Drooping Willows place your head on my beating heart

January 19th; Afternoon; Freezing fog; 8 ° F, -13 ° C

Since @Elettra had gone off on her own to look for Greer, Angier had been somewhat bitter, selfish, and needy. While he had not minded Sorya taking charge in his mate's place (she was a capable Guardian, after all), he still would have preferred for his Queen to remain at home with the two remaining sons they still had. If all these things had happened to Borden, Angier preferred that he be spared the repeated history. They had been lucky. Considering what had happened to the eldest Lyall brother, Mother Nature and the Spirit of Wildwood really should have turned a blind eye to them - over the past three or for years, there had already been an unsavory and copious amount of suffering and pain within their family. Skoll and Morganna could have been sent out but, truth be told, the Lyall was very much under the impression that the quietest of their sons was simply off on his own, going about in his own circles and keeping out of contact with the pack. It was odd behavior, yes, but after having co-parented Skoll, Angier found nothing odd or distressing about it.

The fog still remained, cloaking the Willows and the whole of Relic Lore with a icy chill that bit at the tenderest of noses and the daintiest velveteen ears. At the moment it was just no use in expending his energy with trying to keep the youngsters within the dens anymore. Deacon, Castiel, and Octavius could do as they pleased but, with the fog blanketing the whole of Southern Eden, it was rather safe to assume that none of the boys would be out playing in the snow and cold air.

Beneath the willows he strolled along at a leisurely pace through the deep snow, scenting the air every so often in case he caught onto the whereabouts of his dark-furred spouse. She had arrived back to the Ridge just yesterday and he supposed now would be a better time than any as to carefully broach the topic of his concern in her brief absence. His nose stung from the cold air and constantly having to slowly exhale to restore the warmth in his nostrils was utterly inconvenient. At this rate, he would never find her; lest he sat and waited somewhere for her. Even then the chances of actually spotting her were slim.

It had been far too long since he had had the Archer matriarch truly to himself... without her children spying on them at every hour of the day or their sons and followers lobbying and prying for their attention.

He eventually came to a stop somewhere close to the pack's storage den when he had decided that he had had enough then proceeded to march until he crossed their borders and into the unclaimed willows. A sigh filtered through his teeth when he parted his lips somewhere a few meters from the scent marker he had refurbished with his paws only hours before. For a time, he listened to the near-silent forest around him, hearing nothing but the occasional scurrying of a lesser creature and the creaking of the frostbitten tree branches. Only when he had felt he had listened enough, he lifted his head to let out a beckoning call for his spouse - a singular, warbled note as a rather casual request for her presence should she be within earshot.

(This post was last modified: Jan 20, 2015, 01:23 AM by Angier. Edit Reason: Dated now for 1/19... )

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Exhaustion had taken over the Archer Matriarch by the time she had returned from her journey, one that ended up being far longer then she had hoped for. When she had arrived, she sought out Sorya firstly to allow her to know that her duties as the temporary Leader to the ranks was no longer needed - Willow Ridge's true Leader had returned to the lands. Still, she had to prove herself to her pack and as she moved throughout her territory towards the pack's den, she make sure to mark her faded scent in each and every way to restore herself as a part of the land. She took from the food caches and then, flopping into a heap along one of the cave walls, she slept seemingly forever. Surely Angier would know she had returned, if not by someone telling him, him smelling her or by him coming upon her when she slept deeply and soundlessly. When she woke, however, he was not there for her, which left her wondering how upset or not he must be with her, having left behind his back and all... <br><br>
Sighing deeply and stretching out her aging muscles, Elettra exited the den and began making her way in search for her mate. Her yips were low though urgent, only pausing when she came upon one of her other pack mates to rough them up and allow them to remember exactly who was boss in these lands. When Angier's call just outside the territory reached her, she was not far and she padded swiftly to meet him. She slows as she comes up to his front, her lips tightening in a flat, uncertain line and her tail low, dangling between her limbs at her backside. <b>"Angier..."</b> She whispers lightly, silver eyes hesitant before they move up to meet his golden ones. <b>"You know I'd never abandon you."</b> Nor her children, nor her pack-mates and her land.

(This post was last modified: Mar 12, 2015, 04:56 PM by Elettra.)

