Redhawk Caldera The heart wants what it wants

Peregrine had been able to keep his mind off the plateau and the wolves there for some time now, though he was not always able to keep those thoughts on the back burner. Presently, the Alpha male lay on the lip of the caldera, his posture sphinx-like save for his left foreleg, which was crooked beneath his chest. He stared in the direction of his former home in the distance and took a moment, allowing himself to miss his children, his siblings, his best friend and everyone else.

But then he stood up with a quiet chuff and began to trot along the crater's edge. He hoped to pick up the scent of prey and do some hunting. If not, maybe he would find some of his subordinates and they could hang out and chat. Peregrine was up for anything that would keep him busy, keep his mind off the plateau and focused where it belonged: on Redhawk Caldera.

OOC: Hi hi hi. Squeezing in a quick post during my lunch break. :)

IC: Though he had been a member of the pack for nearly a month, Elwood still hadn't spent much time near the territory's namesake -- the caldera at its peak. He found himself lingering near the lower slopes, often meandering through the trees or skimming along the borders. It wasn't for any particular reason; he wasn't afraid of heights or anything like that, but he chalked it up to his history. He had grown up on a much flatter stretch of land, and just wasn't accustomed to life on a mountain.

However, every once in a while, he tried to make it a point to visit the crater. Today was one such day: he picked his way carefully upwards, following a rocky path that was frosted over from a recent snow. He kept his muzzle pointed down, his eyes focused on the trail in front of him to avoid any missteps. Once the ground leveled off again, he heaved a small sigh of relief (though he wouldn't admit he had been holding his breath) and made his way towards the edge of the caldera.

Yet again, he was met by the sight of Peregrine, his dark, stately figure a stark contrast to his pale surroundings. Elwood grinned, his tail-tip stirring as he approached the Alpha. "Fancy meeting you up here again," he quipped, long strides bringing him towards his companion.

Howdy! :D

Elwood was a sight for sore eyes. Peregrine smiled at the pewter male as he trotted closer. By now, they were familiar enough with one another that the Alpha had no qualms about raising his tail in a wag and arching his head to lick at Elwood's snout. Neither was meant as a dominance display; rather, he was simply showing his happiness at running into his pack mate and welcoming his company. All the while, his jade eyes glowed brightly as he surveyed his pack mate.

"I was just thinking of hunting, though a patrol might be due too..." the Alpha male mused aloud, meeting Elwood's eyes briefly. "Either one sound like fun to you? I'd love some company."

Elwood returned Peregrine's greeting with equal enthusiasm, his tail remaining lower than the Alpha's but swinging side to side behind him. As he drew alongside his leader -- and friend, he realized with a small smile -- he dropped his head and bumped his crown against Peregrine's shoulder, then drew back to face him.

"I just ate," he said in response to Peregrine's suggestions, "but a patrol might be nice. Maybe you could give me a few pointers." He didn't think that there would be a lot for Peregrine to teach him, but perhaps he could learn more about the routes around the caldera. There was more to guard than just the borders, because animals other than wolves wouldn't be likely to heed the scent markers. Truthfully, though, the young male would be eager to soak up any information that Peregrine shared like a sponge.

"Patrols," Peregrine retorted with an impish smile, "are never nice. They are a boring pain in the ass at worst... and an eventful pain in the ass at best. Sometimes when I'm patrolling, I find myself hoping to come across a trespasser just to break up the monotony of it all. But it's definitely a necessary evil," the dark Alpha concluded, "so let's head that way."

He pivoted on a black heel, angling toward the snowy, tree-lined slopes that led down to the territory's borders. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Elwood wasn't far behind, then began to jog downhill. His muscular shoulders remained coiled, his forelegs stiffly braced against the steep grade. Peregrine's tail flicked upward to help him both balance and steer. He was still adapting to the caldera's wintry terrain. He did not want to emulate his mate's earlier fall.

"And here we are," he announced when they reached the mount's foot and headed toward the largely invisibly boundary line. "Thrilling," he mused as he observed the bleak, quiet wilderness around them. Peregrine cast Elwood a cheeky smile before he began to plod, heading to their right.

Elwood laughed as Peregrine shared his opinion of patrols. The Alpha spoke the truth; it was not one of Elwood's favorite things to do -- he would much rather be hunting or tracking prey -- but, as Peregrine said, it was a necessary evil. And he did want to be able to add "warden" to his title, so the more experience he gathered, the better.

