Redhawk Caldera writing on the wall

If Fox wasn't pregnant. Well, she was sure she'd go into heat again if that was the case. That's how that worked, right? The timing had been perfect, though, and she and Peregrine had spent nearly every waking moment ensuring that he'd put babies inside of her. Now that she'd cooled down, so to speak, Fox was eager to get back into the routine of being a full-fledged member of Redhawk Caldera. She missed the familiar faces of which she'd avoided the past week, and she wanted to get to know some of the less-than-familiar faces. Hopefully, somebody would be out and about.

Scurrying down the snow-covered southern side of her mountain home, Fox somehow managed to make the trek without busting her ass. Snorting away the snow that had accumulated in her nose, Fox looked up from her path now that she was at the bottom. There, she perked up and looked around for anybody who might be nearby. Concluding that there was nobody in the immediate vicinity, Fox let out a welcoming howl to anybody who wanted to come hang out with her for a little while.

I've been wanting a Fox thread! :)

A lot had happened within the last week or so: Elwood had been promoted to Beta, the Alpha pair had consummated at the pack meeting, and Finley had convinced half the pack that his name was Twig. Elwood was tired, and for good reason. A lot of his time lately had been spent romping around the caldera; he felt that it was time for him to settle down and get back to business. Whether or not his packmates would allow that to happen remained to be seen.

He was now a gamekeeper and warden by trade, and knew that he could take up a third job if he desired. The choice wasn't an easy one, though, and that's what was on his mind as he meandered near the borders. He was distracted when he heard Fox's voice nearby, and paused in his step, ears rotating on his head. She didn't sound distressed; instead, her call was welcoming, so he turned on his heel and followed the source of the sound. He hoped that Peregrine wouldn't be attached to her rear end when he arrived.

"Hey, Fox!" he yipped as he drew nearer. The Alpha female's fiery coat was a stark contrast to her snowy surroundings. "How are you feeling?" her second-in-command asked, glancing around as though Peregrine might leap out of the shrubbery at any moment and start humping her.

Of all the wolves who could have responded to her call, she was quite pleased with who greeted her. It was none other than Elwood, and she greeted him with a wagging tail and a happy yip in his direction. “Never better!” she replied, her voice chipper and obviously feeling rejuvenated. She was curious to know how things were going with Finley... even though she'd spoken to her Beta female only a few days ago. (I don't know how that thread is going to go, so... making some assumptions!) Their chat had been brief, but Fox was glad that she hadn't been completely isolated for the entire time that she'd been glued to Peregrine. Reverting back to social time with her friends was something she hadn't realized she had missed so much.

“Sorry Peregrine insisted on making everything so goddamn awkward. I was just sort of in a drunken haze the entire week, and I couldn’t have told him no if I tried.” She followed this up with an apologetic shrug, hoping that Elwood hadn't been totally put off by her lover's odd behavior. She was all for voyeurism, but Perry seemed to have taken that to a whole new level, and she had a feeling it had made some of their members just a wee bit uncomfortable. Then again, maybe she shouldn't feel bad about it at all. She was the HBIC, and she didn't have to do (or refrain from) anything, really.

Elwood had to admit that he was relieved when Fox responded so cheerfully. A small part of him had been worried that her raging hormones would have put her in a bad mood -- from what he had seen, that could happen to a female at any moment, and he imagined that it would be worse when one was in heat. Thankfully, though, he didn't have to worry about getting his head ripped off -- and it seemed like Peregrine wasn't going to make an appearance, either.

He closed the gap between himself and Fox, keeping his head and tail low as a sign of deference. If he actually tried to make himself appear smaller than her, he would have had to crawl on his belly, but he knew that wasn't necessary. When he was close enough, he bumped his snout against her shoulder amiably, then took a step back so that they could talk comfortably. She apologized for Peregrine's behavior at the pack meeting, and he chuckled and shook his head. The Alpha male had said he was sorry, as well. "It's okay. Honestly, it kept things kind of interesting -- and I think it was a good introduction to the pack for Tempest. She needs to know what she's getting into," he quipped. In only two months' time, the wolves of the caldera had become his close friends. They could all be a little quirky, but that's why he loved them.

