Willow Ridge I hit the ground runnin'

 @Ravenna I hope this is okay c: Addy has some things she'd like to ask her cousin!

After talking to @Lorcan about the scout role she’d been consumed with thoughts about it. She was coming upon a year of age and knew that she wanted to do something that would aid the pack. Everything about her was connected to the Ridge, her birth rights and her name. Learning the meaning behind her name had been a big revelation to her, the importance and meaning of the wolves she was named after weighing upon her. But she didn’t want to back down from the challenge it provided. It, instead, sung to her. Her blood called her to arms, steeled her to a fate that she may one day like to see met. Born to two leaders and named after the founder of the lands it seemed written in her bones that she may take the reins at some point in her life. But, until that time came she decided that she would aid the pack and keep it strong by acquiring a role. A scout.

She sought out her older cousin, tracking her scent until the pale form of the woman came into view. She let out a bark, a smile gracing her features. “Rav, can I talk to you?” she asked.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2018, 06:41 PM by Adeltra.)

It had not been long since her discussion with @Lorcan about the relationship between Sven and Leotie and the breeding season to come. It was a manner in which she would still have to discuss with her nephew, though did well not to worry herself with it now. She did not take ether wolf for the type to go behind her back like Skoll had to her mother in order to breed with any and all females willing to. The thought that Leotie might challenge for her rank lingered, though still again, Ravenna did not think it to be likely.

For now, Ravenna did well to focus on the tasks at paw. She scouted around her pack, making sure her members were out and about, doing their jobs. @Lilith would likely be outside of the lands hunting, perhaps even with @Kip at her side. @Odin might have been guarding the borders she could assume. It was Adeltra which caught up to her now on her walk to which Ravenna paused, turning to meet her cousin with a waving of her tail and a perking of her dark gray ears in curiosity. "Of course Del, whats up?"

Luckily it seemed that she’d caught the female lead at the right time. Ravenna was always busy out doing her duties and setting a good example for the others. She was always on top of things, something that the young Archer admired. Even though she was busy, however, she always seemed to make time for everyone. Adeltra imagined that it couldn’t have been easy to manage all those things at once but the silver Archer-Lyall seemed to handle it with grace. She decided that she should take more pointers from the woman.

I was thinking that, since I’m almost a year old now, I should maybe start looking to gain a role or something. You know, really help out the pack. And, well, I was talking to Lorcan and he thinks that I could be a scout. I wanted to see what you thought about it, she revealed, amber-yellow gaze watching the other curiously.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2018, 07:22 PM by Adeltra.)

Adeltra was not even a year old yet and was already asking to work towards holding an official title within the pack. There were many wolves that did not care for an official role, wishing to only fill in as needed if only to make sure that they were not doing the same thing all the time if they had a way with getting bored easy. Some members liked having a stable position within the ranks and it seemed, already, Adeltra was one of them. The smile on Ravenna's features and the waving of her tail made it obvious how proud of the girl she was. "Maybe @Lorcan is right," she spoke, "I've seen you scouting the borders often and you do well with making new comers feel comfortable and welcome." Between Lorcan, Lilith and even Elias on his visit, Adeltra seemed to have a way with charismatic skill and the smarts to call upon her pack members for aid when needed. She was a smart girl, for sure.

"However..." She spoke, the 'but' lingering in the air as Ravenna's look morphed into something that was very obviously concern. Ravenna was no mother of Romanov or Adelta, but as the pups were growing, it was through them she realized just how much she wanted to be a mother. She had been extremely protective over them and their mother while she was there and as the pups grew into such great wolves, could only hope her own pups turned out even half as well off. "I am worried about you going off far, after what happened before. Leotie wants to be a scout as well. I would like you to train with her, stick together on any future missions until you've gotten your barrings."

Ravenna seemed to brighten at her suggestion, thus making Addy’s tail speed into a wag. She was always happy to please and it seemed like she was making the right decision in the path that she was taking. Even the woman seemed to think so, confirming with words that she would be a good fit with the role. Her chest puffed out a little in pride, moving forward to give her cousin a grateful nibble to the chin. Thank you! she said.

