Malalia Fatalis

Fresh off of a patrol, the fae decided to do a quick hunt before she made her way back to the inner reaches of the territory. A young female elk, untested and unawares, made for a relatively easy kill, and Mal was dragging her quarry back to the stores when snow began to fall silently around her. The flakes of ice cushioned the air; it muted the crunch of her pawpads as she dragged the carcass along the ice-encrusted plains. It tickled at her ears, her nose, and fell intact along her bristles. Her fur was normally a bit longer than average, so she was pretty darn fluffy in her winter coat. She sneezed, shook off the excess snow, and treaded onward.

Tossing the elk in with the others, she started to work off a decently sized chunk of the haunch for Cairo.

She made it a point to check in on her friend whenever she could. It had made her schedule a bit more strenuous, but the girl barely took notice. In her old home, they hadn’t the resources, the knowledge to effectively treat wolves as injured as badly as he had been. Paladin and Iolaire were masters, more than competent enough to take care of him. It also wouldn’t hurt to lay her eyes on him now and again.

The snow was falling harder, now, and Mal narrowed her eyes against the flurry. Dusted with snow, she made her way to Iolaire’s cottage, knocking politely and waiting a few heartbeats. When the healer didn't answer, Mal let herself in. “Hey,” she called softly, her words muffled through the haunch, ears flicking as her gaze swung around the interior of the cottage. She didn't want to disturb the man if he was still resting.

"Speech"

He had been trying to come to grips with the fact that he was going to be playing a lot of catch up when he got on his feet again and was hail enough to resume training. There wouldn’t just be the usual training, but retraining his legs, rebuilding the muscles and tendon. It would take time and careful work. He was a dutiful patient, never once complaining, and giving honest answers during check overs. But in the times when he was alone with his thoughts, he had to admit—it was hard. It was a sort of depression he hadn’t felt since his mother died, or since they’d learned Geo – Meri, he mentally corrected – had gone missing, when he hadn’t shown at the emergency meeting as the volcano erupted in the east. There were times where he wondered if he’d ever fully recover enough to be able to serve as he desired… or if something would go wrong, and he’d be a cripple. A knock at the door. There was no answer from the healer, so perhaps she was out attending to other things in the Armada. But the visitor slid into the cottage anyway. He features pulled into a smile. Lia was a visitor that chased the gloomy thoughts away. Her company was pleasant, without the weight of Sirius’ instinctive suspicion on him. He’d come to look forward to seeing her and her easy friendship. The food was a bonus. He’d already had some food, but his stomach rumbled eagerly at the sight of the haunch, and the scent of fresh meat. It was snowing outside, evidenced by the healthy dusting on her back. “Hey.” His voice was low—he didn’t bother raising it, but his tail thwapped a hefty greeting on the furs as he took in the sight of the young woman. “Looks like a good hunt today, eh?” Approval laced his words as he smiled at the girl. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

Ah, so he was awake. Mal would be grinning if the haunch hadn't gotten in the way; she had to settle for a simple and immediate tail-wag upon hearing Cai's voice. She padded over to him, with a faint snort, muzzle opening to drop the meat beside his good forepaw. "You could say that," she shrugged. "I got lucky, though. She got caught in a snowdrift, and now... she's lunch. Hope you like elk." She was freshly fed herself, having eaten her share at the site of the kill. The young animal had caught her leg on debris hidden beneath the snow, and that had been her undoing, drawing the hunt to a close quicker than she'd anticipated. It was just hunting, though the praise in his tone made her flatten an ear with humility and maybe a bit of pride.

Malalia gave another vigorous shake, stretched out her forelegs in a yawn before bringing the rest of her to lay down opposite of the Valhallan. The cottage smelled of Iolaire's many stores and Cairo's own poultices. He was healing, slowly, slowly. It'd be weeks before he was even close to one hundred percent, however.

