Perhaps his response had been overly cold, holding her back at arms length as though he was afraid she'd get too close. It all looped back to the fact that right now his wants and desires meant nothing to him, they were flickering thoughts in the back of his mind and for the most part were easy to ignore. He sensed her concern, it seemed as though she worried he felt as though he was being forced into this. Perhaps it was a valid concern given their current arrangement but it was not something he had even taken into account. He was quick to put those worries to rest as best as he could.

"I know." He rumbled as he turned to look at her. Sunset met steel. "You have given me much to think about and I appreciate your honesty. But know this, even you could not force me to do something I did not wish to do." Which wasn't to say he was outright saying yes but...it clearly was not a no either. Just a strong maybe for now. Surely she would understand. "If...in time I do take you as my wife, it shall be because I want to."

He got to his paws. In his eyes it was somewhat dealt with, or at least brushed aside for now so they could focus on the future of Ashen and not such personal matters. Which was to say he preferred to address such things in smaller doses, with plenty of time in-between so he could mull and think things over.

"As for raiding, perhaps we ought to start looking into which packs would make suitable targets. Do you have any in mind?"

Venom sat quietly for a moment before Hattori spoke again, his words were soft and as always well thought out. They addressed many concerns within herself. She was glad he couldn’t read her mind, and knew the polite distance that needed to be kept. Professional until Spring. Venom didn’t miss a single word Hattori spoke as her vibrant eyes met his flashing silver gaze. He didn’t give her a straight yes but it wasn’t a rejection either. Much like the rest of her life this was a patience game. The corners of her lips barely pulled back into a small smile at the thought and she flicked her tongue at him before returning her gaze to the horizon. There was so much future yet to be seen, for now focusing on the present would be much more pertinent. She nodded slightly and dropped the topic again.

It was as satisfying an end as she would receive today and as Hattori took to her paws so would she, perhaps a little scout of the beach before returning to Ashen. ”The northern pack, Winterfell.” Her eyes grew stormy as she thought of the first pack to take advantage of them. ”I owe them a repayment.” She was obviously unsettled in the way her quills flared in her scruff. ”You know their stores are filled with plush furs of winter clad animals.” Perhaps Ashen would do well to have a seal hunt in their territory. The fatty animals were valuable in endless ways. In either case, there was plenty to look forward to should they win.

Hattori listened as they walked down the dark length of the beach, with a respectable, safe distance between them. Winterfell's raid was before his time but it appeared as though Venom's resentment ran deep, that even now months after the fact she wanted nothing more than to give them a taste of their own medicine. Even with his logic driven brain he could understand where she came from, but if that was her only reason behind raiding the northern pack he would have encouraged her to reconsider. Except that she had a point. A pack who chose to settle in the north no doubt had stores filled with all they needed to survive whatever the seasons threw at them. Furs, meat and tools would be needed in abundance if they wished to expand not only their borders but their roster too. It was still some ways away but raiding Winterfell seemed like a good enough place to start when they got around to it. For now it was time to look within the pack and focus on wait was right in front of them. There was still a fair amount to work and improve on but it was manageable, nothing that he deemed as overly problematic.  

"And what if we are unable to reach Winterfell, are there any others packs you believe would be worth our time?" He posed the question, wanting to cover all bases. Though he doubted it would come to that. "But know that I do agree with you, they seem to be a good target. I would suggest we give the ranks time to settle and train before we inform them of our decision." And there he was, referring to himself and Venom as a team, as though Ashen was their pack.

They kept their distance, both of them very aware of the respect they had to pay to their situation. They needed to keep up appearances and avoid anything that might not suit their stature. The distance wasn’t so terrible as they talked about the future and made plans to expand their influence. Revenge, recompense, returning a favor.. whatever it could be construed as she owed the winter pack for her loss. Venom had only been in training to become the Empress and the loss she suffered was one that wouldn’t easily be forgotten. She’d even sent Azure to take revenge on the wolf that bested her but even he had not come home victorious.

The extra room that their resource gathering would get them had a double usage. She knew one day soon she had to bear her own children. Perhaps they would be by Hattori, that would be the most optimal path. He was taking ownership of the pack even if he had yet fully committed himself personally to the young Empress.

She flushed the thought from her mind, those plans would come slower but eventually there would be resolution. For now.. ”No one in particular. We would do well to send out scouts to take stock, as well as they can, of our neighbors resources.” He was right to suggest they allow their wolves to settle into their new roles. ”If Winterfell is not the right target I will not let my personal spite cloud the right decision.”

Hattori nodded, even there was currently no need to focus on another target they would still do well to learn about the other packs that called Boreas home. He briefly recalled a conversation they had shared, in which she admitted that there was a lot she did not know about their neighbours. Initially Hattori did not have the time or resources to look into it but things were changing within Ashen, unlike before if he asked for a volunteer he knew many would offer their services. It was simply a matter of choosing the right scout and letting them handle the matter themselves.

