Drooping Willows In Good Grace

Narime was still wondering how a white stag had survived so long in the wild without being picked off as a fawn. It obviously had good health, instincts, and luck on its side as it grew older. After seeing the stag the first time the silver wolf had trailed it for a time. The second time she saw it Nari ignored the male deer instead looking to the herd he had now been traveling with. The fawn she'd taken earlier today was not as physically fit as its white companion who'd led the herd fleeing away from the hunting predator. She caught the fawn, injured it, trailed it for another mile, and then took it down rather close to Willow Ridge's border.

It was after resting next to her catch that Nari realized how familiar the territory around her was. She recognized one of the paths through the willow trees that would lead towards Willow Ridge borders. I wonder how everyone is doing? At first thoughts of Elettra, Skana, Rosealia, Shade, Phineas, and Kyrie ran through her head. However the young woman recalled that three of the willows old members had left Elettra's pack already. Then there's that new wolf Semananti... I wonder who's left among the willows. Picking her head off of her light gray paws Nari looked in the direction of her old home. A feeling of longing pricked at her heart. If only she could just visit again. Just one time.

Looking back down at her fawn Narime wondered if bringing a meal that could feed say two full grown wolves might allow her to visit. Besides she owed Elettra so much already. Maybe we could talk again..Have lunch together? Feeling hopeful as always the young woman picked herself up off the ground and tugged on the large fawn. She could drag it easily, but for how long would she be able to?

It was time to find out if her strength and stamina would hold out for the short distance to Willow Ridge.

The silver wolf firmly held the back of the small deers neck and tugged dragging the deceased creature a few feet at a time them taking a short break. It took her a full two hours to drag the thing right to Willow Ridge border where it would have taken the girl maybe ten minutes to reach the border walking slowly on her own.

Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

Huffing to catch her breath Nari stared past the border wondering who might answer her call. @Guiness probably, @Elettra maybe if she wasn't busy, but if @Skana was still there would she? Who else that Nari didn't know might answer her?

She could just howl to summon someone to the kill and leave before they arrived. However that wasn't the point of her visit. Narime wanted to see other wolves from her past home. So the silver wolf raised her head and let loose a howl calling for whomever had the time to listen. She finished then sat next to her catch counting the seconds that passed by.

"speech"

Her intentions were made clear as she calls out to the three children of Willow Ridge: @Morganna, @Skoll, and @Asriel Archer. She beckons them out from the safety of the den site and to her with intent to teach them this day. Already the children were making way scrambling through their home territory to know it from birth and thus master it the way their mother now did. Their curiosity was obvious, having strayed a time or two before beyond the edges of their borders, beyond the edges of protection. As her call sounds and then ends, she strays further, moving out to the skirts of her home and then bellows for them once more, a deep, chilling howl. A howl which mimicked that of horror movies in the thick and unknown wild.
At nearly twelve weeks old, the pups were beginning to understand things in life more clearly. Their speech improved, no doubt due to Angier's practice. The basics of danger learned by Skana Elettra had worked with them a bit on the herbal knowledge, granted they had been birthed in the Infirmary though this lesson Elettra thought most important. If they would not be coming and going from the den all their own, she would like to teach them the dire understanding of what the borders were for, how to mark them and what may happen should they be crossed.
It was not long before another call sounded along the borders of Willow Ridge. It was not Elettra once more calling to her children, who would likely be on there way, nor was it of a stranger, perhaps a rogue, willing to meet the Leaders of the land for a chance to join up with them. No, it was Narime and this Elettra pin-pointed easily and moved to this edge of the border lands in order to seek her out. No fear crept in Elettra's mind that her children would not be coming into the direction of a stranger, for although the silver hued woman was a stranger to them, she was an ally to the dark fae so much that a small smile touched the woman's greyed lips and a wave of her tail whipped at the drooping willows as she made her way. "Narime!" The curl of her dark tongue calls out to the young woman as she approaches in a brisk trot. She was better, much better. Although Elettra had not seen the woman in her ill state, there was no way she would have traveled and hunted, had she not been feeling much better. "I see my remedies worked?" After all, Elettra had sent Narime's scout off with an abundance of different foliage to work with Narime should one not work, yet another may.

