His daughter had taken on a lot of mental responsibility since becoming Reaper. She now not only patrolled the borders, but she policed the wolves of the Armada. He had had little to no trouble with his wolves within his borders. His people where good people, and believed in the Armada. Did Malalia know that? Did she expect to break up fights every other day? He chuckled softly at the thought. He needed to catch up with her and see how she was finding her duties, what more she wished to learn.

More then that, he needed to speak to her about her injuried young friend, who currently lay healing in his sisters den. It was astonishing how much his family had grown from the early days. Would he soon be adding another wolf to the list?

Knowing her scheduale, the Warlord made his way to the packs borders, coming at her from the opposite direction, so that they would met part way through her patrol.

With the wind buffeting against her face, Mal scented the man before she saw him, and her tail swished immediately at the sign of him. She gave a little wiggle of her hips, and picked up her pace across the snow-laden ground, paying her due diligence to scanning the border. Prints and trails were more visible in the snow, and that made her job a lot easier, though it was still a pain-staking duty. Otherwise, she was pleased to soon have a companion. Boredom was just part and parcel of a well-done patrol, she figured, but it was always more bearable with someone else around.

Coming around the bend, she finally caught sight of her giant of a father, and paced forward to close the distance between them. She grinned, stepping forward to nose-bump his shoulder in greeting. "What brings you this way?" she asked, smiling lightly as she moved to continue along the route. Her muzzle swept above the ground for a moment, but her ears were swiveled towards Sirius.

He caught sight of her shortly after, and watched as she picked up her pace through the snow. The Warlords smile was instant, and he laughed when she nuzzled his shoulder. He was use to his wolves being so much shorter then himself. He leaned down to nuzzle behind an ear, thr friendly giant returning her greeting.

He turned then, walking beside her as they continued the way he had come. The long border stretched out before them, wintery and white beneath the cloudless sky. She asked him what had brought him here, and the answer was simple enough. "You, actually." He explained. He kept pace easily with the shorter wolf. He was going to have a perminantly shortened stride, everyone he strode with was shorter then himself.
"Checking in, seeing how your doing" he explained to his young daughter.

"Well enough," she answered, flicking her ears. Her days were now almost entirely run by routine, now, her time settling into the pack long gone and her free time quickly eaten up by her duties. When she wasn't patrolling or hunting, she'd made it a point to train, testing her endurance and strength. In her scant free time she'd gone on adventures with Mortis and, more recently, made visits to Cairo in Iolaire's cottage.

"Things have been pretty quiet on the job," she remarked, alluding to her new position. Luckily, there hadn't been any fights to break up or broken rules to punish people for. She silently dreaded the moment there was, however. She wasn't supposed to come running in and start beating up her packmates, was she??

She chuckled, and turned to Sirius with the look of 'help me' written all over her face. "I'm glad you came by, actually -- what exactly am I supposed to be doing? No one's breaking the rules or anything, but is there anything I should be doing on the regular? Like checking in or something? That's probably a little weird," she muttered, half to herself. Jeez, she hoped she wouldn't have to stalk her packmates... "I was thinking maybe I could follow you around later?" She blabbered on, continuing the barrage of questions. "Since I'm supposed to be speaking with your voice, and everything..." Best to learn directly from him, anyhow.

d there was the uncertainty that came with youth. He knew they would iron out the crinkles, but until then she was so new to the job. To leadership. His expression was fond, and proud, when he paused on the border to glance over at her. "No luckily the Armada hasnt been one to attract bad apples. The most domestic trouble We've seen have been my own kids as they grew. Don't be afraid to tell then off just because their my kids. Heaven knows I've had to tweak the ears of your younger siblings enough." He laughed. Being children of the alpha didnt give them free passes, especially if they did something truly wrong.

"Shadowing me works just fine. I've a few things to address with you anyway. But please, dont start trying to speak with my tones. Your voice suits you much better." He leaned over and tweaked her nose, before continuing their patrol across the border. He felt comfortable enough with his daughter to tease her so.