On that note he then remembered that he had once met a wolf he simply assumed hailed from Winterfell, given the location. She had been a strong and capable fighter and had gladly offered him a helping paw in bringing down that walrus, earning herself a tusk in the process. If all wolves from Winterfell were like that then he suspected the raid would be a challenge, one he believed Ashen could rise to. But of course, with the north being so far away all manners of things could have changed. The sooner they knew what was what the sooner they could start to arrange their affairs in earnest. Another thing to add to the growing list.

"I understand." And he trusted her that she could put her prejudices aside if need be. For the good of their Empire. "And beyond the packs affiliated with ours, do you know how they regard Ashen?" Things had no doubt changed within Ashen but they likely did not know that, their opinions would be based upon outdated information.

Hattori didn’t argue with her when she suggested the mass scouting mission to greater Boreas. Now that they were truly settling down their roots and shaping Ashen like clay, it was time to send their paws out into the world to demonstrate the power that they worked so hard for. They had plenty of challenges ahead of them, but it wouldn't be anything they hadn’t seen before. Knowledge was power, and the more they knew about their surroundings the better. White gloved legs carried her easily along in the sand as her sunset gaze stole glances at the Shogun by her side.

”We have a potential friend in Abaven.” She commented almost offhand. ”My aunt is mated to the alpha’s father. They’re a family based pack. We could use the tie as an opportunity.” She’d met the children and spoke with their mother but they would do good to seek out the alpha’s ear. ”I’m not sure how the Hallows regard us, but there is also a hint of potential there. I couldn’t tell you much about the others. Valhalla is relatively unknown to me and Fireside…” That was where she paused. Venom swallowed hard before she spoke. ”It’s a long story but safe to say relations are cold.”

When Hattori had roamed the east he had caught what he assumed to be Abaven's scent in passing, but at the time he simply didn't have a name to put to it. From the sounds of it their connection to Abaven was tenuous at best but approaching it from a familial angle would likely serve them better than not. As for the Hallows Hattori had spent some time with it's Aegis and though he wouldn't consider her a friend it was apparent that they had an understanding for one another, that the foundations were in place if either party wished to pursue it further.

"I have spoken with the Aegis of the Hallows, she was agreeable enough to allow me access to their springs."

He had no doubt that Resin had no interest in joining the Empire but that was not their intent, nor did Hattori have much interest in pursuing that avenue right now. If ever. As for the others he nodded along, just as much in the dark as she was...till she mentioned Fireside. He side eyed her and slowed a little to walk at her pace. She seemed troubled and for reasons that ought to be quite obvious he felt compelled to lend her his ear.

"I do not have anywhere else to be. If you wish to speak of it I shall listen."

Venom hadn’t ever really spoken to Resin, but she knew that Sirius respected her fiercely and she did too. Still, there wasn’t much reason to pursue much beyond a friendship with the pack. Hattori continued to work as her other half, having had his own meeting with the other pack leaders. She smiled softly at the thought, realizing in these moments how difficult ruling the Empire and further, expanding the Empire, would be without him. Venom needed and more so wanted him at her side. Now and in the future. She wasn’t so sure about forever, but the thought was tempting.

When she made mention of Fireside Hattori pressed very lightly. Not quite asking for her explanation but making obvious he would stay at her side and listen if she spoke. Venom sighed heavily. ”My sister Pestilence joined there,” that in itself wasn’t the cause of the threat. ”Before my leg was broken my sisters made a trip to the volcano, while they were there Pestilence attacked them.” This was still so difficult for her to talk about. Knowing her sister was gone and the harm it had done to her relationship with Toxicity. ”They killed her.” She lost her voice as the words left her and she found herself averting her gaze to the ocean’s horizon.

In silence he listened as she spoke of family, old wounds and loss. It was a lot to take in but somehow he felt as though he understood, as though her pain was brushing up aside his own. Hattori's brows furrowed in quiet contemplation. Family killing family, he hated how familiar of a notion it was. For all the death he had wrought, all the lives he had ended, he had only just recently learned what it felt like to lose someone important. And it hurt, unimaginably so. He puffed a sigh as he blinked slowly, his eyes stinging a little from the salty sea breeze. He came to a stop.

"I am sorry for your loss." It was no doubt the polite thing to say, but it felt impersonal as though he was simply going through the motions. Venom deserved better. "And I understand." He paused for a long moment, the words reluctant to pass his maw. "My cousin, Take, Raijin's brother...was killed. And I- I was not there but I feel guilty all the same."

The situation was horrendously complex, with daggers in the dark already wet with blood, but there was nothing he could do for now. Not here. But it made him wonder, if Venom's sister had been dead for quite some time then why had Fireside not retaliated? Had they simply not noticed or was it just a matter or not caring?

