Riddle Heights hymn for the missing

All welcome... maybe an Archer cousin????

On the tips of her toes, managing to sneak away from her brother, Sovanna headed into the foothills that led up the mountain. She'd been hiding in the Palisade for a while, waiting for make her way up the mountain. Of course, she hadn’t meant to wait that long… it was just the palisade was so big that it was impossible to sit still and impossible to leave until she’d seen all of it!

Ebony fur and a sharp, mission-orientated mind drove her to the higher altitude… and something just felt right about it. She liked it high up, being able to get a bird’s eye view of the world. She had to be careful, though… she could smell the borders of a pack not too far from her. While she’d fought before, she was not the fighter of Sorya Archer’s first brood. No, that burden fell to Diego. She was the hunter… not the hunted. Still, that didn’t stop her from getting close, trying to catch a glipse of what a wolf from this part would look like.

guardian dem 1/3 

Since his meeting with Morganna the shadow had kept a watchful eye on the mountain, his patrols growing more frequent as he waited for the arrival of his nieces and nephews. Although Greer would welcome them onto the mountain with open paws he knew they would not stay long. Morganna was a leader—she thrived at being in charge and having subordinates beneath her. She would not be satisfied unless she had her own pack—which was why she had left for the north in the first place.

The bitter disagreement between the Aurora wolves and his birthpack still weighed heavily on his mind. He had always felt guilty for not being there for Elettra’s final days, but Greer knew she had understood why he left. Despite the disdain he felt toward his uncle, Greer had left for personal reasons. He’d always succumbed to his wandering paws, never staying put in the hanging willows that engulfed his home. He needed to see more—experience more. Greer would have never been happy staying within the borders of the Ridge. But, he should have said good-bye. That was his biggest regret.

The scent of another caused his path to change, his mercury eyes narrowed into slits as he descended along the rock. A flash of ebony caught his attention, causing his pace to quicken. Was this one of Morganna’s? No—something about the scent was all wrong, despite the familiarity of it. Just how many Archer’s were there? He barked a greeting, his brows still furrowed as his tail arched over his back. Who are you?

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2017, 06:35 AM by Greer.)

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

She was met with something… absolutely boring in the form of a bark, her head tilting to the side as her eyes caught the ebony fur that lingered in the depths of the pack’s territory. Silver eyes greeted her and she lowered her tail respectfully. She wasn’t stupid – maybe a little impulsive but she knew better than to challenge a wolf so close to their own pack’s lands… especially while they were on them. He seemed nonthreatening despite his dominance display, and so the girl observed, staring back. Habits of a scout, she supposed… she loved the excitement, the seeing of something new, and while she could talk, it took her a moment to form words.

Who was she? “Sovanna Archer.” She answered directly, that curiosity lingering in her eyes. Her mother might have cringed in that moment – offering the full first and last had been somewhat of a weird habit with her. As if that even made any sense. “Who are you?” She asked, hoping for a name in return… not that she was counting on getting one. They weren’t nearly as friendly as she could be at times… of course, friendly was a bit of an abstract term that was hard to define.

guardian dem 2/3

She did not appear to be a threat—a loner merely passing through. Probably looking for food or a familiar face. Maybe even a place to bunker down for the winter, which Greer could provide. However, what he had not been expecting, was the introduction. The name, more specifically. Archer. His ears twitched as he took a single step forward, his brows pinched tight as he searched the female for something—anything—familiar. She was adorned with one of the infamous Archer coats—rich hues of ebony and silver. And the eyes—they mirrored Greer’s (and Sköll’s… and Niles’…).

The first name was not one Greer recognized. Not even his sister had mentioned a Sovanna in the family. Had she been in Torbine at the same time of Morganna? Or was she another one of Sköll’s, another slap to the Archer name.

Greer Archer, he retorted quickly in response to her question, his tail flicking absently behind him. Sovanna from? He asked, maw canted to the side as he waited (impatiently) for a response. 

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2017, 06:36 AM by Greer.)

Greer Archer. The last name made her face falter, confusion flicking across her eyes. Greer. Her cousin. Her mother had told her about the children of Elettra… at least the ones she knew… but she had been under the impression that they all resided in the northern reaches of the Lore… still… did that mean she was right, and that she had found them? She snapped out of her silence when he questioned where she was from. Silver eyes peering.