"Your duties will be very similar to what you've already done, only with more authority. Chase away predators, call for other warriors to assist you. If you find yourself in a fight, and Armada wolves are there, take charge of them, direct them." That was the authority he had given her. He allowed no others but Zee to order about his wolves. Not even azure, as she had seen for herself.
"Your allowed to answer recruitment calls, and if they pass your judgment they can have a temporary rank until I see them."

They where nearing the beach now, and had seen no signs of anything amiss so far. That was good, it gave them a chance to talk. "Always ask questions of me. Learn, and grow into the position. That's your duty."

And now for the other things that had been the reason he had sought her out. "Now, I promised my Wife that when we had a Reaper, I would take her for a holiday. She loves to explore. I'll give you some time to adjust to the position first, but how would you feel about filling my shoes for a week or two?"

It was good to hear that the Warlord took no shit, not even from his own kids. Seeing him punish Azure for his... whatever that was, was heartening. Hearing him put it so explicitly into words was even more so. It made her job easier, knowing she wouldn't have to tiptoe around her siblings. She snorted faintly with amusement when he tweaked her nose, and while she hadn't literally thought of putting some bass into her voice, it was funny to imagine. She bumped back up against the Warlord in kind.

Even as her eyes roved over the borderline, she listened intently as he described her new authority. It was a daring thing, to take charge. For all her determination when she trained and when she fought, she'd been happy to follow orders, fight alongside her packmates. It was another thing entirely to lead them, to be responsible for them, too. Mal nodded slowly. She didn't miss the importance of that.

Interestingly, the job also came with the ability to answer recruitment calls, if only temporarily. "Maybe I should start going out of bounds more," she chuckled, half-joking. Sirius had recruited a number of wolves in the past season, herself included. If she had this authority now, why shouldn't she?

Learn and grow. Above all else, her priority right now was growing into the prestigious rank he'd bestowed upon her. Experience would come with time; packs didn't always get along within themselves. Everything else, she had to seek out, whether it would be knowledge or training. She nodded; Mal would have more questions for him later. For now, she would have to deal with the heart attack that was Sirius leaving her in charge for two weeks. "Uhhh." Her eyes couldn't help but to go wide, ears standing erect. "I think if you give me enough time, I should be okay. And Resin and Tamsyn can help, too, right?"

He laughed at that. So far the majority of pack recruits had been his own doing. Mal had a good personality, he could see her winning a few more wolves to their side. "Perhaps you should" he agreed, glancing sideways at her. Trusting her judgment enough that he believed any wolves she brought to them would be worth their salt. A pack was strong g by both its numbers, and the quality of those numbers. So far, he could look at his pack with an almost fatherly pride.

His words brought the shock he expected them to. Better she hear it now, rather then when he was planning to leave. It gave her time to obsorb them.
"Of course. The most valuable thing a leader can do is surround themselves with counsel they respect. You'll find Io to be a calm voice of reason, as well." With Mal in charge, but all the voices he trusted alongside her, he knew she would be just fine. His eyes twinkled "In a very round about way, I suppose Resin is like a grandmother to you, now." So much family they gained, when they welcomed someone into their lives.

And on to the other matter. Poor Mal, so much to digest at once. His paws crunched on sand as they made their way down the beach, and along the shoreline. It was rare for a threat to be found this way, but both of them would likely remember the crocodile they had faced on this beach.
"Theres a young man in Ios den who seemed to respect you very much. When he speaks of you, his eyes alight, just so." He pulled them to a stop, spinning himself in front of Mal as he looked to his daughter. "How do you feel, about him?"

It was good to hear that she could rely on the three women when Sirius and Zee were away. She didn't have to stand alone. She wouldn't have wanted to, either; she knew where she lacked, and if she wanted to grow, she wanted to do so with experienced wolves, ones she trusted automatically. Resin was her favorite of the trio, and she grinned when Sirius likened the warrioress to a grandmother.

