Willow Ridge carve me out and put a light inside

Takes place after this thread. AW but needs @Ravenna, and @Nicolò if you have time. Also, special mention for @Leotie if she wants to stick around for this. <3

the devil is & always will

Blood still stained his maw from the hunt. The doe had been easy to bring down, the trio finishing the job of whatever had wounded her. The real work had been in lugging her meat back to the pack and depositing it in a few of the scattered caches. He'd said he was going to the river to wash up and drink, but he'd only made it halfway before turning back around. The longer he thought on what occurred, the more upset he became by it. Now, when his reaction wouldn't be scrutinized by those rallied against him, he allowed himself to be less collected. His bloodied lips were twisted in a grimace and his tail flicked irritably behind him.

He sought out Ravenna, keeping an eye out for Nicolo as well. The man would need to know what had happened, but Ravenna had been there and he needed her input more than anyone's. When he found her again, he let out a sharp bark, making it clear that he wished to speak with her urgently.

"It can't wait," he explained, the floodgates groaning as they failed. His unkempt voice made it clear; he was upset. "How close exactly is Greer's pack? How long has Attica been with them, and why didn't you tell me she was back?"

be a gentleman.

Leotie had done what she could to help bring the doe down and helped to spread the meat to the different caches. It felt good to be doing such work after so long. It also took her mind off what had happened before. She'd been left with so many questions and wanted to ask Sven but it had not been the time nor the place. She felt it was a conversation better left when she and Sven were alone. With the meat taken care of the tension and anxiety she felt over what had occurred returned. This was one of those things she was still working through from her time alone.

She was on her way back when she caught Sven's bark which drew her. Perhaps now would be the time with the work done. When she found him though he was with Ravenna. Questions were spilling from his pale maw and perhaps this was what she needed too. To get some answers for what had happened.

She was now part of the pack and despite whatever was happening between the family members that had been present she needed to know where things stood. She didn't want to accidentally bring in another situation as the male from the other pack had done. She stepped closer to the pair but didn't say anything waiting to hear the answers the pale Archer would receive.

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

Although her belly was full, her irritation had not been sedated. She had not been sure exactly what to do in the situation that had occurred between Sven and the Aurora wolves. After all, she still felt like it wasnt her place to put Sven in his place and assert herself as the leading figure. Where was Enoki after all? She settling down with a huff, licking her blood soaked lips, a piece of the deer's bone between her front legs. Then Sven came trotting back, after having only just left the area a little bit ago, huffing out for her attention because he needed a word.

Ravenna snorted, obviously still put off by him and what had happened. "They live in the heights directly east of us. No more further then Whisper Caverns was to us, though a bit harder to get to their borders because of the mountain and all..." But then her ears folded back, an aggravated growl mumbling from her bloody lips. "I didn't know. It was the first time I'd seen her since she left. Maybe you could have asked her if you weren't too busy arguing with her." The words spat and, shifting her weight up to where she was no longer laying, but sitting before him so she could be eye to eye, she continued on while she was at it. "Is it your intention of piss off anyone who comes within a day's range of our borders without your precious permission? Because your doing a good fucking job." Though Ravenna might have otherwise liked Sven to just shut his mouth and play nice when the whole of Aurora Heights was before them, she did not physically grab him by the muzzle and force him to do so. Not in front of an entire other pack, not without him knowing anything that was going on here. As far as Ravenna knew, her and Sven were of same rank. She held no power over him. She had not seen much of Enoki in a few weeks and because of it, Nicolo less so, but she did not take up any reigns just yet.

"Willow Ridge doesn't need more enemies, Sven. Especially by those who know how weak we have become. We can't afford to be divided again ether." If Enoki had hidden herself away or had went looking for Adeltra and Nicolo was picking up those pieces, the only ones left in control was her and Sven and they needed to be on the same page together. "I know there is plenty of family you will never forgive for what they've done, I understand that. I'm not asking you to love them, be buddy-buddy with them, hell, you don't even have to talk to them... But you don't have to make things worse, ether." She snorted yet again, her eyes shifting to Leotie, knowing she was near, but didn't care. She needed to hear this all too. "Obviously the whole situation was bullshit. You saw someone not of your pack near prey and asserted your dominance over him and claimed the kill. He got butt hurt, panicked and called his whole damn pack to help. Though instead of snapping off we could have easily explained the situation." You know, communication, it was a thing.

he's gonna be pretty silent unless spoken directly to so feel free to skip over him if im not timely<3

It was hard to ignore the frustrated voices of his cousins. His brows pinched together as he got Ravenna reprimanding Sven. Mentioning he had not caught the fiasco, it should have been no surprise the boy was worried. Curiosity won out and he slowly moved towards the familiar voices and figures.