ensnare my eyes & sharpen my silver tongue

prince sköll archer

show me, teach me, my curiosity's sprung

Regardless of whether or not his brother and sister were ready, the young prince Sköll was up and at it before either of them could even blink an eye; and, it only took the better part of Elettra's first beckoning to summon him from the den. It was with rather clumsy paws that he made his way out (actually accidentally snagging his large paws on his siblings' tangled limbs and perhaps even stepping on a tail or a shoulder blade... or two...), but once he was underneath the summer sky and surrounded by the towering willows he bounded off after his mother. By the time the Willow Ridge Leader's second howl lifted from her throat, the boy was nearly to her and he scrambled with haste to meet up with her. He could just see Elettra through the widely-spaced willows when a third howl sounded out; it made his only parent stand at attention while recognizing who the call had come from. She began to move away from her spot and Sköll was off again, trotting after her once more.

At this point, he knew not to call after her, to ask her to stop or wait. His mother was a woman of actions and deeds, and any exclamation would simply be a waste of his precious breath. Determined, he carried on until he noticed a strange silver-coated woman on the borders... and his mother was addressing her! In a friendly or genuinely genial tone! Sköll's mouth dropped open but he quickly closed it in fear of Elettra turning around to find him inappropriately gawking and ogling stupidly at her.

Straightening up and squaring his shoulders, he took a deep breath then strode up to the two women with his lip pursed and his grey eyes full of scrutiny and apparent skepticism. Once confidently standing at Elettra's side, he sniffed at the visitor in a rather rude manner, silently wondering what this stranger was doing here and why she had called upon his mother. She was a busy woman, the commanding Leader of an all-powerful dominion, and Sköll was unwilling to let her time go to waste. It took every bit of willpower he currently possessed to keep from wrinkling his muzzle up at the both of them but Elettra had asked a question (even if it was rhetorical or said as a means of 'breaking the ice') and, after training his eyes on the gray-furred lady he, too, anticipated an answer.

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i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

lift up your head princess

Morganna

if not the crown falls

Her mothers call jerked the princess from her dreams. Accompanied by a sharp jab to her ribs from Sköll, it was a hard summons to ignore and so with a high pitched growl in the direction of her brothers fleeing form, she pulled her awkward frame up and struck out on his, and her mothers trail. Another call sounded, beckoning her on, but as a strangers voice joined the song the princess allowed her steps to falter, small nostrils flaring and ears perched high above her head. Her usually high waving tail shot down to sit level with her spine as she stopped and weighed up her options. Her mother had summoned her but strangers were not to be trusted... She was not bold enough to think herself capable of warding off trespassers just yet, but would her mother still want her or should she go back to the den?

Hesitating for just a moment longer, she decided the lack of alarm raised was enough of a reason for her to continue on, but as a result of her delay, she missed her mothers introductions. Her tail inched higher and her brows drew down sternly at the indignity of the silver coated stranger who was just... sitting there. Who did she think she was?! A bold growl left the young princesses chest as her eyes fell on the gift that the stranger had clearly bought for her and mother and her previous inhibitions were forgotten as she moved past her brother to grab at one of the fawns legs in an attempt to pull it over the invisible line that marked her home apart from the rest of the world.

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Her call was quickly answered just as Nair expected it to be. Elettra wouldn't let anyone stand on her borders for too long. At least that was how it used to be back then. However Elettra's scent was accompanied by other smells that made Nari's tail rise and begin to wag excitedly. Once El arrived Nari accidentally let an excited whine slip through her muzzle. She dipped her head in greeting to the dark regal and kept her stance carefully neutral. Although that was kind of hard to do when Nari wanted to greet the two pups that came into her sight. It seemed Elettra finally had her own family to watch over.

Her blue eyes lit up as the first dark bundle trotted into her vision. A male pup with a dark coat much like his mothers strolled over next to Elettra. His eyes rolled over her own silver form and she wondered what the little prince thought of her. Firstly she glanced back towards Elettra to address the dark woman.

