Red Fern Forest just here to do some good

December 12; Early Morning; Broken Clouds; 39.15 ° F, 3.972 ° C

Gods, how did he end up here again?

Sawyer Archer was finding out the hard way that he was very much not his father's son. Yes, he was selfish and figuratively born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he knew now he was so much more. So much more than his name or what his father had done before him. In his trek across the mountain, he had put those fantastical stories of Willow Ridge behind.

The shadows and trees were not for this red-crowned prince.

So, off he went on an invisible path... right onto Fools' Gold Chasm's borders. As soon as that hefty musk hit his senses, his lean legs backpedaled and he clenched his teeth into the quarry in his jaws. The scruff of the hare had torn days ago and carrying it by its torso was the only means of transporting it now.

At first, he simply listened. He waited. The scent trail had to be only hours old. Someone was nearby. Amber eyes scanned the frozen ferns before placing the hare on the ground.

"Hello," he called out, stepping over his white-furred loot just in case of an ambush. Knock, knock...

(This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2021, 08:29 AM by Sawyer.)

you musn't be afraid
to dream a little bigger, darling
⟡ ⟡ ⟡

"Hello."

The greeting was hard to miss when the snow on the ground made everything too quiet and still. Adelard, though tired and very much operating on instinct's whim, turned around. Head low and ears high, he retraced his steps in the snow to follow the path he had taken just the night before.

He replied in kind, despite being out of sight and a good trotting distance away, "Hello."

The winter sun made him squint in some places between the trees. It forced him through the underbrush and around the snow-blanketed roots. The red-furred figure was one he did not recognize.

Sharp eyes darted to the dead hare behind the man's forepaws but quickly refocused on the rogue's face. He squared his shoulders and leveled his tail, but his hackles did not rise. "Can I help you?"

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

A bronze ear rotated to the side and back to the front, eyes shifting as the footfalls registered. Someone was home and they were quick on their toes. A small smile came to the Archer's maw. This was exactly what he had hoped for.

A bodiless voice answered, "Hello."

Sawyer's tail waved about in anticipation. His front paws stamped in the snow, eager to establish this forthcoming connection. He straightened his posture and relaxed his shoulders and neck. Everything about his being had to come off as friendly and warm if this mission of his was going to work.

The man that emerged before him was impressive. It took every ounce of strength in Sawyer's body to not crumble and fold beneath that dark mask. There was something wild beneath this assumingly calm exterior. A possible bomb about to go off. Immediately, he knew he had to choose his words with care.

"Can I help you?"

He gave his tail another sway from one side to the other, "Hi." His ears came back almost apologetically as he ducked his head. He wanted to show that he was humble and harmless. In one smooth move, he edged back then used his nose to nudge the frozen hare towards the man. There was no mistake now, this guy had to be a Leader.

"I'm Sawyer Archer." Why he bothered to give out his surname evaded him. All this time, he thought he could basically ride his father's coattails. His travels thus far proved he had no reputation to precede him, which was great... Whatever sins and terrible things Skoll had done all those years ago had done nothing to affect him. This was his Relic Lore story now.

"This is for you," he used a paw to push the long-earred creature further toward him, "I mean, only if you want it." Nervousness bit at his limbs but he cleared his throat in an attempt to stave it away. "I hold an allegiance to a pack in the southwest."

He paused, wondering just how far he ought to open his mouth. "And, I extend their wishes to you for an easy winter." His tail fell but did not go limp behind his ankles. "For the gift of the hare, I want to ask what you would like to ask of them."

Almost instantaneously, he realized where he had blundered. He had just given and now the man had to take... or, well, the man had to take the hare before he could give something for Sawyer to pass along. For a pack so far north, though, he figured this pack was isolated. There had to be something. "Is there something you could give them in return?"

you musn't be afraid
to dream a little bigger, darling
⟡ ⟡ ⟡

This was suspicious. Every part of Adelard was tingling, the urge to protect his pack and attack the man on sight swelling in his chest. His part of the forest had been nice and quiet before this character came bumbling along. The hare was a blur in the snow but the Leader was weighing its worth as the stranger spoke. It would be a valuable prize to give to one of his packmates.

Without warning, Adelard watched as the rogue offered up his prey.

"I'm Sawyer Archer. This is for you."

The Gerau's eyes narrowed but, as tired as they were, could not remain that way for long. Being on high alert all the time was paying off but it was mentally taxing... and, winter was traditionally the time of rest and energy conservation.

Sawyer added, "I mean, only if you want it."

Adelard's heart thumped in his chest. He did want the hare. If he could not provide for the wolves of the Chasm, he did not deserve the lofty position as their Leader. Sawyer, here, had just granted him a small respite. The hare would fill a belly or two.

"I hold an allegiance to a pack in the southwest. And, I extend their wishes to you for an easy winter."

Upon hearing this Adelard's ears came up. This was the first he had heard of others in the area. As much as he wanted to ask 'where,' he kept his lips sealed. If this messenger had come bearing gifts, there had to be a catch. "Is there something you could give them in return?"

He moved forward to drag the hare through the snow toward him. He stood over it now, staring the red-furred man straight in the face. There was definitely nothing familiar about him now. Adelard shook his head, slow and weary. "At the moment, I have nothing but an offer of an alliance." A small sigh, "I am Adelard Gerau. Leader of these woods." The training his mentors had ingrained in him surfaced. It all came to him without skipping a beat. "We are the wolves of Fools Gold Chasm. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray. If it is peace you seek, you need only ask it of us."

