Willow Ridge A Legacy Fit for My Father

Scents swirled around Hestia’s nostrils, like hummingbirds flitting around their precious flowers, only much less annoying. Her ears were swiveling atop her head to get a feeling for her surroundings, doing just as her father had taught her to do – be aware, for a wolf caught in obliviousness is a wolf better off dead. As the smells mixed, fought, and fled, scent borders too became noticeable. Willow trees, dried herbs, and dead grass were the most robust scents amongst the markers lining this territory. The icy bite of winter nipped fiercely at her cold nose, reminding her of her time spent with her god-brother Raikonen. Warily, she inhaled, closing in on the boundary of a territory that drew her in, made her feel at home again. The land shared an uncanny resemblance to her home, Gyldan Forest, in the winter time. Save for the trees, which were actually quite different and more consistent in this place. The flora did not share the diversity of her homeland, but she did not consider it a make-or-break feature. It was a separating aspect, and to quell her heartbreak, that is what the former heir was looking for. A change.

When the border-marking was well within a few strides, Hestia rested back on her haunches. This land seemed formidable to her, for the scenery was elegant as well as respectful. Her good intentions and the word of Lupus had drawn her here, inspiring a belief that she would soon thrive and build a reputation of her own. Her teeth grit and her eyes settled on a point deep into the willows, her ears flicking, searching for any sign of life. All she would receive was the babbling of a slow river off in the distance, or the occasional rustle of a bush. Hestia knew next to nothing about this land, or its wolves, but she was confident in ability to earn her place here, and learn all she could. ‘Intelligence is power, Hestia.’ Zeus’s words rang out in her conscience, causing her to wince and shut her eyes for a brief moment. The world became still around her, as she tilted her head back, and sang out a short alarm. It was neutral enough to announce her presence, but urgent enough in asking one to come hastily.

She was patient, but even her bounds could be stretched if she was pushed enough.

(This post was last modified: Dec 21, 2015, 03:09 AM by Hestia.)

 There was still no sign of Isolde. Her mother @Elettra and @Angier had departed in search of the girl, but a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach boded ill for the child. Knowing that she had allowed @Peirus to escape once was questionable but twice? It was inexcusable and if ill had befallen her youngest sister due to Morganna's inability to finish what she started she was hardly worthy of the position she so precariously clung to, was she?


Borders marked, caches checked. She was about to track down @Craw for a spar, hoping the scuffle would burn off some of the agitation that crawled under her skin. The howl was met with a flash of her teeth and a low growl. With the sun so high in the sky, Skoll would still be abed. It wasn't that her brother didn't pull his weight but sometimes she wished he operated on normal hours so she didn't have to greet every yowling... she cut off her train of thought with a snort. She had already turned away one loner howling at her door. It could only get easier right?

Picking the most direct path to the approximate location of the call, her splayed toes supported her through the quickly deepening snow. Her tail flagged high over her back and she held her head high. Peach hued eyes finally falling on a woman of a similar age and size to herself. "Wha'der'yer want?" she grumbled less than formally. This was all getting a little old very quickly.

She didn’t wait long before a member had shown herself. Hestia cocked a suspicious brow, a frown faintly crossing her maw as she drew a quick assessment from the stranger; this female was clearly of a high rank, judging by her posture. The aura that filled the air was one that made the fur on the back of Hestia’s neck stand on end, sent her toes curling with apprehension. Her tail was held level with her back, her head tipped courteously downward, relaxing her overall posture as to not come off as a threat. There was no reason to further escalate the situation, as this was not Hestia’s home. She couldn’t play by her own rules here, even if the female opposite from her acted like there was a nest of brambles lodged in her rump. ‘The unknown can be cruel, but keep a level head, my daughter. You will never fully understand where their paws have taken them, and what their journey has shown them. Be patient.’
So patient is what she would be. A rumble came from the native’s throat, quiet and edged with a cantankerous tone – although it was heard by Hestia as a garbled set of words followed by ‘want?’

She blinked.

After a few moments of bewildered contemplation, tentatively, Hestia parted her maw, willing to take a shot in the dark even if it came at the price of making a fool out of herself. “Greetings,” She dipped her head, her voice even and composed, sophisticated. “My name is Hestia. I would like to request residence in these lands. I have been travelling for many moons, and I would be grateful if I could rest my paws here.” Hestia took careful glances at the local’s eyes, light in color, expressing her orneriness. Ever since she was young, the female wasn’t much of a conversationalist – she left that to her brother Poseidon. With this interaction, she felt as if she were walking on the shells of quail eggs; any wrong move could put her in a less-than-fortunate situation. “I do not wish to become an inconvenience to any. I merely have a drive that this land seems to challenge," Hestia’s smile was faint as she glanced up at the branches of the trees surrounding the duo, finding comfort in the environment rather than the company before her. “If you would allow me into your home, I will be more than willing to prove my word.”

