Willow Ridge They can call me whatever they want

Forward dated to the 30th
For @Ravenna and her spawn (@Freyja and Ragnar) others can join as well but you might be skipped!
Scouting dem 1/3

Elias was tired. It had been a long, exhausting week but he'd made it. Willow Ridge. Time had done very little to change these woods, the ground was a lot drier than he remembered, but that was about it. It was reassuring, almost, to know that not everything was a tumultuous as it was back north. Peace could be found in this world, maybe Elias hadn't been looking in the right places...

With a sigh he pressed his toes into the dirt. The sun was going to set soon, he wasn't one for intruding at such an hour but...the prospect of spending another night amongst the coyotes was not tempting in the least. He'd promised Nin and Ellerly to return safe and sound, and he intended to do just that. Which meant that he couldn't dilly dally, the sooner he got this over and done with the better.

Pulling in a deep breath, Elias tipped his head back and let out a call for the queen of these woods. Would she even want to talk to him? Would she allow him to see them, or was this just a massive waste of both of their time? If he had fingers he would have crossed them.

(This post was last modified: Jul 24, 2018, 01:27 AM by Elias.)

Ravenna was not sure she'd ever see that large blonde wolf again. Each time she saw him now that he was no longer a part of her brother's pack, it was a surprise. It had been a few months now since she had seen him last and the call which moved through the willow territory came as a surprise to her. He beckoned her and she tensed, uneasy at this day she had thought long enough would surely come until finally she thought explaining the situation to her pups would be unneeded after all... SURPRISE AGAIN.

She did not openly call out to her pups to come to her, not yet. For the time being she came to the borders all her own (though couldn't help if her pups followed) with her silvered ears perked high curiously. "Elias..." His name eased from her parted jaws. "What brings you?" She didn't expect anything less and anything more then a simple 'how are the pups?' Would he want to know how many? Their genders, names? Would he want to meet them, to put a new wrinkle in their brain to the fact they had two fathers, not one?

(This post was last modified: Jul 24, 2018, 06:39 PM by Ravenna.)

Scouting dem 2/3

Elias expected her to be angry. He anticipated teeth around his muzzle and ice in her eyes, but there was none of that. If anything, she seemed curious and perhaps a little hesitant, which was understandable all things considered. Whatever she thought of him and his intentions, Elias needed to make it clear that he wasn't here to cause trouble. This was her home, he knew that she cared deeply for the Willows and so he had no interest in disrupting her way of life. He wasn't sure how best to go about this, but he would try his best for it all to be as seamless as possible for everyone involved.

"It's good to see you again, Ma'am." Elias dipped his head in reverence. He wouldn't use her name, not unless she said he could. "I don't mean to intrude but...you see the thing is the other day I met my cousin and he- he said a lot of things, made me realise that I'm awful at this whole family thing. I know they might not be mine and that's okay! And I know it might just confuse them or make it complicated but I-" He swallowed thickly. "I'd like to see them, to know them if that's all right?"

It had taken them an awfully long time to get here, but if things went well he was more than willing to do it again and again. If things even went that well.

Elias said it was good to see her though she couldn't not help but mentally question if that was really true or that he was just being nice as his usual self. He used 'ma'am' as he had in her prior meeting, seemingly showing how distant, how formal they had become with one another. She didn't want that. There was no need for it. What he had done while in her brother's pack meant little now. Ever more, now no longer under Aurora leadership he did not have to adhere to their views, either. Still, she couldn't push herself to greet him with a warm hug and she once had, to wave her tail happily at his arrival.

Ravenna however couldn't help the smirk which came from her muzzle when Elias commented that they may not even be his pups but wanted to know them anyhow. If anyone looked at Elias next to them there would have been little questioning with their blonde fur and blue eyes.