She rested her head comfortably between her paws, eyeing him for a moment. "Sooooo, it would seem you're not the only one who fights lions around here. And you weren't kidding, that is some scary stuff." Her brows wiggled with delight as she teased him with the story, recalling her earlier outing with Resin. Of course she'd encounter a lioness not long after she'd heard Cairo's own story. Funny thing it was.

"Speech"

He grinned as she explained the circumstances, tail tapping the furs as he remarked, “Lunch looks quite lovely, thank you. We have elk at home, as well as a few herds of bison that rotate through. We took one down this last season. Have you eaten?” He waited for her response before tearing a thin strip from the haunch, giving her an appreciative smile over the haunch as she settled. His ears perked straight up in mild surprise as she spoke next, eyes flicking over her frame for injury, a soft laugh escaping as he grinned at her, brow points lifting. “Told ya. Welcome to the club.” He grinned, head cocking with interest as he drawled out, “Soooo, how’d that go?” He settled back with a mock expectant look, crooked grin still in place. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

How long had it been since she'd had bison? They'd hunted the creatures on the moor of her birth pack, but not yet here. She'd have to see if she could go hunting them with Mort or Sirius, maybe both. Mal nodded simply, though after Cairo had taken a bit of the haunch, she tore off her own portion. "Yeah... but I could eat."

A grin broke over her face at Cai's response. "It was... kind of, very intense?" She shrugged. "Resin and I were in the gulley west of here, hunting this buck. That went pretty smoothly, though, and we'd just sat down to eat, when we hear this roar." She bristled slightly, remembering the shock that had rippled through her. "We turn around and see this lioness creeping towards us. Mind you," she added, taking a moment to chew and swallow another bite, "I've never even fought a mountain lion at this point. ... Well, I did fight a crocodile with Sirius and Mortis, but we had a bunch our companions with us, so ... I guess I also fought this black-and-white bear thing with Resin -- but anyway—"

Point was, maybe she had some experience, but the girl was scared shitless, the memory of Cairo's stories lingering in the back of her mind. "She was after our kill, and we weren't gonna let her have it. So we meet her head to head. I knew cats had quick reflexes, but...." She shook her head, laughing at herself. "It's so different when you're actually in the thick of it. I got some claws to the thigh for that. Not fun."

She tapped her left hind paw on the floor, the healed scars partially hidden beneath her long fur. Technically she should've been taking it easy for another couple of days, at least, and she was a little sore, but she figured one hunt couldn't hurt. "Resin and I tag teamed it, and we were able to chase it away. We won." She exhaled slowly. "But man, I don't envy you. Fighting a lioness is already hard enough. Can't imagine fighting the manes."

"Speech"

He listened with interest, grinning as she told her story about the lion she and a wolf named Resin had fought. His eyes went to the injury she mentioned. Ouch. “We killed the lions we encountered. They refused to run away, for one thing, and at the same time, we didn’t want large predators hanging around to be a possible threat to Valhallans.” He shuddered at the memory of the lions he’d faced. “It’s a good thing you weren’t alone. Tag teaming is really the best way to go about it if you have to fight any large predator.” He chuckled carefully. Cai tore off a strip of meat and chewed, swallowing before he grinned at her, asking, “How’s training going? Once I’m well and truly healed and on my feet, I hope you’ll hit me up for some spars… I’m going to be way behind on training for Sentinel…” His ears dropped back slightly before he forced the gloomy thought away, head cocking. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

It wasn't hard to see that the boy was a little gloomy, and why wouldn't he be? Mal almost winced at the memory of when they first sparred -- "You'll definitely make Beta at four," she'd said. Oof. Instead, she simply grinned at him. “Umm, of course I will. Not even a question. And don’t you think I’m gonna go easy on you.” Her eyes narrowed playfully, tail thwacking the ground. She meant it, too. Once he was good and healed up, she was hoping to pay him back for those two spars he'd won against her.

