Gyrfalcon's Keep Flying High

@Finley

Gunnar found himself standing near the peak of Gyrfalcon's Keep overlooking the coast below. The birds were mostly tucked down for winter, though a few still flew around. He was far enough away that they didn't bother him. He briefly though of his meeting with the male Finn and smiled. He had liked him, and he had taught him a lot. His sister was gone again, her scent leaving the bay. It made him strangely off kilter. It didn't bother him as much as he was certain it would bother his father and mother, but truthfully they had never been close. None of them, they had all been a drift in a sea of familial relations but not friendliness.

Sure they were blood, but they weren't friendly. As a matter of fact, he could honestly not tell anyone anything about them. He shifted and wagged his tail gently, watching the world around him. It was beautiful here.

It was quickly getting to be about time for Finley to head back home to the Caldera. Her explorations along the coast had been interesting. There was something eerie and beautiful about the sea in Winter - watching the snowflakes drift across the sand and disappear into the saltwater. Beaches reminded her of warmth and sun and chasing the waves as they crashed upon the golden sand. To see them covered in frost and ice was just wrong.

So, she turned her sights on landmarks that actually made sense covered in Winter's dressings. Finley had visited the southern base of the mountain she now was climbing, but never before had she spent much time on it. Since now it stood at least somewhat on her way from the coast back to the Caldera, it seemed like just as good a time as any to do some exploring, even though doing so added at least another full day to her trip. She had just about decided there wasn't much to see there besides a pretty neat view of the ocean when she suddenly came upon a young wolf, seated upon a ledge with seemingly nothing to do but stare at the wilderness before him.

Which meant he must be bored out of his mind, much like Fin. The beta barked softly at him to draw his attention, her ears splayed backwards and neck stretched towards him as she sniffled eagerly at the air to catch a taste of his scent.

Gunnar studied the ice and snow that lit up the ocean. You could see further out where there was less ice, but closer inland not so much. He wasn't entirely sure why it did that, just that it did. He imagined it had something to do with the fact that it was more shallow closer to the edge.

A sixth sense warned Gunnar of another and he lifted his head to look around him. Wondering what it was that caused him such a feeling. When his eyes lit upon another and he smiled wagging his tail, for a moment he thought it was his friend Finn from before. They had similar markings and body type.

However, the bark that met his ears was more feminine. For a moment he was a little disappointed, but that passed. Any company was good company right about now. He barked back and wagged his tail.

The flicker of disappointment in the young wolf's face went wholly unnoticed by the female as she happily trotted up to him. His response to her call was genial enough that she didn't hesitate to step right up to him, tapping her nose against his as she sniffed at him. She stepped back after a few seconds to actually get a full view of him, her tail continuing to wave.

"Whatcha doin' up here all alone?" she asked with a small tilt of her head. For a moment, she wondered if she could entice him into a bear hunt like she had the last youngster she'd met OMG WAIT "Hold up!" she barked suddenly, leaning towards him again as her nostrils twitched furiously, "You smell like Small Pox! Are you a part of the same pack? You know him? Little guy, white and freckly?" It was the best description she could offer as she couldn't remember what color his eyes were or whether or not he'd ever shared his actual name.

Gunnar was taken aback by her disregard for his personal space. ALthough he knew it was normal for most ot act this way, he had never been on the receiving end. It wasn't so bad, and he returned the cursory sniff, she smelled like Peregrine though it was stale, mixed with sea salt.

Gunnar spoke quietly Just looking is all. What are you doing up here? he returned her question with a question of his own. She had a lot of questions and he would do his best to answer them. Small pox? He stared at her for a moment, but as she described he nodded You mean Charon. Yea, my parents take care of him. He's like my little brother, but without blood. You're from Peregrines' yea?

Fin noticed him tense as she invaded his bubble, but ignored it as he was quick to relax and reciprocate with curious sniffles of his own. So he was just here to admire the view too, huh? Briefly, she wondered if that was a young wolf thing or a Stavangar Bay thing for Charon had also paused to admire the sights. She smiled at the boy's comments about Small Pox being like his little brother, thinking fondly of her own younger siblings whom she'd left when they were still small.

Her eyes widened when he correctly named Peregrine as her alpha. No one had ever guessed so quickly before, which had never struck her as odd. The alpha was such a homebody, it was really quite surprising just to hear that he actually knew wolves from packs other than the Plateau or the Caldera. "Yeah, I am," she admitted with a smile, "I'm his beta, Finley. You know Peregrine?"

Gunnar often came here to see the view. I like it here. One time a wolf named Finn helped me catch a gyrfalcon baby and eat an egg. It had been his first time eating eggs, and he remembered it fondly. He wondered if he could find that wolf again. Where he was? He wouldn't mind a gamekeeping adventure again.

Gunnar nodded his head In numerous ways. First his daughter Junior. She ended up here for a while. She washed down the river. My parents took care of her. Then I found out that my sperm donor was actually Peregrine's brother Crete. And then when I went on an outriding mission I found his new pack. He shrugged, it was a complicated, twisted, and weird past that held Peregrine in it. He didn't really mind and he didn't see the male as his uncle or anything. He just knew him to be there.

