Fireweed Rise Thick as Thieves

SKÖLL ARCHER

For once, that soothing wave of relief washed over him. She told him that she could never forget about him and that he was the measure against which all other men in her life were set up to. Again, his mind flickered to the thought of Renier and he made a face as she turned her eyes skyward. At least he could be grateful that she verbally confirmed that no one had even come close.

Silence crept between them and Skoll quietly glanced upwards to where his sister had begun to stargaze. He retorted in-between her remarks, "I'm aware..." A thin-lipped expression was cast over to Morganna as she expounded on the fact that perhaps the bloke had a few "new" moves that their step-father hadn't even seen yet. Skoll doubted it (he had eavesdropped a couple of times on Angier whenever he had thought to relay tidbits and stories of his upbringing within Bertram Valley), but he had no choice but to take her word for it. Morganna, these days, was often more right than wrong, and he would not even dare to challenge her.

"You said 'us,'" he mentioned, sudden suspicion creeping up into his tone and making it acidic on the ears again. "How will I know he won't kill me to get to you?" Pride swelled in his chest, ballooning against his heart, as he was sure that he managed to figuratively romp one step ahead of her. An impish grin managed to recover itself on his maw, wondering if he would get some sort of revenge on her if he teased, "You know you're quite a catch, sis. It'd be rather terrible if he, say, slipped and fell into my jaws." Unbeknownst to Skoll, Craw was actually a rather heavy brute, tank-like and built for power and impact instead of speed. He hadn't even seen the man in passing at all since he had joined; this would be the first he had ever heard of him. "Does he fancy you?"

You may be a sinner
but you may be justified

Suspicion was evident and all she could offer was a small shrug. She couldn’t know - neither of them could, but that didn’t mean he would. “I trust yer quick enough and clever enough to avoid anythin’ like that.” she countered lightly when the hint of a grin entered her peripheral vision. To compensate her gentle ego stroking, she emitted a rather unladylike snort in response to her siblings own attempt at flattery. “Is that why they all go runnin’ fer the hills?” daring to allow a disbelieving giggle creep into her tone.

The thought of the silver guardian falling into @Skoll’s jaws had her laughing again. Clearly he hadn’t yet laid eyes on the man who seemed to be making rounds of the rest of the pack. She supposed if he operated in the day, catching her brother could be more difficult than anyone without experience could have anticipated. “Yer’d be lucky ter get yer smart mouth open wide enough.” she hinted. What use was a guardian smaller than herself? His next question caught her off guard, clear in the sudden blank expression on her face. Their encounter had been a captivating one to be sure but that meant nothing in the scheme of things. “I really couldn’t say.” she settled with honestly, unsure whether her response would put her brother at ease or fuel his curiosity to seek @Craw out on his own terms.

Managing another deep breath, a conspiratorial grin crept back onto her face, “If yer sure yer done with @Piety I might have a gift for yer.” After all what business did she have hoarding the pale scrap of ear?

SKÖLL ARCHER

She told him that she trusted that he would be quicker... faster... His smirk fell flat. Typical. Though, he was able to take it as a compliment as well; it just didn't answer his question at all. He all but scoffed at her when she asked if that was why some (or certain) Willow Ridge members or other lone wolves steered clear of... him. At the mention of this guardian's supposed build, Skoll rolled his eyes. Build and physique was usually not the first thing he regarded when sizing up his opponents.

He looked to her again, suddenly no longer interested in the stars. A smile slipped back onto her maw and he frowned when she said that she had a gift for him. Now, it was plain to see that something was up. "I don't want it," he flatly declared, his tail thumping once on the ground before settling in the fireweed with a loud rustle. His ghost gray eyes narrowed and he actually leaned away from her. "You're going to ask something of me," he presumed, his tone both wary and unimpressed. "And what does Piety have to do with any of it? I did say that I was done with her. She's caused me enough pain for one lifetime."

Her comment had been more about herself than him although she supposed it applied to both of them and she didn’t move to correct his sudden sulkiness. If he wanted to be precious he would get little sympathy from her at this hour of night when she had been so busy in the days leading up to it.

For once she didn’t have a motive in giving him this gift. While @Skoll often spoke of doing things (inheriting @Elettra’s kingdom, taking care of Angier, getting @Titan for her, sorting out Rook Lyall and stealing back the Attaya sisters), Morganna preferred to let her actions speak for her, and much like when she challenged her aunt @Adele, this was another such time. “Because I didn’t just sniff ‘er out,” she allowed a moment for her words to sink in before she continued, allowing the hint of a sulk to enter her voice. “An’ I’ve got all I need from yer so I’m not gonna ask anythin’.” her scowl was evident in her tone alone and she rolled her shoulders for good measure to signal she was about to get up.

“Jus’ come find me before yer turn in t’morrow.” She wasn’t the type for crafting sappy limericks to convey her love for anyone, I love you’s were cheap, little more than empty words. Instead, she simply wanted to show him just how much he meant to her. She wanted to let him know the lengths she was willing to go to, to discourage anyone from hurting him that way again.

It would create a need for her to sneak up to her secret stash before she fell asleep tonight, she might even sleep beyond the borders on the side of the mountain if the fancy took her, maybe even with her nose buried in the last scrap of woodchuck fur that remained from their very first hunt.

She had no desire to mingle with the rest of the pack tonight - winter would be well and truely upon them soon enough and then she wouldn't have a choice but to join the mountain of bodies piled into the main den. For now, it was getting late, and she did want to sleep at some point before the sun came up again.

SKÖLL ARCHER

Her comeback to his "sentiment" about Piety had his head reeling. What was that supposed to mean? Did Morganna actually find her? Additionally, the realization that she had gotten all she wanted from him took him aback. His lips fashioned itself into another pout as he stared at her with narrowed eyes. When he retired for the day, he would run this conversation over and over in his head to figure out just what his sister had wanted to know. Until then, though, he was willing to let her take her leave.

“Jus’ come find me before yer turn in t’morrow,” she said and Skoll turned to leave. No 'good night' or 'I love you' or even a 'see you then'. He and his sister were not the type to use such schmaltzy words, and it was clear now in their adulthood that while he could croon into her ear what other words were more endearing to someone like her, she could show him his worth and what he deserved in return. From the beginning of this little meeting until now, Skoll was sure that neither of them would even need anything like a 'goodbye.' Her invitation alone promised that they would see one another soon enough.

After taking a few steps, he looked over his shoulder to where she stood and gave a formal nod that told her that he was leaving. Then, in picking up a leisurely rhythm, his meandering feet brought him back into the Drooping Willows... where the shadows swallowed him whole...

(Exit.)

Morganna watched @Skoll leave, only allowing a small smile to cross her face with a quiet chuckle to herself once he was out of sight and (she was only almost certain) earshot. She turned to the east, picking her way across the fireweed, taking a few moments to check game trails for any hint of where the herds might go next before she turned north and began to make her way to the medicinal den. Up the heights, somewhere behind it was the cache where she had her own little precious things tucked away. She would dig up the pale scrap of ear for her brother before moving to the northern edges of their home to sleep where the trees offered a thicker canopy as the willows gave way to the wildwood.

She was certain he would find her after she had chosen to leave him to suffer with the vagueness of her prior statement.

-fade-