Willow Ridge antigravity

"Keeley, get back here," Wraith calls with amusement, watching as his little sister barks after cranes flying high overhead as if they could care at all about the life so far beneath their wings. He shakes his head at her declaration to catch them one day and rumbles with approval as she plops beside him with a happy pant. The large male dips his head to nuzzle her head and licks at her ears with distraction.

"I don't need a bath," she tells him with a snort, turning with a smile as Chief approaches.

"Wraith, will you lead a hunt? Your mother isn't feeling well and a storm is brewing. Can feel it-"

"In your bones," Wraith and Keeley finish for him in unison, sharing matching grins.

"Funny," their father comments, though the pair know the annoyance in his voice is completely forced. "You willing or do I need to get one of your brothers?" The raised brow is enough to get Wraith to his paws.

"Of course, Dad. Who do you want me to take?"

"As many as are willing. It's been a rough few days. I don't want to push anyone right now."

"Me!" Keeley shouts, leaping to her paws with excitement.

"You better listen..."

"I will!"

In an instant, the dream changed and his ears were filled with the familiar sound of his sister's howl of terror. Wraith woke with a start, the sound echoing in his head. Around him were the still unfamiliar bodies of sleeping packmates, though Craw's silver hide was easy enough to spot out among them.

Carefully, the black male stood and slipped from the warmth of the den and out into the snowy landscape. Overhead, through the wispy willow branches, the sky danced with brilliant colors of light. The green hues were reflected on the snow's icy crust. Everything about the quiet scene spoke of a calm comfort meant to ease the soul. And yet, the wolf had trouble seeing the beauty for what it was when such ugliness swirled in his head.

He had hoped that finding a pack could keep his ghosts at bay, yet now they seemed angrier than ever. Annoyed with himself, Wraith headed out across the landscape with no true destination in mind save for the pack's borders. If he was awake, he might as well make himself somewhat useful and patrol the area.

hope you don't mind me and my little weirdo!

The shadow prince hardly spent any time within his pack’s borders anymore. He was constantly out and about, exploring the territories that bordered their own and scouting for those who were unwelcome, as well as a potential new home for the shadow. While he adored both his family and his home, it was feeling less and less like home as winter dragged on. As he grew older, it had lost its luster—it was no longer the remarkable place it had been when he was a child. He found himself constantly searching for something more; something greater. There was one place he was particularly fond of—which was the complete opposite of the trees the Ridge wolves dwelled in—that he was considering for a future home once the frigid grasp of winter loosened.

Sulking around the pack dens, the shadow glanced around nervously as he attempted t avoid the attention of others lingering nearby. Greer was fond of most of his pack mates—especially since the majority of them were family members—but there were also a few wolves he had not yet gotten a chance to meet. He couldn’t help if there was any point to getting acquainted with the newcomers, especially with being so intent on leaving so soon. He still had to discuss his departure with his mother, as well… The thought immediately caused a grimace to appear on his maw as he weaved around the trees. It was a conversation that needed to happen, but not one he was so keen on having. He knew—hoped—that she would understand; she had always been aware of the wanderlust that consumed him, and seemed to empathize with him the most.

It was strange spending so much time in the Ridge territory. Greer had been so absent lately that it almost felt foreign… 

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

OOC: Of course I don't mind! <3

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Wraith had never truly expected to find anyone on his mindless patrol. His paws simply had followed pattern, naturally carrying him to the pack's borders and following the scent lines around. Occasionally, he would stop to replenish fading scents so as not to let trespassers question who the territory belonged to. Though he had not been part of the pack for very long, Wraith felt that the process had been rather seamless. At the very least, he hadn't landed himself into any fights yet. He'd never been prone to them in the first place; the large brute was easy-going and his expectations were simple. However, the male wouldn't discredit Craw either. He had a feeling the pale wolf was a large part of why joining had been so easy.

At some point in the rhythmic crunching of snow beneath his paws, Wraith's ears rammed forward and his head came up high to sniff at the air. He paused in step, breaking the pattern as his senses came alive. Someone was near. It was difficult to tell if they were from the pack or not. The scent held so many contrasting scents. He'd only been a member for a small while. It was possible it was only a wolf who had been gone and had only just returned.

Still...it was best to investigate.

