Redhawk Caldera Bringing her body home

To make every wolf ICly know that Tiger is dead. @Fox @Peregrine @Pantaleimon @Finley @Elwood @Wildfire @Nightjar @Raven

After Sebastian dug up Tiger from the ground it was revealed that she was indeed dead. Sebastian's whole body numbed down. He expected himself to break down and mourn about the girl he fancied, but this was not the case. Maybe it was because of the black female Nochtli that was with him. Once they reached their borders he decided that he would visit the female or give her a thank you gift but for now... It was Sebastian's job to show everyone what happened. Sebastian had inspected the scene, preforming an autopsy with his eyes. It seemed that she was poisoned in a way, seeing that she had no wounds.

Sebastian carried her into the Caldera until he reached the tree where they last met. Once he was alone with her body before him his eyes finally stated fill with tears. Maybe it was the safety of his home that allowed him to cry a bit. A low mournful howl sounded throughout the Caldera. Sebastian's deep voice continued to sing a sad song for Tiger. It would alert the others and maybe even mentally prepare then for what they were about to see. Even the kids. It was a cruel yet important lesson. Sebastian sat by her body his head pointing to the ground after his song ended. He felt horrible. Maybe if he had been there he could have prevented it. His heart ached. At least she was brought home to be with her family.

The howl that rang out sent a chill down Finley's spine.  The message on the wind was clear, and yet the Blackthorn swept across the Caldera with complete doubt in her heart.  Tiger was not dead.  She couldn't be.  The pack had suffered enough.  Fin had suffered enough.  And she was done with it.  She was pregnant, she had a mate - sorrow had no place in her life anymore.  She would not accept that it was back again, and she definitely would not accept that it returned in the form of Tiger's death.


When Fin came onto the scene, she found Sebastian crumpled next to a pale, still form.  The Blackthorn slowed, her eyes widened as she stared at the black stripe upon the dead wolf's spine.  Bile rose in her throat as she began to tremble.  Her heart knew that it was Tiger, but her mind would not accept it.

Sebastian's call didn't make any sense. Tiger? Dead? How could that be possible, when Elwood had seen her only a day or so before? She had been so happy, so full of life -- so excited to become the aunt to Finley's unborn children. He was sure there had been a mistake as he moved toward Sebastian's location.

But it wasn't an error; as he approached, he saw Sebastian's hulking grey form. Slumped at his feet was Finley, and from his position Elwood could make out Tiger's pale fur from behind her sister. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach and drew in a sharp breath, pausing a few feet away from the scene.

He whined softly, tearing his eyes away from Tiger's prone form and looking to Sebastian. He wanted to know more, but couldn't make the words leave his lips.

With the passing of each day, Raven withdrew further and further into her head.  She didn't understand herself enough to give words to the turmoil that reigned within her.  Her feelings toward her father hadn't improved much since the morning she'd witnessed him rip somebody's head off.  If anything, the distance between them had only grown as the trauma of that morning went deeper into her and festered like a poisoned arrow.  At least she had gotten to where she could tolerate being around him again, though if had the choice, she would still go find something else to do when he was around.  Nightmares plagued her sleep and although she had been a quiet child before, she seemed to have less and less to say these days.

Despite all of that, she still managed to maintain a reasonably normal existence.  She still laughed and played with her siblings, still snuggled with her mother at night.  She still ate with gusto, still explored on her own (one of her favorite pastimes, actually), and threw herself one hundred percent into the things Tiger had been teaching her.  Tiger, her newest friend.  Her favorite friend.

Fate wasn't done with her yet, though.  Whatever forces had conspired to warp and damage Peregrine's other black-furred children seemed to have the same plans in mind for his youngest as Sebastian's heart-rending howl rose on the warm summer air.  The rich, deep tones of his voice sang of sorrow and death, and the name on his tongue sent fear pulsing like silver fire through Raven's veins, curdling her blood and making her choke on the very air she breathed.  From where she'd been digging -- harassing bugs beneath a fallen log some distance from her family -- she immediately took off running as fast as her legs could carry her.  She tripped and busted her ass a few times, for she was still possessed of that charming clumsiness typical of pups her age, but she didn't let that slow her down.  

