Drooping Willows [BWP] May the Odds be Ever in your Favor

@Ravenna @Sven (other WR wolves are welcome too, but please ask before joining) I'd like to keep this thread fast paced, but I know that's usually not a problem for you guys <3
- Sorry for the backdate, there were some plans with Elle, which sadly fell through :/
SET MARCH 22 (less than 48 hours after Nalda bred)

The dark stranger had served his purpose! Already the itching in her skin was starting to subside, that burning ache deep in her bones cooling enough for her brain to start working properly again. Finally, the dark shewolf was able to properly plan out her approach, realizing that in her compromised state, she had been looking at the whole thing all wrong. Here she had been, wasting time, searching for a way in, never realizing that she’d had everything she needed all along.

But now, once again feeling confident in her abilities, she wasted no time in doing what she’d come all the way here for, in the first place. With steady steps and calm breaths, she approached the borders of Willow Ridge, every sense on alert. Over the past week she’d gotten to know the outskirts of these woods, giving her some idea of the packs routines, but never venturing too close, not wanting to be found out before she was ready. Now, as she neared the borders, she kept her wits about her, cautious to not be seen until she was ready.

Drawing up before the line, her demeanor changed completely; Head falling low, tails slipping between her legs, she took on an air of fret, shoulders hunched and eyes darting around the woodland. When she made her call for the leadership it was a shrill, yipping sound, cut off quickly as her head lowered back down, a picture of anxiety and apprehension; Let the game begin..!

Word count: 249
"Speech" Thoughts

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2018, 02:51 PM by Nalda.)

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

Weeks into her pregnancy Ravenna could feel the difference in her, had an instinctual feeling she carried life now inside of her. So far no outwardly signs showed savor her scent and a bit larger hungry drive. She still strode the borders of her home with ease, not sure she was prepared for when she would be slowed down by the weight in her stomach and churning of her gut. She still had plenty of time to tend to her duties and so did so whilst she could.

So when the howl sounded for the Leaders of Willow Ridge, she was on it. The voice was high and sounded of anxiousness. Perhaps she was a messager from one of her sibling's neighboring packs on either side of her with some urgent news? The thought brought her pace quicker and soon the female came into view. However, when she took to sniffing the air, the smell of the Aurora wolves nor those of the Lagoon was on her pelt. The woman before her not only was a stranger but a complete one at that. Her display was submissive and she waited for Ravenna's approach and the Queen was left curious. Was she another woman here to learn a few lessons on herbs like her last strange visitor, had wished to join or perhaps just in need of simple direction?

Ravenna stopped before her, tail high and ears perked forth curiously as she was ready to find out her unspoken question of why she was here. "Hello. I'm Ravenna Archer-Lyall, Willow Ridges Lead."

Silver flashed through the trees, and she quickly threw down her gaze, paws shifting with apparent nerves. Observing instead through lowered lashes, Nalda was surprised to see a wolf quite similar to the one who had send her here in the first place, approaching with her tail raised. This pale woman was larger than Aponi though, with less grey in her coat and only a few touches of black, even her eyes seeming more diluted, lacking any hint of color entirely. She wore the clear aura of a leader, halting at the borders with an expectant look, her voice crisp and commanding.

Donning her role, the dark visitor squirmed under the silver gaze, her own eyes holding firm to the ground. The introduction made her ears twitch, tail quivering pitifully between her legs. She hated to kowtow in front of this stranger, but she was wise enough to swallow her pride, taking pleasure instead in the act of deception. Golden eyes flicked briefly to the imposing figure, tongue slipping out to wet dry lips. “A-Archer?” She stammered, then quickly ducked her head, a scared expression on her face; “S-sorry m-ma’am, I d-didn’t… It’s just…” Grimacing, she shook her head, blinking a few times before daring another glance up at the alphess. “M’name’s Nalda, miss,” she then tried, a little more levelly, but still with an anxious edge to her voice; “I’m… Lookin’for someone…”

The pause was perfectly calculated, just enough of hesitation, to make it seem real, eyes once again darting around the woods before settling on the silvery paws across from her own. Again she licked her lips, even though they weren’t actually dry, and continued in a smaller voice: “He’s… His name’s Archer too… Sköll Archer.” Another pause, a deep breath and she finished: “He’s my… That’s, he’s an old friend’o’ m’fam’ly.” And she waited, peeking up briefly with a hopeful expression, tail giving another meek quiver; Now let’s see what she says to that..!

Word count: 327
"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

The woman before her was very skittish, the act that the woman gave to Ravenna, she fell for. But that did not mean she would talk sweetly to her, come closer, urge her up off the ground... She was still a stranger and while Ravenna was sure she could hold her own, Ravenna was also still pregnant with her first litter of pups. She instinctually kept her distance though remained to hear the woman out fully.

