Willow Ridge SkyWorld

@Elettra @Angier @Deacon @Greer @Lunas @Senka @Xetor @Adelaide @Rowan @Sorya @Asriel @Morganna @Skoll @Jaromir
Everyone, it’s time to meet the puppies! :D

Darkness was all he knew, and it was comforting. There were voices, some squealing and high-pitched, others softer and a quiet hum, but he did not know who they belonged to. Along with these voices, there was also an array of different scents, both of them mysterious and intriguing. He had yet to learn who the voices and smells belonged to, but food was far more important. He was constantly hungry, his stomach begging to be fed, but even when he felt full, the pang of hunger was still there.

The second born prince of the second litter wriggled around, gradually opening his eyes. They had slowly started to open in the past few days, and he could fully open them now, but as he was only fourteen days old all he could see was blurry, fuzzy shapes that shifted around. It was kind of creepy in a way, and the thought that the blobs were constantly watching his every move always came into his mind every time he saw them, and so he spent most of his time either squinting as to lessen the sight of the blobs, or keeping his eyes closed and head buried in his mothers’ belly. The soft hum of her voice was calming, and he had grown to know that she was there to protect him and the two furry bodies on either side of him, as well as feed them when they hungered for food. But even though he was hungry at that moment, he felt like exploring the dark area that they were in, instead of being bundled up between three, warm furry bodies like his own.

Opening his denim blue eyes once again to the blobs, Castiel hesitantly maneuvered his paws beneath him in a crouching position, before pushing with his hind legs so that his tail and butt was sticking up into the air, wobbling as he fought to gain his balance. Pushing his front legs against the ground, he somehow made it into a standing position without falling over like he had done so on his other attempts. The second born prince Let out a triumphant squeal at his accomplishment, wanting the three other blobs near him know that he could do something they couldn’t. At least, he thought they couldn’t.

382 Words

the princes of willow ridge

Deacon & Greer & Castiel

(This post was last modified: May 21, 2014, 10:43 AM by Castiel.)

From being a guardian to being a guardian at his mother's densite, Asriel's role had changed slightly, and he found himself itching to get back out on a larger range again...But as the pups grew, he felt himself more and more content to stay around the den. For while they had been tiny, quiet, murmuring blobs for some time, they'd begun to grow and change. Their legs became strong enough that they could wriggle like little worms with half-working legs, and they'd begun to see as well, which made things even more interesting. It meant that they could perceive the world better, and would be able to recognize their family, which was of particular importance to Asriel, who wanted to figure prominently in their lives.

Though their birth came in the wake of Guinnes' death, he preferred to imagine that perhaps a bit of Guiness had been left behind in all three of them. A goodness and loyalty that had been infused even more into the Archer line. He was just amusing himself with this comforting thought when he was distracted by a fairly triumphant mewl. He lifted his head and gazed over his shoulder and down at one of the small pups, who'd risen onto his legs. No longer was he simply crawling and flailing with his legs, he'd managed to get them all directly beneath him, and he knew that this was something big. He was proud of himself. The eldest Archer boy smiled, and lowered his muzzle to breathe a wash of warm air over his shoulders, so as to avoid knocking the young prince over.

"You're getting so strong, Castiel," He said warmly, and thumped his tail, featherlight, against the ground. There was a new gentleness that Asriel had had to practice- but he found it suited him very well. He smiled down at the pup, and gestured. "Take a step, big man," He said, hoping the boy would venture to take his first step as a growing pup, rather than a crawling babe. He was there, hovering close by, to help if needed.

WILLOW Ridge

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

The squeal awoke her, a puppy howl which had her head lifting and her ears perking high upon her head. His victory was made loud and clear and the mother, huddled against the dirt wall of the Infirmary which her and her children rest, smiled upon her agouti colored son. And there was Asriel, too, ever watchful, as he assured his younger brother on with seemingly much interest. Elettra would be left to wonder if @Morganna or @Skoll would have this much interest in their younger siblings, where Morganna held no little sister to teach and Skoll did not seem to care for squirming, pissing and shitting young who as of yet, held no task or use to the pack in general. "Do you remember when you were once so helpless?" She speaks to her eldest, eyes turning over the brightly ginger-saddled male before shifting, moving up into a sitting position within the den. She nudged her other two boys then, edging both Deacon and Greer along. "Look, look boys what Castiel has done." She urges them to use their new eyes, to try and focus on the task Castiel had fulfilled in standing. Of course, with such a thick build and stocky limps, Castiel might have a more easier time with standing then the more leggy Greer. Still, she hoped her words would give her little boys enough intensive to try as well to walk and, for the first time since they had been born into the open world, leave the safety of the Infirmary and out of the pack den into the open air once more. It was time for the three Archer-Lyall children to meet the whole of the pack, officially, at least.

Noises. He had heard them for days. Yet during those days he couldn't see what the sounds were coming from. Although he didn't care much to find out, as his only worries were food, sleep, and warmth, it still sparked a curiousness in the young boy.

