Drooping Willows how the mighty fall in love

@Asriel @Skoll @Morganna @Titan @Malia @Yuka
Thought I'd make a thread to attract some other teens for Mace to meet and/or peacock at, which is why I tagged you all. :D
He's not gonna do anything really rude, and he's not as close as it seems like he is to the packs. He'll probably just be a little cocky if anything.

Under a cloak of thick ice fog, the Attaya prince slipped away from the comforting embrace of spacious Cedarwood to trek along the treeline. His paws took him skimming by the marsh where he had shamelessly engaged the lone female in play several days past, and he travelled until the trees spilled open to reveal the frozen lagoon. Lacking interest in the ice and the physical danger it presented, he swept by the yawning mouth and instead walked amidst frostbitten willows, with nary a care for the tracks of other wolves who had passed frequently by here.

Nose turned up to the wind was enough to give him the information he needed: the scent of not one, but two dominant wolves carried on the northward breeze. It was an unintentionally arrogant crook of lips that decked his face then, as he strolled along with tail aloft on confident paws. Mace may not have been Prince of Cut Rock River — the title would fall to Maksim's and presumably Astra's young the coming spring — but he was Prince Attaya. With Rowan gone, though the thought brought a painful twinge to his heart and stabbed a hole in his chest, he was the only wolf to hold that moniker.

His nearness was dangerous, perhaps, but there was ample distance between the upwind packs — the one whose dominant wolves he scented, and the one further east that he was unaware of — and himself that he could feign ignorance. Though he oft was a noble and righteous male, Mace would seed his boredom with mischief, if there was enough of it. Only a fool could miss the smell, but he was oh so young, and oh so inexperienced… At least, that would be his alibi to any enraged dominant wolf that might locate him out here.

(This post was last modified: Dec 10, 2013, 07:06 PM by Mace.)

gorgeous set by kydnt

@Yuka, @Malia - wanna follow Titan out on an adventure?
Note: This is set during night time right? If not I'm probably going to have to change most of this.
*Knocks herself out for thinking pups slip away during a foggy night.*

Titan had sworn to himself that the only places he would visit now were the one's he knew how to get around. That limited the young man to Drooping Willows, Hush Meadow, and Fireweed Rise. Though he was a little more acquainted with the Whisper Marsh after exploring it back when he'd gotten lost and found by Maksim.

So when he had decided to try his luck at hunting again Titan decided to go to the place apart from the meadow that he knew best and that was Drooping Willows. The dark lad was not fond of the punishment Tokino Lagina, his mothers uncle, was trying to give him for wandering away nearly two months ago. It just didn't seem fair that he would be punished for that act now after it had happened so long ago. So the pup had slipped away while the old man slept to see if he could find something better to do with himself; instead of being stuck in a cave day in and day out bored out of his mind.

It wasn't like I was trying to run away or anything. I was trying to be useful... Titan had wanted so badly to bring his mother back something that would make her proud. Especially since she was usually the one bringing back food for the Thorben brood to eat. Just once the night coated Thorben wanted to bring his mother something to eat. Something that he had killed.

The fog that clouded the earth had cloaked mostly the ground near the forest. Perhaps due to the string-like dead canopy of the willows the fog could not lift to the heavens. Noting this quietly as he began passing into the willows from the clear meadow, Titan looked around at his environment. He knew this area well enough and that confidence in himself showed visually through an upward tilted head and lifted tail. It was comfortable to walk like this in territory that he knew.

Titan did not scent the other pup who stalked nearby. Unfortunately for the cavern wolf he did not have the wind on his side. Instead the wind blew the boys scent straight towards the stranger.

The cavern pup was however used to dim and dark conditions within the cave. His vision was probably better than even his mothers when it came to noticing the movements of pack mates, or other wolves in the darkness. A flash of movement ahead to the Thorben males right indicated to the boy that something was out there. He froze training his gaze on the dark landscape trying to see what the movement was.

It's definitely furry, and dark colored... Titan couldn't make out much more of the stranger from this distance. What's that size, dark, and furry? Another wolf? He wondered quietly watching the furry thing with a steady dark blue gaze.

"Who goes there?" Titan spoke up raising his head to peer over a bush hoping that it was another wolf and not some monster he had happened upon which might eat the child for a late night snack.

WHISPER Caverns

(This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2013, 04:20 AM by Titan.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Though the snow made travelling and guarding the borders more difficult, Asriel set it for himself as a strengthening task. He pushed through the snow, spreading his large paws as wide as they would go so that he could stay atop the surface and when he sank through, he simply pushed on. Any and every opportunity to fill his often empty stomach was taken, and he found himself focusing more on hunting than guarding, though he tried his best to keep his hunting practices close to the borders so that he could do both. He was going through yet another growth spurt- one, he hoped, which would make him, finally, taller than his average-sized mother. Once he was taller than her, he would feel more like the guardian he wanted to be. Tall, strong, and intimidating.

