Ever since Angier Lyall had left Willow Ridge in search of his son, Deacon, he had never let his guard down or let his sense of authority 'go out the window.' Even when he had met Beren in the fields to the north, he made certain to let the boy know that he was a man of precedence, a patriarch, and one of Relic Lore's most empowered individuals. To him, it only made sense that a man, such as Elettra Archer's equal, behave with such a commanding energy. After all, he, just like the rest of Willow Ridge, had been in a heightened state of panic and agitation after finding that one of their cubs had gone missing. In lieu of him stalking about Northern Eden, Angier had had the luck to stumble into his step-son Sköll and left the boy to sneak about and find out all he could about where the young Lyall prince had gone off to.

Deeper, past the Heart, and into Southern Eden, the king consort traveled and it would seem that Angier had arrived back home with perfect timing. His tail was still arched above his back and his fur remained bristled from the stress and days of his homeward journey. Though when a foreign scent struck his nose upon the borders of his territory, a loud growl rumbled from his chest, his lengthy limbs charging him forward along her trail until he saw her there... waiting just beyond the invisible fence that kept her outside of his dominion.

She barked out for someone's attention and the Lyall was absolutely thrilled to oblige. His eyes fell upon the dead bird and what looked like the yellow blossoms of an Arnica plant; and, suddenly, all his desires to chase her off had been quelled.

A new member meant another pair of eyes and ears. Her being female symbolized a chance that, maybe, his sons could be well-looked after and prone to listening to her if she was ever appointed at the front of the den... Being a matriarchal pack at its very roots, somewhat promised that...

He tested the air for Deacon's scent - just in case - then outright approached her with his ears and head up and his back straight. He might have been a bit scraggly-looking and a bit grimy along his limbs, but it was no mistake that he held power here. He flashed his teeth at her, growling once as he wordlessly questioned with a low bark about what she wanted of the wolves of Willow Ridge. Polite or not, if she was to become a wolf under his and Elettra's command, it was expected that she react accordingly. Respect and patience, here, was something to be earned.

The woman, by name, was Bayliss Thane, someone Angier had not heard of or even known about beforehand. His lip quivered upward before falling back down to conceal his clenched off-white incisors, allowing her to speak and explain herself. She was quick to let him know that she wanted to belong, and that she had excellent hunting and tracking skills. She even went as far as to seemingly brown-nose him in letting him know that she had an extensive amount of knowledge in regards to plants and medicinal herbs. He thought of Skana and Elettra, his tousled tail lilting about in the air.

Bayliss, then, was a sort of jack of all trades. Something like him.

He gave an airy sort of snort. It wasn't a sound of scorn or dismissal, however, for after she had spoken her piece, the Leader had eased up. His hackles had smoothed out and the washed out mask on his face let go of the hard stare it had trained on the gray-furred woman. He might have questioned the veracity of her words, but it seemed that her gifts were proof enough of just how skilled she was as an individual.

Before he could even utter anything resembling a welcoming sentiment or an inkling of gratitude for her consideration, he first arrived at the commonplace formalities that were usually doled out to hopeful wolves. "The wolves of Willow Ridge'll want more than yer words. Their queen even more so -" his pale eyes went briefly to the pheasant and flowers she had brought, "- when she's done with yer gifts." His glare returned as his eyes narrowed. He knew Elettra did not like to be kept waiting and his delayed return home had already been long overdue. "Where did ya come from and what d'ya think you'll find 'ere?"

It was odd, the way she looked at him, but he didn't give it a second thought. After all, he was much too used to it - most wolves in his past often gave him a number of looks, whether it was due to his appearance or the way he spoke to them. He waited as patiently as he could for her answer, daring himself to remain as he was without getting worked up. It seemed he wouldn't last, Bayliss had mentioned she had come from the north. His black-lined lips pursed together, listening as she told a snippet of her tale, the reason why she had come so far and why she had been drawn to his lands.

The bits about Elettra was a stroke to his ego, having been proud and astonished time and time again that his mate kept her image up quite well over the past few years. "You said north," he drawled, his tone edging upon becoming accusatory as he partially wished that he had brought Sköll back home if only to have a sort of secondary support system at his back, ready to judge her further. "Tell me, what do ya know of th' packs there..."

He did well to keep the growl bottled up in his throat. Regardless of whether the woman had heard such things about Elettra from an ally or from someone else in passing, Angier had to know. It actually made a few pinpricks of heat race up and down his spine, "Who sent ya here?"

His mind went to Beren at the mention of the blackberry fields but as she continued the thought of the dark-coated yearling fell away. He was nothing but a mere blip on his radar, something insignificant, as the boy had not even seen his son while the Lyall had been there looking for him... "There was one to the west," she had said, "but I avoided them." Immediately Angier thought of Nina and the wolves of Secret Woodlands. Bayliss then mentioned that she had caught word of Elettra and Willow Ridge through an assortment of lone wolves. That wasn't out of the ordinary at all. Elettra, he knew, had been here since Borden had reigned over Grizzly Hollow within the Cedarwood. To know or learn about her from anyone only proved that his Queen was now a paramount ruler within Southern Eden - something he often took pride in.

The remark about the pack within Cedarwood Forest did not go unnoticed though and he partly remembered that he had meant to visit with Maksim Baranski, if only to find out what had become of Kade's pack once his brother and Jaysyek had gone away. He made a quick mental note of that then gave Bayliss a curt nod.

"I've only just arrived from th' blackberry fields up there," he divulged. "My son Deacon has gone missing, but I hope he's found his way home." He pointed with sharp jab of his nose in the direction of the tokens Bayliss had brought, "I suggest ya stay away from Elettra. At least until I've met with 'er. I'll take ya to the Infirmary where you can leave yer offerings." With his tail bobbing about in the air like a tattered war banner, he stalked forward, "C'mon."