Willow Ridge a righteous cause

For his darling @Wraith <3 Set the morning after this but before this. Set just outside the den in the early morning, with most of everyone still asleep.

It must have gone passably well with Skoll, for Morganna never did wake him, and it was only when the first hints of sunlight crept into the den did Craw's mind begin to stir. He could feel her next to him, nestled in her usual spot between himself and Wraith, and smiled in his still-waking state. As consciousness slowly returned to him, having slept very soundly, Craw quietly stretched out the aches in his limbs, careful not to disturb the others. Once he became too alert to stand lingering in the dark den anymore, he extracted himself from her side and stepped out, blinking at the sky still painted with sunrise colours.

He would be approaching Nicolo sometime today, as he promised Morganna, who had - assuming she found him - already done so with her brother. While he was tempted to wake her to find out what had happened, he ultimately chose to let her rest, for she had earned it. There was no great rush. She had promised they would be gone by the moon's next turn, and unlike Skoll, Craw trusted her intentions. That also gave them plenty of time. The only reason there was urgency at all was due to the creatures growing in her womb, otherwise the could have been more leisurely about it.

Not that he much wanted to be idle. The time to act was now. Breathing deep in the fresh morning air, Craw sat down just outside of the den, contemplating his actions for the day, feeling the hot embers of imminent victory burning deep in his chest.

It was the change in temperature rather than any sound that woke the large male. Wraith woke fully in a single moment, eyes flashing open without a hint of sleep despite the fact that he had been slumbering deeply only seconds before. Lifting his head, he noticed Craw missing from his place at Morganna's side. So as not to disturb his weary Alpha, the northerner slowly extracted himself from the den to join his friend. "You've been up to something." It was not an accusation by any means, but a quiet observation. Wraith had become accustomed to reading what lay behind Craw's yellow eyes. Today, his friend's eyes told him. Today was a day for action. Something else occurred to the black male as he began to nibble at the base of Craw's ear. His friend's scent was...different. It was subtle, but unmistakable to one so familiar with him. "What's changed?" His voice was low, but thrumming with excitement. It had not escaped Wraith the way Craw and Morganna had been spending more time together. Thus far, the pale wolf had kept his own counsel on the matters of discussion, but the northerner felt the underlying tension of the day. He had a feeling the pack was about to be rocked to its core.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

hope the PP of Wraith following him is okay <3 Is it okay to assume that @Wraith went with him to check that Hecate was gone, the night before? I can change it if not!

The sound of someone else emerging from the den earned the full attention of one of his ears, and he glanced idly to the side in acknowledgement of possible company. Even out of the corner of his eye, Craw could easily identify Wraith. Turning back to gaze at the trees ahead, a small smile on his lips, he waited for Wraith to join him. It was no surprise when his companion accurately read his state of mind, and the thin smile grew into something more satisfied.

"Everything." Turning his head to put his nose into Wraith's cheek, he gently nipped at the long dark fur there, letting it pass through his smallteeth. "Walk with me," he urged, pushing his heavy hindquarters from the ground and then striding northward, making sure that Wraith was in step and they were a short distance from the den - from prying eyes and ears - before glancing to the friend at his side and falling into a more conversational pace.

Craw wouldn't beat around the bush. His and Wraith's relationship had transcended the need for warm-up small-talk bullshit a long time ago, and he wouldn't insult the wolf's intelligence or importance by being coy. "Morganna is tired of all this tiptoeing, and so am I. We spoke last night, after you and I confirmed that Hecate was gone. Change needs to happen, and neither Skoll or Nicolo seem inclined to instigate it, so we will. I don't think that the Ridge can be salvaged, with the leadership and loyalties so divided - Morganna, Elettra, Skoll, Nicolo... it is ridiculous."

He watched Wraith closely, and leaned just a little closer into the side of his friend, about to set the idea free, officialise it. He was certain he would know Wraith's response, but would not prompt it or beg for it, he needed to know that it would be the first thought on his ally's lips. "We're leaving."

