Dead Empress Backwater Subtle messenger

Backdated to 6/24, evening. For @Inger but welcome to @Linnea and @Asmund as I assume they will be around. @Eros is welcome as well.

Archer Valle

Archer was baffled and concerned about their encounter today. They'd just been looking for water. While they'd found it, there was so little it wouldn't be there for long. It was a miracle the madman had managed to find a fish. It was the madman himself that was cause for worry; he was so erratic that Archer didn't want him anywhere near the pack boundary, wasting their resources and threatening the safety of his family. He'd have to tell @Viorel and @Vayko about him. He could do that later, though. Right now he needed to check in on Inger and see if she and the pups needed anything.

As they returned to the territory Archer peeled away from Eros, letting him know where he was going and inviting him to come along if he wanted. He had to admit part of him hoped their guests would be able to stay longer if both the boys were attached to them; Archer knew his Da had a hard time telling them no - although that was changing now they were older, and Eros and Sharlee seemed to have such animosity between them.

"It's Archer," he called as he approached the den, still hoping she would know his name if he kept using it. The pups at least seemed to be picking up on it.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Llinnea was getting bored. She wanted to go out and play, maybe see if she could find the other smalls she now knew were wandering about. It wasn't always easy to slip away from Mor, however, and she always seemed so tense when Llinnea wandered off that she felt so guilty by the time she got back. She didn't want Mor to worry, and she didn't want Bror to get into trouble for wandering off with her either.

The afternoon was promising to look up, however, when a familiar voice called out to them. Llinnea jumped to her feet, tail wagging hard as she bounded out of the den to meet their special friend. "Archer!" she squealed, pleased that she could say her name right. She'd never admit it, but she'd been practicing, just her. "Mor, Mor! Archer!" she continued to babble as she bounced around him.

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

Inger had been slumbering, something she only did in its and spurts due to the nightmares and anxieties constantly striving to wake her. When her child moved, she stirred, and by the time Llinnea was calling out to her, the newly-made mother was on her paws and shaking away the last of the sleep with a wide yawn. Asmund hadn't wanted to move, and rather than attempt to join in curled up on himself and continued to snooze the day away. Inger tossed him a fond smile before making her way out of the den.

"Archer," she greeted warmly as her own pale face popped out of the earth. She wriggled from the mouth of the enclosure and then reclined on the dry forest litter at their paws.

"Hello."

Archer Valle

It didn't take long for his presence to be acknowledged; little Llinnea shot from the den like a hare, shouting his name and bouncing around him as she called for her ma and said his name again. He was impressed by her pronunciation; it was getting better so quickly. "Hello there," he said sweetly to her, bowing down to boop her head gently with his nose.

Inger herself wasn't far behind, dropping to the ground once she was out of the den and greeting him. His ears flicked. She was slowly learning their language, but hearing her now, so soon after his run-in with the crazy man, he felt... strange. He'd always thought her accent was strangely like his, but now he was sure. The fact that he'd known her name...

He moved forward and greeted her not unlike he'd greeted her daughter; a friendly touch to the head before he stepped back and sat. He looked to the pup still bounding about. "You've grown so big!" he cooed.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Inger smiled and closed her eyes as the boy leaned in to greet her. Such simple shows of acceptance and affection had been all she'd longed for in her life, and this was the first pack to ever provide it, even if it was only it's youth who did so. Perhaps, she still could have a future. Maybe it could even be here. She could learn their strange language if she really worked on it, and then they might even let her be a pupsitter. A simple, calm, happy life.

She breathed in, and caught hint of far more than the Backwater and it's myriad of wolves. Inger felt confident she would never be able to forget that scent, his scent.

Lurching back and away from the teen, the woman felt a deep sense of panic set in.

"Rayjiek?! Rayjiek?!"

Llinnea liked Archer. He was fun and brought them presents and made sure they always had what they wanted. Eros was fun too, but they saw Archer much more. Mor liked Archer too. She didn't take long to appear, smiling and reclining by the den entrance as she greeted their friend. Llinnea raced to her side and then back to Archer's to receive her greeting, prancing about his paws as he moved to do the same to Mor.

He dropped down, saying funny words but words she was slowly beginning to understand. She puffed up her chest. "Jeg k'n få ven-ner!" she crowed before repeating, "I c'n make frens!" She was old enough to understand now that her mor and the others around didn't speak the same language. It was strange for her, without understanding completely, but she knew to speak Archer to Archer and Mor to Mor and @Asmund.

Her accomplishment was drowned out by her Mor's sudden panic as she lurched away from Archer in a way she never had before and all but shrieked a strange word - one Llinnea had never heard before. She looked between Archer and Mor in confusion. "Mor?" she said, carefully backing away from Archer with her tail lowered. Had Archer done something bad?

Currently traveling with Loach and Claw

Archer Valle

At first Inger had greeted him affectionately, leaning into his nuzzle as she often did, with her daughter bouncing around his paws. When he dropped down to speak to her she babbled back in that same strange language, then speaking words he could understand. He smiled at her, about to praise her speaking skills, when Inger suddenly reacted.

She backpedaled, crying out a name. Archer hadn't heard the word before, but it was clear by the tone that it was a name - a name from that same strange language she and the madman shared. The man hadn't offered his name, so Archer couldn't be sure. Could she smell him on his fur? Had he gotten that close? Had that been what set her off? It couldn't be a coincidence that they spoke the same language. "The crazy guy?" he asked. "Do you know him?"

From the corner of his eye he saw Llinnea start backing away with wide eyes, glancing between the adults and calling for her mother in confusion. He tried not to let it hurt.

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Part of her wanted to bolt, then and there. To do as she should have to begin with and gotten herself and her children, unborn or not, as far from this strange, foreign place as possible. Her daughter scampered back to her and she swiftly placed the child betwixt her legs where she was shielded. Her tail clung to her abdomen and her lips hurt from grimacing so widely but none of it could be helped. She knew better: leaving now would just seal their fate.

How could she possibly make Archer understand, though? She hadn't even been able to make sense of the questions he posed, to know if she should nod yes or shake her head no. Llinnea, on the other paw, was so incredibly smart; she had clearly learned much more of their language than her mother had ever managed to, but the full truth of their situation was not something Inger would share with her child much less make her explain to another.

Struggling greatly, she fidgeted and twitched, eyes still watching their surroundings with a wild, desperate focus as though Rayjiek might appear at any moment. Was Asmund still sleeping? She needed to get to him...

"Ond," she finally said.

"Ond ulv. Ond man. Kill. Kill oss."
(Evil. Evil wolf. Evil man. Kill. Kill us.)