He'd been wandering along the borders in the shadows of night when a rabbit's track had led him astray. He'd been too far behind the creature to have a hope of catching up with it, but he followed it nonetheless, hoping it might lead him to the trail of other rabbits- or maybe the silly thing would double back on its tracks and head back toward him. Instead, though, he found himself within a reasonable distance from the borders, faced with the scents of two male wolves. His interest was piqued, when he heard one call out. Asriel chuckled silkily under his breath. Who exactly did this lad think he was? They were on neutral territory- territory which wasn't claimed by either pack, but shared. The other male was from another pack- one Asriel didn't recognize. But still, he was definitely the odd one out.

He moved forth, seething like a thick, dark shadow in possession of two shining embers for eyes. He regarded first the boy from Whisper Caverns- no doubt a relative of that peaceable Yuka boy and his outspoken sister, Malia- and then cast a glance to the other male. All three were fairly well matched, for age and size- all dark, save for the Whisper Caverns boy whose fur was highlighted with silver. <b style="color:#101115;">"I'd like to know that too," He said silkily. For he'd recognized the family the silver-tipped male belonged to, but the other one was a stranger...Lost, perhaps. And Asriel loved the idea of sending him on his way.

Table by PuppyThief - STOCK: Dawnthieves.de

Avatars by Allie <3

A dark night rested on the forests of Whisper Caverns, with an invasive fog that lightly grasped onto the leaves of trees and into the entrances of the caves that Malia knew so well. The moon shone brightly in the sky, allowing for some light to reach the snow-covered ground. It casted an eerie light over all, and maybe some of the less adventurous of the Thorben children would stay back. However, Malia was not one of them. The amber-eyed girl peered into the darkness with inspecting eyes, attempting to discern plants, rocks, and monsters from the environment around her. Little mind working, the 7-month-old tried to form stories of things she saw in the night that she could scare her brothers with. Creatures that went bump in the darkness worked quite effectively.

Nothing else stirred, and no other sound was made except for the occasional, unusual cricket that would probably die over night due to the cold temperatures. Malia's breath hung in the air as it emerged from her nostrils, curling before her eyes and disappearing into the hazy gloom within seconds. A sudden noise caused her ears to perk and eyes to flick towards the sound. A dark form emerged from the den, one larger than her but still similar in form. Sniffing the air, Malia confirmed that it was her brother, Titan. He was sneaking out at dark, again. Adventures were fine and dandy, but even so the girl stood and followed him. If he was going anywhere, the pup would make sure that she was going with him. There was no way she would be left behind this time.

It was apparent from the get-go that he did not really have much of a goal. Perhaps he was simply up for some nighttime exploring; maybe it ran through the Thorben veins (well, most of them...) Malia made sure to keep quiet, slipping behind bushes and trees yet still keeping her amber eyes centered on her sibling. He wandered to and fro until his nose shot in the air. Sniffing, Malia could not smell anything unusual... But then she heard a very familiar voice that immediately sent her on edge. It was Asriel, the cocky, self-proclaimed king of everything. Their first meeting was a while ago and in all honesty the girl was hoping they would never have another. Nevertheless Malia was never one to sit on the sidelines, and so she moved into the embrace of the fog and walked towards Titan. "More nighttime wanderings, brother?" she asked before seating herself beside him, finally noticing that there was another wolf present other than Asriel that she did not recognize. Maybe this would be an entertaining night after all?
"Speech"

(This post was last modified: Dec 16, 2013, 02:14 AM by Malia.)

OOC: Night time is perfect!
edit: The food-giving Spirit is following me in all my threads waugh~

IC: In the pressing silence lent by the heavy fog, Mace felt himself at ease. He was a soldier at heart, a wolf whose instinct was to follow commands and execute them to perfection, but he was also a knight, with a desire to rise above all others and prove himself superior. This mixture of traits made him an ideal Beta wolf, but also made him somewhat arrogant in the face of other wolves, those like himself and even those unlike himself. He had high expectations for himself and others, and it would perhaps be his undoing when he finally tried to make friends.

But making friends was not a goal of his, he thought, as he allowed himself to ambulate thoughtlessly between the willows. He thought he might be alone for a while, thankfully unnoticed by the resident packs, but... A scent drifted to him on the wind, fresh, and he knew he'd likely be caught. His walking speed therefore decreased to a near-pleasant stroll; no reason to give his interceptor any reason to think he was trying to get away.

Almost as if on cue, the authoritative call of who goes there broke the stillness and silence, and Mace came to a halt. Before he could introduce himself, however, the source of the call became visible for just an instant through the fog: a black-coated wolf, with frosted details, who looked to be about his height (maybe a tad bit taller) and around his age. This was an interesting development; he had expected to be found by a guardian, not an agemate, and so his approach to the whole thing would change.