A however, though, was attached to the end of her sentence and the girl stepped back to look up at her curiously. Her brows pulled together at the sudden concern on the alphaess’ face, wondering what in the world could have made her turn in such a way. Had she done something wrong? Of course, she didn’t have to wait long to find out why. It was because of her disappearance and Addy’s auds folded back, head ducking down. She couldn’t blame the woman for worrying, she knew that she had caused everyone a fair amount of that. They’d already lost one member because of her disappearance, they didn’t need to lose any others. I know...I’m gonna be extra careful from now on. I don’t wanna go through that again, I love everyone here lots and I love the Willows just as much, she said, lifting her head and facing her cousin with strong conviction. I’ve been meaning to get to know Leotie even more anyways, so that’ll be great. If I ever get separated from her I know better this time. I’ll plant my butt down and howl until someone comes running, no more wandering if I don’t know one hundred percent, she finished with a bright grin.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that she wanted to talk about. There were other matters on her mind. There’s something else, too. Sven told me about my name, about how I’m named after Aunt Adele and Aunt Elettra. Dad’s been sick so I’ve been letting him rest, but I want to know about them. Since Aunt Elettra was your mom, I was wondering if you could tell me more about her? More about the Archers? she asked. It was time the youngest Archer knew about her heritage and her namesake.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2018, 08:06 PM by Adeltra.)

Teacher 1/3

Ravenna's tail waves harder behind her, tail lifting high both playfully and dominantly as the pup comes forward, nipping happily at her chin. Ravenna noses her forward, brushing it affectionately and allowing her throat to rumble with pleasure against her skull. @Enoki, as said time and time again, had done great. @Nicolò, had done great. He had been a teacher of Torbine after all. Adeltra backed up then, assuring Ravenna the best she could that she would stay to Leotie's side and not leave her. That if she got lost, she would not take any guessing games when it came to trying to find her way home. After what had happened last time, it would give the child more incentive to not let this happen again now that she had already learned her lesson. Perhaps having already experienced what it was like to be lost it would make Adeltra even more so better for the task.

After the manner of Adeltra's future task at paw, the subject changed, the dark colored girl then asking about her mother, about where the Archers had come from. To this, Ravenna found herself sitting down, not knowing just how far Adeltra wanted to learn though with her sitting, let the younger woman know that Ravenna was willing to give her all the time she needed and answers she could. "Well, my mother was the first Archer to come here to the Lore. She founded this pack over five and a half years ago. Its been through a lot and I don't know of any other pack around here thats lasted as long. She came from a land called Torbine. Your father and aunt Adele came directly from there too and met mom here to join the pack. Morganna, Odin, and Renier have all visited Torbine as well. Getting in and out is very hard, I've been told. The only way into the land is finding a way over or through a very large expense of mountains because all around the rest of it is something called an ocean. I've never seen an ocean, but @Morganna says its like a lake that goes on forever and the water smells oddly and strings your eyes, nose and throat if it gets in it." She stops here, wondering if Adeltra had any questions before she continued.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2018, 02:27 AM by Ravenna.)

Ravenna plopped down and Addy’s brows rose. She knew that Archers were an ancient family, but it seemed that she was in for the long haul with this question. Still, she happily complied and sat herself down as well. This was important and she was going to be sure to suck up every bit of it. This was their history, her history and as an Archer she had a responsibility to know it’s importance.

She started off by revealing that Elettra had been the first Archer to come to these lands, then, even more amazing, gave the information that the Ridge was five and a half years old. The girl’s jaws dropped, amber-yellow eyes going wide in surprise. The girl couldn’t even process that length in time as she had been alive for hardly even a fraction of that. It was so...long. It was amazing. And she was a part of it, her birth forever etching herself into the little bit of history that the Ridge was. Her heart thundered with the pride of her blood. Next came a place called Torbine, from which their family hailed. Her father and Aunt Adele had come from there and she made a mental note to ask her father more information about this place when he was having a good day. Ravenna threw out names, Morganna, Odin and Renier. Only one of those she knew, the other two she’d never even heard of. She would ask about them after her cousin was finished. The way there she also kept locked away, her gaze shifting in the direction of the mountains the met the edge of their territory. Those mountains, to her, seemed pretty big but to know that there was something bigger than that? It made her travels seem all the more small. Had she really even seen anything?

