Now that they had moved away from the Mandrill’s home base of operations Sarabi spent more time with the yearling than ever. He was glad for the constant company as much as she was. As time went on though, the she mandrill realized how little the boy knew about his weapons and armor. Now that he was reaching his full size they could consider obtaining both.

Some supplies lay scattered before them as the primate tried to explain to the boy what she was doing and what he needed to do. They were only sharpening antler tips and she was obviously getting frustrated.

Iroh was doing his best, he tried to make the motions like she did but his paws were nowhere near as dexterous as her hands. He was fighting a losing battle and his teacher was only growing more annoyed with him. He sighed heavily as he tried to release the tension, he felt like he wasn’t learning anything like this.

When Pyrrhic had turned the pack over to Eligos, not all the pack members had been enthusiastic about the change. Most had been accepting of it, more so than he'd really expected considering the sudden nature of the change and the fact that most of them really didn't know him well - he'd always been one to keep to himself, and he acknowledged that. Clearly it hadn't set well at all with one of his younger cousins, Iroh, who had walked out on the meeting looking rather upset. But he'd made the journey north with them anyway, so it didn't seem like he'd completely rejected the new way Eligos had chosen. It could be that he simply needed to be helped to feel more comfortable with the turn of events.

So now that everyone was settled in their new lands, he set out to check in with Iroh and see what he could do to ease his mind. He'd need to set out soon to establish ties with the other packs, and he didn't want to leave behind uncertainty when he did so.

When he found the younger wolf, it was to find him working on something, his own mandrill companion with him. Seeing them working, he was glad he'd left the two pups behind in his den, even though he knew he'd likely return to his den trashed and probably another chewed up bedfur, because they'd never have been able to resist taking off with the antlers that Iroh was working with. "Iroh - may I join you?"

The yearling Abraxas held a stiff tension in his shoulders since Pyrrhic had stepped down from his place as Emperor. Iroh felt like he had lost all of his direction, and the connection he had with his family seemed broken. He felt broken, weak, lost, and most of all he was frustrated. He couldn’t see the once clear path of his future anymore. He didn’t know what to work towards and he was still uneasy with the way the pack would function from now on.

Of course he’d followed the pack north, they were his family even if he suddenly felt disconnected. Like the blow of Malleus loss had been delayed Iroh was laid low as he struggled to see the hope of the future when he no longer had his life goal. He tried to focus on the task in front of him, having a job was a decent distraction. With Sarabi’s frustration only feeding into his own the result wasn’t pretty.

Banshee encouraged the boy to get to know his cousin, something Iroh had been unintentionally avoiding. He was uncertain about Pyrrhic’s brother, the two were as different as himself and his own sibling. Pyrr obviously cared about him, they’d trained together since Iroh was a tiny boy and he felt a real bond with his cousin. He didn’t know Eligos, and though he wouldn’t admit it the unknown factor caused a bit of fear in the yearling. He’d lost much of his confidence with the huge amount of change in his life.

These thoughts coursed through his mind as Sarabi again tried to demonstrate, he would be further distracted at the sound of Eli’s voice. Blue and lavender eyes raised to find his cousin’s ruby stare. ”I..” his uncertainties crept into his vocals. ”I.. No.. I.. No, I don’t mind.” Stuttering was not one of his usual habits and he began to realize what state he was really in. He averted his eyes back to the antler points at his paws, ashamed at showing his insecurities so blatantly to the new leader.

At Iroh's stuttered acceptance, Eligos lowered himself to his haunches near Iroh, but careful to stay far enough away not to crowd his workspace. He tilted his head to study the younger male and his work. "I apologize for my timing - I seem to have interrupted your crafting." Or lesson? The mandrill, one of Pyrrhic's Benkos' troup maybe, seemed to have been giving him instructions. He could see how that would be useful, to have a companion with such a wide knowledge of crafting. He'd refused the offer of one of the troupe for his own companion, though, long ago. The relationship with the troupe had always made him wary, and the idea of being led around by a primate made him uncomfortable. No, he would make do with his own paws and fangs. Still, he gave the mandrill a nod of greeting. Benkos' troupe had been allies for too long for him to alienate them now and he wouldn't risk hurting Pyrrhic like that. "What is it that you are making?" That seemed like a safe enough topic to begin with, neutral and it had nothing to do with what actually lay between them.

The yearling shook his head as Eligos apologized for his interruptions, there was no need for it. Eli was the alpha, and even if Iroh felt a disconnect with him the man had every right to interrupt Iroh’s crafting session. For as long as the mandrill had been with him Iroh had been learning with her, she had a lot of wisdom and just as Pyrrhic had promised she was teaching the young Abraxas. ”No, we needed a break.” Sarabii gave him a pointed look as she threw up her hands and stalked away. They didn’t need a break, she needed a break.

Iroh watched her go, but his attention was quickly brought back to Eligos. ”Sharpening antlers.” He answered rather simply, but he didn’t feel like he was getting anywhere fast. ”I thought if i could get them sharp enough i might be left with a knife or a good weapon.” He mused softly as the both of them avoided the turmoil between them. ”Are you familiar with the practice?” He asked curiously as his stutter left and his confidence tried to find him.