Ravensblood Forest looking up from underneath

Non-Nerds encouraged! She's checking out Teaghlaigh's former home. Maybe some Blackfeather Woods folks?

To further solidify her plans in her mind, she needed space to think. Usually Soteria was the perfect haunt to waste the days away, and ruminate on all the tasks before her. But Akantha felt the itch in her legs—she'd been idle too long, tending to the needs of her coven, and the whims of the Mothers. She was a physical creature and, because of that, her body required a task while her mind was at work. So she left Soteria early one dreary morning, crossing the sandbar, and eventually leaving even the Sound behind as she headed inland. The last time she'd done so she was attacked by a dark brute of a boy, but she didn't fear encountering him or anyone for that matter. Even if she did, she would meet him again with flashing fangs and a thirst for blood. Akantha would not underestimate him again. 

As she passed Horizon Ridge, the wind shifted, and beneath the dampening rain she caught the undercurrant of a decidedly wolven musk. The Matriarch twisted her head around and nosed the ground until she revealed a stronger trail. Her tail lashed; she was unaware of another pack so close (relatively) to the Sound, and it didn't settle well with her that Thuringwethil hadn't revealed this information to her during their meeting or soon after. That was, of course, assuming she knew. Akantha sighed. It was worth a look, and perhaps a conversation if they could spare it, with this other pack. 

She moved towards Ravensblood but, as she neared, she sensed something off about it. Even with the rain, the borders were... not fresh. They hadn't been tended in some time. A week or more, judging from how stale the scent was and how overgrown the scratch marks were. Akantha perked her ears and narrowed her eyes as she looked between the trees to the shadowed packland beyond. Was it abandoned? Still, she didn't want to be caught snooping around if it was, indeed, still claimed, so she threw her head back and called out for the residents of the woodland.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

While there were still countless corners to explore within his unofficially claimed land, Bane often found himself more interested in mapping out the surrounding territories to the Raven's Watch. The arctic beast didn't usually mind the company of @Eros. In fact, he cherished it in secret, so the child was often dragged along in Bane's journeys regardless of his opinion.

This time the winds were pulling westwards, around the mountain that served as a wall for Bane's claim. The rains did not matter to him, he had never been stopped by a storm nor would that change anytime soon. But what did manage to halt Bane's advance was the faintest of smells, characteristic of a pack's claim, with which he came across. With his nose flat on the ground Bane followed the track up to a forest guarded by it's very own sentinels: Trees high like Bane could have never imagined a tree to be, warning off any visitors with their eminence. Bane simply couldn't resist breaking in.

Things would have continued to be mysterious and exciting hadn't someone broken the silence of the forest with a howl. It felt like a crime to profane such stillness in such a way, for the place was a clearly a ghost of it's previous glory. He could see the signs and pieces of  gone inhabitants as he trotted his way up to the caller, and when he did reach her he slowed down to a stop at a measured distance. They seem to be long gone, he explains, noticing her resistance to invade. Did you know them?

[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td valign=center] [/td][td]

There were few days when the boy was reluctant to leave on a trip with Bane, often favouring the time spent away from the others. He wasn’t the least bit interested in them, nor did he feel particularly at ease when around even just one of the other men. Each had their own peculiarities, some worse than others, but none being quirks that he could look passed. A recent attack that he’d witnessed had set him back on his path to settling in with the group, awakening a memory that he had once actually forgotten. This he had not shared with the northerner, nor did he plan to; it was something that he felt he had to deal with on his own, lest he be written off as the weakest link. Still, with the memory fresh in his mind, he’d viewed the prompt to travel as the perfect escape. It put distance between himself and the streaked killer, as well as allowed him to learn a thing or two—things that he so often used to better himself, as well as further develop his skills and soothe all lingering anxieties.

With a pelt of white always well within his line of sight, the lanky boy trudged along, wandering away here and there; he never lost his way, refusing to go far enough to do so. What felt like ages ago, the wraith had journeyed far from his home, and a way back was never found. Of course, never had he truly looked, for the thought that he might be reunited with his mother shot a surge of fury through his veins, but he still wondered if venturing too far might result in him being lost once again. The Watch, though home to plenty of wolves whose presences he could do without, had become his new home. It felt like a safe space, plus it housed the very wolf whose steps he currently followed in, and so the thought of never finding his way back to it left a sour taste in his mouth; in truth, it was the notion of never seeing Bane again that he couldn’t stand, seeing as the man had become something of a paternal figure to the kid. The thought—or perhaps it was a fear—kept him from going too terribly far away, as well as served as a tether to ensure that he was always dragged right back into his place at the man’s heels. A position that gave him the ability to not only enter what seemed like entirely new worlds, but also to learn within the various realms. Never were his days dull—especially not this time around, as trees that stretched miles into the sky greeted them with somber expressions, the whispers within their branches enticing.

Whatever traces of a pack that might have lingered were unnoticed, Eros’ attention being on the canopies as he wondered about what secrets they kept. At one point, he’d fallen behind due to needing to scurry off and relieve himself on the roots of one of the mighty trees. In the process of searching for the scarred male afterwards, he was urged to move faster by the sound of a howl, curious and excited. When he came upon the duo, he slowed to a stop near Bane’s left flank, a gaze of gold staring at the woman; he cared not if he might be caught, grasping little of the concept of manners.

[/td][td valign=center] [/td][/tr][/table]

sorry for the wait. I'll be a lot faster now that the con is over/I'm not sick with crud.

As silence returned to the abandoned woodland, Akantha felt it was nearly time to press on from the ruins if not for the sudden movement between the trees. Her hackles flared out of anticipation as her eyes focused in on the ghostly wraith that slipped between the woodland, but flattened them again as he emerged. He was massive—she sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth. The old wound on her nape from Atshen twinged, reminding her of her previous folly when it came to strange males. She wasn't keen to tempt fate a second time.

Her ears remained perked, though her eyes flickered away briefly to indicate her respect. However, as she drew in a new breath, it was revealed that his scent did not align with the musk present on the fading borders. Akantha exhaled and immediately focused her gaze on a place halfway up his muzzle—The Matriarch would not bow so easily, but it was obvious she was not out to blatantly disrespect him either. A second burst forth from the undergrowth to join him, but he was far younger and still gangling about on coltish legs. Akantha spared him a glance and noted the way his eyes did not waver from her own. Her lip quirked and revealed the tips of her pearly fangs as a warning, but nothing more came of it as her attention diverted towards Bane again.

At his question she shook her head, "No, though I am not certain if that is to our benefit or not." She remarked, hinting at a hidden strength. "Akantha." She offered, testing the waters of amicability.