Willow Ridge Tell me I am better (than my brother)

July 23rd; Early Evening, set sometime after this thread; Partly Cloudy; 68° F/20° C

After Angier had brought Bayliss into their lands and had given her a brief tour of the land, the Leader prowled about into the heart of Willow Ridge. He knew for a fact that the den would be well-guarded, leaving @Elettra to wander and do as she pleased. It was his first instinct that brought him to a place that was not far from the den but still well within the boundaries his pack and family kept. He lowered his nose to the forest floor, his unkempt ears drawing back. She had to be around here somewhere - hopefully just within earshot.

He let out a low howl for his mistress and mate, the "ooooooooh" sound emitting from him very much likened the characteristic coo of a mourning dove. Once his lips had sealed into a thin black line he poked his tongue out, dragging it down the length of the front of his nose. He shuffled about on his filthy paws, partially anxious about what was to come. Inside his head, he had many a reason and explanation as to why he had come home a bit later than expected, why he had not gone to Whisper Caverns or Secret Woodlands as she had instructed him to do, and what had become of her lookalike son (who had been released and directed into the wilderness of Northern Eden on his behalf).

His bottlebrush tail wavered and he leveled his head; his large ears swiveled about as he waited for the sound of her approach. He exhaled through his nose. He was ready for this... regardless of what his inner monologue was telling him.

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Whilst Rowan, Adelaide and Xetor took shifts guarding the den's opening... Whilst Sorya watched Taima's every move, while her children, mate and second were seeking their missing son, Elettra once more scanned the borders of her home, with every hope and pray that her eldest son to her second litter would come scampering back into the safely of her open embrace. Yet as hours passed and her body craved for rest (she had barely slept, barely eaten, if not but herbs to help ease her nerves) the woman turned back with every intention to curl herself around both @Greer and @Castiel in order to give them both attention and allow her members to gain the break they were very much needing in order to move on with other matters in the pack. Angier's call however, changed things and quickly she found herself moving firstly to him now that he had once more returned to her.

There he was... empty handed. She felt her gut drop, swirling in a manner which caused her legs to quiver. As of yet, Lunas nor Skoll had returned from their venture. Asriel was off doing god's knows what and Morganna was off looking for Deacon as well. Her three eldest children, her first living litter, was all gone and yet still one of her sons from her second litter was missing. She was, without a doubt, happy that Angier had returned to her and happy that he was alright, but the pain of knowing he had failed in finding their son overwhelmed everything else and so, weighed heavily on her expression. She takes a few hesitant steps into his direction, not stating the obvious about a very lack of Deacon Archer with him. "Morganna has gone off to look too... and I don't know where Asriel is." There was a certain tone which she held, along with the expression on her features, that would allow anyone and everyone to know that the Queen of Willow Ridge was really starting to loose her shit.

"Morganna has gone off to look too... and I don't know where Asriel is." Angier slowly turned to acknowledge his mate, having forgotten how very good she was at stealthily approaching her target. Even when he had been expecting her, she crept up on him; it made him smile. Though, looking at her and seeing what inklings of pain she allowed to show on her swarthy face, his smile fell away. He took a half-step in her direction before cautiously closing the distance between them by touching the top of his nose to her ivory chin with a low whine.

When he withdrew from her, he straightened back up, leveling his head and angling his ears and tail in such a way that suggested that he, as Willow Ridge's Leader, had regained his influence and dominance just by returning to the depths of his homeland. "I sent Sköll to the north," he said, his tone not quite matching hers, but still it relayed his views about Deacon's absence in somber and solemn notes. "He said 'e found nothing in the Grove to the east 'sides some bothersome girl. I found 'im after going t'wards the berry fields. There's a new pack there," he grimaced. "Black Thorn Downs. The lad there gave me 'is word that he'd bring Deacon home if they found 'im." As if to thwart any more worries that might have sprung up in his Queen's mind, he hastily added, "I made sure to let 'em know that we 'ad allies not too far from 'em to keep an eye if they decided to keep Deacon."

