Underground Sea i am half a soul divided

@Pyriel | dated for July 9 (just before our Kaj/Greer thread :B) - afternoon

It had been awhile since Greer had pursued the silence of the sea beneath the mountain. Since the formation of Aurora he had been too busy to re-visit the water-logged cavern. Between marking the borders and tending to both his mate and daughter, the shadow had little time to himself. But he did not mind too much. He had expected this when he and Kyna had made the decision to start their family. It required him to (temporarily) abandon his recluse lifestyle but he knew it was worth it. He wanted nothing more than to make things work between himself and the strawberry blond. She had been the one constant in his life since they met. His family had always come and gone—disappearing just as quickly as they had appeared. The ebony skeleton did not know what happened to his brothers, for they had vanished from the Ridge long ago. Sköll had even wandered off after failing to claim the willow throne as his own. Kyna, however, had always been there, even if distance had separated them. They had always found a way to see each other throughout the years, even if the time between their visits were lengthy.

As he slipped down into the underground sea the shadow was greeted by the familiar cool air. It caressed his dark fur and embraced him like an old friend. A sigh rolled off his tongue as his paws met the cold stone, his tail swaying gently behind him as his steps echoed through the cave. Immediately he put his nose to the air and inhaled deeply to ensure that he was alone. Another relieved sigh escaped him once he was positive that there were no intruders lurking about. His silver gaze focused on the mirror-like lake to his side, the familiarly of the scene causing his lips to curl upward. Closing the distance between himself and the pool Greer lowered his hindquarters to the stone at the water’s edge, his tail curling neatly against his side.

The last time he had been here was the first time he had encountered Iyes. The curl in his lips deepened at the memory. It was one of the few times that the stoic Archer had let his guard down around a stranger. Now the dark yearling was one of the founding members of Aurora. Kyna had done well in selecting wolves to join them. She had worked so hard to ensure that the mountain pack would succeed and Greer was determined to see her dream come alive. 

He was still in a little disbelief that he and Tin had been accepted into the heights though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Both he and his partner had a special skill set that could at some point come in handy to the pack. He was glad that he and Tinley finally had a place to call home it he felt it would take some adjusting. They'd been on their own for so long that it was what he was used to but the pack was what they needed. The time to recuperate after their journey and a home base to work from while the search for Mace continued, he hoped for Tin’s sake that they found her father.

Wanting to know the lay of the land immediately Pyre set to work exploring and committing as many details to memory. He couldn't protect the pack if he didn't know every inch of the territory and he meant to learn it all quickly. He felt he'd made a promise to the pack when he'd joined by stating he could protect them and he meant to keep that promise until the day he no longer could.

During his exploration he found his way underground and discovered a body of water. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before and for a moment he lost himself in the wonder of it all. He was brought back to himself when he scented the presence of another wolf in the underground cavern. He could tell that the other belonged to his new pack so he relaxed a little as he caught sight of the man sitting at the water's edge. “I hope I am not intruding but if I am I can go?” he said as he came closer to the water near the man.

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The silence, to most, was overwhelming. To the shadow there was nothing more comforting.

It was, however, always short-lived. Unless he travelled by night, as most (sane) wolves succumbed to the moon, he could not avoid crossing paths with another. Despite being the leader of a pack Greer sought out solitude frequently—when he was not spending time with his mate and their daughter, of course. He did not get much time to himself and even when he did he felt guilty. Unfortunately it was not a trait he could shake. From birth the Archer-Lyall had always been a recluse, seeking the shadows and shying away from both his siblings and his packmates.

That did not change as he aged. Instead it intensified.

The only difference was now he had to be more of a conversationalist, even if his words were limited. There were wolves who followed him—who looked up to him. It was a frightening thought.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a frown tugging at his lips. He swallowed his doubts as the sound of echoing footsteps filled the cave, his ears twitching at the presence of another. The tawny wolf carried the Aurora scent but it was fresh; this must be one of the two new wolves Kyna welcomed in. As the stranger spoke Greer turned his slender maw toward him, his mercury gaze narrowing as he responded with a slow shrug. “Not intrude.” That was a lie, but the dark-eyed wolf did not need to know that. “Greer.”

