Redhawk Caldera One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas

This'un's for you, @Sebastian! I'll be PPing Perry in the background throughout the thread. :)

The morning sky was bright and clear when Wildfire bounded from the den, her father following lazily behind her. All three pups had really begun outgrowing the Alpha pair's small domicile but she was perhaps the most adventurous of them, if only because her interests—namely, collecting small objects—tended to lure her farther and wider than the others' ventures. Without really thinking about it, the cub led the Alpha male several yards beyond the dooryard. Peregrine made no effort to stop her or hold her back. They had officially reached an age where they would begin broadening their horizons much further beyond the whelping den.

Just a few days previously, Wildfire and Raven had found themselves slightly downslope from the den and Wildfire went in that same direction today. She tripped about halfway down the gentle decline and wound up smacking her chin rather hard on the ground and skidding a few feet. Wildfire didn't cry. She stood up and gave herself a shake, then proceeded. Peregrine chuckled at her tenacity, still shadowing her soundlessly and letting her lead the way.

The grass gave way to shale and gravel. Wildfire dropped her nose and began sniffing, trying to locate a diamond in the rough, so to speak. There were so many small rocks here, it was so hard to choose just one to carry back to add to her collection. But eventually she did settle on one. The puppy took it in her teeth, then lifted her head, raised her black tail and scampered right past her father, toting the object all the way back to the den's mouth. She deposited it just inside, then spun on a heel to return and gather more stones.

"Hey, Wifi, wanna see something cool?" Peregrine called to her, finally breaking his silence, and the cub halted and blinked her yellow eyes at him. His tone was easy to read, even if she was still learning the words. She understood her name perfectly well. The puppy smiled to show her assent, then fell into step behind Peregrine as the Alpha male began leading in the opposite direction from the rock pit. Wildfire looked longingly over one red shoulder, then faced forward and trotted after her daddy.

The ground here began to dip too. After ramming into the back of her father's legs, the clumsy Wildfire sped up to trot at his shoulder, getting her first glimpse of the blue lake below. "Orha!" she yelled, staring in wonder. She had seen puddles but never a body of water so big and blue. Actually, she didn't even yet realize it was water, just that it was an amazing sight to behold. "Ossa, dahdee?" she squawked, causing Peregrine to freeze and look at her in delight. Had she just said daddy?!

Super cute! Here goes awkward!Seb

Sebastian focussed on the small tasks given by the alpha male. He would use his gamekeeper skills and warden to protect and feed the pack. But also meet the other three wolves. They hadn't shown themselves yet, nor had he found the beta's or other alpha to meet. For now the giant of a male would focus on the things that he could do. His charcoal body was hunched low to ground, stalking mode on. After finishing his round around the territory and meeting one of the members Sebastian decided that he should hunt. His stomach was killing him. He would first hunt for the caches and then hunt for himself. He didn't want to hunt with a full stomach.

The masked male creeped closer to the doe that just had given birth. Sebastian didn't even feel remorse with the hunger he had. Unfortunately this doe had carried his calf for him to end up as a meal. His pale eyes locked on his target. It was a risk since the mother might protect its baby. The tank jumped forward and growled loudly. At first the mother jumped away but then it returned. Sebastian had to dodge the mother and jump the baby. Once his jaws clamped around the baby he started to run. The doe came closer in their chase. Sebastian dropped the calf and sped off. But with the jumble the baby's neck had been broken. The doe stood protectively by the baby for an hour before she realized it was dead. Sebastian waited to pick the young up and then seek out a cache.

His stomach growled loudly as he dragged the baby deer with him. He walked up the hill to sniff out a cache, which was damn difficult with the scent of blood in his nose. Note to himself, he should have located a cache first before hunting. Sebastian stiffened into place when he saw movement up ahead. So his alpha had some really young children. He felt like he was intruding in a personal moment. The male flattened his ears in worry and his tail tugged a bit between his legs when he saw the alpha male. The calf was hanging from his bloodied jaw. He placed the meal down. "Ah, hello Peregrine and.. small lady."

