Willow Ridge You haven't learned anything, Anakin.

For Skoll. @Elettra or @Morganna are welcome to take notice/intervene. Feel free to jump in whenever there seems to be a lull between my posts and I'll maintain post order.

RE: The sky is dark with storm clouds.

September 16; Late Afternoon; Cloudy; 52 ° F, 11 ° C.

Another storm was on the rise. The tawny Leader could feel it in the air, taste it on his tongue, and sense it in the way the winds tousled his graying fur. He had just caught Niles running around on his own, romping through the trees where the leaves were beginning to fall; his instincts drove him to run after the boy, but he opted not to. Niles, @Ravenna, and @Isolde were at the age of exploration and a burning need to test their limits. Deep within Willow Ridge, the trio were bound to keep out of trouble if they stayed within bounds (something he was certain one of the three would maintain; Niles, not too long ago, had made himself an example for the girls and Angier used his son to show his daughters how to properly and respectfully submit to an adult).

He watched as his son disappeared into the trees. Apart from minding the borders, he had little else to do. With his arthritis beginning to flare up with the cooler weather (and advancing age), he wasn't quite sure he could do what he normally would - scavenge, hunt, patrol, play with the cubs, check on @Sven. At least, not today.

A slow, well-paced stride brought him into the very clearing where he and Guiness once fought for the position at Elettra's side. He could recall how the brawl had gone down and remember the places where the Guardian had bested him... that moment when one simple misstep had landed Angier on the ground with no choice but to give up the fight. His ears lowered at the memory. Oh, Guiness. If that cougar hadn't taken him out, perhaps, the pack would have been better off. With winter seemingly just around the bend once more, the Lyall couldn't help but worry. Xetor was gone, Greer kept scarce, and his brother-in-law, @Nicolò kept to himself.

Angier Lyall, after two years of Leadership and then some, had no Guardians or grown sons at his back to protect him. The oncoming storm whipped a gust of wind through the willows and over his face. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown...

Skoll rolls a (d10) and gets a 7. Skoll’s move is a miss.
Skoll’s HP: 24/24
Angier’s HP: 42/42

It was almost too easy. Once Sköll had arrived back on Willow Ridge soil, all he had to do was remain scarce, track the movements of a majority of his pack mates, and bide his time. The pack had come to feel like it had run on clockwork; day in and day out, its members did as was expected of them, each duty done in turn within a reasonable timeframe. The only gap within it all being him and his age-mate sister Morganna. They seemed to do as they pleased, working in circles together around @Sven and the younger Archer-Lyall cubs while Piety remained absent and Elettra kept busy at the outskirts of her realm.

It seemed as though the evening hours had come upon them much earlier than expected. The sun was tucked away behind dark-lined clouds and a cool, autumn storm rolled over the willows on a nose-biting breeze. It was perfect. For as long as he remained upwind, he could truly become invisible, in the middle of the day, lingering at the corner of his target's eye if only Angier dared to look. The rustling of the trees partially disguised his swift steps and the movement of the long whip-like branches all around them guided his steps.

He trailed Angier for several minutes, watching even as his half-brother scampered off somewhere to his right. Eventually, the both of them came to a space in the middle of four majestic willow trees. As the patriarch walked into the open glade, Skoll ducked behind the willow whose branches still held tight to their fading leaves. Vigilant silver eyes studied him in the spaces between the vines as they danced in front of his scarred face.

Everywhere Angier looked and placed his paws, the demon prince took note. It was only until he found himself at the Lyall's back did he fully feel the itch at the bottom of his pads, the adrenaline beginning to surge through his veins. He leapt but it was a moment too soon. His long limbs were no match for the slick leaves that were skittering over the dying grasses. Perhaps he had been set up. His intended attack would miss as he slid to his step-father's right side, his forelimbs sprawled out as he used his splayed back legs to stop. Jaws agape, now in fear rather than determination and intention to wound, he stared up into Angier's silvered face. His pointed black ears fell back...

