Whisper Marsh You say I'm just another bad guy

March 1st; Early evening, just after nightfall; Light snow; 8 ° F, -13 ° C.

Skoll was thoroughly on the mend. With his mental stability and a return to a more regular routine, old habits had resurfaced and muscle memory kicked in. When he awoke from his slumber, nestled at Niles' side, he tiptoed away and gave a stretch that popped most of the vertebrae in his spine and both his ankles. It felt good to be home...

A shake of his still thick winter pelt and he was off. He started along the borders of the Scowle, relieving himself on certain trees as he went, before slinking away towards the Marsh. It was quieter there, he remembered, and the pull of the nearly-full moon drew him to the sight of frozen wetlands. Almost every place where the water ran shallow was frozen over and where the winter could not wilt the strong-stalked vegetation, the reeds and dry grasses stood tall. With a roll of his shoulders and the lifting of his head, he surveyed the lands, his nails just softly clicking on the ice patches. The last time he had been here, Niles had gone looking for their sister Isolde; Wraith and some other woman, whose name he had forgotten, had been with him, but he barely remembered them. The time before, he had come here in search of Piety, and in remembering that Skoll was certain now that he only stole away to these parts to mourn.

He grimaced at himself as he sat, half-hidden in the stark shadow of a patch of reedgrass. His head craned upward, the whole of his upper body shifting as though he longed for nothing but to bathe in the moon glow. His mouth turned downward at the corners. Perhaps it was best that he mourned the loss of his lovers - all that had been, all that could have been, and all that never was.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

@Skoll Hope you don't mind me throwing Celandine in here?

There was no need for a period of adjustment, at least not for Celandine. She'd always known that she would lead some day, but the others? Whatever their opinions, it didn't really matter. So long as they respected her, they were free to think as they wished, but one mind had her insatiable curiosity piqued. What were Skoll's opinions on the matter? Sure he'd been rooting for Niles in their challenge, and rightfully so, since they were brother's, but now that the fight was over, where did he stand? The woman wasn't sure why it mattered, or if it mattered at all, but her desire to know coerced her into trailing through the snow in search of the Archer.

Celandine didn't care whether he would welcome her presence or not. Nor did she care whether he actually accepted her claim or not. She'd know after this, and that would be enough to sate the questions in her mind. Offering a chuff as she neared Skoll, the woman waited to see how he'd react to her.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

The silence was a welcome visitor but, as Skoll found, it made a very suspicious companion. Most times, he supposed others opted to stay well away from him (just like old times within Willow Ridge after the time he had murdered a pack Leader in the north). Other times, he figured that he was simply evasive and hard to keep up with apart from having an active schedule wholly different from most other wolves. So when the quiet was broken by the softest of breaths, he turned to look. His ears relaxed and his eyes lingered on Celandine's just long enough to recognize her. He had to do a double-take out of habit; with so many fair-coated lovers, one could never be too careful.

His gaze slowly dropped from her face down to the fronts of her forearms before finally turning away. He fought the urge to be bitter and cynical, the way he usually had been with his own mother and Leader. He thought against it; usually, only Morganna understood his sarcasm as affection.

He returned his eyes to the frozen surface of the Marsh, where the reeds poked up by his paws, then leveled his head and muzzle. Staring at nothing in particular just in front of him and over the snowy wetlands, he half-sighed, half-droned, "To what do I owe this particular pleasure?"

Part of him was still unimpressed with her and how she took Niles' grief to her advantage, but for the most part, he was neutral about it all. Celandine, after all, had saved his life. She deserved his loyalty.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Celandine waited for the man's acknowledgement, indifference and a slight curiosity playing on her delicate features. Seeing Skoll was always... strange. As if each time her bright gaze fell upon his form, a children's story came to life. The woman wondered if the oddness of his presence would ever cease, or if she would always look at him as though he wasn't quite real. 

His voice broke the silence, holding what she assumed to be a note of boredom, but boredom was better than malice. She could work with that, at least. "I was curious." It was more of a statement, rather than a question. There was nothing that truly needed to be answered, for she was satisfied already. "Let me know when your ready to turn in that favor. I've got something in mind."

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

In his younger years, he might have been flatly irritated. Purposefully and plainly vexed just for the hell of it. Seasons of honing his craft had paid off and when prompted, she seemed to have been drawn in. He knew absolutely nothing about her fascination with him or otherwise. "I was curious," she began. To this, he merely hummed in reply, "Hmm?"

She mentioned something about a favor and immediately he tipped his head to one side, lips sealed and eyes focusing on something not too far off to his right. Favor. The word rattled about in his head, as if there weren't anything else up there in his skull that he was keeping safe and sound. "Favor," he spoke it this time. The tone of his voice made it seem as if he could actually taste it.