When she arrived, she saw her aunt and uncle already there...Sebastian...and there, in the grass, a figure in white.  Unnaturally motionless, silent, stiff, unmoving, save for the eerie way the gentle breeze ruffled her fur.  The scent hadn't changed yet.  Tiger.  Raven's friend.  She was dead.  Cold fingers of horror snaked around her heart and squeezed, and the child nearly choked on her own tears.  She staggered forward a few steps, panting under the weight of her grief, and sank down beside Finley, burying her face in her aunt's soft shoulder and trying not to throw up.  Raven hadn't known Tiger very long, but even the most fleeting friendships could mean so much to children.

Sebastian watched how a few members reacted to his mourning song. Sebastian felt horrible for what happened. He should have been there to protect her or something. Not that he would know the use of all the herbs... A soft sniffle left his lips. When Finley came Sebastian looked so guilty. He felt so bad for the grey wolf. They were obviously good friends. What Sebastian didn't know was that Tiger was Finley's sister. Sebastian swallowed thickly and then turned himself away from the dead body he just carried. The young male felt a need to wash himself, although.. She would still need to be buried.

Elwood came soon afterwards and then even Raven. He hated that the pup had to learn about death so early in life. It was sad to see her so upset. Sebastian caught Elwood's glance. "A black female called Nochtli came to our borders when I was on patrol. She told me she found a body, dead, of a pale female and she smelled of RHC. I went to check out the story and found.. Tiger. There were a lot of herbs around her... One or maybe two might have been poisonous," Sebastian spoke in a mournful tone. "I-- I carried her back to her home. We should... bury her."

Fin felt her entire body shaking with rage the longer she stared at her sister's body.  Rage at Sebastian for showing her this, rage at whoever had done this to her, rage at her for being such a bitch and dying on her, rage at the entire world.  Why was it so terribly cruel to her?  Hadn't she gone through enough?  She was going to be an aunt.  Her babies were going to have an aunt to visit them and play with them and love them.  And now they would never even meet her.


The beta barely even noticed when her mate arrived at her side.  Her attention was glued to Tiger's corpse.  Her ears twisted to tune in to whatever Sebastian would have to say, and then she would unleash the chaotic beast that was screaming within her over this tragedy.

But then, Finley's gaze slipped to the small wolf that had slipped past her undetected and sat down to bear the weight of her grief at her side.  Instantly, the anger was gone.  She felt nothing was terrible sorrow for her goddaughter, and quickly she dropped down so that she could wrap her arms around the pup and lick the side of her head soothingly.  She would let Elwood discuss the specifics with Sebastian.  Her concern now was little Raven who had already seen far too much tragedy in her short life.

Suddenly, there was a small, dark figure next to Finley. Elwood looked sharply in her direction, quickly identifying Raven. He frowned, wanting to step forward and shield the child from the sight of Tiger's prone body, but Finley was already comforting her niece. For a long moment, he watched as Finley soothed Raven, then he slowly shifted his gaze to Sebastian, who was explaining what had happened.

His heart grew heavy as the grey male detailed how he had come to find Tiger's body. It was painful to learn that Tiger had passed while presumably doing something she loved -- gathering herbs for her medical cache. She had been a smart and capable wolf, and the entire caldera was looking forward to having her as a healer. But her life had been snuffed out much too soon.

He sighed, giving his head a nod. Sebastian was right; they needed to move her body somewhere safe. This would now be the third packmate that Elwood had helped to bury. "Let's give them a few more minutes," he murmured lowly, gesturing to Finley and Raven. He didn't want to take Finley's sister away from her before she was ready.

An overwhelming numbness suffused Raven's body as she stared at what had once been her friend. She couldn't even cry -- she just stared as if in shock.  She felt chilly prickles creep down her as a vast sense of emptiness and loss opened up before her.  Aside from her family and, of course, Aunt Flea and Elwood, and maybe Pantaleimon, Tiger had been her only friend.  Tiger had always made her laugh when she didn't feel happy, always had some corny joke or soothing comment.  Tiger had been the only one to really ask how she was doing after the bloody incident between her father and Junior.  Tiger had given Raven a job, a sense of purpose and direction, by offering to mentor her and teach her some of what she knew about medicine.  And, most importantly, Tiger had helped Wildfire heal.

It struck Raven, then, that this wasn't just her friend lying there cold and still in the grass.  This was Aunt Flea's sister.  Although kids Raven's age sometimes had a hard time relating in situations like these, Raven had no trouble at all understanding just how horrible this really was.  The thought of losing Wifi was awful to Raven.  She couldn't bear to think about it.  She shivered and kissed her aunt's face, chin, muzzle, whatever she could.  Her voice was tiny as she mumbled thickly, "Love you, Auntie Flea."  They were the only words she could find at that moment.

