Willow Ridge Lumière, darling

‘Cause all that you are is all that I’ll ever need

Enoki Ashrelle, lead female of Willow Ridge. The title still felt so foreign on the Magpie's tongue each time it was repeated silently, so heavy upon the woman's dark crown while equally dark limbs wove beneath the brilliant night sky that twinkled with stars that shone brighter than she could remember without true purpose through the snow frosted forest that made up most if not all of the territory; her territory now, an ivory splashed shoulder occasionally brushing against a frozen trunk of a weeping willow similar to how one would offer a friend a warmth filled smile in passing. To the Magpie the willows had indeed became her friends in a way after having spent more moons under their whip like canopy than she could dare try to count. A few pieces of ice crystals tumbling to the snow blanketing its base afterwards. Thick puffs of exhaled breath lifting into the air. When did it become so cold?

In and out Enoki continued to weave in no set pattern, her paws creating new paths in the snow while crossing over those already made by others, her nose giving a twitch each time her sense of smell was greeted with a new individual scent. It was during one of these crossovers that the familiar scent of him piqued the piebald's interest, dark rounded ears momentarily swiveling back to brush against the back of her skull before securing a forward facing position. He had been purposely avoiding her company since the tragic death of Adele and understanding the grief that consumed his shattered heart Enoki had given the man the space he wanted, but not without taking the distance he kept planted firmly between them months after to heart.

Crunching snow warranted her head to suddenly snap to the left, smoldering amber gaze filled with a look of surprise when they came to settle upon the distant silhouette of the devil himself which seemed to manifest from right out of the darkness and his path of travel seemed to be heading directly toward her rather than away. For what felt like an eternity the newly appointed matriarch remained frozen in place with one paw partially raised in anticipation of taking another step, ears sweeping back as a war of emotions raged within her core. Should she stand her ground and wait to see if he needed something now that it was her responsibility to tend to the wolves that called the Ridge home, or put her rear into high gear and move along to prevent placing herself within too close of a proximity to a man set on staying away?

Word Count: 439

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

After giving leadership over to Renier, Nicolo felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and he could finally focus on himself. So much time had passed since Adele's death and he had done a worthy job of keeping his distance from the rest of his pack mates. He knew that it was neglect, especially to those he was closer to. Nicolo wasn't doing them or himself any favors with how he was acting and knew that eventually, he would need to take his head out of his ass. He wandered the territory aimlessly, doing his best to keep his attention on the present and not let his mind wonder. Yellow eyes looked at the snow lying on the ground, the dead silence a comfort to him. That was until he came upon the scent of Enoki.

A small frown formed on his face. Renier had told him that Elettra had forfeited leadership over to Enoki. While Nicolo knew she would be a wonderful leader, he wondered how she was doing with the change. He knew how leadership could be and how it could weigh down on someone. The Archer always thought that when Enoki rose to leadership he would be right there by her side, just as he should be. But he knew that it was not where he belonged currently. He was hesitant about approaching her but knew that it was only a matter of time before their friendship was compromised, if it already wasn't. Timidly, the man followed her scent, unsure if he truly wanted to find her or not.

Eventually, he did. Pale yellow eyes landed on the beautiful magpie lady. Eyebrows furrowed as he approached her, words stuck in his throat as he neared. She reminded him much of his sister but he did not resent her for it. She was one of the most positive things that happened to him since he entered the lore and he would be a fool to throw that away. Dark ears flattened on his head, guilt nipping at him with the knowledge that he had intentionally steered away from her. Swallowing back his cowardice, Nico looked up to meet her eyes at last. His words were soft, "Enoki...I wanted to check up on you, to see how you were doing?" It was almost lame but he would remain where he was, not wanting to delay their meeting any longer.

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‘Cause all that you are is all that I’ll ever need

Enoki remained still where she stood, the only movement on her behalf being the slow lowering of her partially raised paw to stand on all fours again as the smoldering amber hue of her gaze watched the Archer man close the distance that lay between them. Silence reigned between the duo and the magpie swore the world could hear the hammering of her heart in the cavity of her chest with each stride he took that brought his frame closer to hers, gaze taking in the backward sweep of his ears once a couple wolf lengths lay between them before the pale yellow gaze she had come to adore so much about the man; prior to the pain that filled them these days, lifted to lock onto the darker hue of her own.

