Greer had never seen the tundra himself but he had heard whispers about what the foreign land was like. The shadow dared not go that far north without those separating from Willow Ridge; he knew the journey would take longer than a day and did not want to be absent when they decided to make their move. “No trees,” he started with a slight frown, his ears twitching. Once the words dripped off his tongue he was immediately unsure of whether leaving the willow canopy behind was a good idea. He had grown accustom to the shadows the branches created — he knew all the best places to hide, even on the brightest days. How was he supposed to stay out of sight when there was nothing to hide beneath? “Open. Rocks… dryish.” He wasn’t really painting an appealing picture, but this move was good. This move was what he wanted; what he needed. “Tundra ok,” he concluded with a lazy half smile.

Before he could stop himself his tail thumped happily on the pedestal they were perched upon. The thought of Kyna coming to see him in his new home excited him. She had come to the willows but it wasn’t the same; his birthplace had never truly felt like home. Whether or not the north would become his permanent home it was where he wanted to be. Away from the family drama that hung among the willow trees; away from the brooding family members who were unsure of what they wanted. It was a fresh start… and it was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. “Greer like that,” he responded softly as he glanced away bashfully, his snout pointed to the ground.

The pressure from her nose brushing his jaw redirected his attention back to his scarlet friend. His brows knitted together as she spoke about her mother, a creature he had not heard good things about. No father. Instantly he thought of his sister. For all he knew, his sister’s children could have five fathers — one of them being a coyote or a tree or something. He truly did not know what Morganna had done — or where she had gone — and he did not care. The most important thing was that the Archer bloodline was being continued… he just hoped that the father wasn’t a complete basket case.

Pulling himself away from his thoughts Greer refocused his attention on his friend, his lips tight as she continued. Once she finished she apologized, which confused the shadow. With a brow raised he shook his head softly: “No sorry.” He paused, a frown forming along his snout. “Blood not family always. Not family if Ky not want…” another pause, this time shorter as he collected his thoughts, “Does Ky want?” 

“Good,” he responded quickly — and immediately regretted the eagerness in his voice. Swallowing hard, he avoided her gaze, his cheeks growing hot beneath his inky pelt. The silence that blanketed them was heavy and uncomfortable, leaving the shadow with a sour taste in his mouth. Ideally he would like the scarlet wolf to join him, but he knew that she had a life in the Bend; a life she could not leave so abruptly. Especially not for him, for he did not deserve any of the attention that Kyna showered him with. “Greer think Greer like,” he started, a soft frown tugging at his lips, “maybe.” He did like the rocky terrain where he had first encountered Kyna, many many moons ago, but it was certainly going to be quite a change from the canopy of leaves he had grown so accustom to.

She responded to his question after a pregnant pause, her small body pressed into his dark fur as the words flitted off her tongue. As per usual the shadow remained silent until she was finished her piece, for he did not want to interrupt her. It pained him to hear that her own mother was making her feel used, for Greer’s relationship with his mother had been nothing but supportive. Although he had pulled away from his family and preferred to be on his own, she never once asked him to change the way he was. Elettra never tried to fix his nomadic behaviour or the broken way he spoke; she had accepted it from the moment she realized it was who he was. It was unfortunate that Kyna’s mother only saw her daughter as help, and not as family.

“Ky not have to help if Ky not want,” he started slowly as he pulled his chin away so he could meet her golden gaze with his pools of mercury. “She not want Ky, Ky not have to want her.” His frown deepened as he struggled to find the right thing to say to his friend. “Sometime family not good. Sometime make family…  better one.” 

For a moment Greer worried that he had upset his friend. She took her time mulling over his words, her expression not giving away the thoughts that were being tossed around her skull. His lips tightened, ears falling back against his skull as his silver gaze focused on the wildflowers around them.

The lengthy pause broke with her voice, relief washing over him like a tidal wave as she agreed with him. He nodded, softly, as he met her gaze. Not all of his own family was good; it was why he had chosen to leave the Ridge behind with his sister. Greer worried what his uncle was going to do to the pack, especially since his brother did not seem keen on stopping him (despite his promises). The shadow wanted no part of it. “Make one,” he repeated in agreement as he gave another brief nod. Greer had sort of made a new family for himself. Morganna, Craw, Wraith… they were the few wolves — aside from Kyna, of course — he did not mind spending his time with.

The scarlet girl spoke up once more, announcing that it was time for her to leave. A frown creased his maw but he did not protest; Greer did not want to keep her from her packmates. He uncurled himself from her, pulling his lanky body into a sitting position. “Ky tundra… okay,” he paused, his nose pressing against her forehead as he spoke. “Very okay.” His tail thumped against the stone. He wished their visits were more frequent, but they both had obligations to their packs. They couldn’t be running off every other day to go see each other.

“Be safe.” Another tail thump. “Greer see Ky soon.”