Drooping Willows in life, the monsters win

For Prince @Yuka.

Random Event (Winter Solstice): The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother's milk. Darkness will make you strong... The trees and forests of Relic Lore provide decent protection from the winds but still allow the snows to filter through and chill it to its roots. When the sun sets and the frost makes the trees creak, what unimaginable dangers have come under the cloak of night?

fear is for the winter

Sköll Archer

my little lord

December 20th; After sunset; Light snow, light fog; -6° F/-21° C

On the seventh evening in a row when the sky had barely lightened and darkness was quick to cloak the Lore once more, Sköll Archer was strolling about in the gloom, humming a tune that could have been defined as uncannily bone-chilling. The second-born prince had grown used to the company of night over the past week, oblivious to the fact that the Winter solstice had come upon them. When Asriel and Morganna laid asleep beside their mother, he tiptoed past Angier and Guiness at the mouth of the den and wandered off for the seventh time into the night to be alone. Since the siblings' brotherly spat, Sköll had enough wit to stay clear of his litter mate. Any time they caught glimpses of one another, it made the younger Archer bristle and seethe as he walked away. Because of this, it had only come to the silver-eyed youth's realization that, perhaps one day, Willow Ridge would not be large enough for the both of them, let alone Morganna too. So in the eerie reaches of the western part of his mother's territory he prowled, wanting to memorize every inch of his homeland and selfishly believe that it would all be his in the distant future.

For a moment his song ceased and the wary crow in the trees above him took flight. It had initially stopped the young royal in his tracks but as soon as the silence closed in around him again, he began to pick up where he left off, the song continuing. It wasn't often that Sköll sang or hummed, but it had been something he had discovered on his own when he had once attempted to mimic a songbird that had perched just outside the Infirmary.

Deeper and deeper he went until something in the distance stirred and the prince held still. His lips parted enough to release the breath he had momentarily held captive. A smirk crept up along his ivory-touched muzzle and he crawled between two bare hedges, their numerous twigs digging deep into his full winter pelt. As if to try and coax the eavesdropper closer to where he hid, he let his song snake through the darkness in a muffled and slightly off-tune melody:

"When I was just a little boy, I asked my mother what will I be?"

He had to bite back the childish glee that was bubbling up in his throat as impish giggles, continuing in his sing-song voice only when he felt like he would succeed in drawing his prey even nearer than before, "Will I be handsome? Will I be strong? Here's what she said to me..."

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(This post was last modified: Dec 22, 2013, 03:33 AM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

Ever since his mother had returned from her journey, things had been highly rocky with his siblings. When he, being the level-headed prince he was, confronted her about leaving for so long and extending her absence, both Malia and Titan had shunned him, calling him ignorant for even daring question their mother. Fools they were. The encounter had reminded Yuka as to why he had avoided company with his kin in the first place. Their higher level of thinking was below his standard level of thinking and it caused him to grow frustrated easily, though he would never actually show it. He was quite happy with the way he was developing anyway. He had a majority of the pack’s respect because he had never once gotten lost and didn’t need help being found either. The prince knew his way around well enough and never found himself asking for the help of others, which was why once again, he snuck out for better company. The young boy’s head rose to the sky, his amber eyes with teal flecks near the pupil, taking in the odd way the sky was working. There were no stars out dancing around and flaunting their brightness in his face from the far distance and oddly enough, he missed it. Nature was always something that Yuka had been attracted to. He understood the way it worked naturally and had the belief that everything had to be done a certain set of ways. It made him sick to his stomach when he would realize that many other wolves within the pack had some awful ways of taking care of things. Shaking off the horrid thoughts, he trudged through the dark forest, heading instinctually in the direction of Willow Ridge, his eyes scanning the area for anything that seemed out of place, and it was then that he heard it. There was a distinct singing like voice that made the Thorben stop in his tracks and cock his head towards the noise. It was familiar, but he knew not of anyone having a particularly pitchy voice. Curious as to who could be making such a noise at this time, Yuka slowly made his way towards the voice. He had not been expecting to see Sköll in front of him but found that he did not mind the boy’s company. He was his age and level-headed enough to where Yuka knew he could get along with him. Clearing his throat, he spoke clearly to the darker boy, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”Prince Sköll, what has you up at this hour?” The prince of Whisper Caverns dipped his head respectfully, keeping in mind that he was much closer to the other boy’s pack than he was his own, and with good reason. All Yuka had wanted was to get away from his family for a little while and luckily he had gotten what he had asked for: good company. Hopefully the Archer child would prove to be a better companion to him than his other siblings had been, because the Thorben was positive that if he was around his siblings any longer, he would drive himself to insanity.