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he briefly eyed the ground before gazing back at her, empathy and sympathy the main emotions etched on his tawny masked face, "I told Sköll to take as long as he needed, but to report back as soon as he has Deacon or as soon as he's heard word of his whereabouts. If I've taken a while to come back, he should be back soon." His pale yellow eyes searched her face and body language for something that might lend itself to good news - the hint of a smile, a glimmer in her silvery eyes, the gentle sway of her tail. "So..." he tried hard to ease the both of them onto the more sensitive part of the whole ordeal. "No sign of him then? Not yet?"

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His smile warmed her, though she did little to show it. In her aggressive, on edge, depressed mood, she even tensed as he came into her direction. She was ether ready for a break down or she was ready to give a beat down and his caution towards the powerful Leader was well warranted even despite the obvious size advantage he held over her. Her tail waves, however lightly, to his touch, as it slumps in defeat at her back side. She is silent for a time then, listening to the information (though seemingly little) which he had to offer her....

He had met up with Skoll, sending him further to the north in search for his younger brother. He had also ran into yet another pack to the north in the Blackberry Fields. It was obvious that their settling was far too close to the Thicket of Secrets which laid just against them. Perhaps the Woodlands wolves were enduring troubles of their own? "Remember Titan's message from Whisper Caverns?" Her ears perk, if only the slightest as she remembered the information. "Minka and Tokino having been last seen traveling north with intention to create a pack of their own? ...My guess it that this 'Black Thorn Downs' pack is them. Whisper Caverns, Secret Woodlands, and us are group allies..." She trailed off then, thinking on yet another worry. Already they were enemies to the Cavern wolves and Ash's sister, Nina, who led the Woodland wolves certainly would not be happy ether with the pack that set up camp so close to their home. Was war on the rise?

A lump forming in her throat, Elettra did best to settle it down, addressing further their own personal problems as of late. "No..." She spoke, sighing and then, finding herself settled down onto her haunches. "Any word from our allies?"

Even in her tensed, anxious, and restless state, Angier surprised himself with how well he kept calm. The more his gaze focused on her, the more he listened to her, take to heart and mind how she was musing and processing what news he had brought to her, the more he realized that this was the Elettra he both revered and loved. A coy smile inched up along his muzzle; he loved that she was sharp... all-knowing in a sense. Though, her revelation also brought to their attention the possibility of a war. It felt like his stomach was trying to tie itself into a knot. He might have stalked off in the middle of the meeting between Elettra and the yearling, Titan, but he, too, did remember what news the blue-eyed boy had brought.

His smile fell back into a flat line and as observant as he was, he never let his gaze wander elsewhere while his Queen answered to him, spoke to him directly. "No," she had not had even the slightest of news of their son. Then, just like that, she countered him. Typical.

"Of Deacon? No word," he answered. "If Narime an' Nina had seen the boy, they would've brought 'im back home. We have 'em as allies fer a reason; they wouldn't keep our son fer themselves." He fought the urge to scowl. "When I found Skoll, he was alone. He didn't 'ave Lunas with 'im. Maybe Lunas went that-a way anyway, ta cover more ground."

The washed out mask on his face came down in a grave and somber expression. If he had had the courage to comfort her like any other mate usually would, he might have; maybe something simple like the expected touch of his tongue to her chin or a soft 'kiss' of his lips to her temple. The more he thought of it, though, it wasn't about courage at all. Rather the commonplace motions of a king consort, Elettra's consort. "Don't worry so much," he said gruffly, almost as if he were inviting her to have at him, to test if he could finally take a blow from the one he loved most in all of Relic Lore. If he had to admit it to himself, he found her anger appealing and alluring, perhaps even bordering along the lines of provocative or sensual. It was her distress that was getting to him now; they had already sent out what resources they had - Deacon's own siblings, the pack's quickest Scouts, the pack's male Leader himself. At one point or another, something had to give.

"I love it when yer angry," he rumbled in confession. However, his teeth flashed for a split-second regardless of whether or not she was actually looking at him, "but yer doubt an' anguish jus' pisses me off, El, ya know that?" When he looked at her again, there was a hardness in his eyes that dared her to recover herself, to whisk away the sigh from her lips and meet him with her own brand of fortitude and tenacity, the very things that made and kept her as the matriarch of her realm. His bottle-brush tail came up and his shoulders squared, but he did not shift or change anything more about his stance as to suggest a scuffle or fight. All he intended was to provoke her, to see before him the Queen he knew Elettra Archer to be, "If there'll be a war, then we'll be prepared fer it."

