Sedna’s face still ached, but at least it didn’t look like she would end up losing her eye. Small blessings and all that bullshit. It didn’t help her inability to sleep at all. She had tried almost everything, facing the back of the den to block out the moonlight, flopped from one side to the other, rolled onto her back. Nothing was working. There was simply too much space for a wolf that was used to sleeping in a pile with at least a dozen other bodies. The Archer-Lyall now knew better than to go for another late night patrol alone beyond the borders after what had happened last time, but she wasn’t about to waste waking hours just laying here staring at a wall.

She hauled herself up with a reluctant groan, noting that Otis was already out, doing opossum things she supposed. A quick pass of the borders would do her better than trying to weed her garden and accidentally ripping up something not yet ready for harvest. The silver woman paused to bow in a stretch, the satisfying pop of vertebrae helping her feel even slightly more refreshed after nights and nights of sleeplessness. Part of her knew it’d probably only take a passing comment to Mort to find herself bundled up happily into a cuddle puddle, but then, her pride wouldn’t allow her to show that sort of weakness to a yearling, or to put that sort of needy pressure on one either.

With a sigh she made her way towards where the tall grass plains met the weeping woods. The sound of the wind passing through the willow leaves always, at least bought her some small measure of peace.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The night was still young in the mind of Magnus as he was out eagerly scouting the woods and searching for any signs of loners getting too close to the borders. Thankfully there wasn't anything fresh, but he had found himself hunting a small raccoon and carried it now by its scruff back to the Armada. He would skin it back at the meeting grounds, brightened by the light of the fire and within the safe borders as to not attract other night predators and leave him exposed. He enjoyed the night, but not so much the creatures that lurked and preyed in the woods.

As he crossed the borders back into the territory, he slowed to a stop and tilted his head. There was another, standing and seeming to enjoy the peace of the night. Magnus wasn't sure he recognized them in the dark, but a light breeze wafted her scent over and he knew she was of the Armada. He wasn't worried anyway - someone would be pretty stupid trying to trespass. Unsure if the wolf could see him or not, he let out a low boof to alert them to his presence, although it was muffled by the fat raccoon hanging from his jaws.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

The moonlight would hide the subtle pull of her skin over her shoulders that may have passed for a flinch in the darkness, perhaps appearing as more of a subtle flick and ripple of her flanks to shake off a biting insect. Silver eyes squinted, spotting the mans stark behind before she could make out his front. His colouring was similar to Tilly’s she supposed, as best she could make out, but instead of darkened edges and a white middle, his ran from front to back. She was kinda relieved someone else was out, she could easily think of far worse company when she couldn’t sleep anyway.

The Archer-Lyall diverted her course to fall in along side the man, shoulders relaxing with the familiar scent of pack and home, the simple act of movement allowing the weight over her shoulders to lift some. He was of a similar size to most of her siblings, only adding to her ready acceptance, and she casually bumped her shoulder against his in way of silent greeting as they continued to the fire, ignoring the painful pinch of healing bruises under her coat, knowing the pressure wouldn’t be enough to open the newly scabbed over wound. There was no point trying to hold a conversation with his mouth full of racoon.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

As he approached, the other filled in the space next to him with a slight bump of their shoulders in greeting and he smiled a bit around the raccoon and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. A quiet one, it seemed, though talking would be rather difficult with the animal hanging from his jaws and he was somewhat grateful for the silence at this time. They weren't far from the central fire of the pack, so it wasn't a long walk before they would be able to talk and see what each were doing out so late at night, if she were even interested in his reasoning. Frankly, it was just nice to have someone else out here so late.

The summer night was warm and more like what he was used to from back home where the wolves didn't wear clothes, didn't grow to massive sizes, and certainly didn't have wings or saber fangs. The rhythmic crashing of the waves on the shore could be heard in the silence of the night but was distant still as they would arrive at the central fire. Finally, he put the raccoon down and offered the woman another smile. "I'd say it's a bit late to be wandering out alone, but I was doing the same." He softly laughed, lips resting back into a relaxed smile.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

"Heh," Her chuckle was short and sharp and not quite genuine in the way it passed from her lips. "Still adjustin’ ter sleepin’ alone. Yer go from a dozen bodies ter none...and in a den when it isn’t even snowin’ out..." The Archer-Lyall let her statement run off with a shrug, a sad smile pulling at the corner of her lips as she focused on the racoon between the other wolf’s paws. Maybe she was just a bit homesick. "Sedna," She offered up her name with a softer smile this time, leaning back into a seat herself and finally letting grey eyes meet purple. Well that was different. Her shoulders rolled, and she scooted her rear a little further from the flames, it was a warm night and her coat was already soaking up more than the light alone. "I wasn’ from around ‘ere before, it’s a lot ter take in."