"Good point," he agreed as he fell into step with the larger male. He allowed Peregrine to take the lead, staying a few paces behind him as they descended the slope. Elwood noted the care with which Peregrine moved, and he, too, was cautious, especially because he was less familiar with the terrain.

All was quiet when they reached the edge of the territory, and Elwood paused to glance out at the neutral land that stretched far and away from them. "Thrilling is right," he murmured, for there wasn't a single movement to break up the beautiful wintry monotony. "I guess that's a good thing, though," he added in the next breath, wheeling to walk at Peregrine's side. "We're pretty far from the other packs, aren't we?" he then inquired, pausing to briefly examine a broken branch across their path.

Elwood fell into step beside him and posed a question, which Peregrine answered readily. "I believe so, though I rarely venture far from the caldera, so I'm not sure. I do know we're a good distance from the plateau and that there are plenty of packs beyond there, further away toward the coastline. I do know there's a pack that may be closer to us than the plateau. Their Beta came by once and I told him to leave us alone and we'd leave them alone. He seems to have taken my words seriously, as far as I can tell.

It's ironic that you ask that," he mused after a pause and a deep breath. "I didn't want to go too far from the plateau when we chose a new territory. Now, it's all a moot point, considering..." He frowned, then sighed and shook his head. "Don't want to dwell on that, though. Tell me: what's new in the life of Elwood?" Peregrine queried. If they didn't talk about something while they patrolled, they would both die of boredom.

Elwood listened as Peregrine answered his question to the best of his abilities. It made sense that the Alpha would not be aware of every single pack in the vicinity; on Elwood's travels through the area, he had been bombarded by a number of different scents marking boundaries. There were many, many wolves calling the Teekon Wilds home, but he was glad to hear that Redhawk Caldera was at least somewhat isolated. They had neighbors, but not so close as to cause discomfort.

Peregrine then briefly mentioned the tension between the caldera and Blacktail Deer Plateau, and Elwood furrowed his brow slightly. He didn't know anyone from the plateau personally, but from what he had heard -- mostly from Peregrine -- it seemed to be a shame that their Alpha had acted in such an unreasonable manner. The two packs could have had a good relationship, and it sounded as though they had, initially. But things could change in just a short time, as evidenced by the sour taste left in Peregrine's mouth by the plateau.

He didn't give a reply directly related to the talk of packs, as Peregrine made it clear that he wanted to move on, so instead he addressed the Alpha's question as to how he was doing. "Not much new, really," he said, kind of disappointed not to have anything exciting to report. "Hopefully I'll have enough skills to be an official gamekeeper soon, and after that, a warden. I've mostly just been hanging out around the territory, getting to know my packmates. Somnia, Ashton, Finley..." he continued, naming a few of the friends he had made in recent weeks.

Had Peregrine been able to read Elwood's thoughts, he would have realized he hadn't necessarily updated everyone on the latest details regarding the plateau. It wasn't as if he'd gone around telling everyone that Dante had been justified after all, that his own daughter had tried to take her own life because of him. Peregrine himself intended to cut contact entirely and, in any event, he knew the caldera wolves would likely keep their distance from the plateau as well. There was no longer any reason whatsoever for them to mingle.

Elwood's mention of his latest acquaintances brought a small smile to Peregrine's face. Fox had been playfully matchmaking in her head, which she'd shared with him. She seemed to enjoy the idea of Elwood and Finley together. The Alpha regarded the sterling male now. They would make a handsome pair and, hell, given time, Elwood might make for a great Beta male. Unlike Fox, however, he wasn't one to mention it out loud or push for it.

"Making mostly friends and not enemies, I hope," he jested lightly, eyes flicking to watch a single crow wing across the sky overhead. "None of the wolves here are hard to like, I've found, even that weird Ashton dude." He chuckled.

"No enemies...yet," Elwood jokingly returned with a flick of his tail. He had engaged in friendly competition with both Somnia and Finley, and had even conspired to "kill" the former in an elaborate play scheme, but already he was considering them to be close companions. There seemed to be very little unrest amongst the members of Redhawk Caldera, despite the friction outside pack boundaries. They all got along well, as far as Elwood could tell; even considering some of their quirks. He grinned as Peregrine dropped Ashton's name.