“Training has been going well. Sirius was my first mentor, but I’ve had some lessons with Resin, too. It’s a good change of pace,” she chuckled. She often dove right into sparring with the Warlord, but the older woman tested her patience — in a good way. “Pachou has been coming along well, too,” she smiled. The little wolverine was not so little anymore, and was only a few months shy of being fully grown.

“...And actually, I was promoted recently." She paused, her ears twitching thoughtfully. "There was a competition for Reaper — basically, our enforcer — and I, well, I won." Her tone was wondrous, and perhaps a touch confused. She placed her head on her paws, tipped it to the right. "I mean, I worked by ass off, don't get me wrong, but I was not expecting to win. I think I was the youngest person in the competition." She had faith in the Warlord. Believed that he believed in her. That didn't make her new position any less mind-boggling, however. "I dunno, it's just... weird. I'm happy I won, but I know I've still got plenty to learn."


"Speech"

Her words revived a grin on his features, toothy as he recalled their two spars and the romp up on Volkan’s mid-slopes. “Poor Pachou. I don’t think he was expecting a group hug. And I hope you don’t! Maybe next spring I’ll have an apprentice.” There was a note of excitement, and a reminder of some urgency to heal enough to get home. Some events, he didn’t want to miss. He listened with interest as she spoke about her training, a brilliant, beaming grin glowing on his face as she spoke of her promotion. “Congratulations! Reaper. Sounds as tough as the gal who won it. I mean, Aurielle became alpha when she was a yearling. She trained from birth for it, but normally she would have been crowned, as it were, at two. I was born the spring after she was given the pack. So, I’ll be three this upcoming Spring.” He smiled slightly at her admittance of having a lot left to learn. At least she was willing and able to admit it. “You’ll make for a powerful wolf. You’ve already got a strong will. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of ya.” The words were genuine. He was proud of the girl’s accomplishments at so young an age. He’d beaten her in both their spars, but he doubted he’d always get the upper paw. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

She laughed easily at the memory. The wolverine had not been happy after getting squished up between them, and the little brat pouted all the way back to the Armada. Pach was easily enough satisfied with a hunk of boar meat, though. "Good, so I can kick their butt, too! You'd better prepare them."

The beaming grin that followed her announcement... it was impossible not to beam right back at him, lips curled in a fang-toothed grin, even as careful and unsure as her words had been before. Cairo was laid up, injured and set back on his own training, while she'd risen within the Armada to one of its highest ranks before her second birthday. The stark contrast hadn't gone unnoticed. Jeez... she probably would've felt that sting had their roles been reversed. But her friend was -- for all appearances -- proud of her, happy for her.

It was a warming thing. Mortis, of course, had been ecstatic. Magnus? Asla? Not so much. Hearing about the Aurielle's own rise to Alpha made her feel a little less guilty, though. "And you call me tough? Kudos to her, taking a pack as a yearling." Mal certainly couldn't imagine it for herself.

A small snort escaped her then, hiding a bit of embarrassment, though she was fast on her way to becoming a tiny sun from all the praise. "Thanks, Cai." Changing the subject, she gave a cheeky little grin. "So what've you been up to these days?" Because it wasn't like he could go anywhere, exactly, but she knew she wasn't the only one who visited him. "Have you reached peak boredom yet?"



"Speech"

