Redhawk Caldera Pink pajamas, penguins on the bottom

All welcome!

Since becoming Beta male, Elwood had kept himself busy. There was always some task to be completed -- hunting, patrolling the borders, tending to the caches. And if he wasn't doing one of those things, he was mingling and socializing with his packmates. He had never imagined that his life in Redhawk Caldera would be so fulfilling, but when he laid down to rest, he slept easily.

He wasn't usually one to nap, but when he found himself without any pressing duties in the middle of the afternoon, he retired to his den. Elwood didn't actually enter his burrow, but instead stretched out directly in front of it, enjoying the warmth of the midday sun against his fur. The snow beneath him kept his inner temperature balanced, and with nothing to worry about, he drifted off quickly.

After only a few moments, he slipped into a deep slumber and began to dream. His paws started twitching, mimicking the rhythm of running, and his tail tapped the ground sporadically. With a deep breath that was very nearly a snore, he pulled back his lips into a grimace, his whiskers quivering with the motion. Behind closed lids, his eyes rolled. Whoever came across the sleeping male would have a hard time waking him.

If Redhawk Caldera had been a small corporation (perhaps a brewery with a name like that), business would have been booming. They were officially over capacity, with more warm bodies on the way. Both of these facts delighted Peregrine, even though he was forced to acknowledge the possible quandary of too many mouths to feed. There was going to be a point where the balance of able bodies and hungry mouths tipped out of their favor.

Back in the day, he had always seen wolves leaving as undesirable but, lately, Fox was really starting to rub off on him (in nonsexual ways). He surprised himself by hoping that one or two of the newly forming couples might leave and make their own way. He selfishly hoped it wasn't his Betas or even his Gamma, though he had to admit that Somnia would probably make an excellent leader and there was simply no room for her to properly spread her wings here.

These thoughts swirled slowly around in his brain as he picked his way down the caldera's icy grade. He managed to keep his footing despite his drifting attention, though right after Peregrine passed the halfway point, he tripped over an exposed tree root and went tumbling ass over teakettle downslope, tumbling into the sleeping Elwood with a loud, "OOF!"

As Elwood's dreaming waned, his movement gradually ceased. Soon, the only shift in his body was the steady rise and fall of his sides as he breathed, accompanied by perhaps an occasional twitch of the tip of his tail. He was very nearly still for a good few minutes, until his muscles again began to involuntarily contract.

This time, his forelegs moved rapidly, as though he was digging. He then paused, taking in a deep breath through his nostrils. When he exhaled a moment later, his cheeks billowed out. Despite all the strange tics, he didn't wake. It would take something jarring to shake him from his slumber.

Something like Peregrine falling right on top of him. Suddenly, there was pressure being applied from above, and the wind was promptly knocked out of Elwood's lungs. He gasped, his eyelids snapping open as his instincts kicked in. As soon as the heavy object had moved -- presumably as Peregrine continued to roll -- he swept to his feet, teeth bared and a rumble in his chest. His vision was still bleary, so it took him a long second to identify Peregrine, and then he relaxed, his tail hanging limp between his hind legs. "What a wake up call," he said, shaking his head groggily.

His exclamation was nearly drowned out by Elwood's instantaneous growl. Peregrine slid off the Beta male as he startled and lunged to his feet, though Elwood quickly realized what was happening and calmed. As he slowly pushed himself upright, Peregrine grinned sheepishly and brushed off his black pelt with his right paw.

"Thanks for providing such a soft landing, El!" he chirruped. "I didn't break anything, did I? Sorry, I was totally lost in thought and I tripped," the swarthy Alpha male explained, shaking out his left forepaw. It was suddenly smarting, so he must have landed on it funny during the fall. It wasn't broken, though, or even sprained... just a bit bruised, probably.

Elwood took a moment to stretch out his legs; his joints were stiff both from sleeping and from being steamrolled by Peregrine. Once he was sure that everything felt just fine, he braced himself and shook out his coat, squeezing his eyes shut in the process. When he reopened them, he could see more clearly, and he was slowly regaining his faculties. He stifled a yawn as he looked to Peregrine, who apologized with a good-natured tone.

"Nah, I'm good," he said, though his gaze was drawn to the paw that Peregrine was favoring. "Looks like you might've banged yourself up a little bit," he added. It was obvious that, if there was an injury, it wasn't severe, so Elwood didn't suggest that they go look for Ashton. Had either of them been more banged up, he would have liked for the medic to give them a check up.

As for whatever had Peregrine so distracted, he would have bet money that it had something to do with Fox and the pups. "What were you thinking about?" he asked, wondering if his assumption would be correct.

