Willow Ridge the history men

@Hecate

Whatever business had taken @Morganna away from her pack for so long, Craw was content for it to continue. The opportunity to mingle with the others under his own simple flag of 'newcomer' was, he hoped, to prove enlightening. He had placed many assumptions at the feet of the woman he had only met once and subsequently travelled days for, who he had righteously slaughtered a wolverine for. He was aware of these assumptions. The dark woman had introduced herself well, had impressed him with her manner and ambition, but he had to find out if she was a winner or a dud. What he had seen of her family and its legacy was impressive, but she was nothing more than the product of such success, not its enactor. Perhaps her own mother made it look so easy that Morganna fancied her chances at it, thinking her genes alone made her worthy.

There was much to find out, yet, and he did not intend on being hasty. No matter what had brought him here, Craw knew that the willows was a strong place to endure the winter, and planned on building ties to those who lived within. Gone were the days of starvation and desperation; now was time to rebuild, slowly, carefully.

It was a quiet morning. He gazed over the rocks which surrounded the open area by the densite, admiring, once more, its discovery and claiming. This was a good location, memorable and defensible, and he could tell by the many footprints and scuff marks that willow wolves had gathered in this very spot for years. It would not be easy to overthrow such a mature hierarchy, such history. Was Morganna really up to it?

LIE THROUGH A LIAR'S TEETH

Hecate peered out onto the den site, intending on offering help to her matriarch if it was needed. She never really spent her time around the den, it was often too busy with business or the kids shouting. It was rare to see the Liar's uniquely stark fur near the site. The den was silent, no sign of life poking out of the dark hole. Not even the soft snoring of the babes was present. Huh. Hecate thought simply. It proved to be a perfect moment for the young woman to explore her pack's history, taking a few steps forward out of the trees.


She wasn't alone, unfortunately. A strangely skeletal figure was making himself quite comfortable near the den. Mystic green eyes looked the man up and down, a loose smile fitting itself on her muzzle. "Well shit, you look like y'been through hell an' back." It was odd to think such markings could exist on someone. Hecate wished to have a more striking appearance, her eyes seemed to do the trick though. Not particularly afraid of the strange man, she approached- edging on the brink of being too close. He was a Ridge member, but only recently had he joined; the scent of willows wasn't yet soaked into his very skin. "Who are you?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 12, 2015, 07:37 PM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

@Hecate

Content in his deliberations, Craw did not pay much mind to the telltale sounds of someone stalking about nearby. This deep in the territory, he assumed that the source could only be a pack wolf - and if it turned out otherwise, well, he was in the right place at the right time. When the slip of white appeared at the edge of his vision, Craw turned his head only slightly to acknowledge his company, twisting an ear in her direction. Even at this distance, he could detect the well-established scent of the pack on her, and his manner remained relaxed.

Her blunt opener changed that, though. Blinking once at the unexpectedly comfortable way she greeted him - if that could indeed be called a greeting - he turned to look at her properly, attention summarily captured. Her way of speaking, her brusque choice of words, reminded him of Morganna, and that was, currently, a favourable comparison. Her easy smile was met with a slow smirk, as he looked the white woman over, noting her unusual eyes and attractive features. The willows woman moved forward, encroaching on Craw's personal space just a little too much, but he did not react, and let her come. He often did the same thing to see how others reacted to a little casual provocation, and was not inclined to slink away from her closeness as though she intimidated him.

"My name is Craw," he replied, wheezing a breath before continuing, ears pushed towards his packmate in open interest. "And no, actually - I haven't gone back yet." The smirk broadened for a moment before he tilted his head, his yellow gaze locked on her greens. This was one of the few times that he saw any value in more traditional introductions, for the identities of his packmates was always important, unlike those of the various vagrants he had had the mixed fortune to come across during his last months alone. "Who are you?"

LIE THROUGH A LIAR'S TEETH

He wasn't an asshole, that was for sure. He gave a slow smirk in return, a generally pleased sign emitting from him. He didn't pull away just yet, allowing her to inspect his personal space. He smelled like ginger and the pollen of buttercups, her nose darting around his front. Her head drew back, taking a step away so he could have room. Her mind mulled over the name Craw, its harshness rubbing in her ears. She flicked an ear, brows raising curiously. In return for hers, he offered a dark joke. A smile spread like butter over her maw, a raspy cackle rising in the fall air- Hecate liked this strange man, he had made her laugh. "Hecate Liar, pleased t'meet cha sir." She said smokily, a curt nod of her head in respect due to his humor and gentleman-like personality.

She eyed him over again, trying to look past the ashen fur. Bulk brewed beneath, supported with sturdy strong legs. He was inherently a fighter, she could use someone like him. A brow furrowed deeply, eyes gleaming with thought. "Craw dear, have you spoken to anyone about a task here?" She pondered if Angier and Elettra had already assigned him the position of guardian- after all, Adele was growing older and older each day.

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2015, 12:16 AM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

Her rough laughter was met with a toothy smile, and Craw relaxed, finding this packmate to be easy company. Indeed, he was yet to meet a disagreeable one - which could bode good or ill, depending on how tight-knit they already were. So many potential allies were floated in front of his nose, but there were so much potential for burnt bridges. Yet it was early days, and Craw allowed himself the opportunity to simply make the connections in the first place. There was no need to be thinking harder about this woman than necessary.

@Hecate, she called herself, with such a curious surname. Fleetingly his mind went back to Capable, and he wondered if Hecate had chosen this name for herself. Was it ironic, or foreshadowing? What kind of family kept such a destructive word at the centre of their identity? But her manners were good, and Craw nodded back, deciding to wait and judge her by her actions rather than by the words she used to name herself.