His lips twitched in a soft laugh. “They’ll be Aurielle’s children. Hopefully I’ll be well enough to get home before they’re born, because who wants to miss their mentor bringing in the next generation, right?” It could have been misconstrued as sarcasm, but his eyes fairly shone and sparkled with the excitement. There was no doubt that this man was a sucker for pups, and he’d no doubt be doting on the upcoming litter. He’d die happy under a pile of pups. He grinned, almost sadly, as she spoke of Aurielle’s early achievements. Leaning a little closer, he admitted gently, “She does her best to be strong, but I do think that every leader sometimes worries that he or she isn’t doing it right, wondering if they really deserve to be in charge of everything. It’s a lot of responsibility, and a lot of dissembling to show a strong face to the world, when you yourself are losing someone you love. But I think you'll handle it well. Life has obstacles and hard choices no matter what you do in it or where you go.” He didn't miss the glow he'd managed to kindle, and he was pleased to assuage some of her worry. A little caution was good. It meant she'd strive to be the best she could for her pack. At her question he smiled crookedly. “Being a good patient and doing a lot of thinking. I do my best to ignore what I glimpse. Aurielle would never ask me to divulge what I learn of the Armada, but why give your father any more reason to be suspicious, eh?” He chuckled, and added, “Peak boredom has yet to be achieved, but I’ll get there, no doubt. But I won’t do anything stupid. I want to get well and be whole when I do.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

Ooof, had she just pseudo-threatened to kick the butts of the Spirit of Valhalla's future children? Nice one. "Ah. Correction, then, they'll probably be kicking mine," she jested. If Cairo wiped the floor with her, and Aurielle wiped the floor with him, was there really any alternative? She'd get him one day, though. "Congrats to Aurielle! Must be exciting for you guys." That boy practically shone from the sparkle in his eyes, and she couldn't blame him. If Sirius and Zee announced that they were expecting, she'd want to be around, too. Even if she didn't exactly share Cai's enthusiasm for puppies, watching your pack grow was a good thing.

Her ears flickered as he moved a little closer. And it made sense, what he was saying. Underneath the mane... and the whole glowing thing... and even her title, the Spirit was a wolf like any of them. Sirius, too, though truth be told, it was hard to imagine either of them having doubts, at first. Aurielle was just, well, otherwordly. And the dire was formidable, decisive. But I guess they have to be. Losing someone you love, and having to put aside that pain to protect those who depended on you? She quietly wondered if that was only an example.

She snorted at his answer. For Sirius, though, simply being an outsider on his territory was probably enough to put the man on edge. "I doubt that you falling off a mountain was all a part of some grand scheme to take over the Armada, somehow... or is it?" She wiggled her brows. "But yeah, that's probably a good plan. I know that you're a squishy ball of pure goodness—" she playfully poked his good paw with her own, "—but, uh, he will probably break your other legs if he truly believes you're a threat."

Poor Cairo. At least he was keeping safe and somewhat occupied. "Maybe I'll get Mortis in here. He might have a couple of ghost stories for you." Ever since their adventure, the boy had been staking out the campfire, looking for the apparition they'd seen in the grass. She cocked her head. "Sooooo whatcha been thinking about?"



"Speech"

A wicked grin flooded the man’s face at Malalia’s self-correction. “It is exciting. I look forward to meeting them greatly. I hope one day I’ll see my own into the world and they can wipe the plains with my pups’ tails, too.” He chuckled, tail thumping happily as he considered the image. It was a little fuzzy, puppies playing, really. “I’ll pass on your congratulations, gladly.” He listened to her words, chuckling at the brow wiggle, tail thwapping the furs as she poked his paw. He was glad to know he was such a ball of gooshy goodness. “I believe it. I also believe he’d have no trouble doing it even if I were a master of fighting and had four good legs.” His head cocked interestedly at the mention of a Mortis. It wasn’t a wolf he’d encountered yet, but ghost stories sounded interesting. “Sounds like fun, not going to lie.” At her question he chuckled, eyes tossing to the ceiling as he grinned sheepishly. “Lots. Even did some meditation. Quite a bit about the future and what mine holds. Hoping that I won’t be a cripple or that nothing goes wrong during the most important time while I’m healing, or that I don’t rebreak anything and set myself back further…. And also forcing myself not to be sorry for myself.” He shrugged slightly, a half-smile on his features. “And getting songs stuck in my head. When I’m sure my ribs are good I am going to have a lot of singing to do.” A snicker pervaded his words. His eyes returned to her, twinkling as he threw the question back at her with a grin. “Annnnnd what’ve you been thinking about?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

Ah, yes, dreaming of a future in which Aurielle's children would demolish them all, for generations to come. She chuckled good-naturedly at the man's imaginings.