She stuttered over the name Archer, which caused a furrowed brow in Ravenna to rise in wonder. She nodded silently to confirm as the woman continued. What, did she not know that the whole south on this side of the mountains was flooding with Archer blood?

Then she gave her name and then she said that it just so happened that she was looking for an Archer - Skoll Archer. The pale woman wondered how long it had been since she had seen her eldest brother. He had not been a part of Willow Ridge in a very long time.

It was unfortunate for Nalda that Ravenna did not paticularly care for her older brother Skoll and so did not care what situation he had gotten into with this woman before her and her family. Of course, Ravenna didn't hate Skoll Archer. She was hesitant to think she hated anyone in her family - even Niles, whom she detest the most and even @Greer who truly she had loved the most and yet he had broken her trust with his betrayal. Her silver eyes did squint though, her tongue flicking at the top of her mouth in mild interest, though not enough to question. "He's just west of here in a pack that lives along the Lagoon." She awaited the woman's reaction who kept herself low to the ground, tail between her legs and eyes averted. Was there more?

The scent of a large band of coyotes is on the breeze.

The pale woman seemed utterly unmoved by Nalda’s cowardly act, further enhancing her likeness with Aponi. But while she’d hoped for someone more compassionate, the spy wasn’t deterred, keeping up her submissive display as she waited for the response. What came however, was sorely lagging, mainly directing her somewhere else. Irritation rose like bile in her throat, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to remain in this demeaning state of submission; Damn it, I won’t have gone through all this trouble for nothing!

Shifting again, Nalda kept her gaze lowered, ears flattening tight against her skull. “Oh,” she said, voice quivering now; “He’s not… I-I’m sorry I…” She swallowed, giving her head a light shake as if trying to keep control of her emotions; “M-m’ mom said’e was ‘ere. I… Sorry for th’intrution.” Her shoulders sunk - quite an achievement considering how close to the ground they were already - a heavy sigh escaping her. She was just preparing for her next attempt, breathing in deeply, when the smell reached her, a wave of stench hitting her nostrils like a slap in the face. Russet ears lifted halfway up, snout wrinkling at the foul smell; Just about the last thing I needed right now!

More than ever, it was important to keep up her role now. Head lifting, but her frame otherwise remaining crouched, she looked around wildly with fear painted all over her face, golden eyes wide. “Y-Y’smell that?” She asked in a panicked voice, for the first time looking directly at Ravenna; “Is that… Are they comin’ this way?” A visible shiver ran along her spine, hackles rising in apparent fear, and she suddenly felt a strange wave of nausea tightening her stomach, as if her own body was starting to fall for her charade too.

Word count: 299
"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

An 'oh' moved out of the woman's lips and by now her voice began to quiver, apologizing, saying that her mother had told her that Skoll should have been here. What more could Ravenna do but to let her know that he was, in fact, not here and not only this but let her known exactly where he was? She slunk, lowering herself even more so if possible as though in defeat. Perhaps, wherever she had come from, she had come far only to be disappointed. "The Lagoon... it really isn't that far from here." She told the woman, hoping that this would make her feel better and that not all was lost if she knew exactly where Skoll could be found.

Nalda then lifted her head, speaking up about the scent and Ravenna's head lifted and after a second, she nodded in agreement to her first question. Ravenna could have expected it would not take long before the scent of coyote was on the breeze, fresh now. They were lingering somewhere outside the borders, daring not to cross and yet seemingly 'trapping' the wolves within their homes. Ravenna had wondered a time or two before if they were trying to keep them inside their borders and unable to hunt for food beyond them for larger game or so that they could visit the allied packs. Fortunately for the ranks of Willow Ridge they were large enough to hold their own, to have enough wolves to protect their borders and have enough wolves still to go out in groups to hunt.

This woman, however, had no such luck. Ravenna's nose wrinkled at the smell of the coy but she also could tell that the woman before her was not just some roving member. She smelt distinctively of one area, smelt of a collection of wolves, specifically one male in particular (though did not tell yet she was pregnant since it was only a day) and it made Ravenna (though she could never be certain) think that the woman was not entirely alone. Perhaps she had just been on a scouting mission and had not thought to take a traveling partner with all these coyote around. "Perhaps... But they won't cross our border, they never had before. It would be suicide." She spoke with an absolute confidence. Her silver eyes were scanning the forestry beyond Nalda, the rest of the Drooping Willows that had not been claimed by her and her pack. "If that is all the information you were needing, I think you should be along quick before they get here." What else could she do for the stranger but suggest she get a move on while she could? If she had a mission from her mother then she would not be completing it here at the border of Willow Ridge.