Craw's smile was infectious. As the white male informed him that everything had indeed changed, Wraith felt a part of himself that had felt off-kilter for quite some time slip back into the place where it was meant. Balance. With that single word, he'd found it, already anticipating what it meant. Wraith suspected it was as he'd hoped; that Craw was taking initiative since Skoll had failed to follow through on his empty promises. At his friend's urge, the black wolf stood to walk alongside him. While they walked, Wraith let his shoulder bump comfortably against Craw's. When they were out of earshot of the rest of the pack, Wraith's dark ear flicked toward the male to listen. With his suspicions confirmed, the northerner breathed easier. Finally, he thought with relief. "I'm with you," Wraith reassured, his deep tone calm as he said it. "If you are asking if I will join, you needn't bother. My loyalty has always rested with you over the rest. No matter what comes, I'm with you. And Morganna." As bluntly as Craw approached the subject, so too would Wraith. There was no need for speaking around things as the pair had long since learned to speak plainly with each other. This change was fortunate. With Craw as his Alpha, Wraith knew his loyalties would no longer need to feel divided. He would do his best for this new pack without worry of the political correctness within Willow Ridge's current hierarchial disaster.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

And there it was. He hadn't doubted it, not really, but he had been disappointed before, in a previous life, and he preferred solid affirmation over ambiguous assumption. With @Wraith's decision spoken and made concrete, the plan moved on an important step in Craw's mind, for even if the rest of the pack stayed behind, this was the only relationship it was vital to preserve.

There were a few others in the willows which might be inclined to come, he supposed, those who were here because of Morganna or who had no special loyalty to the old leadership or Nicolo. None of them particularly mattered; those pieces would fall into place with time. He didn't wish to gut Willow Ridge when leaving, for, if possible, removing themselves would be seen as a favourable move by Nicolo and others. They could just as easily have tried to overthrow it. This way was neater for everyone involved.

Craw smiled again, his pleasure at Wraith's confirmation obvious, and only nodded once; there was no need to belabour it. Their reliance on one another was clear. Once upon a time, knowing that Wraith felt anything similar for Morganna may have made Craw wary and jealous, but now, as with so many things, the situation was different. He did not resent the possibility that any of the unborn children were Wraith's, nor their closeness. Morganna was to be his equal now, and it was all the better that they be united in such an essential way. They were in this together.

"You are the first to know," he said, walking a little lighter now, "unless Morganna managed to find Skoll last night. I look forward to finding out how that went." He smirked and licked his lips, and then looked back to Wraith, touching his nose briefly to the man's dark cheek, voice even. "You will be my Second."

The first to know. As always, @Craw found ways to reaffirm their friendship in even the most subtle of ways. Of course, Wraith had no doubt this was by design, but whatever the motivations, he was appreciative of the effort. When their friendship had been in its infancy, the dark male couldn't help but wonder if there was some other purpose for Craw's steadfast recruitment of him, but he'd long since stopped caring for whatever it was that encouraged him to invite him along. They were brothers in the ways that mattered and that was really all there was to it anymore. The thought of @Morganna informing her brother of her plans to leave gave the wolf some pleasure as he tried to imagine Skoll's reaction. To be fair, Wraith was certain the wolf didn't deserve his judgement for his personality. While the northerner knew not the sins of the wolf's past, he knew well enough his own to know better than to cast stones. But still, the Archer male rubbed Wraith wrong and he bore no love for him nor a want to form any sort of lasting bond. It was only one reason why Wraith had been concerned of this plan to overthrow Nicolo in the first place - Wraith felt no more loyalty to Skoll than he did the current male lead. Of course, none of that was his concern anymore, apparently. As Craw informed him that he would be his second, Wraith blinked. He shouldn't be surprised. With the amount of faith they placed in each other, it made the most sense. Yet the wolf had never expected to be thrust into a position of any sort of authority. He was capable of it, of course, but worthy in his own eyes? He still had quite a few ghosts to overcome first. However, he wouldn't let Craw down. "You honor me, brother." Wraith pressed his cheek to Craw's own in solidarity. "I only hope I can live up to the task." But while he was given this opportunity, the wolf considered who else may like to join them. "I know @Greer was hoping to leave Willow Ridge soon. He's a good wolf. Of those here, I would trust him at our side so long as you agree."

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

While not strictly a believer in the 'those who least want power are the most suited for it' mantra (funnily enough), Craw did subscribe to an element of it. Valuing loyalty and reliability over everything else - including intelligence, strength and competence, things he still held in incredibly high esteem - it would not befit a sensible lord to surround himself with others who desired his position.

@Wraith was simply perfect. Clearly with little ambition beyond fulfilling his roles to the best of his abilities, obedient, productive, proactive and personable, he ticked every box Craw could come up with. Essentially, what that meant, was that Craw trusted him, and he found nothing more important.

Time would tell how well this trust was placed, for their dynamic would be subtly changing in the near future, but Craw had a good feeling about it.

