Drooping Willows If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.

For Uncle @Nicolò! <3 Your nephew would like a word or two~

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.

---

September 23; Evening, after sunset; Partly Cloudy; 47 ° F, 8 ° C.

After catching up on his rest, Sköll emerged from the depths of Willow Ridge. Since his little scuffle with Angier, the prince had been biding his time. When he wasn't taking care of Sven and switching off cub-duties (relaying lessons and , mostly, since the boy was much too old now to be cub-sat), he was stalking the territory and tracking the scent trails that wove through the willows. One particular individual he was keen on shadowing was the Ridge's current second-in-command, his Aunt Adele's counterpart, Uncle Nicolo.

The hunt for Piety had come to a moot point at long last. Given that a position of power had finally opened up to him, he was not going to exhaust his energy just looking for her. In fact, it made more sense for him to challenge up in rank; then, once given some degree of control of the pack, he figured he might order the rest of the family to look for her while he stayed at home. He would deal with that all later though - that is, if it was worth the effort at all anymore. Since his encounter with the suspicious man in the west, somewhere within Cedarwood Forest, he had almost come to think that maybe if she was meant to be with him, she would return. On another hand, there was also the idea that if he seized control of the pack, perhaps she would come crawling back. For who could deny the protection of a full-fledged king?

All Sköll had to do was prove himself worthy of such a title.

After sometime Nicoló's trail grew stronger and every so often, his path intertwined with that of Adele's. Apart from knowing that they were related to one another, Sköll knew absolutely nothing apart from the fact that his uncle was a self-proclaimed scholar and historian. Since his initiation into the pack, he had specifically come to be Willow Ridge's resident scholar and historian. This, the prince hoped, hinted at the man's ability with words. Words were something he definitely could do; and, if he could talk his way into his uncle's favor, he would do so at the figurative drop of a hat.

Somewhere ahead of him he thought he heard the willow branches shift and the younger Archer stopped in his tracks. His ears cupped forward and his tail drew up in an eager wag. There would be no need to draw his weapon - a figurative snickersnee fashioned from insults and slander - just yet; that would be for later if things didn't pan out as he would have hoped. For now, all he wanted was some quality time between uncle and nephew and to see for himself if Nicoló was truly the record-keeper he claimed he was.

"Uncle?" he tried at first, staring through the gathering dark and into the still-green underbrush between the trees. "Uncle Ni-coló? I'd... I'd like to speak with you..."

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

He was a generally peaceful wolf in most matters. As long as he remained with his sister and did what was asked of him by either Elettra or Angier, he counted himself lucky. As of late, he came to acknowledge his ever rising rank, due to others dying or disappearing. The Willow Ridge numbers were lowering and Nicolò made sure that with every loss he could try to make up for their disappearances. One disappearance that intrigued him in particular was Piety. She had gone through such a hard time to have a children only to leave. It was insulting that Elettra even allowed Piety to stay in the first place, the fact that she had just up and left was mildly insulting. Nico had never really taken the time to get to know his nephew since he arrived in Willow Ridge, deciding that, after the meeting, it was best he stay away from the young prince. It seemed that all Sköll stirred up was trouble and the dark man wanted nothing to do with it. None the less, the storyteller always had a weakness for the children and Nico still viewed El’s son as such. So when the beckoning came from the dark lad, Nico remained in place before Sköll implored for his presence. With a sigh of regret to his decision, the Archer turned towards where the young man had called. Letting out a bark to Adele, telling her that he would be back soon and to stay where she was, Nico started towards where the boy was. Due to his medium build, it did not take Nico too long to get to where the Lowest was. Upon seeing him, Nico’s posture raised, something he did not bother with when he was with his sister. Staring at his nephew for a moment, the man cleared his throat before rumbling to Sköll in his tenor voice, "What do you need, nephew?" The man remained firm in where he was standing, observing the way Sköll would react to his presence. Unsure if he should expect trouble or not, the dark man would remain guarded until he felt it was safe to do otherwise.

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Sköll's shift in rank had been kept secret; no one had known what had happened for the prince to regain a place just above his yearling half-brother Greer. No longer did he sneak about on the ground like some angry viper just laying low in the grass; he was a wolf, his mother's son... a lupine prince who had every right to the land under the Queen's reign. His stance remained neutral, though a spark of determination blazed behind his colorless eyes. As those dark, pointy ears picked up on Nicolò's muffled bark - something of an assurance, no doubt, to his Aunt Adele. It had occurred to the young prince, some time after the duo had joined, that every time he stumbled upon their scents the other seemed to keep nearby; a part of him convinced that perhaps they shared as close of a bond as he had with Morganna. He steeled himself in the meantime, attempting to keep an open mind on what was about to unfold.

The slightly smaller Archer emerged and Sköll was quick to take note of how his superior held himself. It took every fiber of his whole being to not try and physically initiate a challenge. Even if he had come of age and was gifted with the larger build of his estranged father, Sköll's inexperience held him back. The only individual he knew how to fight, let alone intimidate, was Angier.

