Fireweed Rise All the tea in China

For dear @Wraith

All my possessions for a moment of time. - Elizabeth I

If there was something she could appreciate, it was a wolf that pulled their weight. (@Isuni)Capable chanced upon a fresh meal in the snows, and while she could not manage to get there herself, she had been grateful for her call, and any pressure eased on the caches aided them all. @Skoll continued his nightly rounds, letting her rest a little easier when she thought to close her eyes, however briefly, and @Craw and @Wraith's assistance in not only patrolling the borders, but also hunting, had not gone unnoticed by Morganna.

It was with the latter in mind that she had headed to the Rise, a few rare moments afforded to her with Angier's failing sight and her own mothers advancing age putting additional strain on her. The realisation had instilled an undeniable need to do better, and to make them proud. Monitoring the herds of caribou and deer just gave her an excuse to take her time. After all, she didn't want to scare them away.

@Nicolò's threats may have been little more than a niggle at the back of her mind but they soured her mood none the less. More than half their current members had been accepted, if not recruited by herself or Skoll, and @Elettra had shown no sign of disapproval with the way she had been handling things (truthfully if it was the case, she fully expected her mother to hand her ass to her, so she still trod lightly - this was still her mothers pack in all but practical terms). She was drawn from her own thoughts by a dark smudge on the horizon. No prey in sight, nor scent range and she felt secure in releasing a bark of greeting as she increased her speed to a steady lope. Only now realising it was unusual to see him without Craw in sight.

Sleep still dogged his paw steps. Wraith had gone on one of his own nightly patrols, chased from the warmth at Craw's side by dreams to wander the pack's borders like a ghost himself. An interesting scent had led the wolf towards the grassy knoll southeast of the pack's borders, but had died out before he could locate the source. As it wasn't cold enough to chase the northerner back to the den, Wraith had opted to nap there instead. The first bit of sun along the horizon glittered along the snow, rousing him to wake and make his way back to the willows.

He meandered slowly towards what had become home until he heard Morganna's short bark. The male's tail wagged lazily, eyes half hooded as he fought off the last dredges of sleep. As she drew closer, Wraith canted his head to the side respectfully, lowering it beneath hers and nuzzled the fur of her chest in affectionate greeting of his own.

"You're a welcome sight, my lady. What brings you out this way?" His voice was a deep, rumbling purr which broadcasted his exhausted status more than he cared for, but he smiled at her all the same in warm reception of her presence.

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

@Wraith's greeting was reciprocated with a brush of her muzzle along the subordinates crown, a quick preening of the fur where the base of his skull met the thicker fur of his neck. It was a comfortable familiarity that spared her the need to excessively posture or force formalities. He had proven himself dependable and so there was no hesitation in cutting him some slack. He sounded as tired as she felt. "I'm runnin' away!" Morganna dramatically declared, her wry smile betraying the joke as eyes rolled in the direction of the Willows. 

More often than not, this was the way she chose to wander when her soul was tired and she detected @Skoll's scent trailing north to the Grove. Out here the sun shone warmly on her dark pelt, illuminating the copper tints that complimented her eyes so well. Out here in the sun, she could breathe.

"I came out this way ter check on the herds, make sure no more o' those stinkers 'ave been around rippin' the place ter pieces." she finally admitted, her own exhaustion with it all coming to light in the way her paws dragged through the snow. "Per'aps if @Nicolò did more'n piss on some trees I might get a chance ter rest." she finally grumbled, her shoulders slumping with the realisation that unless Skoll or another of the males made a move, there was very little she could do to unseat the man. "Would yer like ter wander with me a bit?" she questioned, it was far from an order, Wraith was clearly exhausted too.

She was easy with him, Wraith suspected. He wasn't sure what it was, but Morganna had never been the overbearing Alpha she was clearly capable of being with him. Each time, there were warm, gentle greetings and always a kind word. She made her appreciation for his work known and always reassured him that he was doing well. He hadn't expected it from her, frankly. Joining a pack that consisted of no relatives of his own, he'd had quite a few misgivings about what it would be like. But Craw and Morganna each had made it better than bearable. It felt like home.

"Running away, hm? Won't get very far with that pace. I'm an expert in these things," he teased sleepily, following with a wide, long yawn.

Already, Wraith knew he would join her so long as his company was accepted. With those recent boar attacks, he wasn't fond of the idea of her being on her own, no matter how capable she was of taking care of herself. It simply made more sense to go in pairs so long as there was availability. Unless of course, alone time was what she was after.

Briefly, his ears flickered back when Morganna griped about her fellow Alpha. Wraith's experience with the male was next to nil and wisely, he kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to get between two bickering Alphas. His parents had taught him that lesson well.

The discomfort slid away as soon as she changed subjects and asked him to join her. "It would be my genuine pleasure," he told her, his smile spreading slow and easy. Forcing his exhaustion aside, Wraith matched Morganna stride for stride with his shoulder butting lightly against hers as they walked.

His jape bought a smile to her face, but not nearly as easily as his acceptance of her offer. The familiar bump along her flank setting a steady rhythm allowing peach eyes to keep a watch for any prey or threat while ears rested comfortably turned back against her skull. deciding to take this rare opportunity to get to know @Wraith better without @Craw alongside him she decided to tease him some "So what sorta pace would I need ter set then?" she threw a sidelong glance, lifting her feet a little in the process. "What way should I run an' when would I know I'd gone far enough?" Teeth flashed as she smiled, not entirely joking this time around.

