Redhawk Caldera the old bridge is on fire and i’m the one to blame

@Fox and @Peregrine — I know there's still no room, but I thought I should make it interesting. I don't think she'd keep putting it off. :X

She'd been back in the Wilds for several days, now, doing whatever she could think of to avoid the entire reason she had returned in the first place. Every step she took towards Redhawk Caldera made her want to vomit from the anxiety— a reaction she had never experienced before in her life. She had been through a lot in her one year, but anxiety was alien to her. She usually faced her fears with anger and boldness, or just let them roll off her shoulders and didn't face them at all. Somehow, this time was different. Perhaps because for the first time ever, she felt like everything was at stake— and that she was powerless to do anything about it.

Seeing Summer again had been the push she needed, it seemed. If she could face that, she could certainly face this— couldn't she?

The haunch of a young doe hung from her jaws, the taste of blood running down her throat doing little to calm her stomach. It hadn't been a hard catch, once she managed to catch one of the herd alone; the ungulate had dashed into deep snow while the rest of her herd went the other way and got herself stuck. It was embarrassingly easy. But it was meat, and she couldn't arrive on Fox and Peregrine's doorstep without an offer of goodwill— she knew that much.

When the walls of the caldera rose up before her, the faint scent of its wolves carried down below the elevation, Magpie dropped the haunch and tenuously howled for the alpha pair.

Unfortunately for Magpie, her visit coincided with the presumed disappearance of several of the caldera's members, which angered the Alpha male. He had recently come to terms with the idea that some wolves just came and went for various reasons; it was an inevitability. What bothered him were the wolves that disappeared without a word—just took advantage of the pack and its resources and silently vanished into thin air.

When he spotted the unmistakable figure in the distance, all the Alpha male could do was bristle and think, Ungrateful brat. He prowled down the mountainside to intercept her and tell her to take that deer leg in her mouth and shove it right up her ass. Especially with their pups due in the next month, Peregrine had no room in his heart or his ranks for thankless freeloaders.

Fox's belly had begun to grow visibly, and she was beginning to take notice of how it would sway from side to side. It only filled her with more joy, even though she, too, had realized the absence of some of their newer—and one older—members. Siv, her double, hadn't been seen around in ages. Mikael and Tempest were suspected to have run off together, which was surprisingly less hurtful to Fox. She would much rather they run off somewhere else rather than try to take the caldera or fight for breeding rights. They were the newest to the pack, so it only made sense that they were gone first. Besides, it would mean more meat for her children.

She was trailing along the base of the mountain when she noticed Peregrine to her left, coming down the slope with purpose. Fox wagged her tail, but it took her a moment to realize he wasn't coming for her. Squinting her grey eyes, Fox followed his line of sight to the stark black and white figure that stood out against the snow. Magpie.

With the look on Perry's face, Fox had a pretty good feeling that he wasn't exactly pleased to see the girl back. And in most cases, Fox wouldn't have been pleased, either. But either the hormones or their history with one another made her heart go out to the white-marked girl. Fox quickened her gait, and soon she had planted herself between Magpie and Peregrine's intended path. She was heading for Magpie, wanting to make sure she got to the girl first. “Magpie!” she called out, her tone hinting at concern and worry.

There was no turning back after her summons died away, and the weight of that and the waiting almost crushed the girl. All the anxieties that had been brewing inside of her, leading her everywhere but here in a poor attempt to avoid them, erupted in her mind. She hoped desperately that it would be Fox to greet her, and that Peregrine might ignore her all together— though the fiery Alpha was certainly hot-headed, Magpie felt that they, at least, were on a level playing field. Fox had disappointed her. Now, she'd disappointed Fox. They were even.

But Peregrine had only ever tried to do right by Magpie, to teach her, to give her a home. He had been the missing father in her life— and she had repaid that only with disappointment. She realized, then, that the entire reason she had been avoiding the caldera was because she was avoiding confrontation with Peregrine. And when she saw it was him that was barreling down the side of the caldera to intercept her, the yearling quickly dropped and flipped to her stomach, tail between her legs.

