Willow Ridge Ominous - Printable Version

don't need reason, don't need rhyme

Morganna Archer

ain't nothin' I would rather do

The full moon was already high in the sky when Morganna finally returned to the den and she was struggling to contain a smirk as she thought of the night ahead, her glee only amplified by the prospect of @Skoll’s co-operation. This would be a night their younger siblings would not soon forget. Young @Deacon was far too eager to leave the den, and it was time he was told a story or two to remind him how important it was to listen to his elders and stay put well within the borders of their home. She moved like a shadow amongst the sleeping forms of her pack mates, reaching down to conspiratorially touch her nose to the flanks and crowns of the ickle princes, and even the other young pup, Gus, before retreating into the moonlit night.

The scrambling of small paws behind her was all the warning she needed to issue a warning “Shh...” and move further away from the dens entrance, beneath the cover of a nearby willow. Hoping the children would be bold enough to follow her behind it’s protective veil she settled herself down, hoping that both @Elettra and @Angier would trust the yearlings with their younger siblings enough to not interfere.

“Do ya’ wanna hear a story?” she questioned the young cubs quietly, allowing a small pause to entice them further before adding “But it’ll ‘ave ta be our secret... Yer can’t tell anyone! Because the adults don’ wancha to know...” The bait was set. All she could hope for now was compliance.

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Having risen from his diurnal slumber Sköll's bones, with the chill of the day's early snowfall, quivered with anticipation. Having caught up to her on the mountainside and regularly checking in with her every so often (typically before she turned in and he went on his night vigils about the territory) had him curled around her figurative finger once more. Under the cover of night he rose from his resting place, careful to mind the small depression between the roots where he knew his dead mouse remained in eternal sleep. He made sure to press his paws into the dirt above it, just to make sure that, in his absence, no one (who knew of his beloved plaything) would even dare to think of digging it up.

His breath evaporated from his mouth and nostrils as he breathed out. His slender limbs effortlessly traversing the frostbitten ground as he made his way toward the den. If he was lucky he would have awoken just in time to catch his sister just as she called it a day. As he drew nearer, his gait slowed and his ghostly eyes went upward to the starless skies. Selfish were the Old Gods to keep the stars to themselves this night... a part of him had hoped that he could at least stargaze with her just for a little bit while the night was still young. Since Asriel had gone, there was little joy left that he could enjoy with his littermates, and Morganna, by favor alone, had this right. He owed it to her, as he was now her only guardian. If harm could have befallen her, he was it.

He ducked beneath the final willow that separated him from the Infirmary, where the cubs and a selection of pack members slept, and when he emerged, he was rather surprised to catch the hushed voice of his sibling through the gathered fog. She was whispering something about a secret and immediately Sköll took a step to the side, moving as slowly and quietly as he could to put some distance between him and the den as to not be visibly detected through the moonlit mist... The shadows might have been his (and Greer's) element of choice, but in the light of moonbeams and lit up curtains of fog, it took more than just a few sure-footed steps to remain unseen.

SKÖLL ARCHER

Castiel awoke to a gentle touch upon his flank by a wet nose that, once he opened his eyes, belonged to his one and only sister. He jumped to his paws, right behind Dee, and scrambled to follow after her willowy form, only briefly pausing when she shushed them. He followed her much more quietly and slowly after that, being careful not to step on any tails or trip over the bodies of his fellow pack mates. When he exited the den the Ridge Prince saw that the moon hung brightly in the sky, the full roundness of it stark white against the blackness of the night. His jaws hung open slightly in awe, before his attention was caught by Morganna's tantalizing words of a story. "Yes please!" he whispered excitedly as he darted over to Dee's side by a nearby willow tree, his eyes sliding quickly over the shadows where he thought he could see shapes moving... or maybe it was just Skoll.

His pale gold eyes widened when she told them not to tell anyone about the story, not even their parents. He wasn't so sure about keeping things from Elettra and Angier, but at his brothers' words he felt his questioning thoughts fall away. Yes, if they wouldn't tell them then Morganna just had to. The Ridge Prince wondered what the story was about, and why they were supposed to keep it a secret. He shivered at the thought, thinking about it just made him more excited to hear about it. Maybe it was a horror story. The mood was certainly right for it; he was on edge, especially when it seemed like the shadows were moving.

280 Words

A rather sharp prod of a cold nose to his temple was enough to startle the little lord from his slumber. His golden eyes fluttered open and he dared to let a small whimper lift form his lips. He was immediately quieted with a “Shh...” from the older wolf though. Scent, alone, told him that it was not his mother who had awoken him and he considered what had made the woman take interest in him. Especially when the world in and beyond the den was still dark and cloaked in the shadows of night.

He might not have been the small, roly-poly cub he had been a few months ago, but he still clumsily floundered about to find his large paws beneath him. He got a tail to the face when Castiel got up to clamber after Deacon. Gus's nose twitched and he shook his head to regather himself. It seemed they were in for a treat, being offered a late night story and all. He poked his head out, craning his neck beyond the threshold of the den to see his age-mates trailing along after one of the yearlings.

A scowl formed on his patterned face; well, if he was invited, then he was going to accept the chance to follow along. Even if the world looked very, very different than the mornings, afternoons, and evenings he was used to, he supposed being with Deacon meant that he would be safe. If Taima had been around to stop him, he might not have joined them but, as it stood, he figured that what she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her. If she ever came to college him, anyway...

Ambling along not too far behind Castiel, he whispered to him, a low-pitched whine leaving his snout, "Wait for me, I wanna come too..."