Hush Meadow cause there's a lot that you don't know

'Secrets' by One Republic

After slipping away from the crowd of wolves that had gathered at the border to meet Morganna, Lorcan made his way along the boundaries of the territory towards south-western borders, which fringed alongside Hush Meadow and Fireweed Rise. The male had planned to intercept @Morganna before she and her following settled down for the night, however as he noticed the familiar dark shape of the female rounding the furthest willow tree, Lorcan noticed a smaller shape shadowing her.

Shifting as quietly as he could, Lorcan immediately concealed himself beneath the natural veil of a willow tree and crouched down into the deep snow. There he watched in complete silence as @Adeltra began to catch up to her and Morganna suddenly slipped. The male’s ears pricked up in concern and, although he would never dare admit it, a muffled laugh did bubble up in his chest for a moment as he watched her struggle back to onto her paws.

Hunkering back down into the snow, Lorcan waited patiently for Adeltra to finish her conversation with Morganna and make her way back into the territory before he quietly approached the woman himself. Stalking parallel to her in the shadows, which was easier now the sun beginning to set, the agouti male finally revealed himself as they skirted along the outside of the western most border of Willow Ridge.

Brushing through the snow covered underbrush, he stepped out in a few metres in front of her and greeted her with a friendly wave of his tail. “I’ll pretend I didn’t see that fall..” He jested quietly with a playful grin, before his brows dipped into a soft frown. “No, but seriously, are you alright?” There was genuine concern in Lorcan’s voice as he took a few steps closer towards her, his golden eyes quickly checking her body over.

 

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

so close your eyes and know how lucky you are

Morganna Archer

Slipping away from one to run into another seemed to be the theme of the day, but she greeted Lorcan with a wave of her tail none the less. She managed a dry bark of laughter when he asked if she was ok. "Physically I'm fine, but I might need ter borrow yer once I'm settled fer a few o' th' others." The fact that she had mentioned physically had to speak volumes of its own. She moved to close the distance between them, giving the man a familiar shove with her chest to suggest that he walk with her as she continued towards the scent of those that were travelling across the lore with her. "One's almost over a sprain, th' other could match yer but she hadn't had time ter recover an' I suspect th' other migh'o been poisoned," and that was only the start of her problems.

The small teasing smile he had held moments earlier returned to the corners of his charcoal lips as @Morganna responded with bark. A single brow rose curiously once she started talking. “Physically I’m fine…” Her initial words hinted at her inner psychological turmoil and caused his eyebrows to furrow slightly as she continued. Lorcan’s head tilted to one side as she mentioned she might need to borrow him once she’d relocated her pack.

“What is it you need?” The agouti male asked quietly as she approached him closer. If it was no obvious before, it would be now. Lorcan cared about her. Morganna was not just his old leader, he considered the female his friend and personal ally. Responding to her gentle shove, the male stepped over to stroll casually alongside the dark wolf as they spoke. Russet ears folded back as she listed off her ailing subordinates. It must have been a struggle moving such a large group of wolves with so many of them in less than optimal health.

“Sounds like you could use a supply of yarrow and ginger..” He mused out loud as he considered their ailments. “I’ll sniff around for some, and if I can’t find any I’ll see if Ravenna wouldn’t mind sparing you some from her stores.” Lorcan offered with a sympathetic smile. He didn’t imagine it being a problem. Morganna and Ravenna were family after all.

As he glanced across to her, his expression saddened and became more serious again. He studied her expression and peach stare for a moment before he finally plucked up the courage to ask. “And what about you…” He began, returning the soft bump to her shoulder. “You say physically you’re fine, so what’s on your mind?” Lorcan offered the dark woman an anxious smile.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

baby i'm back now, feeling how i used to feel

Morganna Archer

What did she need? Her mother, if she was honest, but Morganna wasn't much of a one for fantasy. "They should all come good wi'a'bit'o time. It's winter, yer can't be handin' out yer stores, what if there's a real emergency?" They would be just fine given time, the sooner they were settled with shelter and food the better off they'd all be. Then the conversation turned back to her again, and she managed a wry smile to go with her bitter chuckle. "It's been a rough few months, but I'll be fine," and she truely believed that she would.

