Whisper Marsh what the water gave me

He'd never been overly prone to roaming, but ever since traveling south and joining the Willow Ridge Pack, Wraith had a yearning need to explore the surrounding lands. The farther he traveled, the more he came to learn this land was nothing like that of the highlands he originated from. While the Winter was far more milder here, it came with all new dangers he'd not considered before. Like water.

A consistent source of water hadn't been an issue in the highlands, surprisingly enough. Constant snow melt always had at least a small stream trickling in his old pack territory. Such was not the case in the willows. While Wraith could easily lick at the ice dripping from the trees, it never did quite seem to quench his thirst enough.

Across the windswept winter landscape, amber eyes could find only thick rolls of snow blown from off the short rises in the land down into the gullies along with dry, broken reeds that looked more at home along a river bed than in the middle of a snowy clearing. On the thought of a river, Wraith swore he could smell water nearby. And yet, all around, he saw only snow.

Walking on, the possibility of the water being beneath the snow didn't strike him until he heard the dull crack. Wraith had only a moment to brace himself before the ice hidden under him gave way. He plunged down into the marsh, freezing water splashing into his face and soaking his back when his paws touching the shallow bottom. Annoyed with himself, the male grunted and made an attempt to leap out before that ice broke as well. With a huff, he dipped his head to drink. At least he could pretend he meant to do that...

What Skoll had been up to on an afternoon like this could have been anyone's guess; but, by judging the timeframe in which his slumber and naps had been becoming shorter and shorter as the winter months lingered on, something was possibly... up. Perhaps he had been smart enough to realize that it was perfectly safe to meander about in the daylight hours. It had practically been ages since he had been seen in the full daylight and, surely, the sight of him could have been startling to any unsuspecting pack mate.

Instead of looking after @Sven in the distance or shadowing his sister @Morganna or attempting to haze his Uncle @Nicolò in passing, he opted to leave them alone and search for something more amusing. Now, while @Craw and @Hecate could have easily presented him with something to do, he figured he would spare his energy for something more low-key. This, in itself, typically meant spying.

Heading westward, he left the familiar willow trees behind in favor of the ones that were unclaimed, untouched by the packs teeth and claws. He followed the most common path through the thinning wood, traveling along a trench that had been used several times over the winter without being lost in the constant string of snow storms. It led him, in its own windy way, straight to the Marsh where he spotted a stark black figure where the gray waters of the wetland should have been.

The dark prince sneered, muttering to himself in his head as he silently scolded the stranger whose own tracks bore the scent markers of a Willow Ridge wolf. Idiot... If Elettra had been in his place, she would have yelled for the man to get off the ice or risk getting his undercoat wet and risking the chance of chills.

Skoll merely scoffed to himself as he heard the ice crack underfoot, followed by the unsurprising splash and the annoyed grunt of the Marsh's victim. He rolled his eyes as he walked out to where the tips of the dead reeds marked the edges of the ice. There was no point in being shy. "Hey!" he gruffly barked, his voice easily carried across the open air. "Have you seen my brother?!" This, here, was something of a front... a mere excuse for spontaneously starting a conversation with someone he should have known about. Anyone who knew Elettra's second-born son would have known that if Skoll made small talk out of the blue, then something was definitely awry. Most were aware, that with his return to the Ridge, he had not recovered his younger half-sister Isolde and should have possibly been asking about her instead.

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2016, 11:03 AM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Ayla had been trotting towards the frozen water when she heard the all to knowing cracking and then a splash. 'A prey animal may have just fallen in!' she thought with excitement as her stomach growled in response. Her gentle trot quickened until she saw two dark figures, one in the water and the other on top of the ice. Her ears pulled back as she neared the scene and ever so carefully made her way onto the ice. "It seems you could use alittle help. Its not safe to be in freezing water when it is this frigid out here." she said as her pale emerald orbs shimmered with full of concern. Her lighter frame made it easier and safer for her to be on the ice as she neared the two wolves. She eyed the other male warily but managed a warm smile to cross her ebony lips before turning back to the other wolf. "My name is Ayla. Let me help you out before you freeze solid." she said gently. Her ink dipped tail was held in a neutral position and her dark ears were shoved forward listening to the noises around her. She did not know either of the wolves and did not quite trust them. But she could not leave a wolf in need to potentially die. She was raised better than that and she had to kind a heart to even phantom such a action. She as she stood over the fallen male she waited for him to respond to her request to help him. She really hoped that she wouldn't be refused. Because even though he tried acting like he ment to do such a silly thing she knew better. He would be a frozen block of fur in the next few minutes if he refused her but at least she had tried to help. Her ivory head tilted slightly curious as to what they thought of her suddenly.

