Firestone Hot Springs They all think I'm dead

The fae had wandered along the banks of the river for a week, gradually gaining strength. If a good thing had come from the encounter with her father, it was that he thought she was dead or mortally wounded. A burst of steam distracted her from her thoughts, and she cautiously loped toward it. It was a sort distance from the river, and soon she had come to a smattering of small pools. She leaned forward and prodded the water with a paw. Strangely, the water was hot. She began to enter the pool, but stopped when she realized she didn't know if the water was safe or not.

Pounces on!

FitzDutiful was wandering through the Hot Springs again. He was still very unsure of whether he wanted this or Silvertip Mountain to be his new home. The world was an odd place. He had told Peregrine of his plans though right at this second he couldn't tell you how it went and so his writer couldn't say whether he was currently a pack wolf or also a lone wolf.

Regardless, he came across a familiar scent. His tail began to wag and he had a bound in his step as he came across an old pack mate. "Tempest!" FitzDutiful called, sure that his pack mate that had left the Caldera was right in front of him. "Tempest is that you?!" He was overjoyed as a sly thought slipped into his mind. Would his old pack mate want to become a new pack mate?

Tempest turned as a familiar scent hit her. "Fitz!" she laughed, eyes shining, pain forgotten for a moment. She limped out of the pool and headed toward her pack mate, bumping into his side in a friendly way that made her shoulder burn. She gritted her teeth, then sat to the right of her former pack-mate. "What are you doing here?"

Unconsciously, she twisted slightly so her injury were hard to see. Her eyes clouded with pain for a brief moment, but quickly regained their sparkle.

"I'm surveying!" Fitz responded in kind as Tempest confirmed it was she and asked him what he was up to in the hot springs. He failed to notice the cloud of pain that overtook her for he was experiencing one in kind from the friendly bump. "In truth, I'm looking to start my own pack. I'm scouting here and the mountain over yonder as potential homes."

Fitz took a moment to assess her before playfully asking, "Care to give an opinion on the suitability of the two?" As far as FitzDutiful was concerned any and all opinions were good and would help him narrow down the best places for a new home. Once he'd found wolves to join.

Regardless on whether or not Tempest would hear the subtle undertones of "join me" in FitzDutiful's question, he turned the conversation on her. "How have you been? We were worried when you left the Caldera." Not strictly true. Peregrine and Fox had been mad but it wasn't worth telling her that. Not now anyway.

Tempest smiled weakly. "Thats great Fitz!" She told him. And she meant it. She was about to tell him what she thought of the surrounding area when he asked her how she had been faring. Her smile faded, and she looked down. "I meant to come back soon, I really did. Things started to go wrong, and I needed some time alone. " she said softly. She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. "My father found me. He caught me unaware, attacked me and left me for dead." It felt good to tell someone what was troubling her. She twisted her lean body, displaying the crescent on her neck and spiral on her shoulder.

Tempest explained her departure and told him of what had transpired since. Fitz looked at her, barely concealing the horror that he felt. Her father had done that? It was unbelievable., and then Fitz remembered the situation that Raissa had been in when he had met her with the Blackfeather Woods. "Reminds me of the way the Blackfeather Woods pack treats wolves." he muttered, not in particular towards her, more to himself.

"Do you want to band with me?" The definitely lone wolf asked. "I know it might not be much, but if we make a home in Silvertip Mountain then we might be far enough way to stop him causing trouble. We can survive until the pack gets established." He wasn't going to lie, after a day of lone wolf-i-ness it was becoming transparent that winter wasn't the best time to do these things. It was highly probably that Tempest wanted to go back to the Caldera or find an already established pack to join. It was also as likely that she wanted to be a part of something new to help put the past behind her.

Tempest lay down, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I don't know Fitz..." she began softly. Tempest thought back to the past few days, the terror and horrible things that happened when she was alone. As she though, a strangely elevating thought struck her. Her fathers last words...he thought that she was dead, had died there on the snowy rocks. Which meant...she was free. No longer would the threat of the brute hang over her, cloud her judgement and give her nightmares. She didn't realize the smile that spread across her features. "Yes. I will band with you, Fitz. He thinks I'm dead. He won't go looking for a ghost."

The peppered fae stood. "But I have to go back. I made a mistake, leaving unannounced, and I don't want Perry to think of me like a runaway."

The smile spread across Tempest's face and Fitz felt his hopes rise. He couldn't say whether Tempest was the first to join his new group, or whether Raissa had come with him, but it was exciting to know that this was going to work. Right now, everything was possible.

"It's good to have you on-board, Tempest." he said, relieved that he hadn't had to consider the underhanded tactic of telling her the Caldera wouldn't welcome her. Even so, a warning seemed to be in order, "I understand, but Fox is pregnant so who knows how they'll react." It was odd to think that it had only been a day. A day since he had let Peregrine and Fox know his wished, a day of fending for himself, and a day to find a new recruit.

"So, back to your opinions... the Firestone Hot Springs or the Silvertip Mountain?" Fitz was drawn to the mountain purely for security. He had inspected it, seen the natural caves that could be a good fit, but the slopes this side may be too harsh for them to survive on. The entire range of the mountainside would be more beneficial.

Tempest tilted her head, considering. "The mountain." She, like Fitzdutiful, valued its security. It's rocky surface would be fun to explore. "The hot springs should be available to all packs. they might get angry if a single wolf claimed them." she mused. Her tail wagged, the prospect of beginning a new pack excited her. "You- we should probably set up a base of sorts near a potential site, that way everyone can explore and have a safe place to return to." she blushed. "Maybe I'm going on to much." she admitted, looking up at him. She felt a natural trust around him, even though she hadn't known him very well at the Caldera. "You'll make a great leader, Fitz."

Lovely thread!

Tempest seemed to prefer the mountains to the hot springs and, in truth, he agreed with her. Any one wolf pack holding such a valuable relaxation and healing stream could find itself under attack. "The mountain it is, then." FitzDutiful agreed with a nod of his head.

The white wolf took a moment's pause before responding to her words. Make a great leader. They echoed in his head, round and around. It was strange hearing them said out loud and feeling the security and confidence that he had in himself to do what was required to keep his pack safe. That had always been there but Peregrine and Fox had allowed him the space and the situations to expand it, grow it and build it up. They were the grandparents of the pack he would found.

"A base sounds good. We can start a small cache so we have some food to return to as well - when either of us can catch enough to fill it anyway!" He glanced over his new recruit. Her black and grey fur, marked and turn from the attacks. He fearfully hoped he could protect her. Once he may have said the Caldera would help but with the puppies it would have only brought danger to their door, something that Fitz would never allow.

With a smile at her, he headed off towards the mountain to start the base gathering. Whether Tempest came with him now, or went to tell Perry of her plans, he was sure that she would be there when he needed her. When their pack needed her.

As Fitz retreated, Tempest grinned. "I'll see you there, Fitz! And I'll bring dinner!" she hollered after him. As his pale form retreated into the distance, she slid into the warm waters of the hot springs. The hot water washed the last of the blood and grit away from her body. As she watched Fitz vanished, she knew then that she would never run again. With this fresh start, she promised herself that she would be loyal to Fitz, be there when he and the new pack needed her. As the last glowing rays of sun vanished below the horizon, she turned to where she knew the sun would rise the next morning. And with it, her new life would begin.