Then, his shoulders relaxed and he looked at her expectantly, the stern glint in his eyes no longer apparent, "Now, c'mere, is that really how ya greet me after I come home to ya? After all that time? The Elettra I knew would've 'ad 'er way with me, keepin' 'er waitin' an' all."

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OMG. I feels like Angier says words I wanna hear in real life, yo. I'm jealous of Elettra now... oh and uh, GoT reference!

She huffs as a reply to Angier's retort on them 'being allies for a reason'. He was right, of course, though his words were less expected of him. It seemed as the time between them gathered, as trust, and his Leadership became more pronounced, he offered more of the smart comments she remembered him first offering her when they had met long ago. A brow rises and she shrugs, having little to say on the manner with the obviousness in the air that he had been correct. As for Lunas? Well, she could only hope he found his way to the ridge again. He might have been a bit odd to her, yet there was no doubt in her he had quite a skill for tracking and it had seemed Skoll had been taking too him as well...

His little quip about her 'worrying so much' made her twitch, however. Her skull titling to the side and a single ear flickering as her muzzle wrinkled. She could spat at him how much it hurt loosing her son. Scream out her memories of having lost her first litter and wondering now if Deacon would die too. This was different however, far different, and she was not the love struck young girl she once was. He was pushing her, she knew this, by the words that came slipping past his lips... and it worked. Perhaps easily fooled by his silvered tongue, quick to lash, the woman was quick to lash back out with her own manner. Her eyes narrowed upon him as he continued, lips twitching as a growl bubbled in his throat.

When he rose his tail, squaring his shoulders, her body tensed. In her sitting position she remained yet her back legs shifted and her forelimbs bent, still staring into his direction. They would be ready for a war, she was certain, for if they were falling on hard times it was still not just their force their enemy would meet, but the force of three packs combined since the very founding of both Secret Woodlands and Whisper Caverns. He goes lax then, telling her is that really how she plans to greet her mate. The Elettra he knew? "You know nothing, Angier Lyall." Her words snap with a hiss and then suddenly, found herself springing up at him. A smirk wide over her expression now, her intentions were to wrap her forelimbs around his shoulders and knock him to the ground under her. Her 'play' was rough, filled with tousling and sharp nips at his neck and cheeks.

"You know nothing, Angier Lyall." Her obvious teasing coaxed a smile onto his maw, and before he knew it, Elettra had bowled him over and they were both on the ground. She nipped at his neck and cheeks, the tufts of spiky fur and the triangles beneath his eyes. Feeling her jaws have at him everywhere and anywhere she was able to 'attack' had him initially panicked. His body tensed and his elbows were defensively tucked close to his chest; but, upon realizing that this was how his beloved 'played,' his tail thumping against the ground as he lay there on his back, pinned beneath her with her paws on either side of his head.

Well, now, this was new...

As she dove her nose to the side of his throat, he pressed the side of his muzzle to her head, eyes closed as he inhaled her scent, the perfume that belonged distinctly to her. "I missed you," he hummed, making quick work of combing his bottom teeth through her coarse, dark fur if only for a few seconds. "I couldn't wait to come home ta see you." He angled to his head to the side, to look towards the roots of the nearby trees and listen to make sure no one was nearby. Savoring her scent though, he repositioned himself, shifting a bit so that he could lean into her 'affectionate' nibbling. "Ya shouldn't 'ave to go through this alone," a small, quiet smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Even someone as strong and formidable as Jaysyek had someone strong to rely on." The rest of his unspoken words flickered in his eyes, the echoes of his previous reminders hung about in the air and surrounding willow branches like hovering fireflies in the night. You have me...

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2014, 11:08 PM by Angier.)