But not, it seemed, before others found him. The silken drawl of another wolf agreed with the first, and as Asriel came into view, Mace was surprised (quite pleasantly) to find this new wolf was exactly as the other two were: large stature, black fur, probably the kings of their litters. It was the arrival of a female wolf, slender but lofty with a tawny pelt that stuck out amongst the three black-furred males, that finally coerced Mace into addressing them.

"Mace Attaya, prince of the Attaya family." Perhaps he could use his family name to his advantage; after all, how were any of them to know the Attaya family no longer ruled a pack in the Lore? He was unfortunately unaware of Titan's short stay with Maksim that would give everything away, or that these wolves had met both his sisters; instead, he played as if he had some claim to the title, raising his head with a wave of his tail to punctuate his introduction with pride. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

(This post was last modified: Dec 19, 2013, 06:54 PM by Mace.)

gorgeous set by kydnt

Look Out!

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

OOC: I know pups can't take down a full grown deer but they're headstrong and might try.

IC: All within a minute the scene would become a party. Titan cast a glance towards Asriel giving him a respectful nod in greeting and noting his scent. Unlike the Attaya boy to the Thorben male's front Asriel's scent was clear to him. It held the same pack smell that Elettra and Skoll also had throughout their coats which meant that he was being graced by another Archer prince. Though Titan was unsure of whether this prince was the firstborn of Elettra's litter or not.

Then his sister would quickly make her appearance. Titan, annoyed with her tailing his every movement lately, ignored her entrance until she spoke to him.

"Yes sister. More night time wanderings..." He growled low hoping only she would hear the reply. Then his dark blue gaze turned to the dark shadow ahead of him. It had moved and for a split second the fog parted to reveal yet another wolf staring back at him with what seemed to be a non threatening gaze. Titan switched his orbs back to the other wolves scattered around him and realized that they were all around the same age. He didn't have to worry about an adult finding him for now. As long as Malia doesn't tell on me I won't get into trouble being out here. He thought silently moving his tail down a notch as they were all on neutral ground. It was only right to show that everyone here was equal in some way or another.

The wolf ahead of the Thorben pup called out introducing himself to the others. As Titan had been the first to find this Mace Attaya he stepped forward and gave his own introduction.

"Titan Thorben first born prince of Whisper Caverns Pack." he announced proudly keeping his head up and pushing his chest out trying to look the noble part. Glancing to Malia as he was about to introduce her as well, Titan realized that she would probably snarl at him because he spoke for her. So instead he waited for her to introduce herself and glanced to the Archer waiting for his name.

It was while he waited for other introductions that a sound other than their growls broke the silence of the night. His ears trained on the obvious crunching of snow far to the left of the little group of pups. His head swung to the left mouth open trying to scent the chill air. He could see slight movement through the fog but whatever was out there was too far away for them to see. However the scent that hit the pups would quickly tell them exactly what was near.

A small group of deer were strangely moving about at night.

Losing interest in his age mates Titan flicked his tail on Malia's side urging her to follow him. "You want to make mom proud? Then let's get the pack some deer meat." He egged her to leave the other two male wolves and join him. He would have a better chance at a deer hunting with her than by himself.

WHISPER Caverns

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Yuka did not particularly like how his brother had run off and still returned without so much as a scolding. He should have at least told them that he had been leaving for a few days just like Narimé had, but apparently common sense hadn’t crossed through his brother’s mind…and apparently this time it hadn’t crossed his sister’s either. Shaking his head slightly, he realized that he would still be able to find them if he left then, so lifting his leg so that he could mark the Whisper Cavern borders and stating clearly that he was still present within the pack, the young boy set off, easily following the scents of his littermates. It took him longer than he would have liked, but as he neared his sibling’s scents, another familiar scent overwhelmed his senses, it was the scent of Skoll and his brother Asriel; and these were their pack lands. Why would his siblings be running off to be over here? Snorting softly under his breath he made his presence known by lifting himself slightly and striding forward, his unique amber eyes with teal flecks taking in the area before him and landing on the one male that was unfamiliar to him before looking back towards his brother, who was flaunting his title and being far too prideful in front of pack borders that were definitely not theirs. Though Yuka had once been the runt he had been growing much since Titan had left them and the tan boy with russet marking found that he could rival his older brother in size now. He was no longer the smallest one out of the triple. Frowning, he cleared his throat and spoke to his brother lowly, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”Respect their borders, brother. These are not our lands.” Making sure that his brother acknowledged his words, his gaze then went back towards the new wolf, whom Yuka had unfortunately not caught the name of. <b style="color:#2cb79f">”Prince Yuka Thorben of Whisper Caverns…pardon me…but I did not catch your name.” He was being polite and punctual, like normal, but there was something highly familiar about this boy. He knew he hadn’t met him before, but maybe there had been someone else that the young man was mistaking him for. Patiently waiting for an answer he smiled slightly, trying to make himself feel less awkward as he moved to stand at his sister’s other shoulder.

