Redhawk Caldera (Joining) Adding shadows to the walls.

The mesa had been a strange place for the northerner, and he found that he disliked it - to a point. While it had been exceedingly hot, the flat lands rose high above all else, and the ruddy red of the soil could be seen for miles. Miles which he ate up with his new, vigorous march. The man's discomfort with the heat was soon put to rest, because he quickly found a route down and away from the sun, among some low hills. And then, as his silhouette was swallowed by yet another forest, he felt a cool relief. Njal navigated the woods and continued his search for signs of this caldera pack - and as night sank around him, he gave a momentary pause. Fox had mentioned that her pack was directly south, from what he could recall. And one or two days march away -- and it had been at least that. So he must have been in the right area. Had he overshot the mark?

Njal began to retrace his steps through the forest. In the growing darkness he found it difficult to remember his exact route, and ended up trailing in a wide arc to the north of the trees - but, as luck would have it, he began to detect the scents of wolves. None seemed all that familiar, so at first he was disheartened; all of this travel, only to have found yet another pack that wasn't his intended target. He lingered among the trees of the Haunted Wood, growing a little more despondent as the hours passed him by. He had traveled far, been chased by a bear, dealt with many strange wolves, and even bridged a river - so what was one more risk?

So the old man lifted his head and howled, calling out for @Fox in case she had returned in time to meet him. More than likely, someone else would hear him, but that was fine. For now, he would lurk and wait.

With Fox away from home and Finley about to give birth, it was up to Peregrine and Elwood to man the borders and respond to calls. When someone howled for Fox specifically, the Alpha male took his turn. "I've got it!" he howled for all the caldera (but namely the Betas) to hear, then began clambering down the mountainside. The call had come from Haunted Wood, so he veered east once he struck even ground.

He found a rugged, middle-aged wolf with silver fur and a dejected air about him. Although outside his borders, Peregrine assumed an posture of authority as he closed in on the caller, voice gruff as he demanded, "What business do you have with Fox? What—hold on a second. You're familiar," he blurted even as the realization struck him. His jade eyes searched the other male's face, though he couldn't quite remember when and where he'd met him.

Njal's memory was hardly any better than Peregrine's, so when the dark wolf was suddenly within his company and he got a good look, the aged wolf could only think, this must be Fox's mate. No other wolf came to greet him, and this man held an air of superiority. It bothered Njal that he could not lift his own head and claim the same level of power - but he had to let that slide. He was no longer a leader in any capacity.

When the other male was upon him and speaking, Njal didn't really know what to say. He studied him for a moment, and a look of concern slipped across his angular face. "I'm a friend to Fox." He finally said, after trying to remember if they had encountered one another before - but, Njal couldn't recall. There were too many dark-pelted wolves in his memory as it was. So, he pressed on.

"I encountered Fox while traveling a few days ago, and she offered me a place here." It was all the explanation that the gruff man believed was necessary. However, with what the pale wolf had told him recently, he decided to probe a little. "I once ran with Fox, back when she was the Alpha of the Swiftcurrent pack. And..." For a moment it was like he lost his train of thought, but really he was just thinking. How could he broach the subject of FitzDutiful without sinking in to a mire of political garbage? Njal was not interested in pack relations - and surely this beast before him would not be too keen on his opinion. "- I called for her just in case we returned at the same time."

"I am Njal." He stated, his voice rather flat, and then watched the other wolf carefully.

"Fox doesn't have friends outside of the caldera," Peregrine refuted, though he did not stop the other male from continuing. He explained that he'd recently crossed paths with her and that she'd even offered him a place in the ranks. Somehow, the Alpha male doubted that, though why would he make up such a tale? Then he mentioned Swiftcurrent Creek and everything sort of clicked into place in the dark wolf's head.

"Ah," he answered simply, "I gotcha. Fox isn't back yet," he continued in the same breath. "I'm her mate, Peregrine. Njal... did you once come by the plateau to deliver me news from Fox?" Even as he said the words, it triggered a memory. Pied had just given birth and died, leaving the Alpha pair to raise her two surviving pups alongside their two girls, when Njal had showed up with tidings from the creek... like he cared. "You did," he answered himself.

Within Peregrine's words was a veiled accusation - or at least, that's what Njal gathered from his inflection - and for a moment the old man's ears pinned back; he wasn't sure what to make of the comment at first, but knew he didn't like the Alpha's tone. When Perry continued, mentioning that they'd met, there was a small glimmer of recognition within the gray wolf. He vaguely remembered going to the plateau once, but the rest of the event had faded, been blocked out by too many other things.

"Yes, I think that was me. It's been a while, so I don't entirely remember..." He wanted to, though, at least to prove that he was no liar. That the invitation was real. Njal squinted and thought aloud, "I believe you said something about... Fox not being a good fit for the position." An amusing thought, given the irony of their pairing. "I guess you've changed your mind."

