Sedna had found the journey across the land-bridge to be pleasant enough, a steady pace had them covering ground at a decent pace and the younger wolf hadn’t lagged at all, so she couldn’t really complain. Her steps began to slow as her eyes took in the wide grassy expanse before them, a small knot quickly stamped down when the familiar sound of rustling grass - hush, hush - poked at a still raw bruise on her ego. Maybe it was an omen of better things to come? Or maybe she was going to fuck this up too... Who could tell this early on?

Grey eyes turned to take in her yearling niece, “You sure you’re ready to settle down?” She teased lightly, bit late to change their minds now, right on the borders of a pack land no less.

The journey was far easier than she expected. Maybe her muscles were finally catching up, or perhaps the large swaths of flat terrain just made their trip seem less daunting. Regardless, she was satisfied with her ability to both keep pace with Sedna, and take in the interesting sights on the horizons. It seemed as though there were many things in this world she had yet to experience, but certainly she would find the time to experiance every single one.

When they finally arrived at the tall grasses, her aunt spoke. Of course she knew why they were there, and what that meant for her, but she wasn't particularly happy about it either. Returning to pack life meant returning to boredom, responsibility, everything she had been so eager to leave behind, but in their current state it could not be helped. There were clearly many things they did not know about this world, and so it seemed necessary that they should join the armada.

"Of course. You know I love taking orders." Siggy's sarcastic tone was accompanied by the sly tilt of her lips as she met her aunt's gaze. "What about you? You sure you're ready to... do this all over again?"

The Warlord led the party across the divide, and towards the border of the Ashen Armada. The two women were easy companions, giving no complaint on the journey. Mortis, somehow, still had energy to spare, and he sent his young boy on ahead when they arrived. Mortis could fetch them some food and coats from the pack’s underground storage, if he still needed an outlet for his energy. The Fatalis wolf was some steps ahead when they arrived, and with a twitch of an ear, he chose not to hear the snark of the youngest wolf. He understood that she was young yet, and likely chafing at going back under the thumb of another. He would simply have to show Sigrun that the Armada could be an interesting place to live. “Here we are.. The Ashen Armada. The pack you can scent adjoined to ours is the Ashen Empire. Our wolves are allowed on their land, and theirs on ours.” he had already told Sed how the Armada was a great ally of theirs. He led them through the long grasses of his home, the greenery lush with the growth given from mountain ash. The volcano might have devastated when it erupted, but the aftermath had promoted growth. He led them towards the packs center, where the Obelisk engraved with the pack rules lay. The communal fire pit sat by, and a cluster of dens not far from that. The cellar doors lay open, and he could hear the sounds of Mortis moving within. "Seer" Ooc: Pack Map

mortis fatalis

At his father's behest, Mortis ran ahead as they neared the pack lands. Racing across the border, and through the familiar lands of the Armada. Here was the place he had been born, and he knew no other as well as the Armada. He skidded to a stop at the doors to a cellar, and pried them open. Panting from the excursions of the day.

He walked into the cool belly of the earth and past the meats, dried and preserved in different methods. He grabbed a carry sack, and stuffed his favourite portions of meat inside - some honeyed, smoked deer he had helped to cure with Io. A small assortment of fish - they had said they lived by a lagoon, right? Perhaps the fish would be a taste of home for them. Or not, but it was worth a try. Lastly, he grabbed for two leopard coats. The furs softened by soaps, and luxurious to the feel. He rubbed his nose in one, before draping both over his back.

He trotted back out of the celler and closed the doors behind him. Turning, to find Sirius and co already there. With a wag of his tail, and a glance at his dad, he began the traditional questions. “Would you like to pick a premade den, or dig out one or ones of your own?” asked the boy laden with supplies.

html by castlegraphics

The woman heard between the words the yearling spoke, and Sedna’s responding grin to Sigrún’s jab showed a few too many teeth, and didn’t quite reach her eyes. The comment would have earned both of them a bite on the ass in earshot of Morganna, and it would be a disservice to herself to deny that she was suddenly overcome with a burning inclination to do the same. But the yearling wasn’t her subordinate, it wasn’t her place to dole out punishments, at least not in the presence of those that outranked her. It hadn’t yet clicked that her temper-flairs might be tied to her growing up.

Silver eyes cast across the plains, eyes settling on distant dancing trees with a homesick smile. Their arrangement with Ashen was much like that of the Scowle and the Willows, hardly an adjustment at all for the soot coated woman, though she would want to make herself familiar with the scents so she didn’t accidentally bail someone up that was authorised to be there. Her smile softened when Mortis arrived, weighed down with supplies, strange spotted pelts and preserved meats. “ I won’t speak for Sigrún, though of course she is welcome to join me. I think, if it is permitted, I would like to dig a den out for myself closer to the willows.” Except for in the very depths of winter, she had always been more of an open air sleeper, only retreating to the communal den when survival necessitated it, but something told her with the provision of furs that perhaps the weather here might be more fickle than she was used to, and it would be advantageous to have a place to call her own.

Sigrún noted the subtle shift in Sedna's features, but chose not to push the boundary any further. The fact that they would need the safety such a pack had to offer while they figured this strange world out was indisputable, and Mortis' easygoing attitude was a welcome change of pace.

