All the Pretty Faces

(@Angier and @Elettra though other WR members welcomed!)

She shuffled along. Numbness rushed through her body. Not the kind where she felt like jello and wanted to fall. This numbness was the kind where you didn't really feel. Feel emotions that is. With her luck she was almost bound to feel like this forever. Or perhaps she would be a sliver lucky and she would only be like this for a few years. Though who knew if she would even make it that long to heal her raw emotions. After leaving the lore for some time it slowly seemed like one by one the emotions that she used to have were ripped out. Love, guarding, and caring. While the emotions would always be there for some things or someone they wouldn't be there for anyone to take and use like a wash rag.

Shuffling along the dark female found herself close to a pack. Their borders were simple to find. The scent of what seemed like everyone and anyone in the pack laced the border lines. As the scent mingled in her nose she edged a bit closer. Not close enough to get herself in trouble but close enough to call if she felt the need to. While she was numb to most emotions, she wasn't stupid to linger around a pack without calling to them to let them know her intentions about being so close.

Examining the large trees for a few moments she found beauty. Smiling softly in what seemed like forever she figured she might as well not risk it and howl to the leaders of the stranger pack. Tipping her head back she called out to leaders asking for one or both of them. When she ended her call, her head lowered and she stood waiting for a face to appear in through the trees.

Hidden somewhere behind one of the several umbrella-like willow canopies, Sköll Archer, second-born son to the Queen of Willow Ridge, laid in wait. Like a shadow he held still, his ghost gray eyes peering through the veil at the newcomer who had come to the borders of his kingdom... his playground and homestead. His pointy black ears came back along his neck as he sniffed, failing to pick up the essence of her signature scent and her whereabouts. The howl that came forth from her throat made his fur come up in terrible spikes. Whoever this rogue was, he was about to make a practice target out of her in order to truly test his word-smithing skills in what he considered as the ultimate challenge.

Bringing his night-hued tail over his rump, much like Angier did whenever he approached the young Archer and every other subordinate in the pack, Sköll strode forward with an air and odd sort of grace that suggested he, despite his age and yearling-like scrawniness, was the overseer of the lands here. "Behold the ruler of Willow Ridge, stranger," he announced, every single bit of arrogance he harbored emphasizing his words. "What business brings you to seek out the wolves of the Ridge?" Through a rather unbecoming sneer, he eyed the woman, whose coat was as dark and colorless as his own.

For good measure, he made sure to add with a streak of vanity, "If you are seeking an audience with the Queen, you will have to get through me first."

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Soon enough a younger male was sought out by her golden eyes. Claiming to be the ruler of Willow Ridge. Not questioning why a young male would be a ruler Silver went along with it. "Hello Sir, my business is to seek a home within these lands. I can work for your pack and follow out orders." She made sure to keep her eye down low, looking to the paws of the younger male wolf. He seemed to be one of those know-it-all kind of wolves but she had known better then to cast judgement from just a few words and glances.

Waiting for a moment it seemed the boy had something else to say. "If you are seeking an audience with the Queen, you will have to get through me first." Nodding her head softly she would offer some small words of her own. "I would be honor to see the Queen, that is if you find me worthy." Perhaps she had said it out of hoping to please the male, or perhaps it was said out of humor, but one thing was for sure. Silver had said the words with no true harm intended. While the male could take them any way he wanted she could only hope that he took them in the best way possible.

Allowing the male a bit of time to speak Silver slowly let her mouth open. Intent on saying something else. "Forgive me for forgetting an introduction. I am Silver, former Scout of Pitch Pine Trail a pack over the mountains. Though they are long gone." She thought silently to herself about her last sentence. "Though they are long gone." It was a harsh realization she had come to terms with.

