Ocean's Breath Plateau presorted first-class

The Redhawk wasn't sure how much he would be able to offer the wolves of Moontide, but it seemed like a nice gesture of goodwill, and he assumed word would eventually get back to Moonspear about his good deeds. Besides, he knew how difficult it was to lose a wife, a mother of children, and so he thought he might be able to provide for this pack in some way, for a time. He did not come bearing any gifts of furs or meat, but he had the fur on his back and a treasure trove of information locked away in that old head of his.

Slowing as he neared the break between the trees and the plateau's gradually sloping foundation, Phox pulled back his head and called for an audience with whomever might greet him.

Heph heard the call and quickly turned back, she had meant to head out of the territory lines. At first it had been hard to leave Moontide, Samani's body still there, a brief time and she had barely been able to stomach the familiar sights, but now she was settling upon old and new patterns. The pups might be old enough to travel soon and so they would have them there again and she wished everything to be ready, caches made, entertainment abound.

When she approached she first saw a pelt draped across shoulders and had an incongruous thought that another animal had called her, but another glance and the live scent beneath dispelled the thought. A greeting was on her lips, and yet her eyes roamed once more over the stranger, three legs, dark fur, male, calling at their borders, a squeak of surprise in the back of her throat. "Phox? Redhawk? Why are you-" She stopped, recovering at least some of her manners. "What brings you to Moontide?"

A dark woman approached, and Phox was greeted with... his own name? That was rather odd. He couldn't recall her name, and he didn't remember meeting her. Maybe it happened around the time he'd lost his leg. Memories from that era were more than a little fuzzy. He could only hope that he hadn't done anything horrible to her. Not that it was his modus operandi, but... at least she didn't seem angry.

Seal—my granddaughter—told me about what happened here, he said, I figured I would stop by and see if y'all needed any help. Phox paused, once again trying to remember her name, face, or anything. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but have we met? You seem to know my name, but I don't recall yours.

A flash of disappointment flickered within her as he mentioned he was there to help. But without Rodyn and only her, Chakliux, and Iana they could use another hunter. At the very least she felt hopeful that even if he was not there for her that being there for Moontide was a good sign, both of his character and for the pack. Her voice shifted from surprise once to thanks. "Oh. Oh thank you. We would welcome your help." Her thoughts turned over. Some details were more present than others. While she did not want to assume the type of help he offered she opened the possibility of a hunt. "If you're inclined to it a fourth hunter would aid us in pursuing the herds. Or perhaps the seals." But if his talents lay elsewhere then she was sure that his presence would aid them.

It took her a moment to figure out why he asked when she realized that greeting another with their own name might come across as strange. Her ears flickered and she glanced to the side for a moment, unsure of how to answer, what to share, and her own presumption upon meeting him. "Ahh. Errr. No, at least I don't think so? I'm Heph. Ahhh." But if he was to be staying and if he might cross paths with others in Moonglow's circle then honesty would be far better. Steeling herself she did her best to steady her voice and speak more clearly. "Moonwoman, told me...about you...errr in another - concerning matchmaking. So I thought..umm....A pleasure to meet you, if it's any consolation you exceed your reputation in gallantry as well as appearance?" A dry smile flit across her lips, nervous and embarrassed but genuine.

He could have sworn he saw a flash of disapproval on her face, and he wondered if he was supposed to remember her. Or if he had overstepped some cultural boundary he should not have. Her face relaxed, though, and she welcomed his help, so perhaps he had only imagined the less-than-delighted look. Again, he tried not to overthink it.

The Redhawk's ears perked at the mention of "seals," something he really only knew by way of his granddaughter's name. He had heard of them, but he had never seen one up close that he could recall. Herds, on the other hand, were something he was intimately familiar with. I can't guarantee that I'll be of much use during the hunt, but I'm a seasoned tracker, so I'm happy to do that if you and the rest can do the bulk of the physical work. He wasn't incapable of hunting without his leg, but it had certainly slowed him down on occasion.

She introduced herself as Heph, putting off an air of slight... apprehension? At least he hadn't been wrong about the two of them meeting before, but... the next bit of news was decidedly not what he expected. Phox blinked a few times, slowly comprehending what she was saying. Oh... oh!! he said, giving a little nervous chuckle.

