Hush Meadow Light it back up

for @Isuni <3

With spring on the rise, Morganna felt exposed, especially within her own side of the ranks, @Adele's loyalty would be firmly planted with @Nicolò. She wouldn't ask @Enoki to chose between herself and @Elettra and @Skoll had already informed her exactly where @Hecate's interest was placed. She had liked Capable the first time she had met her, although she had been so busy facing off against other threats that she had neglected to track down the poor woman to find out, one on one, just how she was settling in to Willow Ridge.

On a hunch she headed west to Hush Meadow. At last check the deer were moving away from the well patrolled Rise and into the former hunting grounds of Whisper Caverns. The open sky was a blessing, the sun warming her dark coat as she casually loped on, her nose leading her west and north until a brown smudge finally came into sight. A bark was offered in greeting, with no large game in sight she thought it was safe to risk it. Her approach was casual, her tail waving at her back in friendly greeting. There was no need for formality or posturing all the way out here. She hadn't needed it in the Ghastly Woods, she wouldn't start pulling that deer shit now.

When the weather was good, Capable often moved outside of Willow Ridge territory. She never lingered outside pack borders more than a day, unwilling to risk the alphas assuming infidelity (or worse), but the fresh air and silence always calm as a welcome change. Things continued to remain tense among pack members; she didn’t quite understand the pack politics, and frankly, the young woman wasn’t certain she wanted to. The pretenses she’d joined under had been-- Well, she didn’t want to examine that too closely.

There was no reason to break her word. Craw’s presence made her skin crawl, but the male had left her well enough alone for the time being. Everyone had, more or less. It was odd. It was hardly pack life.

At least she’d gotten through the winter without starving, the woman supposed as putter across the meadow. Pausing, she cast a look towards the sky, measuring the sun’s position, the amount of clouds, when a familiar bark caught her attention. Ears twitched and she glanced over her shoulder, recognizing the female leader of the Willow Ridge wolves. Her tail wagged in response near her hocks before she twisted, trotting over to meet Morganna. “What brings you out here? Is there something you need?”

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

As Capable approached, Morganna's tail took up a steady wag. "Jus' wanted ter say thanks fer findin' tha' Elk." even if it had been too large to drag home, knowing the location of the meal had allowed members to approach and grab what they could while it lasted and had gone even further to help leave the caches they did have replenished. "An' I feel awful fer not comin ter see yer sooner." she admitted rather sheepishly. It seemed as though she rarely stopped these days.

She began to walk in the same direction Capable had been going before Morganna so selfishly interrupted her. She relaxed further with each deep breath and step she took away from the borders of her mothers domain. Movement calmed her, purpose, even more so - although it seemed the simple act of moving was enough to put others at ease too. She hoped the other wolf would join her as she turned and finally questioned, "How have yer been settlin' in otherwise? Have yer given any thought to a role?" 

If she had not, Morganna was more than willing to offer herself as a sounding board. With such a strained relationship with her uncle, she would trust Capable over Adele to have her back any day. Perhaps with a bit of gentle persuasion she could be encouraged to do just that.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

“Oh. No need,” Capable replied with a blink of her eyes, a bit surprised by the alpha’s thanks. To be quite frank, she hadn’t thought anyone noticed her contribution to the pack earlier in the winter months. While she hadn’t done it to earn any sort of appreciation, it was nice to know that someone had noticed she’d been trying to pull her weight. Without her permission, a ghost of a smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. “@Greer helped me bring it back.” She did not know the relationship between brother and sister; though she found the shadow’s presence a bit…odd, she did not want to cut him short the credit he was due. After all, he was much kinder than her brothers, and that itself should be something.

Following Morganna first with her eyes, the older female shifted to jog after her until she fell in stride, head coming up to the leader’s shoulder as they walked. Of course, she towered over the other female, but that did not prevent the redhead from showing her the respect she was due as Lady of the lands.

Her question, however, was not one Isuni particularly wanted to answer. Her mouth twisted into knots as she held in a sigh, perhaps hesitating a bit longer than she should have. “Alright, I suppose. Perhaps I haven’t been as social as I could have been.” She shrugged, not willing to consider that particular topic any further. “I – well, I suppose I was namely focused on surviving the winter. Pulling my weight. Before I…was run out of Moose’s Tooth, I had fancied becoming a guardian, though.” Capable snorted at the memory, her brows furrowing. “My brother had decided it was caretaker or nothing for me, though.”

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

@Isuni

Having long since put any jealousy of her younger siblings aside a warm smile tugged at her lips as Capable mentioned her younger brother. "@Greer is a sweet boy, 'though I worry some might not recognise it as easily as others." Her appreciation was voiced through her warm tone rather than words. He was nearly a man full grown and he didn't need his sister speaking on his behalf. 