Cairo's admission was indeed true, though hopefully the Warlord never saw a need to break her dear friend. His next statement drew a quiet laugh, remembering her own experience with the winged boy. "Fun" was an interesting word.

Her jaws parted in a yawn. Her ears twitched, picking up a bit of the flurry that raged outside as Cairo shared his thoughts with her, his fears tumbling freely, plainly out. It was a devastating incident for anyone, even someone as optimistic as him. If Boreas hadn't made the advancements it had in medicine, he might very well be dead, instead of sitting in a warm den, talking to her. "Considering the circumstances, I think you have a little room to wallow." Goodness, what a tale to tell. To live through.

He wasn't unrealistic in his doubts, but... "Cai. You're doing everything you need to do. You're patient. You're receiving the best care you can get. So, you're going to be okay. Whole." She smiled lightly, all the faith she had in her friend lending a sense of conviction to her words. "One day you'll look back, and it'll feel like this time passed in the blink of an eye." It's a sentiment she clung to when her own patience was wearing thin. As for the songs, she couldn't wait to hear them. Singing wasn't a regular custom in the Armada, and for once she'd like to listen to a voice other than her own.

And what was on her mind? "Ah, you know. Everything and nothing at all." She gave a little shrug of her own, plopping her head on her paws. "Well, after hearing you talk about all the conflict that came with the Adravendi name, I just had to go and get a last name of my own. Naturally." She rolled her eyes. Cairo was aware by now that Sirius was her father, though Malalia hadn't spoken much about the adoption, or the subsequent fallout.

"I'm pretty sure my now-sister hates me," she sighed. "And one of my... brothers... even before this, our first meeting ended in a fight. He doesn't hate me, exactly. He just doesn't care for anyone, so long as you stay out of his way. But hey," she smiled, "I guess you don't get to choose your family." Old, or new. Azure, certainly, would never have been her first choice for a sibling -- not that she ever imagined she'd gain new ones.



"Speech"

His lips twitched at her words. Perhaps he did, but he worried that if he let himself wallow, he might become embittered and cranky, and he liked being someone who could cheer others up. He wanted to be that wolf who boosted the morale of his packmates and friends during the hardest times. But he chuckled and admitted, “Maybe a little.” But he listened intently to her next words, ears pressed forward, clearly taking in each word. Some of the worry eased from the subtle furrow between the brow points he hadn’t realized had begun to fall. “I imagine it will. I spent most of my pup hood fighting colds. Now it feels like it was no time at all.” His eyes rolled up in a heavy, if careful sigh, “But back then it felt like forreeeeever” He smiled as she spoke on, a faint laugh rewarding her quip about surnames, but his expression became more solemn as she spoke of her own, newly familial worries. A sister she was pretty sure hated her, a brother who cared for no one, but she’d fought the first time they met. The description, and knowing it was one of Sirius’ sons, clicked, and he coughed ought a faint laugh, though he didn’t speak of why quite yet. He thought he might know who it was she meant. “I’m pretty sure Artur won’t stay in Valhalla. Every time I see him, he’s mad in some way. Or slipping out of the pack lands. As long as he doesn’t harm Aurielle, especially nowadays, or our sisters or brother, or my brother’s kids… I can accept that he won’t be happy so long as he’s with the pack. But… I love him, but I will fight him if he tries to hurt anyone. Broken legs or no.” His eyes burned briefly with resolve, before he flicked away the fire and seriousness with a flicker of the ears and a twitching shrug before smiling at her and adding, “By the way, if that particular brother is who I think it might be, he called Aurielle a lamp post and implied she had no intelligence…” His eyes flicked around the room as he trailed off, not wanting to voice the more political views aloud. Far be it from him to insult one of the Warlord’s sons, but he worried about the future a wolf who was rude and not reprimanded sharply, thus getting away with the rudeness, to a visiting alpha… might bring the Armada into an all-out war if he insulted the wrong leaders. And Lia would be in the thick of the war, as Reaper, which he surmised was a very high rank. Simply put, if his Queen were more warlike, and easily ruffled, there could have been a war over such rudeness. His lips twitched as he pondered, then he muttered aloud, “I hope there’ll still be some bison jerky left when I get home.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

