Aurora Heights blood of my blood

I felt as though it was beyond time for Ravenna to find out how close her older brother is to her now. :) @Greer though any and all pack members are free to pop in.

It was only just yesterday that Ravenna Archer-Lyall had arrived back home from her venture to the pack two days away in the north. This pack located two days off, was one of three wolves who took the same amount of time to get to. Grizzly Hollow was more north-west (a pack which she had a means to visit if only due to the fact that they were a part of her 'Lyall' side of the family which she knew very little of) and the Cove wolves which she had never personally met any of, likely due to the fact she had never gone that far on the mountain, were in the north-east. This morning Ravenna had traveled directly east from her home in search for herbs or perhaps food. Ravenna (much like her nephew Sven, sister Morganna and her mother, Elettra) had traveled this path time and time again and she knew it well. Out here on the outskirts of their pack's territory and where the land began to get rocky with the height of the mountains before them, rested the pack's "back up storage" den for herbs or even perhaps a 'get away' spot. Since Morganna had left the lands, it was not tended to as it had been before. Ravenna rummaged through dead foliage and predator's and prey's coats alike. Snorting to all the old scents which brought back so many memories, Ravenna moved on, exiting the den and traveling further east.

Out here, the willow's forestry broke away to hardier, spiky kinds of trees, which were even more sparse here then they were at home. The forest of the willows was not a confining one like the Thicket of Secrets or the Umbra was, it was not even as dense at the Cedar Forest where the Lyalls were. Still, at was far more covering then out here where the mountains were. She would pause long enough to stare at the towering mountains, having no intention of scaling up the top though perhaps would poke and prod around the foothills in search for something useful to take back home with her. @Enoki was doing far better now that the children were born and she was no longer sick and yet still it was good to prepare.

In the hours she had strolled just to get to this part of the land, she did not realize the hours more she had wondered here, a bit higher... a bit higher... The woman's paws were sore and after loosing track of the mountain goat's scent she had been following, she moved on to a collection of scrub brush. Maybe she could take some of this back with her, should her members feel a bit achy? Stripping at the bark, she took a few moments to chew some herself. There was a familiar scent here on these scrubs. Ravenna's nose lowers, breathing deeper. "Greer!" Though Ravenna had not meant to call out the name aloud, she could not help it with the excitement of having caught her brother's scent this far south. But why? Perhaps he was on a scouting mission from the Monadnock? Excitement taking hold and bringing her about a new form of energy, she began navigating higher onto the mountainside as the sun began to shine brighter, a last good burn before it fell down for the night. As she came near, she began to notice just how pronounce her brother's scent was in this area, among a collection of a few other wolves. A pack? Ravenna had ran into enough pack's in her bit of travel to know a border when she came to one. Had her brother formed a pack just a day (perhaps less then that if you were to move in hast) away from Willow Ridge?

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2017, 07:46 PM by Ravenna.)

Confident strides took Iyes around the borders to their home that day, a result of her consistent training under @Heigen. Though still young and pint-sized she had grown sharper of mind, careful to note the inconsistencies in sights and smells as she marked the borders each day. A new scent had appeared beyond the borders, which was unusual. It took effort to reach their plateau, which most lone wolves did not exert. The fact that this scent was still lingering, and if anything getting closer, drove the inky yearling to investigate. En route she heard the sound - a voice - that exclaimed something she was too far away to discern. Her brows raised, then lowered, determination setting into her expression. There was definitely someone close to their home, which made this encounter her first real chance to prove herself as a Guardian.

With a quick lope Iyes made short work of the distance between them. She could see a pale form beyond the trunks of the trees, producing a bark of warning from her parted jaws to let the other know she was no longer alone. As she neared the other wolf her tailed lifted proudly, amber eyes trained on the other's much larger form with an expression both cautious and curious. She slowed, and then stopped. "You are at the borders of Aurora Heights," she said, her voice firm but unthreatening. This wolf was no loner, her fur baring the thick scent of a pack of her own, meaning it was unlikely that she'd come here without a purpose. Iyes first offered the silver wolf the chance to tell it herself, before she would attempt to extract it. "Who are you?"

Guardian dem 1/3

adopt thea?

These mountains were hard, rugged. It reminded her of why she had nearly fallen from them as a child, causing her mother to knock her into the side and out of the way of the slipping rocks, her mother instead taking the small plunge to the bottom. For months upon months Ravenna had weep over the thought that it was her fault her mother's hip hurt so bad, that it was her fault her mother's nose began to loose itself senses... Having been a youth then, she was now far more confidant, far stronger of a wolf. Her legs were long, thick and powerful. Her body was large and fit. Yet still this rocky terrain was not much to look at to the Archer woman, and the cut she had gained on the bottom of her front paw was enough to remind her that she did not belong here.

