Drooping Willows angel by the wings

Pip had left @Aegir with @Kyrios, pleased to have the young knight around to trust to watch over her son while she hunted. While the mute was far too small to take down large prey, she had excelled at taking small animals. Rabbits and squirrels fell most often to her jaws when she wasn't fishing, but the agouti female had her orange eyes on another prize today.

The willow trees around her provided ample shade from the blistering sun above, the occasional breeze cooling the air further to the point where the summer heat wasn't unbearable. For all the loveliness of the grove, it lacked the thick foliage that Cedarwood Forest had for cover. Pip found her hunting style had changed drastically since they left the woods she knew. The opportunities she had to rely on ambush techniques were slim and far between; now she had to mostly outrun her quarry! Luckily, she was fast. As tiny as she was, the mute was able to maneuver readily through the trees and use the sparer terrain to an advantage. It actually felt good to run flat out without worrying over what her paws may trip over! Not to say there weren't obstacles within the willows, but comparatively, it was nearly open ground.

Thus far, Pip had been trailing behind a family of pheasant. Originally, the birds had frightened at her presence and fled along the ground in quick tip-taps. Curious, the female had followed. Her first attempt at charging had been met with noisy, panicked flight. Assuming her quarry lost, she thought little of it until she saw the birds touch down a short distance away. Interest piqued, the hunter continued.

Another charge earned her a shorter distance before the pheasants lit down again. Pip wagged her tail, pleased with the discovery. She would be the victor in this game!

Racing forward again, Pip made a mighty leap and snagged a fleeing pheasant right out of the air. One quick shake was all it took for the stressed bird to die. It hung limply in her jaws and she shook it again for good measure. Heady with success, the little mute had allowed her senses to retract from her surroundings. The sudden snap of a twig underfoot caused her to startle violently and spin with her tail tucked. She should have been paying more attention!

Nicolo felt more comfortable leaving the Ridge now that Sven returned. There was a certain solidity that accompanied the young Archer’s return, the older man felt as though the future of Willow Ridge was finally secure. Now that winter was coming, it only seemed fitting for the male alpha to seek for recruits. It seemed more likely for loners to want refuge during the winter months – though the man would much prefer that they extend their stay and establish themselves within Willow Ridge. Pledge their loyalty to his family and the rest who followed loyally for the past seasons. The dark Archer hadn’t realized that he found trail until the fluttered sound of feathers caused him to snap his attention back to his present surrounding. So lost in his thoughts about the future, Nicolo often forgot to think about what was happening in present-day, one of his many flaws. There was a woman there, petite in size, stalking after the pheasant. Not wanting to intrude on her hunt, the man observed silently, yellow orbs flicking between the small woman and her prey. Between the game of pursuit and flee, the loner finally managed to snag on of them. With his patience at the end of its line, the dark male stepped forward, stepping on a fallen twig in the process. The alpha winced, his jaw clenching in distain. How clumsy. Had he stepped any closer to the woman during her hunt he would have surely scared off her prey. Now, though, Nicolo held her full attention. The dark man did his best to give her his most heart-warming, reassuring smile. His voice carried softly between them when he spoke, "Nice catch!" The alpha’s tail wagged neutrally behind him to indicate that he was no threat to her.

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Rewriting a lifetime of submission was a difficult process for Pip. Were Aegir around, she would have little issue standing her ground, but the mute found without her son to protect, her ability to defend herself was significantly hampered. The male before her was shorter than Kjell, but his coat was even darker. His stance was neutral with no hint of malice held in his shoulders or expression. Through the brief meeting of their eyes, Pip could tell there was no ill intent. And yet, the young mother did not let down her guard.

From behind hooded eyes, Pip watched the stranger and tried for a low, nervous wag of her tail in return. Assuming his compliment was less meant for her and more for the catch itself, the little mute dropped her kill and backed away as if to let him have it. For her son, for her mate, she could be a fighter. For family. For a kill? It simply wasn't worth life or limb.

Finally, she caught wind of his scent. It was thick and heady with that of pack. Pip felt the ache and yearning for Grizzly Hollow, but that life was left behind She shook her head subtly as if to ward off a bothersome fly. She didn't want trouble with any nearby packs; her little clan couldn't afford such trouble. He could have the bird.

Despite his neutral greeting and praise for her impressive catch – that had quite reminded him of Adele in the moment – the girl shrunk away from him as if he were about to strike. Ears flicked back on the man’s head, confused as to why she would react in such a way. Yellow eyes searched the area briefly before landing back on the petite form of the woman in front of him. Is she afraid of me? He would not be taking her kill, Willow Ridge had enough in their caches to last them about a week and he was confident that his members, including himself, would be restocking them throughout. Nicolo offered the girl an unsure smile. "That’s yours. You deserve that." He made no motion forward to retrieve no offer the kill back to the girl. Instead, after a few moments of silence, he spoke again, "I’m Nicolo. What’s your name?" He could not recognize the scent of any neighboring packs on her and assumed immediately she was a loner. It would explain the fear but certainly not the reason as to why she was so willing to give up her well-deserved kill. Nico hoped to at least get a few words out of her.