OOC: -waves- :D @Ayla and @Skoll

---

Wraith jolted, head ducking shamefully when he heard a voice calling out behind him. Of course someone would have been watching his blunder. Looking back, Wraith had dim recognition of one of his new pack mates. Had it been a complete stranger, the male would have felt less silly about falling in, but thus far, he’d done a bang up job of impressing the members of Willow Ridge. So far, the only one that seemed to know his true talents was Craw and his pale friend had busied himself with other duties this morning.

Dark ears twitched at the mention of a missing brother. Then this was one of the Archer wolves? Racking his brain, Wraith could only come up with one name; Greer. “If you’re talking about Greer, the last I saw of him was last night near the border of the territory. Has he not been back since?” Concern rose for the yearling. While the dark male hadn’t made the best impression on the young wolf, Wraith couldn’t help but feel fondness for him.

Feeling the cold already seeping through his fur, Wraith lifted a paw to carefully place on the ice. It broke with even that small weight, earning another grunt from him. Clearly, going slowly wasn’t going to work out for him.

At the sound of another approaching, Wraith paused, amber eyes taking in the gray female with a lifted brow. Inhaling, he determined she wasn’t of the pack, though it wouldn’t be beyond him to not know of her even if she had been. The wolf’s eyes naturally slid toward his pack mate, deferring to the scarred male on how to deal with the new arrival. As she wasn’t being overly aggressive, Wraith saw nothing wrong in her presence, even if she was a little overzealous in her offer to help.

“No, no, I’m fine. Don’t trouble yourself on my account. No point in all of us getting soaked.”

The thick muscles in his hind limbs bunched as he gave a great leap, clearing half the distance to the shore before crashing through that ice as well. Continuing the momentum, he jumped again, hind paws dipping back into the marsh until his front legs are able to pull himself completely out. Wraith shook out his fur violently, water spraying out in all directions and sticking out as the icy air froze it quickly.

Sheepishly, he wagged his freezing tail. “Still learning the terrain,” he muttered as an excuse. He was far more at home on rocky crags and steep cliffs than on these marshy plains, but he was learning by trial and error.

Amber eyes regarded the pale female again while his legs began to tremble. “I appreciate your offer, Miss Ayla.”

Hullo, hullo! :D

To Skoll's surprise, the brute mentioned his darker, quieter brother and the prince shrugged. He was about to correct him, to bring to light the name of his younger and more rebellious half-Lyall sibling, when an ashy figure darted onto the scene. His breath caught in his chest but almost immediately a scowl came to mar his already unimpressed expression. He could barely hear the woman as she seemed to coddle the other male, yet somehow withhold her generosity. Her words inwardly struck a chord. To the Archer, she sounded just like Piety.

His banner of a tail remained in the air as his narrowed eyes continued to regard the two, especially as the woman offered her name. At least the other man had managed to reach the shore. With his future crown at stake as well as his son's, he couldn't risk having anymore blood spilled on his account. With his hackles bristled in what was an obviously wary display, he edged about the shoreline, making sure to keep the reeds along his left side as his heavy paws crunched through the snow.

With Wraith's gratitude, Skoll paused and he eyed the duo, but he spoke first only to the wolf he ought to be more familiar with. "I meant Niles," he sneered, his tail lilting to one side before returning back to its previous position. "Black-brown fur, bit of white on his muzzle... like me. Tall, thickset but obviously still a cub." Once his brief description had been relayed, he practically rounded on the light-coated woman, his tone laced with heavy expectations, "Have you seen him?"

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

OOC: Hello! Alittle new to bare with me XD


Ayla smiled warmly at the obviously freezing male. She withheld a giggle as he shivered and tried to act as if nothing were wrong. She shook her head as she spoke, "You should be more careful. You could have froze to death. Enough of our kind has died this winter and I couldn't just leave you to freeze." She sat down on her well muscled haunches as she observed him, 'He is cold but should be alright. Nothing a few hours in a den and some grooming won't fix.' she thought to herself. Her ivory pelt danced in the cold air as a breeze carried the males' scent to her and she got her first good whiff of them. Pack wolves?

When the other male finally spoke she flinched slightly as his harsh voice. His narrowed eyes and bristled pelt were threatening but she did not do anything wrong. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes slightly as she observed him. 'He must be of some power. I am not in pack lands, though these are both pack wolves from the same pack. Did I interrupt something?' Finally she spoke, "No I do not. I am new to these parts and do not know anyone or seen many at all. Have I done something to cause you to treat me so harshly? Have I shown any form of aggression or disrespect?" Ayla was not on her feet looking at the male. She hated being disrespected and his words towards were imposing. Her pale emeralds were now slightly chilled as she gazed at the larger man. Her tail was not raised in dominance or defiance but her orbs told of her self assurance. She was not looking to cause trouble or start a fight but she did not like how this unknown male was treating her. He didn't know her and she didn't know him. They were strangers just like the other male. But he had treated her better than this one. Her ebony ears shoved forward to listen to what he had to say as she tipped her chin up slightly to look at his muzzle, knowing he was not a wolf to look in the eye.