The sharp bark the sounded out to the sound of her caused the woman to quickly whip around, her muscles tensing. Closing the distance between them was a younger woman, dark like her family's typical coloration though she was much smaller with eyes that reminded her of the sun. She was not her brother by far. The confirmation the young girl gave Ravenna was enough to put a smile on her lips. Greer was here and he had formed a pack of his own. "My name is Ravenna Archer-Lyall." She spoke confidently, her head held in its normally high position, though her tail remained low, relaxed to show lack of threat or defiance. This woman would know the name 'Archer' if she knew her brother and if not, the silver woman would confirm. "My pack is directly to the west. This one is now the closest to us and I happened upon it on my look for herbs or food. My brother, Greer... Is he home?" Perhaps he would be, perhaps not. It would be quite unlucky of her if she had caught him while he was out on a hunt, or on some kind of scouting trip. Yet now that Ravenna knew where they were, if he could not show, you bet your ass she would be back.

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2017, 08:17 PM by Ravenna.)

The she-wolf smiled at something Iyes had said, though she didn't know that she had confirmed the Archer-Lyall's suspicions just by introducing the name of the pack, and went on to introduce herself as Ravenna. The information about her pack to the west was duly noted, especially if they were so close that a scouting mission could bring one of its own members to its doorstep, but her curiosity in the she-wolf's pack was quickly ousted by something far more interesting: this wolf was Greer's sister. Her amber eyes brightened as she looked upon the silvery female in an entirely new light: the way she held herself tall, her strong and regal figure, her liquid silver eyes much like those of the Aurora Heights patriarch.

"Yes, Greer! He leads here," she answered with a proud nod, suddenly inclined to drop the rigidity of her spine and let her tail wave from side to side. Greer's sister certainly earned some sort of better welcome than her Guardian response... right? Iyes was genuinely not sure what the correct course of action was. Was or was this not technically a stranger? She had never met Ravenna, or heard of her, but what benefit would a wolf have coming up to their doorstep and pretending to know Greer? Iyes felt her Guardian exterior pelted by the uncertainty, suddenly wishing Heigen was here to guide her. But she was all that stood here at the borders of the Heights, sworn to protect it. The inky she-wolf cleared her throat.

"I can call for him," she said, though he might be tied up with his daughter. Did she know about Revon? Iyes was certainly beyond understanding the workings of a functional family, given that she didn't know her own dad until a few months back. If she had a niece or nephew out there by Thea somehow, she certainly wouldn't know about it. Best let the Archer-Lyalls talk that one out amongst themselves. Tilting her cheek back toward the pack land Iyes lifted her muzzle to the sky and parted her jaws to beckon forward the shadow from its den. @Greer, your sister Ravenna is here to see you, she sang simply.

guardian dem 2/3

(This post was last modified: May 29, 2017, 08:34 PM by Iyes.)

adopt thea?

Sometimes he would forget how close he was to his birth pack. He was reminded when he meandered to the western peaks and the willows would come into view, taunting him from below. It had never really been a home to the slender shadow, for he often felt smothered by the canopy of branches overhead. Aside from his mother’s concrete position in the pack, the male leadership had been unsteady and Greer had feared for the future of the Ridge. He had thought about leaving for quite some time and had confided in his brother’s ex-floozy of his plans, along with his scarlet mate when they had been nothing but acquaintances. Initially he thought of joining the plateau, to be closer to Kyna, but those plans did not last long, for the pack had fallen apart. Next came the possibility of joining the Bend, to the west, but those plans were put on hold. His older sister and a silver spider named Craw had plans to leave the willows and forge a new home in the north. It was the out he had been looking for and, without hesitation, Greer jumped aboard.

He had meant to visit once they settled, after Revon was born. After learning that his mother had passed he had been reluctant to return to his old stomping grounds, for he did not know what he would find among the willows.

When he was not tending to his mate and their daughter Greer was cruising around the borders, looking for strangers lurking nearby or prey to bring back to the caches.  After he made sure Kyna had something to eat (and little Revon wasn’t harassing her mother too much) the shadow had set out to do a patrol, his long legs carrying him quickly over the stone. However, a call had sounded, ceasing his movement temporarily. Your sister Ravenna is here to see you. His brows immediately shot up as he redirected his route and sprinted in the direction of Iyes’ howl. He had not seen in the pale Archer-Lyall since she delivered the news of their mother…

Greer could not help but wonder if there would be any more Archer’s this year, for his mother had given birth to the last three litters in the Ridge. His lips drooped at the thought.