“Hah!” Fox exclaimed when he mentioned Tempest. The girl had nearly witnessed yet another lovemaking session earlier that day, and it was a good thing she'd run off before the most awkward bit of sex Fox had ever had. Not that she was about to go spilling that to Elwood. That was more of a girl-talk sort of subject, even if she did consider Elwood one of her good friends. There were some things she simply wouldn't reveal to the opposite gender (aside from Peregrine, of course). “If she doesn’t know by now… I’m sure she’s too dull to back out.” Not that Fox wanted her to scurry away from the caldera... unless the girl brought trouble. In which case Fox would have no problem sending her packing.

“How has the Beta team been holding up in our absence?” Fox asked. The Alpha pair had been around, but not really here, so to speak. Fox had been immensely grateful that they'd had two Betas to deal with the everyday parts of packlife during the past week. She was pretty sure she would've bitten off any newcomer's face if they'd gotten anywhere close to her.

Elwood, too, chuckled as he thought of Tempest. He had been a bit unsure about her when he and Fox first met her at the borders, but she seemed to fit in well with the rest of the pack. Though they were fiercely territorial when it came to outsiders, the wolves of Redhawk Caldera seemed to have struck a strong bond with one another. It was easy to get along with nearly everyone there; Elwood couldn't think of a single wolf in their ranks that he disliked.

He twitched an ear thoughtfully as Fox asked how he and Finley had been handling their responsibilities while the Alpha pair was indisposed. "It's been pretty quiet, actually," he said. He had spent most of his time with Finley goofing off, but he didn't admit that to Fox. Truthfully, there hadn't been any disturbances within or outside of their territory, and for that, he was thankful. "I think Fin and I make a good team, though," he continued, unable to stop the lopsided grin that pulled at the corner of his mouth -- or the fondness that crept into his voice.

Quiet was good, especially considering the time of the year and the fact that Redhawk now had an expectant mother. The last thing Fox wanted was for there to be trouble, and it seemed that wasn't likely to happen unless they made trouble for themselves. Elwood (or Twig, as he seemed to be known these days) commented on Finley and their compatibility as a team. Fox wasn't so stupid as to not pick up on what was going on. It was quite clear that Finley and Elwood were going to hook up eventually. The two of them were like two peas in a pod. It was so terribly romantic.

"Oh, do you," Fox replied, flashing Elwood a knowing look. "Have you boned her yet?" The Redleaf-DiSarinno had never been known for her tact, and she wasn't about to change that just because she'd gotten knocked up. Mother or not, she'd be the same old Fox. She was determined not to let the little hellions change her personality for the better.

The Alpha female's response caught Elwood off guard, first with her astute glance and then with her bold question. It seemed to be no secret to anyone else in the pack that there was something going on between Elwood and Finley -- but somehow, the two of them managed to remain completely oblivious. Or, at least, in denial.

He felt heat creeping up his neck and into his cheeks as he shook his head, trying to play it off as though he was in on her joke. Because it was a joke. Right? "You know, not everyone is as randy as you and Peregrine," he quipped, though the chuckle he paired with his statement was a little weak. His mind was whirring, though -- what had put that thought in Fox's head to begin with? Had Finley said something to her, or had he given himself away? Did he really even like her?

All he knew was that he enjoyed Finley's company; they were comfortable with each other, and their interactions were easy and natural. Maybe Fox was only messing with him because he and Finley were the Beta pair -- yeah, that had to be it.

"Psh," Fox replied, "I don't believe that for a second. I'll bet as soon as Finley starts smelling good, you'd be on her like... like something that goes onto something else really, really fast." The sprightly Alpha had never been terribly good at analogies. "Besides, you two seem like you'd make a good match. You two are already the Beta pair, aren't you?" And what was a pair but a couple of awesome wolves who should probably get together? Fox had always been traditional in that way, thinking that the Alpha pair and Beta pair should be mated with one another. Well, not like in a four-way situation. Just Alpha-Alpha and Beta-Beta. It made sense.

But she'd stop harassing him about his love life. She had Finley for that kind of entertainment, anyway.

