Whisper Marsh We are water

for @Greer <3

She knew the signs by now. @Greer was drifting away but didn't have the conviction to just bite the bullet and let their mother know. Morganna couldn't blame him, with the death of Isolde she wasn't convinced @Elettra would let her son go as easily as she had the others. So when she picked up on his trail leading away from the borders yet again she set out, placing her own smaller paws in the prints he had left in his wake. 

Brows drew down as she tried to discern just where he might be heading, until the tufts of reeds and shattered slushy patches of marsh wiped his path from her line of sight with a grimace. Whether he had picked up that she was following him and chose to come here so she would lose his trail or this had been his destination all along she couldn't be certain. It was true he held a similar skill set to his older brother, but she had suffered through too many of @Skoll's tricks as a child to be thrown off so easily.

"Greer?" she called out gently, her tail resting easily between her heels to show her request was no command. She just wanted to check on him. It had been too long.

@Morganna <3 <3 <3

He desperately wanted to talk to his mother about the thoughts that consumed him — keeping him outside pack borders most of the day and making it difficult for him to be struck down by sleep. However, with the discovery of Isolde he couldn’t… his departure would have to remain delayed, despite his mind screaming at him to leave. Willow Ridge would always be his home; blood would always be more important to him than any other relationships he formed outside pack boundaries (Kyna included… maybe). Even if he sought out another pack, the shadow prince would do anything for his family.

It did not take him long to realize that he was being followed; however, it was who was doing the following that took him by surprise. It had been foolish to think that his sister had not noticed his frequent absences. The majority of the time he was doing ‘scouting’ duties — keeping an eye on the locals and ensuring unwanted strangers were not trespassing onto Ridge territory. They were proud wolves and would not allow just any riffraff join their ranks; wolves had to prove themselves and show that they could pull their own weight. Greer wouldn’t allow just any Joe Blow to take his place.

His sister’s voice called out, causing the shadow to immediately turn around. He stepped forward, his ears drawn back as a sign of respect as a lop-sided smile rested lazily against his lips. “Morg.” The single syllable dripped off his tongue, suspended in the still air between them. His tail wagged softly behind him to show that he was pleased to see her. 

It hadn't taken long for her brother to tower over her, just like the rest of them did, but that a single word from her mouth was enough to make her most illusive sibling appear gave her heart. She reciprocated his smile, wag of greeting sweeping at her rear as she approached to run her teeth through the fur along his cheek, an affectionate rumble letting him know that she had been missing him. "Hunting?" she asked @Greer gently "or hiding?" she added as an afterthought, leaning in close to whisper in his ear like it was some shared secret, "I'm hiding," a glance thrown back towards the willows with a raised brow conveying there was more to tell, but she wanted to hear what was troubling him first.

Knowing it might take more than a simple question to get him talking she tilted her head, indicating that they should take a stroll. If they spotted something worth hunting at least there would be two of them, and if not then maybe the movement would make it easier for her brother to talk. There was also less chance of eavesdroppers going undetected if they kept their movements random. Whatever he had to say would stay with Morganna alone.

sliiiiight PP, let me know if it's not ok <3 

Despite his sister being a powerful and conniving creature, he still cared deeply about her. Family always came first to the Archer brood; they would do anything for each other. While the display of affection given by his sister had taken him by surprise — the boy was never keen on physical contact — it was still warmly received. His brows narrowed slightly at her question but his lips curled in amusement. Just as he as about to give his answer the fiery-eyed siren admitted she was hiding — how peculiar. What had caused the Queen to go into hiding?

“Greer hide also,” he responded quietly as he stepped forward, accepting his sister’s silent request to go for a walk through the marsh. Walking was definitely preferred; the shadow felt so awkward conversing at a standstill. “Willows feel … different,” he commented quietly as he fell into step with his sister. He would have to monitor his speed with his bright-eyed sibling; she did not possess legs as long as his. Smiling at the discovery he glanced at his sister from the corner of his eye, his expression soft as he recycled her question: “Why Morg hide?”

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2016, 05:03 AM by Greer.)

Of course he was hiding, but she wouldn't admit she knew as much. When he asked why she was hiding, she forced a small smile, trying to find the simplest way to respond. "Uncle says bad things." Sure, He could counter that Morganna had said bad things herself, but she wasn't about to consider fair warning a bad thing. "He makes threats. He wants to break home." it was the simplest way she could break down the intricacies of pack politics for her brother as they continued their walk, skirting around small ponds and parts where the icy marsh was unclearvin its depth.

Having opened up a little to her brother it should be fair for her to question him back surely. "What feels different Greer? " she didn't even really expect an answer when she already knew the answer. Since Isolde went missing, the Willows felt sad and more often than not she found herself leaving the borders just so she could simply breathe. He didn't need to explain that to her. She changed her phrasing rather than making him dwell on the death of their sister. "What is Greer hiding from?" her voice was soft. She was his sister after all, he could trust her. She would always have his back.

(This post was last modified: Mar 15, 2016, 01:19 AM by Morganna.)

The shadow stiffened at his sister’s response, his stone-coloured eyes narrowing sharply. While Greer was particularly fond of his family members — as they were the only wolves he could stand being around — his uncle was an exception. He did not trust the older Archer and his boisterous attitude. Although he had been wary of his brother’s presence at the top of the willow ranks, the spidery yearling had trusted Skoll far more than Nicolo. “Greer not like uncle,” he admitted in an annoyed voice, his nose wrinkled. “Why uncle break home?” He hissed in the same tone as his tail flicked in anger, his mercury gaze fixated on his older sister. Willow Ridge would always be his home, regardless of where he chose to go next — he cared deeply about his family and did not like the idea of his uncle ruining everything.

