in Brecheliant.

I assume that’s a leadership role? I wear a similar hat these days, though mine is called Councilor, she shared. And, well, since we last spoke… Meerkat’s brow furrowed, recalling that day at Sapphique’s borders with a young Ray. Well, a lot’s happened since then, some of it not so good. But we’re happy in Moonspear now. Redhawks come and go but Sialuk, Njord and myself are really the backbone of the village. My older son, Ray—the one you met—he’s gone traveling. Our youngest two, Orca and Seal, are growing into fine young ladies.

He might’ve made Seal’s acquaintance on that dreadful day, though Meerkat didn’t mention this. She pondered what else to add. There was more to the story, of course, but it was hard to sum up one’s life!

Then a thought clobbered her upside the head, her eyes brightening a little as she shared, Before that monster came along and ruined everything, Njord and I were planning on claiming—rather, reclaiming—the copse and raising our own village with our daughters. We hadn’t gotten any further than making the decision and marking it before… but, she continued, voice low but enthusiasm burning bright, we’ll get back on track with that someday in the not too distant future, I hope.

He nodded faintly. Of course at this point he still did not fully comprehend what an Auspex was, aside from Teya's explanation. He was still going by the assumption that given that "Raven" was more familiar than "Auspex," then the former would be the top rank. What he didn't know wouldn't likely hurt anyone. 

A role like councilor suited Meerkat well- she was an excellent listener, was the sort of wolf others could look to for advice. He thought fondly of their first trip to Moonspear, how he had gone there with her as she had taken up her apprenticeship with Hydra...Though it felt as though that time was impossibly too long ago, now. Meerkat hadn't even been a yearling then, had she? "Hydra would be glad that you call Moonspear your home again," He said.

He remembered vaguely meeting Meerkat along the coast, when she'd been living with the seawolves there. He remembered offending her son by calling him "Stinkray," and wasn't sure he'd ever gotten the chance to apologize to him. He nodded gently, glad to hear that her other two children were doing well, and he went to ask about how Seal was doing, but she continued to speak, this time about the Copse. 

He was a bit surprised, though perhaps he shouldn't have been. It seemed as though just a moment ago, she'd been touting herself and Njord as a part of Moonspear's backbone, and now they meant to move. Still, he could understand why- the Copse had always felt safe. "Feels like home there, eh?" He asked.

Well… she replied, dragging out the word a bit. I wouldn’t say that, actually. I know I was born there and it’s an important landmark in my—our—families’ history. And it’s a lovely spot, don’t get me wrong. But I didn’t have any particular attachment to it, then or now, until my husband did. I could tell Njord fell in love with the copse the first time I took him there. I could see what it would mean to him, to build a place of our own there someday. At the risk of sounding absolutely corny, Njord is mo chride, my heart, along with our children. And home is where the heart is.

All of which served to remind her that Meerkat oughtn’t stay much longer. Frolic had been safely delivered home and she’d checked on Bronco like she’d wanted. It was nice, seeing his face and catching up. She supposed her older brother would always possess a little piece of her heart, no matter what happened, but most of it was back in Moonspear, in need of ‘round-the-clock care.

When you’re back on your feet, you should come to the copse for a visit, Meerkat said, whether we’re in the process of claiming it or not. For now, I’m going to leave you to your rest and get back to my own invalids, she added with a thin smile, preparing to depart. Thank you again, Bronco, for looking after my heart.

He tried to remember what that part of his childhood had been like. Memories of the other children his age came back, and memories of his Blackthorn family. There, they slept for eternity, lovingly placed where their spirits might dance in the golden light. He liked Njord all the more in learning how captivated he had been by the Copse, and smiled gently. It would be good to have wolves return there, he thought. A good, safe place to raise children, and grow a family. 

Her invite made him feel a pang of regret. A fear lurking within his chest coiled more tightly around his heart, squeezing it until it pattered a little harder. "I'll, do my best," He said, his voice shaky. He could make her no promises, not when he wasn't even sure if he would wake the next time dawn broke. 

So soon, though, she rose to take her leave and he felt his heart sink. It felt abrupt to him- for her to come all this way to discuss only their children for a matter of minutes, and then depart. He tried to hold everything together, though tears pricked in the corners of his eyes. He didn't have the strength, now, to push himself up to sit to see her off. Wordlessly, he swallowed his breath, and gave her a smile and a nod. "You take care, Meerk." he said shakily, fighting to sound as earnest as possible. He curled up, and laid his head on the ground with a sigh. Truth be told, the visit had still worn him out, no matter how short it had been.

Regardless, he dwelled, and in the quiet of the den he found himself drifting into a slump. Sure, she had her own family and duties to return to, but he felt she'd come more out of obligation than anything. Now she could check off the box of 'thank Bronco for saving Seal's life' so that she could go back to her position and her family, guilt free. He felt slighted by the implication that he was an invalid, though it was blatantly true. He felt like a burden. He felt like a sick family member in hospital care, or an old relative in a nursing home, visited now and again out of obligation; always a short visit because there were other things that needed to be done- and so that when they left, they could sigh in relief, pat themselves on the back for being nice, and go about their day until the next time they felt they had to visit. 

When Bronte came back, he was in tears, but he couldn't quite explain why.