Drooping Willows the right turn

The magnificent sight of the willows lifted Bayliss's heart almost as high as their peaks. This was what she'd been told of, finally she was meeting the end of her journey. She was a checklist girl, someone who loved to complete things. If they accepted her, she would of course draw up a new plan of action, have goals to pursue to seek out this thrill that she felt now. All she needed to do was approach the alphas and impress them to the point of allowing her entry and she would be successful in her quest; it would be finished.

She brought with her a pheasant that she had taken care to track down and snag while crossing the meadow, having come from the West near Whisper Caverns, and pinned between its now-limp body and her teeth was a sprig of Arnica; two gifts for the superior who greeted her meant both to please them and to display her talents. Hopefully, what she had heard about Elettra's fire would not burn her.

Bayliss, as she traveled deeper into the willow's embrace, was forced to turn away from their beauty and focus on the approaching pack lands. She chose to stop at a respectful distance, but was close enough to be heard by any who were currently patrolling the western boundaries of their home. Setting her tokens upon the ground, she let out a couple of intermittent barks, politely requesting an audience.

@Elettra @Angier
Partly Cloudy — 68° F/20° C — Afternoon 12:36 PM

Ever since Angier Lyall had left Willow Ridge in search of his son, Deacon, he had never let his guard down or let his sense of authority 'go out the window.' Even when he had met Beren in the fields to the north, he made certain to let the boy know that he was a man of precedence, a patriarch, and one of Relic Lore's most empowered individuals. To him, it only made sense that a man, such as Elettra Archer's equal, behave with such a commanding energy. After all, he, just like the rest of Willow Ridge, had been in a heightened state of panic and agitation after finding that one of their cubs had gone missing. In lieu of him stalking about Northern Eden, Angier had had the luck to stumble into his step-son Sköll and left the boy to sneak about and find out all he could about where the young Lyall prince had gone off to.

Deeper, past the Heart, and into Southern Eden, the king consort traveled and it would seem that Angier had arrived back home with perfect timing. His tail was still arched above his back and his fur remained bristled from the stress and days of his homeward journey. Though when a foreign scent struck his nose upon the borders of his territory, a loud growl rumbled from his chest, his lengthy limbs charging him forward along her trail until he saw her there... waiting just beyond the invisible fence that kept her outside of his dominion.

She barked out for someone's attention and the Lyall was absolutely thrilled to oblige. His eyes fell upon the dead bird and what looked like the yellow blossoms of an Arnica plant; and, suddenly, all his desires to chase her off had been quelled.

A new member meant another pair of eyes and ears. Her being female symbolized a chance that, maybe, his sons could be well-looked after and prone to listening to her if she was ever appointed at the front of the den... Being a matriarchal pack at its very roots, somewhat promised that...

He tested the air for Deacon's scent - just in case - then outright approached her with his ears and head up and his back straight. He might have been a bit scraggly-looking and a bit grimy along his limbs, but it was no mistake that he held power here. He flashed his teeth at her, growling once as he wordlessly questioned with a low bark about what she wanted of the wolves of Willow Ridge. Polite or not, if she was to become a wolf under his and Elettra's command, it was expected that she react accordingly. Respect and patience, here, was something to be earned.

Are you watching closely?
Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

As she hoped her wait was not long. She was approached by a man the color of freshly-disturbed mud in an otherwise clear stream. His posture was incredibly tense and every note of authority made it clear he was who she had been seeking. She wondered if he was Elettra's mate, but would not assume as his demeanor and the strength of his scent could merely mean he had a particularly aggressive personality. After all, even their omega would be allowed to hold him or herself thus before the loner Bayliss. Still, his presence within the pack was a reflection of the queen that had so intrigued the girl.

Bayliss assumed the proper submissive posture, tucking her tail close to her gray belly, pressing herself low to the ground and avoiding eye contact even as she wished to look him over and watch his face as she spoke. She pedaled back a step, away from her gifts so that the man could inspect or take them as he wished. He did not speak to her, a mere rumble was all that came from his throat but she knew the dance and her words served as steps.

"I am Bayliss Thane and I wish to belong to the pack within the willows. I am an excellent tracker and hunter," she bobbed her nose in the direction of the pheasant, a bird known for its ability to completely disappear within a meadow, "and have learned a great deal about flowers and herbs that can heal. I think logically first-most and with a clear head will always act in the best interest of the pack should you allow me entrance, and my skills in any field will be at your disposal. If there is anything I do not have experience in, I would be thrilled to learn."

@Angier

The woman, by name, was Bayliss Thane, someone Angier had not heard of or even known about beforehand. His lip quivered upward before falling back down to conceal his clenched off-white incisors, allowing her to speak and explain herself. She was quick to let him know that she wanted to belong, and that she had excellent hunting and tracking skills. She even went as far as to seemingly brown-nose him in letting him know that she had an extensive amount of knowledge in regards to plants and medicinal herbs. He thought of Skana and Elettra, his tousled tail lilting about in the air.

Bayliss, then, was a sort of jack of all trades. Something like him.

He gave an airy sort of snort. It wasn't a sound of scorn or dismissal, however, for after she had spoken her piece, the Leader had eased up. His hackles had smoothed out and the washed out mask on his face let go of the hard stare it had trained on the gray-furred woman. He might have questioned the veracity of her words, but it seemed that her gifts were proof enough of just how skilled she was as an individual.

Before he could even utter anything resembling a welcoming sentiment or an inkling of gratitude for her consideration, he first arrived at the commonplace formalities that were usually doled out to hopeful wolves. "The wolves of Willow Ridge'll want more than yer words. Their queen even more so -" his pale eyes went briefly to the pheasant and flowers she had brought, "- when she's done with yer gifts." His glare returned as his eyes narrowed. He knew Elettra did not like to be kept waiting and his delayed return home had already been long overdue. "Where did ya come from and what d'ya think you'll find 'ere?"

