Dead Empress Backwater First of Many

AW. Avella and Hagar are just outside the border calling for @Viorel but any wolves in DEB are welcome to join. They have come for Introductions. Special mention to @Hagar

The distance from the mountain pack to the pack she was sure her friend Clover belonged to wasn't very long. It was slow pickings down the mountain due to the snow and ice but they'd made it down into the heart. Avella knew that was where Heartleaf Creek was and the next pack on her list of wolves to meet. Hagar was still with her which she was thankful for. After their visit with the siblings Avella was a little nervous to run into them on her own. Especially after what Scully had said. She suspected that was one of the reasons Hagar was with her in the first place.

So far they hadn't run into any trouble which the masked woman was Thankful for. They just had this meeting before they could return back to the willows. Again she looked over to Hagar and offered him a smile. "I'm sure this will go well," she told, "The leader here sounds like a reasonable wolf." She was going off what Clover had told her in their last meeting.

This time after having don't this once already the masked woman walked up to the border. She stopped once she was a respectable distance away before raising her muzzle to the air to call the wolves of the backwater and especially their leader.

Hagar dutifully followed after Avella, eyes and ears alert to their surroundings. He wasn't used to traversing mountainous terrain and had found it challenging, but as was his nature the man did not complain or allow himself to be deterred. Now they were on even ground once again, and the world had never appeared more flat.

He approached at his alpha's side as she sent out her song, beckoning those that lead this pack that would soon be their neighbors. His tail had wagged at her assurances, but he otherwise did not communicate - this was not his time to talk. Hagar was here to observe and would not step outside of his role.

It was like the world around them had been asleep, and had now woken up, all the other wolves shaking off the sleep and coming directly to their neck of the woods. Eros bolted after the call that soared through the air above him, eager to see what new faces were beckoning for their pack now. When the two strangers at last came into view, his excitement was mildly dampened by the disappointment that neither of them appeared to be his age.

Oh well. It was still two new friends nonetheless!

"Hello," he greeted, tail tagging happily through the air while ears and eyes remained alert to whatever it was they had come to say. Eros radiated energy as he watched them curiously.

Viorel was slower to action than his son had been, but he was just as surprised to hear the call of a stranger at the borders. He had been patrolling the far border when it reached him, and despite quickly changing direction Eros beat him there. He came up shortly after his son’s friendly greeting, and kept his stance friendly and neutral although authority radiated off of the confidence in his pose.

Dark tail waved a few times in a friendly manner by his ankles while he looked over the strangers, making snap judgements. They definitely smelled like other wolves, but no one he recognized, and as far as he knew there was only one other pack in the area and they were on the mountain. A corner of his mouth twitched upwards in interest, ”Viorel Valle, one of the leaders here at Dead Empress Backwater.” He didn’t say anything else, letting the strangers fill in the blank to speak.

He glanced sideways towards his son, proud of how he seemed to always be conducting himself at the borders whenever they had visitors. He would make a good pack ambassador someday.

Avella was patient as she waited with Hagar at the border of the backwater. She hoped that she might get to see Clover but ultimately that wasn't why she was there. Their wait wasn't long when a pup arrived to greet them. She offered the boy a smile and friendly wag of her tail. "Hello there," she greeted back but that was all she was able to get out. Another wolf had arrived just after the pup.

It was rather clear by the way he presented himself that he was a leader. She wonder though was this Viorel? Maybe she should have asked Clover for a description. Ahe glanced at Hagar before turning back to the man. She supposed she would find out soon enough if he was or not. He introduced himself as Viorel, Perfect. Just the wolf she was looking for.

"I'm Avella Archer and this is Hagar. I wanted to introduce myself and speak with you." She was a little nervous about how this might go. She had mixed feeling about the way Viorel had spoken. She felt it might be best to let him set the tone of the conversation. She was after all at his borders.

The first to appear was practically a child, but Hagar was not surprised. This was the time of year that last year's generation would begin to find where they fit in amongst the adults raising them. If anything, such a well-fed and eager-eyed young man appearing before them was a good indicator of this pack's health and strength. They would make fine neighbors.

The man that appeared after the friendly youth held himself in a way that conveyed his position through confidence rather than pride. It was clear he was a dominant personality even before introducing himself as an alpha - just the wolf they were seeking, yes? Hagar remained as he had been as the conversation began to unfold, nodding in acknowledgement only once when Avella introduced him.

(This post was last modified: Feb 10, 2022, 09:10 PM by Eros.)

His father appeared swiftly behind him, and Eros greeted him over his shoulder with a widening of his smile while his tail continued to beat back and forth through the air. Once the older wolf was at his side, the boy plopped his haunches down into the snow, ready to sit and gab a while if that's what the adults wanted to do.

Avella Archer, she spoke, and his jaw dropped. What?! His gaze ping-ponged back and forth between his father's face and this Avella's before be found his voice again.

"You're family?!"

The lighter one introduced herself as Avella Archer and the last name was not lost on the father, or his son apparently. Nodding his head in respect to the two visitors, he tried to rack his brain for any memory of his wife mentioning an Avella. He couldn’t, but that did not mean that she hadn’t, she just had about a billion family members and it was hard to keep them all straight since he had only ever met her brother. An interesting bloke at that, even the thought of him made Viorel feel a little sour in a way he couldn’t explain.

Still, this was not Sawyer, and Eros had let the cat out of the bag.

Grinning in a lopsided sort of way he chuckled, ”Vanadis is my mate, and Eros’ mother. You must be a relative I take it?” Who knew how distant, the Archer family lineage was even more tangled than even the Valle’s. Glancing over his shoulder back towards the territory they called home, he wondered where his mate may be at this moment, but it was hard to tell. They were both cut from the same wandering pelt.

Looking back towards the young woman who seemed to be the brains of the operation, Hagar had not spoken, he asked, ”Is there something we can do for you?” They didn’t get very many unknown visitors here in the Backwater, and Viorel was intrigued.

You're family?!"

Well this was an interesting turn of events but to he honest it wasn't much of a surprise. Her gaze settled on the boy and she smiled. "I suppose it's quite possible," she said in answer. The Archer line was rather extensive and as she'd found out earlier in the year some she'd rather not know. As it were Viorel spoke explaining the situation further. A look of recognition crossing her features. "It seems I am family. Vanadis happens to be my aunt. Unfortunately. I only know of her. Things are…complicated in the Archer line," she said with a small laugh, "So it would seem Eros you and I are cousins." She thought that was how things followed. It was very nice to meet another one of her family members and one as well behaved as young Eros.

Viorel's question brought her back to the task at hand. She smiled at the man, "There is a place further south from here called Willow Ridge. I don't know If Vanadis has mentioned it but the Archers once claimed it as their home. I've returned with my brother Scully and we have decided to form a pack there with Hagar and some others. I wanted to let you know of our plans and offer our friendship to you and your pack."

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2022, 02:24 PM by Avella.)

His leader's words were promptly followed by an outburst from the younger wolf, causing Hagar's own wolfish brows to raise in surprise. Were they? Viorel picked up the conversation from there, elaborating on their own relation to the Archer family before it was Avella's turn.

It seems so, she confirmed, and his own bushy tail beat back and forth behind him happily. Family was very important, and he was happy for his alpha to find herself so close to relatives. It was turning out to be a very good thing that they had come to speak with this pack, in his opinion.