It felt weird, heading home. Greer did not think he would be returning back to the willows so soon. He did not want to, but for Craw, he had to. He respected the older wolf, and still wanted to prove his worth. The spider had been apprehensive about allowing the shadow to join their little group, and Greer was determined to show that deserved to be a part of the monadnock pack. While scouting was not his first choice, it was something he was good at. He was both quick and diplomatic, and with Celandine at his side, they made a formidable team. His pale counterpart did most of the talking, while Greer’s presence was more like that of a bodyguard. With his tall, over-sized figure the shadow was rather threatening in appearance, even with his slender figures and willowy legs. With the sharp-tongued Celandine, they were the ultimate scouting duo.

Craw had instructed for the pair to head south, back to Greer’s birthpack, to see if the pack was still standing. The group had left due to the lack of proper leadership in place (a result of Nico’s presence) and Morganna’s growing frustration. Greer had wanted to leave for quite some time, and their departure had been the perfect exit.

Greer, of course, was worried about running into his uncle. If he was even around. For his mother’s sake, he hoped that the pack was still intact. Willow Ridge was her legacy; Greer would hate to see it fall apart due to some idiot taking control. A frown creased his lips at the thought. His mercury gaze turned to his pale companion to ensure she was still close behind, for his long legs moved a lot quicker than hers. For this scouting mission, Greer took lead. The ridge had been his home and he knew the quickest way of cutting through the mountains. It was still a journey — the pair would be out for week, maybe even a little longer. Craw had given the shadow permission to linger longer if he felt it was necessary — to spend some quality time with his family. Greer had almost snorted at the suggestion. While he still cared for his parents, and his little brother, he did not care for the rest of Willow Ridge. If anything, he would detour east and make a pit stop at the Bend to visit Kyna.

After a few days travel they drew closer to his mother’s territory. Their movements became slower, more cautious, as the canopy of trees grew thicker above them. Craw warned them to not get too close to the border; the spider was worried about the pair running into Nico (and so was Greer). Instead, they hovered at the border of the grove and the willows, their noses pressed to the ground in search of any Ridge wolf other than Nico. 

As they drew closer to the willows the scents of both familiar and unfamiliar wolves became more distinct. His teeth gritted together as the shadow grew uncomfortable, despite the familiar territory. Despite these lands being his birthplace, it hd not ben a home to him for quite some time. It did not feel right being back here, even with his history embedded in the land.

The shadow was not opposed to having Celandine as company, despite his preference to being alone. With this particular mission it was smart to have a second pair of eyes and ears — Greer and the Whitestone wolves did not know what became of their former pack. Was Nicolo in command or did Skoll finally manage to take the throne back? Were there any Willow Ridge wolves left? A frown cut across his maw at the thought. What of his mother; his father? The frown cut deeper. Surely there was someone lurking around to answer their questions… they just needed to find them.

Although the shadow wanted to join Celandine to relay the information back to Craw and Morganna, he was going to take full advantage of the fact that Craw was allowing him to extend his stay. Willow Ridge did not interested him — no, the shadow was far more keen on making a trip East to visit his favourite scarlet wolf. She was the only true friend the Archer had, and since the group had headed for the lowlands, he had not gotten a chance to visit her. He just hoped she wasn’t planning on making her way north the same time he was headed east…

He continued shuffling closer to where the Ridge lay hidden among the willows; however, he was careful to keep his distance at the same time. Greer did not want to disturb the locals — he merely wanted to collect information 

It did not take long for someone to notice their presence, as expected. The ridge wolves had always been observant when it came to their borders and trespassers were typically addressed immediately.

The shadow had been hoping for someone he was a little more familiar — comfortable — with, but his uncle would suffice… even though he was part of the reason why he had left with Morganna and co. With an absent flick of his tail Greer dismissed his thoughts as he focused his mercury gaze on the obsidian creature approaching them. His jaw clenched as his movements ceased, toes curling into the dirt. Out of respect, the yearling dipped his head to the older Archer, though his gaze did not waiver from his statuesque figure. There was no bitterness in his voice as Nicolò addressed them; he was only looking for answers.

While he wished his pale companion would break the silence first Greer knew it was not her place. His uncle had addressed him, not her, as she had nothing to do with the ridge wolves. She was offering him nothing but her companionship, and to act as a mediator if necessary. Which meant the shadow was going to have to speak a lot more than he wanted to.

“How mother?” He asked after a pregnant pause, his features softening as he studied the larger wolf. “Morg want see her.” Greer was curious as to how Nicolò felt about the group that had left for the north — especially Morganna. It had been her cunning tongue that lured the wolves away from the willows.

Greer should have known it was a foolish request. Morganna, along with himself and a handful of Ridge wolves, had left. They had abandoned the willows due to the shift in leadership and forged a new path for themselves. Until Craw had approached him about leaving, nobody in his birthpack knew about his plans of leaving. Hecate had known, when he had first thought of looking for something else—something new—but their relationship, friendship, had strained when she had taken a liking to his brother and subsequently forgotten about the silver-eyed shadow. Kyna knew, but she did not count. His secret had always been safe with the scarlet wolf.

He had stuck around longer than he had planned, in hopes that things would change for the Ridge. His brother had promised to dethrone their uncle but failed. Morganna had grown restless and decided it was best to start anew elsewhere; Greer followed suit without hesitation. They could have departed on better terms—taking a few wolves with them wasn’t exactly the best way to say good-bye…

A familiar face appeared behind the large Archer, but Greer’s focus remained fixated on his uncle as he spoke. The shadow felt guilty for leaving behind his younger sister; for not being there for her the way a big brother was supposed to be. Would she have left with them, too? He dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his mind, his attention returning to Nicolò as he digested what was said. Elettra’s health had always worried the shadow; it had been why Morganna had stepped up in the first place. “Getting better?” He asked, curious. Despite him basically abandoning her, she was still his mother and he still cared (as much as his vacant heart would allow). “Morg have children. Want meet mother.” Since Nicolò was being honest it was only fair that Greer did the same.