Are you watching closely?
Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

When he finally spoke, his words were articulated oddly in the form of an accent. Not used to such a thing, Bayliss' teal eyes flickered to his face for a mere second, intrigue bright and obvious within them. She loved anything that was new, and wished to learn where he was from. But that would be conversation for another time, if he was even open to discussing his roots, and only if she could place within their ranks.

So far, it seemed things were going well. He gave physical signs of calming, though his words were incredibly noncommittal. She did not blame the pack for being in careful in who they accepted; there were many within the area and she was sure that strangers offering their services were not scarce. It was wise to be choosy.

"I came from the far North; I left my birth pack to find a childhood friend but that friend is now gone. Like any wolf I seek the company and security that pack life provides; your's has been my choice due to what I have heard of your queen, actually. That she is powerful, thinks with her head, and — to be blunt — doesn't take shit from anyone. Those are qualities that I really admire."

@Angier

It was odd, the way she looked at him, but he didn't give it a second thought. After all, he was much too used to it - most wolves in his past often gave him a number of looks, whether it was due to his appearance or the way he spoke to them. He waited as patiently as he could for her answer, daring himself to remain as he was without getting worked up. It seemed he wouldn't last, Bayliss had mentioned she had come from the north. His black-lined lips pursed together, listening as she told a snippet of her tale, the reason why she had come so far and why she had been drawn to his lands.

The bits about Elettra was a stroke to his ego, having been proud and astonished time and time again that his mate kept her image up quite well over the past few years. "You said north," he drawled, his tone edging upon becoming accusatory as he partially wished that he had brought Sköll back home if only to have a sort of secondary support system at his back, ready to judge her further. "Tell me, what do ya know of th' packs there..."

He did well to keep the growl bottled up in his throat. Regardless of whether the woman had heard such things about Elettra from an ally or from someone else in passing, Angier had to know. It actually made a few pinpricks of heat race up and down his spine, "Who sent ya here?"

Are you watching closely?
Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

Something changed. After she gave her piece in response to his questions, something in him tensed once more and this was revealed in the change of tone in his odd voice. Bayliss could guess at why he spoke as such, and she wondered if perhaps this pack and its leaders were paranoid. She wasn't sure if she could live with that, and hoped that once she made it clear that she had no ulterior motives or ill alliances, he would not further press the matter. To be tested for skill and utility was one thing; to be under constant suspicion of her character and honesty was another all together, and she would not be able to tolerate it long.

"I came from Bolvangar, and did not encounter a single pack until the blackberry fields of this region. There was one to the west but I avoided them. Travelling south from there I crossed paths with miscellaneous loners and asked them what they knew about the domains in the area and that was how I learned snippets of information about your pack, mainly that it was within the willows and lead by Elettra who owned the aforementioned qualities. I passed another pack in the cedar wood forest, and had a run in with a scout of the pack on the opposite end of the meadow. I did not collect names or forge any kind of alliances. Certainly, I have not been sent by anyone; I have always chosen my own path."

She hoped she was not being too wordy, but felt that full disclosure would be the best way to prove her integrity and earn some level of trust from the man. So long as he had the patience for it.

@Angier

His mind went to Beren at the mention of the blackberry fields but as she continued the thought of the dark-coated yearling fell away. He was nothing but a mere blip on his radar, something insignificant, as the boy had not even seen his son while the Lyall had been there looking for him... "There was one to the west," she had said, "but I avoided them." Immediately Angier thought of Nina and the wolves of Secret Woodlands. Bayliss then mentioned that she had caught word of Elettra and Willow Ridge through an assortment of lone wolves. That wasn't out of the ordinary at all. Elettra, he knew, had been here since Borden had reigned over Grizzly Hollow within the Cedarwood. To know or learn about her from anyone only proved that his Queen was now a paramount ruler within Southern Eden - something he often took pride in.

The remark about the pack within Cedarwood Forest did not go unnoticed though and he partly remembered that he had meant to visit with Maksim Baranski, if only to find out what had become of Kade's pack once his brother and Jaysyek had gone away. He made a quick mental note of that then gave Bayliss a curt nod.

"I've only just arrived from th' blackberry fields up there," he divulged. "My son Deacon has gone missing, but I hope he's found his way home." He pointed with sharp jab of his nose in the direction of the tokens Bayliss had brought, "I suggest ya stay away from Elettra. At least until I've met with 'er. I'll take ya to the Infirmary where you can leave yer offerings." With his tail bobbing about in the air like a tattered war banner, he stalked forward, "C'mon."

Are you watching closely?
Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Thankfully, whatever she had sensed in the new round of questions seemed to retreat back inside of the man. He told her that he himself had recently been amongst the blackberries and she mused about chance and small coincidences, how odd it was that they had taken the same path and not seen so much as a hair from one another.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she offered after he mentioned his missing son, for she knew she had not run into anyone of that name nor that carried this wolf's scent in their fur. What was it with youth taking off, trading their home for empty adventure? Her thoughts went to her aforementioned friend Aerith and her little sister Beaudry, who had done just that, in turn tearing Bayliss from the place she truly belonged. But now, perhaps, she had a new home to belong to.

He told her to be wary of Elettra, a funny thing to advise as it was the queen who drew her here to begin with. Nevertheless, wanting to fit in, she would abide by this rule until told otherwise. And so, doing as told she reclaimed her game and flower and followed behind him. As they traveled, her eyes soaked in everything they could, bouncing wildly from left to right. This could be her new home...

"You neva tol' me yer name," she spoke up through the feathers of her pheasant. "may I know it?"

@Angier