Drooping Willows On A New Horizon

@all nearby wolves

Lunas stood at the border of Drooping Willows. It was time to take the first step into his future. Lunas was certain this pack was not where his ancestors came from. It was impossible. But was he ready? To prepare to forget his old life for good? No, no, he couldn't do this. Lunas backed up swiftly. To howl, or not to howl?
He didn't know. The fresh rabbit he bore as a gift lay at his feet. What to do, what to do, what to do?!?! To distract himself, Lunas took a leaf and shredded it between his paws. Could he do this?
A swift change from within made Lunas sure. Yes, he belonged here. Lunas threw back his head, tipped open his mouth, and howled pure and clear for a leader. Stepping back, Lunas felt satisfied. His decision had been made. Now he had to wait for a leader. So, he flopped contentedly onto his side, and watched the world around him. Sunlight streamed in elegant, straight beams from the sky. A zephyr lifted his copper fur. Thanks to the sun, his fur seemed to be made of tiny, graceful strands of fire. He thumped his tail happily. A rustle made him shoot to his feet. With an ear cocked in each direction and an active nose, he quested about for the scent of whatever had startled him. It was too big to be simply the breeze, but not so small that it couldn't have been say a rabbit, or a squirrel, or some other prey that should never startle a wolf. This reminded him it could be the leader, coming to answer his howls. Lunas retreated into a submissive pose with his body lowered significantly, tail between his legs, and ears flattened against his head.

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To be quite frank, Sköll had little regard for the rules now that his younger brothers had been born. He knew now more than ever what Angier and his mother required of him as a yearling, and as long as the prince kept his head level and nose out of his Leaders' business, he was sure he was allowed to do as he pleased. What he often liked to do, however, usually clashed with his superiors' interests, so when the young Archer had come into yet another opportunity to answer a lone howl on the borders, he smirked and moved forward to meet the stranger...

Head and tail held high, he eventually broke free of the tree line to lay his ghost gray eyes on a copper-furred individual. He kept his distance, something to the effect of twenty feet or so, just far away enough to stay clear of a charge or direct attack should the encounter escalate to such a thing. Information filtered through his senses as he inhaled deeply to assess what and who stood before him.

A male. With no current affiliations... A traveler perhaps.

Sköll sneered at the older fellow, regarding him with a rather patronizing gaze. "'Lo," he offered as a greeting, somewhat unwilling to divulge his identity from the start just to test how well of a conversation-starter the simple sound was. "Can I help you?" The question should have been kindly, welcoming perhaps, but the sentiment on the arrogant royal's tongue was much too hard, too sharp, and too cold.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

Lunas glanced quickly at the wolf but quickly averted his eyes. His senses said that this was a male with a very dominant personality, but certainly too young to be the Leader, so possibly related to the Leader. Well, he had been right in one thing: that it was a wolf. Not that it was relevant though. If Lunas were a different sort of wolf, he would have met the younger wolf with pride and confidence of his own. But he was not. Lunas remained submissive, now positive from the yearling's tone and mannerism that he was indeed of royal blood. "Hello. If it wouldn't trouble you too much, could I please speak to the Leaders of this pack? I am here to seek entry into your pack." Lunas said. His words floated softly but quite clearly through the breeze with an almost musical tone to them. Lunas glanced at the yearling prince again. His gut told him that this wolf was not to be trusted, but his head disagreed. Befriending the prince of the pack? There were worse starts to be made. Or, well, attempted to be made. Lunas sank lower into submission. He had realized the youngster seemed slightly wary of him and wanted to make sure that the royal yearling knew that he would not attack him. All in all, Lunas had to admit he was handsome. But his eyes were colder than ice, and ghostly grey. Handsome, but not to be trusted. Another breeze stirred Lunas's copper fur, which was still long and fluffy from winter, as he waited patiently for an answer. Everything Lunas had worked for in the past few weeks came down to these next few seconds.

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"Hello," the rogue's own greeting seemed pleasant enough, and Sköll continued to listen, partially sickened by the man's manners, "If it wouldn't trouble you too much, could I please speak to the Leaders of this pack? I am here to seek entry into your pack." If Skana had actually been able to tame the youth, he might have had the same sort of handle on such etiquette. The boy's tail lilted momentarily to one side in half a wag. If anything in the prince's training and education had gone right, it was the Advisor's well-regarded lessons. The woman, aside from Elettra Archer, his mother, had been the only one to get a grip on the lad.

"It's... no trouble at all," Sköll lent, though the tone in his voice was neither welcoming nor off-putting. He took a few steps forward so he wouldn't have to bark or shout louder than was necessary. "But," his lips drew into a crisp black line in-between the white of his muzzle and chin, "the Queen is busy at the moment. If you want to speak with her mate and consort, my superior, you'll have to go through me first." It all sounded eloquent and flattering in his head but the more he stared at the smaller man, whose stance and posture was clearly submissive, the more he realized that he was pushing it. In a pack full of moderately sized and burly wolves, perhaps his mother had use for one as dainty and possibly light-footed as this fellow before him.