The dark man reacted with unsurprising humility, accepting the role with grace and gratitude. For his part, Craw did not doubt that Wraith would make an excellent Second, confident in both his abilities and attitude. This was almost immediately proven as Wraith began to consider their future out loud, making a suggestion regarding Greer, and Craw glanced at him, brows raised.

"I don't know the man well, but I trust your judgement. I'll broach it with him if the opportunity arises." Greer had been planning to leave anyway, had he? Then perhaps it would not be seen as too antagonistic to invite the boy along. Licking his lips, his eyes returned to the path again, mind turned onto the more practical matters of the road ahead. With Wraith and Morganna's support a given, Craw wanted for little else. His mind drifted to Capable, Renier, Sven... and he clenched his jaw as he considered that rather dangerous move. "There might be others, too... At this point the situation is so crossed that I can't be sure who else would fall on our side. I'm hoping not to gut Willow Ridge when we leave, for I'd rather part on decent terms.  I do hate making unnecessary enemies. I'm planning on talking with Nicolo later today, and I hope that he views this as an amicable decision on our part. Beyond that, I don't really care what happens to the Ridge after we're gone. It won't be our mess to fix."

Wraith listened with rapt attention, nodding as @Craw explained his viewpoint. With the future already in mind, Wraith found he cared little for what happened within Willow Ridge after they parted. He found himself mildly worried at how easily he could write off the pack he'd been part of since he first left the Highlands. But as he thought more on it, the only part of this place that had become home would be coming with him. It wasn't the place he'd grown attached to; land was land - it gave shelter, food, water, and a certain amount of safety, but little else. The wolves, Wraith knew, were what kept him rooted to this place. Craw, @Morganna, @Greer - these were the wolves that he'd surrounded himself with, immersed himself in. If they were going, there was nothing he regretted leaving behind. His thoughts drifted to a few others. Capable, for one. He was becoming more and more curious about her, about the life she'd led prior to joining the pack. She seemed to hold no love for the place either - perhaps she could join them as well. But Wraith didn't know enough about her or her feelings on Morganna, Craw, or Greer to place his faith in her joining. It would be up to Craw or Morganna to seek her out if she came to their thoughts as well. Beyond Capable, he thought, too of Crystal (@Yvly). Though she wasn't pack, she was a good, trusted friend. Perhaps the friendship between them was enough to form an alliance in the future between the one they intended and Grizzly Hollow. It brought to mind another important question. "Where are we headed?" His heart yearned for the north. For the familiarity that came with it, but he would follow his friend to the ends of the earth in whichever direction he so chose. However, the brute had an inkling that Craw's on unfinished business would draw him north as well.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

His companion's attentiveness was welcome, empowering. When Craw finished, Wraith had no questions or protests to make, and Craw took that as a hearty sign; trusting his friend to point out any flaws in the plan or his thinking, he took Wraith's silence as agreement and support. The surge of satisfaction he felt at that was just more proof of how much he valued the dark man at his side and his judgement. The three of them were all on board, on the same page, and would make a fearsome entity to try and stop.

When the soft question met his ears, Craw glanced to his friend, taken by surprise. It was one thing he hadn't really consciously thought of, perhaps because the plan was still so young that there were so many details to work out, but the instant the query was posed Craw knew that there was only one answer. Wraith's instincts were correct, and Craw thought that his answer would satisfy the both of them.

"North," he grunted, feeling a fire light in his feet and shine behind his eyes. "As far as we can until her labour stops us."

The answer did satisfy him. North. Back to where the weather was cooler and his thick coat wasn't such a burden. Though he had shed a great deal - more than he ever had before in his life - there were still plenty of tufts caught in his summer coat that needed to be lost. Not only that, but...perhaps he could see to a bit of his own unfinished business as well. However, if he were to be @Craw's Second, that would leave little time for personal journeys. He'd not shirk his responsibilities; his ghosts could wait as they had been waiting. "We can take the same path," Wraith suggested, thinking of the journey the pair had made when first they met in Nightingale Palisade. It was tried and proven as safe. Though he had only walked it once, the brute felt confident they could trace the same one with the eastern mountains as a guide. There was much to prepare. As much as Wraith would have loved to start going now, he knew Craw had discussions still to have with others. Recruitment or goodbyes, he would leave it to @Morganna and Craw. "When do we leave?" he wondered. If it was soon, the male intended on going for a hunt immediately to fill the bellies of those who would join them - especially Morganna. She had to eat for more than herself after all and it didn't suit to have her travel on an empty stomach. Their troupe wouldn't get very far.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de