it was not late, but it certainly felt like it. the afternoon had lulled into a quiet early evening. brief flickers of the stars were in the violet-blue sky above, streaks of pink still visible. most of the wolves made their dens at the ship, and Heloise had signed up to patrol while they slept. her own den was back in the pines but she did not mind doing what she could. she'd rested enough; borders did not wait for you to be prepared. the words of many Winterfell wolves she had met resonated within. an attack by the ones who had lost their land was still possible. she could never let down her guard. heaving herself over the ship's side, she gracefully ignored the ice and jumped where the snow was instead. Heloise was getting more used to this territory. she knew the ins and outs. she knew where to step, where not to step and whose den was whose. it was becoming apparent she was doing what she could for Winterfell, but she didn't care if her efforts weren't rewarded. Squire was an acceptable rank for her. the wolves that denned here were settling for the upcoming night, though, and she tiptoed through the ship as quietly as possible. finding a patch of old rug material in one of the ship's wider rooms, Heloise paused to recline. the scent told her it wasn't claimed but maybe... just maybe she could find a use for it. as she thought more, there were footfalls nearby. her head turned but she saw no one. perhaps they were just passing by. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

The ship had quickly become Idalia's favorite haunt. With the sound of her own voice echoed back to her throughout its strange, cold skeleton, she could almost pretend that Incendio was nearby. It made her braver when she ventured here alone. She had set out trailing Heloise from a distance this morning, although it had posed an interesting challenge. The pure white wolf, which would typically be so easy to spot in a forest, was a shade harder to track in the drab grey and white landscape of the north. Idalia thought it posed an interesting challenge, and so she had decided to "track" her.

The pup was doing a fair job of it, if only because everyone was used to seeing her as Incendio's shadow. When she was out and about alone, she was nearly invisible - or simply mistaken for her brother. They were young enough yet that there were no distinguishing characteristics to tell them apart. Their lanky puppy bodies hadn't developed any identifying differences from their sex - one day, perhaps, Idalia would be thinner and more feminine, while Incendio would stand a stark, muscled contrast. But for now, they blended perfectly together.

Idalia "tracked" Heloise all the way to the ship, following her as she explored the ship. Although much smaller, she was still able to navigate the area with ease. There were nooks and crannies that adults couldn't quite squeeze through that made venturing throughout the vessel much easier. As she trailed after the white female, Idalia accidentally stepped on an old, creaking board. The small pup froze and caught Heloise's backward glance. Glumly, she hung her head at being discovered. Now the game was over and she had been seen. "Hullo..." she mumbled, her ears folded. It was hard to be loud without Incendio.

He'd been napping frequently throughout the day, and a creak in the floorboards not too far from where he slept woke him. Eyelids fluttered open to reveal sapphire blue eyes, and the pup yawned and stretched his forelimbs. He was still waking up when he looked around, but saw no one around him. Curious as to what made that sound, he untangled himself from the old raggedy blanket he had found and dragged her for a bed. The spot he had chosen to nap was beneath an overturned life boat, but to him it was some weird misshapen hollowed out log of some sort. As he stepped out from his napping place, he noticed that it was getting dark and he had practically napped the day away. Well, that would work against him, he realised, when it would be actually time to go to bed. Smacking his dry lips together, he swiped his tongue over his mouth before seeking out the source of that creaking. It was likely just a normal occurrence considering how old this place was, but he was curious nonetheless.

"Hullo..."

His attention was drawn by his sisters voice as he neared the cabin, and when he peeked in he spotted his sister and the pretty white wolf he saw pretty often around here. He didn't know her name or who she was, but now was a good a chance as any right? Boldly stepping forward to stand by his twin sister, he glanced at her before sapphire eyes looked the white she-wolf over. She had scars, just like their alpha. He heard some stories of his uncles scars, but not hers. "Hi, who're you?" He questioned, though his voice wasn't unkind. His head tilted in curiosity as he sought to get to the bottom of who this stranger was.