She had always thought of this position as humiliating, but it didn't seem to matter when you were already humiliated. Her green eyes closed, and she wondered if this had been a big fat mistake— maybe it would have been better if she had never returned at all. Maybe she didn't mean as much to them as they meant to her. The haunch lay discarded, forgotten. Though her ears pricked at the sound of Fox's voice, the girl made no move, even when the older female stood protectively near her.

She saw him coming and prostrated herself, which had no apparent effect on Peregrine. He kept coming, though he slowed when he saw, then heard, Fox approaching too. She called out to Magpie, her tone one of concern. He didn't hold it against her. Fox was tapping into her motherly instincts by now and, on top of that, she felt indebted to this youth. But he certainly didn't.

Fox reached the yearling just before he did. He drew up behind his petite mate, his neck stiff, his ears thrust forward and his tail arched. He did not wish to harm Magpie, though it was painfully clear that he wasn't happy to see her. He didn't even want to interfere with the reunion taking place, though there was one thing he wanted to say before he retreated and let the two talk.

"You aren't welcome here." As he spoke, he looked at her peace offering and then promptly ignored it. Fox was welcome to it. "There's no room for you." Peregrine nudged Fox, certain that she would not undermine him. It wasn't even necessarily personal (though for him, it was) because there literally wasn't any space for a more eligible wolf, much less someone who'd already run out on them.

The Alpha male then turned and padded away from them, though he didn't entirely leave the scene. He chose a spot about two hundred yards nearer to the mount, then folded his haunches. He kept a watchful eye and ear on his wife and their former charge, though Peregrine had said all he had to say and did not wish to participate in the conversation any further.

Plot twist?! I've been planning to have Fox chase somebody out, anyway... <__<

Struck for a moment by Peregrine's hard words, Fox could only stare as he walked away. She had never been a quick thinker on her feet, and that was one thing that had not changed as she had grown older. There were other things that had not changed. Fox was just as stubborn and bull-headed as she had ever been, especially when it came to certain things. Magpie was one of those things. She could not say why that was, only that it was. “He does not understand,” Fox said quietly, wondering if he could hear from his perch. “And we can make room. Hell, I’m pretty sure two of our own already ran off to start a pack together. We can disown them. They don’t deserve a life here.” Magpie, on the other hand, would always have a place. She, along with a few select others, could do no wrong in Fox's eyes. Peregrine and her siblings were among that lot, along with her Betas.

“Come, we’ll get you settled.” Fox could worry about chasing out Tempest and Mikael the next time she saw them. They meant nothing to her, especially in the shadow of the girl she had so greatly wronged. She wasn't sure if she had ever said it aloud, but Magpie would always have a home with Fox, Peregrine and his grudges be damned. “What happened while you were away?” she asked, nudging Magpie toward the mountain and picking up the large hunk of meat so that the girl could speak freely (and without interruption from Fox).

If Peregrine dared to get in her way, Fox would be there. Not only that, but she now carried his children, and he would not think to put her in harm's way.

His reaction was worse than whatever scene she had made up in her head— she hadn't expected to be welcomed back with open arms, nor was it what she had been even looking for by returning to the caldera. "I'm sor—" she began to whine quietly, but the angry male cut her off without even hearing... and it was all too clear that she had missed her chance. Wishing for all the world that the frozen earth would open up below her and swallow her whole, Magpie's heart pounded in her chest, and she rolled over to be sick. But before she could slink away, tail between her legs, Fox's voice stilled her.

Magpie had expected that Fox would somehow be the easiest to reach, but she still hadn't expected this. Forgiveness, maybe, and perhaps reluctant forgiveness from Peregrine... but not a place in their ranks. She almost argued the point with Fox, that it wasn't necessary to exile anyone just to make room for her, but thought better of it— clearly, there was nothing she could say to either of them. Her mouth opened, then closed, as she struggled to feel anything but paralyzed. On one hand, Fox was inviting her in, but on the other... Peregrine had made it clear that she wasn't.

She dared a glance at the fuming male's form, then quickly adjusted her gaze to the ground. Fox nudged her, then, urging her towards the caldera in both movement and question. Magpie had so much she had wanted to say— and it seemed the only way she could say it would be by following the fiery woman deeper into her domain. And so she followed, her posture every bit submissive and guilty.