With a chuckle, he agreed, "Yeah, Ashton can be a bit...odd. But I like him." The hippie had taken good care of him when he had been injured, and there was something soothing about his overly laid-back personality. The Gamma paused momentarily, hiking his leg to mark a bush that didn't seem to smell strong enough of the pack, then trotted a few paces to catch back up with Peregrine. "How are you and Fox doing?" he asked; he actually hadn't seen Fox since the pumpkin patch party, though she was obviously out and about. Her scent was strong throughout the territory, but he hadn't crossed paths with her recently.

"Yep," Peregrine agreed amiably, "he's definitely an oddball. But, like you, I think he's a cool dude. He's proven to be a pretty decent Healer, that hippie." His lips twitched. Unlike Fox, Peregrine really saw value in medics and their ilk and he was happy that they seemed to have a reasonably knowledgeable healthcare professional among their ranks, especially going into winter. Not to mention that rockin' bedside manner...

"We're doing well," the Alpha male answered Elwood's question. "We've pretty much made ourselves at home in our den and we're ready for it to happen," he added, knowing he need not explain what he meant. "We're talking numbers, names, that kind of thing. It's exciting. It's hard to be patient, though there's nothing we can do to hurry it along. It's nature's call."

"You ever thought of having kids?" he wondered. Fox was pretty adamant that they be the only breeding pair this season, yet Peregrine liked the idea of allowing other pairs the privilege in future. He could just picture a whole gaggle of pups, growing up as cousins and raised by the pack. "I guess I should backtrack and ask you if you're even interested in the whole mate thing..." he added with a laugh, sweeping his surroundings with eyes, ears and nose but sensing nothing out of the ordinary.

As they continued to meander, Elwood realized just how right Peregrine had been about the dullness of a routine border patrol. Had it not been for the Alpha's company, he would likely have given up twenty minutes ago. But with conversation flowing easily between the two males, Elwood didn't think about the dreary task that they were completing.

He was glad -- and not surprised -- to hear that Peregrine and Fox planned to have a litter, though Peregrine didn't expressly say so. It was easy to understand what he was indicating, however. "You'll both be great parents, and I think the caldera will be a good place to raise kids," he said, thinking too of the ways in which the rest of the pack would chip in to help raise the Alpha pair's children.

As for himself, he pursed his lips and shook his head thoughtfully. "I haven't really thought about it much," he admitted, even after Peregrine rephrased and asked if he was interested in taking a mate. He was still fairly young, so he wasn't actively seeking a relationship, but he supposed that if the right wolf were to come along he wouldn't be opposed to it. Little did he know that Fox was trying to play matchmaker. "I guess we'll just see what happens," he said flippantly, giving a shrug of his shoulders.

Elwood said he hadn't thought about it much and he didn't seem particularly fussed about it one way or the other. Peregrine smiled and replied, "I was the same way at your age." He assumed the other male was a yearling, close to two at the most. "I never dreamed I would settle down and start a family, much less be the leader of a pack, by age three. Before my older brother kicked me out of my birth pack, I was content to live day to day with my family. I didn't have any particular goals or ambitions."

Suddenly, the Alpha male spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. His lips froze and he arched his head, tail stiffening behind him. It turned out to be a red fox dashing across the snow. He watched it, reminiscing about his previous hunt with Elwood. How ironic that such a critter should cross their paths now. Peregrine was tempted to give chase, yet he surely wouldn't catch it and with lean times up ahead, he didn't want to waste his energy or his subordinate's.

Plodding again now, Peregrine said, "I'm glad everyone is so supportive of us. It really means a lot to me. I just hope I do better this time around. I did my best with my first litter... but I made a lot of mistakes too. I learned a lot." He wetted his lips. "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep them happy and healthy, though I do know it's up to nature as much as anything else."

Though Peregrine moved on with the conversation, talking about his own goals and ambitions when he had been younger, Elwood's mind temporarily got stuck on the previous set of questions. Until that very moment, he truly hadn't considered the implications of growing up; if he decided to stay in Redhawk Caldera beyond the winter, and if he continued to forge friendships with his packmates, who really did know what could happen? He hadn't given it much thought, but he did enjoy spending time with Finley -- with time, he wondered how their relationship could change. There were too many unknowns for the logical thinker to consider, so he gave his head a gentle shake and refocused on what Peregrine was saying.

Before he could give any sort of organized response, however, their patrol was briefly interrupted as a fox darted across their path. Elwood froze, his hackles stiffening instinctually; the fox posed no danger to the wolves or to their pack, but its sudden appearance had surprised him. He followed it with his eyes, watching as it disappeared into the underbrush, then looked to Peregrine as the Alpha continued speaking.

