Drooping Willows Come and take a few steps my way baby

@Kip is with him.

you've got the loaded gun

Odin Archer

Odin had been in a rather foul mood since the stag incident, only growing grumpier for the way it felt as though the trees were pressing in on him as they traveled. It was a slow adjustment but one he would endure, winter was upon them and while he loved his mother he had no intention of placing himself under her care again now that he was free of her. He needed time to grow, to prove himself away from her sharp gaze so that the next time she saw him she could marvel at how he had grown and not remember all the failure it had taken him to get there. He also had no intention of crawling to the field or the river so he continued to push past them, and further south, trying to limit himself to quiet brooding for Kip's sake more than his own.

Finally, the choking trees had thinned giving way to the wide expanse of hush meadow and he knew he had overshot his mark. Heading east towards the mountain he found more familiar scents criss-crossing through the swaying willows and he began to slow his steps, thinking first to call for his aunt @Ravenna, and any others who still lived among the willows. He supposed he still owed them a debt for looking after his eye so well.

-nyooms in- sleep is for the weak

Odin wasn't talking much, and Kip didn't blame him, but she also didn't like it. Odin often pissed her off with his talk, talk, talking and jokes and shit, but she had grown pretty fond of his voice over the past... wow... month? Two? It was much longer than she had ever even begun to imagine herself sticking with anyone. She didn't understand what, exactly, it was about this guy that made her ready to follow him to the ends of the earth, but it was definitely there. There was just something special.

Whatever it was, it had brought her all the way here.

The tiny wolf padded up beside the massive one as he howled for his family to come and see them. She had to worry a bit about any pack that they were joining - would they be so accepting of two oddball yearlings? The half-blind dude and the sexually ambiguous short stack? They certainly were quite the pair.

Kip bumped her head roughly, but affectionately, against Odin's shoulder as a gesture of solidarity, and stood beside him to wait for the other wolves to come by and appraise them. She would have to pretend she wasn't freaking out.

guardian dem 1/3

the devil is & always will

Sven had been nearby when the call went up, and went swiftly on his way to investigate. When he spotted the two figures, one of them was immediately recognizable. The pale Archer couldn't help that his ears and brows lifted with his curiosity. As Piety had said, Morganna's pack to the North had fallen completely, so of course his cousin would be in need of a new home. Sven was surprised, however, that he would not follow his mother. Had he more news for them, likely something else the young man much didn't want to here? Or had they simply been separated, and he was seeking a clue to her whereabouts? And who was the girl?

"Odin," he chuffed amiably. While he was at odds with the boy's mother, the teen himself had never given Sven reason to dislike him. He was family, and while the paladin was severely intolerant of being crossed by his blood, he advocated that until that bridge was burned, those connected to him in name were dear.

"Welcome back. Who's your friend?"

be a gentleman.

You've got the loaded gun

Odin Archer

Odin dipped his head respectfully as Sven approached, his tail waving a greeting behind himself as his pale cousin drew closer. "This's Kip, she's alright," he responded with half a smirk, expecting the comment to stoke her ire and maybe earn him a beating or a tongue lashing now or later. "I suppose yer'v probably already heard about the monadnock, but I was wonderin' if maybe Ravenna might want an apprentice? I mean, I'm not much good with small game but bigger stuff I can come in handy, and I'm happy ter mark borders and chase intruders out." If anything the boy was rather to the point. The trees here weren't so suffocating as they were elsewhere and they had both the meadow and the rise right on their doorstep if the trees began to feel overwhelming. It wasn't the tundra, but maybe with a bit of time he could bring himself to call it home.

"An aspiring Guardian then, Odin?" Ravenna spoke as she caught the ending of his words as she trotted into their direction. "Your surely big enough to give any trespasser a scare." She chuckles a bit, moving around to his side to get a full view of her (other) cousin, who had grown so much even since she had last seen him. Now he was even bigger then herself and Sven. It was obvious he had taken on more of his father's size then Morganna's alone. Then again, most wolves of Archer had larger build and now that Lyall was mixed with a good handful of them, they'd likely keep, if not heighten, their large structures. She would then wrap her head around Odin so that her throat laid over his nap. "It's good to see you again." Last visit, she had been tending to the hole in his head to make sure it did not get infected. She was happy that this visit was less dour.