"It is complicated." She agreed. As life usually was. "And likely will be confusing. They have only known Blitz is their father..." Blitz had been there from the very beginning and they only knew him as a father figure. However, having nursed them earlier in their life, they had also been nursed by @Leotie too when they were moved to the Infirmary. They had all four grown up as family, as Leotie a second mom and Sven a second father. They had never seemed to object the fact that they were all connected in one way or another. It's when they had been born and grown too. Surely they would understand Elias also being their father as possible and later as they reached maturity, learn exactly how it came to be. "...But they will grow and they will learn to understand the concept. However, I can't predict if they will be accepting of you."

She sighed deeply then, her eyes softening at the thought of her pups and with obvious concern. After a moment she lifted her silver muzzle, calling out to her children to the borders. It might rouse the attention of others - Sven, Leotie, perhaps Blitz and Adeltra, but there was little she could do about that.

She sat that then to wait and found herself shrugging as she looked Elias over. "I wouldn't imagine hiding something like this from them and I would rather them know now, with the both of us here." She spoke, her pale eyes locking on his face to access his reaction. Maybe he had come to simply see them, be introduced as a friend or uncle. No. If they were going to know about Elias, they were going to know the truth. All of it.

(This post was last modified: Jul 26, 2018, 06:40 PM by Ravenna.)

The little golden prince was with his twin as he nearly always was, their growth and independence along with it meaning that their curiosity of others brought them apart but ever for too long. Ragnar had followed it his father's and Sven's heels before, curious of their border patrol. He had learned with Adeltra on scouting and played 'explore' with Scully and Shells, but never did he go without Freyja for long. They shared everything, since their very making, after all.

At the moment the twins were playing hide and seek away from the Pack's communal den, out into the far edges of the Willow Ridge territory but not beyond it. Ragnar new the rules and as a rather lawful pup, obeyed them. He was patient, cunning, more so as he aged and began to understand that what he wanted took time and understanding. After all, between Ravenna, Sven, Leotie, Blitz, Adeltra, Enoki... Well, let's just say he had plenty in the ranks to learn from, keep him busy and keep him in check.

"Where're you?" Ragnar grumbled out loud. Though it seemed Ragnar had the harder push, Freyja was swift and deadly silent. He sniffed the ground, the air, the trees... He could smell her, but where? It would seem he wouldn't the chance to find out as his mother's call sounded out for them both to come to her. To the border? They had never been called to the border before but now that they were a few months old, capable of following behind the adults in their work and returning to the den on their own, perhaps mother wanted to show them a bit of what lay beyond their home...

"Let's go! He would call out to his well hidden sister and bark, taking off in the direction his mother had called them. When he neared the borders of their home, sniffing at the markers the guardians had made, he slowed to a hesitant step. His eyes peered forward to see both his mother and a stranger - a very large wolf and pale in color yet not as much so am himself for Freyja. Still it was his first time seeing another blonde and golden wolf other then himself and his twin.

"Hello..." He spoke with a curious tone and tilted head as he came to settle at his mother's side.

Much like her identical counterpart, Freyja was growing bolder and more curious as the weeks flew by. No longer was she content to sit at the den and tussle with her siblings. She wanted to explore her home, to learn from the adults. She often tagged along with either of her two moms while they were out on patrol, or tending to the basic needs of maintaining their home. In the back of her mind, Ragnar was never forgotten, as she silently promised herself that she would return to his side soon. The blonde girl never liked to be apart from him for more than a few hours at most.

Far from the den and a short distance away from the borders, she was engrossed in their game. But being as smart as a whip, she knew better than to cross the invisible boundary, detectable only by scent. Word had spread of @Avella's little adventure and the stern repercussions that followed. It wasn't that she was at all shy or less adventurous than her sister. More that Freyja understood the rules and stopped, putting careful consideration into her actions before deciding upon them. She wouldn't want to worry her mom and dad like that.

