A little tired from recently just coming back from a midnight hunt, the chocolate woman came to the realization that she wasn't getting any younger. Her endurance was not the same it had been when she was at the tender age of two. Although usually she felt fine, on rare days like this, she could feel a slight ache within her joints that was definitely unwelcome. Oh well, it was one of the "joy's" of getting older. Dropping her prizes in one of the numerous pack caches, Adele tread lightly on the ground as she saught and followed her brother's scent. His rise to power had not chnaged their dynamics much, if at all. He knew she would always show him respect of his position. Weaving through the willows of her home, the woman smiled softly as she found him alone at the borders on the edge of their home.

Sliding up beside his form, she pressed against him gently. Greeting him with an affectionate kiss, she murmured her verbal greeting with a content sigh. "Brother..."

It had been a long day, and she had missed him even if she had briefly spoken with him that very morning. Pulling away, the woman sat and just soaked in the peace that being at his side gave her.

"Speech"

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He was doing his best to maintain a firm paw on the workings of the pack. His meeting with Morganna did not go well and he had been on edge ever since but he had been doing his best to stay true to his words. He patrolled the borders and made sure that his pack mates were safe. From a distance, he kept an eye on one of his dearest sister’s, Elettra. As usual, he spent most of his time with his sister, Adele, but he tried his best to make himself acquainted with those around him.

It just so happened that when Adele found him, he was patrolling the borders. Her warm greeting filled his heart with joy and he flashed a happy smile in her direction. His pale yellow eyes looked towards her, a greeting leaving his lips, "Adele, it’s good to see you, dear sister. What have you been up to on this chilly day?" Truthfully, it was a beautiful day. Nicolò always loved the snow and had always enjoyed the cold. His thick coat made it easy for him to adjust to the cold climates. Unfortunately, not all wolves were equipped with this luxury.

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It was one of the few things her and her sibling disagreed on - the wonders of wintertime. Where Nico enjoyed the chilly air and snow, Adele adamantly loathed it. She was a woman that enjoyed the kiss of the sun, not the cold embrace of winter. But spring was soon to come, and that brought the woman great joy. Smiling softly, she briefly glanced at her brother before responding to his warm inquiry. "Hunting, brother. I immerse myself in real work," she teased gently. But then she turned her attention to her brother, truly looked at him, and she did not like what she witnessed with her sandy gaze. Nico was truly happy to see her, but there was a strange air about him. Adele noticed what was going on within the pack, for she was not blind. And she knew her brother. He was on edge. Morganna and him treated each other like strangers, not like partners.

None of what was going on was good for the pack. Her sisters strong domain was crumbling from within, and the woman's tail swished irritably. Her niece was gaining a big head, trying to fit into her mother's paws, but Morganna was not Elettra. "You are troubled..." she murmured. Her brother was a patient, peaceful man. But when one poked the beast, there would be hell to pay.

"Speech"

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His sister’s response was immediate and brought a sardonic smirk to his lips. Had it been anyone else to approach him at that time and tell him such a thing, he probably would have attempted to subdue them. He was not in a mood for jokes. Adele, however, always found a way to make her way into his heart and make it clear that all would be well. The only problem was, Nico did not know how much of that would be true this time. He offered her a short laugh, shaking his head at her as he continued to walk. Truly, he did enjoy hunting, but during the winter he didn’t go out as much as he could during warmer weather, for obvious reasons. But if he did catch a scent, he would be sure to follow it.

Her next words did not shock him, a weary sigh escaping his mouth. Nicolò’s pale yellow eyes turned to look at his counterpart, a frown pulling down on his lips as he responded, "I suppose it would be that obvious to you…"  He let a moment of silent pass between them, their pace slowing before the dark Archer eventually came to a stop. He made himself comfortable, speaking to his sister softly, "It seems that our dear niece has lost her head. I called to inquiry how she was doing and before I knew it we were at each other’s throats. She claimed that if I had any children this spring that she would end them...and I am just reminded of the past is all…" His dark ears flicked forward, knowing full well of the history of the Torbine. Morganna did not and it infuriated him greatly. He knew that if his niece knew what happened she wouldn’t even think about making such threats. Archers took such things personally.

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The chocolate woman frowned as she watched her brother do the same. She said nothing to his words, for it was true. They had been inseperable since birth it seemed, and Adele knew him better than anyone. It was clear to her that he was troubled, something that involved her niece, and his next words proved her assumptions. The usually calm woman was not irritated easily. But lately, Morganna's actions were proving to elicit the rare emotion quite remarkably. She understood Morganna needing to make her dominance clear now that breeding season was almost upon them, but Adele would never betray her family in that manner. She was becoming tired of Morganna's constant displays of dominance, but took them in stride nonetheless. Now all this drama with her brother, and his previous words made her hackles begin to rise and a slight snarl marred her usually calm features.