Sebastian knew that taking away the body now wouldn't feel right, the others should be allowed to say their goodbyes. He just nodded to Elwood that he understood. He felt like mourning too since he had a big crush on the girl and his hope of becoming a healer was almost zero now. He had no one to learn from. He would need to find help outside the pack if he wanted to become a healer. He was the pack's only hope in becoming one after all.

A soft sigh ran through his body as he watched Finley and Raven. Horrible. Sebastian decided that he couldn't watch. The male started to dig, liking the mindless work he could forget himself in. He had chosen the spot after all, by the roots of the tree he wanted to dig a den for the two of them, like maybe in the far future. It was a bitter thing to do, how cruel life was towards him. So unfair.

Raven trembled in her arms as she cuddled close.  Fin wanted so much to be able to hug the pain away so that she wouldn't have to feel it anymore, but this was a hard truth about life.  It was cruel and terrible, but it was the way of the world.  They were wolves - survival was earned, not promised.  It broke Finley's heart to see that her sister had lost the battle that they all fought, and it hurt her even further to see how deeply it affected her goddaughter as well.


Fin was surprised when the grieving child turned to comfort her.  Her words warmed the beta's heart, but try as she might, she could not muster even the faintest of smiles for her.  Instead, she planted a kiss upon the little girl's forehead and touched her nose to hers.  "I love you too, Rave," she said softly before squeezing her a little tighter in a hug.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to turn her head.  She watched as Sebastian began to dig, and though she was loathe to leave Raven's side, she knew it was her job as Tiger's family to bury her.  Fin nudged her goddaughter before she stood and stepped over to Sebastian, leaning down and lending her own strength to his as they began to carve out a place in the earth for Tiger's remains.

Elwood lingered for a moment longer, unable to tear his eyes away from Tiger's still form until he sensed that Sebastian had started to dig nearby. He slowly turned towards the other grey male and then positioned his body so that he could help. The Beta pulled at the dirt dutifully, the actions feeling mechanical. He couldn't believe they were burying Tiger, who had been so full of life only days before.

Soon, Finley started to help them. Elwood reached over to give his mate a reassuring nudge, his glance darting quickly back to Raven. He wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to invite the youth to help, so he kept his mouth shut and turned back to the grim task at hand. With three adult wolves working together, it didn't take long for them to dig a sizable hole. He would wait for Finley to take the lead on saying goodbye to her sister and moving her body.

Raven loved digging and getting dirty so she wanted very much to help, but she wasn't brave enough to jump in and do it.  She didn't want to aggravate any of the adults and get in trouble, or risk upsetting Aunt Flea any further.  So she hung back and watched with somber eyes as the three older wolves made quick work of the task at hand.  Soon there was a deep hole, yawning wide and empty, with large heaps of loose soil in all sides of it.  Raven wasn't entirely sure yet what the exact purpose of the hole was, but she had a feeling she wouldn't have to wait long to find out.  Was it some sort of odd goodbye ritual?  Tiger had liked digging; was this some strange way to honor her memory?  Were they doing it just for fun?  To cheer up?  The little blackbird wasn't sure, but she kept a lid on her confusion and just continued to watch quietly.

Sebastian's big paws easily took the dirt away from its previous location. Soon Elwood and Finley joined too. It didn't take long before they dug a proper grave for the light female. Sebastian decided it would be his job to move her down into the grave. He gently grabbed her, glancing at the others basically offering them to help if they wanted to before he grabbed the stiff body and moved her into the hole in the ground. A saddened feeling washed over him. It was hard to look at her like this. 

The large male saw the black little pup and then watched her sadly. "Well, say your last words. We will burry her into the ground so she won't get eaten by scavengers and that she may turn into the grass that our prey eats," he spoke, remembering those wishes from his own birth pack. He did like the idea that a dead body would provide so much to the soil that plants could grow.

Though Fin had never been a fan of digging (as evidenced by the fact that she always made Elwood do it for her), it seemed take no effort at all for the three of them to create a decent-sized burial plot for Tiger.  Worse than that, it took no time either.  When Finley stepped back, she pressed herself close to Elwood's side.  She could not bring herself to look at Sebastian as he moved her sister's body into the hole, nor when he spoke.  She knew that it was time to say goodbye, no matter how little she wanted it to be.