(This post was last modified: Sep 16, 2015, 11:28 PM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Angier rolls a (d10) and gets a 4. Angier’s move is a hit.
Angier rolls (d6) and gets a 5. He does 13 damage.
Skoll’s HP: 11/24
Angier’s HP: 42/42

It could have almost been expected - he was far from the pack den, alone and without Elettra nearby. What was more was that he had no one to back him up. It was only his good fortune that made his step-son - the wretched and spoiled middle-born of his mate's first Relic Lore-born litter - turn up at his side in what was obviously an attack gone wrong. Where once was something akin to hatred, surprise and dread over took that marred face. It urged Angier to find his feet and assume his position as the prince's superior and disciplinarian no matter how much it hurt for him to move.

His reaction happened so quickly, it left little room for Sköll counter him. Just like that, the heftier Great Plains wolf was on him, lifting his right forepaw to step over the Archer's right side and stand over him. His muzzle dove down into Sköll's ruff at first, remaining there as he growled along with the thunder above.

"Stupid, stupid boy!" he wrenched his maw to one side, pulling the Archer's head with it. "I'm not that easy ta git rid of! Whut makes ya think I'm no different than that other man ya killed?!" He might not have been there when Sköll had returned home from his mission in the north but he had definitely heard about it from Elettra herself. He knew everything, just as she did. A snarl attempted to prompt an answer from the brute, to further bully the most inferior member of the pack. If this was not his duty as Lowest, then Angier was going to enjoy this while it lasted, surely the noise they would make if Sköll tried to recover himself would catch someone's attention.

He warned, "You can't get rid of me. I will kill you before you even try!"

(This post was last modified: Sep 16, 2015, 11:27 PM by Angier.)

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Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

Skoll rolls a (d10) and gets a 2. Skoll’s move is a miss.
Skoll’s HP: 11/24
Angier’s HP: 42/42

Sköll's eyes closed; it was the least he could do apart from turning his head. He felt Angier's teeth sink into the back of his neck, threatening to pierce through his undercoat and into his skin. He had done this once - to Rook Lyall, no less - and now he knew for himself just how it felt to be the one on the receiving end of a death threat.

"Stupid, stupid boy!" the Leader roared. A pained yelp came from him in protest as Angier jerked his head to one side. The Archer continued to stare into the back of his eyelids, closing them as tight as he could manage, embracing the black and using it to ward off the pain that was darting into the back of his skull. "I'm not that easy ta git rid of! Whut makes ya think I'm no different than that other man ya killed?!" More than once, a whimper fled from his lips and he winced. Tears emerged from the corners of his eyes, rolling down his stark black cheeks. He didn't have an answer; his motives had been clear from the very day he had learned about the line of succession within his mother's pack and, if Angier had never taken to him as one of his own, there was only one way around trying to obtain the Lead position for himself.

"You can't get rid of me," the Lyall made certain to clarify. I will kill you before you even try!" A shudder overcame the prince's shoulders and chest; he trembled. At long last the King of Willow Ridge had shown his true colors. He didn't love Sköll; he probably never did and, now, he never would. Not after this.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Roll - in case I got it wrong in my rustiness
Morganna rolls a d10 and gets 6 (+7) = 13
Angier's Def 11
Attack is a hit.
Morganna rolls a d6 and gets 5 (+2) = 7

Morganna's HP: 39/39
Angier's HP: 35/42
Skoll's HP: 11/24

don't need reason

Morganna Archer

don't need rhyme

There was something about an incoming storm. The static in the air, the weight that pressed down, like being trapped in a pressure cooker waiting to blow its lid. Her skin would crawl until the clouds finally broke and bought with them relief from the oppression… It made tempers short and seemingly bought out the worst in everyone. She was surprised when she found @Skoll gone from his den already, @Sven nowhere in sight. Assuming they had taken an afternoon stroll together she ambled along in her bothers wake, no urgency in her steps and a small smile on her face as she contemplated a surprise attack on her nephew when she finally caught up to them.

Thunder rolled overhead but it was laced with something much more earthly as the wind whipped the combined scents of her brother and stepfather her way. Her heart leapt into her throat, a taste she could only describe as dread filling her mouth with hints of bile and panic only growing stronger as @Angier’s voice finally swept over her ears. I will kill you…

Pushing forward, her heart hammering in her chest, burning eyes finally fell on Angier standing over Skoll, his whines the final straw as lips pulled back to reveal her teeth and her hackles rose in response. Her own growl echoed the thunder as she advanced steadily, eyes only resting on her brother for a heartbeat before her eyes locked on the wolf standing over him. “Yer pick and yer peck and push ‘im away. Is it really a s’prise ‘e HATES YOU?!” she hurled at the agouti king. “Yer old an’ it’s only a matter ‘o time. If not ‘im then who?” she goaded further. Your time is up. “Get. Off. My. Brother.” It was a quiet demand, laced with venom.