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Pip spied the confusion in his gaze and it mirrored the way he stood as well. That, at least, reassured her. This was not a male to be all sickly sweet while hiding ill intent. His thoughts on her behavior were practically pouring out of his ears and spilling on the ground for her to pick up and read with how clear he was in his body language. Still, it was her nature to be hesitant, so she slowly and carefully reclaimed her kill and set it back at her paws.

At the male's question, she let out a long, quiet breath. She hated that question along with a slew of others, but it was always the hardest. And really, some wolves were just daft and assuming she was being rude when she couldn't respond. And even after they found out she couldn't speak, they wouldn't apologize for not realizing sooner. Only continue on as if it had all been her fault to begin with for all the misunderstanding.

Pip opened her mouth as if to say her name, but no sound came out and she wagged her tail slowly and apologetically, though it grated today more than any. Why should she apologize for being the way she was? She hadn't asked for it...

But she supposed the stranger hadn't asked to deal with her either and she sighed.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Nicolo watched in confusion as the girl, oh so hesitantly, picked up her kill. He would not be much of a gentleman if he were to just steal the thing from her. She was so delicate in her movements and something about her made Nicolo just want to scoop her up and protect her from the rest of the world who intended to cause her such harm, because, that must have been the reason for her to believe he had ill intend on her, right? Eyebrows creased in concern as a soft, billowy sigh escaped the girl's maw. When the young woman opened her mouth and no sound came out, the dark Archer almost started forward in concern but he knew she would not appreciate that. It would only make her flee. Her flowing tail of apology caught his eye, and his maw opened to respond, "Oh...my apologies. I'll be mindful." He offered her a reassuring smile. She was so small and Nicolo wandered if she had anyone to take care of her - though it was a possibility that she could take care of herself. The alpha of the Ridge took a seat then, to further try to set a calming mood. When he spoke, his voice was soft, "Would you like to accompany me on a walk after you eat?" Of course, if she no longer wished to be in his presence, she could very much leave right then and there.

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Perhaps, Pip realized, the male wasn't as frightening as she initially believed. He was large, yes, but his movements were slow and pointed and his eyes, now that she was really looking, carried with them a gentle kindness. His words only proved it so. He...apologized. Not for the fact that she was mute - at least, that's not how she read it - but for not realizing it. No one did that. They either took the handicap in stride or reacted poorly to it. Nicolò was certainly his own brand of unique. At his smile, she offered one in kind.

His demeanor was wholly calm and she found it to be infectious now that she wasn't allowing herself to get so worked up. When he sat down, Pip found she could as well rather than stand in that awkward stage between staying and flight. Nicolò's request caught her off guard. A walk? She couldn't find the harm in it, but she truly didn't intend to eat her catch in front of him. It was for her son or mate or... She hadn't quite figured out how to consider Kyrios, but settled now on thinking of him as a little brother considering he was uncle enough to her son.

Pip stood and delicately picked up the bird before giving a nod to signal she was ready for their walk if he wanted it. She wagged her tail gently and her orange eyes sparked with intrigue. He seemed a decent enough fellow that a walk was harmless enough.

It had not crossed his mind that this poor girl might have been shamed before due to her muteness. While it may have been seen as a weakness in the Torbine, she was not a part of his family, and Nico knew he needed to keep an open mind in terms of how he viewed others. When she smiled towards him, the dark Archer took it as a sign of progress. Honestly, he would take anything that the stranger could offer him, especially with this barrier of languages between them. While he spoke best with his tongue, she spoke best with her body language. It would certainly be a learning curve for him. He offered another smile when she agreed to walk with him, but there would be no pause, as she picked up her bird, perhaps saving it for later. There would be no need for her to set it down during their walk, after all. At a loss of what to say to a girl who could not speak back to him, Nicolo allowed them to walk in silence. Pale yellow eyes surveyed the area around them. It was so peaceful out and he was reluctant to break the silence that settled between them. Yet..he still yearned to know. He glanced towards her out of the corner of his eyes and licked the front of his teeth, uneasy of how to approach this, "So do you have any family nearby?" That was simple...a yes or no response, surely she would appreciate that. A simple shake of the head. They had to get to know one another somehow.

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Oh, wow. Whoops. My bad. ;3; I missed it. @Nicolò

Well used to stretched silences, Pip was happy to wait for Nicolo to think of what he wanted to ask. She appreciated that he took the time to think about it rather than blurting out the first thing that came to mind. It was clear that he had been using his time wisely in finding a question she could answer easily.

The mute inclined her head and looked northward where they no doubt still were. Kyrios seemed to have better luck keeping Aegir entertained and not wandering away. Her expression was soft, as it always seemed to be when she thought of her loved ones. She shared the smile with her companion before lifting her brows to reciprocate the same question back to him, though it was unnecessary. He was clearly an Alpha. There was no doubt he ran a nearby pack. Of course he would have family nearby.

Honestly, she would rather know what kind of Alpha he was. Was he similar to Veho? Or was he more strict like her father? Did he expect too much of his packmates, or did he support them? It was a moot point, she supposed, as she had no intention of joining, but it was nice to know in case she should ever find herself in need of help.