It seemed today would be the day when he would be able to try and find the sources of the noises and strange scents. The boy had been lounging in the den close to his mother and siblings. Enjoying the naps and food yet it seemed one of his brothers had a different idea. His brother was on the move. Where to was a mystery and Deacon wanted to follow. Letting his slightly opened eyes open all the way. The only thing he could see was blurry blobs and shapes. Everything held akward forms. For his mother looked like a giant blob. Was everything like this? Was he a giant blob?

Hearing a loud squeel almost shocked him. His head struck back a bit. Then something nudged him. Looking around at the blobs he moved himself. As if playing it safe he squirmed across the ground. Coming upon a new blur he looked up at it (it being Asriel) with denim blue eyes. Just laying there he looked at the form, curious as to if it also made noise. Making his own little yip he turned his head around. This was most certainly a different place compared to his mother's warm side.

the princes of willow ridge

Deacon & Greer & Castiel

have you checked out my player preferences?

@WillowRidge Wolves: Sorry for butting in a little!

Lunas sniffed deeply through the flora. Ever since he had returned to the Willow Ridge pack to learn that Queen Elettra's pups had been born, he had immersed himself in his duty. He hadn't actually seen the puppies yet, but he could hear and smell them quite clearly. Word had spread to him of the guard Guiness who had nobly sacrificed himself to save Elettra and her just born pups from a cougar. Because he hadn't known the brave man, he could not grieve as deeply as the rest of the pack, but he still often murmured a quiet thanks to the wolf as though his spirit lingered to watch over the growing pups. Speaking of the pups, a squel interrupted his thoughts, suggesting that one of them was hungry. Lunas had never interacted with pups before as he had no younger siblings, but when the time came for him to meet the newborn princes, he would do his best to be kind and welcoming. This pack had been so welcoming to him, so he felt that he owed them every ounce of his kindness and labor. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of trees and rippled in dazzling beams across the ground. Birdsong and the hum of bees was sweet melody to his ears as he scourged the area near the den for a prize he didn't know. Satisfied with the search he had done, the copper male loped easily and swiftly back to the den, his light weight and small stature lending him swiftness and agility some of the other members of the Willow Ridge pack members lacked, as they were a typically bigger and stockier type. He slowed and walked into the area just outside the den, then laid down in a patch of sunlight to relax. Perhaps the puppies would soon emerge to meet their pack mates.

Since he had been brought into the world the shadow pup’s life had been nothing but darkness, noise, and smells. He had grown accustom to the dark world, accepting it and all the strange sounds that accompanied it. Of course the small ball of fluff was curious to know what, or who, these noises belonged to and why they were being made, but for now he was satisfied with the darkness that engulfed him.

On this particular day, however, his satisfaction wavered as he felt his brothers shift beside him. A few whimpers bubbled from his chest as he shuffled in closer to his mother; he was too busy enjoying the warmth that radiated from her body than to pay attention to what his littermates were doing. As the commotion continued Greer turned his attention to his brothers; what was going on? Curious he sniffed in the direction of his siblings, a small frown creasing his stubby maw. Without a second thought, his eyes blinked open, desperate to learn more about the dark world he had come to know so well. A small yelp slipped past his lips as he shut his baby blues in a swift attempt to shut out the sudden brightness that had entered his life.

His chest heaved as he struggled to grasp what he had seen – he wasn’t sure if he even liked this new world. After a brief pause Greer slowly reopened his eyes, his brows narrowed as he glanced around nervously. There was so much to see! His lips were drawn tight as he soaked in the blurry shapes that had entered his life, his soft gaze struggling to grasp what these things were. Just as his eyes were beginning to focus a familiar sound reached his ears, accompanied by a soft nudge. His soft blue eyes landed on a small, tawny body swaying on short, stubby legs. He wanted to do that, whatever it was his brother was doing. His fawn-like legs buckled beneath his body once he had managed to push himself into a half-stand, his pudgy frame falling against the ground as his first attempt resulted in failure.

Tor is silently and calmly challenging Lunas position

Xetor had been making sure that his own little medicine den was stocked well with all the herbs he knew about. One herb in particular had evaded the young male however called wild ginger, which grew in low lying wet areas, but not too wet that the area is a marsh. The Rust and black Archer had not found this herb in Lore on this side of the mountains yet, and that deeply troubled him. Tor was always annoyed with the herbs in his den if one or two were low or missing.

The den he had kept all his herbs in was a bit farther away from the main den which the young Archer had realized was where Elettra had birthed her pups.After accidentally placing his last batch of herbs next to El's den Tor had decided to move everything to a new one so as not to disturb the queen. He used the little sleeping place he had found after being accepted into this pack to store the herbs he now had.

However today was different. He was looking for the real medicine den and could not find any within the packs territory. The young man had ranged all the way down to Kiche's old den where stale herb scents still lay upon the floor and walls, but Tor thought that den was too far away. There's a reason this den was abandoned I think... He then had traveled back to the heart of the territory and found himself near the main den.

If there is no medicine den a apart from mine own, then maybe... It's in the main den? But Elettra's in there and I would rather not intrude... He thought wisely knowing that females could be annoying when they wanted to be. Especially nursing mothers.