Quietly, Fin stepped forward and crouched down low enough so that she could reach her sister.  Gently, she placed a single kiss upon Tiger's head.  It was so cruel, so unfair.  Fin wanted to lash out at everyone and everything around her in bitterness and heartbreak, but she found herself unable to move at all.  Instead, she pressed her muzzle tightly against Tiger's cheek, shutting her eyes as her tears ran freely into both of their fur.  She laid still for a minute or so, unable to do anything more than let the pain break over her in wave after wave.

When finally it subsided, Finley lifted her head slightly to lean her nose towards Tiger's ear.  "Codladh sámh, deirfiúr," she said quietly before finally stepping away fully to let the others pay their own respects.

Once the hole was large enough, Sebastian took the initiative and closed his mouth gently around Tiger's scruff. Elwood moved to help him, nudging against her shoulder so that her body slipped into the grave. He then stepped back, and immediately felt Finley's presence against his side. He bowed his head, closing his eyes and leaning into his mate as Sebastian suggested that they say their final words.

He watched somberly as Finley shared her last moment with her sister, whispering something that was indistinguishable but would not have been understood by the other wolves anyway. Only when Finley had withdrawn with tears in her eyes did Elwood peer down at his sister-in-law. "Goodbye, Tiger," he murmured softly.

Raven had been confused as to the purpose of the hole, but when Sebastian moved Tiger's lifeless body toward it, the little blackbird understood what he meant to do.  She'd never been to a funeral before, never witnessed the burial of a fellow wolf in the ground.  It was a strange and uncomfortable thing for her to think about.  The thought of being under the earth, with all that dirt on top of her, made her shudder and feel a little queasy.  She didn't want Tiger to be in that hole, and she started to get a little upset as the males gently nudged her into it.  

Her ears flattened and she was about to raise her voice in protest when Sebastian turned his attention to her and, in a calm voice, explained why they were burying her friend.  She didn't really know what "scavengers" were, but she understood being eaten.  She didn't want Tiger to be eaten, and maybe being buried in the ground would keep her safe from harm.  It didn't make sense at all to her, but since the elder wolves seemed to accept it, she guessed it was true.  Taking a few slow steps forward, she approached the edge of the hole and peered down into it.  Tiger -- vibrant, laughing, bright-eyed, feisty, silly, generous, affectionate, kindhearted Tiger -- lay empty and cold in the dirt below, her limbs stiff with the creeping onset of rigor, her face drawn into a grimace.  This was what death looked like, and it was both fascinating and unnerving to the child.  She swallowed thickly, a single tear rolling down her dark cheek.  A small yellow dandelion flower nearby caught her attention and, without a word, she picked it and dropped it into the grave.  It landed lightly on Tiger's shoulder, ironically bright and cheery against its somber surroundings.  Raven said nothing, but her eyes never left her friend.

Sebastian had to look away when Finley was saying goodbye to Tiger. It was too much for him. The male grew emotional from her goodbye. He remembered loosing his siblings. So much death that he already had seen in his life. His siblings. His mother. His uncle. Although the latter wasn't a sad memory. He was relieved. Tiger was another sad memory. He might never find someone as cool as her. The grey male watched in sadness as Elwood and Raven said goodbye to Tiger's body. 

"Tiger. I am happy you showed me into the healer's trade. You were an amazing friend and I will.. I will miss you," he spoke. He didn't say anything about his crush on her. It would be inappropriate. He would keep that to himself. Then the large male turned himself around, starting to cover Tiger's body with the loose dirt around the dug grave. At least she was back home with her family. 

Stevie and I are both on absence for the next little while, so I thought I would go ahead and fade this. <3 Let me know if that's not okay with anyone!

Watching Raven say goodbye to Tiger was heartbreaking. Elwood bit his lip as the little girl gazed down at the body of her friend, saying nothing but allowing a lone tear to slide down her cheek. She then plucked a dandelion from the ground and deposited it into the grave with Tiger. It was a touching gesture.

Elwood shifted his gaze to Sebastian as the large wolf said his last goodbyes to the former healer. He didn't realize that Sebastian's feelings for Tiger had been deeper than he had let on, but he felt his friend's sadness as he thanked her for teaching him some of the tricks of the trade. Hopefully Sebastian would continue his work as a healer to honor Tiger's memory.

When all was said and done, the small group of wolves solemnly shifted the dirt to bury their friend. Once that was done, Elwood bowed his head, his expression thankful as he looked wordlessly at Sebastian. He then gave Finley a gentle nudge and started to lead her towards home.