With the recovery of Isolde anxiety had set in. What if she couldn't have children? She certainly couldn't have them with her Uncle. was two litters more than the pack could handle and What if Skoll acted out again and solidified his relationship with Hecate by bringing yet more children into such an unstable environment? What if? What if it wasn't her problem anymore...? It was a terrifying prospect with Spring looming just on the horizon, but surely it didn't have to be this hard.

(This post was last modified: Feb 27, 2016, 03:32 AM by Morganna.)

It should have been a playful question offered a playful response. Instead, a shadow fell across Wraith's usually bright eyes. How fast had he run? How long, how far? Wraith still wasn't sure of the answer to that. Clearly, it hadn't been far enough as ghosts still followed him around each night.

"A hard one," he murmured. "Where you run fast enough that not even a falcon can catch you." The teasing lilt had gone from his own voice as he took her question seriously. "Doesn't matter which direction you choose. You just make up your mind and keep going until you're surrounded by nothing familiar. And you ram your head into a grouchy wolf who decides maybe you're not so bad to keep around." Glancing at Morganna, Wraith forced a smile and cleared his throat. "Or something like that."

Too sleepy, he decided. He never would have said something like that otherwise. Annoyed with himself, he rolled his shoulders and pretended to see something of interest in the distance. However, still feeling her eyes on him, he turned back. "What is it you're hoping to run from?" It was a serious question, but Wraith felt the need to bring humor back into the conversation. "It's not the upcoming season that has you yearning for lands outside of pack territory, is it?"

A few small pieces of the puzzle fell into place as @Wraith spoke, her silent acceptance offered with a small smile in response to his own forced one, a silent nod to show she wouldn't pry any further if that was all the answer he wanted to give. His own question was met with a harsh bark of laughter, her smile a bit too sharp to be genuine, the lines of worry around her eyes betraying her. "Yer could say tha-" her answer was wry as she weighed up her options. Despite being her subordinate, and a member of her pack she like to think there was a degree of trust between them. Would it hurt her to let her guard down with someone other than Skoll for once? It might bite her in the ass... But it might not be so terrible either. After all, he had begun to open up to her hadn't he?

"My Uncle threatens me, my brother is thinkin' o' makin' it official with this weeks interest an' after Isolde I'm not sure we can handle one litter, forget the threat o' three." she snorted some of her frustration free, eyes trained on the tree line that marked the distant edge of the Rise. "This 'as always been my mother's pack, an' I thought I wanted ter follow in her steps... But I guess I jus' expected it ter be more..." she finally voiced it aloud. "Maybe..." she continued with a small, secretive smile, "Yer only get that feelin' when somethin' is truly yours."

Any sleepiness dogging his paw steps fled the dark male the very moment she admitted @Nicolò had been threatening her. Wraith's reaction was immediate and obvious as his ears flew back and his lips curled up in a nasty sneer, the growl building like a distant, rumbling thunder in his chest. Threats were for those not of the pack. They never belonged within the pack itself and should certainly never be directed towards family.

And @Skoll as well was causing trouble? It didn't surprise him in the least, though Wraith's opinion of the male was less than stellar. He may be his superior, but he was not his Alpha. That he strutted around as such whenever his sister wasn't around grated hard on the Northerer's nerves.

Wraith's irritable growling faded as concern replaced his anger. Reaching over, the black male bumped Morganna's chin with his muzzle, lifting it higher. "At least with concerns to me, it is yours. Only yours." Perhaps another wolf would have seen her admission as weakness. An Alpha who didn't feel she had control could be an Alpha unseated from her throne. Though Wraith had little interest in the politics going on behind the majority of the pack's back, he did have great interest in keeping her spirits up. Aside from Craw, she was the only other member of the pack who seemed to have any interest at all in his presence despite his attempts to interact. That the others didn't care to mingle didn't bother him. In fact, it only made his loyalty to Morganna and Craw that much stronger.

"If I may be so bold." Wraith pulled his head back to look her in the eyes seriously. "Skoll..." The male's name tasted bitter on his tongue. "Is not Alpha, no matter how much of a King he thinks he is. And I've seen no true leadership from your Uncle either. You are the only one who has been ruling this pack with any amount of care for what happens to it." Wraith stepped forward to rub his head affectionately along Morganna's neck. "You are our leader. Don't undercut yourself."

Her steps had slowed as @Wraith voiced a growl that had long since died on her lips. Relief leaving a little warm ball in the pit of her stomach. If he had faith in her, then maybe the others did too. As he lifted her chin she allowed her jaw to drag along the top of his muzzle, a growl more affection and play than threat escaping from her chest as she made an affectionate grab for one of his ears, little more than an gentle tug.

As he pulled back Morganna regarded him, stiffening slightly at the mention of her brothers name. From any other such a comment might earn a sharp grab to the muzzle or a low growl of warning but she dismissed it with a flick of her ear. "I shouldn' be so lenient with 'im but he's the only one who stayed. He'll do what he wants an' damn the consequences," but mother can't save his girlfriend this year. she would just have to deal with whatever came if and when it finally came about. 

As he moved forward to press his head into the thick fur of her neck she returned the gesture by burying her nose into his own neck and grroming what stray tufts she could easily reach. A low Hmm with a smile on her face was offered as he told her not to undercut herself before she finally extracted herself from his embrace. "A few people might have ter be escorted out at th' end of all this madness. Care ter be my backup?" He was right, Willow Ridge was her pack, and perhaps it was easier to remove those that were causing her heartache than to extract herself.

Nobody should need warning they were on short notice. This dissidence had to be stopped at any cost.