A half chuckle left her lips at the tawny woman's confession, "Don' beat yerself up, we haven't been as hospitable as we would 'ave otherwise. Yer joined us jus' when all hell broke loose." the tension after all was palpable, although she hoped the issue would soon be resolved for all their sakes. As she continued to voice her desire to become a guardian, Morganna's smile grew. "Well we can certainly arrange some trainin'. If yer change yer mind there's no harm in tha' either. I'd rather have a guardian at m' back than a hunter or healer." She might not have been the most subtle in her suggestion but she did hope Capable would consider challenging up. A few sparring lessons could only further her cause.

"I've been training with @Craw," she suggested casually, but knowing how intimidating the man appeared she didn't expect her companion to be as warm to the idea as she was. "But theres also @Skoll, I'm sure he'd appreciate a bit o' variety in sparring partners. I'm happy ter make time fer yer too. Don' be afraid ter try an ambush me, I need the practice." The latter was added with a chuckle. Anything she wanted to be, Morganna was happy to facilitate it.

All hell, indeed. Isuni wisely chose not to comment on the matter, but she was aware the fault was not entirely hers to own. No goodwill was offered on behalf of the the rest of the pack; in fact, no one had sought her out. Greer had only come as she’d announced food, and Enoki and she simply happened to be in the same place at the same time. Running into Craw had been an accident entirely, and the other woman’s mention of the white wraith had her ears flipping back in mild disgust. The alpha was allowed to make her own friends, but she did not trust the male as far as she could throw him. Despite her ridiculous size, she doubted that was very far at all.

“Training would be good,” she grunted. Her only practice had been scuffles over dinner with siblings, and even then, she was never allowed to win, even if she clearly had the upper hand. Her father would haul her off by her scruff before she could pin Arrow. Remembering the punishing shake that followed with a grimace, she turned sienna eyes back to the younger wolf, remembering what they’d been on about in the first place. “Perhaps Skoll – or yourself. Maybe someone else. Sadly, I have little practice.” Capable sighed, turning away to stare outwards at nothing in particular. She supposed she could have done something about it.

“I don’t much fit here, do I? It’s all – it’s all very tightly knit. I’m not-- I’m not an Archer,” she said after a moment, turning eagle eyes back towards the smaller female. “And it’s not a consort you need.”

A variety of male blood, perhaps, but Isuni was aware she had little to offer Morganna in any other capacity.

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

Her tail gave a wave to show she would welcome a new training partner, and Morganna was sure her brother would too. "It's never too late ter start." she offered, the closest she could come to encouragement without outright embarrassing herself. At the woman's next question, her ears turned back, a worried expression passing over her features. I'm not an Archer. No she wasn't but if she had her way, big changes would be coming. "Yer fit in well enough fer me ter ask yer here, mother always says "Nothing is given." Yer just gotta let 'em know where yer stand." She didn't expect the other woman to be happy with her current position in the pack, and she didn't have to keep it.

Eyes cast about the meadow, quickly gauging the footing to be steady enough. As good a time as any to get started. She sprung forward several steps and turned to face @Isuni head on. her tail waved at her back, head dipping low with a playful snap. Her feet inched wider to offer greater balance against her much larger opponent. "C'mon!" she challenged. I'm not your leader here. "Show me what yer've got."

(This post was last modified: Mar 20, 2016, 02:36 AM by Morganna.)

Let them know where I stand…?

Capable’s brows furrowed at the notion, taking a moment for the thought to sink in. It made sense, of course, she could understand it. Never before had someone implied that she should actually take this idea and turn it into an action. And it wasn’t just a friend tossing ideas around, it was her alpha, and that meant- And that meant-

It was almost too much for her to digest.

Thankfully, Morganna offered a distraction, and the larger wolf was quick to snap it up. The snap of teeth was answered likewise, and Capable swept into a play bow herself. Tail thrashed in the air like a black snake, and then the large woman thundered forward with all the grace her large frame allowed. When the alpha did not move, Isuni did not flinch, and barreled into the smaller wolf. Head jerked up at the last moment so it was her broad chest that was thrown into the other female’s shoulder – they were practicing, after all, and she wasn’t interesting in harm falling upon either party. Contact made or otherwise, she pranced to the side, hoping to sidle away before the swarthy woman had a chance to extract her revenge.

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

She could see the cogs turning in the other woman's brain. She supposed with what little Capable had imparted on her when they first met that she should have had this talk a lot sooner. The men didn't run the show around here, and nobody was going to make her do anything she would rather not - just like nobody was going to hand up their position to someone they didn't find deserving. If she wanted something, she would have to take it, and show her worth through actions. They were a tight knit bunch to be sure, but they would open up to those who made the effort and showed they weren't interested in high tailing it out of there at the first sign of spring shoots. The Willows had been a winter home to many, it was no surprise the more permanent inhabitants were cautious of those who arrived on the winter winds.

Her own tail continued its wave to urge her companion on, body braced for the impact but not quite sturdy enough. She had to backpedal, toes scraping at the snow and mud in a feeble attempt to push back, her head swung low to snap at the air around the larger wolfs legs, trying to wriggle her head under Capable's chest to trip her up as she tried to pull away. The growl that rolled in her throat was a friendly one, bared teeth intending no malice. She would not be upset if this became a more regular occurrence.