Drooping Willows Safe Harbor - Printable Version

"Thanks!" The newly established leader said with a laugh, waving her silver furred tail behind her thick hips happily. Was it obvious how excited Ravenna was to have caught the fish? Ravenna was not a fool when it came to hunting, she was a wolf after all. Still, her skills when it came to solo hunting more or less revolved around rabbits, groundhogs, and the occasional squirrel. She was even better in group hints where she could take down the kill toward the end of the hunt. But when it came to things like fishing, catching birds, and more hostile prey or quick witted prey, Ravenna was at a loss. After all, she had been trained much so in herbalism. Plants didn't run from you.

Leotie was good at this. It reminded her of Enoki and how she would always come home with all kinds ld different meals for the pack, much more of a variety then Ravenna could manage. She was quick, even as she was only just now getting back into the swing of things, and before the silver furred woman knew it, Leotie was hollering that it was her turn and was stomping around the shallows, sending that last fish into her direction.

It twist and turned wildly in the water, with even more room to do so now that the other three fish were not in its way. Ravenna's head darted back and forth trying to decide when and where she was going to attack. And then with one sudden jump and PLOP, she quite literally pounced onto the fish. She landed half onto the fish, jaws clamping around it's.... Neck? She was completely soaked, but she had done it. That fish didn't know what hit it.

“Your welcome,” Leotie chirped happy to give the woman encouragement especially when the leader seemed to be very happy that she's caught the fish. They both had done well for themselves and with two fish left to go the agouti woman was sure that they would have all the fish caught soon enough. It looked like their small pack would be eating well that night. Her thoughts drifted momentarily to little Romanov and if he'd had the chance to try fish. If he hadn't he would get the chance to. Fish was also a nice change from the usual rabbits and squirrels and she was glad for it. It also helped that she now had her appetite back after it had been almost non existent for so long.

While her recovery had been slow going at first she was glad to actually feel up to catching the dish with Ravenna. It wasn't too strenuous on her since most if it was waiting for the right moment. It was good to get out and get back to things like hunting fish. While hunting something like a rabbit would take a little more time to get back into this didn't take Leotie long and she soon had her second fish and was ready to help the medic with her second.

With only one fish left to catch it would be more of a challenge she she was sure her companion was up for it. The agouti woman did all that she could to keep the fish in one area of the pool to make it a little easier but still the fish darted swiftly back and forth in the water. Then Ravenna went for it splashing water everywhere and a moment later came up with it grasped in her jaws. “We've done well,” said Leotie as she came out if the water before giving her coat a shake.

"We did." The paler woman spoke in agreement to her pack mate's words as she lifted out of the water, grabbing the now dead fish into her jaws and hauling it onto dry land along with the other three. She too gives a shake of her silvered coating, looking back over the large fish with a smile. It was luck which had brought them to this pool of trapped fish and their little pack would eat well because of it. They would need to eat well now while prey was still plentiful if they were all going to survive the winter well off. They could not afford to loose more pack members.

Ravenna settled down then, grabbing one of the fish by its tail and dragging it close between her forelegs. "Might as well get our fill. Well make the carry less back home." She suggested, nosing to one of the other three fish for Leotie to settle down and eat with her. Besides, after being so out of it, getting a good meal in besides the left overs in the caches would do the agouti woman some good. Tearing back the skin and scales of her own fish, Ravenna would quick to dig into the prey. It was not to often she enjoyed the taste of fish here in the willows.

Leotie felt that she and Ravenna had worked well together to catch the fish. She also felt they caught them in good time. After shaking the excess water from her cost the Agouti woman went to where the fish she'd caught had landed to wait for the leader. They'd done a good job and for that the pack would eat well that night. Ravenna shook out her cost as well after bringing the fish to put with the other three. Leotie hoped they would have the same kind of luck through the winter and that the pack would make it through okay.

“Might as well,” agreed Leotie as she too down and drug one of the fish between her forelegs. After the work of catching the fish the Agouti woman was ready for a meal. As Ravenna dug into her fish Leotie decided to broach a subject with the alpha. “Ravenna, I was wondering what is it you see for Willow Ridge once we get through the winter I mean?” She asked cautiously not wanting to offend the woman. “I am part of this pack now and I want to see it become all that it can just like you and Sven. I want to help get it there but I'm wondering what does that look like for you?” It was a heavy subject the Agouti woman knew but she thought it was good to know what she was working toward.

Powerful jaws worked quickly to peel back the skin and scales of the fish to get to the tinder meat within. There was only a few occasions where she had fish before and enjoyed the, what she thought, delicacy, though had still preferred other meals from larger game like elk.

After a few moments Leotie questioned her curiously, causing Ravenna's ears to perk as she lifted up from her kill, licking her jaws. Ravenna smiles, her tail brushing the earth in a gentle wagging, happy for the dedication which Leotie was showing. @Sven having such interest in her was proving more and more obvious as to why. If nothing else, Sven was extremely dedicated to the protection and well-being of his pack.

"I just want us to be supportive of one another... To trust one another, be open with one anothers problems - be a unit." Time and time again since Skoll's continuous breaks in pack law, since Morganna and Nicolo's hate towards one another, @Sven having distrust for his leaders, the pack had been broken and divided. They could never grow strong if they were weakened within. "I understand we cannot go back to what it once was, but I want to push forward and make it something new, something just as worthy to be proud of. We don't need to be a large pack to be a strong pack and long as we don't argue amongst ourselves. I for one, am sick of struggling, wondering if we will survive another winter or not..." And it all started with the wolves within the pack. If they did not have a powerful leader to guide them, if they did not have lawful members who listened and supported their members, then everything would fall apart as it had been. What other pack would take them serious if they fought amongst themselves? They would be seen as weak, something to steal from and walk over. At the time, gaining members was not Ravenna's concern, but bringing together the ones she had. "Do you plan on taking on any specific role when your up to it?" She couldn't help but wonder.