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

It had been mere hours since he'd last seen Tinley, the pale man wasn't sure when he'd see her again. They had separated since their acceptance in order to do the things that would make them feel safe in their new home. It was exploration, learning the lat of the land that Pyre had in mind. Knowing where each path led and every inch of the forest that surrounded him in his new mountain home. He didn't want there to be a mistake made because he hadn't done his due diligence. He had offered his protection to the pack when he had stood next to his partner asking to join the mountain pack. His training had taught him he could not protect them well if he wasn't familiar with his surroundings.

What he wasn't expecting to find d was an underground cavern that held a pool of water. It was hard to surprise the warrior but he was rather taken aback by this find. Wanting to investigate more he moved along the water's edge until the scent of another caught his attention. He was a member of Pyre's new pack that was easy enough to decipher but he was curious as to the man's status and about the man. Now that he was in the heights he supposed he had to make nice with the others of the pack. He and Tinley planned to be there a while so he needed to become acquainted with all the wolves of the heights so he would know who belonged and who didn't.

The pale agouti man finally came across the dark man and worried he was intruding on a private moment. The first thing he'd done is offer to leave if he was as he didn't want to make this wolf angry with him within a few hours of becoming a new member of the pack. He nodded when he was informed that he wasn't in fact intruding, “I'm Pyriel, it's good to meet you Greer.” He gave his name and now was the part he disliked, trying to make conversation. “I’ve only just joined and haven't never seen a sight such as this. Are there others like this in the area?”

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The tawny male was in fact intruding but his scarlet wife would scold him if he did not try to entertain the new members. He could not hide in the shadows forever—especially now that he was the leader of a pack. His shoulders twitched at the thought but he remained quiet as the dark-eyed wolf approached, introducing himself in the process. Pyriel. The shadow nodded in response, his tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth as his silver gaze hardened. Small talk was not something Greer was good at either; he did not know how to converse to pass the time.

Pools of mercury returned to the sea before them as the agouti spoke, commenting on the expanse of water hidden beneath the rock. The shadow frowned slightly as he responded with a small shake of his head, his neck stiff. “No sure,” he added, the words hesitating in the back of his throat before spilling out into the cool air. “North claimed. Greer not explore.” He had been meaning to venture further up the mountain range, retracing the steps that he and Kyna had taken to get to the heights. He knew there was a lake between Aurora and Whitestone but the pair had skirted it on their travels for it was claimed by a neighbouring pack.

His mouth grew dry as he struggled to add to the conversation, the corners of his mouth falling. He did not want his subordinates to think he was incapable of doing his job because he did not speak as much as his mate. Truthfully he was along for the ride, as this was Kyna’s dream, but he would never share those thoughts aloud. Especially not with wolves who followed beneath him. “Like heights?” He asked suddenly, nearly flinching at the sound of his own voice as it filled the cavern. 

Joining a pack was good for both he and Tinley after having spent the last week's on their own and Pyriel hadn't been against it. He knew it was something he would have to get used to again after not having been part of a pack. The other thing was the Heights was nothing like the Bloodbreakers. He had known that the moment he'd stepped over the border. He was grateful for that as well since he'd never liked being a part of his parents pack. They had made him do too much that he hadn't agreed with and now paid the price for.

The last thing he wanted to do was make a bad first impression on one of his packmates in the first few hours he was with the pack. So he had hoped that he wasn't intruding on the dark males alone time. At least that seemed to be what he was doing, Pyre liked to have some time to himself every so often. He thought to start off a conversation mentioning having not seen a sight such as the underground pool would he okay. In the man's reply he learned his name was Greer but also that he didn't know of another place like the one they were in. “Well then I suppose it's lucky for us that we have this place so close to us.” Perhaps the man had the right idea, it seemed a good place to come and think. Maybe once there wasn't anyone around he could sneak down for some time to himself. He even had the thought to show Tinley as he wondered if she would like it.