Openly she looked over him, and he let her, his eyes fixed on hers as they wandered over his increasingly-healthy frame. Every day he felt a little more rejuvenated, a little closer to that physical peak he had reached. He would achieve that again, he had decided - and then surpass it. Her question was unexpected, but he did not waste time pondering her motivations; "No," he said honestly, twisting his head a little to better watch her, to try and discern her train of thought, the rest of his reply open and obvious in his expression: why do you ask?

LIE THROUGH A LIAR'S TEETH

He gave her a minute to overlook, not like she would have stopped if he had protested. After her quick scan, she glanced back up with a thought provoking grin. Yes, yes; he would do just fine. "Hmm, have ya any experience of fighting?" She asked gently, trailing a comfortable circle around him. Hecate knew Skoll would be busy at times and having an outlook from two different aspects would be perfectly beneficial. "Y'see, I've come to the realization tha' ye don't only need a brain n'this world, but some strength too." The young woman claimed as she came full rotation around him. This little plan she was calculating in the dwellings of her brain would mend the two as allies and possible partners. If Hecate was going to make it in this world, she had to build a support system. She had Greer, Skoll and possibly Angier; it was a shitty start, but things would turn up eventually. 

"I'm workin' with one of th'members on my strategy and experience. But, I can't rely on him for everythin'- everybody has there shit t'deal with." She said with an even smile, taking a seat in front of him. "So, my point in tellin' ya this would be the fact that I need a light sparring partner- an with m'luck, I think y'll do just fine." Her glimmering voice crawled into his ears, aiming to pry at his good side. 

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2015, 01:27 AM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

Did he have any experience of fighting? The question was too amusing to properly answer, and instead he just looked at her, letting her make an educated guess as she walked a lazy loop around him. The motivation behind her question was already fairly clear from the pointed question, but Hecate went on to confirm it, talking of the importance of balancing brains with brawn. Craw, of course, had the balance down to an art; he was proof that there was no reason a single wolf couldn't have both.

Who was this mystery training partner she had? Why would she deliberately not mention his name? Either it was because she thought that Craw wouldn't recognise the name anyway, or was intentionally hiding it. He strongly suspected the latter. "I see," he said levelly, watching her with renewed interest, wondering at the secrets she was holding. The wolves of the Ridge certainly seemed to have typecast Craw as their go-to Miyagi, for it was the exact reason that Morganna had recruited him - as well as having a wolf expressly on her side as opposed to her mother's. If this had been Craw's pack, he would have not thought twice to agree, but these were not his wolves. While he hoped to build alliances from within Willow Ridge, he had to be a little more careful about those he actively helped improved in skill and strength. It would be utterly foolish to train wolves who would eventually become his enemies... unless he sabotaged them. But that was, similarly, a road difficult to come back from; he would have to determine which was the best course of action prior to taking it.

"You aim to become a guardian?" he ventured lightly, trying to encourage her to say a little more without outright asking. He was more interested to know what Hecate felt comfortable sharing than trying to force her secrets into the open. "Or do you just believe your skills are lacking to be of significant use to the pack?"

POURED MY HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS SHIT POST XD

LIE THROUGH A LIAR'S TEETH

He was quick to understand what she was saying, as if he suspected it the whole time. He was sharp, but sharp things can slice the ignorant. She nibbled on her tongue, calculating this new card in her deck. He seemed to know his way around all of this, and she would need to be on top securities around him. Trusting someone like this could backfire, but she was sure he was thinking the same. Craw asked her if she had any plans in becoming a guardian, dipping his ashy paws into the water- it was up to her to change the temperature from scalding hot to glacier cold. The woman let out a raspy sigh, rolling her shoulders slightly. "I ain't gunna fuck 'round." She hoped he would be comfortable with her language, he was a big boy and could handle her throws. "I gotta thing fer power, but, I can roll w'second in command." She wanted to make sure her motives were clear, she wasn't looking at the crown- yet. Hecate liked @Morganna and with @Skoll behind Angier, it wouldn't be long until he too rested with Elettra. "Fer th'position I want, I'm gonna need'a whole book of skills t'back me up." She wasn't going to announce her plans just yet, they first needed a solid agreement.

(This post was last modified: Dec 21, 2015, 02:24 AM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

I think El was still leader when this was made, so I'm rolling with that in this post. Also @Hecate is wonderful and I love her.

A long, slow smile broke across Craw's face as Hecate levelled with him. Excellent. He loved it when others didn't fuck around, and though he would wait and see if he believed her honesty, that she was offering it at all let him relax further. What a curious woman! The pack certainly had its share of interesting members. That her goal was power was no strange revelation, though it was of note that she was not gunning for @Elettra's position - a good thing, for Craw had already quietly promised his support to @Morganna for that very thing. But female Second? He saw no issue with helping Hecate's aspirations there, so long as doing so offered some value in return.

"You intend on challenging up," he said simply as he watched her, absorbed in the nuances in her expression and posture, waiting for any sign of deception - but so far, he could see no reason to disbelieve her, and again he wondered at the identity she had withheld. Rolling his shoulders to loosen them, Craw grunted softly, a small motion towards accepting her proposal. "Your training partner supports these aspirations? Though it does not matter - I see no reason to oppose. Still..." he drawled, licking his lips, "I do assume there is something in it for me."

He did not expect any grand offer; a strengthened relationship would be enough, sweet words of mutual benefit. It would do him good to regularly train with someone other than Morganna, and perhaps whatever little secret underlay Hecate's mysterious partnership would eventually come to light, and, with any luck, it would be information worth knowing.