"He was like a dad to me," was all she could finally muster, referring to Peregrine. "Do you think he'll be mad forever...?" Magpie questioned, only then realizing that Fox carried the forgotten haunch of meat. She sighed, then, and began to tell it all from the beginning— "I know that I owe you both for my life. I didn't mean to run off without a word... I just missed my mom, and felt this overwhelming urge to find her." She didn't think she had ever told Fox about her birth pack, for she had been a child of few words when the Creek and then the Caldera had taken her in. "And I did— find her, I mean. I thought I was home, that I would stay there forever. I think it will always be a home for me... but she told me about my dad."

She grit her teeth, then, anger and guilt roiling up inside of her. "He didn't even want me, Fox— he tried to kill my mom when he found out she was pregnant. If he had his way, I wouldn't even exist," Magpie wanted to continue, to point out that Peregrine had wanted her, at least sort of, and she had thrown that out on a whim... but she had grown too upset while relaying this part of the tale, and fell into tense silence, her gait matching the fiery Alpha's as they trekked further into the Caldera.

The Alpha male could not make out most of Fox's words from here, just the soft tone of her voice. It was evident she didn't exactly share in her mate's distaste for the flaky youth. He recollected that Fox felt indebted to Magpie for what she'd put her through as a youngster... but that wasn't Peregrine's debt, nor the caldera's.

Five words did carry to him on the frosty January air and Peregrine's face immediately hardened in disbelief. Surely Fox hadn't gone against him so blatantly. If she felt differently, she would discuss the matter with him, right? Wrong. The Alpha female began to guide Magpie into their territory. He could only describe her mannerisms as utterly flippant.

Feeling like there was a live flame in his chest, the Alpha male stood and swept in the other direction, fearing that he might yell at his pregnant mate or chase off Magpie, Fox's wishes be damned. She might be able to do that to him, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it to her. Fury written into every line of his muscular body, he disappeared around the mountain instead.

Fox watched as Peregrine skulked off, perhaps content that Magpie would do no harm. Fox would tend to him later, she knew, but for now, her little Magpie was the priority. Perhaps it was her motherly instincts finally kicking in, or the guilt she still clung to for what had happened at The Sunspire. Peregrine would not be mad forever. That much Fox knew with certainty. He had been cross with Fox before, and he would be cross with her in the future, but their bond was stronger than that. They were meant to be, and Fox was of the mind that nothing could stand in their way. He would be angry with Magpie for awhile, but so long as she showed that she could contribute to the pack, she could regain his trust. It would take time, but it would happen.

Magpie began to tell her story. Of the pull of her mother, of the father she had never known, of his desire to snuff out her life before she was born. Fox paused, dropping the gift at her feet and cocking her head. “Why?” she asked, immediately after Magpie had finished. Her belly tucked instinctively closer to her spine, wondering if Peregrine would ever do such a thing. She could not imagine it, though, and she relaxed once more, picking up the meat again and treading forward, Magpie in tow.

She winced as the dark form of Peregrine stormed off, and for a moment she debated turning and running away (again)— she had Summer, after all, the dark boy with bright yellow eyes that had taken care of her when she had been held hostage by his pack. But perhaps that could come later, after she had explained everything to Fox, after Peregrine had calmed down enough to hear her apologies. Then she could leave, if that's what he still wanted— her return here wasn't an attempt to cause trouble, but rather smooth over past wrongs.

Fox dropped the haunch to urge the black-and-white girl to continue explaining, though Magpie missed the subtle change in the fiery woman's posture— not even realizing that she had grown fatter since the last they had seen each other. "My birth pack travels," she continued, explaining, "and I guess my father was from a pack near one of the rendezvous sites of the Corvidae. My mom— well, she and the rest of the pack aren't very traditional. She had a fling with him, and I guess when he came back to his senses, he realized that he already had a mate. He wanted to erase his mistake," Magpie said angrily. "But that wasn't mom's fault, or mine, or my littermates'. How could anyone do that?"

She sighed, but the question had evidently been rhetorical, for she barreled on in her monologue. "Anyway... I realized that Peregrine was a better dad to me than my actual dad, and I felt like I needed to come back here to apologize and tell him that. But now Peregrine must feel the same way my father does— maybe he should go off to Crestwood so they can both talk about how much they want to kill me."

