Willow Ridge A Queen worth fighting for

Mordacai crawled out from his pack den. It was a nice den, large and open and usually smelling of herbs, but tonight the swarthy male wanted to see the stars. He needed to talk with Elettra, the leader of the pack. Cai had been accepted by Angier and had not had the opportunity to meet the Willow Ridge Queen as of yet, and as a prince he felt compelled to introduce himself to his leader. He knew it was the respectful thing to do. He also knew that he needed to ask her about taking on a pack role. He wasn't keen on belonging to a pack and not doing his best to be a valuable member and he felt like having a role would help him to better serve his new family.

But before Cai could speak to his Queen he needed to clear his mind. As the dark prince walked out of the cavern that was his den, he was happy to see that the sky was filled with stars tonight. He settled down not too far from the den to gaze at them for awhile. The young prince could remember when he and his siblings would watch the stars as pups. Then one day, Enoki just got up and left. Now he was with his sister again, but things were not as he had thought they would be. The two had barely talked after the failed hunting trip and Cai was beginning to feel like he didn't have a reason for being here. That was the main reason why he desperately wanted to gain a role in the pack: he needed to give himself a reason to stay and to keep himself busy. Cai sighed before tilting his dark head back and letting his call ring through the night air. His howl was low, knowing that @Elettra was probably close by this late at night, but loud enough that she would hear as long as she was in the territory. The Ashrelle prince looked up at the stars and used their serenity to keep himself calm and collected. He needed to come across as respectable as possible if he was going to ask her to allow him to be a Guardian, despite his size.

sola bona quae honesta

Bow before your Matriarch

Those things only are good which are honest

Elettra Archer had yet to meet one of the newer members of her pack - @Mordacai Ashrelle. Oddly enough, granted she knew of all others within her ranks, mostly of which was her family by ether blood or by becoming a mated pair with Angier Lyall. Though she had yet to meet the jet black wolf, it did not go with saying that she did not at least know of him. He was the brother of Enoki, a well hunter within her ranks and had done his best in protecting the outskirts of the group as they had traveled to and from the The Wildwood during their 'feast of alliances'. Angier had mentioned him upon his joining, giving Elettra some information on the wolf including (though what not seemed obvious from what she had seen of him) his willingness to become one of the pack's official Guardians.

She was quick to come through with the male's call, granted she had been sleeping within the Infirmary - a hollow dug into the flat ground which was nestled within the cave they called their Pack Den. She stretches and pads with a skip and swaying of her thick hips into his direction. "Mordacai." She speaks his name, her head lifting as she stops in her placement just out from behind him. Her tail high at her back-side and her stance taunt. "You require my attention?" Not just any pack member, any Guardian or even any Leader - but her, specifically.

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At the sound of his name, Mordacai turned his head to see Elettra standing behind him in all her queenly glory. Almost instinctively, Cai rose to his feet only to lower his head and tail in submission to his Queen. He had left his land because he was tired of being in his brother's shadow, but that did not erase the instinct inside him that compelled him to submit himself to a rightful leader. Being a good soldier was so ingrained in him that Cai was sure he would feel lost without a proper leader. Which is how he had felt since joining Willow Ridge. But it was time for that to change.

"Yes, I am sorry if I woke you my lady." Mordacai's husky, raspy voice was level and clear. He was nervous, but for the first time since joining Willow Ridge he had the glimpse of the feeling that he had a place here. "I thought it was past time that I formally introduce myself and past time that I speak with you about acquiring a role in your pack." Now Mordacai let his amber gaze ascend from the ground, but he was careful not to let his eyes make contact with his Queen's. "Being raised as a prince, it goes against my nature to allow myself to reside in a pack without ever introducing myself to the leader and especially without ever pledging my loyalty to you. Likewise, I would feel wrong if I stayed here any longer without asking that you allow me to serve the pack in the best way that I can, as a Guardian." Mordacai waited for Elettra's reaction, hoping that she would see him fit to Guard her home. Arion had refused to make Cai a Guardian because of his size, but secretly Cai always wondered if it was because Arion knew that Cai could beat him in a fight. Here, in this new world, Cai did not need to worry about siblings rivalries and hoped that his new Queen was insightful enough to see past his size into the heart and soul of a true soldier.

sola bona quae honesta

Bow before your Matriarch

Those things only are good which are honest

He stood, showing his full potential before her - he was her size mostly, if not a few inches shorter and his eyes burned with a certain longing. Her own stance remained strong, head held high, her shoulders squared and her limbs stiff, toes burrowing in the earth of her home. He was but a mere soldier standing before royalty. If his life worked around having a 'job' and a 'mission' then he had most certainly come to the right pack to live within. He apologized for waking her, to which her toes twitched and her eyes of pale gray hue narrowed for just a moment, perhaps allowing him to understand he had yet not fully been forgiven for doing exactly just that. His voice, which she had never heard before, was raspy, yet sooth as he spoke it in a rather attractive tone to her ears, which twitched atop her skull. He continued, speaking of formally introducing himself in the pack and requiring a specific placement within it, to which yet still Elettra Archer remained silent, intent to hear out all of which he had to say before she replied.