His heart felt heavy. These words had been meant for his inauguration as Coqueliot Coppice's sovereign. Now they were twisted. He belonged to the Lore now. "Return to us again in a few days' time and I will have a considerable gift if... we are to have an understanding."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Sawyer hoped beyond all hope that his offer stood as a genuine one. There was no trickery or deception here. The only thing in it for him, that benefitted him, was a calling to be fulfilled. If his father Skoll only took and took, then Sawyer wanted to give... and give... until there was nothing left of him. Everyone, especially in the winter season, ought to be given a chance to thrive.

He watched as the man's eyes had narrowed and eased up. Then those dark ears perked forward in unmistakable interest. Sawyer had a bite. Maybe these wolves were as solitary as he had thought. Not desperate, per se, but lonely...

With every breath taken, Sawyer waited. All he wanted was to help.

The man before him laid it out plain and clear: he had nothing to offer but a promise of loyalty. A confederacy. A partnership.

Perfect.

To confirm that he had tracked down this pack's Leader was the snowcap on the highest Canadian peak. Too perfect. Sawyer felt a smile tug at his maw and a flourish pull at his tail. The earnest words that followed hearkened back to his own upbringing. Both Skoll's discipline and Celandine's guidance had molded him into a man of equity and viability. This type of diplomacy was what he had been primed for.

"Return to us again in a few days' time and I will have a considerable gift if... we are to have an understanding."

The Archer bowed his auburn head. Words were better than nothing. He knew this from experience. Given the Chasm's location, a promise of sanctuary ought to be worth something.

"I will pass it along," he nodded, taking a subtle sidestep to shift his weight. His smile softened, "You can count on me, Adelard. If there's anything else you need, I'll be back as soon as I can."

you musn't be afraid
to dream a little bigger, darling
⟡ ⟡ ⟡

With Adelard, his word was his bond. Hopefully, nothing terrible would come of this little pact. Goodness knew he and the pack could use some contact with the "outside world" beyond their refuge. The Leader swallowed hard, lips tight and eyes still searching for any sign of artifice.

"I will pass it along. You can count on me, Adelard." The enunciation of his name caught him off guard. He blinked, still unable to place if he had seen the younger man before. "If there's anything else you need, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Adelard opened his mouth to say something but staggered. It took a moment to gather what exactly he wanted to say. Sawyer's appearance couldn't have come at a better time. "You don't--" He leaned back slightly. Had he been human, he might have outstretched his arms toward an open door, welcoming Sawyer in. "You don't want to stay and rest for the journey back?"

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

"You don't--" Sawyer had been staring at Adelard's shoulder. "You don't want to stay and rest for the journey back?"

It was then that the ginger-furred man caught a strange scent. Something familiar. His nose twitched. The memories of slipping on ice came clear to his mind.

Slick.

Sawyer's jaw had loosened, his lips parting in unbidden remorse. His gaze found Adelard's invitation and welcoming stance, but he shook his head. At the very least, he was glad that Levi had found others, a whole pack, to weather the colder seasons with. He would have to catch up with him sometime. The next chance he visited, perhaps, if he was lucky to secure Adelard's request.

"Uh," he stretched his forelimbs forward to recompose himself. He gave his pelt a shake as he straightened again, "No, thank you, but I appreciate it. Take a rain check?" He gestured with a jab of his nose towards the hare, "Might be a good idea to cache that away sooner rather than later. I'd like to be back to you 'fore the moon's full."

you musn't be afraid
to dream a little bigger, darling
⟡ ⟡ ⟡

She'd been seeking Adelard out to speak with him, and upon following his scent Woya began to pick up a stranger's as well. Instinctively, her muzzle tensed and wrinkled with distaste. The longer Hudson remained gone, the more protective she grew over the family he had left behind. They might be small, but they were doing just fine, thank you.

As she approached, with bristling hackles and burning brown eyes, she heard bits and pieces of a conversation. It wasn't much, certainly not enough to decipher what this man was speaking to their acting leader about. She would ask after, away from Rusty's ears; he looked like a fox, she thought disdainfully as she took position at Adelard's flank. Silent, Woya simply glowered at the man, her expectations all but scrawled across her features; wrap it up and git.

"Uh," Sawyer began. A twinge of hope sparked in Adelard's chest before dying out. "No, thank you, but I appreciate it." Ah, well... "Take a rain check?"

"Sure," his own reply was short and sweet. Next time then.

As the Leader's attention was brought back to the frostbitten gift, he felt a presence at his side. Woya, his nose put an end to the guessing game without the need to turn and look. Huddy couldn't have left a grumpier or more bitter set of guardians behind. Adelard had never voiced it or realized it until now, but he and the previous Leader's sister were on the same page. Now more than ever.

A low rumble in his chest acknowledged the snow-furred woman. He appreciated her aid, always, but he had this handled. In fact, it seemed that the rogue was about ready to head off on his way.

With a sigh that was more meant for Woya rather than Sawyer, he gave a bob of his head, "We will be seeing you then." For good measure, he slowly extended a tawny forearm in front of her. Don't even think about it...

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2021, 02:08 AM by Adelard.)

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Sawyer thought he was going to get away with a clean departure. Promises kept with no strings attached. He was ready to bow his head and turn about, but then she showed up. The only thing he could do was smile and nod, even after Adelard had bid him off.

"If ya want, I can come back with a lil' extra somethin' for your guard there," somehow a part of him thought it appropriate to be chummy. He was someone they could trust after all.

His tail swept about in a low wag. He truly meant no ill will or harm. Hopefully, she could see that, and frankly, Adelard was intimidating in his own right.

"D'ya like salmon?" He quirked a brow at the Leader's familiar. Gregariousness on top of his own brand of charisma had always set him apart from his many siblings.

you musn't be afraid
to dream a little bigger, darling
⟡ ⟡ ⟡