So much for her teenage angst being gone.

+23 to guilt, through Fox's family's association.

Magpie continued, speaking of how Corvidae did not stay in one place like most packs did (or did they, Fox wasn't convinced that was the majority). She assumed it was a pack, anyway. She was glad for the haunch in her mouth when Magpie continued to speak of the unspeakable thing her father had done. He had gone behind his mate's back to birth children from another female. Magpie's mother, if she was following this all correctly. In Fox's home land, that was the way of things. Bastards were not meant to be born. And if they were, they were to be culled. They had no true parents, as they were not born out of a true bond. It made sense, and Fox would have done the same, even to her own blood, if they had been born under such circumstances.

But it was the word sputtered in pure hatred that caused Fox's blood to run cold, and she dropped the haunch, stopping abruptly. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, even though blood trickled out the corners of her mouth from the gift Magpie had brought. She swallowed, her throat feeling as though it was filled with sand. “Did you say… Crestwood?” It was a name Fox had only spoken once during her entire stay in the Teekon Wilds. Not because it displeased her in any way, shape, or form, but because she had no ties to them. No reason to bring them up. Not even Peregrine asked of them. This time, she did not regain the haunch in her mouth, but stood over it as she awaited Magpie's response.

Magpie mistook Fox's disgust for what her father had attempted to do to her mother and the unborn children she carried— it was that fact that made the yearling feel like she might throw up all over again. The Corvidae loved freely, and children of any union were celebrated. In fact, it wasn't uncommon at all for members of the nomadic pack to have multiple lovers. Mating outside of the traveling pack diversified their gene pool and protected them from the dangers of inbreeding; for Magpie it made all the sense in the world. She assumed that Fox would feel similarly— that all pups were innocent and worthy of life. It would destroy her to ever learn that had it been Fox's choice, Magpie might not exist either.

She assumed it was the shock of a murderous father that caused the fiery woman to drop the haunch, but Magpie gave her incredulous look when she revealed what she had truly been stuck on. Of all that the yearling had unloaded, the name of her father's pack was arguably the least important or noteworthy. But Fox was looking back at her expectantly, clearly waiting for confirmation, so Magpie told her, "Yeah, Crestwood is where my father lives, apparently. I thought of going there to tell him what a jackass he is, but I didn't know how he'd react. At least Peregrine isn't trying to kill me..." Yet. "Do you think he'll forgive me? You know, after I explain it all?" she questioned again, trying to steer the conversation back to her real concerns.

In her particular Fox way, she failed to answer Magpie's question, perhaps coming off as an uncaring asshole in the process. It wouldn't be the first (or even the fifth) time, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. The young Alpha licked her lips, trying to figure out whether or not she wanted to tell Magpie anything about their possible connection. If she did, there was a very good chance she would ruin their relationship again. If she kept it a secret, it was bound to come out eventually, and Fox knew it would only be worse.

“Crestwood,” Fox said, very slowly, “For all intents and purposes, I am a Crestwood.” If Magpie's father was one of her siblings or uncles, it made sense. They would have wanted her dead so as not to arouse the suspicions of her father. Not only were bastards killed, but those who made the bastards were shunned, never allowed back. They weren't even to be spoken to. Fox recalled at least one uncle who had disappeared from her life, and it had later been explained to her why that had happened. Perhaps they had found out about his children, after all. Perhaps Magpie was his... his bastard.

“What else do you know about your father?”

Even now, the fiery woman seemed to fixate on the least important piece of information that Magpie had divulged— she was about to interrupt after Fox repeated the name, ready to demand an answer about Peregrine, because she was owed that at least— but the slow admission that followed gave the yearling pause. She rocked back onto her haunches, settling into a seated position lest she fall over. A silence overtook the both of them, then— Magpie stunned, her mind reeling through what that could mean. Fox certainly wasn't a littermate, but if she hailed from the same place that the yearling's father did, that might mean they were related.

It didn't cross Magpie's mind— yet, at least— that Fox might believe in the traditions of Crestwood, and so she simply looked at the rust-colored female pensively. At the Alpha's next question, the yearling furrowed her brows... digging back to the information her mother had given. Truthfully, Magpie had disowned her father the minute she had found out that he wanted her killed, and she thus held on to the most relevant pieces of information... the bare minimum that would allow her to keep hating him.

