Drooping Willows if I was just ashes and you were the ground

if the day made me heavy & gravity won

October 13th; Late Afternoon; Partly cloudy; 32 ° F, 0 ° C.

Niles had tried to stick around, but the boy in his adolescence had grown restless, loath to stay in one place for too long. Angier knew that this sense of wanderlust would fade eventually. Niles was a Lyall after all; and, a male one to boot. He could not be blamed for wanting to leave his blind, arthritis-plagued father at the first place they had ever truly called home. Angier was certain that the yearling would return when he was ready. After all that time spent beyond Willow Ridge, under the open sky and beyond Relic Lore, they had shared many a story, an experience, and knowledge that would last a lifetime yet.

It was with a bittersweet note that Angier softly whined, feeling his last-born pull slowly... definitely and decidedly... away from him. "'Ey," he half-wheezed, the corners of his mouth turning up in a strained smile. His ears came up, certain that the lad's attention had fixated on him. "Love ya, kiddo." It was a wordless goodbye; coming from Niles there could have been nothing else - most especially nothing more and nothing less. The patriarch stared and stared into the distance, unable to see if his son had truly gone.

For several moments, he waited, but those footsteps never stopped. They neither approached nor circled around. Niles was gone and would be for the time being. In the meantime, Angier cautiously turned about, testing the air before setting his nose to the ground. There were wolves here, he deduced, though whether they were the ones he wanted to meet, he was only partially certain. Ever so slowly, he felt his way forward, using the bare willow vines and unearthed willow roots for guidance. When he had come to rest, he sat down beneath what should have been a very familiar tree. Some time ago, he might have seen how well-marked its bark had been, saw how it's umbrella-like formation was no different from the other willows of the world, but noticed its distance from the rest of the characteristic trees that made up the Droping Willows.

"Should be close," he whispered under his breath. His rump lowered to the ground and his head bowed down as his eyes closed. He thought to curse Niles for just giving him instructions on how to find his way back to the borders, but knew better than to take for granted what his son had done for him. Their failed trip to find Renegades Reach - or even Torbine - had been naught, and all the was left was to come back to Willow Ridge. He dug his nails into the cool ground, feeling the dry grass underfoot crinkle and crunch before he stood up again. If he had been able to navigate his was back, he might have, but all he could manage was a modest howl, hoping his mate or his daughter might come to retrieve him, "@Elettra? El?" A cough interrupted his call and he took several moments to refill his lungs and clear his throat, his daughter's name emitting from him in something a little more than a rasp on his vocal chords, "Ravenna?"

Securing the border was done in a way unfortunately reminiscent of @Morganna's own old patterns, his aunt having been the one to teach him the skill. Perhaps if he thought of it as such, he'd change things up, but that was probably why his mind avoided the connection. The part of him that still missed her wished to cling to the memories, while the piece that resented her and wished her never to come back was desperate to avoid thinking of her at all. Avoiding this dissonance helped him focus all the better on everything that existed outside of his own mind.

Still, he couldn't be so certain at first whiff that the scents he picked up were truly that of the two renegade Lyall's that had, in the younger one's nature, wordlessly departed from the pack. Seeking it out all the same, he found that Niles dissipated the closer he got, while Angier's became stronger, proving that this was more than ghosts out in the hinterlands. Sven had known, despite the others' worries, that his age-mate uncle was caring for his father. Yet was that really all he'd do, was simply deposit the useless old man on their threshold?

Closer still, the call went out, a gruff melody singing his Nonna's name. He wanted her, and he wanted his daughter. The boy's nose wrinkled as Angier came into sight, and he couldn't help the bitterness that crept into his tone as he spoke to his grandfather.

"Sven. Try that one on for size, for once."

