Willow Ridge Raise a Glass to the Two of Us

For @Wraith 

RE: It's the middle of the night and you're too cold to fall asleep.

He was restless. It was unusually cold in the night and while his sister slept peacefully by his side, he could not find himself falling asleep. With a sigh, and a promise to revisit his sister at a later time, he got up from his spot and their private den, exiting into the Willows. Things had been tense within Willow Ridge. Morganna and Nicolò obviously didn’t get along. The alphas hardly talked and could barely stand one another’s presence. He should have been sterner with her and he knew now that he would have to prove her wrong. He would keep his position within the pack and make sure that the Ridge had a strong male leader for once, unlike Angier. The dark man made his way towards the borders, hardly recognizable in the dark. The only light part about him was the silver streaks of fur on his pelt. As her rounded the borders, he made sure the mark them with his scent, heavily making it clear to anyone, on the outside or inside, that he had been there and that he was doing his job. Nicolò knew that he would have to make an effort to speak with other members and perhaps court and few of the ladies if he planned on doing what he had spoken of with Morganna. Of course, if he did, and she planned on hurting any of his offspring, he would be furious and he would make her pay. Surely, there were others who would not stand for Morganna hurting innocents and killing those only for her personal gain. Truly, the Archer line in Relic Lore was turning into something Nico did not want to be apart of, unless he could fix it.

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It was a wonder how he didn't collapse during the day for his lack of good sleep at night. Granted, Wraith managed short naps here and there throughout the day, but at night, it eluded him cruelly. Whatever rest he did get was usually interrupted by the same haunting dreams that had chased his heels all the way here from the Far North region where he hailed from. It seemed a common trend in his packmates. So few seemed to sleep in the den or at appropriate times anyway. If he thought about it, he was only taking their lead.

With an aimless trot, the black male patrolled the pack borders. It was no task assigned to him, but one that was brainless enough that he didn't have to put much effort into it. Every so often, he would find weak scents and replenish them with his own. Part of him hoped for an ill-meaning trespasser to wander onto the territory. He could use a good brawl, even if his experience with such things was limited. What he really ached for was a run along the nearby mountains. They provided him the best reminder of home that was riddled with guilt and horrors. But dutifully, he kept to the Willows' land.

Wraith came up short in his patrol, catching the thick scent of another from his pack. He shook his head with a small smile. Of course someone else was awake. His breath puffed out before him following a quick exhale and he continued his trot to catch up to whoever he was now trailing behind.

He woofed out a quick greeting to let them know he was there. Recognition had Wraith approaching politely with his head respectfully lowered and tail wagging slowly. While he had yet to officially meet the male, Wraith had seen his other Alpha a few times since his acceptance into the pack by Morganna. "Good evening, sir."

He was moving along the borders with determination, his face set in a firm countenance. However, a greeting threw him off balance. His pale, yellow gaze snapped towards where the voice had come from, a male, a new member of their pack. He had seen him quite few times in passing and had picked up his name eventually, Wraith. The alpha’s tail waved above his back appreciatively at the formality, though it was not at all necessary in the setting. Nico greeted the other male with a smile, her voice firm, deep tenor when he spoke, "Please…call me Nicolò. Have you enjoyed your time in the Willows thus far?" He tried to keep contact with the other male, preferring them to be on neutral grounds when others were not around. Nico did not find the need for his subordinates to submit to his every whim and movement. Things could be different here, they could be peaceful. The dark Archer kept this in mind while he engaged in conversation with the other male. Hopefully, if everything went smoothly, he would have a better idea of who Wraith was and what kind of man he would turn out to be. It would be a test for the both of them.

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"Nicolò," Wraith corrected himself with a polite incline of his head. Whether demanded or not, impeccable manners had been bred into the northerner. To speak so casually with an Alpha he'd not earned the right to be familiar with yet would disappoint not only his parents, but Wraith himself, as he had always taken their lessons to heart. He smiled in return, pleased to hear the question whether sincere or not.

"I have, thank you. Morganna has been very kind to allow me to join the ranks." He dared not call her niece, nor refer to the pack as Nicolò's ranks in specific. The politics of Alphas were beyond Wraith's want to comprehend, but he knew how not to earn himself a good lashing from either party. Besides, a headstrong female like Morganna would likely not take kindly to the reminder that her fellow leader had significant amounts of age and experience on her.

"It's become habit to patrol at night," he admitted, very willing to change the subject away from the danger zone involving Alphas. It was far too soon since his acceptance into the pack to land himself in trouble by saying something stupid. "Sleep is not as easy for me to find, so I thought I'd make myself useful at least."