Ravenna paused and the youngest Archer took a moment to process, running all the information through her mind and storing before sorting what she wanted to ask about and what she didn’t. Is Torbine sort of like Willow Ridge? Full of Archers? she began with. She didn’t really know how that worked with packs, considering she’d only been in one her entire life. She knew, obviously, that the leaders of the packs had children then those children were supposed to become the leaders of those packs when their parents died or stepped down. Of course, it was set askew a little in her mind as they accepted those who were blood. She wanted to know just how much power her family had in this land. Also, who are Morganna and Renier? she added curiously.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Teacher 2/3

Ravenna couldn't help the smirk which spread over her features as Adeltra's eyes widened and mouth dropped on hearing how old the pack of Willow Ridge was, and Torbine, where the Archer blood was founded? It was not hard to tell that their family was one around for quite a number of generations and, hopefully, between all the large litters predominantly of which were men, the Archer line would survive many more years to come.

After a few moments, the girl spoke up again, asking a few more questions, showing that she was still interested in the Pack's history. Maybe, as she got older, she would end up a little scholar herself. Romanov had been curious as well, questioning about the majority of the family's belief in the Gods of Old. "Similar, sure.... But from what I've been told of those who have been there, it is of a much larger scale. Like a 'Mega Pack'. They call it the 'Torbine Empire'. Their leaders are called the King and Queen and because of their size and how plentiful the land is, more then just the leaders are allowed to breed." An interesting concept indeed which was not often practiced in any normal pack. There was simply not enough bodies to watch the pups and to gather resources. Resources were probably not as vast, ether. She was not certain. "Any Archer may freely take a mate and have pups. Anyone not an Archer must be granted permission in the ranks." This she learned as she had aged, having asked her mother why Skoll had gotten into so much trouble for breeding out of turn.

" With the land so large, other small bands and groups live there, but only if the Empire allows it. They must pay a penance in order to live within the outskirts of the land, like offer a certain amount of food and aid in healing and such. " She had been told with the massive mountains holding a lot of wolves in and knowing the miles and miles beyond the mountain was barren land, most smaller groups had no option but to adhere the Empire's demands. It was pay up or die.

And then, finishing answering her cousin's question on that and offering even more information as she went, she explained her relatives. "Morganna is my older sister. She, along with Skoll, Sven's father, and Asriel, were a part of the first litter of pup's born in the pack. Then came Greer, Castiel and Deacon. Then last is myself, Niles and Isolde..." Her mouth twitched, jaw tightening just a moment at the mentioning of her sister and she moved on quickly. "Renier is my cousin, on my father's side. Like my father, his last name is 'Lyall'".

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2018, 02:28 AM by Ravenna.)

The concept of a mega pack was...interesting. It was even more enticing as Ravenna went on, the girl hanging onto her every word in rapture. King and Queen, the head of an incredibly vast land filled mostly with wolves of Archer lineage. She wondered who they all were, what they were like. To know that she had so much family out in the world...it both amazed her and made her sad. Family was already incredibly important to Adeltra and to know that she would never meet such a broad expanse of it made her feel like there was a void somewhere in her.

When she explained about the loner bands she made Torbine seem almost...ruthless. Of course something that big had to be intimidating and she looked at it from the perspective of if the ridge was really big and some loner band was to come in and try to wander around and eat their food what kind of steps would they take. The very idea of someone just marching themselves into their land without penalty made the girl’s fur stand on end. @Lorcan had been a special circumstance, he’d literally fallen over their border on accident before collapsing into unconsciousness. Had he been of right mind and crossed their borders the small Archer might have reacted very differently. She might be sweet and chatty, but an Archer protected their own and what was theirs.

The pale Alphaess spoke of her relation to this ‘Morganna’ and proceeded to list off a whole other gang of wolves Addy hadn’t even known existed. More of her cousins, more family. Jesus, just how many of them were there? What’re they all doing now? Why aren’t they here? she asked, her brows pulling together in confusion. She couldn’t imagine them all leaving, at least not on their own free will. The Willows was her home, all of their home. She didn’t understand it.