Submissively and cautiously the Archer boy crept toward Ravenna's side - deciding to linger like a blotchy shadow near her flank. The smell of meat was tempting but he wanted to stick around. Perhaps even do his best to defuse things a little. Roman wouldn't mind wedging himself in between anyone. Both of his cousins were larger than he'd ever be but gosh dang it if he wouldn't do his best!

Romanov's amber eyes didn't linger on anyone's face. Instead, they stared at an empty spot on the ground between everyone.

It's Only Dark.

the devil is & always will

He could tell that she was angry, but as of yet it had not sunk in that her ire was directed at him. She said Greer's pack lived in the heights, and his blood pressure spiked once more. That was far enough that his entire pack shouldn't have been lurking so close to the Ridge. This gave way to utter confusion, however, as Ravenna went on that she hadn't known about Attica's return. Why hadn't she come home to at least inform her family that she was back, that she was alright? He remembered the words she'd screamed at him. What exactly were her memories, clearly so different from his own? And why hadn't she simply talked to him about it first, before running off? Had he not, through all he had done for her, made himself trustworthy to her or at least, worth a single conversation before condemnation? Puzzlement morphed into seething, which flared as Ravenna's words then turned upon him.

Sven very much did not view himself as the one having started the argument with Attica. She had come from nowhere, snarling and baring her teeth at him before throwing insults and accusations because he had pointed out a mistake made by family that had never been there for her prior to whenever she'd up and decided to join his pack. He was very much bitter about it all, having cherished their relationship more than any other in his life. It proved all the more that while he could keep trying in life, he should expect that all things would sour.

The man's ears swept back and his eyes narrowed as Ravenna went on. He could feel his hackles bristling with his anger, but at the least that was about all his body did. Otherwise, his legs were locked and his tail was held stiffly down below the height of his spine. He wanted to argue with her, but wouldn't interrupt, and that was what allowed him to experience something utterly new in his life. Despite being unhappy with him, Ravenna put in the effort to explain that she understood his side of it. Sven was not just a bratty child that needed to be swatted and chased away. While Ravenna had corrections for what he had done, at least she got him.

He exhaled deeply through his flared nostrils, taking a moment to collect his words before replying. By now they had an audience, Leotie having followed him and Roman seemingly concerned about the tension between his cousins. Their presence had little effect on what came out of his mouth.

"I would have, if the woman hadn't come into it with her nose in the air barking orders. I don't care that we're small, we're still a pack and if anyone should respect us it's supposed to be our family. Greer made it clear after you'd taken off. Said the Willows died with Nonna, that we're nothing. That didn't come about because I snarled at one of his subordinates. Him and his pack, they think we're just going to disappear anyways, have thought that way. We don't matter to them, so why should I repeatedly roll over and let every rogue Archer do as they please?"

He hoped she would understand this, too. Wasn't she sick of the abandonment, the disrespect, the lack of contact or communication until it was to use them? No one had come home when they'd heard the news that Nonna had passed, no one had come to grieve with their family or pay their respects at her grave; not while he had been there. Yet they would run their mouths, use her name, piss on what she had built rather than help to keep it strong. It put the fire back into his veins.

"You might think I hate them, but I don't. As angry as I get, I don't wish bad things upon them," not anymore, except maybe for Niles, "but I can't take their shit anymore, either. Not if this pack is going to survive, going to continue to have a name for itself. It's why I don't want Morganna rejoining our ranks, now that she's back after her sojourn north blew up in her face. They think we're only here to use. They don't love us, Ravenna. Only themselves."

be a gentleman.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2017, 04:22 PM by Sven.)