He was brought back to the water and the man as he was asked if he liked the heights. He thought for a moment watching the water move in front of him. “So far yes, I think it's a good place for my friend and I to make a home.” He of course didn't want to tell this man that they had come seeking shelter, food, and a safe place to rest their heads at night. He at least knew that much was impolite and should better be kept to himself.

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There was still much of the mountain that remained unexplored by the shadow. He had limited his patrols since the birth of his daughter, sticking close to Aurora and the surrounding territories. He was unfamiliar with the east, as he had lived on the western side of the mountains before moving north. The furthest east he had gone before claiming the heights had been to the cliffs where he would meet Kyna. Now he was able to make the trek down the mountain and explore the territories that had always been an enigma to the Archer-Lyall. He kept his adventures short, however, as he had a family to return to; a throne to return to.

Once his daughter was able to join him Greer would take her east—show her the land he had not been able to see as a cub.

He nodded softly in response to the dark-eyed male’s comment, the ear closest to the agouti flicking in his direction. The underground sea was one of the shadow’s favourite retreats, as it was often missed by travellers who were too keen on their destinations. The less the merrier. Greer enjoyed his solitude, even if his rank asked for the opposite.

A soft smile was offered to the tawny male as he answered Greer’s question. Whether he was lying or not, the shadow did not care. Pyriel appeared to be telling the truth and, for now, that was all that mattered to the Archer-Lyall. “Where from?” He asked curiously, his mercury pools focusing on the dark-eyed male. Greer was not usually so talkative but if this was one of his new subordinates he figured he should get to know him. Make an effort.

For Kyna, of course.

The place he’d found was a place that he thought Tinley would like to see, one day he'd have to bring her down. Being that it was only their first day in the pack he felt it might be best to bring her once they had settled into the pack a little more. There was still so much to do before he felt he could really feel comfortable in the new territory. In the back of his mind the question was always there, how long would they stay? And also what would happen when they did finally find Mace?

Pyre had already decided he would stay with her wherever her search led her. It had been a bad choice to stay behind before and he didn't plan to make that mistake again.

Looking over at the dark pelted man he felt he had the right idea about the place he found himself in. It was a good place to come and be alone to think or just get away from it all for a bit. It would probably be where he would go when he needed a few minutes to himself or when the nightmares became too much and he would be awake the rest of the night. A glance was given to the water but the pale warrior didn't get close enough to see his reflection. After all he'd done in his life he didn't find it very easy to look at himself in the waters surface.

He'd been as honest as he could be about whether he liked the heights or not. Having been there only a few hours it was hard to tell but he and Tinley had agreed on the pack. So far it didn't seem to be a bad decision on their part. He supposed he expected the question that came from the man so didn't hesitate when answering. “A pack called the Bloodbreakers, it some distance away from here,” he explained though for the moment he left out that it was his birthpack.

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His toes clicked idly against the cool stone, his ears pinned forward. Bloodbreakers. He could not deny that his curiosity had peaked at the pack name but he bit his tongue—for now. It was a peculiar name and he could not help if the pack was as violent as it sounded. Sounds like a place Sköll or Morganna would like, he thought to himself, his lips curling in silent amusement.

“Friend too?” The shadow asked after allowing silence to embrace him once more, his mercury gaze returning to the dark-eyed wolf. Kyna had announced that Pyriel had arrived with a companion; a female. Either the two wolves had history between them or had found each other during their adventures. Greer, being a good leader (or trying to be one), figured he should know the dynamics of his packmates. Small talk. He mentally cringed but remained stoic, his tail curled tight around his hindquarters.

“Why leave?” He asked, succumbing to his curiosity once more as the words tumbled off his tongue before he could catch them. If Pyriel did not want to answer Greer would not push him—it was none of his business why the agouti had chosen to leave the Bloodbreakers, but he was curious nonetheless. His tongue fell still between his canines once more, his lips drawing tight as he waited for the tawny wolf to respond (or not respond, for Greer did not know what to expect).