Hush Meadow One Minute to Midnight

The grass swayed in the breeze as the sun shone in her back warming her pelt as she crossed the meadow. She'd been traveling a long time and it showed in the condition of her coat and the thinness of her body. She hadn't felt much like eating as if late but she hadn't been starving either. The scent of rabbit reached her nostrils bringing her head up and ears forward. Sonora wasn't hungry just then but it was good to know there was something to eat when she was ready. The dark agouti woman moved gracefully through the grass, she was in search of a place to sleep for the night maybe two. The meadow was quiet of course that wasn't always a good thing. Her thoughts had a tendency to run away with her now that she was in her own.

She stopped momentarily to sniff the path she was on before shaking out her coat. She was nervous about entering this new land. She didn't want to be faced with another incident like what her family had been forced to run from. She still saw it in her dreams among other things from weeks past. It was what had kept her going these past weeks since leaving the grave of her love. She would miss him but she knew he would not want her to stand still in her life and waste away because she missed him. Sonora glanced around the meadow before her ice blue gaze fell on a cluster of trees. One seemed to have a hollowed truck which she wondered if it would be just big enough for her. Trotting over she began to investigate before her ear flicked in the direction that a sound had come from. The snap of a twig put her on alert as her eyes moved in search of the origin of the sound.

With winter on the way, the alpha of Willow Ridge thought it important to go out with the intention of seeking new recruits. Nicolo had made up his mind to set out with low expectations, so that if something positive did end up happening, there would be smiles to return home to. More hope for their future. The man was headed towards the meadow, which he had passed before – though never gotten a good inspection of – and was interested to see who exactly was settling within. According to his past sister, the Caverns pack resided here years before but had to disband due to reasons unknown to him.

The wind was not in his favor so he had not noticed that there was another within the meadows. The dark Archer was not rushed as he strolled through the area, not thinking much of it when he stepped on a twig. A deep frown formed on his lips as he looked down at the object. He seemed to be stepping on plenty of twigs lately, he needed to be more careful. I certainly don’t want to be attacked by some bear because I stepped on a stupid twig. The man licked the back of his teeth before he continued on his path, ears twitching and trying to detect any movement and indication of life.

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The hollowed tree seemed like a good place for her to make her shelter for a night or two. She was tired from her travels and still mourning her mate. By now it had been a few weeks since she had buried him, her paws had healed but her heart hadn't. She didn't know how long it would be before she felt she could move on but she knew she wasn't ready. She missed Justin and her family terribly but she didn't know what else to do besides keep moving. Sonora pushed her head into the hollow of the tree to investigate it further before pulling it back out. She decided a few improvements needed to be made.

Before she could make a move to gather the things to make the tree more comfortable the sound of a snapping twig reached her ears. Immediately a panic settled in and her tail began to tick as it always did when she was nervous. Sonora peered around the tree to see who it might be but didn't see anyone. Her gaze scanned the area before she called out, “Whoever you are I'm just passing through and I don't mean any harm.” She didn't want to cause any trouble incase she had mistakenly tread on someone else's territory. “I'm only trying to find shelter for the night,” she added hoping that might help her.

But just as he started to walk away, a voice called out to him. The Archer stopped in his tracks, yellow eyes glancing back towards the dense area behind him. Lips pursed together firmly as eyebrows drew together in concern. The woman’s voice rang clear through the area, however, a clear indicator that she was nearby. And her intentions – oh, how perhaps they could work out in both of their favors. His deep baritone broke the silence that passed between them for a few moments, "My apologizes. I had no intentions of startling you. My name is Nicolo Archer. I am the alpha of Willow Ridge." The dark man’s jaw clenched, desperate for some form of confirmation that this woman was a real individual.

Perhaps going out to look for new members would pay out in the end after all. Maybe this was not the wolf he was looking for – she might not even have the interest of joining – but it was a start to the long process ahead of him. There was nothing Nicolo could do within the ranks of Willow Ridge more than hope that they could put trust in him and allow the dark Archer to do his work.

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Her travels had been relatively uneventful and rather lonesome. It had been awhile since she had come across any other wolves and she'd begun to like it. There wasn't the worry that whoever she ran into might be someone that would hurt her. It was just getting by one day at a time, finding food and shelter. She could handle that but now she was faced with the possibility that she may have run into another. Calling out, making her intentions clear she hoped would keep her from any trouble. She waited to hear a voice back or nothing at all, part of her hoped it was the latter.

Sonora wasn't so lucky, her tail continued to tick. It had been so long since she'd had contact with another wolf she hoped things did not go badly for her. His voice was clear in the forest around her. She looked this way and that to try and spot him but she could not. His words were kind and it turned out he was the alpha of a pack, speaking with him couldn't hurt...could it? Sonora took a few steps in the direction she believed his voice to have come from. “I'm just a little jumpy,” she admitted, “I'm Sonora Kairi and I've traveled a long way if I have intruded on your territory I do apologise.” She had lived in a pack and knew the importance of keeping her distance from borders but she also didn't know how other packs handled those sorts of things.

The Archer was hoping that with the knowledge of his innocence, that she would step out but as he did another sweep of the area, he could still see no sign of the girl. Dark eyebrows creased together. I must have a nic for finding the most skittish women. However, after a few moments of silence, movement caused his eyes so sweep the area once more. And there she was! She was young and had a mix of the most beautiful colors - albeit they were not as beautiful as his wife's. The dark's man tail wagged behind him as she spoke and he took a few more steps so that he could be seen better. Sonora...it's a strong name. The man nodded at her in acknowledgment and offered a small smile to reduce her worries. "No, we are not near my borders. My pack is in Willow Ridge, which is in that direction." The man pointed in the direction that his pack would be. He had the hope that if this woman were anywhere near their borders, she would certainly know that she was. After all, his members worked hard to keep them marked.

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It made her a little more nervous to be out in the open but the man did seem nice. She still kept her distance for the time being so she wasn't taking any unnecessary chances. She was pleased to find out that she hadn't accidentally crossed his borders. She offered a smile before letting her gaze drop for just a moment. “That's a relief, Willow Ridge,” she said looking in the direction he'd indicated, “It sounds like a nice place, What's it like there?” Maybe he could help her decide the next steps she wanted to take in her life. At least give her something to think about while she figured everything out.

It wasn't easy moving past what she'd been through but she was trying. In not giving up she felt she was honoring her mates memory the best she could. It was all she could do for now.

They were taking steps in the right direction. While she still kept her distance, at least now he could see her. She even went as far to ask him about Willow Ridge. The dark man offered a charming smile, jaws opening to speak, "It is a nice place. We value family and loyalty and above all else and are good to those who prove themselves to be trustworthy to us." Granted, Willow Ridge currently consisted of mostly Archers, so the concept of family was not that hard to drive forth but the ties that were brought forth out of friendship were just as important. He liked to think that he would welcome anyone into his family, but Nicolo knew that was a lie. If he felt as if they would not pull their weight, he had no qualms with sending them with their tail between their legs, running towards the meadows.

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The longer they spoke without him attacking her the more Sonora relaxed. His kindness also made her curious about his pack. She wondered what the others in his pack were like and what his home was like. Maybe it could be a place for her to settle when she finally felt like she could. Sonora was still dealing with the list of her family and mate so she wasn't sure what she wanted just then but it didn't hurt to ask. “Family and loyalty are things I value as well,” she commented, “And I think it's fair to expect members to show themselves as trustworthy.” She gave his words a little thought before speaking again, “Do you have packs around that would cause yours trouble?” She asked since she didn't want to wind up in a situation like she had been in.