As he neared the main den on a wandering route, Tor scented a few things. Firstly the scent of Asriel and Elettra, secondly the smell of another male that was unknown to Xetor, and thirdly the pups milky scents. The smell of the unknown male set his fur on end. The dark male knew that Angier(though he did not know by name) was the alpha and any other male who was not an Archer shouldn't even be near the den.

Stalking forward forgetting his own wise advise to stay away, Xetor bee-lined for the main den. He came from the back side of the boulder and wound his way around it till he spotted two distinct shapes. The back end of Asriel standing at the dens mouth, and another shape that lay comfortably in the sunlight. Why was this male laying down so calmly?

"Hello prince Asriel..." Tor padded over calmly as if he was supposed to be there and uttered a greeting growl to his cousin before giving the stranger a pointedly hard stare upon his loftily high position. The stare meant "Don't try anything with me" and was, a dominant gesture. He wondered what the male would do if he even noticed his presence in the first place.

-In enters a cranky Sorya-

It had been nearly two weeks since her sister had given birth and the anticipation to meet her new nephews was high. It was almost as bad as when Sorya sought to meet Elettra herself. When she arrived to see the pack was gathering she sat towards the back of the crowd. She did not feel comfortable moving towards the front of the group, not yet at least. Eventually she would decide when she would fight her way up the ranks to be one of the more dominant wolves but she could not decide when that time would be. Nevertheless she sat there, not very interested in trying to view over the wolves that were already there. She would get her time to meet the new princes of the Ridge.

She had come along after their birth but she had heard stories, whispers in the pack den about how one of their guardians, one of their most loyal wolves, had died to protect Elettra herself and the cubs. His name had been Genius or something like that. She understood it all now. Willow Ridge was like Torbine but completely different in a good way. Elettra had the respect of all her subjects as Sorya would come to expect from a monarch, especially given how long Willow Ridge had been around. Her fur ruffled slightly in the wind as her warm grey eyes stared at the birthing den. She was nervous, very nervous. She eyed her nephew Tor and had a small, disapproving look on her muzzle. Was he really challenging now? No matter how calm he was he needed to learn timing.

Lunas looked up, startled into a tense standing position, as a newcomer entered the area. The other male acknowledged Prince Asriel, whom Lunas had not previously noticed standing near the main den. With a nod of respect to the Archer yearling, he moved swiftly away from the den. He'd done it again! Ever since he arrived, Lunas had been struggling with the unfamiliar rules of the Willow Ridge pack. That he'd been caught by another male in this mistake was a strong blow to the copper man's fragile confidence. Turning to the other wolf, Lunas returned the stare but with a calm confidence he had only recently learned to paste upon his face. Lunas stated with the easygoing, deadly calm, slightly playful, distinct warning in his odd silver eyes that he wouldn't mess with the healer wolf (Lunas knew he must be involved with healing from the scent of herbs which made an aromatic cloak around him.) as long as the healer didn't mess with him in return. After several long, uncomfortable moments, the copper male cleared his throat and spoke in his trademark clear and musical voice. "Hello. Can I be of assistance?" The tone in his voice brought to light that he did not feel threatened whatsoever by the stranger's dominant pose and stare. Seeming to pick up on the mood, Lunas judged that something was bothering and unsettling the wolf in his company. Wishing he could place a name to the other's face, Lunas tried to remember if he'd met this wolf before. And although they were pack mates, the copper man could detect no memory of meeting the healer.

@Xetor: If you want to have a memory of them meeting and Lunas simply can't remember it that's totally cool.

The Ridge Prince had only been standing on all four paws for just a few seconds before a warm voice sounded out, startling the pup. He fell back on his hind legs with a squeak, an expression that looked similar to a frown on his face as he looked around. The only thing that was not the usual was a leviathan figure blocking out some of the light that came through the mouth of the den. But he had no chance to react before the comforting hum of his mother’s voice soothed him. It wasn’t the words, no, they didn’t sound like anything to him, but it was the tone and warmth of her voice. Although, there was one set of sounds that his mother made when she looked after him, and opening his tiny jaws, the Ridge Prince attempted to re-make the strange sounds.

“Chaasss…” he softly howled out, unable to say the syllables that made up his name. Before he could attempt speech again, a yip sounded out to his side, and turning his head, Castiel could see a dark coloured blob on the ground, which was his older brother, but his young mind could not comprehend anything other than the bare basics. His interest peaked anyway, and without a second thought, the Ridge Prince stumbled back to his paws with an air of certainty, but then he paused. What was he supposed to do now? Hesitantly, he lifted his right front paw, and with a large wobble took his first step, but he was not finished.

Taking another slow, careful step, Castiel swayed and stumbled over to the dark blob on the floor - which was also quite close to the other large dark blob in the mouth of the den. When he was almost close enough to touch the blob, the Ridge Prince stopped, and with a happy pup grin on his face howled out an invitation to play. “Awrrooooo!”

324 Words

the princes of willow ridge

Deacon & Greer & Castiel