Nicolò's throat cleared and the prince gave a rather respectful nod as he averted his gaze, fully comprehending the man's question. It was heartening at the very least to hear that some individuals - apart from Morganna - still considered him as apart of the family after his little mishap with Piety. He could play "somewhat dumb" for now and prove that he was something of an eager subordinate; he wanted to test the waters first. Perhaps all it would take is a few choice words rather than an actual full-fledged, "no holds barred" brawl, like what had pretty much happened with the tawny Leader.

Sköll smiled as amiably as he could as his eyes flit to the historian's face. "I was wondering if I could have a word with you, " he requested. "You see, it has come to my attention that my step-father's begun to show some weakness and I am concerned for his hold on the Ridge." Idly, his tail waved behind him and his voice grew to harbor a hint of eagerness and prying curiosity. "I'm sure you know more than I do about such circumstances. I was wondering what you might suggest from your experiences in Torbine. I figured I would do him a favor and ask on his behalf... "

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Nico had not had a good impression of his nephew and while he felt it deep inside of him, he remained stoic on the outside. If he had learned anything from his past at the Torbine, it had been that emotions were weakness and if your enemy could exploit that weakness, they would use it to take him down. So he remained silent, giving a silent nod to the dark boy who had requested his presence. He remained impassive as Sköll spoke his concerns about Angier’s leadership. While the uncle could understand why El’s son would be concerned, Nico was sure that Elettra was the head of power within Willow Ridge. After all, she had founded it and had remained the powerful leader throughout all the years. He evaluated his thoughts slowly, wanting to give his nephew an answer that would be professional and not biased. Clearing his throat, the black man’s voice rumbled deeply, "In my experiences, there is always one who overpowers the other…" he paused, before continuing, trying to find out his own information, "Have you spoken to your mother about your concerns?" It was the most professional question he could consider asking. If Sköll had come to him before going to his mother, then Nico would have to bring this to his sister. As far as the Archer man knew, Sköll was still Lowest and shouldn’t have been concerned with the politics within the pack. The storyteller said no more, waiting for the response from his nephew.

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Wondering, wondering... Skoll grimaced to himself on the inside; hopefully it wasn't too uncharacteristic of him to ponder or even pry. It was no confidential matter about his uncle's background and it had been encouraged by @Elettra some months ago to seek out the Torbine historian for a lesson or two. Perhaps it was just a way for the Queen to push her reluctant son into some familial bonding, but the prince was definitely hellbent on making this so much more...

Nicolò cleared his throat and the younger Archer's ears returned forward to show that he was really paying attention to everything that was said. One corner of his white-furred mouth curled up in a half-smile to show that he understood what he meant to say about the order of their hierarchy. He even kept quiet long enough to let Nicolò speak up further with a question.

"I haven't," he admitted, almost without pause. "Not yet."

Here, he had a lightning-quick debate over whether or not he should act, to put on some sort of show to really get the historian's attention. He opted not to. Nicolò was family after all and, perhaps, much more important in Elettra's book than, say, Xetor was. "You'll be the first to know," he began. "But, he attacked me." This was only a part of the story but Skoll was all about trying to play his cards in a way that showcased him as a victim... for sympathy, something he could feed off of.

"I made the mistake of catching him alone and he outright lashed out. If it weren't for Morganna being there, after following my trail, I could have been dead. I need your help, Uncle--" He was trying to reinstate his plea, make it something of an utter, desperate need for guidance and support. "Surely, men who've let their reigns rot their crowns only lead a kingdom to ruin. It's obvious from this little... bit that something has to be done. I know his tactics now, lend me your position so that I may knock him down a peg. You know my mother wouldn't stand for that..."

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

In his time as historian back in the Torbine, many had encountered him and many, over time, had discovered that he wasn’t stupid. In his days, Nicolò had seen his pack of deceptions in order to get what they wanted out of others. From the moment of the meeting and Sköll’s obvious disobedience towards the law, Nico had an instant dislike towards him. While the storyteller certainly couldn’t confirm if his assumptions were true, the way his nephew was talking certainly intimated at it. However, the older Archer was still getting accustomed to pack life and had not been able to completely fulfil his duty towards his sister as Second. He had to resist cracking a smile at Sköll’s words, but remained neutral as he listened to his family member’s story. Dark ears flicked forward attentively and his pale yellow eyes narrowed as he considered his nephews words over in his head. Pursing his lips, he mulled over what he could say. Nico knew he didn’t know the land well enough and certainly didn’t know Sköll well enough, nor did he know many of his pack mates. In his experience, it was always better for the oppressor to believe that he was on their side and if they made a wrong move, it would be then that he would be able to take him down. In the end, when his lips parted, his words were placed carefully, "I see where you’re going with this… The position of Second is yours, nephew. I will be sure to keep an eye on Angier as well." He dipped his head at Sköll, showing his slight sign of submission but keeping their gazes locked. It would take time for his nephew to trust him, he was sure. But if he played his cards correctly he knew he could be just as deceptive as his ancestors.

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