"I was just thinking that I must have landed on it wrong when I was falling," Peregrine mused in reply, "but I actually think this is the foot that got caught up on the rock or root or whatever it was that sent me flying." He licked it, then placed it back on the ground. He put some weight on it experimentally. It ached a bit but it wouldn't really affect him much. "It's fine," he concluded aloud.

Elwood wanted to know what had driven the Alpha male to such distraction. "You, actually," Peregrine said without missing a beat. He waggled his eyebrows, then resumed a more normal expression. "I was thinking about how we have all these great wolves in the caldera, including several potential mated pairs. Back in the day, I prized loyalty above most things but now... I don't know. I'd like for everyone to stay but some of you would make awesome Alphas and parents. I'd never want to hold anybody back from that but, unfortunately, we can't just let everyone breed willy nilly, no matter how much we like them. And, obviously, there can only be two Alphas..."

He trailed off there, eyes flicking from his tender foot to Elwood's face. His eyes searched his Beta's, wondering what this issue looked like from the (probable) other side of the fence. He and Fox wouldn't be stepping aside anytime soon; this was their handpicked territory, after all. Nor would they be sharing breeding rights with just anyone. Inevitably, this would lead to some of the wolves splintering off to form their own family packs. It made him sad but it was just the fact of the matter. And these days, he really couldn't bring himself to hold it against anyone if they followed the example he and Fox had set.

The Alpha explained how he thought he had injured his paw, to which Elwood gave a nod. It made sense; he could have very easily wrenched it as he fell, or it could have been the culprit that caused the entire tumble. Either way, he was glad to hear that Peregrine wasn't worried about it.

As Peregrine went on to elaborate on the thoughts that had distracted him in the first place, Elwood settled himself onto his haunches, his ears turned toward the swarthy male. He raised a paw and put it to his chest, mouthing the word "Me?" when Peregrine initially responded that his Beta had been on his mind. There was more depth to what Peregrine had to say, however; a good amount of food for thought, and Elwood could understand why he hadn't been paying attention to where he was stepping.

"You know, that makes a lot of sense, actually. Not that I plan on going anywhere anytime soon, but it's good to know that if I was thinking about it, I would have your blessing," he replied. Had he been in a relationship or had more aspirations for leadership, the young wolf might have planned to move on at some point -- but having just arrived only two months ago, he still felt like he was learning a lot about life and what he wanted out of it. For now, he was happy with his station. If that were to change, however, he would want to know that there was no bad blood between himself and his former Alphas. After a beat, he added jokingly, "You might want to watch out for Fin, though. She was conspiring to kill you and Fox and steal your pups..."

The Alpha male did not reply right away. He considered Elwood's words for a long moment. Would he really give them his blessing? Peregrine didn't know that he would be so generous about it. He would understand it on some level and wouldn't prevent it, yet he didn't know that he would see the happy couple off with a wave of a handkerchief either. Truthfully, he didn't know how he'd react if and when it actually happened. Maybe he thought he would behave one way and it would turn out he'd actually respond in a totally different way. There was only one way to found out and he wasn't exactly eager to get there.

Peregrine waved a paw dismissively. "I'm sure Fin—and you—are plotting our demise in a thousand different ways all the time," he quipped. "I'm not worried about you two. Don't you realize Fox and I are building an army? You guys can recruit all the bears you want; they won't have anything on our Firebirds," he teased. It was tempting to start babbling about pups then, yet he resisted the urge. The pack was excited about the litter, so he didn't want to go into overkill territory.

"So that was a hell of a game the other day, wasn't it?" Peregrine asked, referring to the pack play session Somnia had organized. Sure, it was indirectly related to the pups but it was about one of their star pack mates. "Som knocked it out of the park, didn't she? She's actually the one I keep thinking of when I start pondering who might up and leave. You and Fin at least have leadership ranks. Som would be a leader too, if there was more room. I feel like she'll eventually get tired of the glass ceiling and run off with Ashton."

"You have no idea," Elwood quipped in response to Peregrine's claim that his Beta pair had a myriad of plans to take over Redhawk Caldera. His imagination ran wild for a brief moment, imagining the battle that would ensue between the firebirds and the bears -- first of all, the thought of Finley commanding a bear army was hilarious. But second of all, despite the obvious size and weight advantage that the bears would have, he wouldn't be surprised if the offspring of Peregrine and Fox kicked their asses. Maybe kidnapping them wouldn't be so easy after all...

He shook his head, chuckling as Peregrine changed the subject smoothly. Elwood, too, had been impressed by Somnia's ambition and by how well her caretaking activity had gone. She was one of Elwood's closest friends -- probably his best friend, aside from Finley (but who knew what she actually was to him) -- and her success filled him with pride. Something Elwood hadn't considered before was Somnia's leadership potential -- she was a level-headed, smart and thoughtful wolf, and would excel at the head of a pack. But Peregrine was right: there just wasn't room for her to move up within the caldera.

