Redhawk Caldera Say geronimo!

The wind that gusted past, tousling the plush fur of Peregrine's peppered nape, whispered of spring. The Alpha male puffed out his cheeks, then exhaled, his breath blustering away into the flawlessly blue sky. His jade eyes scanned his terrain from his perch atop the caldera's jagged rim, his lips and his tail both twitching. Somewhere out there, @Finley and @Elwood were hopefully making amends. It had been a few days since their huge blowout and Peregrine anticipated news any day now, hopefully of the good variety.

He knew he should head out on a patrol and the wintry sunshine was very inviting... but instead, the swarthy wolf sprawled on his belly and relaxed. He would just enjoy the view for a few more minutes. That breeze really did feel good too as it brushed over his nearly mended shoulders and combed through his fur. It would be awesome if spring turned the corner a bit early, just in time to welcome his children to the world.

The weather had been unexpectedly warm all season, causing the snow to melt into a brownish mush in some areas. It wasn't the most attractive landscape, but Elwood hoped that it meant spring was on its way. Only a few days before, he had been dreading the change in weather; the birth of Fox's pups and the new season would have required him to leave the caldera. His stomach still clenched when he thought of that, but luckily, his fortune had changed in only a few days.

When he spotted the Alpha male reposed in the sunlight, Elwood directed his paws towards him. He had been meaning to catch up with Peregrine, and this appeared to be the perfect opportunity. Perry didn't look as though he was busy or preoccupied; his expression was peaceful and he wasn't moving, safe for the ruffling of his fur by the breeze.

"Perry," he called out as he approached, swinging his tail gently behind him. It would be fairly easy for Peregrine to guess the outcome of his fight with Finley; had it been otherwise, his body language likely would have been more closed off and defensive. But Elwood was the picture of contentment.

I'm listening to "Hakuna Matata." Next up: "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"! :D

As he lay there, a smudge of dirt on his left foreleg drew his attention and he bent his head down to lick it and smooth the fur. He promptly began choking on his own fur as it coated his tongue. Peregrine spluttered, trying to cough out the irritating little hairs now sticking in his throat. I'm shedding, great, he thought to himself as he lifted his other paw to help brush his tongue. Well, at least this means spring really is coming, the little voice in his head added optimistically.

That was when Elwood made his approach. Peregrine slurped his tongue back into his mouth, put his feet back on the ground and sat up straighter. His eyes pinned shrewdly to Elwood's face, then scanned his body to read his demeanor. His lips began to twitch into a smile. His tail thumped the ground behind him.

"Why, El, you're positively glowing," the Alpha drawled. "Did you get laid?" Peregrine snorted, smirked and then began pushing himself into an upright seated position. "So things went well with you and Fin?" he questioned, teeth showing in a smile. "Can you feel the love tonight? You needn't look too far... stealing through the night's uncertainties, love is where we are," he sang.

Hakuna mafuckits!

He expected nothing less from Peregrine -- the Alpha's posture changed as he drew nearer, reflecting back Elwood's own happy vibes. This was followed by a round of good-natured teasing and singing, which he accepted with a rather stupid grin on his face. He settled himself into a seated position, wrapping his tail around his paws; as he did so, he noticed a few stray hairs drifting away, glowing like polished silver in the sunlight, and had the same realization as Peregrine: I'm shedding.

"Things went well," he confirmed slowly; though part of him wanted to shout about Finley from the top of the caldera, he also knew that things were a long way from perfect. "I didn't expect to run into her so soon, actually. I think we both wanted some space, but you know how things go. We both happened to be near Lake Rodney, so we ended up talking. She said it," he continued, his eyes widening as he recalled the memory. Though he didn't specify what, exactly, Finley had said, he knew that Peregrine would catch on instantly.

Peregrine's eyes sparkled at this wonderful news. He did know what Elwood meant, though he couldn't help but tease, "Said what? 'Hey, I just met you and this is crazy but here's my vag so fuck me baby'?" Being the douche he was, he laughed loudly at his own crude joke for a good ten seconds, though the noise thankfully tapered off into deep chuckles.

"I'm happy to hear it, El. I'm kind of surprised, actually. I didn't think she'd drop the 'L'-word on you. I demand deets." Why had he sat up? He was tempted to flop back down and peer up at his Beta, eyes shining as he waited for the juicy story. Instead, Peregrine primly lined up his forepaws and tipped his head, conveying his genuine interest that way. But in case that wasn't entirely clear: "Tell me everything."

Elwood rolled his eyes as Peregrine cracked himself up with a vulgar comment. He had to agree that it was funny, but the thought of crossing that bridge with Finley made him a little nervous. It was something they hadn't discussed, and he wasn't sure how she would feel about it, especially after his escapade with Grimm.