"I'm sure that's part of parenting -- trying your best and making mistakes -- and you know more now that you've already raised a litter," Elwood said supportively, though he obviously had no experience in the matter. But he imagined it was like anything else in life; you learned with each passing day, making errors and then correcting them. Peregrine would certainly be able to use what he had gleaned from raising his first litter and apply it appropriately to his and Fox's children. "And you'll have the rest of us to help out as you need it," he added, for the first time making a statement that indicated his intent to stay with the pack long-term. "How many are you hoping to have?" he asked after a beat, knowing that it wouldn't be up to either of the parents to decide. That wouldn't stop them from thinking about it, though.

The Alpha appreciated Elwood's positive spin on it, which he illustrated with a sideways smile. It was a shame how many wrongs he'd knowingly and unknowing committed against Junior, Ty, Pura and Saena. They hadn't deserved to be his guinea pigs. He swallowed roughly when he thought of his darkest daughter in particular. If he thought about her too long, he would break down into a self-loathing funk. Luckily, Elwood kept him talking and looking forward, not backward.

"We'd love a dozen," he answered, making a clicking noise with his teeth and tongue. "Realistically, though? I raised four the last time. I could do that again. Five, maybe even six because I know Fox is going to be a way better, more involved parent than my previous mate." Hell, he'd practically been a single father. "So maybe only half a dozen. I will be happy with whatever we get, though, even if it's just one. I don't even care if I have sons or daughters. I just... ah, man, I can't wait." And now he was grinning a bit foolishly, stars in his eyes.

I love how your characters always want to have (at least) a dozen puppies. :) I remember similar conversations between Chakra and March Owl, and Catch and Riot...

It was evident in Peregrine's voice that he was excited to start a family with Fox, and that point was driven further home when he proclaimed that he wanted to have a dozen puppies. Elwood couldn't help but chuckle, imagining the two leaders with twelve little mini-Foxes and mini-Peregrines nipping at their heels. "A dozen would keep you busy, for sure," he laughed, then listened as Peregrine became a bit more serious and admitted that he would be happy with however many children nature decided to give them.

"Do you have any names in mind?" he asked, sure that the father would already have a few ideas in mind, given his anticipation. In the back of his mind, Elwood wondered when he would reach that point in his own life; there were still so many uncertainties in the near future, but he hoped that things would settle down soon enough.

I know, it's so annoying! But Turq didn't want kids, nor did Junior. :P

Elwood wanted to know if they had any names in mind. "We have a few," he admitted, "though nothing set in stone. We want to meet them first. Actually, Fox didn't want to name them until they were a few weeks old. I got her to agree to do it a bit earlier than that. It's traditional in her family to name kids after what they resemble, hence: Fox. In my family, bird names are all the rage." They hadn't really settled on anything specific just yet, so he didn't bother trying to offer examples.

"Man, patrolling is bo-ring," he muttered after a brief but not uncomfortable silence. "I don't know how I'm supposed to show you the ropes when there's absolutely nothing going on. Well..." Peregrine mused, pausing in his tracks. "I guess I could pretend to be a trespasser or, at the very least, a newcomer. Wanna role play some scenarios?"

I tried to get Remedy to give me some info on the Foxegrine pups last night, but she wouldn't share! :P

"That's a great idea," Elwood said genuinely, referring to the concept of waiting to meet the pups before naming them. He was intrigued by the bit of Fox's history that Peregrine indulged; that her family named their children based on appearance and similarity to existing animals. Whether they followed that rule or if they selected a bird name, he knew that the Alpha pair would choose only the best monikers.

As Peregrine paused, commenting on how dull patrolling was -- and Elwood couldn't disagree -- the Gamma halted alongside him, taking the opportunity to sweep his gaze over the empty landscape. He couldn't believe that the only creature they had come across was a fox; but, at the same time, he was glad. He wasn't near experienced enough to handle a difficult situation on the borders. When the Alpha suggested that they act out a scenario, he readily agreed. "Yeah, let's do it...I'll follow your lead," he said, ready to do whatever Peregrine said. He would likely be responsible for responding to whatever disturbance Peregrine presented, so he tensed his muscles in preparation.

That's kind of awesome, lol. I don't think it will be long before the details go public. ;) ;) ;) They will be worth the wait!

