Umbra Copse moved to the city in a broke down car

June 27th; Early afternoon; 67 ° F, 19 ° C.
RE: Spring showers have come early, Summer showers have come, resulting in heavy downpours throughout parts of Relic Lore.

When Niles had thought the rain would let up, it came rolling in again. On summer winds and roving gray clouds, it arrived in sheets, washing the eastern reaches of Relic Lore clean. Additionally, it drenched the inhabitants of Quaking Vale and it urged the large Lyall away from his resting spot and out of his little hollow, which had quickly turned into mud. It would dry out in the later hours - or so he had hoped - but until then, he was on his feet and on his guard. He had let Castel head off on her own for today, allowing her some freedom without his towering form looming at her back, keeping an eye on her at all hours of the day (since Summer had come, she had returned to better health but he slept better knowing that she was stress-free and active).

Along the borders of Quaking Vale, he went with his head low and tail relaxed. @Castel, who had a better footing in navigating pack interactions and the everyday comings and goings of their friends, had recently told him about the two cubs. Frankly, it had struck within him yet another new feeling he had not yet encountered in his adolescent life. Paternal feelings, a want and longing for something more... more than this... what he had with his Cassie.

He frowned as he walked, thinking in his head and spinning several thoughts around in his mind at what seemed to be lightning speed. He and Castel could have cubs; his mother and father managed, so why not them?

At some point, the cracking of branches overhead caught his attention and snapped him back to the physical world around him. His large ears drew skyward and his colorless eyes widened as he scanned his surroundings for any potential threat.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

shoves Greer @Niless for brother reunion

Greer had not left the mountain to look for his brother. He had gone in search of food (and potential recruits) but it appeared the rain had other plans. Within minutes of leaving the mountain the sky had opened up and rain poured from the dusty clouds overhead, relentless and violent. His dark fur clung to his sides as he manoeuvred through the forest, desperately trying to use to canopy of branches to shield him from the persistent rainfall. His efforts, however, were useless as the shadow blinked frantically to rid his mercury pools of water.

The hunt was lost, for any sensible creature would seek refuge from the rain. A frown cut across his dark lips as he padded forward, his brows narrowed darkly as he moved further east, unsure of where it was that he was going. He knew that his brother’s new pack was east—or at least that was what the blue-eyed wolf had told him. Niles’ girlfriend, or whatever she was to the younger Archer-Lyall. His lips twitched at the thought.

As he continued through the trees Greer heard the same cracking overhead that his brother had heard, and his movements ceased immediately. It was foolish of him to be out in these conditions, especially when he had a family waiting for him atop the mountain. Kyna would not be pleased with him, even if he had left the Heights to find food for her (and the rest of their small pack). He grunted in annoyance as he pressed his water-logged body against a tree trunk in a feeble attempt to escape the onslaught of water. 

When Castel had told him of her encounter with his brother Greer, Niles had been puzzled. The fact that Greer was on (or "near," Niles couldn't remember anymore) the mountain was also something had constantly teased at the furthest reaches of his mind. Being such nomadic and pack-oriented creatures bound to nature and the workings of the world without "time" (as humans knew it), it was hard to say when the older Archer-Lyall was bound to show up. On a particular day, like this one, Niles had momentarily forgotten.

The longer the youth stood there, the sooner he realized that there was no potential threat in the area unless... he spotted that dark figure from the corner of his eye. His heart gave a jump and the adrenaline surged but he merely squared his shoulders and held his tail level. He fully faced the male, regarding him with a wary gaze until the recognition slowly set in. In all actuality, the rogue could have been anyone, but the gangly figure and the way the fur laid across the man's nape and throat. It was familiar; at a distance, though, it was hard to distinguish just who the man was.

A cautious step was taken in the brute's direction, sizing him up and discerning that they were about the same height now, shoulder-to-shoulder. He gave his tail a good wag, one ink black forepaw lifted in obvious curiosity. Then, just when Niles thought he could no longer bear the silence, he let out a loud, thunderous bark. It was neutral in tone for the most part, right in-between an exclamation that wordlessly said "hey! I know you!" in a familiar way and "hello there!" in the way a store clerk might address a customer at a check-out line.

