This had been a decision was one that he had debated for quite a while. He knew he wanted to join a pack again even though it could pull him away from his family. That was the only reason he had held off on fully committing to this for a while. As hard it was to accept that he was putting some distance between himself and his family, it was time for him to stand up for himself and to make his own path. He considered going to a pack like Valhalla or Lirm where he would still be around his distant Adravendi relatives, but... that didn't feel right either. So much of his time and heart and focus had been on his mother, his sister, his nieces for so long. For all of his life he had been a son, a brother, an uncle. Now it was time for him to just be Ulric.

He came to the Armada's border and stopped where the scent markers at the edge of the plains began. He had been here a few times before and had received help from their healers, been welcomed by Tamsyn and Banshee, fought a lion with Resin... He felt like if he was going to chose a pack that wasn't chosen because of family, this one would be an obvious choice. All of his interactions since returning to Boreas with his mother and Nausicaa had somehow led him here. He never wanted to assume that he would accepted into their ranks, but he was hopeful. He hoped that he could offer what skills he had and they could help him grow in return. He lifted his muzzle to let out a howl to call for their alpha, already curious to see what their response would be.

"Speech" Thought

Sirius was at the opposite end of the pack when a call came up for him at the border. It sounded like a joining call, but no matter their business, Azure needed more training in dealing with politics and non-Armada wolves. As he began to pick up his pace and move towards the call, he tossed back his own head. Calling to his son to join him at the border. Azure would know it was not optional, and he knew his boy would be there soon.

He slowed as he neared to give Azure a chance to catch up with him, so they could arrive at the border together. Side by side with his near-equal sized, over-grown son, the Warlord would come into view. “Hello there, I am the Warlord of the Armada, Sirius. This is my son and one of my heirs, Azure.” he introduced them both.

Azure heard Sirius' non-optional call to join him at the border and immediately worried that he'd been found out. Hanako must have said something, or perhaps her keepers were here to collect her. He hurried over, sliding in beside his father to match him stride for stride. Before he could ask what was going on, Sirius introduced them. The young prince was pulling out every bit of knowledge he had to ensure he'd be chosen as the winner of the heir race, and as Mortis suggested he'd been working on his diplomatic face. "Hello." The boy offered politely, dipping his head slightly in greeting. He did not turn to throw his father a questioning look as he'd yearned to - he knew he needed to show strength and stability in the face of a stranger and that would not be accomplished if he seemed to not know what he was doing. Instead he kept his unwavering gaze upon the man\s face, waiting to see why he'd approached the Armada's borders. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Ulric waited patiently at the border, feeling the slightest hint of nerves as the moments began to tick by. He wanted to make a good impression, but he also hoped he was making the right decision. It felt right - he just hoped it would continue to feel that way in the weeks and months to come. Soon enough a pair of wolves emerged to greet him and he dipped his scarred face in a polite nod to them both. Even before Sirius introduced them both, he could tell they were related with their similar markings and matching elongated fangs. It was fairly obvious that Azure was still fairly young, but he knew what it was like to have quite a bit of responsibility at a young age and Azure seemed to be making an effort to play the part. He gave them a small smile and replied, "Hello, Sirius. Hello, Azure. I'm Ulric. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"I'm here to hopefully join your pack if you'd have me. I've actually spoken to several of your members already and gotten help from one of your healers - which is what drew me here. They have all proven to be honorable wolves... certainly the type that I would enjoy living with and learning from." Perhaps at some point he would share his other more personal reasons for wanting to join a pack at this point in his life, but that was a conversation they could have at a different time. "I'm a fighter. I haven't had as much time to train as I would have liked because I've spent a large portion of my life taking care of my mother, but I'm ready to learn and I certainly know how to defend myself. I know words can only go so far, so I would be happy to prove that if you'd like."

"Speech" Thought

Azure joined with him, and they walked to the border together. Azure had clearly begun to learn a little of how to show a unified front, and kept his questions to himself. Hiding a smile, the Warlord let the stranger have his attention.

The stranger - Ulric, as he introduced himself. Began his audition. Petitioning to join the pack. Sirius considered his words thoughtfully. The Warlord was always searching for more warriors, and it seemed this one was already known to some of his wolves. However the Warlord was using this as a learning experience for a certain someone. “I see, thank you for that introduction Ulric. What do you think Azure? Any suggestions to see if Ulric is the right fit for the Armada?” how would his son approach this. Turning his head, so that the dark-wood wolf could see the eye, and Azure could not, he winked.