It seemed that his timing had been well-calculated. If he had stopped to mark a tree that had just been marked by Senka and Elettra, paused a few seconds too long while itching at the back of his neck, halted to sniff at the air where the musk of freshly sprung willow leaves was thickest... Angier Lyall might have missed the latest remark in the conversation that was being had at the borders of the pack lands. A quick sniff brought Sköll's scent to his senses and immediately, the Leader was on the scene, especially after the rogue woman had announced who she was: "I am Silver, former Scout of Pitch Pine Trail a pack over the mountains."

Pitch Pine Trail. How could Angier dare to forget? Despite the loner mentioning that the pack no longer existed, Angier charged forward, quick to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his youngest step-son with his teeth bared and his bottlebrush tail high in the air. His own pale golden eyes were narrowed as he scrutinized the dark lady who was, by name and past affiliation, an enemy...

He stepped forward just enough so that he could shield the boy if it came to an exchanging of blows. Regardless of whether or not Sköll cared for Angier, Angier had a duty to Elettra to protect what she held dear, her children - his step-sons and step-daughter - especially, above all else. For the prince's sake more than anything else, the Lyall was glad he had hesitated in scolding the boy in front of this Silver... By all means, he wanted to make sure that she got the message that the wolves of Willow Ridge were not the kind to trifle with.

The tawny bridge of his muzzle wrinkled up and lifted his black-lined lips, showing off his off-white teeth in a fearsome snarl. "Leave," he warned. "Yer not welcome here."

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Sköll continued to eye the rogue with a criticizing glare. Quite frankly, he could have cared less about who she was, what she once was or who she once belonged to or affiliated herself with. He knew about Pitch Pine Trail and the dark Leader (whose name he could not remember but had somehow convinced himself that it was some renegade named "Slade Betrayer" or something to that effect) who had attacked his mother; he had been so very fortunate to glean such valuable information from the conversations Elettra and Angier had in the stillness of evening. The prince knew he that he should have cared, had the gall to chase the rogue away, but he was stopped short when his step-father arrived to intercept and take control of the situation... to correct Sköll's behavior and unashamedly humiliate him in front of a stranger before sending their company away.

What happened was the alternative of what the boy had expected. Instead of being forced to the ground and pressed to admit that he was not the Leader of Willow Ridge, Sköll found himself with Angier at his side, unmistakably upset and undoubtedly riled up by the words that had been exchanged. Reacting in kind and heartened by the Lyall's actions, the boy let a growl of his to add to his superior's statement, enforcing and empowering it. He was right. No wolf, no matter how kind or friendly or submissive, who acknowledged ties with Pitch Pine Trail was welcome here...

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

Unless Elettra is needed, feel free to skip around her.

There was but one week. One week and her second litter of pups would be born. One week and the next generation of Willow Ridge pups and all their glory, would be birthed. One week and she would be doomed to spend much of her days locked away within the pack den. One week and she would be finally freed of this horrid manner of walking which she had adopted. She moved awkwardly, each stride as though she lifted her left limbs and then right in a sort of 'teetering' manner as she moved along the landscape of her home. Certainly with how close she was to her pregnancy, the Lead female was more or less 'off duty'. She stopped roaming the lands around her territory in search for herbs. She stopped squabbling amongst her pack mates and now kept her distance and most importantly, she stopped coming to the call of loners at her border. In fact, had it not been for the scent of her son, of the hostile snarling of her mate as she neared, she would not have come at all to Silver's aid.

The tension in the air was obvious and as the very pregnant woman made her way, she stood on edge, the hairs along her spine raised, her limbs tense. She kept back, though could be seen along the tree lines, along the backside of one of the large willow trees that dotted her home. Angier's display showed obvious disinterest, aggression, though Elettra was not understanding as of why. It could have been simple - that he had no interest in new wolves within the pack lands while his mate was so close to birth. She would have understood, if so. Had she known of her being a former Pitch Pine Trail wolf, surely knowing of Elettra's deed, then Elettra would have commanded an attack instead. For now, as her new pups wriggled around within her, the 'Queen' that they had addressed was content to stand at the sidelines.