“Torbine.” She paused for dramatic effect. “You must be my cousin… my mum told me about you and your siblings... at least the ones she met.” About all the Archer children, and Angier and Elettra both... well, not all about but they were names that she recognized. Greer was a name she recognized. She didn’t mentioned Morganna – she wasn’t really sure what to say about her…

(This post was last modified: Nov 21, 2017, 01:26 AM by Sovanna.)

guardian dem 3/3

The ebony wolf seemed to recognize Greer’s name—or maybe it was just the surname, as they both shared the same one. Was it Morganna’s doing, or had her parents resided in the Willows when the shadow had been nothing but a mere tuft of ashen fur? The corners of his mouth pinched as she responded to his question, the word rolling off her tongue with ease: Torbine.

Interesting.

His ears cupped forward, mercury eyes narrowed as the yearling continued, announcing that they were (probably) cousins. Greer gave a short nod in response, his tail lowering and giving a slow wag behind him. Elettra Greer-mom, he elaborated, his head falling to the side. Sovanna-parents? He did not know if he would remember the name—most members from his childhood were a blur, especially since he typically kept to himself.

What had caused so many Archers to leave Torbine? First Morganna was returning to the lands of Lore with her brood in tow (although they would be arriving much later than their mother had). And now there was Sovanna, a wolf he had never encountered before. Morganna had not mentioned of things going sideways back in their mother’s homeland. What had launched so many Archers north? Why leave? Curiosity had gotten the better of him propelling the question from deep within his chest.

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2017, 06:36 AM by Greer.)

He told her what she already knew – Elettra was his mother. “My mother’s name is Sorya. My father’s name is Visel.” If he recognized a name, it would be the former or the two she had provided. The ebony girl grinned at him, her tail wagging as his started to lower. Then there was that other question. Why did everyone ask that? She couldn’t help but wonder – first it’d been a couple of loners she’d met along the way, ones that had known of the Torbine kingdom and the roles the Archer family held in it…

Then it had been Pietro, asking why she’d leave Torbine when they had everything they wanted. Now, it was her cousin. He didn’t know what it was like, the cautiousness of her mother, how her mother tried to stop her from being, well her in her bubbly and energetic form yet cunning and strategic form. “Intrigue… I needed to be able to get out and see the world and my mother tended to try and keep me as close to her as possible. Something was brewing, she just wouldn’t tell me what.” Her mother and her cousin, she was fairly certain, had been plotting something.

Sorya. It was a name that jogged his memory, but not a wolf that he had spent much time with. She had been part of the Ridge when he had been born, and for part of his early life, but he couldn’t remember her beyond that. It must have been when she had left for Torbine, forging a life for herself there. Just like Morganna had in her absence from the lands of Lore.

His ears cupped forward as his ebony cousin responded to his question, his mercury gaze narrowing. Intrigue. That was a good way to put it. He could only imagine the stories passed around Torbine about where Elettra had gone and started an empire. However, what intrigued the shadow the most was Sovanna’s last statement. Something was brewing? His lips tightened. Did Morganna know anything about said brewing? Come with Morg? He asked, changing he subject as his tail flicked absently behind him. It was odd that both Archer’s had shown up one after the other… was the silver-eyed girl before him involved in his sister’s sinister plans?

Lore what Sovanna think? He asked, steering the conversation a different way as his own intrigue pushed the words off his tongue.

His next question, she was not prepared for. Confusion hinted at her features. “Morganna is here?” That wasn’t right… when Sovie had left, Morganna had been in Torbine still along with her children and the rest of Sorya’s children… of course, if Pietro had left to find her, then it is possible the others had left too. “When did she get here? Did you see her? What’s she doing so far from Torbine?” Perhaps she was returning to her own homeland, but the thought didn’t occur to Sovanna until she’d already started her ramble and it was too far into the questions to backtrack.

What did she think of the Lore? She let out a soft sigh of relief that the topic had been changed. She’d had enough of talking about her boring homeland for one day. “It’s interesting… I like it but I don’t think Pietro’s a huge fan of it. He’s always complaining about stopping and resting and eating.” Of course, that’s probably because she hadn’t had the best track record of taking care of herself. “Honestly he’s such a drag sometimes. Can’t he see what’s around him? This place is beautiful!” Of course, he was still farther to normal elevation than she was at the moment.