Azure absorbed each word the newcomer spoke and thought it over quietly, allowing his father to take the lead and steer the discussion. When Sirius addressed him he was surprised, though blinked back the stunned expression quickly. He hadn't expected anything more then to be observing, though Azure realized that his father had always seemed to prefer more paws-on lessons in the past, too. The young prince was not sure who he was supposed to address so he swallowed and turned his gaze back to the stranger. "You've offered to prove your skills, so I'd like to invite you to do that now." He began, shooting a sidelong glance towards his father for approval. "Spar with me, my father will observe your technique and decide if he thinks you will be a good fit." When a wolf came to them completely new to the art of battle that was one thing, but one who claimed already to be a warrior would need to be audited. Bad habits could be ingrained too deep, a wolf may not be open to change. Azure took a few steps backwards to create distance between them and set his defenses, taking in a breath before nodding to Ulric that he could be the one to begin. His father could give commentary and advice as it was ongoing. Azure Keres Fatalis vs Ulric  for Spar Round 0/? Age: Under one year Size: Dire wolf Build: Medium Offensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Defensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Companion 1: Not Present Companion 2: Not Present Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter Specialty: Bloodletter "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Ulric was perhaps just as surprised as Azure was when Sirius turned toward his son to see if the heir had any suggestions for how he would handle the situation. When he saw the wink that the alpha sneaked him the puzzle pieces came together in his mind. This was a test of sorts for the potential future leader of this pack. He kept his expression neutral save for the slight smile that pulled at the corner of his lips, not wanting to give away what Sirius was trying to do. Instead, he looked to Azure expectantly to see what the boy would come up with.

The solution that Azure came up with wasn't surprising, but it did make sense. Given the fact that he had claimed that he knew how to fight and had offered to prove himself already, he probably would have been shocked if Azure had wanted to do anything else. He gave the heir a small grin and a nod, replying, "Sounds reasonable to me." As he settled into a slightly widened, defensive stance, he took a brief moment to assess his opponent in the logical way his mind tended to work. Even though he knew Azure was obviously young, he was sure that anyone that was being raised to be the heir to this pack would certainly be getting fairly extensive training. There was also the fact that he was nearly as tall as he was already and also had a few notable mutations to contend with. He was sure those fangs could do a good bit of damage if Azure wished to do so.

Once Azure had been given a moment to prepare as well, he decided to take the initiative to make the first move. He wasn't hung up on the idea of needing to win - he simply wanted to show what he could do and prove that he could be a good asset for their pack. He wasn't sure what level of skill the rest of their pack was currently at so it was very possible that he wouldn't be able to stack up to them at all, but he wouldn't know until he tried. Ulric kept things simple to begin with, bounding forward with a few long, confident strides - moving fairly quickly despite his heavy frame in an attempt to close the distance between them. Without skipping a beat, he immediately went into his first strike by parting his jaws and reaching for the side of Azure's neck, keeping more toward the upper portion where he could potentially get his scruff if he ducked or his cheek if he pulled back. He didn't intend on biting deeply, just enough to gain control or maybe just startle the young man a bit. He also lifted his right paw in the same motion and attempted to hook it around the back of Azure's neck just to make it a bit more difficult to back away from him.

Ulric vs Azure for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Novice Intellectual
Specialty: N/A

"Speech" Thought

The man's confidence was obvious, though Azure did not flinch as he was barreled down upon. Fighting was in his blood, a talent that had been honed since he was a child by some of this land's most fearsome warriors. Ulric was taller and heavier then he was, so Azure had to lower his center of gravity and sink his paws into the ground to withstand the charge. As the man came up on him and raised his paw Az jutted out his right shoulder blade, aiming to jab the bone into the meaty portion of Ulric's chest where the leg attached. In his next movement his left paw came up in an attempt to mirror the stranger's grapple, his mutated paw seeking purchase upon the back of Ulric's neck. The bite he did not make an attempt to dodge, he was willing to give the man his scruff if it meant staying in close quarters. It was the style of combat Azure excelled at, for his dangerous paws and elongated fangs gave him an edge over most opponents. Azure Keres Fatalis vs Ulric  for Spar Round 1/2 Age: Under one year Size: Dire wolf Build: Medium Offensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Defensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Companion 1: Not Present Companion 2: Not Present Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter Specialty: Bloodletter "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

To the young man's credit he didn't flinch or back down in the slightest which Ulric certainly appreciated. He typically fought out of need or protection rather than for sport, but he had to admit that he enjoyed when the fight was actually a challenge. He didn't want to feel like he was barreling someone over that was definitely wasn't the case here. Azure's shoulder connected solidly with his chest, pulling a soft grunt from him as it knocked a bit of the air out of his lungs. His leg landed across Azure's shoulder blades and that put his opponent was well within range for him to get the bite he wanted so he turned his head and reached as far up the back of the boy's neck as he comfortably could, getting a mouthful of the loose skin. He pulled back on his scruff the same way a mother might lift their pup by the scruff to carry them, wanting to effectively keep Azure from being able to use those fangs against him. What he hadn't noticed or anticipated was Azure's larger, more dangerous paws. He felt the sharp stab of those claws dig into his upper back and it pulled a muffled growl out of him around the young man's scruff. They certainly bred wolfs just made to fight and maim around here, didn't they? Non of the less, he tried to ignore the sharp, stinging pain those bear paws left in their wake and instead focused on what he could do to tip this in his favor. He leaned his weight heavily onto Azure's shoulder and back from where he leg was still hooked around the wolf's shoulders and with the hold he had on the back of his neck, attempting to use his larger build to force Azure onto the ground under him. Ulric vs Azure for Spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Dire wolf Build: Heavy Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Novice Intellectual Specialty: N/A "Talk"

