Drooping Willows In Good Grace

Already her children had grown so much and had learned so quickly. Skana, Angier, and Guiness teachings would not go without acknowledgement and the careful watch of those other within her pack, working hard to keep the pack strong where it lacked in quantity, Elettra took favor to the quality of the members she had still had within her pack despite the many which had come and gone. If anything, she could rely on those few and rely on the fact that her three children would not be going anywhere for quite some time. Her pale attention drifts to Asriel as he makes his late arrival, sounding his introduction amongst his younger (yet only slightly by mere hours) brother and sister. Elettra says nothing, though the smallest of waves would suggest her pleasure as she allows the children to take hold of the fawn they had been given and take it to full examination. Although most of their meals had been regurgitated, already a few scraps of actual meat spoke the reality of them not being far from seeking out food for themselves. Morganna was quick to take note of her food, digging in quickly and yet with much wonder. It amazed Elettra how quick the time between them drinking milk and now chewing at whole foods had been though she could not say she missed the days where milk teeth were gnawing at her flesh.
Now with her children's focus to the kill, Elettra's full attention in left to turn to Narime who was left with question yet unanswered. A wave of her tail and a smirk on her features in given to Narime's mention of her children being perfect, an air of pride moving over Elettra too the news which she drinks in a moment more before answering her question. "He is the brother of Borden Lyall, the Founder of Grizzly Hollow where I had lived when I first entered the Lore." Surely she knew of the Grizzly Hollow wolves, likely having met former members within the pack, as well as taking note of any of them that might have taken place in the raid over the diseased wolves that had come into their homeland. Of course, Grizzly Hollow had by now long crossed the mountains with a new name and new leaders that hardly made it the pack Elettra had once pledged herself to. "I have a hope he will make a name for himself here, within my ranks." If he had any intention to win her over, as well as the pack, and crawl from out of his brother's shadow to stand next to her side. Her eyes then shift to her children, seemingly much preoccupied with the food they had been given, causing Elettra to take a few steps closer to her once leading Huntress. "I took the manner into my own paws...." The words were a near whisper, directed for Narime's attention. Surely, she was questioning of where these lovely pups had come from, as Narime seemed to have an interest in Elettra finding someone that she could trust and love to stand at her side. It just never happened. "It was @Kiche. ...But he is long gone now." The words which eased from her lips would likely not take to her children's attention and if they did would likely not make much sense to them. Kiche, by any means, was a word which meant nothing to them and had not uttered past Elettra's lips since their birth until now. Narime was only the second wolf Elettra had told who the father was (Skana as the first and of course, Phineas who had been scented to the event), as far as she could recall, and although the striking ginger of Asriel's saddle and the subtle hints of peach and cream in Morganna might suggest their father (since he was the only one within the pack to have this coloring around the time of breeding) none within her ranks had bothered to come to her in question. It seemed fitting. The members did not question for they trusted her decision and had went with it. End of story.

She happily watched the ups look over the fawn she'd brought them. Though looking at the three Archer siblings made Nari wonder if her own litter should be starting to eat meat by now. They were close enough in age it seemed. They have been nipping quite bad lately when I feed them milk. The silver wolf remembered how bad Titan had nipped her once only a few days ago. Nari had forgotten about seeing the little teeth in her childrens mouths while they play fought or smiled at her.

Then her attention turns back to Elettra who gives her the description of this Lyall character. Narimé was surprised to hear that this Angier had been in the same pack with El so long ago.

"I didn't know you had come from Grizzly Hollow. They had been respectable wolves the few times I met with their packs subordinates. " Now Nari wondered if any other previous Hollow wolves were still roaming around looking for a new home. She still wasn't sure if the pack had simply dropped dead or left their territory. Though with Angier being alive she thought more of them simply leaving for some reason.

"Give him my luck then. I hope he makes you a good hunter or protector." Narimé turned to look at the pups once more while a short span of unspoken time passed. Then her ear angled towards El as she moved closer and spoke in a whisper.

"Your own paws?" She looked sharply back to the fiery Italian blooded woman then did a double take to her pups. "You mean them?" Then Elettra spoke again and complete surprise spread over the silver hunters features.