"Somnia's great," he agreed heartily. "I hadn't thought about it before, but you're right -- I think she would make an excellent leader. I'd hate to see her go, but I guess we'll have to see how things play out." He hadn't talked to Somnia about Ashton recently, and as far as he knew nothing was official, but things could very well go in the way that Peregrine predicted. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Do you think you and Fox will continue to limit subordinates from breeding?" Whatever Peregrine's answer was, it wouldn't affect Elwood now -- but it could be something to consider for the future. He didn't necessarily want to be an Alpha, but he did want to start a family someday down the road.

The Beta male agreed with Peregrine's observations about Somnia. It made him want to ask Fox if they could make the Gamma rank an honorary leadership position or something. But wouldn't that be too many chiefs and not enough Indians or something like that? He sighed inwardly, trying to accept the inevitable. Somnia deserved the best anyway. In the meantime, they could enjoy her—especially her burgeoning child-rearing capabilities.

Elwood wanted to know about future puppy prospects and Peregrine paused before answering. "We've agreed that we want our litter to be at least six months old before we consider letting anyone else breed. Even then, I can't see us handing out that privilege easily. Honestly, we'd probably extend it to our Betas—you and Fin, in this case—but it's unlikely we'd allow anyone else." It would be easiest if the Betas bred together in that scenario, though even if they found separate mates, that would mean a maximum of three litters, which seemed more than enough.

Elwood thought that six months was a reasonable amount of time to wait before allowing other members of the pack to breed. It didn't seem to be anyone's top priority, despite the love that seemed to be in the air, so he didn't anticipate any conflicts. Had he been ready to have children himself, he might have felt differently, but for now he considered the "rule" to be fair.

"Well, don't hold your breath for me and Fin anytime soon," he quipped with a grin, misunderstanding the other implication of Peregrine's words -- that he and Finley could take mates separate from each other and potentially be granted breeding rights. "But I think that's totally reasonable -- this pack belongs to you and Fox, and you came here specifically to raise your own children," he said. He backed his Alphas on this topic, though he could understand why Peregrine was putting so much thought into it.

"How's Fox feeling, by the way?" he asked, considering this a natural segue due to the Alpha female's pregnancy. "And you, for that matter," Elwood added, remembering that Peregrine, too, had been a little under the weather during Somnia's activity.

Peregrine offered Elwood a lopsided smile when he joked about himself and Finley. "Even if you two ended up with other people, I think it would still stand," he said offhandedly. "That would give us three litters a year, max, or two if you two did wind up together. Doable, either way." Then again, it depended on how many were born and how many adults were around to provide for them. It was a logistics game which Peregrine didn't feel like playing at the moment.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he was happy to seize upon the new subject that Elwood provided. "She's been vomiting a bit. She can't manage more than small meals. I was feeling a bit sick too, at first, but I'm fine now. And we're both in good spirits. It's easier to deal with that kind of thing when you know what it means." The Alpha's lips twitched.

"You know, I was so caught up in my own thoughts, I'm not even sure where I was heading when I ran into you—literally." Peregrine licked his lips thoughtfully, then looked to the Beta. "What do you feel like doing, assuming you want to do anything at all? Or would you like to return to the land of nod?"

The Alpha clarified that he didn't just mean that Finley and Elwood had to end up together -- they could very well take other mates. It wasn't something that had occurred to Elwood previously (in fact, he tried to avoid all thoughts of relationships, not wanting to complicate things further with his friend), but he was surprised to feel a twinge of sadness at the thought. It was uncalled for, or so he thought, but he brushed the emotion aside quickly.

Rather than respond to that part of the conversation, Elwood focused instead on what Peregrine said about Fox. He imagined that feeling sick wasn't fun, but knowing its cause would make it more tolerable, as Peregrine mentioned. "Hopefully the nausea won't last long," he commented, thinking back to his conversation with Fox about signs of pregnancy.

He stretched thoughtfully as Peregrine asked if there was something particular that he wanted to do. There hadn't been much on his agenda for the afternoon, but now that he was awake, he didn't mind the thought of hanging out with Perry a little longer. "I don't have anything in mind, but I can always hunt. I'm up for whatever," he said, meeting his friend's green gaze.

Elwood said he was game for a hunt, though an idea suddenly struck the Alpha and he proposed, "Hey, what about a spar instead? Someone told me you were working on the Warrior trade." Peregrine wasn't actually sure who had told him that or when. Maybe he had only dreamed it. Well, the Beta male would surely correct him if he was wrong. And right or wrong, they could still have a play fight!