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Her accent was thick and different, but easy to understand. It intrigued him, but he tried not to focus on it too much and instead what she said. He guessed she wasn't from around here based on her accent alone, but he hadn't traveled to all of Boreas and for all he knew, the dialect was different in other parts. Sleeping alone did take a lot of time to adjust to, especially when you spent a good part of your life sharing a sleeping space. Magnus had been alone for years before joining the Armada, so for him it was weird to be in a pack and sleeping with others near by, no matter how like-minded they are. Had Magnus grown up with many brothers and sisters, he probably would have enjoyed sleeping in a big pile, too.

He offered a nod, understanding that it must be difficult to acclimate. It had been difficult for him, too. "Magnus," He said as a small smile graced his lips and offered a slight dip of his head. It wasn't until joining the Armada that he got so friendly, but it was really only with wolves within the pack. He hardly trusted anyone else, especially loners. "Me either," He agreed, remembering his time much farther south than here and even the portion of land he'd heard about connected to Boreas. "It's been years since I've been a part of a pack, getting used to it again was difficult. Especially with all these mutants." He used the term playfully and added a slightly laugh, thinking of his initial thoughts when he'd seen Sirius.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

She tucked the name away, relaxing easily when he said he wasn’t from here either. It seemed he had the opposite problem to her though, unused to being part of a pack, she had only gone through a few months out of one, and even then, she had her niece as company. This was her first time really sleeping alone. Ever. Sure she had Otis, but the opossum didn’t have the weight of another wolf.

At his playful mention of mutants, she laughed too. "First wolf I met comin’ ‘ere was Mort, imagine, me, used ter wolves no bigger’n you, all blacks an’ browns, racing my niece and up charges Mort. I jus’ about died, reckoned Ma’s fairy stories stole me away an’ were about ter gobble us up! An’ then Sirius came lookin’ fer ‘im..." Her eyes were crinkled in the corners, voice rising and falling with the retelling. Her face hurt, but for once it wasn’t just her newly acquired scar giving her grief. She motioned towards the raccoon still sitting on the ground between them, "What do yer plan on doin’ with tha’?" She had taken in a lot since coming here, at home they would have just eaten it and left whatever wasn’t eaten for the scavengers. None of this smoking and storing, just dig a good hole, it’d still be good in a day or so. More changes, nothing was as simple as it used to be.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Laughing as she told her story, it reminded him of how he met Sirius. He didn't react exactly the same, but he knew the feeling she spoke about. Sirius was a monster of a wolf, looking almost like the reaper himself with scythes for teeth. Of course he hadn't been scared of the warlord due to his cocky nature, but he still intimidated the man slightly. Thankfully, things had worked out well on both of their behalf. Sirius had earned a loyal warrior and Magnus had earned a good friend. He intended on spending the rest of his life with the Armada if everything went well, and having a few mutants for allies was certainly good on his side.

"When I met Sirius I wasn't sure what to think," He laughed, though didn't have much of a story to tell about it like she had. He helped hunt a jaguar that had wandered through the packs territory and was offered a place within the ranks. It wasn't long after that that he was raised up to the rank of a warrior, where he'd been sitting comfortably for some months now. He was ready for a change, for more responsibility, for a higher rank. He could only hope Sirius wanted the same for him.

Sedna mentioned the raccoon and he looked down at it and shrugged. "I was just out scouting around, found a raccoon and decided to catch it for the cache. Are you hungry?" He asked, willing to give her the catch if she wanted to eat. He wasn't too hungry himself and was fine just skinning the animal and storing the meat, but he wouldn't say no if the woman wanted a snack.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