How dare Morganna even utter such a thing? Adele was no historian like her brother, but she knew the history of Torbine well and it wasn't always a pretty one. She exhaled slowly, needing to push these thoughts away. She had to focus on Nico. It was probably a well known ideal within the Archer family that though Morganna was now queen, Adele's loyalty would always be with Nicoló. "She will cause trouble for us," she murmured in her soft alto. But that was something her sibling already knew. "Do you have a plan?," she questioned. They could easily just wait, and see where the future led them. Maybe this poison between her brother and niece would lessen. Or it could not. So all Adele would do for now is listen and advise her brother and king if he so wished.

"Speech"

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If there was one thing he hated more than anything, it was upsetting his sister. He knew that he could not lie to her and he doubted that her loyalties would sway towards Morganna. They had been together for too long and had gone through too much. His pale yellow eyes watched her, ears flicking forward when she spoke. He nodded his agreement, knowing that it would only be a matter of time. Morganna was nothing like her mother. She was wild and unpredictable and Nicolo had no idea what she was capable of. At Adele's inquiry, Nico shrugged his shoulder's and nibbled on the inside of his cheek. He had mulled over what to do and had come at a loss. He was not particularly close with anyone within the pack and he knew that it would have to be remedied, but Morgannna grew up in these lands, just as they had grown up in the Torbine. She knew more than him and was at an advantage.

He let out another weary sigh before he spoke, "I don't know, Adele. I need to try to make some allies...some friends within the pack. Morganna knows or has accepted everyone living here and I hardly know them. She has the advantage." His pale yellow eyes raked across the Willows, his shoulders sinking before he continued, "I mean, if I can pitch Skoll against her...that would be a start. Make him see that she doesn't want anything good for him...but he hardly ever sees the voice of reason either." He let out a lot huff,sitting down on his haunches. The situation was delicate and Nico needed to tread with caution.

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Adele hated what this was doing to her brother, but she knew she needed to aid him in keeping strong. If he showed Morganna or those who followed her what this was truly costing him…Adele wanted to sigh right along with him. But they had to keep their minds sharp and their wits about them if they were to come out of this mess unscathed. The desperate air around him concerned her and the chocolate woman nudged her brother’s shoulder with her own, the movement forceful and meant to catch his attention. Her next words were spoken in her familiar gentle tone, but lacked no amount of steel. "Brother, do not let her defeat you just yet. We will think, we will plan, and we will succeed.”

His plan concerning Skoll was a good one, as was his of making possible allies within the pack. She told him of this, but after she let silence surround them for a few moments. Adele knew they would manage to succeed, but whether that was Nico ruling over the Willows or forge a new path for Archers away from the Ridge, she didn’t know. The thought brought her up short. What would her sibling do if things didn’t go accordingly to plan? If things with Morganna went from bad to even worse? Her sandy gaze holding his, Adele spoke her thoughts. Nico…how badly do you wish to rule over sister’s kingdom…to make it yours?”

"Speech"

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It was a comfort to know that Adele stood firm by his side. For better or for worse, he knew that he would always be able to count on her. Nicolo turned his head towards her when she shoved him, even though it did not hurt. Her words of encouragement were a comfort and when agreed with his course of actions, he felt the slight bit of tension in his shoulders relax. At least he had one on his side. Silence reigned between them for quite some time but it was a comfortable silence, something he had grown use to in their years together. It was not long, however, until Adele spoke up again, her inquiry making him ponder until her merrily shrugged.

The dark Archer got up to face her, rounding his shoulders before speaking, "I just don't want shame to come to the Archer name Adele... I don't know what others at the Torbine would think if any of them came here to this." He shook his had, pale yellow eyes focused on something far away. He spoke again, "I just don't ever remember having something like this happening in the Torbine. And if it did, none of my teachers ever told me." For the most part, Nicolo and Adele's time within the Torbine was peaceful. It was only when Adele got restless did they seem to need to get shaky, until finally, they left. Silently, he waited for her response.

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She agreed with her brother. Where she had once considered these lands her home...now she considered them her prison. She no longer felt content here, and the only happiness that came to her was in the form of her beloved brother. This tension within the pack seemed to strangle her from within, determined to erode her peace. And it was succeeding. But she couldn't let it. As her sibling spoke up again, she focused her sandy gaze on his and listened to his words. This place was nothing like the Torbine. Maybe when El had ruled, but Adele had not been here when her sister was in her prime. The chocolate woman sighed and pressed her muzzle into the scruff of her brother's neck. Like always, his solid form brought her comfort. As she thought over her words, Adele stayed silent.

After a few moments, she raised her head and spoke in her soft alto. "Brother...the Ridge is nothing like Torbine. We can bring honor back to the Archer name...we just have to handle this situation carefully." Wanting to alieve her brother's frustrations, Adele knew no more words would do. His frustrations were clear, and once this Morganna problem was eradicated, everything would run smoothly again. She hoped. The only other option they had was to go back to Torbine...and suddenly Adele ached to be home. Nudging her muzzle against his own, the woman beckoned her sibling to head back to their den. They needed rest, and rest would bring them a clearer mind and maybe even a plan to stop this disaster.

"Speech"

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