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He falls, moving so that he is belly up, forelegs curled at his chest as he tensed and braced himself for the attack. She stood above him and nipped and after a moment lowered herself so that she nearly rest upon him, holding up the majority of her weight upon her splayed and bent four long and powerful legs. She moved her muzzle into the thick fur along the side of his neck in a show of affection, only to grab at the fur there and tug roughly. Rarely did she play and when she did, it was rather in a dominating, rough manner as was her natural. She loved a good spar and enjoyed the trill of chase as well, though rarely did opportunities come by and even more so did she find another worth doing it with. But Angier was hers now and although it had taken some time to accept it, she now could call herself his.

Her ears perk then, listening in to the rustling of the trees as he did. Only the winds blew at the willow branches which hug low and swayed about as they had always. She falls then, shifting off of him and flopping down to her side just next to her mate. Back legs lifting and pressing at his flank as she paws at his shoulder and scruff as he speaks to her. She is silent, her pale silver eyes staring at the side of his face, the mingled swirls of light agouti coloration, his washed out mask. His words did their best to sooth her worries though it was certain that they would not go away. The best the mated pair could only do now was wait as much of their resources went spent looking for their eldest son. Of course, their child @Greer made of all legs and @Castiel made of all rolls of puppy fat were still safe within the confines of the pack den, craving their parents affection all the same.

Lastly, he mentioned Jaysyek and a swell formed in her throat, fighting back the whine. She missed her former Leader dearly, the only Leader she had held other then her actual parents. Yeah, she had me. The words moved passed her mind. When her child had gone missing, Borden had up and left the entire pack in the dust. It was her who stood close to Jaysyek's side, protecting her ruling as a single Leader and doing her best to keep the rest of her children in check, despite how it had grimly turned out...

She nipped and nibbled at him, much like a cub would in the spirit of play; it made his tail wriggle about on the ground and he offered a few notes of obliging and rather enthusiastic whines. Not from any sort of pain or the means of begging for her to stop, but simply to express his enjoyment in it all - her love and notions of possession turned into a private display of endearment. He had anticipated her to lay on him, use him to prop herself up, or make herself comfortable while keeping him pinned down, but instead she settled at his side.

She fell quiet and he knew he had struck a chord, but hopefully it was the one he had been aiming for. You have me, the words dared to form at the forefront of his mind, gone unspoken as he knew that she fully understood that she was truly not alone when she had him. While he had a mind to roll over and look at her fully, he remained as he was with his forelimbs tucked to his chest as he gazed at the near-silhouette of her with a tilt of his head and neck. For a time he merely admired her, a pleasant smile forming on his ivory muzzle after several minutes. "Yer so beautiful, El," he whispered to her when the silence threatened to build a gap in their conversation, "in so many ways. I still have ta wonder how ya do it all. You keep amazing me, y'know that?"

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Still a silence tugs at her as her thoughts roam, of Jaysyek, of Deacon and now, of him. One front paw still mindlessly toyed at him, padding at the side of his scuff, at his creamy cheek and muzzle. He had been there for her for so long, it was hard now to imagine Angier Lyall not being in her life in some manner or another. Back when she was in Grizzly Hollow so long ago, he had been there to warn her of his brother and her Leader. He was the judas rogue in the distance, putting questioning thoughts into her mind that she thought as some kind of trickery that ended up being true. Had he not always been truthful to her? Had he not always been her ally from the beginning? He had warned her when he was but a wanderer and even when he had joined Swift River his alliance to her was known by the gifts he left at her doorstep. He had come to her seeking acceptance and even when she did not have room for him, he had ended up returning to her. He had not blinked an eye when she had told him she was pregnant and since their birth, had treated both Asriel, @Morganna and @Skoll with unquestionable care and affection. Not to mention, his own patience with her was hard for her to wrap her head around. It was like he was a magician, capable of feats she did not think possible. It was true in manner ways, he amazed her too. "I am beautiful and brilliant, arn't I?" She speaks with a certain laugh, fighting away the seriousness of the conversation in order to place herself into better moods. That is, until yet another serious manner stirred within her mind, reminding herself that her mate had yet to know... "Angier..." She speaks as she remembers the uncertainty she felt towards the Lyall girl, fitting with a child and likely, some mate out there looking for a placement amongst them. "A girl came to my borders a bit ago, seeking protection. I allowed her to visit, until I know more of her and her child. She's your niece, Angier. Its Taima."