Hope ya don't mind Sven spectating <3
& if you want me to change his timing, just let me know & I will :3

SVEN ARCHER

& the night is closing in

Sven was about with his own thoughts, pestering him and nipping at his heels as he walked. Steadily more and more each day, the boy was becoming familiar with the darkness dwelling inside of him. The thoughts that caused him anxiety, that fueled the rage which so threatened to consume him, that woke him with despair in the dead of the night, were monsters which he was slowly befriending. Sven Archer was growing into himself, comfortable with himself, drifting away from any desire to change, and that was a dangerous thing.

When the call met his ears, he was quick to change his course, swerving off the beaten path to head directly toward the summoner. As per usual, he found something to be agitated with, and this moment it was the tone of the woman's howl. Asking them to act with haste, as if it were her time that was most precious.

When he arrived, Morganna had already beaten him to the scene, an expected event. He padded to her side without a word, chin lifted in a princely manner while maintaining his crown mindfully below that of Morganna's. His pale eyes regarded to foreigner with a quirk of his right eyebrow, just in time to bear witness to her case. Hestia, she said her name was, and she continued to present herself selfishly in the boy's eyes. She spoke only of her own desires, and did not bother offering up any reason why she would actually be useful to them. His gaze slid to his aunt momentarily, curiously awaiting her response.

I am so sorry that Morg is being such a butt D: she's just a bit hangry I think...

Yabber, yabber, yabber... Why did they always have to talk? @Skoll was the one who had a way with words, not Morganna, and it took every ounce of self control she possessed not to yawn and snort. @Sven's presence should have hardly been unexpected, a step to the side allowing their fur to mingle in silent greeting before reclaiming her own space. The boy would soon grow into his adult frame, no doubt allowing him to loom over her just as his father did. Where did time go?


"Words'er cheap." she shot back at the loner abrasively. It was customary for those petitioning a place amongst their ranks to come bearing a gift for @Elettra or Angier, a tradition up until this point she had tried to maintain. "Proof first. Yer'll be handed nothin' 'ere." She turned as if to leave, a sideways glance offered to her nephew before she paused. They already had so many mouths to feed, and soon enough the herds would migrate away. Coupled with the destructive wake left wherever the swine dared to tread and the outlook was entirely too bleak for her liking.

Turning back to Hestia once more, she decided perhaps this wolf wasn't a complete write off yet. "Morganna Archer, I lead 'ere." fer now... the silent afterthough causing her lips to purse for just a moment longer than she had intended. "What's yer speciality @Hestia?" What can you offer me that I don't already have?

OOC; Yo, I hope you both know I don't mean any animosity between this trio. I'm truly trying here. xD She's responding the way she was taught to.

She took note of the wayward pup and the way he held his head in a regal position, almost appalling in how arrogant he was, and it amused the silver female. Hestia’s soul did not burn with the need to put him below her; she merely chuckled light-heartedly, for he was only a young one, and she knew there was no spoils to reap if she was to become explosive in the face of something so unimportant and miniscule. She put the pup out of mind, training her focus on the real reason she was here. She didn’t come to deal with children anyway.

It was the peculiar tongue of the leader that confused the stone female, causing her ear to swivel this way and that in an attempt to process the speaker’s words. Her heart sped up its pace as the female became even more brusque, and in response, Hestia’s pride ignited. Her father told her to be patient, and she resigned herself to the trait when in the company of others – it seemed, whenever she indulged in patience, she was destined for being taken advantage of by snotty, higher-ranked wolves. She expected the wolves of this land to meet the elegance of the territory, but it seems she had thought incorrectly. As the female turned to leave, Hestia mimicked her movements, raising her tail a couple of inches as she did so. There were other packs in this land; surely she was to find one of them to suit her expectations. “I’ve always valued action over speech myself, as well as a hard-worker, even in the face of imminent peril, but I can understand your hesitation.” She said softly, laughing in a slightly cutting manner, shaking her head in disapproval. Her thoughts bounced around inside of her skull, the content bordering on true malice and sarcasm. 'Fair enough, native! Take care in remembering my name when another pack triumphs over all others.'

The same, once harsh voice wavered back to her ears once more, and she turned her gaze back to the owner of the territory. “Amongst my specialties, I have many. I’ve brought a pack out of certain destruction as a result of my keen strategies. I can assure the members of a pack are in line if need be, and have been known to take control of circumstances that others are unsure of...” Hestia paused, allowing her heartbeat to slow back to a calm beat as she recognized her assets.
"War is not something I am a stranger of. If there are enemies to your pack, Miss Morganna, then rest assured I wil eliminate them. She bit back the need to add on a supporting comment, '...their pack won't be able to recognize them once I'm finished, either.' She had no intention of mentioning that she was once an Alpha, for that may come off as a surefire threat to the leader. On the other paw, she didn’t expect to be given a pitiful rank either. She was a punching bag to none.

“Though, as you said, Miss Morganna...” Hestia paused, relaxing and shifting her brow, her expression blank and without emotion, “Talk is cheap, yes?”

(This post was last modified: Dec 22, 2015, 08:18 PM by Hestia.)