Mal padded contentedly down the beach, grateful to simply spend time with Sirius, even if they were technically on patrol, still. Her eyes wandered over to where they'd fought the crocodile, and won. It had been one of the first times she'd felt like a real part of the pack, and a real asset, too, defending their territory together.

The man was coming to a halt now, as the conversation shifted to "a young man." Mal snorted faintly at the moniker, though she warmed at the words, her eyes shining. "Oh man, Cairo's great," she said easily, plopping down on her haunches. Her head dipped to one side as she grinned. "We were kinda instantly friends when we met. I don't think I could ever get tired of being around him. He just has that kind of energy, I guess? Everything's easy with him..."

She blinked as her own words registered, her brows furrowing slightly. Too easy, in a sense. She'd told him little things about her that she hadn't even told Sirius, or Mort. And maybe he didn't know the intimate details of her old life, but he'd managed to hit the mark about some of it. "It's... he's pretty perceptive. Or maybe I'm just an open book, I dunno. But I can talk to him a bit, about..." Mal gestured vaguely, alluding to her past. It seemed to be drawn out of her, at times, in a way that wasn't clinical, or suffocating, like it had been with Mort. Perhaps that was a case of the Valhallan being in the right place at the right time, but there was still a comfort inherent in his presence.

She shrugged, flicking her ears. "Ah," she hummed, her smile returning. "Did I tell you he made me a leather armor set from the deer we hunted? That was pretty cool. And you should see him fight once he heals completely. He wiped the floor with me when we sparred," she chuckled, "but I couldn't even be mad about it. He's kinda silly that way, but he's still really, really skilled, and, and... sorry, why are you asking?" It struck her as strange how talk of her duties had shifted over to that of her Valhallan friend. What was her father on about?

"Just like that" he observed, the words more to himself then her. At the change of subject she leaped easily into an assessment of him. Her eyes lit with an inner emotion, her fondness bleeding through her words, as transparent, and stark as the clean ocean beside them. He watched her shrewdly, her words carefully judged, appraised, and understood. He sighed softly, the sound a mixture of pride and sorrow. "Your young yet, my Malalia, but heres another lesson in life. A tough one." He leaned closer to her, sitting in the sand now as he leaned close to his young daughter, his right hand wolf and apprentice. "I want happiness for you, Malalia. A romance with another pack wolf is a conflict of interest. You are a leader among Armada wolves, a roll model and support to those that will look up to you here." He remembered his first crush, a hopeless thing. Perhaps Mal would get luckier then he. Perhaps her first love would be her Zee. The one for the rest of her life.

"If you want something with him, bring him into the Armada. I give you the right to extend that invitation. If you dont want him here, or he does not want to be here with you, I caution you against splitting your heart. That's a quick way to break it." If her Cairo did want to join the Armada, he would find equal chance to rise as the rest of his wolves. He had nothing against her falling in love - through her age did mean he would be watching Cairo carefully - but if she loved him and he stayed in the Valhalla, it would cause her heartbreak.

Just like what? Malalia frowned slightly, wondering what this tough lesson was, and why her father was beset with a sudden heaviness. She might’ve vaguely expected him to admonish her friendship with the man, but that didn’t make much sense — she wasn’t the only one with a friendship outside of the pack, was she? So when Sirius mentioned romance, she couldn’t help but go stiff with utter surprise. It took a good few heartbeats to gather her words. “I — you — um, I really think you’ve got the wrong idea here,” she stuttered, rising to her paws. “Cairo and I are friends, that’s all...”

As smitten as she was with the Valhallan, it hadn’t yet occurred to her that her feelings for him might’ve been anything besides platonic. The young wolf had never even had a crush before, and had previously lumped in that whole idea of romance with marriage and babies — and she wasn’t ready for either of those things. No, growing into her rank and hanging out with her friends were about her two biggest pursuits right now.

Of course she cared for Cairo, and wanted to spend her time with him, that was plainly obvious. That’s what friends were for.