"Ah yes. The herbs worked very well. Thank you for helping me even though you must be extremely busy." Nari's eyes drifted to the second pup who padded next to its sibling. She must be as busy as I am with them and the pack. She chuckled watching the pups for a moment more than yanked her eyes back to Elettra. Nari knew how protective she was with her own. She wasn't sure how Elettra would take to the silver womans excitement over her dark pups.

"In any case we probably won't bother you for medical help anymore. I have a young healer who is learning from Nina about all kinds of stuff I just don't understand. " Nari gave El a sheepish grin still wagging that silver tail of hers. She still had a lot more to thank the older woman for. A lot more things that Nari wasn't even sure how she would thank her for.

"Hello there young prince, princess. Yes take the fawn it's for you and your mother. To thank her for helping me." She dipped her head in greeting to the two pups taking a chance that El wouldn't mind her addressing them. She tried figuring out who their father was by looking at the young one's features. However both looked so much like their mother that Nari grew more and more curious. She knew it would be bad to just blurt out "Hey who's their father? to the ebony woman.

Picking her gaze back up to Elettra, Nari let her features relax and her tail droop. "I don't know if I'm allowed to ask this, but how's the pack doing? How are you?" She asked looking towards the border perhaps with a hint of longing within her bluish purple gaze.

In came her children, two of them at least, without the still approach of her third and firstly born child, @Asriel. They came with a certain proudness, boldness. Morganna's little tail high in the air, Skoll's squared off shoulders. Her son's eyes were filled with judgement, a growl shaping the lips of her daughter. They were absolutely perfect and perhaps at a time to herself, Elettra would giggle and skip with a glee to the very thought of her children's display before someone who was an obvious stranger to them, at their border. Though Elettra was working hard with them (as well as the rest of the pack, Skana's sternness certainly helped) it was obvious where their blood came from and they wore the name of Archer proudly even in their youth.
Elettra's paw lifts, stomping down hard on the fawn's limb, the exact one which Morganna had attempted to drag back toward their home. Though of course the food had been for them and Narime was quick to make this clear, Elettra would not allow her daughter to assume and become rude in such assumption before it was confirmed. A light growl was given to the youth in warning and after this, Elettra's paw lifted, allowing her daughter to take the fawn over the edges of the border as she had originally intended.
Elettra listened to Narime's words, of a young Healer in their pack being trained by Nina, Leader of an allied pack to them both. She hears out the silvered woman as she addresses her two children and how much excitement she holds in seeing them, in simply being with her as a whine of such excitement had crossed her lips. Still, Elettra's tail waves, signalling that she was fine with Narime's approach. She trusted the woman and had for far too long. Nothing in Elettra thought that the woman before her now could be a threat to her youth. Had she, she would have demanded her son and daughter's retreat. "Introduce yourselves..." She speaks to her pups, her attention turning to them in will for how they might go about speaking themselves to the stranger. They were old enough, smart enough, to speak for themselves at this point in their life.
Awaiting their response (and perhaps Narime's own introduction to them after) Elettra then addresses Narime's question, a small chuckle easing her lips firstly. "We are allies, Narime. Of course you may ask. We help one another, strengthen one another where we are weakened." Having said this, the woman moves to settle down onto the ground, her eyes drifting over her son and daughter a moment before back to the young silvered woman. "I've been well. Guiness, Angier, and Skana have made certain the children are safely guarded and learning whilst I'm gone...I've none at my side, yet, and a few have come and gone... though we are still getting by." She made it obviously clear that since she had left, there was no Leader at her side. After Koda was gone and Shade betrayed them, none had made worthy of Elettra's trust, nor the pack's trust, in order to do so. Though even with one Lead and the pack small, they had yet to be crippled.

ensnare my eyes & sharpen my silver tongue

prince sköll archer

show me, teach me, my curiosity's sprung

The boy had been so caught up in looking at the woman's face that he had not even bothered to look at the gift she had brought them. His sister, Morganna, however, readily helped herself and Sköll merely watched with a silent sneer. If anyone deserved it, his youngest sibling did; she needed to grow a bit more, even if he, too, wasn't as large and robust as Asriel was. The silvery woman said 'hello' and confirmed that the fawn was for them and their mother. A large, dark paw fell upon the spotted animal on the ground and so did Sköll's gaze. His ears cupped forward in interest but as Elettra instructed that they introduce themselves, he looked up to her face and blinked a few times before clearing his throat.