"His name is Goon," she responded quietly, "or something like that. But I think Goon is fitting," Magpie added, unable to resist the snark.

“Coon,” Fox mumbled, the name falling off her tongue like ashes. Her fucking father had done this? After everything he had ingrained in her goddamn head, he had done... unspeakable things. Not only that, but he had attempted to cover them up, because he couldn't own up to the consequences. Her whole body went numb. Either that or it was burning with such intense emotion that she couldn't even feel it any longer. Her butt hit the ground with a thump, and she sat, dumbstruck with what the odds were.

“Magpie, I…” she trailed off, not sure what she should even say. It made even more sense now why she had felt drawn to the girl. Why she had taken her in. Why she had always been protective of her. Why she had cared for her unconditionally. Fox had done the same for Robin. Her sister. Her blood. Bile curdled in her throat, and she swallowed hard to keep it down.

Her brain's next reaction was to rationalize. Raven must have done something to trick him. She must have been evil. Surely it was a different Coon from a different Crestwood far, far away. Actually, it wasn't even Coon at all! It was Goon, and Magpie had gotten his surname wrong. Deep down, though, Fox knew that Magpie spoke the truth, and her tiny brain had finally connected the dots.

“It was my father. He tried to kill you because he didn’t want to be shunned. I can’t… I don’t even know what to say.” It was Coon who had enforced things back home. It was he who had carried tradition through the generations. Only to take a giant shit on all of it, then try to cover it up. It was a good thing that Crestwood was a far, far away place.

Her ears came alert at the name that spilled forth from Fox's mouth, a mumble that could have meant anything. The yearling opened her jaws to speak, to confirm, yes, that's it, but she shut them promptly. Her mind was reeling faster now, as she attempted to sort out what all of this meant— she had come back to the caldera to apologize for leaving without a word, and suddenly everything was more complicated than that. She felt tears welling in her eyes, her throat tightening— she watched the fiery Alpha go through a similar struggle, but Magpie was at a loss for what to say or what to expect.

When Fox finally managed full sentences, the yearling still didn't know what to make of it. There was anger in the words, though Magpie couldn't decipher who the anger was for. "Fox," she managed to choke out. Sister. "Should I... I should go. I only meant to apologize when I came back," tears began to fall upon her dark cheeks, though she fought against it— that particular struggle only causing her nose to run in a very unladylike fashion, "but I've ruined everything. Peregrine's so pissed he might kill me, and.. and you..." Her green eyes peered at the older female, her sister, pleading. Don't kill me, if you hate me, let me leave...

Oops, I write novels.

Suddenly, Magpie was apologizing, offering to leave, pleading with her to let her leave. And... and this. All of this. Fox blinked, half expecting to wake up from some stupid dream. She would open her eyes, and everything would be fine. Peregrine would be breathing steadily against her side, that ever-present smile on his face. And Fox would chalk it up to the pregnancy.

But it didn't happen like that. When she opened her eyes, Magpie was still there, breaking down as if she had done something wrong. “My dad can suck a dick,” Fox replied stubbornly, “And Peregrine can get over it. You’re family, Magpie. You’re about to be a goddamn aunt! I don’t see how he can turn you away. And if he does, well. He can’t. Because I won’t let him.” Fox also wouldn't let him leave her. And she wouldn't leave him. It was one of those rock and hard place situations that she had managed to put herself into before. Somehow, though, she always made it out alive.

Fox swooped in suddenly, embracing Magpie as if they'd grown up together, chasing one another through meadows and forests, learning to hunt, and giving each other shit all their lives. So maaaaaybe some of it was the pregnancy, but Fox wouldn't let Magpie go so easily. The expectant mother took a step back, smiled, and then looked at the haunch. She certainly didn't have any kind of appetite for it now, and she doubted Magpie did, either.

“Shit, let’s just bury this thing for later.” Whether she was talking about the meat or the subject was up for debate. In any case, there was a whole lot more catching up to do that needed to happen. Now, more than ever, Fox wished that Robin was still at the caldera. She was the older, wiser sister, even if she was incredibly flakey. Had anybody known about Magpie, her mother, and her siblings? Did Magpie even have siblings? Where were they?