she met the eyes of a child, their deeper blue shocked at being found out. the girl's ears flattened in guilt. if she assumed Heloise would berate her, the ivory woman merely chuckled fondly. they were pack mates after all, and there was no harm in being stalked for a bit. she hadn't even noticed until the girl appeared. "hello there" she soothed in her quiet voice, interrupted by the arrival of another. she'd look to the other pup - a boy - with such similiar markings. they had to be twins. the boy asked who she was, and she felt herself get into the routine of introductions once more. "my name is Heloise. I live in Winterfell" their pack scent was thick in the air, so she didn't have to worry about reporting two adventerous rogue pups to Acere. "who are you both?" let's start with their names and perhaps she'd get their parents' names later. Heloise only knew Tornadic by name as a child of Winterfell, and neither of them were him. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

Idalia sat down and leaned into Incendio's side, mirroring his curious expression. It much easier to simply exist when he was by her side. She was relieved that she didn't have to worry too much about how to react, not with Incendio here. He would help guide her. "Hi, Hewo-Helo-Hewoise," she replied quietly, unable to stop a squeak of frustration from escaping her lips. Incendio wouldn't be so dumb. He would say it right the first time. What's wrong with me? Why am I so stupid? Her mind ran away with itself and she set about gnawing on her left leg, wracked with nerves. "We live here too," she mumbled around her own fur.

"Our dad's the strongest, best, coolest wolf in the pack and our mom is the most beautiful lady... ever," Idalia said solemnly. "He's Incendio," she added, giving her brother an affectionate lick on the shoulder. Idalia didn't bother offering her own name. That never seemed important, as long as they knew who Incendio was.

His sister leaned into him, and he knew it was for comfort. The boy returned the gesture, glancing at her for a moment before returning his attention to the she-wolf. She introduced herself as Heloise, a member of their pack. His tail wagged then. Cool! Another pack member? He hadn't really met anyone in the pack, but he was usually too busy playing with his siblings or exploring. When Idalia greeted the white woman, one ear cocked towards her as she tried to repeat their pack mates name. She seemed to struggle with it, his sister growing frustrated which caused her to start chewing on her leg again. Suppressing a sigh, he crossed his foreleg over to hers to gently place his paw between her teeth and her leg. He gently pressed his nose into her cheek, too, and gave her a look that said it's okay.

She went on to say their dad was the coolest, strongest, and best wolf ever while their mom was the most beautiful. His tail thumped against the ground as he gave one big nod of agreement. Then she introduced him and...not herself. That was okay, he didn't mind doing it for her. "And this is my twin sister, Idalia!" He glanced at her and offered a quick lick to her ear before looking back to Heloise. "We have another brother, Volcanic. He's blind, and his fur is red! He's the coolest looking!" Of course, he completely forgot about the other red wolf that was in the pack. Speaking of which...he looked around to see if their brother had tailed after them, but..he didn't see him. Maybe he was with mom or dad or something.

she smiled down at the girl as she tried to pronounce her name. "yes, it is quite a mouthful" Heloise went on mournfully, shaking her head "I wonder why my parents gave me such a name... if you like, you may call me Lou." she gave a playful wink at the girl. Heloise was a bit of a mouthful for children. anything to make it easier on the distressed girl. she didn't seem to have a lot of confidence. a pity, she was a lovely little thing. no doubt she'd hear that as she grew up. Incendio and Idalia. both lovely names. they were close, as twins often are; she could plainly see they loved each other. but red and blind... she had briefly met Volcanic one day. though that seemed like ages ago. "Incendio and Idalia... it is good to meet you. well, I'm quite lucky to have actually. you see, I am quite bored and wanted to play... but all the other grown-ups are off doing chores" Heloise made a face for their benefit. "I was wondering if you both wanted to play... anything you like. or I could tell you a story?" "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

With Incendio by her side, Idalia was feeling feisty. "I want to... play!" She announced loudly, jumping towards Heloise to try and nibble on the white female's front legs. Maybe with the two of them together, they had a chance at taking down Lou! Lia had heard that there were big, white bears that wandered the frozen north... were they bigger than Heloise? Probably not. To the small pup, Heloise seemed about as big as a bear.

"C'mon, Dio! Let's get her!" She said, growling playfully. The twins were no match for any opponent, big or small! They would defeat them all, as long as they fought side by side.

Idalia Elementas-Praetor and Incendio Praetor vs Heloise for Melee Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Under six months
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Fight Skill Level: Beginner