For a time, after he finished, she was yet still silent, her silver attention boring towards him. He had certainly not been here long, one of the newest within the pack and was already asking for a role - a role, a placement, of he would leave. The ultimatum certainly did leave her lip quivering, her stance stiffening in place as her limbs shifted outward only slightly to hold her stance strong. However, other then Sorya, he had been the only one to come to her with a willingness to obtain a role within the pack. Clearing her throat, she then spoke... "No one in this pack demands anything, nor obtains any title without proving themselves first." Which he had not. "Right now, only Sorya Archer is an official Guardian. I'd like for you to train with her and then the two of you may get back to me. Until then..." She springs at him then. Her back limps bending and pushing hard off the ground into his direction, her head aligned with her spine and chin tucked down in order to slam her weight into the front portion of his right shoulder to knock him off balance. "Fight." The word hisses from parted jaws as a snarl plastered itself over her face. If he was going to be a Guardian of a pack, he would prove he could fight first.

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As Elettra spoke, Cai nodded. What she said made sense and though he was loathe to follow someone else around, he would do just that if it would help him prove himself to his new Queen. What the Ashrelle prince was not expecting was for his Queen to launch herself at him. Having been caught off guard, Cai barely had time to prepare himself for the impact of the dark woman slamming full force into his right shoulder. She was close enough to his size that her weight would be enough to bowl him over but Cai prepared to take the impact. Being one of the smaller males in his pack, he had learned from a young age that he could not fight fire with fire. You needed to play to your own advantages and sometimes it was better to roll with the punches.

Instead of rising onto his pack legs to meet her, Cai lowered himself so that she would not send him rolling backwards and end up on top. Instead he lowered his center of gravity so that when her weight made impact with his right shoulder, he was able to twist his body and land on his left side while her weight carried her forward. She would have to spin around to get at him and he needed to get back on his paws. Mordacai switched his hips so that both back legs were under his body though he wasn't yet back into a standing position. The swarthy male could feel the pain in his right collarbone where most of the impact had been centered, but he ignored this and let the adrenaline wash the pain away. At least now he was ready for her next attack and could use his back legs to launch himself upwards.

sola bona quae honesta

Bow before your Matriarch

Those things only are good which are honest

He dropped, countering her attack against him by allowing her to rush over top him instead of lifting to meet her impact with a lifted chest and open jaws. It was a more submissive maneuver, though also a move that would have been more beneficial to a slighter wolf. Of course, Mordacai was far from small, though in comparison to much of the wolves of Willow Ridge, he was on the lower end. Lyall and Archer family members were just big wolves, plain and simple.

Having to take the opportunity to spin back around just like her opponent had expected of her, by now Mordacai was ready to spring into action if needed - be it to run away or be it to place his next move. Charging forth again with her eyes in silvered slits and her ears pinned against her skull, Elettra attempted to grab a hold of his back end, more specifically his tail, at the very base where it connected to the rump. She bit down hard, only offering a light jerk backwards for she did not intent to inflict any serious damage but enough to know she was not backing off just yet. Mordacai Ashrelle had yet to prove any true fighting skills to her yet.

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Okay so tell me if this doesn't seem realistic. This is only my second fight not using dice. I know El is like phenomenally stronger that Cai and will win in the end, but I also want Cai to fight well enough to impress her. I feel like most of this is okay, but I don't know if I went too far with him grabbing her muzzle in the end. So if he does anything that you think he shouldn't really be able to do to her, just let me know and I will edit!

Cai marveled at the determination in the silvery slits of Elettra's gaze. But could dwell on it for no more than a brief moment as the older woman wrapped her powerful jaws around the base of his tail and jerked back just enough to send him a message: she certainly wasn't finished yet. His initial reaction was to wince as she bit down hard on his tail. But a small smile threatened to break across Cai's dark face. Good, he thought to himself satisfied. He wasn't finished yet either.

He had been able to get his front paws under him and with that, he turned his body and snapped at her muzzle. As he did, he pulled his tail out from between her jaws. That might have drawn some blood and he was certain that he lost some fur because of it, but the fight was worth it. Dislodging his tail from her mouth, he realigned his body so that he was facing her and no longer folded in half as he had been to be able to snap at her muzzle while she held his tail. Face to face with his opponent, Cai wasted no time this go around. He shifted his weight to his back legs and raised his forelegs so that he towered above the silver eyed Queen and then let his weight fall so that his right leg fell atop her, draping across her shoulder. Again, he snapped at her muzzle and this time, got it between his jaws.

so I took forever, I know! Sorry about that. XD I just worked with what you had with some damage and counter attacks.

sola bona quae honesta

Bow before your Matriarch

Those things only are good which are honest

Her success was quick and simple, jaws locking onto the base of his tail where it connected to his rump. After her bit of a jerk, she made sure to keep her grip hard on him, hindering his ability to move about without pulling at his own appendage himself. In the meantime, she allowed herself to recheck her own posture - her shoulders rolled forth and her head tucked, safely aligned with her spine. Her eyes were in slits, helping to protect them should he strike directly at her face (though in this match, she doubted it) and her four limbs splayed, balanced as they were bent to make sure her position was solid.

However, though it had been unexpected, he did turn around, snapping for her face! The pulling back on his own tail was a warning to Elettra of his movements and although she held on a bit longer for a split second, released him in order to retaliate towards his snapping at her face, a loud growling bark rushing from parted and baring jaws. Had anyone been around to hear the commotion about, surely it would stir their interest, if not their anger towards the male for striking out at his superior. Of course, the battle was all that Elettra had been hoping for. When he raises himself up over her, aiming to drape his limb down on her shoulder and bite down on her muzzle, she darts forth, her body arching to the left as her right shoulder aims to slam into his underside/rib-cage area to knock the wind from him.

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