Redtail Rise stoneward

would love if one or more of the grown rise kids came around to subdue him/put him in his place <3

the anger remained.
ancelin decided he would not excavate a den. the ground was still frozen but senses told him spring was not far.
and so he came to the burned place, and began to mark a segment of ground, tail flashing high in the air for a moment as he surveyed the expanse of land.

Lilia took some time to digest the meaning of Ancelin's return, and figure out how she ought to respond to him. He had missed out on what had felt like an integral experience, as a member of Redtail Rise. Rather than seeking vengeance, he'd gone looking for someone...And he hadn't been guarding the borders even when the hunting party returned. She felt she should shun him, perhaps, punish him with silence. 

But she was far too nosy to leave him to his own devices.

She wanted to see him- and for him to see the scars she'd earned in the process. Having scented him along the borders earlier, she sought him out again- further along the borders, which indicated he was at least trying to make up for lost time. She gave very little away as she regarded him, though she thought him handsome still; worthy of her eye, but perhaps less worthy of her admiration. Was he truly a knight, as she'd imagined him to be? Or was he going to be soft?

With a silent reveal of her teeth she sought to test him- and see how he responded to her now.

Weary of endlessly working the badger’s skin, Masquerade rolled it up at the base of “her” pine tree and slithered out of hiding to take a walk about the rise. She hoped to inspect the stockpiles, a task which soon had her chewing the inside of her cheek. Why were they so low?

The route between one cache and the next led her near a pale, patchwork figure in the distance. Masquerade paused to study him, head canting a little. Was that Ancelin? Nearly the instant she identified him, Lila’s familiar figure appeared, approaching her prodigal cousin. Masque thought she saw a flash of teeth.

The gray youth slunk backward, screening herself behind some brush. She didn’t necessarily want to be involved, though she was curious about what might happen next. Like a wallflower at the ball, she blended into the background, observant but hopefully unobserved.

Please feel free to skip her if she isn’t noticed!

once upon a time, ancelin might have capitulated to a wolf of higher rank than him, especially a female one.
but the long march had left ancelin with anger. where he would have submitted to a blood-cousin he did not for lilia.
and at the same, he felt possession over her, this girl he had once trained. 
when her sharp teeth flashed, ancelin growled a long and warning tone, hackles spiking. he was ready to meet her with force.
and yet! in his indigo eyes there was not wrath, only resignation and perhaps a brief interest. she had not been born here. the rise was in his blood. how would lilia defend?

His answer was surprising. She felt he looked upon her as he might look at a rowdy stranger, and at first, she felt insulted. She'd expected a boyish smile, a wave of his tail- some indication that she was welcomed, despite prodding him first with an impish show of her teeth. His greeting was far colder than she remembered him being. She tilted her chin up, in an acknowledgement of what she perceived to be a bid for space. He looked tired, and there was a hint of despair in his gaze, that begged for mercy. 

She sheathed her teeth, her lips pulling faintly into a light grin, as though to brush off her greeting as nothing more than a joke. When she moved toward him, it was with a relaxed strut, her tail accenting each stride with a slight wave. "You mithed all the fun an' ekthitement," She commented, gently, playfully chastising his absence.

as soon as it had begun, it was over. lilia distanced herself and slipped into a more friendly mien. ancelin found that his spiked shoulders did not settle so easily. he tossed out his ruff, licked his teeth, watched her.
a large part of him cared. he wanted to know about the war, about the hunts, about what she had seen. but there was a large resentment in ancelin, and he also did not care to know the things he had missed.
"i'm here now." the muscles in his shoulders leapt. he drew a breath and waved his tail once. "was it fun?" ancelin said gruffly, though now his mind flickered to his status among them.

His reply felt a touch defensive, and the way his shoulders remained tense was an indication that perhaps he did not welcome her company and attention as much as she wanted and expected him to. As such, she was lured in even more, easily drawn to one who pulled away from her as it was an unusual experience. It relieved her to hear that he was back- assuming he intended to stay, as well. 

She offered a shrug, and a slow blink; obviously with some effort, she was holding back how she truly felt about the entire mission. "Sure," She said, with a light nod. "Glad it'th done, though, it wath a long way to go to kick some ath," She cackled softly. When a quiet moment passed, she wondered if she could ask him about his own travels- but she got the impression he might not want to talk about it. "Y'wanna go fin' thomethin' to eat?" She asked.

ancelin desperately wanted to ask, feeling the enormity of her unsaid words heavy between them. but his stubbornness and pride was far greater, and choked him, hardening his heart.
and so ancelin only flicked his ears toward lilia's allusion, and then gave a nod to her invite. "i could eat." he aligned with her, indicating that he would follow. 
his indigo eyes scanned the horizon, but not necessarily for food. for threats.

She was dissatisfied with his level of enthusiasm, but wouldn't brush him off just because of it. She nodded, and began to move, more intention in her gait and gaze to make up for his somewhat lackluster focus. She could hold up the weight of the conversational part of their time spent together on her own, as well. 