That was about as jovial as Njal could be, right now. He took a slow breath, eager to relax but finding it difficult with the scrutiny of the dark Alpha before him. And as an afterthought, Njal queried: "So am I welcome, or do I need to prove myself to you? She did mention your borders were well protected, but you could always use more defense, especially with a new generation rolling about."

They mutually jogged each other's memories and Peregrine could not help himself; he smirked when reminded of his former opinion of Fox. "I didn't think very highly of her for a long time. She was a piece of shit, actually." Despite his words, there was a glimmer of affection in his eyes that ran soul deep these days. "She's smartened up a bit, probably because of my influence..." He smirked again, snorting lightly though his nostrils.

"Of course you'll have to prove yourself to me," the Alpha replied slightly sharply. "What kind of question is that?" Before even letting Njal reply, he concurred, "There's no such thing as too many Wardens, even if we require the entire pack—pups included—to pursue the trade. That, or Warrior. So you're telling me you're a seasoned guardian...?"

He had anticipated a meeting at the borders, but not a meeting with Fox's equal. And not with such hostility. While the other wolf wasn't outright attacking him, he was very quick in showing off his lack of trust. Njal could understand that to a degree - especially with the arrival of children - but he did not take kindly to it. Peregrine's sharply worded statement had Njal become a bit more tense and rigid, his jaw setting tightly shut.

"-are you telling me you are a seasoned guardian?" Peregrine concluded, rushing through the rest of the conversation on his own. When given the chance to respond, Njal was gruff and to-the-point.

"Yes. I started out as a warrior for a group called the Kindred, then migrated to these wilds and became one of the wardens of Swiftcurrent. Following that I left to make my own pack, and my entire life revolved around protecting my home. I am well versed in that task." Even as he said this, Njal foresaw future questions from the other wolf - namely, what pack, or maybe even, what happened? And he wasn't sure about how to answer such things, if they were to come up. So he concluded as simply as he could. "Fox has my loyalty already, and I am willing to devote myself to the rest of her family as well."


A fresh start - that's all he wanted.

Peregrine paid no mind to the tension written into the other's expression and body language. He was no softhearted Alpha, that was for sure. The caldera wasn't exactly hurting for members and so he could afford to be picky. With that said, he did want to recruit and Njal seemed a promising candidate, especially if Fox had sent him. As long as he survived the vetting phase—the Master Warden's every right—then he would likely make a great addition to the pack.

He mentioned experience as an Alpha of his own domain, then swore his devotion. Peregrine's head bobbed to acknowledge these statements. Luckily for Njal, the swarthy Alpha cared little for the details. Packs rose and fell all the time. Or leadership changed hands. It was the way of life for wild wolves (although particularly ones subjected to the drama of being role-play characters).

"All right. If Fox vouches for you, then I know you'll be an asset, Njal. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that you will need to pull your weight in order to remain here. The more you contribute, the higher your rank." He paused and then, rather than continue with his spiel, he gave the gray wolf a pointed look and said, "Laa dee daa. I'm sure you know the song and dance." He had been a leader, after all, and he looked at least five or older.

"I expect Fox back soon. In the meantime, I'll lead you back to the caldera proper," Peregrine said, not waiting for an answer before turning to lead Njal in the direction of home.

Njal relaxed considerably when he heard Peregrine's next words, although the grim expression remained fixed upon his face. He went on, but not for much longer, and Njal nodded when he concluded. They'd both probably given the same speech to many lone wolves, so there was no need to repeat it now. 

"I expect Fox back soon. In the meantime, I'll lead you back to the caldera proper," Peregrine explained, and turned away from the older wolf. Njal was quiet, thoughtful. He was swift to follow after the dark one, easing himself in to the position of a subordinate - although a part of him would always find it difficult to be less than the top dog. He would obey his superiors - mostly out of a respect for Fox - so there would be no issues.

The last thing he said before turning completely mute was a simple, "Thank you." As if now, all of Njal's worries and sorrows would melt away. There was still a lot of work before that could possibly happen, though.

Fade? :D

Sure, I'll archive. Welcome!

The newest member of the caldera fell into step behind the black Alpha. They trotted in silence for a few beats, which Njal only broke to say, "Thank you." Peregrine bobbed his head again to acknowledge the two words, then hastened his step slightly. They reached the foot of the mount within a few more minutes.

"Make yourself at home, Njal. I am going to ask you to avoid the pack's rendezvous site until you've been here a few days. It's nothing personal. Someone attacked one of our children recently and I am slow to trust strangers with them. But we'll make sure to introduce you in time. Take care."

Although Fox trusted Njal and that certainly spoke well of him, Peregrine's hackles prickled a bit even as he strode away. It was difficult to trust someone he didn't know well, yet it was something he would have to do if he ever wanted fresh blood in the ranks. He would just keep a careful eye on Njal and trust that he would become the next tightly-knit part of their weave.