Wow. This kid sure had a lot of super awkward things to say. First he brought up Finn, offering Finley a mental image that was too heartbreakingly adorable for her to hold in her head for too long. She hadn't known he was good with kids. Since when was he good with kids? Boys that were good with kids were so just.. argh, hot, cute, awesome. Get out, Finn, get out!

Then he went on to mention Junior, who had been a total bitch and kicked Fin out of the Plateau when she was weak and injured. Just after Finn had begun to break her heart, and she'd shortly after returned the favor. And then he was talking about sperm donors, which... Need I explain why that was weird? His explanation came to a close and Fin found herself a little lost as to where to go from there. Honestly, the safest topic to pursue from what he'd said seemed to be "sperm donor".

"How cool is his new pack?" she asked suddenly, forcing a grin across her muzzle, "Kind of a walk from here. You like outriding? I'm an outrider." Okay, maybe there were more options for pushing the conversation forward than she realized at first.

Gunnar was oblivious to the fact that he had caused her some unrest. It wasn't like any of what he said should bother her. And as far as he knew she didn't know any of those wolves. Okay well maybe she would know Junior if she knew Peregrine, but that was about it.

Gunnar shrugged, I don't know I never made it to his pack lands. He came across me in neutral territory. I mean it's pretty down that way. He grew quiet again and shifted from foot to foot. My dad is an outrider. I had first wanted to be awarrior, healer and gamekeeper. But I think I may change warrior to outrider. I like to travel to much.

Fin listened eagerly as the young wolf explained how he knew Peregrine. She knew very little in truth about the things that had transpired in the Plateau before she'd come to it. And actually, she hadn't paid all that much attention to what had happened after either since it hadn't really affected her directly. She'd come to the Plateau after Junior had been declared dead, but she'd been there when the girl had come home. That had been a happy time, but had since been marred by how much of a giant bitch she'd been when Fin was injured from her bear fight.

"Sounds kinda familiar," Fin replied with a grin as the boy explained his career goals, "When I started out, I was planning to do outrider, healer and gamekeeper. I switched out healer with warrior when the Caldera recruited another wolf who was practiced in the healing arts." Practiced in the healing arts my goodness, she was a fancy talker today! "Outriding is definitely my favorite. It was the first I went with. I'm like you, I love traveling. But I also like fighting and hunting, way better than I like medicine and crap."

Gunnar didn't think Junior was a bitch. Ambitious maybe, but bitchy no. It actually made him sad that she was missing. She was his sister, and that made all his siblings gone adopted and not. Although he had Charon and Levi now too. But the ones that had been with him in puppy hood, they were gone, just gone.

Gunnar listened and smiled. So it's okay to change your mind then?I was a little nervous since I already told my dad, that I would be those three. He's an outrider though, so I don't think he'll be too angry. So what you doing up here? YOu looking for something to hunt?

"Definitely," Fin confirmed with a confident nod, "In my whole life, I have never stopped becoming interested and disinterested in new and different things. One day you think fishing is the greatest thing ever and you want to be an expert fisherman, then you realize you only liked fishing because you wanted to go swimming. It takes a while to figure out what you're really into." What a wise old woman she was being that day. It was certainly interesting to her to see how much kinder this young boy was than the females she'd met of his same age. He and Small Pox. Maybe it was a boy thing - and just as she thought that, she decided she wanted nothing but sons someday. That was a weird thing to think. What was up with her?

"I was just heading home," Fin replied when asked what she was doing in the mountains, "I prefer taking inconvenient, windy paths." She gave the boy a grin, anticipating that he might understand that sentiment himself as a newly aspiring outrider.

Gunnar listened and frowned a little bit. So did that mean he would never be content. He'd always want to do something more. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, he wanted to have some stuff that he was good at. Not a little bit of everything be okay at. His ambition was too high.

"I'll Remember that.

Gunnar returned her grin. there's so many of those to explore. I can take you up the path to the falcon's nest if you like? We have to be very quiet though. The sight from above is breathtaking.

Hope you don't mind if I fade this out! I'm trying to close up some of Fin's threads cause I'm burrrrried in them x__x This was fun though!!

Had she any idea of what was going on in the boy's inner monologue, she would've clarified what she meant for him. It wasn't that he'd forever be searching and rifling through interests without committing to any. She knew that once he figured out what he truly wanted to do, he'd stick to it - just like she had with her own career choices.

Fin's interest was piqued by the young wolf's suggestion. A falcon's nest, eh? She wasn't too intrigued by the whole breathtaking view thing, but the falcon... "Sure, I have some time to spare," she commented, gesturing for him to feel free to lead the way. Once he began to head up the mountain, Finley was right at his side. And like the impetuous thrillseeker she was, could be heard asking her companion as they disappeared up towards the higher peaks... "..so how big a falcon we talking here?"