He faced Narimé, keeping his head tilted upward to address her properly, just as both Skana and Angier had taught him to do. "Heh-low, my name is Sköll," he enunciated carefully, his jaws opening and closing in a somewhat exaggerated manner to control his pattern of speech. "I-It's nice to meet you." He gave his tail a polite wag, another thing he had been taught to do for the sake of pleasant conversation and looked to his mother quietly, caring little about whether or not his sister would do the same. She could take care of herself... Surely she didn't need him to speak for her.

As Elettra carried on to answer their ally's questions - about how the pack was doing and how she was faring - the young prince paid no mind to what she was saying. It was starting to fall into the more "adult" side of the spectrum in regards to conversations and it was simply something he should not have been interested in until he was older. His eyes went to Morganna and the fawn again and as carefully as he could, he crept underneath his mother's torso. His shoulders and spine just pressed up against her rib cage and once he managed to sit down beside his sister, his tail had also cleared his mother's side. He trailed his curious nose up and down the dawn's dappled coat, taking in the scent as to memorize it for the first time. In time his mind would associate the smell of deer with food, but for now, until he could figure out just why it barely smelled appetizing, he could only poke and prod at it with his paws while watching his sister for a clue as to what to do with such a prize. Only one thing was for certain, it was aaaaalmost like his toy mouse he had left behind; this fawn was just much bigger.

Then a sudden thought dawned on him, another lesson and an opportunity to show off what he had learned from it had nearly gone amiss. In planting both his paws on the fawn's side, after shuffling away from Morganna (in partial fear that she might get snippy from him being so close to her), he peered up at Narimé and smiled in a rather winsome and charming fashion, "Thank-yee-ooh."

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i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

While the eldest of the litter, this did not mean that Asriel was the most responsive or the most responsible. He had the sin of pride within him, and though he would mind his manners with his mother on most occasions, he was still not always on his best behavior. For the Prince loved, above all else, himself and while he did have the time of day for his family, his interests were still, above all else, in himself and his own doings. He was curious, but only in things he wanted to be curious about. Things which should have interested- meeting others at the border when they called, had yet to strike a chord with him- but on this day, though he did dilly-dally a little before moving to the borders, he found himself drawn in the direction of the trail of scents which marked the edge of their territory.

He was not punctual- he arrived after his siblings and though he arrived on the scene at a swift, gliding trot, he slowed with such a grace that it did not seem that the Prince had been in a hurry at all.His movements were almost so natural they seemed careless, but not without an otterlike grace. He moved to his little sister's side, as she aggressively tried to take a dead fawn into her possession. It was fairly large, obviously from this year but was nearing the stage at which it would look less like a fawn and more like a small deer.

His eyes, which had chosen the hue of a shimmering fire, moved silently to the visitor at the border. Her features were kind but not without authority, and in those mesmerizing eyes was strength, something Asriel had learned, from his mother, that important wolves must have. While he had no father and looked up to no male as a father figure, he appreciated easily the worth of a woman of power; that they were not the weaker sex. That this was what he was to look for in companions, and hoped his cherished sister would become.

Having heard Skoll speak his name, Asriel deduced that they were to introduce themselves. He simply assumed that, having gone for the fawn, Morganna had already introduced herself- otherwise he might have been so gallant as to do it for her. And while toward many strangers Asriel could be extremely abrupt and snide, he gauged at once that this was a guest of honour. To her he gave a tilt of his muzzle, ears slicking back. The boy stood taller than Skoll and had naturally assumed a pose most befitting of a young prince. "I am Asriel." He stated, his voice, still high with youth, like cool liquid, velvety and smoothe.