He brushed his shoulder against Iyes’ in greeting as he approached before stepping toward his pale sister, his mercury gaze meeting her own pools of silver. A soft smile curled his lips upward as he pressed his nose to her forehead, his tail waving high above his back. “How Rav?” He asked, his muzzle canted to the side. “And Ridge?” 

It would seem once Ravenna introduced herself, the younger woman's eyes lit up, confirming that Greer was here and then waving her tail happily in response, to which Ravenna then waved as well. The smile never left Ravenna's features and she takes a few steps closer to the woman at a more one-on-one talking distance as opposed to before when they were weary of one another. Ravenna figured that if this young woman was a member of her brother's pack, she would have no need or reason to strike out at her.

"Okay." Was all Ravenna said at first when the dark girl mentioned howling out for her brother. As she did so, Ravenna sat down, hoping that in the time it took for Greer to get to them, Ravenna could entertain herself with the girl in front of her, if only to get to know another face. There were little which Ravenna knew outside of her pack, even less so if you took into account those she only knew outside of the pack because they were family members which had branched off from the 'mother land'. "Whats your name?" She then asked, for the woman in front of her had yet to introduce herself to her.

It was not long at all however until her brother came along, breaking the little bit of conversation which the two females had been making. Ravenna whines, trotting up to her brother as he comes towards her, touching his nose to her forehead to which she returns by brushing the length of her snout up under her throat and licking. Her tail waved wildly behind her, smacking back and forth hard against her flanks. Even if they rarely saw one another now, nothing would stop her from loving her brother. Hopefully, however, now that they were closer, she would be lucky to see him more often. But why was he here? What happened with the Monadnock?

"I'm doing better..." She admits. After all, since the last time she had seen him she was traveling to their pack to announce the death of both of their parents. Ravenna did not know if Greer had taken the news as hard as she had, after him having left them in the first place. Watching her parents age until they were just... gone, was something Ravenna would never just 'get over'. But she had found a way to manage without them near her. "We're making it. It's hard, you know? But Enoki hasn't given up and is determined to make mom proud." After all, it was not long before Elettra passed away that she had given the position as leader to Enoki. Surely she thought her friend worth and deserving of the position. Ravenna could have taken it on herself, perhaps, if mother had asked but was glad she had not. Ravenna was enjoying 'finding herself' if you will. "She had a litter this year... Named the pups Adeltra and Romanov." Ravenna waited to see what her brother might say. Maybe he was aware that Enoki and Nicolo had been close, yet maybe he was not... Ether way, she wondered how much speech she would get out of him. She still wanted to know what had given him a reason to up and leave Morganna's side.

(This post was last modified: Jun 11, 2017, 08:43 PM by Ravenna.)

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

( consider her gone unless someone needs her again :3 )

With the pretense of wariness dissipated into the spring air she was able to welcome the steps forward taken by Greer's sister, giving a wag of her tail as the gap between them tightened. After Ravenna relaxed into a seated position she asked the inky wraith her name, an amenity which the yearling had forgotten in her quest to perform her duty perfectly. Now with the threshold of familiarity well past the inky she-wolf felt comfortable enough to present a smile and introduce herself. "Iyes," she said, "Guardian of the Heights." Not exactly true, yet, but she was firmly seated on the fake-it-till-you-make-it train and nothing could stop her now.

Except the arrival of the Archer in question. She pressed against Greer's contact with an friendly grumble, inwardly delighting that he didn't seem to mind her position as gatekeeper here. If he wouldn't question her authority at the border, then she shouldn't either. Shortly thereafter he approached Ravenna with an affectionate greeting, solidifying the proposed relationship between the two of them. Greer asked after Ravenna and the Ridge, and the nameless yearling found herself alienated in a conversation that was probably not privvy to non-Archer ears. It appeared her duty was done here.

Quietly Iyes went ahead and dismissed herself for the sake of the pair's privacy. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance," she addressed Ravenna, her amber eyes catching the silver pair before lowering her head in a respectful nod. Turning toward Greer she offered a quieted smile paired with a tilt of her muzzle toward the evergreens, indicating she would be close by. "If you need me," she offered, though she doubted he would take her up on it. Still, a good guardian was always at the call.

She made short work of removing herself from their intimacy, disappearing into similar shadows further up in the Heights. Close, if they would call, but well beyond conversational earshot.

Guardian dem 3/3

adopt thea?

While the shadow was pleased to see his silver sister atop the mountain he now claimed as his own Greer could not deny that he was worried as to why she had decided to visit. It was apparent that she had been aware of his presence—or at least of Aurora Heights’—but was there another reason? Or was she simply trying to figure out why her brother had left the north?