Her body tensed in the silence that fell over the pair, one darkness and the other fire— but after several breaths, in which Magpie's heart felt like it might burst, in which she was calculating escape plans if Fox decided to give chase— the words that Fox expelled made the yearling laugh through her snot. "Our dad can suck a dick," she agreed, though somehow all of this still felt raw and painful and confusing as hell. Still, Magpie leaned into her sister's— her sister's!— embrace when Fox drew close, and loosed a shuddering breath that was half-sob and half a relieved exhale.

When they parted, Fox seemed to brush the chaos aside— she seemed to have a knack for that, something Magpie usually had, but this time was different. The yearling was experiencing information overload, and despite the fact that chaos and surprise seemed to rule her entire life, this particular chaos was difficult to swallow. "Fox," she said finally, slowly, "I think I need some time... to think. This is... a lot," this she struggled to get out, wincing like Fox would suddenly explode. All Magpie wanted was to run to Summer, to lean into his fur, to stare into his golden eyes— her Summer, her bright light in darkness.

"Is that okay?" she finally asked, wanting permission. Desperately needing it, for the last thing she wanted was to make matters worse by disappearing again. "I'll come back, I swear it— and maybe you'll have a chance to talk to Peregrine, to tell him..." she was rambling now, all disjointed, but her mind was still going a mile per minute. "And then when I come back, everything will be okay. Just a few days, I promise— I just... I just want to see someone. I need to tell him that I'm staying here... I have to," still, she kept going, working herself into a kind of panic.

"I'm going to be an aunt?!"

Fox just has a special "DRAMA OFF" switch. Useful in these situations.

Fox didn't want to let her go. She wanted to keep her here forever and never let her out of her sight again. She'd made the mistake of letting her go once, two times already. Fox couldn't stand to see it again. And yet... and yet she didn't really see a reason why she shouldn't. It would give Fox time to track down Mikael and that other whoever her name was and tell them to get the hell out of Dodge before she made them do it. Either that, or Fox would just stalk the borders until they tried to come back and she would let them know the spot was taken. By her mother fucking sister. Yes, that would do.

Magpie mentioned something about a "him," and Fox butted in with a, “Who?” But either before Magpie heard her, or before she'd gotten a chance to answer, the last question fell out of her mouth like one last sputtering of an old pickup truck. “Oh, yeah. That!” Fox grinned. Sure, she and Perry would have their bickerings, but things would be fine by the time the kids were born. With Aunt Finley and Aunt Magpie around, how could they be bad? Oh, how Fox wished Perry were here and hadn't stormed off like a big poo-poo head. Suddenly, Fox was back to her old self.

“I think there’s at least a dozen buns in this oven.” Her voice was dripping with pride.

Magpie was quickly spinning between joy and panic, trying to cling to all the good that this meant, but feeling somehow (and rather dramatically) that the world was shattering and it was all her fault. Fox, at least, seemed happy about the whole situation and rather suddenly at that— it helped to ground the yearling, but her thoughts kept dancing back towards Summer and how she was able to lose her worries in his golden, sunny eyes. She had missed Fox's query about him, her mind still struggling to connect all the dots and sort out what everything meant.

Unable to process the rollercoaster of events that had led to this moment, the black-and-white female latched upon something that was slightly easier— that Fox was pregnant. She wanted to joke, to clarify that all twelve were Peregrine's, but in the face of the revelations about their father... well, if she did want to be chased out, that joke might have been the way to do it. Instead, she told her sister, "I was wondering how you got to be so fat," because clearly that joke was a whole lot less offensive, "I'm glad it's babies."

Peregrine's babies. Peregrine who currently despised and wanted nothing to do with her. Although the snot continued to stream from her nose, the tears had stopped— but thinking of the way the Alpha male had stormed off threatened to loose them all over again. And Summer likely expected that she would be joining him at the Sunspire, the one place she hated more than any, except that he was there— but there was no way she could live with him, now that she had a family here in the Wilds. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she promised again, pleading. She had to tell Summer. "I won't leave you again. After all, I have to meet my six nieces and six nephews," because of course the ancestors would bless Fox with an equal number of boys and girls if they were already blessing her with a litter of twelve.