For a second, Niles considered leaving it at that, but his youthful spirit (the verve that had most definitely rubbed off from being with Castel for most hours of the day) insisted otherwise. Down he went with a play bow, characteristic bottle brush tail waving about like a black banner in the wind and rain. Had Niles not been confident that he knew the man, he wouldn't have bothered to instigate such interaction from afar.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

The sound of rain buzzed in his ears, numbing his senses as he remained pressed against the tree, hoping that the branches overhead would act as a barrier. His teeth gritted together as he regretted his decision to leave the mountain, his tail falling between his legs as he surveyed his (damp) surroundings. His mercury pools instantly narrowed as they fell onto the dark shape in the distance, his lips falling into a deep frown. It appeared that the stranger had already spotted him, too, as the dark wolf was facing Greer wearing a bemused expression. His hackles rose instinctively; it did not help that the rain distorted his vision. His lips fell into a thin, tight line as his brows pinched together, his mercury pools narrowing into slits as he tried to make out the blurred shadow.

As the dark wolf came into focus the familiarity settled in. The white fur painted across the male’s cheeks and underbelly set off red flags in the back of Greer’s mind, pushing memories forward. His lips loosened as the loud bark filled the space between them, his ears falling to the side as he took several hesitant steps toward the younger wolf, his tail starting to sway gently behind him. It did not dawn on him that he had found the wolf he had been unintentionally searching for until Niles dipped into a bow, beckoning the shadow forward with his youthful demeanour.

The Archer-Lyall abandoned his perch beneath the tree and continued to close the distance between them, his spindly legs carrying him quickly over the water-logged ground. Once he was a few tail-lengths away from the white-cheeked male Greer mirrored Niles’ stance, his expression much more relaxed as his tongue lolled from the side of his mouth. 

The rain seeped down into his fur and Niles had to stand for a moment to give his coat a good shake as the other brute drew closer. The tips of his digits tingled. A small part of him writhed within him, afraid that the stranger in question was not one of his older brothers after all. The raised hackles were the first thing to set the youth on edge, even if excitement still coursed through his veins. He was so sure that he had seen this wolf at one time or another. He just had to place the scent or voice or overall physique without the rain blurring his vision and screwing with his sense of smell.

Niles went back into a low bow, inwardly clinging to hope that he had found a part of his family at long last. That was when the realization struck. When Greer had taken up the same stance, Niles recognized him. The same colorless eyes were a dead giveaway, as was the stark black fur and that distinct cologne that marked the male as an Archer-Lyall. This was Greer... The youth whined through his nose, scooting closer on his elbows to bump his nose to his brother's in a respectful greeting. His rump came down and he laid on the rain-soaked grasses, rolling around before settling on his side and looking up at the shadow-furred sibling. His tail rustled the forest debris on the ground as it wagged.

Had he been human, Niles might have wrapped his arms around Greer, never wanting to let go. Even now, family meant everything to the younger Lyall. This peculiar, jovial greeting would have to do. He whimpered in heartfelt relief, one long search ended at long last, "You were here. You were here all along. I missed you."

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

The talkative, blue-eyed agouti had been right—his brother no longer called the Ridge home and had settled in the Vale. It did not surprise him that Niles had not returned to the willows, for most Archer’s were cursed with itchy-paws.

Did Ravenna know of her brother’s whereabouts? His lips tightened at the thought, but his smile did not falter nor did his tail cease its movement. He would seek the silver Archer out later and, perhaps, all three siblings could reunite. Mother would be pleased to see them together, although Greer knew she would rather have them rule the willows once more. He was just pleased that his birthpack had not fallen apart after the death of his parents and that their legacy continued.

I missed you. The shadow whined and bumped his brother’s nose before mimicking the younger Archer’s actions and pressing his stomach to the damp ground. The rain no longer bother him and, for now, it was forgotten. “Greer miss Niles,” he confessed after a moment of silence, his tail swaying gently behind him. He had been worried that Niles resented him for leaving with Morganna and abandoning their family. Ravenna had been quick to forgive her older siblings, for she had travelled to the north to deliver them the news of their parents.

“Here long?” He asked, his head tipping to the side as he met his brother’s mercury gaze, his brows narrowing as curiosity bubbled within his blood. Was he happy here? There would always be a place on the mountain for his siblings—if they wanted it. He would not force them; not if they were happy elsewhere.

"I still miss you," he murmured, half a whimper slipping through his muzzle. Apart from his siblings and parents, Niles had grown up knowing - believing in three shadows. The first he had ever encountered was the looming, unpredictable and jump-scare-prone that belonged solely to his brother Skoll. There was Enoki (and, sometimes, Morganna) who had been his caretaker, both firm and caring. Then, there was Greer... all shadow and ever distant. Even as a cub, though, Niles was drawn to him. Ever since he had met Greer, Niles had known he was different. His physique was like Skoll's but the warmth he radiated was very much likened to Enoki's. It was the perfect combination. Familiar, all the same. And, when Greer left, Niles was very much on his own. No other soul in which he could find himself within.