If it had not been for Kyna’s desire to reclaim the mountain the shadow would have tempted her to call the lowlands home, for he had been hesitant to leave his sister’s pack. The Archer-Lyall often worried that his sister was angry at him for not returning to the north but he hoped that she understood. Greer would just have to bring Kyna or Revon to the north for a visit—to show Morganna why he had not yet returned.

The last conversation he had had with his silver sister had occurred because of the passing of their parents. He had felt guilty for leaving the willows behind and abandoning his family, despite the canopy of branches no longer feeling like a home to him. The shadow wished he could have visited his mother and father once more, to let them know where he had gone and that he had never stopped thinking of them. He liked to think Elettra had known… to make himself feel better.

His mercury gaze flitted over to his inky second as she spoke, announcing her leave from the siblings. Greer nodded softly in her direction, offering her a small smile before she turned to disappear into the Heights. As his sister responded to his questions his attention returned to her, his brows narrowing softly as she spoke. Although he had sought a life outside the Ridge he was pleased to hear that the pack was still flourishing. Enoki. It did not surprise him that the black and white wolf had taken up leadership after Elettra’s passing. “Good,” he responded quickly, the corners of his mouth curling upward. His brows, however, raised in surprise as Ravenna mentioned that Enoki had given the Ridge a litter. More Archers, he mused once his silver sister announced their names—names that would make their mother proud. He had not suspected anything going on between Enoki and his uncle. Mostly due to the fact that he had not been fond of his uncle, for Morganna had plotted to overthrow his reign before she decided to flee the willows instead. Despite his ill feelings toward his uncle, Greer was content with Willow Ridge being lead by an Archer.

“Rav happy?” He asked, his head falling to the side as he studied her, curious as to what her opinion on the new leadership was. Had his own opinion on Nicolò been skewed due to his sister, or had the Archer turned a new leaf after the death of their parents?

His tongue grew restless between his teeth as silence settled between them, his ears pinned forward. He knew that Ravenna must be curious as to why her brother was no longer in the north, for the last time they had seen each other he had called the lowlands home. Reluctantly he spoke, a sheepish grin falling onto his dark lips as the words dripped off his tongue: “Greer have litter, too.” He did not offer anything more. Instead he waited to gauge her reaction, his ears falling back against his crown as his silver gaze fell to the ground between them.

lyes was the girl's name, to which Ravenna would put to memory. Surely she would see the girl again if she was a dedicated member of this pack, granted the fact that Ravenna now that she knew of it had every intention of returning from time to time to catch up with her brother. She was a Guardian here too, who would be here to greet Ravenna when she did arrive. "A Guardian hu?" Ravenna's attention perked. She was young to already have an official title in the pack, but as was Ravenna and she felt herself the pack's more then capable medic. "I'm the Ridge's medic." It was a final comment to the girl until Greer had arrived, to which shortly after the young woman dismissed herself. Ravenna's muzzle dipped downward in a small farewell for the time being until her full attention then was placed on her older brother.

Greer seemed pleased with his sister's words, responding with a small 'Good' which came with the upturning of his lips in a small smile. It was true the names which the two children had been made perfectly, thought up by her uncle when they were born. Romanov was the eldest known Archer, having taken on Torbine and lead with enough force, love and brains to help push all the rest of his line into that same power. And Adeltra was named for both Nicolo's sisters whom he had loved and lived with until their last breath, Adele and Elettra.

Greer would then ask if Ravenna was happy and she smiled to him, her tail waving behind her and a nod then offered before speaking. "I am, mostly..." She speaks. After the children were born she was able to keep herself more busy. @Romanov, @Adeltra and even little @Elle would keep Ravenna on her toes when she was determined to allow @Enoki and @Nicolò leave the children in her care in order to not only take care of any pack duties, but care for themselves as a couple and get a bit of peace to themselves if they so chose. Ravenna enjoyed it thoroughly, making her only realizing that next breeding season would be even harder for her to endure without. "I feel like family all around me keeps dropping like flies. There has been so much death and so much loss..." If it wasn't for members of her family dying, then it was those like Sven and Attica who went missing or those like Greer and Morganna who packed up and left.

But the young woman would get no where if she did not try to learn from her past and move on. She could have been a hateful, untrusting, bitter woman by two if she couldn't just learn how to keep living. Then, the moment Greer said he had a litter too, Ravenna went berserk. She barked with an excitement, bounding around and bumping hard into her brother as though to get him moving on his feet. "Oh where Greer?! Can I see?? What are their names?!" The excitement was obvious, her tail once more waving madly. Is that why he had left the Monadnock? To have a mate and create a family and pack of his own? Being in the lime light was so unlike Greer so Ravenna could only be guessed that he had a strong, bold and open woman at his side. Where was she? Where was Ravenna's little nieces and nephews?

(This post was last modified: Jul 24, 2017, 11:11 PM by Ravenna.)