Her father was staring at her with a delighted look on his face, which caused Wildfire's tail to wag. "Did you just say daddy?" he said, enunciating the word loudly and clearly, to which she replied, "Addy! Ossa, yaddy?" This appeared to make him even happier and Wildfire grinned at the expression on her father's dark face.

"That's right, daddy. Good girl," Peregrine said after a moment, still beaming at her. Then he remembered the inquisitive nature of her exclamation and he explained, "This is the caldera. It's like a big, big puddle. But we don't play in this puddle until you're bigger," he added in a slightly sterner voice.

The puppy gnawed on her lip, staring out over the water again, when a sound caused both wolves to look over their shoulders. Wildfire's golden eyes fixed on the figure of a large wolf carrying a carcass. She began to turn her body toward him, glancing up at her father questioningly. When the stranger dropped his haul and spoke, Wildfire pressed herself close to Peregrine's leg, curious but shy.

"Hello, Sebastian," the Alpha male rumbled, glancing down at the the top of his daughter's head as the subordinate acknowledged her as small lady. He had never had such a bashful child before, so it was baffling and endearing all at once. "This is one of my little ones. Her name is Wildfire Attica. Or Dhole, depending on who you ask." He laughed. "Wifi, this is Sebastian. That's a mouthful, isn't it? Maybe he'll let you call him Seb."

The little Omicron really didn't understand most of that, though her father's tone was encouraging. She offered Sebastian a small smile, nose wriggling as her yellow eyes then dropped to the kill and she queried nonsensically, "Ossa? Eees?" 

Sebastian was surprised how civilly he was greeted. His pale eyes studied the alpha for a brief moment. The male then visibly relaxed more and nodded. "Hello Wifi," he greeted. "Of course, for you I am 'Seb' or 'Bas'," he returned. The male didn't have much with children yet. He might wanted some later but he wasn't really focussed on having young or a mate now. He felt like he needed to ... accomplish first. No, he felt like he needed to finish growing mentally. He could act pretty childish sometimes. 


The large grey studied the two that looked awfully cute. He wanted to offer the little one food, but she might not be on solids yet, possibly if she would be it would have to be chewed for her. That was a task Sebastian was not willing to do yet. The male turned to Peregrine. "I was trying to place this at a cache but I have trouble finding one," he spoke. He would like to know because it would get him faster to hunt for his next meal. Unfortunately for Sebastian his stomach rumbled loudly, loud enough for the other two to hear.

No one answered her but Wildfire was quite used to that, seeing as she didn't speak quite the same language as the adults just yet. She continued craning forward, sniffing at the fresh meat. She had just eaten breakfast, so she wasn't hungry, yet she was a carnivore all the same. The smell of blood was like perfume. She inhaled deeply.

Above her, Peregrine said, "I would be happy to show you." His tone was decidedly warmer than the last time they'd spoken, partly because it was very gratifying to see the subordinate already working hard to contribute. "Why don't you eat some first, though?" he added when Sebastian's stomach growled audibly.

Wildfire blinked at the sound, her ears flattening. It seemed to come from the stranger's belly rather than his mouth, though she didn't know any better. To her, the stranger was growling, which meant he was unhappy. The little girl turned and pressed her face against Peregrine's leg, hiding it from view. Was the big wolf angry with her for sniffing his food?

"What's wrong, Wifi?" the Alpha crooned to his timid offspring. "He's big, isn't he?" he asked, trying to guess at the reason for her reaction, unaware that it was the growling that had upset her. "He won't hurt you, though. He's a friend." Gently, Peregrine shifted his leg away from her, removing Wildfire's hiding spot.

She looked up at him in trepidation, though once more she was bolstered by her father's tone. She faced Sebastian again, then slid forward onto her belly, ears splayed to the sides and black tail wiggling beseechingly. Wildfire glanced up at his chin, though naturally avoided his gaze as she submitted. She still didn't quite understand why he'd growled, though she hoped this display would placate him.