"Here long?"

The question, though short and obviously fragmented, made sense to Niles. It had to... Part of Niles' speech had developed in the way Greer's had - a possible characteristic of the males in Archer-Lyall bloodline - and the boy had taken it further to mimic his older sibling. Only Isolde and Ravenna managed to drill him past the quirks in his speech and work him into a gray area between timidity and muteness.

"A while," he admitted. "Here to stay." A small smile inched his way through the ivory fur on his muzzle. "I, um," he hesitated a little, unsure if there was a boundary he ought to be aware of when it came to his personal life and what Greer wanted to hear. "I was found by a girl and she - she took me away. Mom and Dad were gone and I had nowhere else to go." Truth be told, he, just like the rest of his brothers, were uncomfortable with the male hierarchy if they themselves could not hold power. "Her name is Castel," his eyes and the whole of his face seemed to light up as he said her name. "She mentioned you'd be by." He hummed a note, a sound that hinted that he was embarrassed for speaking too much. His face dimmed a bit and he fully looked into the older Archer-Lyall's face, "When you... When you left, where did you go?"

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

His ears fell against the back of his skull as his mercury gaze fell to the space between them, guilt bubbling within his chest. He had abandoned his younger brother to seek something new; something different. He should have asked Niles to join him, but he seemed content with the willows… if Greer had known he, too, would have left the Ridge behind he would have encouraged him to go north. To Whitestone.

At least he was happy. If what the blue-eyed girl had said was true, Niles had found himself a girlfriend, just like Greer had. His tail wagged at the thought. ”Greer miss Niles all time,” he repeated with a confirming nod, his silver pools raising once more to meet his brother’s gaze. The words were weighted with truth, for he had wished he had gone to visit the white-cheeked Archer sooner. But now they were neighbours… they could see each other whenever they pleased. He hoped.

“Greer stay too,” he interjected after Niles announced that he was here to stay, his tail waving gently. His ears twitched as the younger Archer spoke, words hesitating on the tip of his tongue. A girl. He nodded softly; he had been wondering when Niles would mention Castel. He hummed in approval, although he still was not sure what to think of the talkative girl. Even just thinking about her made his head ache.

“North,” he answered quickly, his toes curling into the dirt. He missed the lowlands and the chunk of rock Morganna had claimed. “With Morg. Whitestone Monadnock. Good home.” He tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth for a moment before his head fell to the side, a cheeky, lop-sided grin falling onto his dark lips. “Greer met girl in Ridge. Stay friend when Greer go north…” It seemed that Niles and Greer had shared similar stories, for it was a girl that had brought him to the south as well. “Girl—Kyna—and Greer want home. Together. Go south. Make, er—“ the words stumbled on his tongue, his silver eyes falling away as a sheepish expression rolled onto his dark features “—family. Greer and Ky daughter. Revon Archer.”

Never had the shadow spoken so much all at once. His tongue felt raw and overused, but it was much easier spitting it all out for his brother. 

(This post was last modified: Aug 01, 2017, 02:44 AM by Greer.)

What Greer mentioned in return tugged at Niles' heartstrings. After some time, he wholly believed that no one - not even Ravenna - missed him; but, Greer missed him all the time. It elicited a small mewl from the younger male's muzzle. He was still loved and he still had family. This bit of information was something he would carry back with him to the Vale.

His tail had wagged when his brother also stated that he would also be in the area. What was more was the additional tidbit that confirmed that Greer had gone with Morganna to a place Whitestone Monadnock. He kept quiet, listening as he slowly came to learn about Kyna and how the older Lyall had reunited with her, made a home and family with her... that Niles was an uncle not just to Skoll's bastard son Sven, but to Greer's daughter, Revon.

A smile crept onto his ivory muzzle as he comprehended every word, his mind digging for the grand, deeper story that Greer's sentences had over-simplified. Had Niles been the sort of brother that elbowed his sibling and called 'em out for being a cad, he might have smirked and snickered and whooped. Niles was not that kind of man, though, and he possibly had to credit certain individuals on both his mother and father's families (he and his other biological siblings were definitely a whole different breed apart from Skoll and Morganna).

"I'm so happy for you," he extended, his true colors shining through at last. "You'd let me know if you need anything, right? Ya know where to find me." He grinned now. "And maybe Castel and I can meet Kyna too?" Here, though, he realized that with the rain not letting up, he ought to not keep the new father away from home for too long. "I mean, maybe when the weather gets a little better..."

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!