Well that's... something, he said, suddenly feeling the urge to dig himself a hole and go lie in it for eternity. What did she say about me, if you don't mind me asking? Had Sialuk told her mother of what had happened—or rather not happened—between them? Had she told them about Lele? The three-legged wolf felt rather self-conscious, wondering what all information had been spread about him and his life. Surely they didn't know about the deaths of his two former wives. And if Heph did know about that, she must know that he was some kind of cursed.

Heph nodded at his assessment. She trusted herself, Chakliux, and Iiana to work well together, she had hunted with both. But the added help in keeping track of the herds would be useful, she was far more used to following her curiosity and in the prevous hunt Rodyn had called them with the trail already found. "We can certainly do that, and would appreciate a tracker." But her mind did not linger long on the practicalities.

The other wolf's unease made her feel slighlty less awkward, at the very least she was not alone in the feeling and that was somewhat comforting. She felt a wry stab of childish petulance at the beating in her chest and the pit opening up in her stomach. His laugh incited a slight smile tugging at the corner of her own lips.

She hesitated over how to answer the question, first to bring to the surface the memories. It felt like a lifetime ago the laughter and the anticipation and the desire to see where it all went. When she had told Moonwoman that she would like to meet Phox in autumn or winter she had thought she would be free to galivant about and seek him out as she blazed trails to drag Samani and Rodyn's children out on adventures or bring back exotic horns and antlers for them to play with as she taught them games and let them beat her soundly.

Heph managed to fix her gaze somewhere near his shoulder and cheek, not quite able to flicker her eyes towards his. "She told me what she knew of your errr family. Mostly a wolf named Towhee. That you have several children, and helped raise more, although you're not currently... with anyone." That part of the story had been vague, but she was fairly sure that Moonwoman had intimated somehow that Heph would not have other wives to contend with. She had assumed that meant that any partings had been a loss far enough faded he was open to searching again or that they had been amicable or at the very least that he had severed ties.

She thought back, recalling with more clarity. "She ahhh told me what you looked like and that you're a fine tracker of herds and the stars."

At least he could offer some skills of use. Phox hated it when he felt like a drag on folks he was legitimately trying to help. But his attention was quickly diverted to the more interesting (personally) topic of... well... himself. It was strange to hear about what somebody else had said about him from somebody who was practically a stranger. Towhee's name came up, along with the children he had helped to raise. That and the fact that he was chronically single for the past two years. There was also the bit about him being a good tracker—and a lover of stars! None of those things were incorrect, so he couldn't really complain.

Well, jeez. Enough about me, he said, suddenly feeling like he was stealing all of the attention. Tell me about you. Heph, right? Phox was curious why Kukutux thought them a good match. She was quite obviously several years his junior... not that he was specifically opposed to such a thing. It just seemed strange. He had always pictured himself with somebody his own age, his own speed. But maybe she would surprise him. Not that he was naive enough to get his heart set on anything. Of the few brief encounters he'd had over the past year, none had come to mean anything more than brief friendships. Lele might have been the closest, but there was no sign of her coming back anytime soon, and she hadn't even said goodbye.

Heph nodded her head faintly at the query. At the very least he did not seem offended by the description she had been given and then passed on to him, nor had he called any of it blatantly untrue. What to tell him about herself, for a moment she wished Kukutux had been the one having this conversation, then the other wolf could decide what it was that made her think Heph a potential match for him.

She tried to stick to the basics, if only to cut off any chance she might ramble. "I'm sure you'll see soon enough, but I enjoy the hunt and the challenge of the chase, myself, @Chakliux, and @Iiana will probably be the ones going after whatever you find." Her voice dipped carefully over her next words, if only because they skittered over still fresh wounds and she was not sure how he would interpret them. "Less so lately, but even after settling here I love to explore. I like meeting new faces as much as seeing new places. I'm from east of the wilds, and journeyed quite a bit before winding up here so I have more friends than family nearby." Eventually, he would meet some of them, if only because most of her closest friends were in Moontide, but that would come with time.