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

if the day made me heavy & gravity won

His whole body quivered for a moment as he leveled his head, his ears swiveling to the sides as he waited for their response. Much, too soon however, there came an answer: "Sven." The boy spat, making Angier flinch and recoil as he tried to orient himself in a way as to face his grandson full on. "Try that one on for size, for once." The gasp that had fled into his chest returned to the air in a ragged exhale and he blinked as though he were really staring at the yearling before him. He shouldn't have been surprised; Skoll had been this way when he was young. Sharp tongue, arrogance, fiery tone and all...

The Lyall's stare hardened and his brow remained furrowed. "Wouldn't 'ave counted on ya to come when called," he half-growled back. If Sven had thought there had been nothing left of Angier's fire, he would be sorely mistaken. "Ya soun' jus' like yer father. Not s'prised there." Something of a glare formed over the washed out mask on his face; a flash of his yellowed teeth warned the youth to stay away.

"Yer lack o' manners say quite a bit," he sneered, bracing himself just in case. The effort was visible in the way he had slightly splayed his legs and lowered his head. His tail remained slightly lower than his spine. It was hard to try to separate young Skoll from Sven, and Angier was not sure he had energy left to try. "Would've assumed yer father taught ya better..." Once upon a time there had been a truce declared between him and his youngest step-son, and the reason why had never been found out. If Angier knew better, he might have chalked up all of Skoll's sweet-talking to more lies and deceit. Perhaps Sven had replaced him in this feat.

"If they will not come," he wheezed, "Who do I 'ave ta talk to, to entertain the Queen?" Whether or not Elettra still held power here, he was bound to find out, but until then it had dawned on Angier that he would have to try out an old trick and appease the guard before anything else.

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There was little else to expect but for his appearance to catch the old man off guard, despite his intentions having been to be approached. Not only had the man probably completely lost his sight by now, but the boy was certainly one of the last that he'd have expected (and certainly wanted) to fetch him. Yet there was precious more to it than that, and Sven's eyes widened with predation as he caught the glimpse of fear that passed along his grandfather's features along with the shock he'd given him.

Then it was over, Angier both hardening and bristling to his grandson's presence. A piece of Sven reacted instantly, demanding that action be taken to get it back. To make him cower, to make him give in to true terror.

It would not be sated, could not. Sven had worked too hard to lose control now to his base desires. Still, it was enough that the old king saw him as such a threat. After all, that was why he was being met with more acid than he'd doled out, right? Suspecting that Angier couldn't witness it, Sven allowed a smirk to take up residence on his pale muzzle. It even managed to remain past the insult that was the comparison between himself and his absent father.

"You should know first-paw how little fathers seem to ever do their job," he replied back, his voice now much cooler as he felt he had the upper paw. That twist of his mouth was smug, the teenager reveling in the fact that he was no longer a whelp that could only hurt his own throat with his yelling. He was old enough now to do real damage if needed, to finally be taken seriously.

"I'm sure she's on her way. You almost killed her, you know. Almost killed this pack."

The smirk faded and his features darkened as his own words threatened to re-awake his anger. A deep breath was taken in hopes of pushing it back down. Angier would not undo his work, all that he had struggled to hold inside and deny of himself. He was better than the man had ever expected he would be, than anyone had ever given him credit for, and the old bastard wouldn't take it away from him just by showing up again.

"Where the fuck were you two?"

She came like a bull, barreling through the sparse forestry of her home to the familiar call of her father. It had been far too long since she had heard her father's voice and just the same since she had laid eyes on his washed out cheeks and hazy eyes. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest with both excitement and fear in wonder of just how well off he would be coming to their doorstep. Ravenna had not even spared the moment to retrieve her mother this day, determined to have her father made back into the lands safely - not that she knew anyone within the pack who would wish to do Angier any harm. Even if some might not have cared for him (mostly Skoll on that end) none would dare harm a hair on his head less they wanted to have to deal with the Queen.