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

"Angier..." her voice came to him in a hushed tone and he spun about to see her - dark and beautiful with eyes as pale as the winter skies. It made the fur at the back of his neck stand up on end, the skin tingling as though little mice were scurrying up and down his spine. His eyes might have widened slightly, if only due to being surprised by her prompt answer and arrival, but he did not smile and his black-tipped tail did not wag. He was glad to see her, of course, but frankly, since her departure he had been utterly upset... and mostly everyone in the pack had known it.

To hear her voice his thoughts in her own tone and tongue had his lips pursed and his ears swiveling back for the briefest of moments before coming forward again to their usual positions atop his head. Even the black whiskers on his silvered maw twitched with other unsaid things.

"Mmm," he curtly sounded, partially turning his head to one side while turning one ear towards her. "O' course not, but..."

He forced himself to swallow the lump that was inching up into his throat, threatening to rob him of everything he had been wanting to say while he waited for her to return. His shoulders relaxed a bit and eventually he eased his hindquarters down into the snow, curling his tail close to his hind limbs as he angled his muzzle downward to stare at the snow. If it weren't for the scowl on his face, distorting his washed out mask, a rather unbecoming wince might have made it clear to Elettra that he was actually rather upset.

The Lyall's gaze flickered over to her before averting elsewhere as though he had received a smack to the face. He chose not to voice what was at the forefront of his mind, opting instead to 'touch base' with her using Greer's whereabouts to close the first few gaps of emotional distance between them, "Were ya able to find 'im?"

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It was quite obvious her mate was very upset with her, if not due to the lack of a wagging tail at her arrival, but the lack of a smile as well. Not only no smile, but his expression hard and flat. As his words trailed off, his head fell with his body as he came to a sit, tail curling around him. The scowl over his features made her body tense, uncertain of what to do in this situation. Normally, if someone was upset with her, she did not care. Pack mates could every so often be unhappy with her manner of showing dominance over them and her being unacceptable to any manner of lounging about and laziness within the ranks. Her children would be upset, when she punished them for not adhering her lessons and her boundaries, though she knew what was good for them. Her mate being upset with her was a far different story, something she pondered over uneasily on how to handle.... but oh, how she had missed him all this time.

"No..." She whispers, lifting a paw to step forth, though pausing a second longer as she studied him. Deciding then she had nothing to loose and she was not about to be yet another broken couple with a scattered family like many of the other packs in Relic Lore held, she would crush the space that had built between them over the time they had spent apart. She moves to him, quickly with each long stride, her muzzle then jutting out and lifting to feel deep into the nap of his neck up to his cheek to lastly place a light, quick lick. "I've missed you." Her deep voice purrs out with a sigh.

Again, a whisper came to him, informing him that she had come home without their last-born. It wasn't a surprise; not only was Greer's scent and presence still absent from Willow Ridge, but as quiet and shadow-like the boy had been, it was almost way too easy for anyone to overlook the youngest and darkest Archer-Lyall. If Elettra was not able to retrieve him, then perhaps Greer was truly lost... but Angier was much too needful to let his mate gallivant beyond their territory lines for long.

As he studied the snow-covered ground, some point just a few feet out in front of him, he tensed as he felt her against the back of his neck, her cool nose seeking refuge in the ruff of his neck. She didn't remain there for long, however, and within moments of withdrawing from him, she placed a small 'kiss' to his cheek. To hear that she had missed him coaxed a weary, tired sigh from his lungs; and, at last, the walls he had put up in her leave came crumbling down. Where once there had been a possibly intimidating wall of marble, granite, and sandstone, nothing now remained, save for the sight of a vulnerable Angier.

"I missed you more," he murmured, both of his pointed, brown ears lowering now in partial disquietude. At the very least, he was glad for her return, but still concerned over their son's whereabouts. He blinked a few times before meeting her gaze, focusing on her not out of challenge but to see what sort of emotion might have reflected back at him in her silvery irises.