(This was a short thread but I don't think Silver would want to be around any longer with a cranky @Angier anyways, feel free to go ahead and get your exits.)

Withing seconds she was being hissed out. Dark angry word penetrated her skin looming into her stone heart. It didn't take a genius to see she was unwanted here. Had she known that this was the pack that had a burning hatred for Shade she would have never came here. Yet she didn't know, she might never fully know. Another factor was that she couldn't clearly remember if she had been given a name of the pack or not. Though she wasn't fully concerned with that. Now was the time to save her hide and make a run for it.

Tucking her tail she nodded to the large male in front of her. "I understand, I'm not welcomed. I'll never come back, I promise." She probably spoke more then she should have but it was what she wanted to say. Backing up as quick as she could with her tail tuck she waited to be a fair distance away from the wolves that seemed angered with her presence. Taking off away from their lands she only looked back to make sure she was safe. Hopefully she would get lucky and escape easily. Though she never knew if how they would react. Perhaps the wolves she just met would take it into extremes and chase her until she was lost, far off away. Yet she wondered if they would really waste energy like that. Whether they would or not all she could do was keep moving.

/Silver's exit (unless someone chases her)

Angier made it seem much too easy, within moments of his arrival and the utterance of his verdict, the woman backed off with an apology and a promise that she would never return. Good. Because if she ever came back, Sköll would make sure that she got the message with a swift bite to one of her limbs or the side of her face if he was quick enough... Hastily, she retreated, and though the boy had no intentions to chase her off - Angier had already made it clear that they were not a force to be reckoned with - he came forward a few steps in a false charge, letting loose a ferocious growl as one last warning to her.

The young wolf continued to stare at the willow trees moments after the rogue had disappeared behind them; and only when he felt she was already well on her way to someplace else, did he turn around to face Angier. To his surprise, Elettra was also there, watching and observing from afar. Sköll's fur smoothed out and his tail came down to a more neutral and somewhat submissive curve as his head lowered. Even his ears came back, but it was really all just for show... Anything to appear humble and "good" for the sake of harvesting his mother's praise, especially when he had Angier in his midst.

Much like an eager cub, he made a dire mistake, as he dismissed the Lyall altogether, attempting to creep to Elettra's side...

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

As the former Pitch Pine Trail wolf retreated, the Willow Ridge Leader simply stared and growled, even long after she had disappeared from sight and Sköll had pretended to go after her. His beige- and ivory-furred tail waved about in the air as he eyed the swarthy boy. It had been a bold thing to do, intercepting a loner like that, but it had been absolutely foolish more than anything else. Compared to his brother Asriel, whose bulk and muscle was in his favor, Sköll might not have had a chance if the encounter had turned sour. Spindly legs and sharp teeth made for quite a successful ambush but out here already in the open, the boy did not have the element of surprise to rely on. For all Angier knew, the woman could have been a seasoned warrior, well-practiced in battle, if assumptions could have been made from the story of Shade Slayer's attack on Elettra.

Even as the youth quietly made his way back over, Angier found that he did care about the kid, his safety and well-being even more than before. But, the Trickster did not stop and immediately, the Leader's fur bristled. He stepped in front of Sköll and snapped his jaws with a click of his teeth. If he was going to be a proper father and step-father, there was an opportune moment to embrace it and prove that he would and could be.

"What do ya think yer doin' out 'ere?!" her barked, rounding on him with wide yellow eyes. When he thought the punk was not going to answer, he moved in attempt to bowl the prince over onto his side and back. A more submissive stance on the ground would assure him that Sköll would at least listen. Especially with his mother just within earshot. He stepped over the boy's lanky body, pinning him between his forepaws. "The next time you find someone at the borders, ya call me. Do ya understand?!"

The vocalized snarls and growls continued to intimidate the boy even further as he waited for Elettra to tell him when enough was enough. "She could have killed you! What good could that 'ave been if yer mother and I found you, here, dead?!"

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