Drooping Willows watching to see the fallout

January 28th; Afternoon; Freezing fog; -18 ° F, -28 ° C

Since Greer had returned, everything seemed all back to normal for the most part. Apart from Taima missing, life was actually decent. It had been hard at first, missing her at nearly every waking hour of the day, but now it was actually his play-mates he missed. On yet another foggy morning, Octavius had woken up to an empty den with only his Uncle Angier at his back. Not wanting to disturb the slumbering Leader, the boy snuck away and out into the freezing mist.

He shook out his wiry auburn coat before making his way through the hard-packed snow and along the trails that his superiors had traveled before him. Eventually, several meters and a bunch of detours later, he came upon a small portion of the willows on the edge of the territory markers where a glade had been so well-traveled that the snow laid in near-level clumps. Even about the edges, the snow barely reached up to his knees and elbows. The young Lyall lowered his head with an inquisitive nose, finding nothing but faint traces of old scents. Some time ago, a number of familiar individuals had been here - Angier, Skoll, Elettra, Sorya, and a couple other adults - probably guarding, no doubt... Besides them, there was nothing fascinating or amusing about this particular place.

The young lord stepped between the bony, whip-like branches of a nearby willow then reclined down into a sphinx-like position to rest. If none of them had been this way for a while then perhaps he would give guarding a try; and, this would become one of his very first posts. That is, if he could manage to return to this very spot every other day or so.

He crossed his large paws in front of him, placing his right over his left, as he took in the quiet, serene surroundings. At this point, he came to appreciate both the silence and the loneliness. Not being with the ones he was usually with on a daily basis reminded him of "home." Home being the days when both of his parents were around to keep an eye on him and make sure he was kept quiet and somewhat fed. It also reminded him of when he was left on his own without anyone to talk to or play with when that had once been "the norm" so long ago. During times like this he liked to simply listen to the world; he swore that if he kept still enough, quiet enough, perceptive enough the world around him, Relic Lore, would tell him its secrets.

One of his ears perked at the sound of a passing bird overhead, its heavy wingbeats slicing and lashing at the air before it was gone, leaving Octavius just as he had been before. He lowered his head to rest on his forelimbs, setting his chin on his wrist, waiting - just like old times - for his parents someone or something to come by.

Since his return to the Ridge the slender male remained close to pack territory, hovering close to the borders as he tested his luck by venturing away from the pack den. He did not want to worry his family members with his adventures – the last thing he wanted was another search party to come after him. As the freezing fog engulfed him a shiver shook the frail boy; his former weight had not yet returned, leaving Greer much more susceptible to the cold. Although he wanted to remain curled up in his warm den the boy had grown restless, his long legs yearning for adventure.

It had been an unexpected surprise to learn that his brothers had missed him so much while he had been gone. The shadow prince excelled in exiling himself from his family and preferred his solitary adventures as opposed to family activities. The silence that came along with solitude comforted the willowy boy like the warmth of his mother. He was not fond of loud conversation or crowds; he savoured the sounds of nature undisturbed by unwanted noise. The prince also used his excursions for his training, as he believed that he was able to concentrate better without the presence of others. The only downside to always preferring to be alone was that Greer was severely lacking in social skills. Of course, he knew how to interact with his family and how to act submissive when it was required. He knew how to act around those ranked above him, and how to greet his elders. However, he did not know how to engage in small talk or express his feelings. Social situations made the shadow prince very uncomfortable, and because of his mute-like demeanor he often came across rude to those he met.

His long legs carried his thin body effortlessly through the twisted willow branches, his silver eyes narrowed as he tried to survey  his surroundings through the fog. After the cold had nearly claimed his life he was not particularly fond of the weather that accompanied winter, but if he staying in the family den was giving him cabin fever. Giving his damp coat a quick shake, the boy continued forward with a grimace etched across his maw. He could detect the scent of another close by, but the fog masked the location of the young wolf. Although he knew who the boy was, they had not yet been formally introduced – and as much as Greer knew that he had to get to know his packmates, he was still reluctant to meet them.