"Well? What'cha think?" he asked, dropping forward into a playful bow, rump swinging in the air and his plush black tail flailing.

Peregrine had an even better idea, and Elwood perked up at the mention of a spar. The "someone" that had mentioned his warrior aspirations was probably Fox -- he had battled with her recently, though he had also tangled with FitzDutiful. The pack would soon be full of wolves that were prepared to defend and fight for the caldera, should the need ever arise.

"Bring it on!" he replied, dropping into a pose that mimicked Peregrine's. His elbows rested on the ground for a moment, then he sprung forward, snapping his teeth at the larger male's face as he landed and then veered to the right.

Not only was he game, Elwood launched himself at Peregrine. For a split second, all the Alpha male could see was a high-definition view of the inside of his Beta's mouth, complete with a bumpy pink tongue, ridged gums and two rows of slightly yellow fangs. Then the gray wolf was feinting to the right and Peregrine finally had enough wherewithal to react. Even as Elwood presumably lunged at his left foreleg, Peregrine swiped the air with it, hoping to knock the Beta male back.

His forepaws hit the ground and he aimed himself at Peregrine's leg. The other male was quick to react, however, striking out with the very appendage that had been Elwood's target. Peregrine's paw contacted Elwood's chest, with just enough force to force him to step backwards.

He collected himself, shifting his weight to his haunches and moving forward once again. This time, he dropped his head down and to the right, leading with his shoulder as he sought to bump into Peregrine's chest or withers -- unless the Alpha changed his position and thus the location of impact.

He managed to shove Elwood backward, though the Beta took only a second or two to recover and charge again. Without time to deflect this second attack, Peregrine did indeed turn, meeting the gray wolf's shoulder with his own. The impact caused him to grunt, though he scarcely budged. Grinning rather cockily, Peregrine flared his nostrils and snorted, backing up a few steps to reopen the gap between them.

"Is that all you've got, El O El?" the Alpha playfully mocked his opponent, fully unaware of his chatspeak pun.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Elwood retorted, though in all reality, Peregrine would likely be the winner at the end of this friendly spar. The Alpha had the advantage of size, and was likely more skilled due to age and experience. That wouldn't stop Elwood from giving it his all, though -- or at least, as much of his "all" as a play fight required.

His shoulder ached slightly where he had slammed into Peregrine, so he paused for just a moment to roll it and stretch out the joint. Peregrine was waiting for him to make the next move. After careful calculation (which was, in reality, about half a second of consideration) Elwood pounced again, hoping to land his paws on Peregrine and force him to the ground.

In response to Elwood's taunt, the Alpha male's mouth split into a wolfish grin. He did not make a move, fully embracing a defensive role. The Beta didn't make him wait long before attempting a third assault. This time, he leaped into the air and came bearing down, most likely trying to push Peregrine to the ground. The seasoned Warden could have easily stood firm against this type of attack, yet he let his legs buckle. This was a play fight, after all, and it was meant to be fun.

On that note, the swarthy male let out a girlish scream as he went down and then rolled onto his back. He flailed his limbs in the air and tucked his tail up between his legs, covering his bits. He looked very much the picture of an Omega wolf, despite his size and strength.

Elwood was a little surprised when Peregrine went down so easily; he had expected more resistance from the Alpha male, though he wouldn't complain. He stepped back as soon as the larger wolf toppled to the ground, grinning as Peregrine squealed and dramatically submitted.

He laughed, lifting his chin as he placed one paw on Peregrine's chest (a maneuver that he had learned from Fox herself!). He didn't remain in that position long, however, and soon retreated so that his friend could right himself. "Good effort," he said teasingly, knowing full well that the more experienced warden could have ensured his own victory.

Wanna fade this, since we have another? :D

Although Elwood's paw on his chest did not actually hurt him in any way, Peregrine grimaced and said, "Oof!" as if all the weight of the world rested on his ribs. He suddenly relaxed all his muscles and flopped motionless to the ground. He lay prone for a few seconds before abruptly leaping back onto all fours and playfully snapping his jaws at the Beta male.

"You'd better run or I'm gonna pound your face!" the Alpha male warned in a lighthearted voice that did not at all match his words. He motioned for Elwood to flee. He would then wait five or maybe even ten seconds before pursuing him on a chase around the caldera and, perhaps, another round of sparring once he caught him.

Yus! :)

When Peregrine righted himself and directed a nip in his direction, accompanied by a playful threat, Elwood immediately reacted. He spun and dug his back paws into the ground, sending up a shower of snow and dirt as he raced away.

He intended to put up a good chase, zigging and zagging up and down the slopes of the caldera. And soon, both males had vanished from their previous location, leaving only a smattering of pawprints in the snow.