Grizzly Hollow Little Dawn Lily

For Miss @Yvly

The Archer Lyall figured the best way to get himself well-known was to start patrolling areas more. If he got his scent around and learned the place it wouldn't be too hard to let others know there was a new member to the Hollow. While he'd didn't stick around the pack den much he did make his presence known to Veho and Nineva.

He preferred to spend time weaving between the trees, though, or even climbing the fallen ones. Deacon had certainly never been one to be graceful in actions but, he still found it fun to maneuver on the fallen trees. So weaving through trees he had gone. His dark form making way towards the borders. Not looking for anyone or anything in particular. Some company would have been appreciated but the young lad knew everyone had something to do.

The borders were marked with the scents of those within the pack. He couldn't really tell who was who but it was appreciated to know the place could be kept safe. He wondered though who were the faces he should be calling family? While Nineva had given him a good little handful of names he had only met one of them (Veho, of course). Almost out of curiosity to if anyone else was around the borders he gave out a low Woof. Keeping a neutral and friendly position, his eyes looked out waiting to see if anything would appear.

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The mist hung low in the air, lower even than the canopy of leaves far above the Tawny Leader's head. Every exhaled breath joined the already smoky air around her, serving only to attempt to trip her on unseen dips in the ground. She knew this place like the back of her paw, however, and simply weaved almost thoughtlessly through the cedars, only pausing to marvel at the tall trees when she reached the border. An unfamiliar musk caught her attention, ears twitched as she raised her head to observe the near area. The scent was on her side of the border, and it sent a quiver down her spine. She had already done with another who had decided to dance back and forth across the border not so long ago and was not planning on letting this one get off free.

Setting off at a quick pace, Yvly followed the border and the unfamiliar wolf scent, dark amber eyes narrowing slightly as she thought about what she would say to the wolf when she reached them. However, when she spotted the other's (frankly much larger) grey-hued body, the wind brought with it the much more familiar scents of Nineva and Veho. Stopping in her tracks, the Tawny Leader squared her shoulders, eyeing the larger and darker male before her. She could only assume he was a new recruit. "Hello," she said evenly, though allowed the corners of her lips to twitch up in a small smile. Yvly did not wish to frighten him or put him off, especially as now she was leader she needed to provide a good example for others to follow. "I'm Yvly, co-leader to Veho. Who are you?"

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His call was answered quickly by a rather pretty woman. Around his age if not a little older, lighter hues, and a smaller figure. Where his own eyes had been a bright amber hers seemed to be a much darker, aged amber. His ears perked at her introduction and he offered a wag of his tail. "Pleasure to meet you Yvly. I am Deacon a new member, and friend of Nineva." He bowed softly in a show of respect and submission to her authority. "Are you mated to Veho or simply a leader alongside?" Deacon had only ever known alphas to be mated pairs but he thought that perhaps Veho might have said something if they were.

Realzing that might be an overly blunt question he was quick to form words again. "My apologies for being so brash. You have my respect no matter if it's the former or the latter." The dark male's eyes dropped down to look her light paws. She had such a slender little frame. Deacon hadn't exactly had a type when it came to women but she was a looker. No doubt about it. "Would you like to patrol together and we can chat more?" It was an offer to be productive but also have time to get to know each other. His tail maintained a gentle sway. His large form ready to go when she was. "I'm not sure if Veho told you or not, but I would like to possibly become a guardian. It'd be good practice patrolling with an alpha." Deacon chuckled softly but in a kind manner.

The air around them was crisp and cool. He wondered if actually staying in the den would have kept him warmer. Yet he was also faced with the dilemma of wanting to get out and stretch his legs in case this winter only got rougher.

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The Tawny Leader dipped her head respectively to acknowledge that Deacon had spoken. "Welcome to Grizzly Hollow. I hope you enjoy your time here." She was still new to this whole leader thing, but figured being cordial and accepting would do well in this situation. "Wha-" Tawny ears flattened back against her skull, dark amber eyes widening as she took an abrupt step back. "N-no, we're just... friends." She blinked a couple times and exhaled heavily to get her mind back under control from Deacon's sudden outburst. She had not been expecting that, and had not even considered that thought before. Sure, Veho was handsome, but he was already taken and she did not have any interest in that for the time being. "No, it's okay," She said quickly as the darker male apologised.