"Kinda weird to think we're not gonna be the kidth anymore, eh?" She asked. "What d'you think it'th gonna be l-" She began to ask, before a gentle shift in the wind brought Masquerade's scent to her nose. Surprised, she jerked her muzzle to the side, and stared hard at a bush not too far away. She could tell by the scent that her packmate should be within sight- but couldn't make out the shape of a wolf on the horizon. She was mildly creeped out by the prospect of having been observed. She rolled her eyes, lightly annoyed, and pushed onwards. 

"Anyway, like I wath thaying..." She continued. What d'you think it'th gonna be like, having new kidth around?"

new kids reminded ancelin he was alone. 
what if his father had found his mother and even now were restarting a future without the failure of their first children? ancelin couldn't even tell where the thought had come from, only that he felt sharply gut-punched and so overlooked most of lilia's reaction to their unseen watcher.
his face closed.
"they'll have a lot of teachers," he grunted, taciturn and brickwalled. his eyes scanned the landscape in front of them, and at last he paused to examine a stale rabbit track.

She couldn't help when her eyes widened slightly, lips pulling down in a surprised frown. His tone and the clipped, abrupt statement gutted her. This wasn't the Ancelin she knew, this was someone who was shutting her out, bit by bit. She continued to travel for a bit in silence, trying to puzzle it out for herself- and it wasn't until she looked inward that she realized she was likely experiencing what Ancelin had experienced when he'd first met her- a child left behind by their family. 

She meandered close enough to him to lightly brush her shoulder against his, if he was not quick enough to move away. "Hey," She said, not looking directly at him. She gave a shrug, made almost invisible by the rise and fall of her shoulderblades while she was in motion. "I know what it'th like." Her cerulean gaze flicked to take measure of him in her peripheral vision. "Thowwy it happened to you too." She apologized gruffly.

ancelin almost turned on her then as the memory of his father's last affection reverberated painfully in his mind. instead he stood stiff, almost unseeing, as lilia spoke of something shared between them.
to the damaged heart of the enraged boy it sounded like alliance.
ancelin at last came out of himself, hesitantly settling his shoulder against her own in a seeking touch that tightened his throat. "i'm sorry we both went through it."
hell of the unknowing order.

She exhaled when he leaned toward her, and into her touch. Relief and guilt both flooded through her- but she kept the latter as a dark secret, even from herself. She allowed him the moment- it was charitable to do so, she told herself. She was returning a kindness, though she knew the riling of her heartbeat was indicative of something much deeper. She paused, for a beat, so they could stand shoulder to shoulder, knowing the same broken heartbeat. 

She inhaled, eventually, and moved forward again. Spending any more time dwelling on feelings would have unearthed something that should have remained entombed- or at least partially buried. She would do her best to match her stride to his, though- as though in solidarity, though his legs were much longer.

that moment was all it took for ancelin to powerfully attach to lilia, the only non-family who had dredged that desperate loyalty from his soul. he looked sidelong toward her as they moved along, slowing to accommodate her smaller frame.
his heart galloped and then returned to its cadence.
"what do you want to eat?" he asked after a minute or so, stopping to examine fresher tracks and seizing the opportunity to glance at lilia again.

The wind shifted, revealing her position to the pair downwind. Masquerade watched as Lilia squinted in her direction, though she didn’t move. The swarthy Bjern didn’t bother to approach and soon both she and Ancelin were moving away.

She considered trying to track them, though she’d already been partly caught. Perhaps she should simply join them properly then. Masque hesitated, always feeling most at home in concealment, then rose and stepped out of the bush. She hastened in her peers’ footsteps, soon catching up with them.

Hello, she said, dipping her head to Lilia and then favoring Ancelin with a small, magnanimous smile. Are you hunting? she asked, golden eyes flicking between their mismatched faces.

She felt things settle into some semblance of normalcy as they moved together, and knew she willingly turned a blind eye to the glare of guilt she felt. Something about spending that poignant moment with Ancelin felt right- and it wasn't often that Lilia did something that was in someone else's best interest. Fleeting glances given from one to the other reassured her that perhaps she'd lifted some of the shadow that had been hanging over him, keeping him suspended as though on puppet strings. 

"Y'know I wath thinking-" She began, her tone easy, but she cut herself off when she heard the quiet steps of Masquerade approaching, and snapped her jaws shut. She smacked the approaching figure with a suspicious, accusatory glare, noting the blithe smile that tugged at the red-faced wolf's lips. No shame, she thought. 

She bristled when Masquerade asked to join them. "You were thpyin' on uth, huh? I knew it," She huffed, rolling her eyes. She was the picture of unimpressed. She shifted her weight, forcing one of her shoulderblades to roll under her ruffled hackles. Ancelin was Masquerade's cousin- and more than a capable hunter- but Lilia stubbornly wanted to deny the request simply out of contempt. It was only due to Ancelin's relationship with Masquerade that she bit her tongue in an attempt to quell any further comments.

ancelin swung his head toward liliia in attentiveness, but they were interrupted by masque.
ancelin felt like he hardly knew his cousin. he forced something like warmth into his eyes as the other hunter came closer, and heard in her question a request for invitation.
it was tempting to keep his solace with lilia. but it was also a moment to ingratiate himself with the cousins who had become strangers in his absence.
"lilia was just about to tell me what she wanted to hunt," he finally said. had masque been spying? did he care? ancelin decided he did not, despite his companion's obvious mis-ease with the situation.