She snorted faintly at the concession. Awash in self-pity, Cairo was not, though she hadn't expected any less from the brute. Mal just hoped he wasn't being too hard on himself. At least she was able to relieve a bit of his worry, and her tail swept across the floor behind her as the crinkle in his brow smoothed away. The girl chittered at his 'forever,' silently agreeing. Dragging yourself through an illness probably seemed ten times worse as a pup.

It was a kind of wry comfort, hearing that she wasn't the only one with trouble in the family. The gravity in his words and his eyes, as Cairo spoke of Artur, had not been unlike her own when she'd spoken to Mortis of his wayward brother. She could tolerate the boy, up and until his morals led him to bully his packmates, or lead them into danger. Hopefully, Mortis would win the competition for heir, and she wouldn't even have to worry about it. And yet she did, and often. Azure was ferocious in his conviction, and trained just as hard as his brother. Perhaps he would be satisfied once he had his throne, but she had her doubts.

Cairo loved Artur, though. She couldn't necessarily say the same of Mortis' other three siblings, not like she'd loved Ney and Sergio. They were pack, and she would defend them until her last breath, but tacking on a surname didn't erase Asla's hatred, or Azure's apathy.

She shook her head, and her mind returned to the present, her head raising a few inches at Cairo's reveal. "He — are you kidding me?" She exhaled forcefully, closing her eyes. "Azure," she murmured, "is a little shit, and I am not surprised. I'm only sorry that Aurielle had to meet him. Hopefully he'll learn a little more about respect." She would've been disappointed to learn of the lack of reprimand; Sirius was usually no-nonsense about that kind of thing. The boy had been given a strike for picking a fight with Mal, after all.

Eyes open, a bit of a snort escaped at Cairo's mutterings. "Nahhh, they probably ate it all up while you were gone."



"Speech"

It was heartening to see that Lia agreed with his private assessment of the behavior of her adopted brother. His tail flicked against the furs, pondering. “Aurielle’s going to love her kids to the ends of the earth, but she would not be against shredding her own child’s ear in front of the visiting alpha if her heir were to be that rude to them, from the first infraction.” He had no doubts his own mother would have knocked him head over tail for disrespecting a visiting dignitary or leader had he done so as a pup. A memory clicked about the story she’d told him about her trip, and he smiled suddenly as it kindled. “Luckily, she also met the other heir to the Armada, and she was more impressed. Come to think of it, she said his name was Mortis. Is that the same Mortis with the ghost stories?” His head cocked, ears perking with interest. If it was, he’d at least have forewarning of a winged wolf. He’d never met one, and it only added to the cool factor. Aurielle had met two winged wolves in her lifetime, and one had just about fainted at meeting her. She hadn’t even been glowing yet. If he hadn't been training to be Sentinel, he likely wouldn't have heard the story from his Lady, but she wanted him well-prepared for his high rank, which would include dignitary trips to other packs from time to time. He needed to know at least the outsider's perspective of what sort of leadership he might encounter in the future if he made errands for his Spirit. It did niggle at him though... was she preparing him for more than Sentinel? Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

It wasn't hard to follow where Cairo was heading with his line of thought, and a frown tugged at her lips. Disrespect between packs was not something to be taken lightly. What in the hell was that boy thinking, then?