After what had happened at the border Leotie didn't want to walk into another situation that she didn't know what was going on. Before she was okay with not knowing everything about Sven's family but now she was in Willow Ridge with him and she was now a part of it, a part of his life. She would always back Sven up if he needed it just like she knew he would but knowing would help her to better understand how to handle things.

So Leotie sat back on her haunches and she listened to what transpired between Sven and Ravenna. Her gaze drifted to little Romanov who had come to join them, she couldn't imagine what was going through his head right then. Sven was clearly upset as was Ravenna and the fact that they both were upset Leotie too. As the pale Archer spoke of the size of their ranks and the pack disappearing it worried her. She wanted to say something but she wasn't sure if she should. This was between the two family members and she didn't think it was her place.

The agouti woman couldn't disagree with either Ravenna or Sven about what they were saying but she wouldn't let Willow Ridge fall if she could help it. It meant to much to Sven and Ravenna and now her because it was her home now. Once again her gaze went back to Romanov, he needed to have a good stable home too.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2017, 04:57 PM by Leotie.)

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There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

He was obviously angry, this much could not be held back, unhappy with the words Ravenna had given him. Though even with his hackles high, he kept his placement, his tail stiffened just below the height of his back to not assert any dominance above her. He didn't like to be wrong, no one did, really, but Ravenna had no reason to coddle Sven. She would call him out on his bull when she needed to and hold nothing back. It was a matter of trust and openness which would allow the relationship to trive. The pair had not been above a spar or two with one another to let off some steam, either.

Romanov had shown up now, finding a placement close to Ravenna's flank. Even though by now he was growing fast and quite large, he tried to lower himself and keep silent and unnoticed. After a breath and a moment to collect himself, Sven went on. Sven's words about @Greer saying that the Willows had died with Elettra made the hair on her own spine bristle, her irritation further showing by a twitching along her mouth, holding back a growl. She could believe it. Could believe many throught the Willow Ridge pack had died off with its two great leaders. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, Ravenna had thought the same. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't keep trying until there was nothing left to try for. Her parents had not raised a quitter or a coward. Ravenna didn't know if she could prove her older brother wrong or not about his comment, but time would tell.

Now that Sven was finished, Ravenna too took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before speaking. They should have come visit their parents grave. Should help the pack instead of hinder it, given the fact that it was their birth pack. But Willow Ridge should not rely on anyone to do these things, not anymore. It was up to them now. "They do love us Sven, I know they do. They just might have a hard time showing it sometimes, just like you do. It is a two way street, you know." More or less, she spoke this in regards to Sven's relationship towards his other cousins. As far as Ravenna thought, things were patching up between her older brother and sister after all the crap that went down. The two that she didn't know for sure if she could ever forgive was Niles and though she never outright fought with Skoll, couldn't particularly say she liked him ether. "I have no intention of relying on Morganna or Greer to help support the pack again. They did break our trust and they know it. I and them have moved on and it's better that way now. But that doesn't mean we cannot work together, be strong allies. I want an alliance between the packs. The forest and the mountains are far different. Different kinds of prey, different kind of herbs. We could benefit from one another like any other alliance we have had before." She did not know if Sven would go for it or not, but an alliance seemed more sensible to keep their boundaries but still work with together when needed.

Double post. Please delete.

(This post was last modified: Dec 06, 2017, 04:39 PM by Ravenna.)

It was all adult talk to the piebald Archer. The tension was obvious but if all that was going to be passed was words then Roman was okay sitting it out. He didn't move away from the flank of his silver-hued cousin. But among all the grown-up talk his dark-nosed cousin Sven said something that made the youngest Archer want to squirm in his skin.

"They don't love us, Ravenna. Only themselves."

Romanov didn't care about the specifics of They. It was the concept of not being loved that he wanted to shy away from. Even when Ravenna proclaimed that they do love them he found himself conflicted and bubbling with bad feelings. His nose moved to brush against the Ridge leader's leg, a silent excusing from him. The piebald boy turned around and slunk off to clear his head and shake the gross feelings. A grown-up talk wasn't for him just yet anyway.

-Roman exit-

It's Only Dark.