It had been a long time since Leotie’d had fish and she found as she dug into her meal that she rather missed it. It was one of those meals that you didn't get very often. It wasn't like fish, except in this case, were sitting in the forest waiting to be caught. They also required a different kind of skill which made them a little more difficult.

As they took in their meal Leotie thought it was a good time to speak with Ravenna about the pack. She'd been in two other packs before and saw how they worked. She learned more and more with each new pack that she felt she had a better understanding. She and Sven had talked about Willow Ridge in the past but Ravenna was leader now so it was her vision of what the ridge could be that interested the Agouti woman.

She listened closely as the alpha described what she wanted to see happen in the pack. She nodded as the woman spoke and she found that she liked what Ravenna saw for the pack. “I would like to see us become a unit too. I think it's possible with some work on all of our parts.” She felt that as long as there was trust among their members then it hopefully wouldn't be too far of a stretch for each of them to be able to be open with each other. “We may not be able to go back to the way it was but maybe we can make Willow Ridge into something better? It will be something to be proud of. I do think that we have the potential to be a strong pack and maybe our small numbers will make that easier. I don't want to struggle either or have to worry about making it through the winter but if we all work together I don't think we will have to.” Leotie knew she was an optimist and a lot of what happened in Willow Ridge depended on its members but she felt they were good wolves who all had the same goal, what was best for the ridge. At least that was what she had noticed during her time with the pack. A role was something that Leotie hadn't given much thought to during her recovery but while in the draw she had worked toward being a scout. She didn't see any reason why she couldn't still pursue that role in the ridge now that she was there. “I think I would like to continue my work to be a scout but if not that a guardian. I think I can do well in that role too.”

Ravenna would agree with Leotie all the same and listened to her quietly as she nibbled on her meal. It was obvious, and surely @Sven would agree, that they needed to crack down on their laws within the ranks. Too many times had members crawled back into the pack after abandoning it without reprimand, too many times had rules been broken, back talk been thought little about and not addressed. Ravenna needed to learn if she was going to do this right, she needed to be as open and accepting as Enoki but as stern and dominant as Elettra. Ravenna had learned by now having smaller numbers with dedicated, loyal members was for better then half-ass wolves to just fill in the ranks.

"We could always use a scout... Seeing as I'll probably be doing less of that myself now." She had done a few scouting missions before when not searching for herbs. Though now that she was leader, felt straying that far was less likely. "And when you don't have a mission far off you can trail the borders." She spoke with a shrug. "I know some wolves prefer to just fill in the blanks as needed, but others like having a more official duty."

Leotie did wonder sometimes what Willow Ridge had been like before compared to what it was now. Part of her felt like it was in a phase of rebuilding even if everyone but her we're part of the archer family. It didn't bother her any because she cared about each of them, even Nicolo who she hadn't had the chance to really get to know, she hoped he was doing okay. What Ravenna saw for the pack she wanted to see for it as well and now that she was recovering and finally getting out of the den she could help. Before Sven had found her she hadn't been ready to join another pack but now she'd had time to come to terms with what had happened and she was ready to not only join but be loyal to another pack.

Leotie frowned as Ravenna expressed that she wouldn't be scouting so much anymore, “Will you miss it?” She asked since she hadn't known much about Ravenna before coming to Willow Ridge she didn't know if it was something she really enjoyed. “That sounds perfect actually,” she told Ravenna when the leader spoke of the roles she could play in the pack. “For I long time I have been one of those wolves that filled in where needed but having an official role in the pack. It's what I've been working towards and am glad for the opportunity to be able to accomplish that goal.”

Ravenna shrugged lightly, pawing at some of the remains of the fish she had been eating on. "No, I don't think so." She spoke in all honesty. "I enjoy exploring which I'll still get to do a bit of while herb searching. It's always interesting to see far beyond home, what it looks like and all. The north was much different when I went to the Monadnock. But being that far away for more then a day or two makes me uneasy." She worried for her pack and didn't want to miss out on anything should something major happen while she was gone.

"I'm glad for it." She speaks then with a waving of her tail which brushed against the grass under her. "I've no doubt you'll reach your goal." She was confident in this, if only because Leotie was so determined to do good for the pack and make herself a valuable member to the ranks.

Leotie didn't know how Ravenna felt about not being able to scout but she knew that she would and did miss it. After finally getting her senses back and the time she had spent recovering the Agouti woman missed getting out and exploring, bringing information back. She loved working and kissed they too but she knew how important it was for her to get better if she wanted to do that stuff again. “Oh, you won't have to give it up completely,” she said smiling, “I’m glad you will still get to enjoy it I don't think you should have to stay in the territory all of the time. It is interesting to see the places that are far from home,” she agreed remembering when she'd gone to Fallen Tree Cove. “Some places are very different from other places even the differences between here and the draw.” She did sympathize about feeling uneasy about leaving for too long. “A lot can happen in a short amount of time.”

Leotie was excited for Ravenna's suggestion on the roles she could have within the pack. “Me too,” she stated glad that things seemed to be working out for her now. She didn't want to get her hopes up too much after what happened in the draw but she couldn't help but feel like things were different for her in Willow Ridge. “I definitely feel like it is more attainable,” and she did. With more experience and time she felt like her goal was in her reach at last.