Sebastian let the youngster sniff the carcass, he would even allow her to nip and bite into it. After his stomach rumbled it seemed to have startled the girl. Oh poor child. Sebastian looked up in surprise when the male offered to show him the cache. That would be convenient. The young grey let a close sigh of relief when he was allowed to eat. "Thank you." He moved down to the deer and ate some from it while Peregrine was talking to the pup that he had startled. He then realized how big he must have looked for such a tiny baby. He should have lowered himself from the beginning. The alpha didn't seem to be mad at him for scaring his child. Probably because she needed to learn.

Once the small lady got close, Sebastian instantly lowered himself too. He laid down on his tummy and placed his muzzle on the ground. His fluffy grey and black tail was wagging to show her that he meant no harm. It reminded him that he could have half-siblings if his mother hadn't died. If only his father had been there to protect her. Nope, he had to go live his own life and be all dark and brooding. Sebastian focused on the little one and breathed out a warm gush of air over her. "Play?" Pups knew that word right? He remembered play being one of his first words.

Sebastian responded by lowering himself onto his belly before her, which definitely went a long way to reassure the pup and earn her trust. Wildfire smiled, her dark tail now beating the ground. She scooted forward slightly, then stretched out a foreleg to touch her paw against his. She then withdrew it almost immediately, suddenly feeling shy... only to whip it back out again after glancing at his face. He seemed friendly. And the word play definitely perked her interest. It was one of just a handful that she knew and recognized at her age.

"Ayyy!" she chirped in response, pushing herself onto all fours but ducking her front end down again. Her red rump swung slowly in the air and she thumped her little forepaws at him. She had momentarily forgotten about his kill, though her right paw managed to brush against it and, feeling suddenly playfully emboldened, Wildfire snatched at it, ripping a patch of skin and fur off with surprising speed.

Holding it in her teeth, the little whippersnapper glanced in Sebastian's direction, shook the little mouthful of flesh, then turned and ran away. She bumped into her father's hip, then scrambled to duck behind him. Her head then popped back into view and she giggled despite her clenched teeth, making it fairly clear that her intention was to get Sebastian to give chase.

Sebastian smiled when the pup trusted him a bit more and started to jump around and even try to pluck some fur and meat off his carcass. Sebastian wouldn't mind sharing. He was rather mellow in that department so initiating a chase was not what came to his mind. If the alpha wouldn't be there with her he might have but now it was a bit.. embarrassing to play with a baby in front of their parent... right? In front of your boss. But he did say that he would play with her so Sebastian jumped up and moved forward to give her  chase. Of course he moved to the other side of Peregrine to short cut her. He did it at a slow pace so Wifi would definitely win. Sebastian believed that being jumped by a +120 pound male wouldn't really be good for her health...

Sebastian sank a bit through his front paws and then barked at her, challenging her. He hopped closer, but not close enough that he ever could have touched her. He was rather careful with the little girl. The girl would probably remember him as a living toy for the next time. Eventually Sebastian sat down by the carcass and grabbed a few bites. Playing was fun but the large male needed far more food than a couple of bites to have his full energy back up.

As much as she wanted him to play tag, Wildfire squealed loudly when he came toward her, ducking behind her father and pressing herself against his back. She had half a mind to dive beneath his tail. But then the Alpha male stood suddenly, exposing her. The child squeaked again, dropping the patch of flesh and backpedaling. She laughed, albeit nervously, as Sebastian bowed playfully and then barked. She made a strange eeeee! noise when he hopped closer, then suddenly he was gone back toward the kill.

Wildfire swallowed and sat up straight, peering at her father. He tipped his head. Despite Sebastian's misgivings, he enjoyed watching the two play and bond; it was essential for the pack dynamic. Encouraged, the puppy ventured back toward the large male and the carcass of the fawn. Keeping her golden eyes fastened to his face, she sniffed again at the kill, then began to gnaw on one of the legs. She wasn't hungry but she was a canine, ever eager to chew on something.

