Drooping Willows where true loyalty lies

This thread incorporates Elettra's injury, due to failed activity checks and her fall in leadership. Anyone is welcome, though I would more so like to pull @Morganna and @Angier 's attention.

"Its not far now, mother..." Her words crack through the chill of the crisp morning air. Her voice is broken, mingled between the light-hardheartedness of youth and her aging as she formed into her teenage years. Already she had grown into those big ears, her paws still far too large despite the fact that she was nearly eighty pounds, and only a hint of delicate blue remained in the pale silver of her gaze. Next to her mother, she was nearly as rounded, nearly as tall, suggesting at this age she would out-stand her mother in time (and soon after, even if father). Ravenna Lyall smiles upon the scenery, the first of the scattered willow trees as they make their way through the Drooping and towards the boarders of their home. Ravenna had loved her ventures with her mother, exploring the lands beyond, though after the certain events which had taken place, the young girl was eager to return home: return to her father, to Niles, to Isolde and (although perhaps not as close) the rest of the pack which were just as much her family. She pauses, only as her mother takes a stumble, making sure that her mother could lean on her for support, although it was obvious in her mother's gaze it pained her to do so... Ravenna wanted to tell her mother everything was okay, though held her tongue. She would not make promises she could not keep.

(This post was last modified: Oct 18, 2015, 10:05 PM by Ravenna.)

The last week or so had not at all been kind to Elettra Archer... She, more or less, had taken it upon herself to place more of her attention in her mate (who last meeting, had shown signs of his aging) as well as her still growing children. Her pack needed her Lead, though had none the less been doing well off without her. She expected her family, as most of her pack-mates were blood, would back her moves, though could feel a storm brewing deep in her bones with the coming of winter. Her son, who had moved out of his position as Lowest once and for all according to Angier's word, was a burden (as well as his missing mate) that she knew she would have to face at one point or another. The dramatics of the pack life, as far as she hated to admit it, were wearing on her... Elettra far too much enjoyed her travels with her daughter, Ravenna. Travels with herbs she remembered doing once a long time ago with @Morganna whom had long outgrown her and now did so on her own.

The pair had reached the heights of the mountains and secretly Elettra had every intention of visiting @Phineas in hopes to catch up with an old friend... though things had gone both sour and south, and the mountains unpredictable. Ravenna's first time scaling the mountains had tested her to the extreme. Her daughter having almost taken a fall, Elettra had manages to push her large pup to safety, though not without falling herself... Elettra remembered a day when surely she would have been swift enough to avoid injury... The deep gash to her flank was quite painful, though the pair was both thankful enough she had not broken anything, nor torn away at any important veins or nerve endings. The trek down the mountain was far from easy, however, and Ravenna's skills as a young nurse had been tested.

Now, they were almost home and the mother breathed a sigh of relief to Ravenna's words, grunting only as she stumbled against her. What would the pack make of their Leaders now... now that both were faltering? A lump held in Elettra's throat, wondering how long she had before greed and determination pushed her from her placement. "I need a moment..." The words whisper in a near shutter from her pale gray lips (which mirrored Ravenna's dark gray ones) as she settled down onto the cool grass at the borders of her home.

(This post was last modified: Oct 18, 2015, 10:59 PM by Elettra.)

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

It was around the time of her sturgeon incident that she noticed her mother and Ravenna were gone. It was no big thing in itself, she knew that @Elettra, just like all the other members of the pack would be most concerned with preparing for the coming winter, and her pale sister took an interest in collecting herbs, similar to her own. She remained close to home, finally making a formal introduction to @Craw and taking the time to finally connect with @Hecate. As the nights stretched on lacking her mothers return, anxiety had begun to build in her chest - like a suffocating weight holding her down. While she, herself was prone to long jaunts stretching well beyond a week, it wasn’t like her mother to be gone for longer than a night or two without letting Morganna know so she could be on hand to pick up the slack.

One more pass of the borders, she promised herself, and then she would track down @Angier and demand a search party be mounted. Something had to be wrong.

Deer was the first scent to come to her as she took note to direct @Adele and @Enoki towards the Heights if they were looking for something sizeable and it was followed with the coppery tang of blood. It put her on edge as she considered the possibilities, encroachers, wild cats, even bears were after a sizeable meal before retreating to their dens for the long winter… but as she drew closer she realised it wasn’t the scent of downed or injured prey but another wolf.

Her heart leapt into her throat, butterflies a riot in her stomach as all the worst possibilities came to mind. Eyes finally falling on her sister, and a familiar darker form laying on the grass she raced forward, a howl of distress calling for Angier, or even hoping to wake Skoll, to come to her aid. Slowing her steps, distress clearly painted on her face, her ears folded back and her spine curved in her approach, anxious whines filling the air as she drew closer. “Mother.” Her voice was shaking, “What do yer need me t' get fer yer?”

She was only grateful this had happened now while they had the stores to spare and not in the grip of winter.

(This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2015, 06:17 AM by Morganna.)