"Piety came over before we left, she's stickin' with one o' Craw's wives an' lookin' at settin' up her own thing, though I didn' stop ter ask where." She thought that Lorcan might appreciate at least that much, as much as it twisted a knife in her gut to say it. "But what's th' deal with yer brother?" She didn't really have a chance to address it before now, and didn't know the man as well as she might have liked just yet."

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

The male's pale brows furrowed a little when Morganna gracefully turned down his offer of medicinal supplies from Willow Ridge's caches, stating that he shouldn't be so generous with his plants during winter in case his pack should need them. "I suppose you're right," He began thoughtfully, before tilting his head and flashing the dark female a determined smile. "but you know I'll always lend you a paw if you need it. So if they don't start getting better, come find me. I'm sure I could sort something out." Lorcan remembered back to how hard things has been back at the monadnock, when Anaia had been draining them of medicinal supplies and then Odin turned up with a more serious injury. They had pulled through using what little they had left and things had all turned out fine in the end. Lorcan would just have give sparingly and prioritise his patients better if something similar ever happened again.

When Morganna assured him that she was going to be fine, Lorcan glanced across to her sceptically as she chuckled to herself. Morganna was a strong woman, tougher than most. Whilst he did not doubt that she would pull through, he still worried for her. "Once you're all settled at the lagoon, I'm sure things will get a bit easier." The healer tried to assure her, giving another soft bump to her shoulder.

When Piety was mentioned, Lorcan rose a brow curiously. That would explain why Piety was not with her. "Odin mentioned that Cheedo was with her. I'm surprised she even chose to stick around. I thought she would have left when Mittani was chased out." Lorcan didn't trust the pair of them, but it seemed as though Piety felt trusting enough of the small agouti woman if she planned to settle down with her. He gave a soft shrug of his shoulders, trying to ignore the small ache of disappointment in his chest. It seemed like he had managed to miss Piety and now she was off starting a new life somewhere. He doubted he'd ever see her again now, but maybe that was for the best.

Russet ears perked up at mention of his brother. "I had no idea he was here. Apparently he left home at the same time my other brother, Laike, did—though, Laike never mentioned him..." He grew quiet for a moment, a puzzled look tugging at his features before he continued. "I'd always assumed that Tikhon had decided to stay with our parents. How long has he been with you?" Lorcan asked with a raised brow.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

baby I'm back now, feelin' how I used to feel

Morganna Archer

Morganna had no desire to continue discussions around Piety so she was grateful when the healer took the hint and turned the conversation back to his own kin. "He was with the Vale before I got there, 'e was th' only one left besides Niles and Castel." The little crew had been in dire straits indeed when the Archer had stumbled across them. "Apparently it used ter be Sahalie's pack," He would probably remember the girl from when she had arrived at the Monadnock with her friends in tow, although where she had gone and why, were a mystery to the dark woman.

"Still blows me away, all th' little connections that keep poppin' up. Me leadin' Sahalie's old pack an' you windin' up in th' pack where I was born." She had to smirk, "Yer know th' travellers told me a story, that we're all reborn an' meet the same souls over an' over, an we're all tied up an' destined ter influence each other's lives again an' again. Shit like this? Almost makes me a believer." She snorted a short laugh, but even that wasn't enough to enforce the almost.

A single russet ear perked up when @Morganna mentioned how his brother had been a subordinate of Quaking Vale before she had arrived in the area. Lorcan wasn't sure how long exactly the dark woman had been wandering around the southern parts, but by his own estimations that had to have meant that Tikhon had been in the area for at least four months, if not longer. Lorcan's ears pressed back as he considered the information members from his birth back had told him, along with what little information Laike had shared with him. Suddenly he felt his heart sink with doubt.