"They've known the taste of meat since they were only a couple weeks old but we just started to wean them," Peregrine said conversationally to Sebastian. "That said, she just ate breakfast, so I doubt she'll even make a dent. Think she's just chewing, actually." If Wildfire had wanted to eat more of it, he wouldn't have stopped her, nor allowed Sebastian to interfere either. He might have caught the fawn, yet the Alpha and his children had rights to every kill made by their pack. He rarely, if ever, invoked this right. But he would never let anyone withhold meat from his growing pups.

Anyway, it didn't appear to be an issue whatsoever. Wildfire continued nibbling on the leg, her sharp little teeth easily sawing through the fur, flesh and bone. In fact, she severed the last inch or so, including the dainty little hoof. The pup jerked in surprise, then sniffed at the dismembered limb. There was a small splinter of bone poking out one end, though this didn't interest her much despite the scent of blood. Wildfire pressed her nose against the little black hoof, then mouthed it, oblivious to the fact that she was chewing on a dead deer's foot.

Psstttt. Sebbie is still on TBD :P

Sebastian watched the pup and couldn't help but smile at least a bit at her. She was a cute little girl. As before the large male didn't seem to be bothered by the pup eating from his carcass. Or well, technically the pack's carcass. He was fortunate enough that the alpha male let him eat. Sebastian was very much aware of that. His large body needed a lot of food to get the energy it needed. Being, probably, the one with the lowest rank made it very clear that he came last when eating. At least his hard work had been rewarded. Sebastian felt like this pack would do great to set him straight and turn him into a hard worker.

"Oh I don't mind. I know pups are most important," Sebastian returned. They were the new generation. New blood of the pack. Surely the alpha pair would probably have a long life, but it still made sure their bloodline would stay in charge of the pack they created. Sebastian had seen it with his uncle after all. "You have a lovely daughter," he then complimented. Yet, somehow it sounded awfully perverted. Sebastian frowned. "Wait. That came of wrong," he let out awkwardly. Sebastian was glad that the pup wasn't chewing on his legs, it looked like it would hurt with the sharp teeth she had.

We hadn't quite finalized our rank shuffle. You've been ranked now. :)

The puppy settled onto her stomach, content to chew on the hoof for a while. Her golden eyes roved upward, flicking between the adults as they continued conversing. She didn't pay much attention, not that she could follow what was being said well at all anyway. It felt good to grind her sharp little teeth against the tough keratin. There was also the rubbery sole, which provided a nice textural contrast. She did her best to gnaw around the sharp, splintered bones protruding from the small stump. She slipped occasionally and they stabbed her gums, which she didn't like at all.

Above her, Peregrine laughed at Sebastian's awkwardness. "Thanks. She is lovely, just like her mother. Have you had a chance to meet my wife yet?" he wondered, idly stretching out a paw to bat at Wildfire's tail. It didn't disrupt her chewing, though her knee-jerk response was to wag it. "Or my bombastic Beta pair?" He didn't even know what that word even meant; he just enjoyed the alliteration.

Whoops! Sorry :D

Sebastian's pale eyes watched the young girl chew effortlessly on the hoof and leg. He picked some of the meat from the ribcage all the while. The large tank shook his head, as his ears fell back with a bit of shame. "I've tried looking for them but I have not run in to any of them yet, I'm afraid," Sebastian honestly admitted. But he had been busy with protecting and hunting so at least that something he did right. He would eventually run into one of the three, register their scent along with their name and then all would be well. "I bet she looks like your wife," Sebastian spoke. He was quite the analyzer. Since the girl wasn't black like her father the mother must have at least some red in them. The male also told him her name was Fox. Somehow it made sense for Peregrine's wife to have red fur. 

Sebastian never really thought about having kids, because they were mainly the trouble of his old pack. They were only created by his uncle's want for power, and well, a bit of his dad too. Maybe he wouldn't take any children. Or, if he would, he would be the best dad ever. All Sebastian did know is that he never wanted to be as power crazy as them.