"Father!" Her voice called out to him the very moment both he and Sven were in her sights. She had no shame in the whine coming from her throat, nor the vicious waving of her tail as she came up to him quickly, licking wild at his chest and brushing her muzzle along his throat and nape in greeting. Whatever spats Sven had been throwing his way would have been cut off for the time being. It was true for Sven to have been upset with Angier and Niles sudden disappearance, but for Ravenna, her happiness far outweighed her anger.

(This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2016, 07:15 PM by Ravenna.)

There is went again... Her mind playing tricks on her. It had done this a time or two before, mostly just sounds and voices from her memory, tugging at her, taunting her... Though this one could not possibly be ignored. She moved at a swift trot although not an all out sprint like her daughter had. She needed to know for sure that this was just a trick though she would not waist her energy on something so uncertain to her. Over time, she had come to the boarders of her home, pausing in her footsteps in order for her to listen to those near. Nothing. She had missed Sven's questioning and had missed the squeal of her daughter's excitement. She smelt for them, but could not gather anything and so with a quick loop further towards the area she finally caught sight of them - her daughter, her grandson and, of course, Angier himself.

An odd aggression came over her. All her suffering, all her worrying, her pain, her anger, her confusion... Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits, her teeth baring and allowing a deep, vicious snarl echo from her mug that certainly all three of them could hear. Her warning to the two pale colored youths was a snap of her jaws as she charged with a heavy stomping of her paws into the direction of her lost - now found - mate. She lunges, aiming to slice her her incisors into the flesh of Angier's washed out left cheek. "Where the fuck were you!?" The anger of her demand was obvious in her voice, though her eyes shown such concern and yet such relief  that the love of all her life was home. It was an expression so longing it was a horrible shame he could not see. She remembered then when she had ran off on him once, had been gone for too long... She remembered how hurt he had been, how angry... She had promised him she would never do that again. This had been worse. It had been longer, he had been in far less health. Was this his final payback? 

oh snap.

if the day made me heavy & gravity won

Angier had not needed to wait long for an answer. To his expectations, there came more cheek and more razor-tongued, back-handed words. The Lyall sealed his lips, focusing on nothing but breathing now. He had been subjected to this fire before. Skoll, in his youth and young adulthood, had weathered and prepared him for encounters like this. With Sven, he would no longer expect nothing less. But then there came the words that made him think twice:

"I'm sure she's on her way. You almost killed her, you know. Almost killed this pack." For a little bit there was nothing else but judgmental silence before another metaphorical muzzle grab and shove, "Where the fuck were you two?"

The fact that Sven didn't tackle Angier to the ground had the Lyall wonder if he might be knocked down a peg soon enough. His lips parted to answer when his daughter's voice, so mature now compared to when he had last heard her call him by name, came to him, "Father!" His head turned and he blinked as though he were truly looking at her. An uncertain, fragile smile formed on his face, a feeble wag lifting his tail for no more than two beats in the air. Her footfalls came to him in haste before he could even breath her name, her greeting knocking the wind from him as he flinched from her touch, startled more than anything. She was taller than he had anticipated, but he did his best in reciprocating her nose nudges and whines with low assuring growls of his own. "It's okay," he whispered to her, "I'm all right. I'm here now." The gladness in their little meeting would be cut short however; there came that all too familiar snarl, still capable of making him jerk away and drop to the ground. His elbows knocked on the cold hard earth a little too harshly than he might have wanted, but with his face turned away he could only hope that his wince was not directed at his mate or the two adolescents before him.

Even still, he felt her teeth graze the left side of his muzzle and he rolled over onto his right side, shivering as he heard the previous question repeated in her voice, "Where the fuck were you!?" Angier clenched his teeth as he laid on the grass. "I wanted to see Renegades Reach, to see Jaysyek and my family one more time," he admitted. "It was a mistake. Telling Niles all I've learned of Torbine only prolonged the trip. I think he had other ideas... By the time I had caught onto just how far north we'd gone, it was too late. We couldn't go; I forced him to take me back home. He's fine, El'; angry, maybe, but he'll come home when he's ready." His nose quivered and the bridge of his muzzle twitched as though to hide the grimace that would take over his face otherwise. "As for me, I had no choice. If I could have brought him to Torbine, I would have. Send for you and Ravenna and leave this damned place." His voice grew solemn, "Niles could only tell me what he suspects, but between your brother and sister and Skoll, I would rather see you in some place better, safer, happier."