Elwood seemed a little uncertain, yet he agreed to try out some play acting. Peregrine paused and tried to think of a common scenario. With a sneer, he realized that it wasn't uncommon to deal with imbecilic trespassers who seemed to lack instincts, etiquette and a sense of smell. He would pretend to be one of those nosy, galling fuckers.

"All right, I'm a lone wolf who smelled a pack and I thought it was totally legit to come onto the territory to check it out. I'm past the borders—not far, but definitely past. What do you do?" It was more of a verbal exercise than anything, though Peregrine began pacing to and fro, sniffing like some overeager dumbass.

I can't wait to see what they will look like! And what their names will be. :)

After a brief moment of thought, Peregrine presented a scenario for Elwood to respond to. He even played the part, adopting the shifty demeanor of a trespasser that had crossed the borders into claimed territory. Elwood licked his lips, thinking through his own actions before responding.

"Well, obviously that's not a good choice on your part as a lone wolf," he said, his legs stiffening as he spoke. His hackles bristled slightly and he stalked towards Peregrine, lowering his head and pressing his ears forward threateningly. He wouldn't actually attack the Alpha, but had he confronted a real loner in this situation, he might have acted more aggressively. For the sake of the activity, he snapped his teeth a few times in Peregrine's direction, then narrated his thoughts. "Since you've shown no regard for our borders, this wouldn't be the time or place for diplomacy. This would be more of a, 'hey, what the hell are you doing' moment," he said, his tail flicking behind him as he waited for Peregrine to present the next step of the situation.

"I'm a fucking moron," Peregrine agreed with a twitch of his lips. His eyes remained mirthless. Although this was a fun little distraction and good practice for Elwood, the Alpha found he ran into this scenario far too often in reality. He had zero patience for intruders, so whereas Elwood mentioned presenting aggressively and offering verbal warnings, the Alpha had a slightly different approach in mind.

But he didn't expect his Wardens to behave the same way, necessarily. There was a spectrum. "Confronting them with a warning is a good start. Myself, I don't even bother with that. I go in for the kill. But that's not necessarily what I expect you or anyone else to do," Peregrine was sure to clarify. "Just as long as you make it very clear that they've made a terrible mistake, you're doing your job. If you want to kill them, then that's an added bonus." He smirked darkly.

Elwood wasn't exactly surprised to hear Peregrine's thoughts on trespassers. The Alpha was warm and jovial with his packmates, but that also meant that he wanted to protect those packmates. He was territorial and admitted up front that he would have no problem attacking a trespasser with the intent to kill.

The aspiring guardian nodded; had he been human, he would have been the studious type (probably with glasses) who wrote down everything that Peregrine said. As it were, he simply stored the information in his mind. His goal, too, was to protect Redhawk Caldera, and though he wasn't necessarily as fierce as Peregrine, he knew that he would do whatever the situation called for. "Got it," he said.

Another soon, yass? :)

"I guess the only other types of wolves you'd really deal with on the borders are prospective joiners and visitors from other packs. Assuming they observe proper border protocol, you can just see what they want and answer their questions at your discretion. In the case of a joiner, feel free to vet them first. If you think they're worth our time, you can summon us, and if you're pretty sure they won't fit into the caldera, feel free to turn them away. This is your pack as well as mine and everyone else's, so I trust your judgment as to who might be a good fit and who wouldn't."

Peregrine's tongue darted out to wet his lips. He felt he had given Elwood a good introductory course in guardianship. There was a lot more to it, most of it rather dry, and it could wait until another day. For now, the Alpha male wanted to wrap up this leg of their mutual patrol, then either find or catch something to eat. He was starting to get hungry and still had no urge to be idle.

"I think I'm gonna go rustle up some grub. You're welcome to join me or continue patrolling. Up to you, Elwood." He paused long enough to let the other male weigh his options, then decide, before loping deeper into the caldera's interior. He would search for prey within their boundaries; there was certainly plenty of good hunting ground right here at home.

Yes ma'am! Glad to be roleplaying with you again. :)

It was this information provided by Peregrine that Elwood would use in the days to come, when intercepting both Godfrey and Tempest at the borders. Luckily, both interactions would go smoothly, with no aggression necessary. But after his training session with the Alpha, he felt fairly confident that he could handle a rogue trespasser if the situation were to arise.

When Peregrine announced that he was going to take a break from patrolling and look for some food, Elwood took him up on the offer to join him. "Yeah, I'll tag along if you don't mind," he said, changing direction to follow the Alpha back up towards the caldera.