Sirius announced their arrival, and spoke of a sister pack of sorts. That was fascinating in and of itself, but there would be time for questions later. For now, she chose to trail behind the others, taking in all of the new sights and scents the Armada had to offer. She had never set foot in her grandmother's birthplace, and yet this place reminded her of the stories she'd told. Perhaps it was the obelisk that hinted at the Scowle, or the willows that spoke to the Ridge. The feeling it elicited within her was strange, and almost uncomfortable. For the first time, Sigrun felt small in this big world.

Peachy eyes flickered to Mortis as he returned, supplies draped over his back, and then to Sedna as she spoke, "I'd also like to be closer to the willows, if that's okay."
"Speech"

“That’s decided then” he said, mentally considering the long river that bordered both the Armada and the willows. Bird, a fledgling healer he had taken under his wing, had left the pack a season prior. He had left the starting of a den, and his herb garden which hadn’t been attended to since. It was overgrown now with weeds, but perhaps the two might consider it a project and a lesson both. “If you’ll follow me,” he suggested, and began to lead them from the communal space. Moving north east to the abandoned garden, with a well-laden Mortis trotting on behind him. He arrived at the garden plot, which had a low fence that had once been designed to keep his young children out. “This belonged to a pack member that is gone now, if you want it, the space is yours to do with as you wish. You can expand the den, or collapse it and build another.” he said, giving them the freedom to make it into a place they would wish to live. Mortis came to a halt, but wouldn’t drop the supplies until the woman gave their approval to the space. Ooc: Feel free to skip Mort since he’s just hanging around holding supplies xD "Seer"

Sedna followed after Sirius, lengthening her strides to keep pace with his longer legs. It wasn’t an uncomfortable pace and she was almost convinced he might have been moderating his own on account of his company. When her silver eyes fell on the garden, her tongue involuntarily clicked behind her teeth with a hissed tch. It was a bad habit she had no intention of curbing, it did a good job of conveying her annoyance with a situation without being outwardly insulting (as long as it lacked eye contact).

"I’m no miracle worker," but there was a gleam in her eye that said otherwise, she did love a challenge. "But I’ll recover what I can, and replace what I can’t.". Her words had been laced heavily with a sigh, but the set of her shoulders showed that she wasn’t really all that put upon. "If we don’t use the den for sleeping, we can use it for storage. I’ll know more once I’ve had a chance to look at it.". She offered Sirius a grateful smile. It would give her a purpose, something to work towards, and that was what she needed more than anything right now.

"speech".

so maybe you should let me be

Peachy eyes fell over the dilapidated garden, noting the areas of overgrowth, and those that had already decayed. A smile touched her maw at Sedna's 'Tch', but the yearling kept her mouth shut. There was quite a bit of work to be done, and while she had never been a fan of work, the yearling couldn't help but feel a little excited at the prospect or restoring such a place.

She nodded her agreement with Sedna's plans, though she feared they might have to replace more than they were able to recover. Thankfully they were only just coming into the hot season, which meant there was still enough time for a good yield before fall.

"I wouldn't be opposed to using it for storage." Even without inspecting it the yearling had a feeling they'd want to expand the existing den. There were two of them now, and if a single wolf had built it, then they had probably only made enough space for one.

Sirius hid a smile as Sedna looked over the overgrown garden, and made her decisions. He was glad that this place would be getting fresh life into it. He missed Bird, though he would admit it to nobody. At least his old herb garden would get some love again.

“I’ll trust your opinion on it, it’s yours to shape and work as you please” he promised her. He was no healer, and Io already had the most expensive herb garden in the territory. This would be all Sedna and Sigrun’s. “If you need any advice, or seedlings, find Io. she’s hard to miss, she lives in the cottage besides the pond and gardens we created.” she was the only wolf on the pack that had a cottage instead of a den. She had put months and months of time and effort to make it. Sirius himself had hauled materials for her.

“Otherwise, if you need anything, give us a call. I’ll set up some training for the both of you to find where you stand in the Armada’s ranks.” he nodded his head politely to both women and turned to Mortis. “Come on Mort”

-exit Sirius and Mortis unless stopped-

Io, Sedna tucked the name away, brows barely twitching at the mention of a cottage. She had no idea what that might look like. There were no manmade structures where she was from. Just like she had mistaken the castle for a mountain, then a cave, her mind couldn’t quite formulate an image of what a cottage might be. She was sure she would figure it out though when she spotted something that didn’t quite fit. "I’ll be sure to do that." Giving the garden another sidelong glance she wasn’t sure what would be recoverable, if anything at all.

At the mention of training her ears perked, though she was travel weary and in desperate need of a decent sleep knowing she was sheltered by a pack, before she went throwing her weight around and stepping on toes unintentionally. "Thank you both," She offered with a tired smile, head dipping with her gratitude for the offer of a home and the warm welcome. Once the men had made their exit, she would enter the den, finding it would definitely need widening, whatever it’s eventual purpose became, but suddenly all her previous bravado sapped away. She was bone tired. "We’ll get to working later, this’ll do for now." She flopped as close to the wall as she could, leaving the larger portion of space for Sigrun. Her eyes were closed before they hit her paws.

"speech".

good lord turned his back on me