Willow Ridge the architect

For @Enoki only.

Already he wanted for more.

It was a churning in the pit of his stomach, a constant cycling of his mind, round and round chasing the same thoughts that could not be shaken. It had been seeded the day he'd won his rank, and now rooted itself throughout every center of his brain, refusing to wither. It had taken this long to come to terms with it, and even now, as he chased after his co-leader's trail, Sven wasn't entirely sure of himself.

Did he truly want this for the reasons he told himself, or was he trying to fill a bottomless hole, one that echoed back at him that no matter how much he dropped within it he would always be Skoll's shadow? It was a concerning thought, not just for its many implications but because it meant he was only racing closer to the possibility that it was, indeed, true.

He hadn't always been this way, he remembered his aunt telling him. It had started with wolves disappearing, and the fires had come with Sven's own birth. Maybe there was some prophecy they'd never bothered to tell him, maybe he walking right into his worst nightmare.

But god, if he wasn't, this would be the proof. He craved it like nothing else.

"Enoki," he called out as he finally caught sight of her, white patches standing out in the growing dark. She was by now clearly pregnant, her scent stinging his nostrils as Morganna and Hecate's had the year previous.

"I need to talk to you."

Enoki Ashrelle

An utterance of her moniker off a familiar tongue was enough to halt the magpie in her tracks, smoldering amber gaze glancing back over an ivory painted shoulder to catch sight of those silvered irises belonging to her co-leader while his frame gradually approached. Her right ear pivoted toward the man while her left remained focused on the surrounding area, unsure what to think about his 'I need to talk to you' statement that flitted off his lips. Now that he had risen to take the throne for himself on behalf of the Archer name, was this the moment she had feared where he would inform the impregnated woman of Nicolo's banishment as a punishment for his crimes?

Keeping all signs of worry from her facial features the woman turns about to face Sven directly after applying a fresh set of score marks upon the trunk of a willow with the dull surface of her nails, ivory dipped tail swaying lightly behind her. "Of course. What do you need to talk to me about?" Voice steady and unassuming. For all the Ashrelle knew his reasoning for this unexpected encounter was entirely unrelated to the nagging thoughts that plagued her mind. Perhaps all he wanted was to keep tabs on her and how she was doing since it was blatantly obvious now by the way her perfume held the hint of new life that she was to expect cubs come Spring's arrival.

Word Count: 214

Ashbash 2017 - Sebastian Unrau 

He tried his damndest not to let his confidence falter. Sven was an alpha now, after all. He had to act like it, maintain composure, have faith in his own decisions. Yet once again he felt like he was trying to shrug into a pelt far too big for him. Maybe he should have taken the quivering in the pit of his stomach as a sign. Instead, the young man squared his shoulders and continued to approach his co-leader calmly.

"I have... a proposition, that I'd appreciate you hearing out."

If he was to do this, he would have to have Enoki's support, and a few others as well. It started with her, however. The plan was already set within his mind, clear as day but each step was an obstacle in itself. Yet if it wasn't done correctly, he was no better than Skoll, and he would be risking something far greater than himself.

So he took a breath, and then went on.

"I've become familiar with the neighboring pack Charred Ash Draw. I trust them, and I think my relationship with them could extend to the Ridge as a whole. They would make good allies for us, especially given how close they are."

He knew that she at least was aware of their existence, but had to wonder if she'd bothered to check them out herself. Sven didn't believe any of them had, but he couldn't be sure. That was something else that needed to change; the Ridge deserved more assertive membership.

"There's a girl there, and I want," he faltered oh so briefly, a glint of hesitation rolling through his eyes as his tongue curled in place, "I want to have children with her. I want my own to raise."

He took breaths, but his words came out at a faster tempo now. Whatever Enoki's reaction, he did not want to give her time to interject, not before she knew everything.

"If you agree, we can approach the Draw's alpha, Triell. If I receive his blessing, if he's willing to agree to it all, the pups could be jointly cared for by our packs. They would remain with their mother, and I would make trips to father them, but this way they would be competition only for my attention from your children. When they're older, and able to hunt for themselves, they could make their choice."

Admittedly, he'd been nervous that once he'd said it all aloud, it would sound ridiculous. However, he still felt his plan was... more or less solid. It just hinged a lot on the approval of others outside of his control. Even if the alphas agreed to this shared burden, would Leotie even want him in that way? Want children at all?

Enoki Ashrelle

"I have... a proposition, that I'd appreciate you hearing out." he started out with and the slight pause at the beginning caused the dappled woman's interest to be piqued, a dark brow quirking ever so slightly upward while her attention became fully enveloped in just what he was about to propose. Surely this couldn't have something to do with Nicolo for the woman believed Sven would not have faltered to deal out punishment to a man now below him, coming down upon the older Archer with the full extent of his wrath without so much as a flinch let alone a proposition. What...what was Sven getting at?

Amber irises watched ivory painted sides expand as his lungs brought in a deep breath before he continued. Yes, Enoki had come to be aware of this new pack Charred Ash Draw although she had not had the chance to investigate just who they were for herself. Something she had planned to change before her pregnancy hindered her ability to travel more than the inner dwellings of the Ridge. Sven then continued on about their new neighbors and suggested it would be wise to seek an alliance with them, something that would benefit those living among the willows considering they had but what five wolves to their name now since Renier had fled with Bojack and that young girl in tow? They were hanging on by the skin of their teeth and that was also something Enoki had plans to change.

"You've spent quite a bit of time with these wolves. Their scent is thick on your fur nearly as much as our own pack scent. I am not opposed to forming an alliance, but I would like to meet these wolves for myself to gauge what sort of alliance we can expect." Attica had already made her opinion known about her sibling spending so much time with these Draw wolves. Enoki nodded, haunches lowering into a more comfortable position when she came to terms that this conversation was veering toward a serious direction. Who knew how long this discussion would go on between equals. Then a true shocker that had been completely unexpected fell from Sven's lips and her facial features mirrored this emotion, jaw falling ajar slightly. Did he want to whaaat? Immediately a million thoughts began to float across her mind, but before the magpie could dare move a muscle on her tongue to interject she was intercepted with more words leaving his lips. Going into details about how he saw this vision of his coming together. A familiar name stirring a foggy memory within the back of her mind. Triell?

Gradually the memory and name came together to form a cohesive picture, ebony silhouette with just a splash of white to his chest manifesting and giving chase to her own frame through the shadow-cloaked forest. Fiery amber eyes ablaze under the pale beams of moonlight while her ears began to fill with the phantom laughter of the man she nearly surrendered her body to during this time last year. Perhaps it was fate that their paths were so close to crossing again?

Alas the memory was short lived as her attention returned to the present, ebony ears standing erect upon the top of her head to finish listening to what @Sven had to say before daring to speak on the matter. "You seem to have given this quite a lot of thought." She started, allowing herself to pause and inhale a deep breath of her own, exhaling the same breath seconds later. "What you're asking is quite out of the ordinary and frankly unheard of before. If this..plan of yours succeeds and doesn't put my own brood's survival in jeopardy then I don't see why not." His request was peculiar at best, but musing over it the Ridge matriarch couldn't find a hole in his plan worrisome enough to deny him this chance.

Word Count: 654

Ashbash 2017 - Sebastian Unrau