Upon hearing the sound of his voice, soft like the snow beneath their pads, the piebald female could not hold back the mild shiver that coursed down her spine; making a mental note to blame it on the oddly frigid air of the night should he ask, an ear flicking momentarily off to the side. How was she to respond to such a question? She was hurt they had grown so close only to be pushed away when he clearly needed her most. Confused because she had no experience when it came to running a pack and fearful she was set up to fail if she didn't do something to turn their fate around. She had shared her personal thoughts with @Nicolò, but did she have the strength now to actually fulfill her own desire now that the pack was under her guidance?

A heavy sigh fell from her lips, thick cloud of heated breath bellowing from the small gap between her jaw. He's trying. She mentally reminded herself, ignoring all rules he may have had in place to keep some form of distance between the two even in this moment as she stepped forward to run the length of her marred muzzle against his chest. "I'm alright for the most part. Leading is not as easy as one may think." Words brushing over his dark hued hairs before pulling back to then bury her face into his scruff. "I missed you." She confessed, voice soft yet just loud enough for him to hear.

Word Count: 387

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

As he neared, he could feel his body wanting to flee. As much as Nicolo wanted to run he also knew that he needed her. The Archer could not tell what she was feeling and that truly scared him. What if she did not want anything to do with him now? After their experience outside of the pack, he practically threw her to the side after his sister's death. On one side of things, she could not possibly understand what he was going through, but she also did not deserve that from him. She deserved so much better, but he was a selfish bastard when it came to getting what he wanted. Pale yellow eyes stared at the magpie woman, scared to move any closer, not knowing what it might mean for them.

In the end, Enoki broke the distance between them pressing her muzzle against his chest. Nicolo did not feel the pain he expected to feel upon initial contact and breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped this meant that she was willing to forgive him for how he treated her but he knew that baby steps were in order. He swallowed, looking down as she moved to embrace him, her words a soft whisper on her lips. He closed his eyes tight against his regret. The dark man had left her to fend for herself and he would need to make up for it. He moved to embrace her, wrapping his neck around her own. Nico breathed in her scent, his response soft, "I know. I'm so sorry." He was not sure if he was responding to the former or the latter but he spoke his next words with fervor, "I missed you, Enoki." There was nothing else he could say. No apology would make up for how he treated her and Nico was sure she knew that. Without words, he tightened his embrace, hoping she would get the message that he cared without him having to say it.

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Enoki Ashrelle

Another shiver coursed down the woman's spine as the fervor of his words, speaking aloud that he too had missed her; whether it was more or less than she missed him inconsequential in that moment, filled her ears. The tightening of his embrace on her warranting dark lids to come down to a firm close. A low uttered whimper escaped her maw before she could stop the noise from gaining momentum in her throat, her body eagerly pressing as close as possible to his own to both absorb the comfortable warmth he radiated and allow this moment to continue on, fearful it would end sooner than she would like and they would once more adhere to a lifestyle of avoiding paths.

"I forgive you, but please don't push me away.." Was all she offered in response before allowing a few more minutes of silence to linger between the entangled duo, her head pulling back slightly in order to run the top of her muzzle along the underneath of his jaw affectionately. Yes, an apology was far from enough to mend what was done, but it was a start and Enoki had to give the Archer man credit for even trying with the darkness and heartache that threatened to consume him whole. A weight she desperately wished to alleviate from his shoulders any possible way she could, but that was something she could not do unless he willed it. Whether he saw it or not, she would be there for him without question despite others questioning in silence her reasoning for wasting time on him.

Word Count: 264

Ashbash 2016 - Sebastian Unrau

A soft whimper that came from Enoki's lips made him wince mentally. He cursed himself for hurting her in this way with their separation. As her body pressed closer to his, Nicolo allowed his eyes to close, inhaling her scent and trying desperately to make up for all the time they had been apart. Her words pained him but Nicolo knew that it was all his own doing. When she pulled away, he almost protested but the dark man knew that it was not his right. She did not allow them to be apart for long though, her muzzle running against the base of his chin. A small sigh escaped his mouth, yellow eyes trained on her back. He swallowed, wanting to talk to her but found it diffcult to say the right words.