He turned to her, ghostly gray eyes sizing her up as she stood in his midst. "I believe you mean, when you're ready to turn in the favor," he crooned. "I'm in your debt. At your whim..." The tip of his tail tip flicked upward once, his gaze raking over her as his nose twitched. Temptation would have been an easy companion, but after his near-death experience in the Dell, his little black heart had hardened and it was easier now to keep his guards up.

"What kind of something?" he pitched back at her, his voice akin to a cougar's purr to convey his piqued interest.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Celandine watched him, even more curious about his reaction to this than she had been earlier. This wasn't like asking for the last bone to chew on, or to relay a message to some faraway land. This was, perhaps, more difficult. 

She didn't know what exactly made her offer to let him return the favor, or maybe she did. Either way, the woman figured that it was best to lay it all out on in front of him. If he chose not to take her up on the offer, then so be it. She would find something else to ask of him. 

Celandine quite liked the way those words dripped from his tongue, but still, a chill ran down her spine. There was something intimidating about him in that moment, something that made the blood run cold through her veins, but she had never been one to shy away from danger. "Breed with me." She let the offer hang in the air for a moment, before continuing. "I will be with cubs this year. If you would rather they not be yours, then I will make other arrangements, and we will forget that this happened." The queen wasn't after love, or a father figure. She simply needed genes, and insurance.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

When Skoll first laid eyes on Celandine, she had been merely a yearling - maybe not even quite. It was strange now to think that he had not seen her since, and now here she was with a simple request: "Breed with me." A lump caught in the Archer's throat. He had wanted her even then and suddenly he wasn't so sure. His head righted and he looked at her now from the corner of his eye.

"I will be with cubs this year," she continued when he did not interrupt or even visibly react. His ears just relaxed before folding back as if he were mulling over her offer. "If you would rather they not be yours, then I will make other arrangements, and we will forget that this happened."

"Oh, but an Archer never forgets," he slowly pronounced every syllable, as if stating a fact for her to remember. In Skoll's case, much of it was true. There was little that escaped his mind when he finally purged the last traces of hellebore from his body. He slowly stood up turning his back to the moon and rendering the white of his maw black with shadow. In his youth, he might have asked why he had been the first to be approached, but there was no telling just how many wolves Celandine might have asked before him.

He prowled closer to her. Had he been bolder, a little more riled up, he might have pressed his nose into her fur and combed his teeth over her nape and the places she could not properly groom. Instead, he brought his muzzle close to her ear as if he were sharing a secret, "And how will I know that the cubs will be only mine?" He supposed this was one secret that only a very precious few knew: even if Skoll was not in it all for love or some important role, he was all about possession.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Celandine felt her breath catch as he stood, but she set her jaw anyway. Each step that brought him closer, sent her heart beating faster, and faster. She wasn't sure whether it was desire, or fear, or her insatiable curiosity, but something kept her rooted to her spot. Truth be told, the woman hadn't really considered the fallout this might cause, or what the others would think. No. She had only thought of herself, and her future. That's why she stood before him, and asked for him to father her cubs. It couldn't be Niles. Cela had already hurt him enough, and the others didn't carry the security that she so desired, so when it came time, she thought first of Skoll.

Bright eyes remained locked on the horizon as his voice came vibrating into her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, but the rest of her was burning. "And how will I know that the cubs will be only mine?" "If you have any doubt when you see them, then I'll let you dispose of them." The words fell from her mouth completely unfiltered, something that was unusual for her, but then again, this whole thing was unusual.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

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

It should have been obvious; one way to counter Celandine asking any other males to fulfill her request was to follow her around. However, he was out of luck if he happened to be the last one to be asked. Skoll chose not to press his luck and take her word at face value. He had known for Archers to come in with an assortment of black-brown shades and white markings. He knew his own sire, whom he had never met, had been red-brown, and Nuriel was proof of that.

"Hmm," he hummed again, the timbre of his voice hushed now. Some of his suspicion remained, but he had to trust her. Had to...
if he wanted her for himself.

With quiet steps, he moved to walk around her backside, coming up along her right side and standing shoulder to shoulder. The scent of her roused something deep within him, something he thought would never stir again after Hecate and his previous three lovers. This, though, was different. He could sense her determination, the tenseness of this encounter making the air crackle and spark with static around them. He allowed himself now to lap his tongue to her chin. A sign of respect and, perhaps, consent. If he was to agree to this union, he was going to have some say in the terms along with giving her what she requested. When Skoll gave, he gave just enough to keep his lover returning for more. He wondered now if Celandine would be his last. If she asked if of him, he was more than willing to provide that security she needed for her bloodline.

"Before we proceed, I must ask," his eyes took in her fair features up close, counting each of her black whiskers and admiring the angles of her muzzle as he sat patiently beside her. He would not make a move unless she was ready with a wave of her tail. "Will this be your first?"

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away