Thank you TABs

fear is for the winter

Sköll Archer

my little lord

Though Sköll had entirely expected to be approached by some sort of entity, the night-pelted boy had not anticipated being approached from the front of his little hideout between the brambles. Two silvery eyes narrowed and he stepped out of hiding after he came to realize Yuka had recognized him. "Nothing," he retorted, shaking out his long winter coat and eyeing the other Prince in partial disgust. If it hadn't been for Angier's near-constant corrections (both verbal and nonverbal cues from a distance) and discipline practices (just recently Sköll had actually let his cheek get the best of him, making the Lyall outright force him into a more submissive position on the ground) in passing, the boy wouldn't have felt a lick of diplomacy, interest, or tactfulness towards the other youth. "What are you doing all the way out here Prince Yuka?"

The words came out in round puffs of vapor, lifting from the cracks in his muzzle. He scoffed as he stared through the darkness at the Thorben boy. It had been a few months since the duo had last encountered one another and it mildly amused Sköll just how large and mature both of them had become. He had to keep a sneer from wrinkling up his face as he briefly glanced to and fro, barely able to see through the willows on this starless and moonless night, "Aren't you going to get in trouble? Being out here all on your own in the dark?"

His words were meant to sting and bite, but somehow, a part of the young Archer was sure he didn't inject enough venom in his words to offend or irk the other heir. Sköll, these days, cared very little about what his brother and sister often did when he spent time away from them, but he was somewhat certain that they did not spend their time wandering over to Yuka's pack lands to play and socialize. So why was it that it just so happened that Yuka came all this way.... again?

"Y'know," he started again, his full plume of a tail lifting confidently, "if you keep visiting and I have a feeling that you pro'lly know my brother, too...." He briefly made a face that made his ears perk up and the side of his muzzle bunch up near his nose at the thought of Asriel. "Then why aren't we jus' apart of the same pack? Saves you from wandering all the way over here all the time..."

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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

Look Out!

Water is beginning to freeze and some fish are trapped. Hunt Opportunity

Skoll's words came quick to Yuka's ears, his eyes taking in the particularly dirty look the other prince briefly gave him, but did not think much of it. He was use to receiving looks of disgust from his siblings when he did something they were not very fond or jealous of. The young boy did not understand why his siblings took such a harsh approach on him when he was there very blood, but the russet-headed boy he had someone back in Whisper Caverns and he would be damned if he were to ever leave her behind for his own selfish desires...like getting away from his siblings. He did have family within Willow Ridge and did wish to meet his Uncle Guiness, of who his mother had father spoke to fondly of. He responded honestly to Skoll, "I wished to get away from my siblings for a bit...and to come see my Uncle Guiness." The boy in front of him didn't hesitate to ask another question, and the young Thorben felt as if he was being interrogated instead of having a simple conversation with the other boy. The thought made Yuka's somewhat lighter mood dark again.

Shaking his head, he responded to the boy's second question before he decided to ask anymore, "No, my pack mates don't worry about me much, I haven't gotten lost or injured compared to my other siblings...and they trust me enough, I suppose." Even when he got caught the first time he had wandered outside of the borders Minka had been close by and questioned him. Whereas his siblings had lied horribly, Yuka gave the woman the truth and in it brought the trust that had had so readily been looking for. His mother didn't even trust him to be able to play with Titan and Malia in the beginning because he was too small. Looking at himself now, he wandered who would win in a brief scuffle between his brother and him, but he had no such desires to take down his older brother, there was no need. Once another question was fired off of Skoll's lips, Yuka got slightly aggravated...hopefully the questioning that was pursuing him would stop, and soon. Sighing, he parted his jaws to respond...again, "As much as I like it over here, I have someone back in Whisper Caverns that I have to protect." That was not a lie, though Inali certainly didn't need his protection, she would in the future...and his sister...his older sister definitely needed his protection right now, considering the foolish choices she had made in the past weeks. It was his turn to ask a question now. Parting his jaws, he let the words slip gracefully from his lips, "Do get along with your sibling?" Yuka had no idea that Prince Skoll had a sister and only had knowledge of his brother, and silently Yuka selfishly hoped that Skoll was going through something similar to what he was going through.

Thank you TABs

fear is for the winter

Sköll Archer

my little lord

The Archer prince further scowled as Yuka explained that he was here to get away from his siblings and to visit his Uncle Guiness. As far as Sköll was concerned, Guiness was his uncle, not Yuka's. If Guiness was his uncle, then Guiness would have been a Guardian within Whisper Caverns, right? For the time being, that seemed like the only logical, feasible explanation. Yuka continued to tell him that his pack didn't worry about him much; and, while the darker prince could roughly say the same, he probably could have cared less. He feigned interest and listened anyway.