No, surely there had to have been a reasonable explanation for all of this. He hadn't liked or trusted @Laike at the start, but during their time together at Hearthwood he had believed that the pair of them had grown close. Closer than they'd ever been whilst growing up — but then why had he not ever bothered to mention Tikhon?! Inwardly Lorcan tried to reason with himself. Maybe his two brothers had split up shortly after leaving the valley. It was entirely possible that even Laike had not been aware how close Tikhon had been to them all this time. Lorcan gave a bemused huff from his nose, sending a cloud of air into the freezing cold. 

What surprised him even more was that Quaking Vale had once been Sahalie's pack. If he remembered correctly the female been only a yearling when she had left Whitestone. His ears pricked up again. "I wonder why she didn't stick around?" He mused quietly to himself, before flashing a questioning look to Morganna and giving a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Still, it would be nice to see my brother again. Perhaps I could come visit the lagoon sometime, if you're happy with that?" He and Morganna might have been friends, but Lorcan would not dare to forget his manners. 

Pale brows raised curiously as Morganna then mentioned how strangely connected they were. He'd never considered it in detail before and had taken it all as simple coincidence. A soft smile pulled at his features as she mentioned the stories some rogues had told her. His smile widened into a playful grin as she snorted out a laugh. "I've never heard of anything like that before, but it is interesting to think that we're somehow connected..." His voice trailed off as he thought to himself silently. "When Odin told me you were back in the area, I just...I knew I had to find you again. I don't really know why. I just had that feeling that finding you would somehow fix everything." Lorcan gave a nervous laugh and shrugged his shoulders again, feeling a little embarrassed. 

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

baby I'm back now, feelin' how I used to feel

Morganna Archer

If you're happy with that, Morganna managed a smile and a snort, "I'd be happy if yer wanted ter stay, I'll always 'ave a place fer yer, even if I have ter chase someone out ter make it." Although there was no risk of needing to do so now, she wanted him to know that she was serious, she would always find a way to make room for the healer should he ever need it.

Morganna managed a loud laugh when Lorcan continued on to say that he thought she could fix things, "Since when 'ave I ever been th' diplomatic sort? I'm usually th' last one anyone'd come to ter fix things, I'm better at makin' trouble," She managed a toothy grin, obviously teasing in her response, before her demeanour shifted to something more serious. "Are things tha' bad tha' I'm th' only hope?"

Lorcan returned the smile that Morganna gave him as she kindly offered him a position within her new pack if he ever needed it. The agouti male felt his cheeks grow warm in response to her generosity. It made the ex-healer feel truly valued by the dark Archer woman, knowing that she would be willing to lose any one of her current members in order to gain him in their place. Black-tipped tail swayed bashfully behind him as a smile continued to pull at the corners of his dark charcoal lips. "You're too kind, Morganna." He teased, though the dip of his head and slight frown above his golden eyes hinted that he would take her offer seriously. "I'd like to stick with Willow Ridge though, at least for a while. I feel like I owe them after all the time and resources they've spent caring for me." Lorcan admitted with a soft shrug of his shoulders. It would feel wrong for him to walk out on them all so soon after making a full recovery. 

Russet ears pushed back awkwardly as @Morganna laughed. A half-grin pulled at one side of his mouth, exposing some of his pearly white fangs, as the dark woman questioned his opinion. "Well you've never caused me any trouble." He retorted playfully, his grin growing wider and more confident as he joined in with her teasing. At Morganna's next question, Lorcan's grin faded and the frown returned to his newly-scarred features. Golden eyes drifted down to his paws for a brief moment as he gave disheartened shrug of his shoulders. "They were, I mean, things haven't been good for a while, but—" He paused and returned to meet her peach coloured eyes. "I'm starting to feel more positive now, more myself now that I'm with Willow Ridge." A small grin began to pull at one side of his mouth again. "And I never would have found them if I hadn't gone looking for you. See, in some ways, you did help fix things for me..." His tail waved happily behind him. Whether she liked to believe she had helped him or not, Lorcan would always love and respect Morganna Archer.  

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together