And bringing him into the Armada? That was just something else, and she couldn’t help but bark with incredulous laughter. “That’s — he’d never leave Valhalla anyway. He’s worked too hard to just up and leave." She shook her head. Conflict of interest, he says. He's clueless. Reading into things that weren't there. "Just because I've got a male friend doesn't mean I like him. You don't have anything to worry about."

He eyed her a moment longer, before he started up again, sand crunching beneath dark paws, the breeze off the ocean ruffling his coat. 'Worked too hard to leave?' She said. So had Malalia. She had only just started her new beginning, and there was so much ahead of her. He hoped love wouldn't get in the way of duty. His words where to offer her a way out a way to bring both her worlds together. She just didnt see it yet. She was in the picture, not looking upon it.

"Very well" he said, letting it drop. If she wasnt ready to accept her feelings yet, then this conversation had been premature. Perhaps it would be something for her remember, come the future. "Just remember that he is destined to be a Beta in Valhalla, and you are a third Alpha of the Armada. His people will look to him, and yours to you." That would be all he would say on the topic, bringing them back around to lighter topics. "How did you convince Mortis we have a ghost in the pack? Hes gearing up to stake out the campfire for weeks to come." He laughed.

She frowned at the way he eyed her, his words when he dismissed the topic. He doesn't believe me. It was a rare thing for the dire wolf's words to grate against her, and she was usually primed to take his judgements to heart. But this? He was just flat out wrong... right? Unbeknownst to her, Sirius had planted a tiny seed of doubt in her mind. Had they never had this conversation, who knew how long she might've remained oblivious to other possibilities? But whatever else she might've felt, it was utterly true that Cairo was her friend, first.

One thing was certain though. Among other things, with her commitment to the Armada, and his to Valhalla... a romance would never work between them.

She shook her head at the thought, and followed the Warlord sullenly across the beach, letting her mind drift to the lapping shore. She was still a bit irritated, but couldn't help but to smile wryly at the mention of ghosts. "I didn't convince him of anything. We both saw a ghost out there. I guess he's just trying to capture it still," she laughed. "Do you... do you believe in spirits?" Her eyes lit up with curiosity as she turned to the direwolf.

Nothing like telling a young wolf you thought their friendship was a crush to annoy them. He hid his fond smile, knowing it would only agitate her more. He flicked his tail gently against her, a silent motion of support. She might not have been ready to hear the words yet, but he hoped she knew he could come to her when she needed to talk. With his children, he wanted to be approachable.

They where both happy to change the subject. He didnt know how much her parents had taught her before she had fled, but he hoped she understood how babies where made and how to be safe. It was not a topic either would enjoy, but he would bumbled through it if she needed.

But... ghosts. Ghosts, not babies, was the topic. thank goodness.
"I couldnt tell you with any certain if they are real or not. I chose to believe in what I can see, feel, touch." And besides, if he believed in ghosts, he would be haunted with many from his past. He was once the killer on the behest of the old Ashen Empire. He had killed for them, and to protect them. He had killed many when the empire had crumbled and wolves had sought the blood of the royals. He had killed to keep Deathbelle from rape and death. He had much blood on his hands. He glanced back to the ocean, thinking of the world he had left so far beyond it. Old wounds cracking at the edges, before he whole them away, hiding them with a smile. "I don't believe in them, but I'm curious to see what Mortis believes when his experiments are done."

Lucky for them both, her mother had made a point to have "the talk" with Malalia as soon as she was old enough to ask about it, and understand. She was always candid with her daughter. Mal had of course picked up other things from the older girls in her pack, too, so she knew just about everything she needed to. Thank goodness she did, or the direction of this conversation might've made her spontaneously combust with awkwardness/embarrassment. Sheesh.

Ghosts were better. Ghosts were good. Malalia found herself easily agreeing with Sirius, to a degree. She hadn't disbelieved in spirits, up until her encounter with Mortis. They simply hadn't been an aspect of her world until, suddenly, they were. The physicality of them was less of an obstacle to her, though -- the wind was intangible, for example. You couldn't touch it, track it, hold in your paws, but you could still feel it. Ghosts were much in the same way, if the stories and her own experiences were to be believed.