"What can you do for me?" he queried, the singular question posing as the basis upon which Sköll would judge the man. "Are you... fast? Can you scout? Could you... teach me how?"

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

The yearling's answer turned Lunas's blood to moving ice. But, after closer inspection, Lunas saw him ease off a little, and inside, he greatly appreciated such a thing. This prince had begun to scare him. Sensing that it was no longer as necessary, Lunas stood the tiniest bit taller, a nearly imperceptible amount. In response to the series of questions he had been asked, Lunas replied, "Oh, I had forgotten it was spring. The Queen must be heavy with pups now. My congratulations to her and condolences to you. Siblings are unfortunately such pains." He paused quite briefly for a breath before continuing. "I am quite fast, at least for my size, although I must admit that even at your age you are probably a great bit stronger than me. I scout well, and would be honored to teach you, if that were what you wanted. For you alone, I could do a great many things. For the pack, I would be more than pleased to serve however I could." Lunas paused again. He was both tired from his long journey and unaccustomed to speaking so much. It made him rather out of breath, although he was happy for it. He could not explain why, but it felt amazing to simply interact with another wolf after the number of days spent alone and apart. This was made even more strange by the fact that he was not at all a social type of wolf. "If I am correct in assuming that your pack possibly needs a light, quick wolf to serve as a scout, then I would be pleased to fill such a role. I have been unable to explore much of this strange and beautiful land, and would enjoy carrying messages and performing other such tasks." Lunas glanced quickly at the other wolf, realizing that neither knew the other's identity. "Oh, I'm sorry! I did not introduce myself yet. I am Lunas. I come from outside of these lands."

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For a moment, the prince's head canted to the left upon hearing the man's realization that he had forgotten that it was spring. The view of deeming the man as the "peculiar sort" would have gone to his memory if it weren't for the sudden declaration about his mother being heavy with cubs. The boy's nose scrunched up at the idea, but soon smoothed out as the rogue extended his congratulations and condolences. "PFFF. They are a pain," he agreed with a lick of a chuckle, a more genial smile replacing his smirk at last. Maybe, just maybe, he could actually like the guy...

The stranger graciously let the boy know that he was indeed fast, something which definitely piqued Sköll's interests, even more so when he bestowed upon him a compliment. Sköll's plume of a tail wagged, it even lowered enough to be socially acceptable as an equal or kindred spirit. His hopes began sprout wings and soar at the idea that the man could teach him some things about being a Scout. Now, he had a definitive reason to vouch for the rogue, whose name was given in an apologetic introduction.

Lunas...

"I'm Sköll Archer," the youth replied in kind. "Prince of Willow Ridge." He turned his head to scan through the line of willow trees at his back, "Angier, the Leader 'round here should probably be here soon." He grew visibly tense, unsure if he ought to stay; but, if he left... what if Lunas was sent away? Then there would be no one to teach him what he was so eager to learn now that he had a proper mentor. He sniffed; he had to stay.

Sköll's tongue darted out to lick at the side of his mouth and nose, his tall triangular ears straining for the sound of his step-father's approach. What had just been exchanged between them, as far as the youth was concerned now, had become an unspoken promise and alliance. He brought his gaze back to Lunas. "If you really want in, I think you've got a chance..." he quietly stated. "When he comes, just tell him exactly what you told me..."

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

Lunas had begun to think of this youngster as a friend. His name was beautiful: strong and mysterious, perfectly representing its owner. Lunas's nose and mind sorted through the air, trying to understand how Sköll felt. He couldn't be sure until he saw the royal boy stiffen upon mentioning the Leader. Perhaps Sköll thought Lunas would be sent away, or maybe he didn't get along well with his father. He determined it would be better not to dig for details. Lunas felt that the trust between them was newfound and more fragile than thin ice, but solidified by the yearling's attitude, which suggested that he had taken a liking to Lunas. He had noticed this after sharing about his abilities. If he were correct, the Prince wanted to learn about scouting, or become one. Well, it will do quite nicely to have a younger friend. Especially one with such a rank. But, no, I mustn't be greedy of his power, or jealous of it. But it was Sköll's final words that surprised Lunas the most, and immediately made him trusting and maybe a little protective of the young prince. Things had not started smoothly between them, but here they were, minutes later, talking like old friends. Lunas also sensed the unspoken alliance with the yearling. He met Sköll's eyes with a look of deep friendship, rather than the cold dominance that usually accompanied such a move. "I'm glad you think so. This made me very nervous, and I'll admit I was a little afraid of you to start, but now I feel very much at ease. Thank you. I hope @Angier gets here soon too. I'll get restless quickly." Lunas replied with a small wag of his tail. He inhaled deeply. "Speaking of, if you are hungry, I smell a squirrel maybe 20 bounds to our right. Do they let you hunt when you're this age?" Lunas finished with an air of joy and excitement at the prospect of having found even something so small to share with the prince.