OOC: hahah, Wraith is no help with stopping this argument, apparently. And no worries @Ayla, welcome! I'm new myself. <3

What a strange she-wolf to be so open to two rather imposing males. Very naive, Wraith thought with disapproval. She would get herself hurt if she acted like that around wolves with less patience. Still, he looked at her kindly and shook his head. "I'm not so frail that a chill will do me in." The cold was nothing a solid run couldn't fix. Perhaps a bit of grooming would go a long way as well, but still. Hardly something to worry about with such intensity.

It was a bit hard to believe she was a lone wolf and had maintained such an attitude for so long. It was a wonder the loneliness hadn't made her cynical. Though, it was possible the loneliness was what had her taking such risks with her own kind. Wraith had found his own madness on his own, after all.

Golden eyes lit with amusement at his packmate's response. Such tempers, these Archers had! And the majority of them looked like him, and even like Wraith himself! Were he to go on looks alone, the brute wasn't sure he could pick out who was who. Before he could comment, the male rounded on Miss Ayla with an intensity that was likely to overwhelm her.

Wraith could only sigh when his premonition was proved correct. Rather than get himself between them, he dipped his head to lick snow and ice from his paws, his warm tongue soothing the worst bite of the cold.

The verbal mollycoddling made him sick; truly, it made him cringe inside. Though, as the woman came to face him and counter his sharply pitched query, his mouth drew itself in a straight black line across the length of his muzzle. He couldn't be angry with either of them - as much as he wanted to, if only to blame his younger brother's disappearance on them rather than shouldering the responsibility of minding the younger Archer-Lyall. Yet, as she continued, Skoll found that he very much wished he could snap at her.

Really, she did sound just like the woman who was supposed to be his mate.

As best as he could he leaned back on his paws, withdrawing his assumedly intimidating stance. Too bad this Willow Ridge wolf before him couldn't cover him as well as any other members of his family could, make excuses and spit out the very words that would paint him in a better light. What wasn't said would have to be directly delivered by his own tongue.

"None," he replied with the clearing of his throat. His tail lowered but not by much. "You'll have to forgive me--" I'm a very important man, you know... "--but Niles likes to wander and get himself into awkward situations." This was a lie, but the light smile on his face managed to cover it in such a way as to make him seem genuinely apologetic. "See, when he gets into trouble then I do, too. You'll have to forgive me - the only one who deserves this crossness is my rebellious brother."

Then, in a fleeting moment, his silver eyes dashed over to where Wraith sat, doing what he ought to be doing and keeping his head and nose out of the dark royal's matters. "Skoll Archer, prince of Willow Ridge," he introduced himself, his posture recovering from its brief spell of humility. "Thought my buddy here," he gestured with his nose over to Wraith as though he were actually familiar, "was actually Niles. We live in the Willows just beyond. Willow Ridge... and if you're not from around here then where is it that you are from?"

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

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

Ayla tilted her ivory head to the side slightly when the dominant man spoke. 'Prince? Hmm that would explain his arrogance and confidence. But a prince should have some form of respect towards others you would think?' she thought to herself curiously. Ayla bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes as she spoke, "My name is Ayla StarRiver. I am from the South, the Great Plains to be exact. I traveled here after losing my family. I have only been alone for a few months. I could not just leave your 'buddy' here to freeze while you stood there. I bet you would have been in more trouble if something were to happen to him right? Might I add that your home must be lovely. I noticed the beautiful trees on my journey. There are no trees like that back home....err what was home I guess." she said with a hint of a smile as she looked up.

She stood back up but kept her head lower than Skoll's to respect his position. Even if she stood to her full height her head would not have been higher than his dark cranium. She was smaller in stature for she was built for running, the hunt. Not fighting in close contact altercations. But that did not hinder her helpless as she being the only heir to her old pack was trained from a young age to use her speed and slender frame to her advantage. Ayla shifted her body slightly so she was not face to face with the brute any longer. She was not facing slightly to the side in case she had to make a quick get away. She did not trust Skoll as he had went from hostile to apologetic in minutes.

She turned to the other male and gave him a look of curiosity. He was actively staying out of the conversation. 'Was he cowardly or just keeping his distance?' she wondered but did not dare speak her thoughts. She shrugged it off and instead gave him a friendly smile as she watched him lick the ice and snow from his paws. Her ink dipped tail swayed slowly behind her as she stood unsure of what to do next. The sun had finally started making an appearance and it was making her snowy pelt shimmer in its rays. Ayla's pale emerald orbs were full of curiosity but were guarded as she turned to look back at Skoll.