He had told Hana to stay back after the meeting, and he drew her aside now. With Marshal in the air, he was assured none could airdrop upon Alpha and wolf. Hana had come to him asking to be a spy, and he had since begun the task of moulding her to the skill. It was early, earlier than he would have liked, to send her out there. But this was too important. The possessive, obsessive Warlord could not rest until he knew. He had two options, he could storm the gates himself and create a very bad diplomatic incident the pack may not recover from. or He could use the tools available to him, and start with a more subtle approach. He judged them a suitable distance away from the meeting spot, and turned to Hana. Who had learned, with the rest of the pack, that Malalia had gone missing. No trace, no warning. “My adopted daughter had one friend outside of the pack lands that I know about. One wolf who was constantly sniffing after her. He has given me no reason to mistrust him. However, I don't doubt he had feelings for her, feelings that I do not know if they were unrequited. Now Malalia is missing, and I have not seen this wolf for a while. I need you to go to Valhalla, share the news that Malalia is missing. Make is an innocent information-sharing meeting. However, ensure that you get the chance to speak to Cairo. Tell them that he was her friend, and that you want to share news with him personally. Search for any sign of her scent on him. Any sign that he’s been in a fight with another wolf. If you can get onto their land, do so. Perhaps you are weary and hungry and do not want to travel home in the dark. Search for any sign that they are holding Malalia against her will, or sheltering her from my perceived wraith. Do you understand your mission?” "Speech"

Hanako lingered behind, waiting for the others to leave before she moved closer to Sirius' side and offered him a comforting nudge to his shoulder. It might have been a little inappropriate and out of place but when she looked at him she saw the distress and worry in his eyes, the thought of not offering some solace was worse than any reprimand he might have for her. She listened, ears flicked forward and alert as he shared all the information he had, it wasn't a lot and that no doubt frustrated him but it was certainly better than nothing, right? At least it gave them a direction to look, as opposed to blindly scouring all of Boreas for a wolf who may or may not have been long gone. But from what The Warlord said...Hanako couldn't blame him for being suspicious about this wolf. Her time in the Armada had sharpened her edges some, she was still naive and spoiled but the world seemed a little less easy and simple than she'd first thought. As if her time with The Keepers had stopped her from seeing the whole picture.

If this wolf, Cairo, had harmed Sirius' daughter, there'd be hell to pay. Of that Hanako was certain. But till then it made sense to play it cool and casual, keep their cards close to their chest as the mystery hopefully unraveled. And Sirius couldn't have picked a better wolf for this task, her incognito spying still needed some work but the same couldn't be said for how she dealt with people. It felt as though years of lessons and training had all led to this moment, that it was her time to shine and oh would she shine as bright as the sun.

Valhalla? Hanako tipped her head in thought, the pack sounded familiar and it took a few moments to remember where she'd heard the name. Nolan. He'd told her about it, that it laid to the west some time ago when they'd met on Obsidian Beach. If possible she hoped to make use of that connection, perhaps it would aid her in gaining their trust? Either way Hanako was already forming a plan in her mind on how to best go about this. Friendly and approachable, a concerned pack mate looking for help in some trying times. Using the long journey as an excuse to rest and have a bit of a nose about, if possible. She could do this, she would do this for Sirius.

"I understand, I'll set off soon." Hanako said, keeping it simple as usual. And then she frowned, unsure of whether it was a good time to bring it up. She doubted it was related but...as his second set of eyes and ears she felt implored to tell him. She shifted her weight, chewing on her lip as she pondered on how to best approach this sudden change in topic. "This is unrelated but about  your newest recruit, Naiche... I got the sense he's very suspicious, cagey. Seemed paranoid about being spied on, did a poor job of hiding it too. Near enough demanded to know who I was and my rank." His social skills were severely lacking to say the least.

The small wolf nudged him, and he brushed his side against her. Leaving the scent of pack and Alpha across her coat. She would be going as an emissary of the Armada, and his scent would do her no harm. That she was so much more, and had earned his trust, was nothing that would be shared in the scent.

“Thank you, head directly West from here, skip around Aerie, the pack that holds a ravine and a lake. Hold close to the rocks in the desert, and you will find Valhalla just beyond them. Make sure you take a few of the water flasks with you. If you need a bag to carry some supplies, borrow one from our stores. Take your flyer with you, if you need immediate assistance send the flyer to the base of Redwater Rocks, I’ll ensure help waits for you there.” He concluded, but Hana would have more for him. He frowned at the information she shared about Naiche. “I’ll have you look into him further when you get back. Malalia is the priority” he said, telling her to keep her head in the game, but that he was not dismissing her concerns.

Hanako understood that Naiche wasn't a priority and was quick to let it go. Instead she took a long moment to go over the directions Sirius had given her, as always he was clear and concise, getting to the heart of the matter in one fell swoop. She'd never seen him fight before but she imagined he approached it in the same way, quick and hard hitting with no hesitation. The spy very much considered herself a seasoned wanderer, but in all of her time with her Keepers she'd never ventured into a desert before. The gravity of the situation aside it was all rather exciting, as though she was setting off onto some grand adventure that would take her to the edge of the world. Or the edge of Boreas at least. But she did well to hide her excitement, keeping calm and collected as she nodded once again.

"Of course. What is Malalia like? Her looks, her mannerisms, that sort of stuff. " It was a natural question to ask and an important one.  For what it was worth Malalia was practically a stranger, and the scent of the Armada would have long since faded from her coat, Hanako needed to know a little more about the Reaper just in case.