But Peregrine's laughter soon faded and he adopted a more serious facade, though not without a little humor as he arranged his paws and gave his full attention to Elwood. "I didn't think she would either. I said it first; not my plan at all, but it seemed like the right moment, you know? I just had to get it out there," he said. "I told her that I didn't want to force her into anything. All I wanted was for her to know it. And in her own...roundabout, Finley way, she said it too." He felt his heart flutter at the memory.

The story was short and sweet, though Peregrine's heart fluttered, too, on his friends' behalf. "It's a modern fairytale," he quipped with a soft laugh. Who knew that boinking Grimm would bring Elwood together with Finley? "Everything happens for a reason, eh?" He winked.

"I don't mean to get ahead of myself here but if the two of you want to have pups together someday, you totally have my blessing," the swarthy male said, eyes shining. Perhaps he was jumping the gun, yet he wanted them to know they had his enthusiastic blessing when the time came. "And if and when you two make things official, that will make you Godfather El!" he added with a few more loud thumps of his tail.

"Everything happens for a reason" was right -- and though it was something that Elwood might not have believed in before, he had seen evidence of its truth in his own life. The last few days had been weird, dramatic, emotional, and heartbreaking, but somehow things had turned out better than he could have ever expected.

He wasn't surprised when Peregrine referenced their rights to breed, as well as his potential title as "Godfather El." Both were topics that would need to be discussed with Finley at some point, but he had the feeling that was still a long way off. "We're not official or anything yet, but I'll keep that in mind," he said with a lopsided grin. "Like I said, I told her I didn't want to push her into anything she's not ready for. I owe that to you -- you gave me some insight into the mysterious mind of Fin. That leaves us kind of in limbo right now, but...you know what? I'm okay with that," he continued.

Then, he asked, "What does Fox think of all this?" The Alpha female was perhaps the most opinionated on the subject of Finwood, so he was curious to see what -- if anything -- she had said to Peregrine.

"Pah, 'limbo,'" Peregrine replied to that. "That word has such a negative connotation. The two of you are doing your own thang at your own pace. There's no pressure, no rush to label things," the Alpha male assured him, unaware of the inconsistency in his own sentiments. "This is the fun part, where you just enjoy yourselves and go with the flow, wherever it takes you."

He thought back on when he and Fox had sealed the deal formally. It had been such a low-key thing: they had tossed around a few possible titles and Peregrine had asked her to pick the one she liked best. She had chosen to be his mate and, just like that, they were the Redleaf-DiSarinnos. He knew it wouldn't happen exactly that way for Elwood and Finley, though however (and whenever) they formalized their relationship, Peregrine was sure it would be very them.

"Fox was rooting for the two of you since the very beginning," he answered simply, "though you should find her and tell her all about it. She'd love to hear it firsthand. I'm sure she's already milking Finley for the details, though..." he thought aloud, eyes scanning their surroundings. "Probably right this very moment."

Elwood laughed. "Okay then, we're not in limbo, we're just doing our thang," he replied, thinking that he couldn't wait to bestow that bit of advice on Finley. She would find Peregrine's wording humorous, though there was a lot of truth to the statement. And Elwood was glad to hear his friend agree that there was no rush to put a label on anything -- this was the time where they deserved to enjoy each other's company as they became close in a new and different way.

As for Fox, he was happy -- but not surprised! -- to hear that she would likely be pleased to learn of the recent developments in their relationship. She had always been very open about her feelings regarding the Beta pair. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were together right now," he agreed, unaware of just how right they both were. "But I'll catch up with Fox sometime soon, too. How's she feeling?" he asked, referring to the Alpha female's swiftly advancing pregnancy. Before too long, she would officially be a mother.

"We're both getting a bit antsy but she's otherwise feeling good. The pregnancy is treating her well," Peregrine reported. "They'll be here any day now, though..." He trailed off as he let that sink in for a moment. He was so looking forward to it but as the day drew near, he was also becoming more aware of how little free/down time he would have soon.

"Hey, wanna do something fun to celebrate my last few child-free days and your new and budding relationship?" Peregrine proposed suddenly. He stood, then motioned toward the icy slope below his perch. "Wanna go sledding, sans a sled?" he suggested daringly, feeling invigorated as a breath of wind blew a few more tufts of black fur away into the ether. "We might break our necks but... say geronimo!"

And with that, Peregrine leaped over the edge. He experienced a flashback to the day Fox had taken a spill; it had been the day that had sealed their fate as owners of the caldera. But the bittersweet memory was whipped away on the wind as he began to careen down the snowy mountainside, hooting and hollering and trying his best to stay upright. He managed that, though he began to spin to face backward, giving him a glimpse of Elwood's shrinking face above. He whooped and waved a paw, then used it to drag against the ground to swing around to face forward once more.