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omg i'm so sorry, i seriously didn't realize you guys had posted. @Ravenna

Something was tearing along the ground, he could hear it, ears swiveling to face his back. It was either his aunt or his grandmother, and considering he doubted that the latter could move so quickly anymore, he assumed it to be Ravenna that would be upon them at any second. Another wave of anger sprayed its surf against his ribcage, that they would be interrupted; that he would lose this feeling of control so soon. He heard her shout, practically felt her presence along his spine, and still his eyes glared hard upon Angier's face, wishing the man would breathe one more word for him.

It wouldn't be so.

Ravenna all but collided with her father, her great wooly body writhing like a pup with relief and joy. A disgusted scowl crossed the forgotten prince's features, and he backed up a few paces to distance himself from the disgusting display of affection and forgiveness. Not long after, he sensed Elettra's presence as well. His silver eyes turned to see her, forever gauging her reaction and drinking it all in. That it was aggression that was most clear in her posture and features filled the youth with an immense satisfaction. It was difficult to extend faith to another wolf anymore, but time and time again his grandmother failed only to let him down.

She struck at Angier and echoed Sven's own question, and the boy kept his distance but was ready should he be needed in any capacity. Even if it was to escort the sorry old man back to the den.

His story did nothing to ease Sven's frustration nor shift the balance of blame he had assigned both Niles and his father. It all sounded impractical and selfish, but of course it didn't matter if Niles was a brat. He was still golden and it still left a bitter taste upon the lesser prince's tongue. Nothing had changed, nothing would change, it was the same disappointment that would be swept under the carpet and he would simply continue to avoid Angier as he always had since that night long ago. Or so he was certain, until the treacherous Lyall uttered the words you and Ravenna leave this damned place.

Unable to control the impulse, a snarl tore from his throat. Sven came no closer, maintaining the distance he had placed between himself and the family reunion since Ravenna's appearance, but his ears were now tipped back and his lips were drawn back, showing his teeth.

"Yes, that's the answer, just keep running away," he spat. Surely, Elettra would not agree to such a ridiculous notion. The Willows were in the state they were because of all the wolves who had not had the backbone to stay and stand against the chaos Skoll and Morganna had instigated.

(This post was last modified: Nov 06, 2016, 08:20 PM by Sven.)

She was fully content here, embracing her father with such happiness of her arrival. That is, until she came to the seen, like a bat out of hell if nothing else. Her softened ears shot up, her eyes of pale silvery hue wide at the horrid growl which echoed in her ears. She was frozen in her placement but a moment until she heard the quick steps of her mother's charge, causing the youth to jump back from her placement in front of her father and out of the way, back more towards Sven's side whom had such irritation and aggression towards her. It was true the pair had never been on good terms, had never really gotten along... And yet still she could call their relationship civil. They made it work with living with one another because their views upon one another was far less important then the good of the pack and, ever more so, their Queen.

Her jaws locked at her mother's attack towards her father and his submissive display back to her. Time and time again Angier and Elettra had gone rounds, mostly just little spats that left Elettra more or less on top if anything due to the fact that Angier would never lay a paw on her. Still, it was something Ravenna never before had to view herself, mostly after Angier had lost his eyesight. It hurt the young woman to watch, but it only made it more clear how serious the situation was. She remained back, silenced. Only when Sven spoke up, did Ravenna's teeth bare in silent answer, a warning for him to stay out of it. Little quips like that from any of the two yearlings on the side was the last thing the couple needed.

(This post was last modified: Nov 15, 2016, 12:15 AM by Ravenna.)