Naturally, the thought caused her ears to plane backwards. The only reason she missed the memories passing behind Sirius' eyes, was because she was thinking of her own. If one ghost was real, did that mean everyone turned into one, when they died? Were her mother and her littermates doomed to walk the earth, lonely as the ghost in the grass? She shuddered at the thought.

The Warlord turned back in time to see her own little flash of horror. He recognized something in her eyes, felt it in his own. What he knew of her past told him it wasnt an easy one. She had her own demons haunting her. Was that what she thought of then?

He nodded his head gently towards her, his smile soft and sad. "Where did you go, just then. Back to your birth pack?" He asked softly, the words only the softest pry. If she didnt wish to speak on it... he could respect and understand that. He would be happy to bring their topic back around to the antics of Mortis, the cleverness of Io, or the hard sweetness of Resin. Back to the living, and those they respected in the here and now. The names he drew strength from when he remembered his own bloody past.

The beach passed them by as they spoke, and before he knew it they where parallel to Deathbellea pack. The connection to his past, his first great love, not that their affection had ever gone anywhere.

"Yes." It was all she said, for several heartbeats, as they made their way down the coastline. The familiar panic was beginning to claw up the back of her throat, even in the safety of her father's presence. She bristled slightly. She didn't mean to. It was just... hard. A lump in her throat that willed her tongue to go still. But she would try, anyway.

"I've been... I've been having a lot of trouble focusing, lately," she admitted quietly. In truth, it was a bit of a deflection, but it was still a piece of her that she'd clung to, guarded fiercely. "I'm not sleeping very well, either." She paused then, slowly coming to a standstill, her gaze pointedly not meeting that of Sirius, as she looked out over into Deathbelle's pack. "I thought I was just... restless or something, still adjusting to the pack, maybe. But maybe it's this." Her old life that so often seemed to chase her into this new one. Her words sounded awfully, utterly helpless.

A small laugh escaped her. "Cairo actually said something that made me think. That we eventually have to... to work out what troubles us, to best serve our pack. But how am I supposed to do that? I..." She faltered again, closing her eyes as she inhaled, trying to steady her rising breath. "They're gone. They aren't coming back. What am I supposed to do with that, though?" What was she supposed to do with all these horrible feelings that welled up inside of her? It was suffocating, if she thought too much about it.

"I don't even blame myself for running that much, y'know? Yeah, I feel bad about it, but I wasn't even a yearling when I left." She shrugged. "I just... I feel terrible, sometimes. About a lot of things. One thing I keep asking myself is... is why do I get to be here, and they, they don't?"

She wasn't crying, thankfully, but the misery was plain in her voice, the slump of her shoulders.

He leaned against her, sheltering her subtly with the height of his body as they walked. He sensed her fear and unease, heard it in the abrupt, single word spoken. Also accepted gently the gift of her words when she gave them. “Survivors guilt” he explained softly, remembering the tormual many of the Klein had first faced when they had arrived in this new world. Him included. The trauma, the lingering memories. He almost snorted when he remembered how the Klein healer had tried to prescribe group therapy for him. That hadn’t gone down well.

He crouched down beside the smaller wolf, gently cupping her chin in an attempt to bring her eyes to him. He was almost lower than her, in this position, his smile was soft, filled with nothing but love. “A piece of our pasts will always haunt us. They were your family, all you had known.” he spoke as one who had lost his parents as a young child, the world he had known a few years later. “Grieve for those that are gone, but remember that you're not alone. The past won't be healed in a day, but there are people here who cherish the gift of your survival.” he wasn’t surprised that these feelings were creeping into her day-to-day life. He could imagine how alone she might sometimes feel, the crushing guilt of what she had left behind. But it was not her fault.