Crouched low in the grass, ears pinned down to her head, Ragnar's call went unanswered, pale blue eyes narrowing in concentration. Stealth was her forte...or at least, one day it would be. Her developing muscles tensed and bunched up as she prepared to spring, to close in on her brother like a helpless baby rabbit. But she never got the chance. Their mother was summoning them. From the border too. Her brows pinched down, contemplating the reasoning behind their mother's call. The voice of her twin pulled her out of such thoughts and as soon as he took off, she was flying along beside him. Hurrying to the borders alongside her brother, the stranger on the other side would have a very difficult time indeed, in telling them apart. Nearly attached at the hip, her deliberate strides slowed greatly once the borders drew near, the vision of her mother and especially of the large wolf she didn't recognize. He looked just like her and Ragnar...except darker and he was missing a total of three toes. There was no fear in her step as she came close, just a quiet confidence. This was her home, even if she were at the very edge of the territory. She didn't see any reason not to be wary. Being a girl of few words, she sat down and peered up at the stranger with brows raised in silent question.

This day had been a long time coming. As soon as he had heard Ravenna's call from the border, beckoning Ragnar and Freyja to join her, his senses prickled. He had a feeling he knew what this was all about. His silver companion had been honest, had told him that the children could very well have another biological father other than himself. Whilst his preference would have been to be the sole their sole sire, he respected her desires, and her reasoning behind breeding with another male. They were more than friends...they were trusted counterparts. Come next season, if she were ready, he hoped to take their relationship to the next level. Regardless if blood was shared, Blitz would always stand as a dedicated father figure for as long as he breathed.

Diligent as ever in the serious job of keeping his borders safe from unwelcome threats and the ever lingering coyotes, Blitz had been in earshot when he heard Ravenna's voice. Immersed in marking the base of a tree while scanning the forest for any movement, he abandoned his duty temporarily and headed off at a steady walk to meet Ravenna and the twins at the border. Amongst the shades of greens that decorated his home, his ink colored fur stuck out like a sore thumb. With strikingly colored eyes and a large stature combined, Blitz often presented as quite the imposing figure on first glance. Today was no different as he zeroed in on the exact location of Ravenna and the twins, waiting at the borders. And, on the opposite side stood a golden haired, blue eyed stranger. The instant his acidic eyes fell upon this large male specimen, did he know from whom Freyja and Ragnar attained their pale coats and light eyes. But that didn't matter. There was all the likelihood that deep down under their skin, his sea blood flowed just as strongly. His face was hardened with the seriousness of a true guardian and the protectiveness of a doting father, but not unkind. "You must be Elias." He said with that natural low rumble of his voice. Face to face, all five wolves who had woven this moment together, were now united at once for the very first time.

Scouting dem 3/3

Confusing, yeah he could see why. Elias had been taken from his Mother when he was around about Ellery's age, everything had been so up in the air he'd simply gone with the flow. He'd assumed that the adults knew what they were doing, that everything would slot back into place. And it did...he just never saw his Mother again and got a new family instead. He hoped this would be far less....difficult. His children were where they belonged, amongst the Willows in their Mother's Kingdom.

"Thank you." He dipped his head, she had no idea how much this meant to him. "For this chance, I mean. And for everything. I know I haven't...been a good friend to you." Or at least he had convinced he hadn't been, that he should've done more, been better."But this means a lot and I will do my best. Promise!"

He waited with baited breath, how many pups did she have? Would any of them look like him? Elias didn't really know how the process worked-if anyone truly did- but he couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance that some might be his and other's....were not? Ravenna said she'd spent time with another man, so maybe.... Elias shook his head just in time to see the first pup appear and- oh.

Ravenna was pale, so he didn't want to jump to any conclusions but...the boys coat was sort of like his, blondey gold. And his eyes...surely this was his son. Elias gawped. The boy greeted him but he didn't have the mind to offer a hello in return, if anything he was thoroughly distracted when yet another pup entered the scene. A boy and a girl then. She wasn't quite as blonde but the similarities were still there, were strong enough for Elias to assume that...