"Him!?" She shut her yap hoping the pups wouldn't come over and listen. It seemed to Narimé the smart thing to do since Elettra was whispering the information to her out of earshot from her little ones. But does that mean they do not know yet? A small tilt of her head and an incredulous expression still lay on her muzzle as she looks back to Elettra.

"I mean they are beautiful so I guess his genes did well enough but..." She gestured to the little bundles near the fawn. "He didn't really seem like a dominant wolf to me. I thought you would have gone for..well.. Phineas to be honest." Nari did not know how much that name might hurt Elettra. However the obvious choice to her would have been the one male who didn't seem to have any mate that lie within El's pack. Guiness well.. he hadn't been too much for dominance rather more of the enforcer. Then Shade had Rose so that was a no. Kiche? Really Kiche? She wondered looking back to the pups and trying to settle her surprise at the answer Elettra had given her.

Oh no! She just /had/ to mention Phineas. This is going to sting. Also, a bit of this is re-used from a Skana thread that never fully bloomed.

Elettra offers a simple nod at the mention of giving Angier her luck, something Elettra might hold to herself, due to the lack of relationship the pair held with one another. Angier was doing well enough within the ranks, it seemed. Although he had no set interest in a given task, he did well in well-rounding himself with hunting when he felt like it, wondering around the borders when he held the will, though it seemed most of his attentions were towards the children. She had taken much notice to @Angier and his desire of the children from the moment he placed eye on them. There was a deep rooted protectiveness for them, a longing for them and it showed with his watchful eye of them and obvious time spending teaching them lessons in life, mainly to Skoll who, most and most, showed his independent straying from the rest in what seemed a same manner Angier had from his own Lyall kin.
Narime's shock then startles her, causing her to tense and her body lower with her ears, teeth gritting as she instantly turns her attention to her three children. None gave any sign that they were listening to the conversation, though an extra attention was placed upon @Skoll to make sure. Who knew. With Elettra's uncertainty, she shoves her nose forth, hinting for Narime to worth forth more beyond territory bounds as she did so. Her movements were slow and heavy, hinting she was only meandering along in her conversation with her friend that actually lengthening the distance between her and her children of purpose. "Kiche carries no lineage of his own. The children are Archers." She speaks, enforcing the fact that her name was the one to be carried on throughout the bloodline and now, with two more males within the family to carry on the name throughout Relic Lore when the time came. She was so very sure of her decision, still not regretful, now that her three children were everything of power, independence and capability she had hoped for. To Elettra, the genes of @Kiche did more then through to make her something to be proud of. Of course, this did not stop Phineas' name from striking her in the gut as it was mentioned.
"Phineas..." So quick to flee the lands when he had found out and drown his sorrows in another woman. So quick to forget and so quick to love another to block out what claim of love he had held for her. Another one bites the dust, as simply and easily as it had with Alexander before him and Ruiko before that. Taking in a deep breath then, her eyes move, fixing far out beyond the boundaries of her home. Her words were small, whispered on her breath, but with much more still meaning then she would have otherwise liked to admit. "I just couldn't handle...." ....Commitment. Though the word she searched for could not bare to fall from her lips. These feelings she had held for these men she knew would overcome far long then just a simple spat of greed and lust. They were heavy with the weight of future, for which, more then anything, Elettra feared. She had not been ready for such a step in her life, not after what had happened the first time she had dared open herself up, fully and vulnerably to love's cruel touch. She simply could not handle to see a man of power and name stand at her side as her actual mate. To have her children be birthed and forever carry his name. To know that forever, they were bound... The very thoughts caused her heart to quack and her legs to quiver. "I was afraid." Elettra admits, whispered on her breath. Though it stung to say allowed, hating herself for her weakness, she did not consider Narime to think of her as such - weak.

As soon as Narimé let the words out she became hushed as the noble dark lady gestured to move away. They started walking farther from the Willow queens pups while carrying on with the conversation. Nari nodded slowly accepting the black wolfs decision to keep her children's last names as Archer. Though the silver wolf wondered if that might cause some sort of problem in the future. She had a feeling it might but would not push her opinion on the regal alpha.

Then Elettra speaks Phineas name. Nari notes the strain in her voice. Her ears tilt sideways listening closer to the lady the young hunter had always looked up to. A pause sounds itself in her thoughts until Elettra speaks again.