Summer and Ty should just come here and live with Magpie. Or those three should start their own pack. OMG THAT IS THE BEST IDEA I LOVE IT.
Yay, short post.

Somehow, somehow, knowing that Magpie was her blood sister had made things easier. More fluid. The joke about her weight caused Fox to give a mock gasp, though she knew her belly was growing bigger by the day. “How soon?” Fox asked. She needed a rough timeline, at the very least. "Soon" was many different things to many different wolves, and Fox did not want to be left hanging this time around. It would also give her time to gauge Perry's reaction and whether or not this news would make a difference.

Lol, but who of the three would accept Beta. >__> I vote Summer, because Magpie and Ty could totally talk him into it...

She relaxed, finally, when it seemed that Fox would allow her errand. It would give her time to think, to explain everything to Summer, to see him and breathe in the scent of him until there was nothing left to think about— Magpie stopped those thoughts, refocusing on the flame that was her sister. "I have to go to the Sunspire," she revealed, "so a week, maybe? Time to travel there, talk to him," canoodle with him, "and come back." She hoped that would be enough time, and her mind was racing all over again— what if this time, he didn't understand, even though Summer always did? What if he didn't want to talk to her at all once she told him she couldn't live there? A trace of misery in her voice and she added, "Maybe even less." She still didn't elaborate on the boy, clearly not ready to talk about that.

Oops, Magpie did a bad thing.

“The Sunspire?!” Fox spat, her drama switch suddenly flicked into the very ON position. “Who the fuck do you have to talk to there of all places?” Fox's voice was stern, wondering what terrible things they were cooking up. Was this all some ploy? Had they been hiding Magpie away this entire time, using her has some grotesque tool? Was this whole thing a lie to get back at her in some way. Maybe she had come down with that thing where you begin to love and care for your captors. Something syndrome. Fox couldn't remember what it was, but now she was definitely less inclined to let Magpie out of her sight.

“If you insist on going there, I’m going to insist that you take an escort.” Elwood would make a fine choice, although Finley was a better outrider (and a bear fighter, no less). Fox wouldn't have it any other way. “Finley will join you. She’s like a sister to me, and I know she’d protect you with her life.” For the first time ever, Fox was treating somebody like a child. The sad part was that Magpie was plenty old enough not to be a child.

O FUDGE. *halts the thread she was about to start* LOL NOW YOU ARE KEEPING ME AWAKE.

Magpie winced at the explosion that came forth from her sister, suddenly realizing that the Sunspire wasn't just a hot topic for her— after all, that had been the first source of contention between the pair. She knew better than to interrupt the tirade, but her eyes narrowed at the insistence of an escort. All over again, the yearling felt paralyzed— even when she tried to do the right thing, well, she couldn't seem to get it right.

"You have to know I hate that fucking place," she appealed, not quite knowing what Fox was thinking behind that stern tone, but knowing it couldn't be good. "But," here she hesitated, unsure of how to proceed or explain, "there's a boy, and I think I might love him. He's— he's one of the only wolves that has ever been nice to me. He wanted to get me out of there, as badly as I wanted to go. And I repaid him like I seem to repay everyone else, by disappearing," fuck fuckity fuck. Magpie felt her throat tightening again, but she met her sister's gaze defiantly, "I'm trying to stop doing that."

I love how Mags just casually mentioned it, and next thing you know Fox is breathing hate fire.

Ah, young, stupid love. Very, very stupid love. Magpie not only cared for her captors, she'd fucking fallen in love with one of them. It seemed much worse than sleeping with the enemy, which was essentially what Fox had done. At least that enemy had turned into a frenemy... which had turned into her full-fledged mate... and expectant father. Wow, maybe they were both equally fucked up. Fox sighed heavily, having a good feeling that no matter what she said, Magpie would find a way to go. And if she tried to retain her, she'd only be as terrible as those damned Sunspire wolves.

“My word still stands,” she replied. “Finley will go with you. In fact, I’ll call for her right now.” Without giving her little sister a second to protest, Fox lifted her head and let out a short, urgent howl for her trusty sidekick, @Finley. What she didn't know was that it would mean two leaders would soon be gone from Redhawk Caldera. Thankfully, they had a good member base and little to worry about... right?