"Yes, she looks just like her mother, except she gets the black tail from me," Peregrine said, making no comment further about meeting the remaining leaders. He secretly didn't approve—finding Fox was as simple as tracking her down at the Alphas' den—but he could see that Sebastian was keeping busy with other tasks, so he wasn't about to make an issue of it. "Our son, Nightjar, looks like the two of us mixed together. And our youngest, Raven, takes after me," he added.

Wildfire responded to the sound of her sister's name by abruptly dropping the hoof and looking up at her father. "Ayer?!" she squawked at him. Lately, she had been particularly attached to the larger, darker puppy. "Er...?" Wildfire babbled, moving to her father's side and pawing at his leg. She whined quietly under her breath. Where was Raven? Why wasn't she here? Could they go back and get her? Although the puppy could hardly articulate all that, her golden eyes were wide and questioning as she murmured, "Vin."

Sebastian wasn't sure if it was socially acceptable for him to knock on the door of the alpha den. That was mostly his reason why he hadn't met the dark male's wife yet. Although his child seemed lovely his wife probably was too. The larger male's pale eyes fell on the girl that seemed troubled about something after her father mentioned her brother and sisters. "Who are you looking for? Your siblings?," Sebastian asked the little girl, not that she could possibly really answer that. It was great to hear Peregrine talk so fondly about his family. He would probably meet some of the other pups soon.

"Peregrine, why don't you give me a direction to any of the caches. I will find it, then you can spend some more time with your daughter," Sebastian offered politely. The large male also had to find a den for himself to spend the night in.

Wildfire glanced at Sebastian, then refocused on her father. "Vin!" she said, louder this time. She reared up and clawed at his leg like a kitten against a cat tree, sliding back down and plopping on her bottom. "Dahdee!" she said loudly, begging for his attention.

Answering for her, Peregrine nodded at the subordinate. "She's attached to her sister lately. Wanna go fetch Raven?" he added, glancing down at Wildfire and causing her to leap up in excitement again. He shook her off his leg, then said, "Okay. Grab your toy and we'll go get her."

The pup didn't quite understand the words, though when the Alpha male pointed a toe at the discarded hoof, she pounced it and clasped it in her jaws. She then began prancing, eager to show it off to Raven and drop it off at the den to be added to her growing hoard.

"Follow us," Peregrine said to Sebastian, beginning to walk back toward the den. Wildfire danced ahead. "Right here," he said, pausing to show the potential Gamekeeper the cache nearest to the Alphas' den. "We're right up here. Feel free to drop by sometime. We'll see you later. Come on, Wifi."

The puppy glanced at Sebastian again, waving her tail at him, then scampered after Peregrine, bumping into her father's legs as he led the way to the den to fetch not only Raven but hopefully Fox and Nightjar as well. They could go on a little family jaunt together.

Thanks for the thread! You can either post again or just ship it to the archives. :)

This thread was amazingly cute! Thank you!

Sebastian watched the father and daughter interact. When Peregrine told him to follow, Sebastian grabbed the half eaten deer and followed obediently. He had to smile when he saw how proudly the little wolf walked. His mind drifted to the time that he was playing with things and being proud of finding things. He had a whole collection for his father to see. A collection he never saw since it was in his mother's den. One night he had snuck out to see the immense tank of a man keeping watch. He carefully approached the male to then snuggled between his front paws. He remembered the man's sigh and then how his soft mouth grabbed him and brought him back to the den. The sign was clear enough. His dad wanted the guard him mom, if only he realized when he was this young that he was rejected by his own father.

At least these pups didn't have the childhood he had. The male dropped the carcass. He briefly thought about following them and meeting Peregrine's wife Fox. But he decided against it. "Bye." He made side the carcass was hidden well and then trotted in another direction. The alpha family was cute but also a bit hurtful compared to his own past.