"Why couldn't ya send th'yearlings out fer 'im?" he asked, his brows furrowing as he winced. "We need you 'ere. I need ya here..." Notes of distress began to edge up on his tone, lacing his words with the sort of anxiety that had obviously been bottled up for an extensive amount of time. "I know all the stories, El'," he exhaled, his breath shaky in the winter air as he dipped his head downward to focus on his fore paws, "I can't-- I can't jus' sit 'ere, waitin' fer you ta turn up months later without our son, injured, or otherwise... an' then 'ave 'im buried by the Creek." If it had actually stung to even mention it, surely, it might have hit something within the Ridge matriarch. Hearing of such an experience and living through such a thing, he knew, was different, but a part of this Lyall was still so very determined that he and his family would not be like them... not when they had been 'blessed' with so much more.

No; as fearful and insecure as he might have been all throughout his cub-hood and mid-adulthood, Angier had made it his sole mission to prove to himself that he was much better off than he actually was. This ultimately meant that he was very unwilling to have Elettra leave him again and voicing the fact loud and clear. As her equal, he felt he, too, also held just as much sway over her.

He shook his head in what seemed like exasperation and he openly frowned, "I can't let ya leave again."

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It did not take much and it did not take long before the walls Angier had put up around him fell to a swift crumble around him by but a simple, single kiss of his mate. Elettra Archer could not help the smile which formed from her lips, happy at both the facts that she could so easily sway him and that because she could do so, he still very much loved her so. His first bit of words leave that smile on her lips to widen, leaning in close enough to touch her wet, chilled snout to his own. "Your just as much the Leader here as I, Angier. I trust you." After all, it had only been around two weeks. Far longer then she had expected, sure, but given the fact that she had carried the pack on her own far longer she was certain that he would be able (along with the aid of the ever loyal and faithful Sorya) to keep it together. If anything, by her leave it only proved further that she had come to trust Angier at her side more then she could have ever hoped for. "After Deacon... I couldn't stand to just sit around, pacing at the borders in wait. I had to at least try."

Her eyes turned away at the painful thought of the Grizzly Hollow children's deaths. One having gone missing for which Borden left them over, only to find the child rotten and Borden to yet still have not returned. The second, bitten by a snake, so poisonous and so far gone none of Elettra's treatments helped until he was left to suffer and slowly die. Angier and herself had been extremely lucky that none of this had happened to their children. Of course a few had wondered off, but they had returned and none had die. For this, Elettra knew herself to be the only one who had not lost a child to the Lore. Though Asriel and Greer had wondered off, Skoll, Morganna, Castiel and Deacon were all here and everyone was still very much alive. Even if in the coming years she did loose one of them, it would not be due to her poor parenting. 

"I'll do as I please, Angier Lyall." Her words were low, but her warning was sharp as she still continued to look away, to her gray tipped toes. Sure, he had power over the pack at being the Leader at her side, but they were both equal and she would make damn sure he knew, even if he loved her so and wanted her protected, he held no claim over what she did and did not do. "...Maybe I'll just bring you with me next time." ...Or at least let him know, which was a very brash move anyhow. She fights a small smile, lifting her head back up so that her eyes may once more meet his own.

(This post was last modified: Feb 14, 2015, 05:39 PM by Elettra. Edit Reason: coding. )

Of course Elettra Archer was going to try to retrieve her... their... son; and, of course, she had resorted to such a thing because they only had so many resources during the winter. Angier had expected it but, still, he frowned. It seemed for a time they were quiet, as though there had been a need to remember the children Jaysyek had lost. The Lyalls that were never even given the chance to be recovered or granted a second chance at life. It truly was a shame, but perhaps the gods had taken them for reasons better left unknown.

Then came her comeback. Angier exhaled sharply, still obviously irked. He should have known that was coming. Looking to her, staring into the side of her face, he drew his lips into a thin line and the fur along his spine dared to rise. Intimidated as he was by the tone in her warning, he held his tongue; and, it was a good thing he did or else he would have missed the last part of her sentence. "...Maybe I'll just bring you with me next time."