Nobody would ever get away with treating her brother like that if she was within earshot.

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(This post was last modified: Sep 21, 2015, 09:00 AM by Morganna.)

Angier doesn't make an attack...
Morganna's HP: 39/39
Angier's HP: 35/42
Skoll's HP: 11/24

It would seem that the thunder above agreed with what he had just said, additionally taunting the demon prince for the counterattack that would not come. What came instead was a voice that caught him off guard. Morganna. The Princess... with a declaration and an observation of her own. Reluctantly, he relinquished his hold on Sköll's ruff, though not before he increased the pressure in his jowls, hoping to coax one more cry from the silver-eyed Archer's mouth just for the sake of stroking his ego. He let Sköll's head drop to the ground as he met his adopted daughter's gaze.

Even if her words were nothing but a simple sting - compared to the blow of an actual attack or full-fledged verbal retaliation - he obeyed her. The King of Willow Ridge knew better than to defy a matriarch - reigning or upcoming. At the most, he flashed his yellowing teeth at her before reluctantly removing himself from the space above her brother's flattened body. A twinge of pain raced up his spine and over his shoulders - a falter in his step made this apparent - but, apart from a twitch in his right ear, he didn't even wince (regardless of how painful it really was).

"Ya know 'e can't challenge me," he retorted, keeping his tail high in the air. "He's gotta go through yer uncle first if 'e manages ta prove 'imself." He couldn't help but scoff, half-shrugging at Sköll who still remained on the ground, "Frankly doesn't seem like he's ready ta prove anythin'..."

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Skoll rolls a (d10) and gets a 9. Skoll’s move is a hit.
Skoll rolls (d6) and gets a 6. He does 9 damage (to Angier).
Morganna's HP: 39/39
Skoll’s HP: 11/24
Angier’s HP: 26/42

Despite his miscalculations and the internal scoldings that were now racing through his mind, Sköll did his best to keep himself grounded. Even as he quivered and shook he held fast, trying all he could to block the pain that radiated from the back of his neck to the base of his skull. He knew Angier couldn't kill him... If he did, the deed might as well be his one-way ticket out of Willow Ridge; surely Elettra would not stand for such a thing, let alone continue to align herself with a killer... one that could have done her in but never thought to do it.

For a while he believed he was done for - meant to use up his stamina until he had had enough of being humiliated and subject to more wounds and scars on his already mutilated face - until his saving grace came in his sister's wake. His eyelids cracked open, staring through the willows as he listened to her. What she had to say much have resounded in the aging man's mind because no sooner than she had made herself present, Angier let him go as soon as he whimpered. His chin found the ground beneath him but his ears did not yet perk up. Not even to listen as the Leader spat back at Morganna.

The prince's brows came down in a scowl, the fire inside him stoked and rekindled from her claim. As soon as Angier moved, Sköll found himself at an advantage...

Much like a snake, he subtly angled his head then, without much warning, he struck. If he hadn't been much faster than Angier, he could have missed the opportunity. His bared teeth threatened to find purchase on the Lyall's own nape, but the momentum from his strike was enough to sweep the King off his feet. It wasn't enough to, say, call the fight over, but it brought him back as something of a worthy opponent - even if there was barely enough fight left in him to continue on. While the whole of Angier's left side came in contact with the earth, Sköll's elbows and whatever weight or force he could muster crashed down on his ribs.

An ugly sneer distorted his face and he bared his teeth close to Angier's snout with a booming growl, as if to comment, 'You were saying?' His ear swiveled towards his sister, wondering if she might egg him on or deter him from continuing. He could do it, they both knew.. It was only a matter of questioning whether or not it was the right move to execute.

(This post was last modified: Sep 23, 2015, 06:10 AM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Roll(1d10)=10+7=17 attack is a critical hit
Roll(1d6)=4+2=6

Morganna's HP: 39/39
Skoll’s HP: 11/24
Angier’s HP: 20/42

don't need reason

Morganna Archer

don't need rhyme

Her teeth ground together as Angier clamped down on the back of her brothers neck, knowing full well a violent enough shake could sever the bone. But it seemed to be a final act to sate his ego, a reminder to both of them just who was in charge here. The low growl that was building in her chest was drowned out by another peal of thunder. She hadn’t missed the flash of his teeth but her posture relaxed as he let go of her brother and moved. She had been about to answer him when Skoll lashed out. Quick as a flash the tables were turned.