Pulling away, she takes a few steps back towards their front and closer to Sven's side so that she could look over the young female. "And your travelling partner, is she staying too?" Though she was still speaking to Odin, her eyes rest on Kip, willing her to answer and introduce herself. So far, Sven seemed pleased with their approach, which was good. Ravenna always took into consideration Sven's point of view. She doubted Sven thought poorly of the boy, being the son of Morganna, for although he was her kin, Odin was a wolf of his own, with a mind of his own. Surely Sven did not like it if someone compared him to Skoll.

Kip perked her ears and straightened her posture a bit - was everyone in this pack going to be so fucking tall? Pale green eyes traveled from wolf to wolf, taking into account that both these new wolves were similar colors. Pretty close to her own, actually. They were both rather young, and she wasn't nearly as nervous this time that she had been with Piety and Wraith.

"I could have introduced myself, you dork," she teased Odin, leaning over to bump her shoulder against his own. She glanced back up at the two pack wolves. "My name is Kip, and don't let him fool you. I'm much scarier than him." In personality, perhaps. "I would like to stick with Odin, if that's okay with all of you. I'm a hard worker," the youngest wolf explained, ginger-tufted ears angling back just a bit. "I'd probably make a better hunter than guardian, though - doubt too many wolves would be intimidated by me. I'm not particularly large, as you've probably noticed." She smiled a bit, rambling just slightly in a bit of a nervous tick. She couldn't help it - she just didn't really know what she was supposed to say.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

guardian dem 2/3

the devil is & always will

The playful prod of Odin's answer told Sven that the two were friends. Vaguely, he was reminded of his own friendship with Sahalie, how strong it had once been, how different it could be now if he'd been able to walk in Odin's pawsteps and bring her to the Ridge. Ah well. They had apparently been meant to drift. If their relationship was strong, Sven hoped that Odin's girl stuck by him. Especially if they were to become Ridge wolves.

It was a bit surprising to him that the boy wanted to live with them, but it made his day all the same. His tail even picked up in an easy-going wag at the news. An apprentice for Ravenna, eh? Speaking of the devil, she was right on their heels. Sven threw her a smile and an acknowledging nod, before regarding Kip and what all she had to say for herself.

"I'm sure we'll be able to put you both to work," he smirked.

be a gentleman.

when you look at me like that

Kip & Odin

The one-eyed boys tail waved low as his aunt approached. "If that's where yer need me, I'd like ter keep learnin' healin' too if you've got the time." He had picked up a few extra skills here and there, but he was sure that his aunts skill far surpassed any he had seen outside of Torbine. That their meeting was going so well so far boded well as far as he could tell and he nodded along as Kip declared herself far scarier than Odin, "She's not wrong there," he half teased, his jovial tone continuing "An' if either of us slack off we can bite each other on the ass." His lopsided smile was aimed at Kip, certain that she would be the one doing the biting if all that had come to pass caught up with him. Sven's acceptance meant a lot to the boy, but he knew the women had the final say around these parts and so he turned a hopeful gaze towards Ravenna, hoping they had pleaded their case well enough.

"I wouldn't mind that, not at all. Come spring I could use you to help me gather, teach you a thing or two as we go." She spoke to her nephew, both surprised and happy he had not lost the interest he held with herbs since the last time he had come here.

Ravenna couldn't help but smile to the girl's words and offered a wagging of her tail. She liked her thus far, being a little spitfire, which would be useful to bring more spirit into the ranks. Far too often was everything always serious, always dour. "Kip, it's good to meet you. Glad you could join with my nephew here. My name is Ravenna." She introduced herself and then continued on. "We do have a few good Guardians in the pack, and another, if that's what Odin wants to go for. So someone who can dedicate themselves to hunting and scavenging would be of great use, especially with food soon to become harder to find." With Sven predominantly focused on guarding and seconding with everything else, Leotie scouting out the lands, the kids practicing their trades on all aspects and now Odin and Kip to helping with guarding and hunting at well, it seemed the pack had become well rounded quite quickly.

She laughs a bit to Odin's words, nodding with confirmation. Hey attention side glance to Sven, who was certain the pack would be able to put the energic youths to work. "So it's settled then. Come on you too, let's get you something to eat." Surely they were hungry after their travel and she doubted the pair would have any objections.