Sedna allowed her legs to slide out in front of her, laying by the fire and watching the flames, one ear turned towards Magnus to show she was still listening, smiling when he said he wasn’t sure what to think of Sirius. After the shock of Mortis’s wings and unusual colouring, the sight of his father had been a step towards normal for the Archer-Lyall. When he asked if she was hungry she met his eyes again, "I’m fine thanks," she responded easily. "Wasn’ sure if yer had plans fer th’ parts or not. Woulda’ never thought o’ half whats around ‘ere at home." She was almost certain her mother would have had a fit if she saw some of the pouches other wolves carried, or how the Armada used a cart for hauling things around like at the kids birthday bash. It saved a lot of time, she could gather so many more herbs, and the thought of a garden? Not a chance.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Magnus nodded and talking about it reminded him that he needed to skin the animal, process the pelt, and smoke the meat for storage. He set to work on that, grabbing his knife from the bracers he always wore and carefully began cutting the skin from the bone around the wrists and ankles. Removing the pelt from the raccoon wasn't a long process and after a quick slice down the middle, removing the guts, and gently sliding his knife between the pelt and body, the pelt was removed. It would need to be stretched to get the best use out of it, but it could sit and wait for a moment while he worked with the meat and guts.

"This is all very new to me, as well. I'd never heard of crafting before coming here." It was surprising how evolved these wolves were from the one's he'd come from, though he had to admit they were smart. Taming animals to pull carts, raising animals, crafting armor and weapons, it was all so foreign to him. It really wasn't until the bear attack that he had really considered any kind of armor or weapons, but now he was starting to settle into the life of the Boreas wolves and he wouldn't even think about turning back now.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

Sedna watched with interest as Magnus wielded the blade, removing the skin from the animal more cleanly than she could ever manage with her teeth. It made her think of the shiny thing Otis had found in the Willows and gifted to her. When she had given him a strange look he had strapped it to her tail, arranging the fur in a way that concealed it’s existence beneath her plush tail. He had seemed pleased with himself, but she had thought he was being foolish and hadn’t taken to wearing it just yet, but seeing how Magnus put something similar to use, she made sure to make a mental note to start carrying it with her.

"What’s the purpose o’ smokin’ th’ meat? It makes it dry an’ it tastes strange... Not tha’ I mind... it’s just different." Did it make it last longer? Was it just a regional flavour preference? She preferred her meat fresh where she could get it. Were famines common here?

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The offal wasn't his favorite part of the animal by any stretch, and so he set the organs aside for his companions. They'd be ecstatic for the rich tasty treat while it really just made Magnus gag at the thought of eating it. Emptying out the stomach contents, he slid the other organs inside to make it easier to carry back to his den. The rest of the meat would need to be removed from the bones and smoked, something that was still entirely foreign to him.

"It doesn't taste the best, but smoking the meat will allow it to last longer. With all the training we have to do, there isn't much time for everyone to go out an hunt for fresh food, it's just easier to smoke it." He shrugged, then picked his knife back up to start cutting the meat from the bones. If the bones weren't so small, they'd be great for chewing on to sharpen and clean the teeth, but without puppies around these bones were better used for crafting than chewing.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

Sedna had to nod along as he said there was hardly time to hunt often with all the training they did. She struggled to keep on top of her garden alone now Sigrun had gone wandering, and the lack of sleep wasn’t helping her keep up at all. Her fight training was suffering too. "Back home, th’ ground was cold enough ter jus’ bury it an’ it’d keep." She mentioned in passing. She hadn’t really considered the heat before now, sure it was a pain when she first arrived, but being this close to the sea seemed to regulate the temperature some. "Then again, back home, if we saw a fire we’d be runnin’..." She was still coming to grips with the scent of smoke being okay. She was yet to decide if everything here was as great as it seemed at first glance.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Magnus nodded in understanding at her words as he worked on the carcass. He was almost done with it and soon the meat would be drying over the smoke of the fire to be stored. All this work was starting to make him hungry however, so there may not be any use to smoking it. Magnus preferred the taste of a fresh kill versus a cooked or smoked meal. He wondered how many others in the Armada preferred the taste of a fresh kill anymore. Besides Aslatiel at least. The girl was strange, but Magnus loved her all the same. It made her different.

"Where I'm from it's always hot, or at least mild. Snow was unheard of there."
He laughed a bit, remembering what he used to call home. A place like that wasn't a home, just a place he lived. The Armada was a home.

"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

Sedna hadn’t stopped to consider how the temperate climate would affect the colder months, and now in the haze of her lack of sleep, it suddenly seemed like a much bigger deal than it would have been otherwise. By all her mother’s old gods, what would she do if it did snow and she still had to sleep on her own? Freeze to death most likely, if she didn’t drop dead from exhaustion or get herself killed otherwise before then. "Does it snow here?" She questioned, a small hint of her fears visible in the slight narrowing of the corners of her silver eyes. "Nex’ time yer go huntin’, let me know. I miss fresh meat." she added as an afterthought. She really needed to get herself out there with the other members of the pack, might as well be useful while she was about it.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

"It does, but not that bad. It usually melts by the time the sun rises high or most of it does, anyway." He answered, a light shrug on his shoulders. He paused from the work now, taking a short break from the job and resting a bit. Now it was just to strip the meat from the body, cut it into pieces, and smoke it. It wouldn't be a long process, but he had a few minutes he could take a break so he was happy to do so. It wasn't like a rabbit had a load of meat on it, anyway.