The question earned a bristle from Lilia. Masquerade threw her a questioning glance, checking her posture. She kept her head and tail both lower than the others, making no claim for esteem in the hierarchy. She was wondering if she’d interrupted their conversation and opened her mouth to offer an apology when Lilia leveled an accusation at her.

She supposed it was true enough, though she would use the word “observing” or “watching” over “spying,” especially without any ill intent. In any case, Masque sensed she’d caused tension and took a step backward. It was quite clear she wasn’t welcome here, so she would retreat.

I didn’t mean to interrupt, she said, swiveling smoothly. I’ll leave you to it.

She watched the accused party, her features stern and stoic. She tilted an ear softly toward Ancelin but watched for every facet of emotion that she could distinguish on Masquerade's face. There came no denial, but the momentary silence was enough to indicate that Lilia had been correct; and she felt betrayed. It felt wrong for a packmate to snoop on a conversation like that- especially one that made her feel so vulnerable. 

Masquerade caved, and pivoted. Lilia felt that she was owed an apology- but she was a strategic thinker, and she could pivot as well. She cleared her throat. "Well, we could uthe an ekthtra thet of fangth," She said. Ancelin wasn't asking her to forgive Masquerade, nor did he seem keen to push the other away- Lilia could tolerate the additional company given the fact Masquerade was an exceptional hunter. She cared for the way that Ancelin saw her, and benevolence could suit her when it also benefited her.

there was a moment's tension. it was lilia who extended the invite to masque and it was ancelin who gave his cousin a measured, interested look. "i want to see what you know," he said.
tones were measured enough but the words themselves held a hint of challenge. the rise boasted the best hunters and the best warriors. and ancelin was growing restless with irritation again. he needed the dampening blow of adrenaline.

Their words halted her. Masquerade hovered uncertainly. She didn’t want to force herself where she wasn’t wanted, though she knew the caches needed filling. She thought of Avicus and New Snow. Her jaw flexed as she turned back toward her peers.

Masque didn’t say anything, just nodded and looked to Lilia. Ancelin had mentioned she would decide on their quarry, so she waited attentively to see what prey the Bjern might choose. With the three of them, perhaps they could even handle larger game.

She caught the slight nuance in Ancelin's voice, and her brow lifted. This was something she could enjoy- having Masque put her skills on display, when such things were demanded. When Masquerade turned toward them, Lilia's gaze had brightened slightly, goaded on now by the competition which she sensed blossomed between the two cousins. 

"Were you trackin' anythin' elthe today?" She jousted, though she gave a playful flick of her muzzle, as if to say no harm, no foul, even though she still guarded the grudge within her chest. She'd hand over the leading of the hunt if Masquerade could lead them to something they might be able to pull down together. They were definitely more capable, now that they had the sneaky Ulfr on their side.

the electricity of tension seemed to spark once and then subsided. ancelin was left uncomfortable. it had just been he and aventus long enough for him to feel unease around more than one wolf. but this was a hunt, and they needed masque.
lilia could not help a little barb. ancelin wanted to smile, but the expression would not come. instead his own eyes took on a similar glow. "i found rabbits, but they're not going to to feed all of us." it was his cousin's chance to show him up.

Rather than select some sort of game for them to pursue, Lilia asked Masque if she’d been tracking anything else today. If she sensed the cattiness behind the comment, she didn’t acknowledge it. Her lips parted, though before she could speak, Ancelin mentioned rabbits.

Rabbits are better than nothing, especially if we can grab more than one, she countered his remark before turning back to Lilia to say, No, I wasn’t, but a couple months ago, my mother, brother, sister and I hunted some wild pigs. I’ve kept an eye on their herd ever since, unaware of the proper term for a group of swine. There were some young ones. I bet the three of us could take one.

Without waiting for their agreement, Masque lifted a foreleg and gestured for them to follow. She then embarked toward the north side of the rise. The last time she’d seen them, the wild pigs had been milling around The Tangle. As the Ulfr led her cohorts that way, she tipped her ruddy snout into the ever-shifting wind and smiled to herself when she caught that telltale porcine stench on the breeze.

Rabbits. Well, they could definitely catch rabbits with three wolves, but they wouldn't all get to eat much with that option- so when Masquerade mentioned the possibility of there being boars, Lilia's mouth began to salivate. She licked her lips and uttered a quiet mmmmmm when she considered how tasty a good-sized piglet would be. 

She uttered a soft bark of approval and moved as soon as Masquerade gestured, keen on following the red-masked hunter toward their intended prey.