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Once and again, the lone howl of a stranger on the borders ensnared Angier Lyall's attention as he stood guard outside the entrance of the pack den, Elettra's chosen space to nurture their three growing sons. With a hope that perhaps @Asriel or @Morganna might come by to keep watch over the entrance of their mother's chamber, he let out a low woof to tell his beloved that he was going to take care of business, knowing full well that, after not seeing Sköll for a majority of the morning, that the boy was more than likely entertaining the new arrival. The Leader grumbled to himself as he picked up his feet, sprinting through the willows in hopes that he would catch the prince in time.

Three times over, he thought to stop if only to try and spot a hint of copper fur through the trees, but soon continued on his way. By the time Sköll had had his own little interrogation, the Lyall was nearly there, bowing his head as he continually stepped in and out of the umbrella-like canopies of the trees that made up Elettra's realm. Then, there they were just standing there, but something was different... off, even. He took a moment to gauge the situation, comparing Sköll's stance to the rogue's. He snorted before advancing forward, tail in the air and his fur bristled from his head to his hackles and down his spine where it rose up intimidating spikes. Squirrels and hunting for a snack or two might have been interesting, but it shouldn't have been interesting enough as to put their conversation on hold.

Before even regarding the foreigner and hoping the prince wouldn't agree to such a thing just yet, Angier looked the young Archer over, sniffing twice to analyze the scents that enshrouded the two of them. No fear, no confusion, no uncertainty... not even the presence of adrenaline. His pale yellow eyes swept over the russet-pelted man as he came up to stand beside his step-son. "He can hunt," he confirmed, suspiciously eyeing the boy's companion. "He caught a mouse before he 'ad even seen 'is second full moon." Whether or not that sounded impressive had yet to be seen, but either way, the Leader hoped that he had picked up on the idea that Sköll was not to be trifled with.

"You called..." the drawl and tone in his voice made it obvious that he had been disturbed when the howl had been issued. His gaze briefly flickered to the prince before coming back to the stranger, "You mus' be somethin' really special. Sköll, here, isn't usually one fer strangers. Who are ya an' whatcha want?"

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Lunas figured out very quickly by the confidence and posture of the wolf who now stood beside Sköll that this was Angier, the Leader. He dropped into a submissive pose as fast as he could manage. "I apologize for bringing you out here. I imagine you must be watching over your mate, it being springtime and all. My name is Lunas, Lunas Axxya. I have traveled here from outside of Relic Lore, so I apologize for my slight lack of understanding on how your pack functions. " Lunas grazed the Leader's eyes as quickly as possible. The message Angier had portrayed through his words and tone had been delivered. Although Sköll had seemed slightly ill-at-ease with this Leader, Lunas could see that despite this, this royal man was protective and proud of the Prince. "I seek entry into your pack. I am not big or strong, but I have great stamina and am fast for my size. Assuming the rest of your pack is as big and strong as you are, I suspect you may have need for a small, light-footed Scout or such, a role which I would be more than happy to fulfill, as I have not yet seen much of this strange and beautiful land, and would enjoy a chance to explore it with duty or message." Lunas continued. He wriggled even lower into submission. It had gone well with Sköll, but how could he hope for as good of results with such a cool and powerful leader as Agnier? "I also bring a gift of this rabbit, freshly caught. Even if I am of no use to you, I would at least like for you to have this, to help the Queen." Lunas added quickly, motioning lightly toward the kill, which was laid neatly more or less right between Lunas and the King.

Sköll's fur rose up on end at the back of his neck and shoulders as he heard Angier approach. His ears came down as he waited for the almost conventional scolding that often came whenever he had the chance to meet another at the borders before Angier or Elettra could have the chance to appear, but the angered, frustrated words did not come. Instead the Leader answered Lunas' question for him and as the tawny man came to stand at his side, the prince's ears resumed their usual position at the top of his crown, listening as the Lyall spoke proudly of him, fashioning him into a creature who enjoyed the concept of tracking and hunting, which was very rarely the case, at least in regards to hunting.

He had initially thought of hunting with Lunas but the opportunity was brushed away as his superior opened his mouth. Glancing to Lunas he quietly and urgently nodded his head, encouraging his newfound ally (and possibly mentor) to do as he had suggested to win Angier's favor. The prince cast a side glance at Angier before turning his gaze elsewhere, just waiting and listening. He did not dare to move lest Angier's suspicions became well-founded in the fact that there could have possibly been a reason why the prince heartily enjoyed patrolling the borders...

After Lunas relayed what he had said earlier, emphasizing his assets and what he could be for the wolves of Willow Ridge, Sköll let out a soft but eager whine, turning to Angier to look at him with rather hopeful eyes. The patriarch would not dare to deny him the presence of this one creature, if the boy had seen something favorable in Lunas, surely the Leader would too... With the additional gift of the rabbit, which Sköll had failed to notice, Angier, he hoped, would have no other choice but to allow him entrance.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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