She felt her vocal chords twanging like a bowstring, half from nervousness. Attempting to dispel the energy she spoke again, this time playful, light. "Was there anything in particular you were hoping to know?"

tags for ref!

The woman explained that she lived for the chase—something Phox had fancied of himself in his younger years. Wasn't it Wraen who had given him the title "lord of the hunt" after all? Perhaps he should give that one up for a more appropriate one... although "lord of the stars" felt a bit too presumptuous. If only she were still around to give him a proper title.

She asked then if he wished to know anything, and Phox chuckled. Where can a guy find a meal after a long day of traveling? he asked. Considering he hadn't expected to be propositioned upon arrival, he would have to think on whether or not he had any more ~personal~ questions for her. Right now, his stomach was growling and his eyes were drooping.

A light dusting of laughter in response to his own and she turned easily back towards the territory inside. There were many caches but she knew of one that would be filled, some rabbits she had hunted the other day when the other trails went cold leaving her hungry. It had been a long day of wandering and the moon had been almost glowing in the sky by the time she settled down to rest beneath it. "Come, I'll dig you something up, there's always rabbits about." Her pace was unhurried as she mapped out the horizons in her mind. "How was your journey here?"

thank you for waiting! <3

He step-step-hopped behind her, happy to have a guide on his first day here. It was good to know that there was somebody who knew the land, the ropes, and basically what to do. Not that he would be out of luck without her, but the fact that she was a resident was going to make things a lot easier. She offered rabbits, and his stomach grumbled in anticipation for the meal.

Nothing out of the ordinary, he replied. It does take a little more effort on three legs, but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. He go out of breath easier than he had in the past, but his pacing had gotten better over the past few months, and he was beginning to regain his speed and balance, too. He had a feeling he was nearing the end of his recovery, as the leaps and bounds of progress had slowed the past few weeks. Now it was just a matter of making sure his muscles didn't get too out of whack.

She nodded, listening even as she wound her way along familiar pathways. "I'm glad to hear it. If you don't mind my asking have you always been on three legs?" It had been part of the description Moonwoman had given, but she had not asked how it had come about (or had always been the case) and from the way he walked she could tell it was not so fresh as to be unnatural.

When they reached the cache she stopped to dig, pulling up the earth and a flicker of relief that no one else had filled their stomachs with it. It would have been rather embarrassing, although not the end of the world either. She tossed two of the rabbits to him and made a note to herself to fill it later.

anytime! <3

Her question caught him off-guard. Phox was so used to everyone asking how it had happened, rather than when it had happened. Phox had never met anyone who had been born with only three legs, and the thought of it made him think of both Fennec and Towhee who had been born without one thing or another. It had never slowed either of them down, even if he always felt some sense of worry for his eldest daughter.

Nope, he replied, Only been with this configuration for, ah... about a year, maybe? Had it been longer than that? Shorter? It was hard to tell these days. The seasons really did tend to blend together as he got up in years.

They made it to the cache not long after, and Heph tossed him a couple of rabbits. Phox didn't waste any time digging in. He had considered offering one to her, but the truth was that his stomach was rumbling and he really needed the food. Catching prey was still something he didn't exactly excel at since he'd been reduced to three legs, so he tended to take what he could get and not let any of it go to waste.

The question in his voice told her the timeline might have been somewhat muddied by the seasons but it answered the hear to her question and she nodded in reply, a teasing slant to her lips as she answered."Well hopefully the anniversary doesn't make you too nostalgic." After all a wolf might still be able to walk on three legs even if it was a challenge, but to repeat the process and be on two might be too much for even the most obstinate among them. But conversation stalled for a moment while he ate and she considered the route to take him, he had travelled to reach Moontide so a quick tour would have to do but at the very least they could reach the edge of the plateau so he could see some of the surrounding area.

this can be the last from me if you're good with assuming she gives him a tour?

Oh my, she was a joker! And a dark comedian, at that. And hopefully nobody else thinks they need to take point on anything like that, he added between bites, casting her a suspicious glance. When the two rabbits were gone, he was glad to follow along on the tour, making small talk and taking in the sights of his temporary host village. Little did they know he'd be back before too long.