"I can't believe they're going to be here so soon," Elwood said excitedly. His level of anticipation was close to that of the future parents. It felt like they had been waiting for the arrival of the firebirds for much longer than it really had been. That was a good way to sum up his time at Redhawk Caldera -- although it had only been three months, it seemed like he had pledged his membership ages ago. He had integrated so quickly into the pack and now considered its longstanding members to be like family -- and in about a week, he would be an uncle.

He hadn't thought so much about the way Peregrine's life would change once the puppies were born. The Alpha male would have a lot more responsibility keeping him close to home, which also meant that the Beta pair would be tasked with more of the day-to-day upkeep of the pack. Elwood felt that he was up to the challenge -- a few days ago, he might not have had the same sentiments -- and was happy to follow Peregrine's lead as he suggested something fun to do to celebrate his last few days of "freedom."

"Let's go!" he agreed quickly; he always went sledding without a sled. He had done so with Theseus a month or so ago, though he hadn't seen the subordinate male since then. Peregrine took off with a shout, and Elwood wasn't far behind him -- he pitched forward, rolling tip over tail down the snowy, slushy slope. He tumbled a few feet, then positioned himself on his back, forepaws clutched near his chest as he rocketed downhill.

Peregrine's timing and execution was rather impressive, or so he thought as he swung around just in time to push off and hop over a bump in his path. He actually used it as a sort of springboard, yelling, "Bombs away!" as he hung some sweet air. He then hit the ground again, a cloud of sparkling white powder erupting around him as he gained more velocity and veritably hurtled down the mountainside at breakneck speed.

"Holy shi-i-it!" he yelled, wondering if he should hit the brakes, lest he kill himself just in time to miss the birth of his children. "Wheeeee!" he whooped, enjoying a last few seconds of runaway sledding before digging his forepaws into the snow. The friction was a bit painful, though his forward momentum slowed significantly. Once more, he found himself spinning around.

"Oh hey El!" he said, then yelled, "Oh fuck!" when he realized that the Beta male was heading right toward him at top speed. Impact was imminent. Peregrine saw his life flash before his eyes.

Elwood's descent was relatively smooth, as he followed in the path that Peregrine had carved out. Treetops flashed by overhead and he closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the rush of the unseasonably warm air around him. If the snow melted and then the temperatures dropped, causing it to refreeze, it would create an even slicker slide.

He eventually hit a rough patch, which caused his hips to twist so that he flipped over onto his stomach. His hind end remained in the lead, which meant that he couldn't see where he was going. Thus, he didn't realize that he was barreling straight towards Peregrine and couldn't do anything to change his trajectory.

The only hint he was given was Peregrine's yelp. Elwood turned, his paws scrabbling against the snow as he tried to look over his shoulder -- just in time for the impact. He slammed into the larger male with considerable force, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs as they spiraled across the snow.

Peregrine did not die on impact, fortunately. Elwood slammed into him, then went spiraling sideways. The Alpha, meanwhile, went flying forward. There was another large bump in his path and he had about two seconds to brace himself in case it was a rock hidden by snow. Then he smashed into it and it turned out to be nothing more than a fluffy, yielding snow drift.

He hit it so hard, however, that Peregrine found himself veritably drowning in snow. Fighting real panic, he flailed his limbs and clawed his way to the surface. The crash had also knocked the wind out of him, so he sprawled on the ground, waiting to catch his wind. His jade eyes flicked around in search of Elwood, quickly finding him against the backdrop of white.

Finally, when he could breathe again, Peregrine laughed weakly. "Well—" he began to say when an ominous rushing sound cut him off. He blinked upward to see a wall of snow coming down the slope. Their yelling and tomfoolery had evidently set off a small avalanche.

"Oh fuck!" Peregrine repeated just before the wave of snow washed over him.

The impact with Peregrine was enough to send Elwood bouncing off in the other direction, somersaulting unceremoniously across the snowy terrain. With only moderate discomfort -- his legs became uncomfortably pinned underneath him at one point, and the twisting and turning of his neck and spine would leave him sore the next day -- he gradually tumbled to a stop. He landed flat on his back, limbs sprawled and mouth and eyes open wide.

Elwood sucked in a few deep breaths of air, thankful for the warmer temperature as the oxygen hit his lungs. Slowly and carefully, he rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze scanning the surroundings for any sign of Peregrine. The Alpha male was a black smudge a few yards away, though pieces of his body seemed to have disappeared into a hefty pile of snow.

"Wow," he said at the same time Peregrine exhaled a breathy "Well!" But before either male could make sense of their collision, they both looked up to see a moving wave of snow rolling towards them. "Holy crap!" Elwood yelled -- he could be considered a more PG-rated version of Peregrine at times -- and scrambled to his feet, ignoring the aching in his tailbone and joints as he tried to run away. He wasn't nearly fast enough, however, and soon was pummeled by the onslaught of snow, just like my poor dog in the ocean this past summer.