Her question brought his focus back to the present, his ears falling against his skull. He did not answer right away; his lips tightened over his teeth as he fell into step with his sister. Everything felt different, but he did not know how to explain it to Morganna. She had much more important things to worry about that the troubled shadow — he did not want to bore her with what plagued his mind.

‘What is Greer hiding from?’ The soft voice caused his velvet ears to twitch. Everything, his thoughts repeated bitterly as his expression hardened, lips quivering with words hesitating to fall. “Too much change. Greer worry,” he admitted quietly, his thoughts immediately filling with images of their fallen sister and blind father. Even their mother, the powerful priestess, was no longer in her prime. Greer worried the Ridge was taking a turn for the worst — or he was just being paranoid, which seemed more plausible. “Greer not trust uncle. Hide from him. Hide from change.” 

As she tried to consider an easier way to explain Nicolo's intentions, her brother went on to voice his own distrust, a murmur of agreement and a nod of her head showing the Morganna understood. "Uncle... Wants to be like mother, and maybe like @Skoll. Uncle wants babies, not Morganna's." She didn't want to overload the boy, but she didn't want him left in the dark either. "Uncle tells everyone Morganna is crazy, so nobody will trust her. But everybody knows Uncle lies. Nobody likes Uncle, except Aunty." Always aunty. 

People might glance suspiciously at Morganna and Skoll were they to be seen together, but their relationship wasn't nearly so queer as that of Nicolo and Adele. They kept separate dens, ran on different cycles and sometimes went days without so much as a hello. She almost had to wonder if that was who he had in mind to carry his young... The thought sent a shudder down her spine. 

But this whole train of thought was depressing. With the lengthening days surely her brother was feeling a stirring of the same urges as the rest of them. "What about guuuurls?" she teased with a chuckle. "Does @Greer have a girlfriend?"

forever laughing at Greer saying floozy

He growled at her words, his annoyance evident as he grinned his teeth together. Nicole’s presence was a looming unwanted shadow in the willows and always kept Greer on his toes. It had also halted his plans on leaving as he was far too concerned about what was going on at home. He could not leave his sister — his family — just yet; not until the threat had been subdued.

“Uncle need go,” he said absently through his teeth, brows narrowed darkly as he trudged through the damp earth. “Morg good crazy; smart crazy. Uncle bad, very bad crazy.” He nodded, as if he was confirming, or agreeing with his words. “Uncle go,” he muttered again, almost to himself as he dismissed the words with a flick of his tail. Surely Morganna was thinking the same; she clearly did not trust the older Archer and did not approve of his presence. Their aunt — Adele — he was not so sure about. Perhaps if Nicolo was removed her loyalty would shift back to Morganna and co; or would she attempt her own uprising? It was hard to say.

His thoughts were pushed aside as Morganna interrupted them, her teasing voice causing his cheeks to flush scarlet beneath his inky pelt. “No,” he mumbled, his mercury gaze desperately avoiding the prying gaze of his older sister. “Skoll stole Greer girlfriend. Greer not good enough,” he huffed, a low growl rumbling inside his chest. “Ok though. Greer not need floozy. Greer made Plateau friend.” The shadow prince was worried about telling his sister about Kyna but he trusted her; he was, after all, telling her about the Hecate situation. She seemed to be quite fond of the Archer males. 

A decisive nod was given to @Greer's solution. At least they were on the same page. As they continued their stroll she skirted around puddles of slush where she could and tramped through those she couldn't. Obviously this wasn't the best place to be strolling with snow still thick on the ground, evident in the way she misjudged the depth of the next plashet and submerged her leg up to the elbow when @Greer stated that @Skoll had stolen his girlfriend. The shock of the frigid water was nothing compared to the bombshell that was Greer using the word floozy. she couldn't contain her bark of laughter, almost drowning out his comment about his Plateau friend.

Had Tannis been sniffing around the Willows again?

"Greer is far too good for that floozy." she said reassuringly, moving to bump her flank along his encouragingly. "Morg has a Plateau friend too. Morg needs to go to the Plateau to meet the White King one day. Does Greer know the way?" For all the time she had spent on the Heights she had never once managed to stumble across them. If Greer knew where they were, they could go together, and she might be able to lay eyes on his friend and make sure she was more worthy than the last one.

A frown pulled his lips back as his sister laughed at his comment, the whites of his canines exposed. If there was one thing that Greer didn’t like as much as disloyalty, it was being ridiculed or laughed at. Swallowing back a growl before it could slip past his teeth, the boy flashed his sister a frustrated look out of the corner of his eyes. “Greer not like Hecate. Not trust Hecate.” His words were bitter as they left his tongue but they held a truth to them. “Go behind Morg.” He added with an annoyed flick of his tail. There was something else going on — something that did not involve Nicolo or Adele, but was just as troubling.

The frown was quickly replaced by a soft smile as his sister announced that he was far too good for the floozy. While he knew this now, it was still painfully irritating that the green-eyed ghost had so quickly dismissed the shadow for the older Archer. Power, he realized; power was what she was after. How had he not seen it before?

He nodded at his sister’s words although his expression dropped. Greer had forgotten about the dispersement of the Plateau wolves after their leader had fallen. “Yes but Plateau no more,” he started, his frown returning. “White King fall. Plateau split up.” The shadow was unsure of where some of the wolves had gone; he knew Kyna had moved to the Bend with her mother, but the location of the other wolves remained a mystery.