SVEN ARCHER

& the night is closing in

His brow quirked higher as her eyes fell upon him and something elicited a chortle from her lips. The boy doubted there was anything humorous about his presence, and the skepticism she created with her bubbling coated the events that followed. Morganna's own treatment of the woman was appropriately blunt in Sven's eyes, and when his aunt turned, he lifted a paw to follow suit, though his ghostly eyes remained upon the foreigner to ensure that she kept moving. Her words upon the air caused him to freeze and his hackles to rise subtly as her tone betrayed an edge of contempt, and then that laugh again. This time it was certain that the chiming carried impudence within it and a silent snarl twisted his muzzle for a moment as his tail began to curl upward.

This already was enough to render the encounter impossible of ending irenic ly, but then Morganna's question still needed answered. She spoke so highly of herself but still failed to offer any truly useful examples of her marvelous work, and her mentions of keeping the pack in line and taking control did not jive well with the youth, for certainly none of that would be her place here. She still seemed to be thinking only of how others could serve her, rather than how she could serve as a piece of a unit, and Sven was certain they had no need of a creature so greedy. Angier and his brats were enough as it was.

Then she spoke of enemies. Was she a mercenary then, the likes of which Hecate aspired to be? That was something Sven himself could find use of, did have use of. His interest at last piqued, his hackles soothed back down against his skin as he remained to regard her without an ounce of his thoughts reflecting onto his features. The boy's face was a cold mask as he awaited his aunt's decision.

(This post was last modified: Dec 23, 2015, 12:53 AM by Sven. Edit Reason: to reflect edits made in previous Hestia post )

Staff deleted the OOC post to keep things tidy :) generally we just send a PM or grab someone in the cbox to keep things consistent. If you want to add a note like this one to a post we also have fancy pants coding with [*ooc] [/*ooc] (obviously without the *'s).

The silver female's tone caused a grin to crack across Morganna's otherwise stony facade. Perhaps they weren't so dissimilar. Given half a chance maybe they could even become friends. "There's no peril 'ere I assure you." It wasn't often she bothered to round her vowels or put the ends on her words, although if any but @Sven even noticed she would be surprised. She could only assume the other woman's vast specialities were a slight exaggeration intended to impress. The Archer princess didn't mind admitting her short-comings - she was beyond terrible at fishing, and prior to @Craw's efforts she had been a lousy fighter, but she made up for it with her knowledge of plants and the lands surrounding her home.


Eyes narrowed momentarily at the mention of war. While she was yet to encounter a pack that had prevailed as long as her mothers, they weren't in the habit of stirring up trouble with their neighbours unless provoked first. "We don' make a habit o' makin' many enemies or pickin' fights but we defend what is ours fiercely." Her own transgressions aside, she spoke the truth. What one did personally and what one did in the name of the pack were different matters entirely. "If yer think yer can work with that in mind, I'm sure we can squeeze yer in 'ere somewhere..."

(This post was last modified: Dec 23, 2015, 04:15 AM by Morganna.)

She noticed the splinter of a smile show upon the leader’s maw, and Hestia mirrored it mentally. There was a certain game to be played in interacting with this one; at least, when she seemed to be in a sour mood. She took note of this game, and was sure to reference it later on in future encounters. Her tail began to swish in a series of recollections of her previous life, her past. ’Oh Dear Lupus, you have guided me well. This territory will suit my needs quite nicely, and I too, will do my best to give my gratitude to it and its natives… however sour they may be.’ She thought, before terminating her memories. ”It would seem that your pack ideals reflect my personal philosophies, so I do not believe that will be an issue.

Although she was no stranger to the evils of battle, Hestia did not find true comfort in needless fighting. She was more the sort to settle issues with a more diplomatic strategy. There was only a want for war when a particular set of circumstances calls for it… Such was the cause for her first major skirmish. There were skills that were better attained rather than left behind, and fighting was merely one of them. If the female could choose, she would pick amity… every time.

Sorry guys, holidays are getting the best of me.

Upon spying his aunt's face, Sven felt subtle dismay to see amusement spread across her features. What was he missing, what about this woman was deserving of such an expression? His ghostly eyes and frigid features did not betray his doubts and anxieties, but inside he felt as though either he had failed in his assessment of the stranger or worse, he would grow to disagree with his beloved family member. Morganna continued on with the conditions and he internally shook away such worry, attempting to focus fully on the situation before him as it continued to develop without his input.

Her words he agreed with, full heartedly. Defend what is ours, that was all he wanted to do, and as the consideration of being able to use this Hestia toward such goals solidified within his mind, he began to wonder who else might be as a tool for him to pry open Piety's cage within the Hollow. @Craw and @Hecate both swiftly came to mind, and his paws itched to seek them out. Yet how could he approach them about such a topic? It would take finesse to figure out whether or not they could be trusted with such a task, for he did not want an incident as had been encountered with @Skoll to rear its head again.

When Hestia uttered her agreeance, Sven was able to see that this meeting was done and that there was nothing left for him to see. Continuing his silence, he merely pressed his cold black nose into Morganna's ruff in farewell before turning his back to them both and returning to his own business elsewhere.