The dark man was calm in his stance, in pale yellow eyes attached to the form of the male in front of him. He seemed sturdy enough and Wraith could, no doubt, live up to the name he was given. His subordinate was respectable enough and Nico relieved to know that his niece accepted formidable wolves to the ranks, despite her obvious opinion of how female should obviously dominant within the pack. No more. They should be equal beings. Nicolò knew better than to publicize his internal thoughts, knowing it could lead him to a great deal of trouble and not wanting to stir the tension that was already brewing between the alpha pairing. It would simply not do. Nico remained relaxed at Wraith continued to speak and at his final words, the alpha male could not help the smirk that came to his lips. Humor was not lost on him when he spoke, "That’s good. Willow Ridge does not pride itself on lazy members." Of course, everyone within the Ridge was expected to pull their full share and then some, it was what kept the pack around for so long. While Nico did not agree with some of the decisions currently, he would put up with them until they would be dealt with in their own manner. In the end, while Nico could make his own threats, it would be Morganna who would destroy herself and then the dark Archer would be able to watch her demise. Again, the Archer had no intentions of speaking his mind of the matter. The business between Morganna and himself was strictly between their family, and if Morganna thought otherwise, then she had a sick way of mental processing. However, now were not such times to be thinking of his family conflict. He focused his attention back on Wraith. Clearing his throat, Nico spoke again, "I hope that marking the borders isn’t the only thing you do around here?" He phrased it as a question, his pale yellow eyes watching the male carefully. The alpha was not being threatening, just curious.

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At his Alpha's question, Wraith smiled. "I'm well rounded, but afraid I'm currently master-of-none. I hunt often - daily if I can manage. I've helped take down larger prey to replenish our stores alongside @Craw and helped deal with those boars not too long ago. Any spare time I find myself with is often spent exploring the surrounding territories and familiarizing myself with the terrain. I come from mountains to the far north passed even the great plains, so living in the willows is certainly a learning process. But I'm catching on."

He offered a wry grin to hide a bit of embarrassment. While Wraith had answered willingly enough, the male was not overly fond of talking about himself. He had been very careful not to mention why it was he had left those mountains of his birth. Even if the story hadn't been a source of great guilt and sorrow for him, Wraith was a rather private wolf who preferred to keep his own counsel on personal affairs. However, he was starting to confide more in Morganna and his trusted friend, Craw in any quiet moments away from others.

"I currently have no pack role in mind," he admitted. In fact, the subject had never been broached to the male. For now, he was quite content with doing his duty for his pack. And with spring edging closer, Wraith was looking forward to any pups that resulted as he had always been a fan of helping to care for the younglings. "Maybe with time, I'll find an affinity for one duty over the rest."

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Nico’s ears flicked towards Wraith, his voice strong. The other man’s response was lengthy but it gave him his desired answer. Currently, Willow Ridge was lacking in all attributes and could use any skill that anyone could give them. Of course, “anyone” must be qualified and mentally stable enough to remain in a pack and fend for themselves in one way or another. His ears flicked again when Wraith began to speak, his pale yellow eyes focusing on the dark man’s face. It would do well for members in Willow Ridge to specialize in their specified element. It would make everyone’s roles much more clear. Nico cleared his throat before speaking, "Well, do let me know when you decide. It would do well for members to take a role in which they do best in." The lack of pack roles within Willow Ridge did not get past Nicolò and he wanted that to change. They had plenty of members and from what he could tell they all did their fair share amount of work but when pups came along those who were masters in their art, those were the ones that he wanted to teach their future. The future needed the best of the best to teach them and right now, that wolf would not be Wraith.

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In all honesty, it was a strange concept to the northerner. Back in his homelands, such roles did not exist. For such a large family to exist in a hostile environment like the mountains of the far north, constant teamwork was a necessity. There was no opportunity for a wolf to do only one role. Such segregation like 'scouts' and 'hunters' would have been bemusing to all in his birth pack, Wraith was sure. To the brute, it simply sounded like yet another way to categorize so that everyone fit neatly in their place within the ranks. It felt frivolous and unnecessary to him, but Wraith knew he had no right to say as much. After all, he'd never run a pack before and the time he was entrusted with the leadership of so many had been disastrous. While it felt beyond ridiculous to state the obvious, the brute hid his annoyance behind a shrug. "I've strength, endurance, and size. While speed isn't my strong suit, I make up for it with ambush tactics. In the right terrain, you'd find no better hunter, scout, or fighter. These flatlands are different than what I'm used to, but a brawl is a brawl no matter the terrain. If it's defending the territory that needs doing, I'll be there." As he'd been proving nightly. Frustrated by the idea that he was somehow lacking with concerns to his duty to the pack, a tic worked at Wraith's jaw. "Forgive me for speaking plainly, but if there's something you'd like me to do, you need only say it."

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Perhaps, he had struck a nerve but Nico wasn't in a particular mood for anyone else's feelings that night. He had not gotten a proper night of rest in quite awhile and if he had been in better spirits, he might of approached Wraith in the way he had approached Craw. Their conversation had been much more civil. The dark Archer's ears flicked forward when the other man's response came, attentive to what he had to say. It was similar to what Craw had to say but much more broad. His lips thinned but he made no comment, only nodded his head. There was a pause and then he spoke again. A spark lit in Nicolò's pale yellow eye, a pleased smile growing on his lips. The other man held no problem held no problem with speaking up and Nico held a great deal of respect for that. However, he shook his head in response. "No, I don't need you to anything right now, but if there are children come spring, even if they are not my own, I want the best of the best ensuring their education." He tilted his head slightly, orbs lighting up in the darkness. He, in no means, meant to insult the other man in front of him, but make him understand where he was coming from. Those who specialized in their skill were more likely to be better at it, to have practiced it to the "T". And those youth who rose up were the better historians, the better teachers, the better killers. He blinked, eyes refocusing on Wraith before he spoke again, "Do you understand where I am coming from?"

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