"Anything else new? You excited for the hellspawn Peregrine and I are about to bring into the world?" she asked. Obviously, she was excited about it. She wanted everybody to be excited, though. This would be Redhawk Caldera's first brood, and she was eager to have everybody involved in their upbringing. Each and every one of the wolves that lived here was special to her.

Fox only succeeded in embarrassing Elwood further, though she was also giving him plenty of food for thought. She had planted the seed in his mind that he had been afraid to sow. It was something that would be there from that moment on, and he wondered if it would change his perception of Finley. Would he feel awkward around her? He hoped not; he liked the vibe that they had, and Fox was right when she said that they would make a good match. They already were, just not in a romantic sense.

He shook his head again but couldn't help but smile at her persistence. Were she to pick a fourth trade, he would have suggested matchmaker; it seemed like an activity that she was fairly interested in. "I guess we'll see what happens," he finally conceded after a long pause. His words were kind of a cop-out, but he really did believe that to be true. Only time could tell what would happen with any situation, and his relationship with Finley could grow or deteriorate. He hoped to nurture it, but he knew that pushing her too far would be detrimental.

Luckily, Fox sensed his discomfort and took pity on him, as she changed the subject. There wasn't anything new to report, but he could certainly share in the excitement for the impending hellspawn. "Oh, yeah, especially after your show at the feast," he teased, but in reality he was anticipating the arrival of the Alphas' children. The pack was already pretty close-knit, and he imagined that they would only come together more with youngsters to care for. "Peregrine said that you want to wait and name them until you see them," he said, recalling a recent conversation with Fox's mate.

Fox was fairly certain that Finley and Elwood getting together was inevitable. The two were practically married already. They just hadn't added the romance to their relationship yet. It was only a matter of time, Fox concluded smugly.

Elwood brought up naming the children next, which seemed to be a rather hot topic these days. “Family tradition,” Fox explained, “I wasn’t named until I was three or four weeks old. It's considered bad luck back home. Besides, how am I supposed to name somebody I haven't even seen yet?” The thought was downright absurd to her, who had always known that she would need to see her children before she gave them names. “We’re also named after what we look like, which kind of explains the whole waiting thing.” Fox resembled a fox, Robin resembled a robin, and so on and so forth.

“What about your family?” Fox asked, “Have they got any naming traditions?” It seemed a common tradition for families to have. Perry's own family named their offspring after birds. Actually, that was the only other wolf she'd spoken to about naming conventions. Perhaps they were the odd ones out. Thankfully, Perry's and Fox's traditions lined up quite nicely... so long as their children were colored like birds. Considering Fox already had a Dove, Robin, and Finch for siblings, it didn't seem that outlandish.

"Yeah, that's what Peregrine said," he replied after Fox explained her family's tradition and the meaning behind it. Though it wasn't something Elwood would have thought of himself, it made a lot of sense -- especially when Fox said, "How am I supposed to name somebody I haven't even seen yet?" "I like that concept; it makes things interesting, and kind of a surprise," he added, wondering what his name would have been had his family followed Fox's guidelines. Squirrel? Rock? Cloud? Once upon a time, he had hated his own name, but those options made "Elwood" seem much nicer.

He chuffed, then, as he prepared to explain the Grove family's custom. "My family is the total opposite of yours. Very little creativity involved...my dad's name is Elwood, and his dad's name is Elwood, and his dad's name is Elwood," he said dryly, quirking his eyebrow at Fox as he waited for her reaction. "It goes back as far as I can remember. If I was still at home, I would be expected to name my son Elwood. I don't think I'll be doing that, though," he continued. His conversation with Siv (in which she had proposed reversing his name and calling his child Doowle) had given him a new outlook on the topic, as did hearing of Fox's intentions for her offspring.

Fox certainly hoped it would be a surprise! Her own family had a large range of colors, so they could come out looking like just about anything. If they'd all been one color, she imagined names would have gotten used again and again: namely raven, crow, panther, and jackdaw. The latter actually would have made a pretty decent name, and Fox wondered if she would create a black pup to name that. Considering Peregrine's coat color, it was certainly possible. Then again, Raven would have made a pretty good name, too. She'd have to consider them if she had any dark pups this year (or next, for that matter).