“If you like, I can carve out a house for you in the same cliff as our own, we would be only a shout away. If you ever need the comfort of being around people, we would be right there.” he had found that surrounding himself with wolves he loved had done the most to heal the pains in his heart.

The presence of Sirius was both skin-crawling and comforting. Of course she didn't want to be alone, but the shame, the guilt that coursed through her made it so very hard not to shy away from him. She didn't want him to see the ugly parts of her. She barely wanted to face them herself. But she had, in this hour, even if only for a few minutes, for a few words spoken. A rueful smile turned her lips up as Sirius gave her feelings a name, and it clicked into place. Survivor's guilt. Simple, but extremely fitting, she found.

Of course, a name wouldn't solve everything, though it was reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one who felt like she did. How many nights had she stared at the ceiling of her den, wondering if things would be better if she'd died alongside them? How many times had she replayed the memory in her head, desperately wishing she could've done something different, done anything to save them?

She sighed with a kind of begrudging acceptance when he told her what she'd always kind of known, that this thing followed you around. But acknowledging her pain--just having someone else see it, validate it, was a comfort in itself. Mal still wouldn't look at him. Not until he told her that she wasn't alone. That she was wanted, loved, by others here, and that her survival was a good thing. She finally blinked up at him. She wanted to believe him. And part of her did. The bonds she'd made with Sirius, Mort, Resin, even Cairo... she knew that there were others who'd be sad to see her gone.

Her eyes widened slightly at the offer of a house, and she managed to crack a weak smile. "You don't need to build me a house. Really, I'm okay," she insisted, sliding away. She liked the comforts of her own den, and she could simply run across the plains to meet them. They wouldn't be far. Plus, she didn't want to turn off Aslatiel anymore than she had, though that sentiment was more of an afterthought. Her tail wagged slowly. "But I'll... keep that in mind." Not only the offer, but the presence of family. People to surround herself with. Perhaps that would help, rather than bottling up everything inside.

Sirius would give her all the time she needed. Heaven knew his own ptsd hadn’t been solved in a night. The times he had woken, lashing out. After he had found Zee and claimed her for a mate, it had been much later before the two of them could safely share a den. His ghosts had never left him, but they had been muted enough for him to live his life. Surrounded by what he loved most, family.

He chuckled softly as she turned down the offer. He half had it in mind to eventually build himself a palace, or maybe more of a fortress. Somewhere to enclose all he loved close to him. Perhaps that was the possessiveness talking. He felt most at peace when he knew where every piece of his heart was. Which was to say he wasn’t fully at peace often, spread out now as he was.

“You do that” he agreed, “And consider talking to Io, too. As a healer, she’s dealt with injuries to the mind just as she has those of the body. Certainly she helped me when I needed it.” eventually they began to move on past Deathbelle’s territory, he stepped over the border, giving the earth a fond pat where he scented the lingering trail of Deathbelle, before continuing on once more. Often they synced up on their patrols, so he might catch on her on the other side of the border.

Mal hummed, and gave the briefest, slightest nod at the suggestion. Turning away, a small sigh escaped her. In reality, the immediate answer was closer to a hell no. It was hard enough to talk to him about this, and her gut twisted at the thought of opening her past up to the petite healer. Would she have to tell Iolaire everything, if she went to her? And what even happened after that?

As they neared the end of her patrol, the snow-covered plains of their home came into sight once more. She shook her head, dismissing her own thoughts. It's not like she didn't want to feel better... and Sirius had said it helped him, hadn't it? She at least owed the idea some real consideration.

"Maybe... I'll, um, I'll think about it." She turned to Sirius with half a smile on her face. "Thanks for talking to me." As for the other matter... "And you don't have to worry about Cairo, really. This is my home. You guys will always come first." A strong sentiment, and the yearling wholly believed it, too. Mal was still a bit irritated at the Warlord for his assumption, though she welcomed the change in subject.

Bumping his shoulder in farewell, she made off for her den. She had a lot to think about.

--attempted exit--