The tawny Leader couldn't help himself when she looked at him; his smile returned, almost effortlessly. The Archer woman had always had that sort of effect on him. Not only that, but he had already wasted so much energy worrying about her that there was simply nothing left in him to fret anymore. "I'd appreciate that," he whispered, the corners of his mouth lifting even more. As carefully as he could, he moved even closer to her, pressing his side to hers and angling himself so that he could crane his neck over and gently press his temple to her throat and the front of her chest. He closed his eyes as he nuzzled the side of his face into her, his ears submissively folded back against his neck. "I jus' didn't want anythin' ta happen to ya," he admitted quietly, "an' I didn't- I jus' didn't wanna be like... like them..." If Jaysyek had already showed up in his mind's eye, she was now joined by Corinna, just as Angier remembered her - in stolen glimpses - in her grief over Indru's disappearance. As Leaders they were mentally wired to stand on their own, whereas Angier, a follower by nature, had it in him to follow. Without Elettra, he was utterly afraid of the (fearful, anxiety-fueled) beast or the hollow shell he might have become in her absence.

He took a deep breath, taking in the signature scent that was solely hers. "So what do we do now?" he quietly asked, his gaze glancing upward even if he couldn't see her face. "Will you plan to go back out again?"

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"Well I don't any anything to happen to me ether." She smirks ever so delicately, moving down her head so that her chin could brush along the top of his crown, which pressed to the front of her chest. "And were not like them." If that was not obvious enough, she confirmed it with her words. After all, they had successfully raised two litters together, none of which had died even despite the fact that the previous winter had been very horrible, causing the lives and disappearance of many within Relic Lore, even so in their own pack lands. Of course, Elettra new that mother nature did occur - accidents happened, sick or deformed pups were born in litters, even stillborns were not something that was beyond them. They had been successful and very lucky.

She shakes her head lightly then. "We move on." She hated to say it, but she had done what she personally could to find her son - search for him, not to mention get stranded in the process. There was plenty scouts enough to search along the borders and beyond the lands in search for him. Not to mention Sorya said she would keep a look out when she went off to venture back home, something Angier would surely figure out in time. Elettra bothered not to tell him yet, knowing Sorya would not leave until after winter and there was plenty of other moments to pass the message on if Sorya did not do so herself. "He has been given the proper training in hunting and sparring. And we both know he can keep hidden if need be..." If anything, Greer was well enough put together to allow Elettra to know he was well capable of surviving on his own.

"We move on," she told him and he hummed a note of approval, still pressing his ear to her chest. Then, after another brief moment of silence, she reminded him that their sons - Greer especially - were not just old enough to be out on their own, but they had been properly trained to handle the wilderness of Relic Lore alone. If he could have had it his way, he would have asked that the traditions of Bertram Valley be strictly enforced within Willow Ridge. It was a simple request, merely one that asked that the sons born into the pack remain with their parents until the age of two. Clearly, things were different here, and perhaps everything would still work out - Greer would be able to return home when he was ready. All they had to do was to trust that Relic Lore was truly not that cruel, that the Old Gods would mind the young Archer-Lyall's whereabouts, and that they, Elettra and Angier, had done all they could to arm their last-born boy with the wits to face the elements alone.

He closed his eyes again, still pressing his skull to her as he let loose a sigh. That was the last of his worries then. Elettra was here and it was certain now that somewhere beyond Willow Ridge a near-yearling with a coat as black as the night was forging his own path through the Lore.

"Stay with me tonight?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. "Here, without the boys, the yearlings, the pack..." With barely any herbs left from the "summer harvest" of Solomon's seal, fresh willow bark, ginger root, and other miscellaneous greens, the storage den could be the very last place where anyone could go looking for their Leaders. A hopeful smile began to inch up on his graying muzzle and as he anticipated her to think over such a proposal, he gently pulled away from her so he could see the entirety of her face. It was as though he could have just met here all over again beneath the willows; the feelings of being complete, secure, and so sure of himself budding once more within him. The place in his heart where she had briefly left was occupied once more, chasing away the rest of his worries and his doubt. He tenderly brought his lips to her chin, licking it once in forgiveness, gratitude, and a sign of submission - the acknowledgement of her as his Queen.

He smiled softly at her now, standing up and giving his tail a small wag. The more Angier gazed at her, the more the came to realize that he could never be mad at her for long. If she didn't know what she was doing, then she wouldn't have thought to let her mate and sister run the place while she was gone; and, she trusted. Beyond all things. "I just want to be with you. Alone," he murmured, still admiring her. "Just us."

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