When Elwood explained how his name had come about, Fox muttered a bemused, "Huh." She silently wondered if he didn't want to use the name because he didn't like where he'd come from and didn't want to be reminded of it. "Does that mean all your brothers, uncles, boy cousins, and nephews are named Elwood, too?" she asked. That could make things really confusing. Maybe they had unique nicknames.

The Alpha female asked a completely valid question, though the thought did make Elwood chuckle. It was already confusing enough with just a few Elwoods running around -- imagine if every male sibling or cousin had shared his name. "No, thank goodness," he said, "it's just the firstborn males in my family. I have a couple of older sisters, but I was the lucky first boy. And there are a some other wolves in that pack that aren't related to us, so they won't have any Elwoods."

Though his family's pack had started out small, it had grown to a considerable size by the time Elwood left. They had accepted a few drifters, and some of his sisters had gone off with other males to settle and start their own families nearby. He and Avery had probably gone farther than anyone else, though he wasn't thinking about the distance presently. "Do you have any preferences on if you have boys or girls?" he asked, glancing at Fox. He knew that Peregrine hoped for a dozen children, so a 50/50 split would be perfect.

“Ohhh,” Fox replied, glad to know that there weren't ten thousand Elwoods running around. Not because Elwood was bad or anything. She just thought it would be massively inconvenient and confusing. The thought of ten thousand copies of her Beta was even a little daunting. She liked him, of course, and he was quickly moving into "friend" territory, but having that many around her would be pure madness. How would she ever get to talk to anybody else?

Elwood smoothly transitioned the conversation back to the pups, and Fox tilted her head pensively. “I guess I hadn’t given it much thought,” Fox admitted. “We get to have so many, so I figure we’ll get plenty of both worlds.” If they had it their way, twelve little balls of fur and flesh would come tumbling out of her in a couple of months. And even if it was only one, Fox would be the happiest gal in the world.

"Yeah, at least a dozen, from what Peregrine has said!" Elwood replied, unknowingly voicing Fox's thoughts at that very moment. It was unlikely that her litter would really be that large, but even if it was, he knew that the whole pack would embrace the Alphas' children and help care for them. Though they had all started out as relative strangers, for the most part, Elwood could now count a handful of his packmates as his close friends.

He glanced at Fox's abdomen, which still looked as smooth and as sleek as ever. In time, though, her sides would swell; Elwood tried to imagine what the petite leader would look like with a pregnant belly. He didn't know much about pregnancy due to his young age, so he was full of questions, some which might not have been appropriate to ask the mother-to-be. But he did inquire, "When will you...know?"

Lol, Elwood is basically the same age as Fox. XD

“We don’t get to know what sexes they are until they come out,” she said, giving Elwood a "how dumb are you?" look. It would be another couple of months before that happened. “Elwood, do you even know how babies are made?” she asked, sticking her tongue out at him. He had, of course, gotten the full show at the winter feast, and surely he'd caught glances when she and Peregrine had been at it for a whole week, humping themselves raw. It got her wondering how old he was and whether or not he'd ever boinked a girl or not. She knew for a fact that Finley had. Well, less fact and more contextual clues the girl dropped left and right.

Hahaha, I totally didn't mean to make Elwood seem like a dummy, but hey, it works. :P Also, I always forget how young Fox is!

Fox's response caused Elwood to blink, then shake his head hard. "No, no, that's not what I meant! I know that," he said, feeling a little self-conscious. What it that easy for her to assume that he was clueless? Well, truthfully, he was a little oblivious, but he at least knew the basics.

"I meant...when will you know that they're in there?" he tried to clarify, though his question still sounded dumb to his own ears. "Before you start showing...like, will you feel different?" He couldn't quite find the way to phrase his question without it sounding ignorant, so he shook his head again. "Never mind, I'll just shut up," he said with a laugh.

Fox often doesn't get subtle clues and misunderstands things, lol.

“Ohhhh,” Fox replied, finally realizing what Elwood was asking. “I think we’ll know in a week or two.” From what little she recalled about her aunt and Tuwawi, it usually started with weird things happening with her nipples, then got increasingly weird until her belly got big. Then she pooped them out all at once, and they all went to sucking on her teats. Totally normal, natural stuff, right? (Ugh, pregnancy squicks me out so much. Writing this makes my stomach turn!)