Avatars by Allie <3

lift up your head princess

Morganna

if not the crown falls

Momentarily shocked by the large dark paw that fell so close to her muzzle, the dark princess relinquished her hold on the fawns limb and fell back to her bottom with a squeak, her large ears folded back, well reproached. Her peach hued eyes fell back on the silvery stranger momentarily. As her brother drew close she playfully nipped at his flank before he moved out of her reach but she still partially squinted at the stranger in suspicion as [Sköll] introduced himself and offered thanks for her gift. Sulking, the girl continued to glare until another familiar voice drifted to her ears, causing an involuntary twitch of her tail and a smile to crack her muzzle. Now Asriel was here, he would show her, she was sure.

To her disappointment however, he too introduced himself just as calmly as ever and with a heavy sigh she finally had to admit defeat or no doubt risk another, potentially better placed bop to her head from her mother. Small solace was taken that the stranger had at least had the decency to refer to her as princess and so the bitterness was left out of her voice as she addressed with a sickly sweet smile “...and I am pin-sess Morganna Archer.” Her head lifted proudly as she introduced herself in an attempt to make it clear to the stranger that after her mother, she ran things around here and would not be walked all over.

The conversation quickly turned to things of little interest to the child so she followed her brother’s suit and buried her nose in the creatures speckled coat. It was far too heavy for her to move on her own, but it didn’t stop her needle like teeth from burying amongst the fur as she braced her small frame and tugged with all her might, opening a small tear in the hide and unleashing a much more pleasant scent than that of fur. Dropping her mouthful of hide in surprise she attempted to bury her nose in the tiny hole, inhaling deeply and licking over the freshly opened wound frantically. This was food! and any inhibitions she had towards the stranger vanished in the blink of an eye, her banner like tail whipping about happily and she tried to make the tiny tear wide enough to permit her muzzle to the treasures she now knew lay beneath.

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(This post was last modified: Aug 15, 2013, 02:54 AM by Morganna.)

The smile stayed plastered on her silver maw as @Elettra tells her pups to introduce themselves. The first dark pup greeted her respectfully announcing his name was Skoll. She gave him a little nod in approval happy to hear such a polite greeting. Nari's tail began to wag more quickly after the first pup even came forward and thanked her for the present. He's going to be such a gentleman when he gets older!

"Your welcome Skoll." She turned to look at the second pup who's coat shined healthily like the sun. She wondered where that golden fur that adorned his shoulders and body came from. The pup confidently gave his name, Asriel and stood with a regal air about him just like his mother. To him Nari gave another approving nod of her head though she stilled her tail and let it slide low into a comfortable place. He might make a good leader.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Asriel." She gave him a warm look. It seemed to be to her that El's pups were growing up to be the perfect wolves. She was impressed with their manners and wondered if her own young would be as dignified as these three.

Then the third girl pup gave her name. Nari could see a fiery personality in the young Archer princess, something that reminded her very much of Malia. Just like Malia, Morganna seemed to think of herself as the most important pup of the bunch. Greeting Nari with confidence like her brothers. The silver wolf nodded her head respectfully to the princess knowing that strangers to her lands would likely have to deal with the same personality in Malia if they were to ever meet her in the future.

"Hello to all of you. My full name is Narimé Lagina Thorben alpha of Whisper Caverns pack. I used to be part of your mothers pack a long time ago. That's why I dropped by to say hi. " She wondered if the pups would lose interest in her words. She thought that might be the case as pups didn't have the best attention spans. At least that was the case with her own little ones.

Turning her gaze back to Elettra, Nari listened to the news from Willow Ridge. She was slightly confused as to how there was still no male lead. If that was the case then.. Just... who fathered her pups? She wouldn't voice the question though. As much as it was bothering the gray woman. "So Guiness and Skana are helping out a bunch. You guys have done really well with them. They are perfect!." Nari commented gesturing to the pups who seemed more interested in her gift now than their conversation.

"Who's Angier?" She wondered if El had meant to mention a male that Nari did not know. Just the fact that the noble woman had spoke about him told Nari that he was a respected loyal wolf that pulled his weight, but did it also mean something more? Maybe this Angier was the father of her pups?

(This post was last modified: Sep 03, 2013, 01:33 AM by Narimé.)