Getting clobbered by snow was no more fun the second time around. Besides, this was much more snow and it was moving. Peregrine tried to plant his feet and thrust to the surface, yet it turned out he'd been knocked sideways in the wave and he was aiming in the entirely wrong direction. It was disorienting and scary, honestly, though a few desperate kicks helped point him the right way when one of his flailing forepaws punched through to the exterior.

Breathing heavily, he lugged himself out of a wolf-shaped hole in the drifted snow and blinked, peering around for Elwood. "El? Hey, El! Can you hear me?" Could a wolf literally suffocate in the snow? Peregrine didn't want to find out. He jumped to his feet and began sniffing. Maybe he could sniff out his companion, then dig him out. "El, where are ya, man?" Their (future, in Elwood's case) wives were going to kill him if Peregrine had accidentally lost/killed the Beta male.

Elwood ended up blanketed by a mound of snow, though he was lucky enough to be right side up. After a few seconds of floundering, his head broke through the surface. He blinked snow from his eyelashes and found himself nose-to-nose with Peregrine, who appeared to have been trying to sniff him out. With a laugh, Elwood started to extract himself from the snowdrift.

"Oh my god," he crowed, pulling himself slowly out of the powdery trap. Once he was free, he flopped down onto the snow, happy to find that the place where he landed was firm enough to hold his weight. He didn't want to sink again. "You okay?" he asked, looking at Peregrine. They both had clumps of the frozen stuff clinging to their pelts, and likely looked rather ridiculous.

Elwood popped up like a jack-in-the-box, surprising Peregrine. Their noses touched in a brief (and bromantic) Eskimo kiss before the Beta withdrew to pull himself free of the snow's clutches. He flopped down nearby and Peregrine did the same, heaving a weary sigh. That had been a little exhausting!

"I'm okay," he affirmed. "You? How many bears would Fin have sicced on me if I'd lost you?" he quipped with a breathless smile.

"A little sore, but I'll live," Elwood confirmed, experimentally stretching his forelegs out. It wasn't the worst tumble he'd ever taken, though it had to be one of the funniest. He grinned as Peregrine hypothetically asked about the punishment he would have received from Finley had something happened to her new...well, whatever he was to her.

Flipping over onto his stomach with a grunt, he pushed himself up into a sitting position before answering. "Oh, it would have been her whole bear army," he replied with a chuckle. How ironic would it have been for Finwood to finally happen, and then half of the couple was drowned in snow by the Alpha male?

"Well, it's a good thing I found you!" Peregrine declared, snickering lightly. His light laughter faded into a content sigh as he rested there on the snow, gazing sideways along the caldera's steep slope. He felt a yawn threatening to creep up and over him and he steeled his jaw, refusing to let it through for no real reason at all. His eyes watered instead.

"I think that was a great way to commemorate my last days without real responsibilities," he quipped with a wink, "and to celebrate the fact that you and Finley either already have or will soon diddle." The Alpha laughed loudly, though he hushed not five seconds later, suddenly afraid that he would set off another small avalanche.

Blake's cousin was dating a guy for the longest time and they refused to make it official, so we called him her "friend-boy." Sounds like El and Fin, haha. Let's have another thread soon -- maybe post-babies, eeee!

Elwood laughed, nodding his agreement. They hadn't expected the avalanche, but since they had both escaped with no real injuries, it would just be a humorous memory to look back on. He was glad to have been able to "celebrate" with Peregrine; and as for the second part of the Alpha male's commentary...

"Wouldn't you like to know," the mottled grey male quipped, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. He slowly got to his feet, giving a catlike stretch before speaking again. "Actually, I think I'm going to go track her down..." he said, casting a sidelong glance at Peregrine. It hadn't been long at all since he had last seen Finley, but he was already missing her. How cheesy!

He padded over and patted his friend on the shoulder with a paw, then winked and took his leave. "See you later!" he called over his shoulder, quickly accelerating into a brisk jog that would lead him to his friend-girl.

"I take it you don't kiss and tell?" Peregrine replied to Elwood's remark. He laughed when the Beta male excused himself to go find her. "Okay. Just stay safe, kids!" he shouted, before cringing suddenly. Good lord, if he didn't learn to keep his mouth shut, he was going to get someone killed.

"Yep," he answered when Elwood patted him. "See ya. Have fun." He kept his voice low this time. Still chortling, he watched the gray wolf disappear across the snowy slope, unaware that Finley was actually at the Alpha pair's den right now. Similarly oblivious, Peregrine thought about going look for his own friendgirl but he decided to just lounge here a while instead.