What he found was a youngling! To be fair, not one who was so young to deserve the term of endearment, but one all the same. Immediately, Wraith's lifted hackles eased down. Pack or not, he wasn't keen on scaring small ones. Even mostly grown small ones.

The stranger's coat was dark as was much of the pack's, giving Wraith reason to calm further. And now that he was looking closer, this one was familiar. He'd seen him lurking about more than once near the den. Knowing his size could be intimidating to some, the brute sat calmly before calling out to the yearling. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked with quiet curiosity, though without judgement or condemnation. It was far from his place to interrogate or berate the boy.

Don't mind me, looking to join another thread. May I jump in?

It was a core piece of Hestia's mannerism to go out for a walk in the late nights, when bad dreams had twisted into every aspect of her mind and wished to compromise her peace. A small adventure through her newfound home always did her a bit of good, mentally and physically. Rhythmic songs from her old lands swiftly chased away her terrifying memories, setting a more pleasant spring in her step. She had only been a member for about a day or so, and for the most part, she had avoided a good portion of the members. She still carried out small duties when as she was asked, for being without a task was strictly forbidden in the silver female's mind. Hestia's soft exhale was evident in the cold night air, a small puff of fog huffing from her nostrils... She felt it was beneficial to get a lay of this land, so she could soon begin to figure out every aspect of it. 'Sooner or later, though, you will have to start conversing and engaging with the others. Your sanity demands it.'

A small sigh. She knew this, it was all about following through with the actions she vigorously planned out in her mind. A scent on the wind, drifting to her nose, was the perfect opportunity to begin making her good reputation. With a prim demeanor, ears lax and tail held just under her spine, she sought the pair out.

When she came upon them, her head tilted to the side a bit. She'd briefly seen at least one of them, during her flitting in and out of the packgrounds. With a small, loud huff to announce her presence without startling the other two, she spoke. "I see I'm not the only night owl around these lands, aye?"

The snow was more of an inconvenience than anything. It was cold and damp and irritating—and it had nearly claimed his life last winter. It also made it near impossible for the yearling to slink around in the shadows, his obsidian pelt sticking out against the stark snow. It crunched beneath his paws, disturbing the silence he preferred. Ugh.

There was a grimace etched across his maw as he continued his pursuit through the willows. It was silence that he was looking for but it was proving difficult to find, leaving the shadow feeling restless. He winced as his paws crashed through the snow, disturbing the quiet that had engulfed the land. The one good thing about snow was that it muted everything; the world’s volume was dialled down and he was able to enjoy the silence a little better. It was still cold, and gross, and Greer wanted nothing to do with it.

The scent of another came as a surprise; Greer had not expected another pack member to be up so late. His frown only deepened as he continued maneuvering through the trees, his silver eyes focused on the path before him. From what he could tell, the scent belonged to one of the newer members he had smelled around camp and had not yet encountered. As the scent grew stronger a voice called out, questioning the yearling on why he was out of bed. The prince scoffed at the comment, his long legs rigid as he paused his movements, mercury gaze hardening as he sought out the fiery eyed stranger. Clearly this newcomer was not aware of who he was. More than anything, Greer wanted to walk away from the stranger and forget about the comment, but his deer-like legs refused to budge. “Shouldn’t you?” He retorted coolly, his lips curled into a sneer as his broken speech was (temporarily) absent.

Just as the comment fell from his tongue another approached, her silver coat illuminated in the moonlight. The frown remained painted across his maw as he took several steps back, distancing himself from both wolves. He inhaled deeply, grey pools focused on the female—another newcomer; this one he was less familiar with, her scent was much fresher. Great, he thought to himself as he mentally rolled his eyes. One was bad enough, but now two? Nope. Ignoring her comment, the boy flashed his icy gaze onto the obsidian male as he waited for a response, his body statuesque as snowflakes landed on his back.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2016, 07:19 AM by Greer. Edit Reason: didn't realize you posted, oops!! )

Wraith snorted softly, lips curving up with amusement at the boy's irritably reply. Thinking back, the black male couldn't recall if he'd ever been so angry as a pup. Perhaps it was simply the way of it now, though he didn't think his younger siblings ever spoke back like that. Of course, they'd grown up with him. Loved and respected him. This pup, Wraith well knew, had no reason at all to respect him yet.