It was pretty ironic, actually. Azure had come to her with that half-assed apology, all in the name of defending his future throne. And yet here he was, throwing it away with both paws. The next time she was near him, she'd make sure to talk his ear off. A war, or even a rivalry, was something to be avoided. And the thought of Armada going against Valhalla left a particularly sour taste in her maw...

Thankfully, the surly little prince wasn't the only one the Spirit had met. "That is indeed," she confirmed, giving a little tail wag at the mention of her friend, now brother. "Those boys are complete opposites," she snorted. "I'm surprised they're brothers, sometimes, with how different they are. Mortis is an absolute angel," she grinned. Wings and all. "He's sweet, and he works hard," she offered freely. "We spar pretty often, and so far I've been kicking his butt, but he's getting better every single time. And, you know, he actually has a heart."

There was an implied exaggeration in her tone, eyes glinting with the joke, but it was only half that, really. She wasn't one for playing politics, although she wouldn't say outright that she hoped that Mortis would win the competition. Azure worked hard, too, but his morals were sorely lacking. Perhaps he would learn a different path one day, perhaps he wouldn't. Either way, when she thought of who her future leader would be, she knew she'd want it to be someone who was there from the beginning. "He was actually the first wolf I met in the pack, besides Sirius," she pondered out loud, eyes sliding to the door of the cottage, to the warmer time when the grasses were green and bubbly pup played with her outside of her den. "Made me feel at home."



"Speech"

He listened with some amusement as Lia listed the differences, noting she’d lightened up as she spoke. In some ways it reminded him a little of Viviane, except Viv wasn’t a fighter in the slightest, being much more a healer who loved everyone. He noted to the half joke in her words, nodding slightly. "I'm glad." He was, indeed, glad she felt at home here, even with the less than happy bits of it. Hopefully her new sister would eventually grow to like her. He shifted his weight slightly with a squirm, careful not to jostle his legs or ribs too much as he smiled at the girl, chin resting on a lump in the furs. “Speaking of stories, if you have time, you want to hear some history? I promise not to make it boring.” His tongue poked out at the last words, a flash of pink against the dark chocolate and black mask of his face, eyes crinkling in amusement. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Malalia Fatalis

It was what it was. Mal was far from the first to have conflicts within her family, but she couldn't see herself changing the current dynamic. No, not for anything. The Armada had saved her in more ways than she knew. Gave her shelter, a place to rest her head. Gave her a purpose, friendships, a family. Simply put, it was more than she ever imagined getting back, in some way.

"Yeah, sure." She thought about it for a heartbeat. "I mean, no, I don't mind at all." Eh, Mal figured he'd know what she meant -- what a delightfully confusing little phrase. She had to tilt her head a bit though, a solitary brow raised. "I mean, I thought I was supposed to be entertaining you, but I'm always open to hear a bit of history... I'm gonna hold you to that promise though." And it would be easily kept. If it was anything like the stories he'd told when they'd first met, it wouldn't be hard to listen.


"Speech"

[I'm retelling it to the best of my memory of the sequence of events. It was a hella long time ago xD Erani would have passed down all she knew to Surreal and her siblings, and in turn, Surreal did the same with her kids, and Regulus in turn to Aurielle/Aramis, and Cai would have absorbed the stories. Prepare for a long. Ass. Read.]

