He trotted briskly along the trail, nose following her scent as he went, tail batting the air in lazy wags. Over his back – unarmored for the day now that patrol was over and he had nowhere to go today – draped his tool kit, a rolled bison hide, and a set of saddle bags that were just snacks for the day. The bison hide was thick, heavy leather, cured and dehaired, ready for use, and he was hot on his sister’s trail. His tool kit contained plenty of claws, teeth, and antler points, ready to be utilized. Finally, he spotted her familiar form ahead, barking a greeting as he came up alongside her, reaching to playfully goose her pale shoulder with his front teeth. “Hey, Caelia. Want to make some armor with me?” His frame leaned toward her as he raised on his tiptoes and added in a sing-song voice, “I think you’d look great in iiiit.” Fathomless sapphire eyes twinkled down at his sister as he waited, tail swaying, for her answer. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Caelia had no real plans for the day thus far, but Cairo's approach made it clear that wouldn't be the case for long. It was a picturesque sort of spring day, just warm enough to be pleasant without being uncomfortable, something that was would become more and more rare for the lands in the west as summer approached. The sun was nearing its peak overhead, signalling that the day was close to being halfway over. Though she'd been far from productive so far, her brother made it clear that he had other plans in mind. She heard him before she saw him, and once he was close enough to hear she spun around to face him, not before he reached out for her shoulder.

"Perhaps," Caelia answered, though it wasn't much of an answer at all, more of a playful response than anything. Caelia lifted a brow as she slowed her pace until she came to a full stop. "What were you thinking of making?" The truth was that she had crafted a pair of bracers on her own - well, with the help of a stranger she'd briefly met - but they were hardly what she'd consider good. Though practical, they weren't much to offer in the way of aesthetics. Caelia let out a low chuckle. He seemed to have more in the way of supplies than she had been working with, and she was intrigued at the thought of what she might be able to craft, with both his help as well as his materials.

It was rare to get a real chuckle from his sister. While warmer than Artur, she was still cool and reserved for the most part. It took getting her blood up in a spar to get her loosened up and relaxed enough to show a little fire and fun. Something he’d have to consider later. He grinned good-naturedly down at her as he led the way, tail swaying in the air. “I’m thinking some torso armor. I don’t want a bigger opponent getting you by the spine or scruff, and I doubt you do either. It’s up to you how you want it to cover, but I suggest using small leather strips between each panel so the armor flexes with your body instead of impeding you.” When he reached the meeting boulder he plopped to the ground, sliding the hide and his tools off his back as he showed her his own body armor, twisting and arching his body to show how it shifted and moved with him. His head cocked suddenly as he studied her, ears perked. “Any favored colors?” He tossed out the hide, stretching it flat. It was huge, and the ends had been dragging well out to either side of him as he’d been going. Cairo laid out all his tools to one side of the hide, within reach but not in the way then grinned at her. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

So.. was Cairo just planning on helping make something for her? As far as she knew, he had armor of his own already. It was likely he hadn't seen her makeshift bracers, and she was perfectly okay with that fact. She wasn't sure whether or not the fact that he'd ultimately decided what they were doing was flattering or annoying, so she settled on something in between. "That does sound like a good idea," Caelia commented after a moment of thought. While leg bracers were useful in their own right, she knew she wasn't a terribly large wolf and that an opponent grabbing her by the scruff was probably something she wanted to prevent, if at all possible.

She trailed after him, coming to settle down on her haunches, studying his own armor. Did color really matter? She wasn't sure how he hoped to obtain any specific color. Dyes, maybe? "Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "Grey, maybe? How would we dye it grey?" Maybe he knew more than she did about such things, which wouldn't really surprise her in the slightest. "Show me how we start this," she suggested as she shimmied down to her stomach, facing the hide and the other things Cairo had brought with him for their little crafting session.

He smiled thoughtfully at her color choice, humming thoughtfully. “Grey… I’ve never tried grey, but I’m sure there’s some way to do it. I may have to ask the Nomads next time I see one. Or maybe Red knows.” He grinned, decided on a course of action. Nodding, he reached for a stick of charcoal, tucking it between the toes of his right forepaw. He began tracing on the leather, sketching out a few panels on the hide, explaining. “I’ve been learning to draw, so we’ve missed a step here, but this is how I trace out the pieces that will make up the armor. You’ll layer them like mine, if that’s what you like. With leather strips attaching them, they’ll articulate with your body so you aren’t pinched if you have to twist around really tight to bite someone and keep them off your back.” He showed her the sketches and cocked his head at her. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

"Ah, so I've stumped the genius," she commented, a hint of laughter was just barely audible in her voice, no doubt a friendly dig at his studious nature. She knew next to nothing about dyes herself, so it wasn't surprising that he might not know how to make such a specific color. Brighter colors were no doubt easier - reds and blues could easily be made from berries, dried and ground into pigments, but grey? She wasn't sure either, not in the slightest, and the thought of stumping him amused her even if that wasn't what she had intended.

She tilted her head slightly as she focused on what he was doing, watching as he sued a piece of charcoal to draw on the hide. "Looks fine to me," she answered nonchalantly. It was hard to picture exactly what he was describing to her based on just the sketching on the hide, but she'd give him the benefit of the doubt and trust in his methods. "And what next? I presume you need to cut the hide." Tearing it was one method, but it wouldn't be as precise unless it was done terribly carefully. She leaned back and waited for what he might do next.