Ulric's teeth upon Az's scruff stung but he fought to retain control over his head and not allow himself to be thrown to the ground beneath the man's weight. His stability was quickly crumbling, but Azure had one last trick remaining to try and secure the win and force the man to release. The paw he had previously upon the ground he raised and moved to bring into the hug-like grapple. Unlike his first attack he did not intend to use his paws, instead he threw his weight into the man and tried to position his leg further around Ulric's neck so that the bone protrusion that extended from his elbow could potentially be stabbed down beside Ulric's shoulderblade. If he was successful he'd hoped the sharp puncture would force the man to release him, allowing Azure the chance to take him to the ground beneath him. Azure Keres Fatalis vs Ulric  for Spar Round 2/2 Age: Under one year Size: Dire wolf Build: Medium Offensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Defensive Battle Accessory: Not Equipped Companion 1: Not Present Companion 2: Not Present Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter Specialty: Bloodletter "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

And the winner is...

ULRIC

AZURE must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Ulric: 272.20 Rolls: 93 56 91 7 Adjusted: 105.6 68.25 61 12.6 Azure: 205.25 Rolls: 7 56 2 95 Adjusted: 11.2 56 2 95

Ulric hadn't noticed the bone spurs that Azure had at his disposal as an extra weapon so when he felt the stabbing pain in his shoulder he wasn't quite sure what had caused it, but he knew he needed it to stop. It seemed like he just had an endless array of unusual traits to pull out one after the other. He bared the pain of it and resisted the pull that the young man was trying to put on him so he could double down his efforts to knock him to the ground, nearly putting his full weight onto the boy's shoulder and back. Eventually he got the satisfaction he was looking for when he felt Azure crumple to the ground under him. The sharp piece of bone that had been stabbed into his shoulder pulled free and sliced a pretty noticeable laceration into his flesh on the way, but he could easily consider this a win so it was a small price to pay. He didn't keep his place there for very long, quickly getting off of Azure and taking a few steps back till he was where he had originally stood before the fight began. He had one noticeable cut on his shoulder and a few smaller cuts across his back from the boy's claws, but all in all he wasn't too worse for wear. He felt incredibly proud of himself since Azure had put up quite the fight and clearly knew what he was doing even at a young age. "That was a good fight," he mentioned with a small nod toward the heir before giving Sirius a glance. He wasn't sure if this was what the leader had expected for Azure to do when given the task of testing him and hoped that him beating Azure wouldn't put some sort of sour taste in the heir's mouth about him. He waited to see what they would say, curious to see how this result would effect things. "Talk"

Well Azure wasn’t going to be pleased, but it gave the Warlord pause. He looked back at Ulric, eyes praising the woodland wolf with new scrutiny. He had thought the man might have a good showing, but he had not expected him to beat his well-trained son.

He had responded well to the interview, seemed to be a man of good humor, and wasn’t afraid to jump into a fight and show his worth. And win can’t forget that part. And win.

The Warlord smiled, stepping forward, putting himself closer to the two wolves now that their fight was concluded. “I’m impressed, Ulric. My boy might be young, but he isn’t easily beaten. Not only are you welcome in the Armada, but you can find yourself in the rank of warrior immediately.” Perhaps this wolf would go even further, only time would show.

As soon as he felt himself begin to crumble beneath the man's weight, Azure knew the battle had been lost. It was a rather quick ending to the match and just as fast Az felt his weight withdraw as the stranger moved back to his previous position. He did not stand over Azure and bask in his win, nor rub the loss in the young boy's face. He he took his time standing back up from the ground, trying to keep the disappointed frown from his face. "I look forward to the next one." His reply came, a promise buried within it. As it was with every wolf that had bested him, Azure was determined to one day even the score. He stepped back in alongside his father, sneaking the warlord a cautious glance. Thankfully Sirius did not seem upset with his loss, and Ulric was quickly accepted into the rank of warrior. "Congratulations. Welcome to the Armada." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

A smile crossed his lips when Sirius granted him a place in their pack along with the position of warrior. It certainly felt like an accomplishment in of itself since Azure had made him work for it. "Thank you," he replied to both of them with a dip of his head. It was a strange thought for him to be part of a pack again after so many years, but he was looking forward to adjusting back to this way of life again. He just hoped that he was as good a fit for their pack as he thought he was. "I'll be looking forward to that rematch," he told Azure as he looked back toward the heir with a slight grin. He got the feeling that fighting and training were going to be a large portion of his life moving forward with the Armada so he was confident that they would fight again sooner or later. With that he went to go get settled in and tend to the few wounds he received during their spar, crossing through the tall grass plains and making his way to the side of the territory that led into the willow tree forest. At the very least he was still very close to the lands that felt more like home. "Talk"