He chuckled softly, then let his head droop to the side as he thought back over what he’d been told, what he knew. Finally, he returned his eyes to Lia and said, “How aboooout, how Valhalla of old came to be?” His ears flicked as he waited a beat, then began, falling into an easy cadence, “Long ago, there was a land called Ciroc. There were several packs there, though the exact names elude me. One, however, was called Starlite. For a time, Starlite warred with a pack called Glaciem, until an uneasy peace settled, or perhaps the war was just set aside in the great upheaval that rocked the land. The details on that I’m not clear on. No one’s left that was there to see it.” He rocked his head back, eyes roving as he sought the tendrils of history. “The packs that left Ciroc found a land called Alacritis. It was virile and lush, prey abounded. It was then that Starlite became Valhalla. Led as before by Cairo the first, they settled, prospered. Peace was found with Old Glaciem, friendships forged.” His lips curved into a smile, as though he could see the figures of wolves, many of them, coursing through a land long since left behind, hunting great herds. He wished he could have met his grandmother, gotten the story from her—she’d been but a pup when... Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself, at least in his thoughts. “Peace wasn’t to be had for all, though. Cairo sent envoys to the other packs, and he himself, with the healer Erani included in the group, to meet with a pack called Tortuga. The Tortugans were darkly aligned, and tensions arose. While a full on war never broke out, it was common knowledge that Valhalla and Tortuga were not fond of one another, and were enemies.” His lips twitched as he shifted the scene back to the Valhallan home ground, continuing with a glance to Lia, “It was after a time that Cairo chose a new Queen, his first having vanished, carrying his get in her womb. She was never found, but their children showed up a long while later. The new Queen of Valhalla was Guinevere, a well-liked fighter and one of the upper ranked members of the pack. She was timber of coat, and golden of eye, from what I’m told. She was a strong queen for a good while, bearing one litter of four. Three girls, one boy. Syrinx, Chrysanthe, Epiphron, Eos. Cairo had also adopted two boys – brothers by the name of Preston and Neo, and Guinevere had brought her adopted son, Collision.” His deep sapphire gaze dropped to the furs. “It wasn’t very long after the births of their children that Guinevere fell ill. She fell one day, and the now Lead Healer Erani sought a way to get her back to the den, as Guinevere begged of her to swear that she would not tell Cairo she was so ill.” A slight shake of the head pervaded his words, “But Cairo himself came upon them, and Erani could not refuse him when he spoke as king, friend, and mate to the ailing Queen, and told him of the illness. The Queen flew into a rage, sending the Lead Healer off with harsh words. The details after that are unknown. It was between Cairo and his Queen, and none were there to hear or relay the events.” His eyes roved, following an imagined form as he continued, “So we move to the healer. She searched hard, and in her search, she was attacked by wolves from her own past. Cairo and his brother Coeus, and the beta Blitzkrieg saved her life, killing the assassins while she took the herbs and hurried to Guinevere, though she herself was deeply wounded.” An uncharacteristic grimace pulled at his lips as he went on. “She would be healed by one of the other healers, Blu, but it was too late to save Guinevere. She died a few months later.” He stretched and flexed his good legs, shifting slightly as he went on. “Erani might well have wasted away in guilt, but Cairo threw her a vine. He never blamed her for the loss of his Queen—she’d done what she could. And so, he gave his children to her care. For a few days, but truly, it was for the rest of their lives. She loved them as her own, believing at the time that she – who wished so dearly for them – could not bear children.” His head cocked as he trailed his mind over the history flicking a glance at Lia as he paused for a moment long enough that if she was highly engrossed, she might just hold her breath. He would have. “Grief would be had, but life would eventually return to normal. Another pack melded with Valhalla due a drought in their area, and Valhalla’s number swelled to the seventies, easily the most powerful pack in the continent by numbers. Alas, normalcy would not remain. Glaciem, fleeing their northern homeland, brought a dire warning. The volcano in their lands was preparing to erupt, and soon, all the packs were fleeing Alacritis in a mass exodus, Valhalla and Glaciem in the lead. They escaped the eruption, but not far enough ahead that they did not see the devastation wrought on the lands they’d cherished and come to love for so long.” He paused suddenly, as if suddenly alert to Lia and grinning, “Am I boring you?” His tail thumped softly as he perked his ears at her, head cocking a-la german shepherd style. Deep down, he hoped he wasn’t. These were the stories and histories he’d grown up with, from the stories his mother told him, to the wider view he’d gotten from Aurielle and Regulus. Valhalla had been one of the first pack to settle in Boreas so long ago. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think