A dark ear swiveled to his right and Wraith turned to eye the approaching female. While her scent wasn't especially strong with the scent of pack, Wraith assumed she must be the newcomer he'd heard whispers of on the wind and seen a glimpse of prior to settling in for the night. His tail wagged once in welcome, thumping dully against the snow's crusted surface as he nodded. Returning his amber gaze to the youngster, he shrugged his shoulders in an easy, calm movement rather than rising to any baiting. "Ghosts don't sleep, I'm afraid. Mine are particularly active tonight."

Looking to both the boy and female in turn, the brute smiled. "I don't think we had a chance to get formally introduced. I'm Wraith." To the boy in particular, the male kept his gaze trained. "I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong paw. I didn't mean to make you feel defensive," he apologized kindly.

Hestia’s brow pricked upwards as the younger male glanced to her. His aura was especially haughty, and the silver female had no time for such a personality. She came here to be in good company. As angry as the young male seemed, she remembered the pup she had met along with the Willow Ridge leader. After crossing gazes with him, she’d found that she had dealt with the worst of the ornery pack members. His gaze flicked in conscious ignorance, and she laughed under her breath - as if his cold demeanor would deter her from keeping his company. The dark male adjacent to her briefly wagged his tail, his own energy calm and even. A welcome change compared to the high intensity of many of the members of Willow Ridge… It was part of the reason she kept patrolling so often. At his first words, she frowned, her ear flicking in dismay. She crept a bit closer to him, slowly letting her tail sway. “The spirits are best handled in company, to my experience.”

Hestia’s voice had a subtle, sympathetic undertone, expressing her slight worry for the male. Upon his next words, she nodded softly, allowing her storm gray gaze to settle upon his dark visage. “Pleasure to meet you, Wraith; I am Hestia.”

She sat to further relax, curling her tail close to her. Curious as to this one's personality, she listened on.

This was the problem with his young age—when he was silent, or curt, he was deemed angsty or troubled. Those older than him often looked down upon him for his quiet demeanour and did not understand his broken speech. Their opinions mattered little to the prince. He was not concerned with how they felt about him; the only opinions that mattered to him belonged to his mother and the two girls who had made an impact on him.

These wolves in his proximity did not seem to care that he was coming on his second year or that he was of Archer blood. He could see it in their eyes—as though some little inside joke was being passed between them. Their leering, mocking gazes; amusement dripped from their maws, staining the air between them. How did such specimens weasel their way into Willow Ridge? Grinding his teeth together, his silver gaze moved between the two wolves as he kept his distance. The male’s words filled the air with an explanation as to why he was out lurking in the darkness. Greer’s was simple: he was born from the darkness and allowed it to consume him. He did not fear it; he welcomed it.

The obsidian wolf introduced himself first—Wraith—and apologized for his previous words. The apology, while unnecessary, was appreciated. Greer gave a short, sharp nod in response as the end of his tail curled. “Greer,” he gave quickly once Hestia gave her name. He offered nothing else—the ball was in their court, and Greer wanted nothing to do with it.

At Hestia's advice for ghosts, Wraith could only shrug. His were fairly experienced in convincing him he had no business being around others despite his need for closeness with others. It was a difficult line to straddle, wearing down on the black wolf's stamina. The memories which haunted him were not ones he would easily or freely admit to, but he didn't mind the distraction which their company could offer.

When the pair introduced themselves, Wraith nodded. "The pleasure is mine Hestia and Greer." Looking to the female, he smiled. "I know you joined not long after I did," he murmured before regarding Greer. "As for you, Greer, are you one of the pack's own pups or have you traveled from another to find a home here? I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been able to get a good handle on all the relations just yet." The only pack dynamics he had to go off on had been that of his birth pack which consisted of many siblings, aunts, uncles, his grandparents, and parents. The diversity of Willow Ridge was far more broad and interesting to him.

To be completely honest, Wraith wasn't usually so chatty. He preferred to stick on the edges of the pack's socialization, observing from afar as he still felt like too much of a newcomer to completely immerse himself amongst the others fully just yet. So far, Craw was the only one the dark male felt completely at ease with, though he hoped to change that. How better than to get to know other packmates?