"I just couldn't handle..." Elettra stops again leaving Narimé leaning towards her waiting for the answer while also trying to comfort the woman somehow.

Did she really like him? Why didn't he stay with her then? Narimé left her own questions unasked while walking with the strangely frail looking Elettra.

"I was afraid..." The words the Willow Ridge leader spoke left Narimé speechless. She had never thought Elettra could be afraid of anything. Or at least too afraid to actively do something.

"You were afraid to tell him? That.. you had feelings for him?" She was dancing on what could be a dangerous line asking the regal black wolf further. However Narimé was sure Elettra had to get this out and talk to someone so that she would feel better later. Now she waits standing still watching her strong proud teacher quaking on her long dark legs.

Narime's words leave a huff from Elettra's lips, her head falling momentarily as her silvery attention side glances to her children, well into the meal that they had been given. It was far more complicated the Narime would know, surely, with a past not known to the woman, not known to anyone savor those who had bare witness to it in Torbine. The conflict she had held within herself when it came to seeking out Phineas was far more then simply 'being afraid to tell him that she liked him'. Of course, for all she knew, Phineas had not realized Elettra's attraction for him at all. Showing her emotion was hard, at least this kind of docile, 'love struck' emotion and she would be damned if anyone would be able to figure her out fully and break the seal which bound her deepest and most definitely darkest, secrets.
"Narime... I'm sure it would come as no surprise that I have been hurt before, horribly, by the one I had loved. I'll never jumped in like that again...." Head over heels in love. It was not something that would ever happen to Elettra, not after already happening to her once before. It was also why Elettra had been so very cautious of Narime's decision to leave so young with her newfound mate. Elettra was a woman of caution now, or realism. Love did not conquer all for her, but instead she thought out those who would hold the Leader position at her side truthfully, wisely and strongly. One who would love and care for her and her children despite her faults and despite the kin not being his own. Trust, friendship and honesty was most important, where love would form later. A love much deeper and not a 'spur of the moment' due to attraction only and instinct during the breeding season. It was why she had @Angier, now. It was why their relationship, despite her fears, would work...or so she secretly hoped.

Might make this my final post.... might...

Narimé knew it was offensive to stare, but she could only watch sadly as Elettra spoke to her of something the young female knew nothing of. It was only after Elettra finished speaking that Nari yanked her violet hued eyes away and looked to the ground. She couldn't imagine the terrible thing that might have happened to the older wiser female.

For some reason, as she continued to dwell upon the dark womans words, Narimé thought of her father Sibo. She remembered the search for her missing father and the sad ending to that search. Had I not searched for him then I would have never known what had happened to Da. For a few moments Nari wondered why she had thought of him. She thought about Elettra's words and the story of her fathers life until something came to her.

Narimé was sure her meeting with Elettra was coming to an end. The silver wolf wouldn't press her old alpha any further. What Nari had brought up seemed to hit the older female with some force. The silver hued girl could see that she would have to let Elettra have some time to herself. Her pups will help to cheer her up too... the young woman hoped.

Stepping away from Elettra and allowing her gray side to slip against the willow alpha, Narimé slowly padded to a nearby white willow.

"This might sound weird or...I don't know, sappy maybe, but the way I see it; it's very good to be wary cause that keeps us out of trouble a lot of times. However if you never try to do something cause you're too scared, then that chance might slip away and you'll never be able to try it again. " She paused allowing her tail to flick upwards as a farewell. "An example of that..uhh..well, I know I was in pain after finally finding out about my Da. I loved him a lot and even though I was scared of the possibility that he had already died, I still looked for him to make sure. I didn't let the chance to find him slip away. " She turned her eyes to the ground again. Stupid Nari.. That doesn't make sense at all.. the silver she wolf shook her head. How was that an example of what she'd just blurted out before?

"Gahh.. Never mind. I've always talked too much. I guess.... I'll see you around then." Her confidence had faltered after speaking foolishly just a few seconds before so Nari kept her gaze off of Elettra. "Go to your pups and say bye to them for me. " Nari fumbled with her last words still shaking her silver head then began padding around the willow back towards her own home. For some reason seeing El's pups made her want to be with her own brood.

(Exit Nari)