"Of course," Yvly agreed to his request to chat while on the go. It would gt her mind of... that. She motioned with her head for Deacon to follow as she started off at a leisurely walk. There was no rush today to get things done, and if she got to know the new recruit better in the process it was a bonus. "We could use a guardian," she responded thoughtfully, glancing sideways at the darker male. Especially since Oula had been guardian before she became leader and then left to go find Rook, even though he had returned on his own. She just hoped the other women was okay, wherever she was. "You have any hobbies?" The Tawny Leader questioned, ears pricking forward to catch his response as she moved along the border.

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(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2016, 01:25 AM by Yvly.)

Once Deacon realized how much that question seemed to shake up Yvly he felt terrible. His stomach felt queasy and he was praying that his apology would be enough to ease anything. When his apology did seem to do the trick he felt somewhat better. Oh goodness, he imagined his mother would have bit his face for being so rude to a woman. Especially a woman who was also his leader.

Of course when the topic shifted he pushed everything out of his mind. Following his new company he trailed next to her. Naturally keeping his position lower than her own. "I'd be glad to fill the position when you and Veho see fit." He was well aware that those type of things had to be gained and weren't just simply tossed about. "Are there any guardians currently who might be willing to train me?" He figured if not that Nineva might be willing to spar with him. Maybe Veho would offer some good tips too. He wasn't exactly sure if the lead male was a fighter though since he did always smell of plants.

As Yvly asked of hobbies Deacon pondered momentarily. "Hmm, not really. I do enjoy exploring but in the winters that's hard to do. I also enjoy helping others and learning if those count as hobbies." He smiled and wagged his tail. "What about you? Do you have anything you like to do when you're not busy leading the Hollow?" His voice gentle and questioning. The dark male hoped that she wouldn't him returning questions. He wanted to learn as much about his new family as possible.

Gently switching the topics he glanced towards Yvly as they walked. "So, I hope you don't mind me asking but where could one find a mister Rook Lyall?" He paused and figured it'd be nice to offer how Deacon knew about him. "Nineva told me there were Lyalls here and also told me of a Rook and Tomen, and I am rather fond of the Lyalls." Leaving out that he himself held the name Archer-Lyall.

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Yvly smiled warmly at the dark male, appreciating his eagerness to get an official pack role and do his work for the pack. It was good to see him willing to get started straight from the get go, reminding her of when she first joined and Veho had a chat with her about what role she wished to pursue. Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought about the (so few) members of the pack who could possibly help train Deacon in his preferred role. The only other wolf she could think of other than Veho would be Rook, but she was unaware of how the events had developed from when she let him across the border that one fateful night. "There are no current guardians within the pack, but I'm sure Veho would offer his services if you asked him." She did not even think to include herself in her short list of possible wolves as she did not even remotely think of herself as a guardian. She was built for running, not fighting.

"Exploring is fun, I must say," The Tawny Female said with a wag of her tail, reminiscing to the days when she was aiming for the scout role and went on short adventures. She could not imagine doing that now what with all of the responsibilities she had. "I don't have much free time to go out anymore, but I very much enjoy going out and seeing new horizons. I wanted to be a scout, before all this." Her dark amber eyes glanced at Deacon as she spoke, wanting to gauge his reaction. She did not often speak about herself so much, but the more he knew about her the better they would get along, or so she hoped, She was still working on her social skills. An eyebrow quirked at his questioning of the one named Rook. "I haven't talked much with Tomen, but he is around. As for Rook? Well, I assume he's here somewhere, but you'll have to go to Veho for more information." She decided to keep it brief without revealing too much, but also giving the darker male something substantial to go with. "Why do you ask?"

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At the mention of Veho, Deacon smiled and nodded. "He seems to be a rather nice man already." It was a short compliment with multiple meanings. Deacon appreciated that Veho took him in, let Nineva travel with Deacon to the Ridge, and was even willing to meet on occasions. He wondered how a man making so much time for everyone would find time for himself. Deacon would also be a liar if he said having such a nice man in such a strong position seemed a little odd. Perhaps he just wasn't used to it.

Listening to Yvly intently Deacon was soaking up ever word she said. His eyebrows raising softly before speaking. "So how did you end up in that situation?" He glanced at their moving paws. "I mean, ya know. Going from a member trying to be a scout to becoming a leader. Did you decide you needed more?" He realized that might have sounded prodding and rude but he kept his tones soft. Trying to wash out any hostility that might be picked up from his questions. He only had the best intentions.