Thank you TABs

OMFG IT'S GONNA BE EFFIN' GAME OF THRONES WHEN THESE GUYS GROW UP.

God. Not her again. She always had to ruin the fun, didn't she? Trailing behind her brother, who looked like a perfectly civil gentleman in order to spew wry comments which were conversationally uninteresting and pointless. Midnight wanderings? He hoped her brother might say something back- no, I'm out for my nightly basket-weaving lesson, you idiot, or something like that. Instead, though he looked annoyed enough to please Asriel, whatever he said to her wasn't loud enough for the rest of them to hear. Asriel hoped he was being sarcastic- they could definitely get along if he'd just said something to tick her off. He watched for her reaction, for a moment, to see if he could glean any understanding of what he'd truly said from her eyes, but couldn't really be all that bothered by her in any way, and looked toward the unknown male as he introduced himself.

He was respectable looking, but his name meant little to nothing. Attaya family? It didn't ring a bell. <b style="color:#101115;">"Anyone can be a prince of a family. Which pack are you from?" Asriel commented- not in a snide way, but as a quiet reminder that being a prince of a family meant nothing. His family could have been a couple of loners, and if he was the only son, he'd automatically be the prince- but a prince of nothing but wilderness, and the wilderness had no heirs who could lay claim to a throne. His facial features were calm, suggestive that Asriel- who considered himself to be a true prince- had the experience, already, having been a prince and first-born heir for the entirety of his life.

Titan then introduced himself- and Asriel smiled quietly, glad to know that Titan, rather than Yuka or Malia, was the first-born. The former wasn't long in joining them, and was given a curt nod from Asriel who, once the tawny boy had introduced himself, stepped forward to give his own introduction. <b style="color:#101115;">"Asriel Archer, first-born and prince of Willow Ridge." His voice, like the others- save for Yuka, who didn't mention his rank at all- was tinged with pride, but for once he left arrogance behind. He was comfortable with his title and didn't feel the need to flaunt it beyond the mere words.

When the scent of deer came to the pups, they all seemed to stiffen. He didn't hear the first few words Titan said, but was able to guess what he'd said when Yhe saw Yuka trying to appease his brother. At once, he found himself disliking Titan, and putting more trust, instead, in Yuka- they were on Willow Ridge borderlands- any hunting rights would go to his pack first. His eyes sharpened and his tail raised- these Whisper Cavern wolves were pushing it by coming, en masse, to his borders- and he recognized the predatory look on Titan's face, assuming therefore that the idiot intended to hunt. Even if he had Malia and Yuka on his side, it'd be a ruined opportunity. And besides that- his pack was a call away- and he knew they would appreciate the opportunity. <b style="color:#101115;">"I wouldn't dare, if I were you." He said in a low hiss, his eyes sharpening and tail raising. His gaze was set on Titan, though he kept Titan's unruly sister in his vision as well, ready to make a move quickly should one of them bolt.

Table by PuppyThief - STOCK: Dawnthieves.de

Avatars by Allie <3

Soon enough Malia heard the crunching sound of footsteps coming alongside her, and then a familiar face appeared. It was her younger brother Yuka, probably making sure they weren't breaking any rules. The Thorben girl said nothing to him as he scolded Titan, and ignored her older brother's response. It was his choice to venture, as it was hers, but it was obvious that if Tokino found out only Titan would really be punished. The girl noticed with satisfaction that Asriel was aware of her presence, and certainly was not happy about it. The more difficult she could make his life, the better for her.

Everyone was now introducing themselves to this newcomer "Mace Attaya." It all seemed kind of pointless since most of them already knew each other, but nevertheless she sat up a little straighter. "Malia Thorben," she said, not bothering to add her title of "princess." There was no one here she was trying to impress, and the title hadn't really grown on her. It seemed too... damsel in distress for her tastes.

Titan's nudge caused her to turn her amber eyes in his direction, and then into the darkness towards the herd of deer that was passing through. It was certainly a strange sight since all of prey had been thinning out over the course of the cold season. Her ears perked upwards and she heard the words that Yuka spoke to Titan. Asriel's words were certainly a threat, and Malia could feel herself tense with it. The air became more hostile at this point. Although the girl would do almost anything to bother Asriel, it would be a death wish to hunt so close to their territory. "I'm not hungry," Malia said dismissively, turning her eyes to focus back on the Attaya boy. His surname rang a bell somewhere in her mind, but she couldn't quite recall where she heard it before. "Do you have any siblings?" she asked, a curious note in her voice. "Speech"