"Do get along with your sibling?" the Thorben then asked. Sköll did everything in his power to keep his frown from becoming more apparent than it already was. He played off the facial expression as one of disbelief. Sibling, he had said... as in... one. One brother, he decided, opting to keep Morganna out of the picture for the sake of protecting her from Yuka as a potential suitor. "Of course I do," he partially lied. "Why wouldn't I get along with my brother? That'd be ridiculous if I didn't..."

The swarthy boy shrugged, sitting so that his lower back was nestled between the hedge that had been his hiding place. He rolled his eyes as if he were stating the obvious, "If I didn't get along with Asriel then who would help me lead a pack when I'm older?" A rather derisive snort came through his nostrils as he eyed Yuka, suddenly interested in all the reasons that had brought Yuka to ask such a thing.

"Why?" he pried, lifting a paw to glance down casually at it for a second as if it would provide some sort of natural buffer for the harshness in his choice of words, "Is Titan bullying you?"

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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

The man let his ears prick toward in curiosity of Sköll's answer, hoping that it would be one that he had been hoping for. He was met with no such thing and was slightly surprised that the Archer boy did not have a problem with his brother. What shocked him the most though were the young boy's next words that spoke of the two brothers leading together. Yuka wasn't sure how they did things in Willow Ridge, but it was certainly different within Whisper Caverns. Minka and Ash were ruling together, and while not partners in the most intimate of senses, they still lead next to one another, and the Thorben knew quite well that both of them were of opposite organs. He choose not to mention anything to the dark male in front of him, figuring it would be best if he kept his tongue to himself. The way his uncle lived may have been very different from the way he lived.

It was when the other boy pried to know his reasoning behind answering such a question that he grew slightly uncomfortable. How to respond to that. However, his added tidbit caused a small snort to escape him, his amusement obvious with the boy's question. Titan may have bullied him when they had first been born, but Yuka had grown stronger and though he had not compared himself to his brother in quite sometime, he was quite sure that he could take his brother down if harm was directed at him. Shaking his head at the Archer male in front of him, he spoke, ”No. He couldn't if he tried. It is more of his way of reasoning. He lacks in...uhmm...common sense.” As much as he cared for his siblings he was not against telling the truth about them. He sat comfortably, his amber-teal eyes focused on the dark boy in front of him.

fear is for the winter

Sköll Archer

my little lord

”No," Yuka answered, "He couldn't if he tried. It is more of his way of reasoning. He lacks in...uhmm...common sense.” Sköll couldn't help but to openly smirk now. It seemed that they might have something in common then. The Archer brought his gaze back to the paler boy, rather unsure of where to take their conversation next when he remembered something else. Something... that he had been meaning to find but had been distracted by the opportunity to spook someone.

"You haven't seen anything--" he paused a moment to think of the word he wanted to use, "cool" and "creepy" just weren't going to cut it. He wanted something a little better than say, a discarded antler or a stinky old rabbit pelt, "--interesting, have you?" His wide gray eyes searched Yuka's face for any trace of excitement, anything that would give way to the declaration of something worth his time nearby. He stood up now, his lanky frame inching forward just enough to wordlessly relay that he was intent on going somewhere now that the topic of conversation had gone toward something more thrilling that thick and slow-witted brothers. "I'm looking for, say, hmm..." His ivory-furred lips came together and his head tilted to the left in thought. It had been a long while since he had tried to play a prank or downright spook anyone for his own amusement. One of his large pointy ears came up with the acquisition of an idea, "Maybe something like a few black feathers or something?"

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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

It was probably one of the bad qualities about him: his bluntness. It never let his mind wander too much and he was very attentive to any words or actions that Sköll made towards him or in another direction. As he spoke, the young Thorben's eyebrow rose in interest, wondering what the Archer prince could have been up to. If he wanted to play foolish games with Yuka, then the Thorben prince would have none of it. He watched the boy closely, standing up when the darker boy began to move away from him. Without missing a beat Yuka walked with him, his golden teal flecked eyes trained on the dark form of the boy. When the russet-faced boy was finally granted with a description of what he was looking for, Yuka stared at the boy for several silent moments, trying to gauge to see if he was joking or not. In the end, Yuka decided that it was better of him not to ridicule his ally's intelligence, and instead answered quickly, "Of course...a bird, more specifically...a crow, I believe you are describing...and yes, I see them quite often, up in the trees. Especially during the spring and summer, why?" The Thorben boy had a deep passion for the nature around him and believed that everything should be respected, even such creatures that were not of his species. Certainly, he understood how the world worked, and that he needed the meat of other animals to survive, but he wouldn't just kill to kill, or play with his food. It was important in his morals to respect the other living beings around him, even if it was the exact opposite of what most of his family was like.

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