“I’m pretty sure I get to vomit a little bit!” she said, tail wagging as if this was the best thing ever to happen. “And I won’t want to eat much later on, because all those babies will be getting in the way of my stomach near the end. Have you ever been around a preggo before?” Fox asked. If not, he was in for one hell of a treat. Or terror.

Thankfully, Fox understood what he meant and Elwood felt a little less like a dummy. He was relieved; he didn't want her to go back to Peregrine and say, "Hey, that Elwood character seems a little dim to be our Beta male." If that happened, Finley would never let him live it down.

She began detailing the changes that would happen to her body over the next few weeks, and Elwood couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. Vomiting? Loss of appetite? Okay, so the second thing didn't seem so bad, but he was sure there were other things about pregnancy that weren't pleasant. It wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows, but Fox didn't try to sugarcoat it.

"One of my older sisters was pregnant around my first birthday, but I wasn't around her much," he replied, thinking back to that time. He remembered that her stomach had gotten very round, and he had enjoyed playing with his little nieces and nephews once they were born, but he had been lucky to miss out on all the gross stuff.

"Well," the foxy Alpha replied, "You'll get plenty of time around me!" She said this as if it was the best thing that could possibly happen to her Beta male, even if she fully expected to be cranky and ill-tempered a majority of the time. Then again, maybe she'd be happy and light as a feather for the duration. Who could tell?

"Think you'll want kids of your own one day?" Fox asked. She was pretty sure it was everybody's will to procreate and keep their genes going, but maybe Elwood was a freak of nature. She tried to picture little Finwood babies running around, but it wasn't all that interesting considering how similar they looked to one another. She and Peregrine, on the other hand, had plenty of contrast to go around.

Want to wrap this up soon? :)

Elwood chuckled, glad that Fox would want to have him around during her pregnancy. Not that he had any reason to think otherwise -- after all, she and Peregrine trusted him enough to make them their Beta male (or second-and-a-half-in-command, as he liked to think of himself). Until now, he hadn't spent much time with Fox, aside from pack meetings and the run-in with the cougar. It seemed that their interactions would always be more action-packed than this one -- in the next few days, he would help her chase a rogue female out of their territory, and would also practice sparring with her.

She then asked about his own intentions for offspring in the future. He tilted his head thoughtfully. It wasn't something he had considered often or in detail, but he had always assumed that he would have children someday. "I hope to," he replied earnestly, knowing that it would still be a year or two until that happened. And would it even occur here, at Redhawk Caldera? That, too, remained to be seen, though he didn't voice those thoughts aloud. "I'll have to see how much I like your kiddos. I figure if I can put up with a bunch of firebirds, then I can handle anything," he joked.

Last post for me!

"Ain't that the truth," Fox replied, a wide grin reaching from ear to ear. She knew that whatever she and Peregrine managed to produce would be some kind of hellspawn. Both of them had strong personalities which were likely to mold their children to have the same. Then again, there could always be a fluke. Fox's own parents were pretty mellow compared to her. It made sense that she had outgrown their pack and been driven to start something on her own.

"One of these days, you're going to have to help me plan a prank on Finley. I really want to get her good..." Fox trailed off, giving Elwood a most devilish grin. There wasn't any particular reason she wanted to do it. Then again, Finley had gotten Fox into plenty of trouble in the past, and the girl seemed to thrive on chaos. Perhaps adding a little more to her life would only serve to spice things up.

<3

If Elwood thought living in the caldera was entertaining now, the addition of the Redleaf-DiSarinno children would only serve to spice things up more. He was looking forward to their birth more with each passing day, not only because he wanted to see the pack grow and prosper, but also because Peregrine and Fox were becoming like family to him. They had welcomed him with open arms, and he enjoyed the time that he spent with both of them.

Elwood's ears pricked as Fox suddenly suggested that they play a prank on Finley. This was something that he would never say no to. He returned her devious smile and said, "You just say the word, and I'll be your accomplice."

For now, though, it was time for Fox to return to her mate and Elwood to return to his duties. So the friends parted ways with a few amiable words and promises to conspire together soon.