And then yet another wolf appeared, a man this time. The other man, Elias assumed.

"Mmm, that's me." He dipped his head in greeting once more. "I'm not...I'm not here to step on your toes or anything. I just wanted to say hi." He folded himself down onto his belly so he was at the pups level. "So hi, guys."  His smile was so earnest that his cheeks ached. His tail tapped at the floor and kicked up dust and dirt in it's wake, he loved his kids, he would never stop loving them, even if they didn't call him dad.

In the lingering moments it took for her children to arrive at she had sat and waited for them, Elias took these moments to offer an unexpected thanks. Not only for allowing him to see the children which he had taken part in helping create, but for everything to which she was uncertain what he meant by. But he was thankful to her generosity so he had seen it to be and at mentioning how he had not been the greatest friend to her as of late, her eyes averted a moment down to the ground next to her, ears falling. He said this meant alot and he would do his best. Ravenna knew he would try his best but wondered if his best would be enough for not only her, but their children. Either way it went they would still have her, Blitz and all the rest of Willow Ridge.

"Here's your chance." She spoke then as she heard the scurrying of her children making way. First Ragnar who came to her side and greeted the stranger to him politely and then Freyja, soon to follow and silent with lingering curiosity.

Ravenna's eyes left her children to fall on Elias. He was in awe, there was no mistaking it by the way he had always wore his emotions on the tip of his nose. Though she had meant to fight off the smile it cracked through her neutral facade.

When another's approach sounded, the footfalls of an adult wolf, she whipped her attention around to expect the appearance of Leotie or Sven. But no, it was Blitz who gave prompt arrival, the first wolf she had chosen father her first litter of pups. As Blitz came near his words were not unkind to Elias who then confirmed who he was and why he was here, though making sure to address he had no intention of getting in the way of that Blitz had helped build here. Ravenna released the breath she had unexpectedly been holding, silver eyes shifting between the blonde gentle giant and the black sea fairer. It was an awkward situation and yet one which both took in stride well. It reminded her of why she had chose these two wolves to insure a healthy, strong and successful litter of pups.

When Elias lowered himself into a lay before the children to say hello, Ravenna shifted in her sit, lowering her head to use her forehead to nudge Ragnar along. Where one went the other pup was sure to follow. "This is Elias." She informed her pups and the made way closer with question on their expressions. "He doesn't live with us but he is family like Blitz and Leotie and everyone else. You know how I told you that you have a very large family and they are in others packs, like ours, in different parts of the Lore?" She knew that her pups were now old enough to understand the concept of other packs, not just their own, in different parts of the land. They knew they came from a very large family but the rest she left in Elias ball park as she fell silent.

Ragnar was busy studying the large blonde wolf in front of him as he sat, curious as ever. It was the first time he had met a wolf not 'Pack' before. The first time meeting someone from beyond the borders of their home. Out there in different parts of the land he had been told there was other packs, packs with family in them too like theirs. He was curious of these other lands, these other packs and how they might be different or similar to his own. Already his mind was beginning to grasp the concept of travel and explore.

Those pale blue eyes, only having become more pale as he aged, turned away from the stranger onto the familiar black wolf of his father. His little tail waved back and forth over the ground, bumping against his sister at his side and in that moment he was being slid over the earth as he sat by his mother's shove with the top of her skull.

Turning back to see that the stranger was much closer now, the hairs along his back for a brief moment stood on end. Though his mother was eager to teach them quickly and effectively he knew she would not push him (literally) into a dangerous situation. He listens to his mother and he looked over the funny footed male and nodded silently in response to her words. "So family?" He said, shifting to that he was standing in front of the large wolf, now eye to eye with Elias laying. "You Archer or Mizuno?" He asked then, wondering what length of last name he might have. Who knows, maybe he was even a part of the 'Lyall' family but he had not met another one of those before besides his mum.