At her offer of joining him on the next hunt he went on, he smiled and nodded. "Of course. Aslatiel knows all the good hunting spots around here, so I'll get some notes from her." The last time he'd gone hunting, the group had been ambushed by a group of angry hyenas. It wasn't something he wanted to happen again, especially when it included losing their meal. Of course Resin hadn't known of the looming pack, but it would be nice to know where not to go if there had been a large number of predator sightings lately.

If it only snowed at night then maybe she would be ok. Maybe Otis would find himself a girlfriend and she could sleep in a pile of opossum babies... maybe that’d be enough... The mental image bought a smile to her face that could easily be passed off as happiness at Magnus’s agreement to take her hunting, and his mention of Aslatiel. "She’s a good kid, good fighter too." Sedna responded fondly, standing to drag another log to the fire and shifting her body as she returned to her place. She wanted to ease up on a warm spot on one side from the fire and shift it to another. Maybe she’d just sleep next to the fire in winter instead.

The Archer-Lyall was interested in what the other wolf was doing to prepare the kill, but she failed to stifle a yawn. Even just having someone to talk to was helping to ease some of the tension that had built up from the lack of den company. "Sorry," she apologised with a tired smile, "Lack o’ sleep is catchin’ up but if I move I’ll be awake again. Can’t sleep withou’ company." She poorly attempted to stifle another yawn and reclined, resting her chin on her legs, still watching what he was doing with interest, if through half lidded eyes.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Nodding in agreeance with what she'd said about Aslatiel. She was a good kid, a good fighter, and a great hunter. Frankly, there wasn't a kid that Magnus didn't like, although Azure was quickly lowering himself on the totem pole since he'd returned. He still had a soft spot for the kid, but he was getting on his nerves to say the least. Mortis and Aslatiel didn't seem to throw much of a fit about his absence, Indigo he hadn't seen, but Azure had seemed to take it a little bit personally. He was young though, and right now the world didn't answer to him. If Sirius hadn't told him of the mission he'd sent him on, then it was an issue between them two not himself and Azure.

Magnus pursed his lips and pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind as Sedna spoke of her exhaustion. He was getting a bit tired himself but needed to finish the meat and get it smoking to be saved. "I'm sure someone wouldn't mind a denmate?" He questioned, wondering if she'd pressed for some. He was sharing a den with Mortis and a young girl Siren, who seemed to be afraid of everything like it was out to hurt her. Siren wasn't his favorite wolf, but he felt sorry for the girl and wished her the best. It was Mortis he really enjoyed spending his time with in the den, getting to catch up with the boy and screw around was the best part.

When he mentioned a den-mate a rueful smile crossed her lips, "I had one, m’ niece, but she’s as reliable as ‘er father an’ as gone off wanderin’ somewhere. Offered the second den to Ulric, but ma’s ol’ gods only know where ‘e got ter." The smell of the smoke was becoming surprisingly reassuring, and she managed a tired shrug. "’S obviously not meant ter be, reckon ma cursed me fer challengin’ ‘er then runnin’ off." She managed a snort of amusement. "It’ll take more’n that ter send me runnin’ home." There was still too much to do to prove herself, hell she might never go home. There was plenty of land up for grabs around this place, maybe one day she’d start something of her own.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Magnus nodded in understanding as she spoke of her niece, having wandered off and left her behind. As she continued, he listened quietly as he returned to his work of stripping the rabbit apart and gently laying it on a near by leaf, clean from dirt for the most part. A little dirt never hurt anyone, anyway. As she went on, Magnus remained quiet and smirked a bit. He too had run off from home when he was younger, choosing the life of a loner over the crappy life he was living back with his so-called family. It wasn't that bad, really, but it certainly didn't fit for him. He was still a pup when he decided he was going to leave, but it wasn't until much later that he actually acted on it.

"I'm sure there's someone that wouldn't mind. Hanako, maybe?" He paused from his work to look up at her with a tilt of his head. The girl was young, but seemed friendly enough of the few female members they had.