 

Surely by now Angier should know better.

Of all the things to do, she sighed, and took her time in moving herself around so she could catch her brothers eye. The shake of her head was minuscule. There was still too much heat floating around after the discovery of Xetor’s corpse and she wasn’t entirely sure her mother believed Titan was the culprit. Hell she sure as sunshine didn’t. “Adele’s silent shadow has lil interest in anythin’ but her.” She stepped closer to bump her nose against her brother’s temple, hoping it would be enough to encourage him to let go. “Skoll ‘as done ev’rythin’ mother stipulated an’ more. ‘E did it alone. Enuffs enuff.” Mother wouldn’t argue if it was Angier to lift his punishment she was sure, and with Angier's apparent blessing Skoll would be free to challenge the leader the right way, since he seemed to be inviting it.

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(This post was last modified: Sep 23, 2015, 06:46 AM by Morganna.)

Angier doesn't make an attack...
Morganna's HP: 39/39
Angier's HP: 20/42
Skoll's HP: 11/24

True; Angier should have known better. Not even a few minutes after he had released Sköll, the Archer retaliated. Air was forced from his lungs as the prince lunged, digging his elbows into his side and pinning him on the ground. Characteristically rather than instinctively, the Leader's lips twitched in what should have been a submissive grin. They all knew there were consequences and they knew that if they went any further one of them would end up delivering a killing blow. Of the two of them, both also knew that Sköll would be the one to spill Angier's blood. He was younger, faster, and more experienced in the art of homicide.

He didn't move apart from flaring his nostrils upon fully comprehending Morganna's words. Not only did it hurt too much in this position to return his step-son's actions in kind, but he was not in the right position to even carry on in something as significant as a jaw-spar. He let out a huff, just waiting for Sköll to get up and off of him. "Hierarchy is e'erything," he sniffed, becoming wary of the Archers' every move. "If he wants my place then he challenges up. That's that."

"You know that," he tactfully added, eyeing her. It might have been thoughtless of him to wander around with his guard down, but it was absolutely foolish of him to even think of turning around and taunting Sköll's sister, putting words in her mouth and possibly making everything worse... "If it was time fer me ta go, why didn't ya let 'im do it? Why spare me, huh? What am I to you besides a pretend-father an' someone yer brother jus' love ta hate?!"

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Suggested/Minor PP here (the briefest muzzle grab in all of history, tough love from Skoll to Morganna?). Let me know if I need to change it!

Skoll rolls a (d10) and gets a 10. Skoll’s move is a (critical) hit.
Skoll rolls (d6) and gets a 6. He does 9 damage (to Angier).
Morganna's HP: 39/39
Skoll’s HP: 11/24
Angier’s HP: 11/42

Even after Morganna's touch had convinced her brother to release his hold on Angier, Sköll's fur remained bristled and his tail kept high in the air. Angier left himself open to an attack. It took all of Sköll's inner will to keep himself from ending Angier's reign by his own teeth. On and on and on the Lyall babbled and the words coming off his tongue just aggravated him. He was told to challenge Nicoló before anything else; what was worse was that the King provoked Morganna. Humility, according to Sköll as an Archer, meant weakness; the lack of vanity translated into shame and a lack of self-worth. It pained the prince just to listen; @Elettra Archer deserved more than this...

Regardless of his sister's wordless request or command to allow Angier some space, Sköll acted on the Leader's words about his time as his Queen's king consort being up. Again, he was upon the silver-touched Lyall, another snarl emitting from his chest and throat as he continually forced and kept his step-father down to the ground. At first he planted a forepaw on either side of his head then, ever-so-smoothly he snaked his right forepaw, nails down, right into the King's throat. He should have been careful with what he wished for...

"If it won't be you, then it's me..." he jeered. "And I will not stand by and wait for you to die! I will not be bullied by some dull creature! I have the higher ground now, Angier, and YOU WILL YIELD TO ME!!"

(This post was last modified: Sep 23, 2015, 09:26 PM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away