Tomen was around and it seemed Rook would be much harder to catch. "Why Veho? How old is Rook?" Deacon started to wonder if perhaps Rook was really some child. Perhaps Veho, being such a kind mind, only took in Rook and Tomen. Everything was giving the young male a sour taste now. "And I should have mentioned earlier, my last name is Archer-Lyall. I am related to them or so I've been told." His bright eyes looked to Yvly to see how she would react. "Veho was already aware of my last name. I was actually born not too far from here. A two-day travel give or take." He figured he wouldn't bore her with all of the details. Besides, even if she was his leader he didn't feel she needed to know everything right away. "My apologies if you feel I was keeping that a secret, I promise I simply forgot to mention relations. Everything has been happening rather quickly." It wasn't a lie. The world around him had been constantly shifting and changing by the moment. He could even feel himself adjusting to everything by the day.

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A smile found itself on her maw. Yes, Veho was an exceptionally kind wolf, she she felt blessed to know him and be able to talk to him if there was anything she needed to get off her chest. "He is," she murmured quietly, more so to herself than the dark male beside her. She let out a chuff at Deacon's query as to how she became leader. "it's kind of a long story, but I was more or less pushed up into the role out of necessity, and unless something happens I don't think it'll change." The 'something happening' being Oula returning, but Yvly was not sure that would happen in the foreseeable future. Of course, if the woman did return she would welcome her back, but there was always the question of if she would give up the mantle without a fuss. She knew she was only a stand-in, but at the same time Oula had been gone for so long it would not feel right to pass it back to her.

Yvly was brought out of her reverie by Deacon's quickfire questions. "Well, Veho knows Rook much better than I do, so if anyone knows of his whereabouts it would be him." Her tone had grown a little colder as she stared at the darker male, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She did not care for wolves that demanded things or assumed something they should not, but as long as he did not do anything too rash she would be complacent. When Deacon revealed his last name the Tawny Leader canted her head slightly to the side, unsure if it should mean something important to her. She knew about the Lyalls, yes, and how they founded Grizzly Hollow as well as having a large presence in Willow Ridge, but to her it was just a name. What mattered to her was the wolf and not the mantle they carried. She shook her head, "It's quite alright, Deacon. I understand how it feels to be newly accepted and be thrown into the deep end. Just make sure you don't have any other big secrets you're hiding." The last words were spoken with a more jovial tone, hoping to lighten up the mood a little.

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He nodded softly in agreement at her statement. "Well you already know I love to learn so if you ever feel like sharing such a long tale I'm always eager to listen." His tail wagged gentle behind him. He really did want to know how a crown just simply fell upon her but he wouldn't push it.

"I shall make sure to seek Veho out for more then. Thank you for telling me, though, Yvly. It's much appreciated." Deacon's head dipped in respect. He knew he might already have been pushing his luck with questions and demands of members he hadn't even met yet. And it was also a little obviously by her last statement. "I do not believe anything else I hold is truly a secret. I'm a rather open book or so I like to believe, is there anything you'd like to know?" Deacon was willing to answer anything she might want to know about him. So long as it wasn't anything too personal. He wouldn't lie but wasn't willing to sell himself out completely just yet.

Trailing alongside her he watched the trees around them. So tall and grand. He wondered how many things they'd seen. Life and death, peace and war. "I like the trees here." The statement was made rather randomly. A neutral tone not showing enthusiasm but also not lacking total emotion. "They're so tall and inviting. I bet they're hundreds of years old." His tail flicked behind him gently. His brain seemed to focus on random things sometimes. If he was being truthful, it always felt better focusing on things like the trees instead of his own priorities.

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"If you ever have a free afternoon sometime in the future maybe I'll tell you a little about it." Yvly smiled at Deacon as she spoke, even though it would most likely not happen anytime soon. She did not want to put anyone in a bad light, and if Oula did return she did not wish to have stirred things up in her absence. A swift nod was her only response to the darker male's thanks. She was not particular on them, but if it eased his mind to say it she would accept it graciously. Though when he offered her the chance to ask him if there was anything she wished to know about him, the Tawny Leader glanced up from the ground with perked ears. There were a couple things she would like to know, but would not dare to push him too far, and so settled with something simple. "Why'd you choose to join Grizzly Hollow?" She almost added a 'was it to be with Nineva' but decided that would be a little mean to say.

Her gaze followed his to look up at the tall trees above, their leaves branching out far higher than she could ever jump, not that she had ever tried. "When I first came here I was... I guess intimidated by them." Dark amber eyes took in their large trunks; they were certainly far older than either of them that was for sure. It made her wonder just how old they were. She briefly glanced at Deacon with a chagrined grin on her maw, "I grew up on a plains with no mountains in sight on the horizon and only a small cluster of trees, so when I arrived in this place where there were so many tall trees I had no idea what to think about it."

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