He pulled away from her, his yellow eyes looking down into her amber ones for the answers. Sadness gleamed in his eyes as he spoke, voice soft, "My sister meant the world to me." Nicolo took a shaky breath, not wanting to get overly emotional in front of the magpie woman. He continued, "She is the reason we came to the Ridge, y'know. And the reason for what I did in the past. I just wanted the best for her." He looked away then, eyes trained on the ground. If anyone would understand, it would be Enoki.

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Enoki Ashrelle

"I know..." she breathes lightly into the dark fur covering his throat before pulling herself away to meet those saddened eyes, a frown weighing down the corner of her lips witnessing the extent of how far Adele's death affected the man standing in front of her. Anyone in the pack could have picked up on how close the siblings were just by watching the duo from a distance. Not a single day passed that either of them went anywhere without the other tagging along closely. That strong of an inseparable bond was something the magpie had herself when she was younger with her brother Arion.

Patiently, Enoki allowed the man to say what his heart desired in that moment knowing, in the end, releasing any of the emotion trapped within would gradually ease the pain that encased his heart. She would listen to him without hesitation, be that sturdy shoulder and listening ear he needed during this time of grief. Soon his words tapered off and his gaze broke away from hers to settle on the ground sending a pang of sympathy through the dappled woman. "You gave her the best whether you see it now or not." She started softly, embracing his frame once more while nuzzling her muzzle against the warm fur along his scruff before continuing. "You gave her love, a chance to travel and see things she may not have had the chance to see if you two didn't come here. You gave her a friend and a place to call home." The latter pertaining toward herself and the fond memory of the woman brought a soft smile to Enoki's shielded face.

"Her happiness was because of you and this isn't goodbye, Nicolo." Her head lifted then, pulling away to press a light bump to his cheek with her forehead before adding on to her last statement. "You two will meet again when the time is right, but until then she would want you to continue to live."

Word Count: 332

Ashbash 2017 - Sebastian Unrau

She listened and it was more than Nicolo could have ever asked for. Enoki was so pure and he realized then that when he had been looking for a mate back at the Torbine she was exactly what he had been looking for. Words stuck in his throat when she embraced him again, her words crashing into him like waves. She was goodness in its purest form. As they stood together and she spoke words of comfort, Nico could feel a warmth creeping into his heart, something that had long been forgotten since Adele's death. When she pulled away, his gaze softened, lips pulling up into a half-smile. Now he questioned why he had stayed away for so long. It seemed almost foolish.

He moistened his lips before speaking. "Thank you, Enoki. I-," no, it wasn't the right time, "I appreciate what you've said to me. They make the world of a difference. I won't make the same mistake again." I promise. He pressed his nose to her cheek briefly in sign of affection, wanting her to know just how much his words meant. He would be damned if he ever mistreated her in such a way again.

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Enoki Ashrelle

A wave of relief began to wash over Enoki has gradually she watched the man's handsome features begin to soften, that saddened expression she wanted so badly to alleviate finally lifting even if only for that moment. @Nicolò then began to speak, his words informing the magpie woman that her words had indeed made a positive impact upon him; their intention all along, and a warm smile began to tug back the corner of her own lips before an affectionate touch was offered to her cheek by his nose. "You're welcome, Nico. It's obvious I've come to care deeply about you and I rather be by your side to help you than forced to watch you wither away from a distance." It would still take time for the man to recover, if at all completely, but she would be damned if he made her stay away like this again.

An affectionate gesture of her own was made in return, the point of her nose gliding smoothly along the underneath of his jaw while a soft rumble echoed within her throat and smoldering amber eyes were momentarily closed before opening once more to lock onto those yellow eyes she became so easily hypnotized by. "Help a woman keep warm on this chilling night and walk with me?" She asked, reluctantly pulling away from the warmth of his side to angle her body toward the nearest extension of borders she might as well check while out and about. There were still other tasks as a leader she was held responsible for.

Word Count: 259

Ashbash 2017 - Sebastian Unrau