Hanako’s question was valid, and the Warlord nodded sharply, moving before he spoke. He knew that Hana would follow him. He led her towards the young Reaper's den site. The place untouched, aside from the scent of Sirius himself when he had come by more than once, seeking signs that she had returned. The scent of her had faded on the outside, and the in was beginning to smell musty and unused. The coat that she slept on held her scent the strongest, and the Warlord nodded towards it. “This was her bedding, remember her scent.” He had been considering her question as he led her here, and he still wasn’t certain how to place the young warrior into words. “She is loyal, and strong. Young, almost two. She’s level headed, and good in a fight. She wasn’t accustomed to leading, but she was learning the ropes. The type of wolf that would never abuse her authority. She didn’t speak much about her past, but it sounded as though she lost all of her family before finding her way here. Mortis and Cairo were the wolves she spent the most time with, and their scent was often strong in her coat.” he concluded. None of this of course explained why she would vanish on him. He wanted her back. Now. "Speech"

Hanako leaned into the den and took a deep sniff, rolling the scent around in the back of her nose and committed it to memory. It was old and musty but strong enough to make it out as a clear scent, the sort Hanako would recognise if she caught wind of it. By the time she pulled out of the den Sirius seemed ready to answer he question, her head tipped a little as she took in his words and the emotion that crept into his voice. Fondness. It was clear he'd adopted her for a reason, that he wanted to see her grow as a person and as a leader, but all of those hopes and wishes had been ruined, torn to shreds before his very eyes. In a sense she hoped that someone or something was keeping Malalia away, that it wasn't her choice to inflict so much pain and uncertainty on those who cared so dearly for her. If she just trotted back as though nothing had happened...well it wouldn't end good to say the least.

Hanako hummed, taking all that information and storing it away, ready to act as though she knew Malalia personally. It'd be weird if the Reaper ever returned only to meet a wolf who knew far more about her than she should have but that was a bridge to cross when they got there. If they got there. The fact that she smelled most like Mortis and Cairo got Hanako wondering who she smelled like, she twisted her neck in an attempt to sniff her shoulder but gave up when the position was a little too uncomfortable for her tastes. Instead she looked to Sirius once more, her expression soft and earnest.

"I'm really sorry though, is there anything else I can do to help you? Anything?" She had her mission to Valhalla and her search party with Mortis but she meant it more personally. A gesture of kindness that might put him at ease, even if only for a little while. "I could...try and catch you a fish? I'm not very good and have only ever caught one...but it was really big, you can ask Mortis how big it was. Massive!" She slapped the ground with a paw for emphasis.

He leaned back, watching as the young wolf grabbed the scent of his daughter. Watching her with a hungry sort of desperation. He could have gone himself, broken down the gates and stormed Valhalla, but if they did not have Malalia, and his daughter returned… would she forgive him for starting a war in her name? There was goodness in Hana, sweetness and honesty. It was strange that such a wolf would find herself in the role of spy. He wondered, not for the first time, why she wished for it. When she turned her neck and began to sniff herself, the Warlord was reminded that she was only a child herself. It broke him from his revere, and a smile twitched at the corner of his lips. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, sending her out there, even if he had set up a safety net if she ran into trouble. “You smell like seasalt, and Mortis, and Azure. Like Warlord. Let no one forget who you are, Hana. Friend of my heirs, and you go with the blessing of the Warlord. The protection of my rank, if they mess with you, they mess with me. You are my Diplomat in this. I believe diplomat might be the rank that would do you well, and explain why you go to the places you do… but I digress. Don’t let them judge you for your age, and keep that sweet disposition close.” He didn’t know why, but he trusted her, dammit. There was something in her nature that inspired trust. He had no doubt that would come to use against Valhalla. “No… but thank you, Hana. You know, you remind me of her, with your kindness, and the way you look out for your friends.” he leaned over and ruffled the space between her ears, offering her a distant smile. "Speech"

Hanako's nose twitched at his words. That sounded about right but it was a little strange to know that she didn't just smell of herself anymore, that her life here had imbued itself into her scent, claiming her for all to see. Or rather smell. And Hanako was okay with that, she didn't feel owned or as though she was seen as a possession, she was wanted and loved and- it felt really nice. All she'd ever wanted, to be honest. Sirius went on then, stating that no matter how things panned out he'd have her back, that she had nothing to fear when the might of the Armada would act in her defence if need be. It made her feel brave, powerful almost and Hanako liked it a lot. She wasn't exactly sure what to say to his words, they felt important and resounded her in a chest like a loud and lengthy howl, the sort that said far more than typical speech ever could.

Considering how much he clearly cared for Malalia that was high praise indeed. Her smile broke out again as her tail wags shimmied her frame, even shifting the paw that patted her head.

"Well you're my friend now too, whether you like it or not." She stuck out her tongue, only for her expression to grow a little serious. Proper like she was talking to not just an adult but her alpha. "It's only right though, you took a chance with me and it took a little...adjusting but I really do like it here. Even if you TRICKED me." She stepped away then with a bounce in her step. "I'm gonna go find Toshi and Ruri get them to help me start getting ready."

He grinned at the little twitch of her nose, and could guess what she was feeling - Surprise that her scent was no longer her own. She was a part of the pack now, and part of the Armada would cling to her, proving that claim. Proving that she was his wolf. And the possessive Warlord wouldn’t let anyone forget it.

Friend? he blinked in surprise at the word, somehow caught off guard once again by the two-way street of the pack. He cared for and would always fight for these wolves. They were his, and he loved them. It still surprised him to hear they loved him back.

As she started to step away from him, her words telling him she knew that he had tricked her - letting her ever think it would be easy for her to leave this pack if her wardens came. “Cursed woman, shoo” he said, flapping a paw at her, but a genuine grin stuck his muzzle. She had helped him forget, for a moment, what he had lost.