Venom tried to hold the situation at arms length and not acknowledge the emotions the information drudged up from within her. Cautiously she looked to Hattori, he was always contemplative and seemed to hold all the answers behind his iron gaze. His presence was reliable and steady, a foundation that she could build herself upon. Someone that she could tell her sorrows and uncertainties to. She was always honest with Hattori, perhaps that was part of the reason they fit together so well. His sensitivity to her own inner turmoil was obvious as he sighed and slowed to a stop.

The young Empress brought her soft gaze to him as he spoke softly, the words were polite as he offered condolence. She blinked back her surprise as Hattori continued speaking, revealing what she felt so easily. He understood, deeper than she imagined. She lowered her gaze, while he hid his emotions with this confession Venom could feel his struggle as easily as her own. ”I’m sorry, Hattori.” She murmured back in return, hesitantly looking at his liquid silver gaze.

She refrained, painfully, from offering any kind of physical comfort. Their distance would be well maintained, but she could feel his support with every word he spoke. Each one precious and filled with meaning. ”You were close to Take?” Venom asked then, quietly. If she couldn’t hold him tightly to bond over their woes, she would seek to know more about his cousin.

Hattori rumbled, grateful for the sentiment. Words couldn't bring Take or Pestilence back, nothing could, but all the same if words offered comfort to those who lived on then it wasn't a waste of breath. Venom might have been frustrated that she could not offer him any physical comfort but her presence was a welcome reprieve nonetheless. Something he hadn't been able to offer Raijin on that cold and windy day. He sighed and blinked again, even now not quite sure how grief ought to be handled. His training had never touched upon it, nor would it ever, and so he felt almost as though he was adrift at sea. Lost and out of touch from how he ought to be. But having Venom remain by his side, quiet and understanding, helped him feel grounded, as though the sand was truly beneath his paws.

"Yes." Hattori admitted after a brief pause. "Raijin and I do not get along, we never have. But Take is....was different, I enjoyed his company."

Words were all they had now, they couldn’t go back in time, but if they could Venom would in a moment. Pestilence wasn’t the only one she would try to save. How different would she be right now if Archon had lived through the volcano’s eruption? How would Hattori be different had Take survived? Venom held herself steady because and for Hattori. He was always standing so tall and strong, burying his own emotions, desires, and needs for his duty. She was blessed with an answer, Venom was well aware of her borrowed time with him now. She knew that he needed time with his thoughts, they’d spoken about so much here on the beach alone tonight. Venom treasured every moment as Hattori kindled her affection for him without a single touch.

He admitted that he never got along with Raijin, surprising in itself, but the way he spoke softly about the lost warrior nearly broke Venom’s heart right then. ”It’s hard… to say goodbye.” She offered softly as she shifted slightly on her paws. ”Time heals all wounds.”

What made it all worse was that Hattori hadn't even been given a chance to say his goodbyes. At the time he'd been enveloped in his own problems, forced to jump into a ravine in order to escape to his pursuers and nearly drowned in the process. Meanwhile his cousin had choked on his blood, died cold and alone, with his ears ringing with the sound of his brothers screams. Hattori blinked again. But she was right, with time it would pass he simply had to ride out the storm and continue to grit his teeth and bear it. With Venom by his side it seemed manageable, like a possibly within his grasp. The world just seemed a little brighter with her around, for reasons he thought best not to dwell on too much for now.

"I know." He exhaled the air out from his lungs as he forced his shoulders square and stood up a little taller. A little more whole.  "And thank you for indulging me, in all things. As a Shinobi I have no right or reason to say this, but serving you has been fulfilling. I consider it time well spent."

Venom had slowly been distanced from her sister. Pestilence had felt betrayed the moment that Archon died and actively distanced herself from her siblings. When she lost Archon, that had been the most devastating blow in her young life. They’d been tiny children when he’d been killed, and nothing had been the same since. Venom hadn’t been there when either of them died, but felt much the same. She’d been given no option to say her goodbyes. She stifled her own sigh and stood strong for Hattori, who seemed to straighten as he listened to her words. She wasn’t sure but his voice sounded stronger.

The young Empress aimed to find his gaze as he thanked her, and she knew this was no idle appreciation. When Hattori spoke it was after much thought and consideration. He didn’t waste his breath. Her ears lowered to her head as she felt humbled by his words and again she restrained herself however difficult he made it for her. He’d never told her anything so sweet or revealing, and Venom wouldn’t take the words for granted. She wanted so badly to show him her appreciation.

”Hattori,” She began softly, and took a daring step forward but no closer. ”Any time with you is well spent.” She echoed his sentiment with the hint of a smile and a slow flick of her forked tongue. ”You’re my closest ally, and so much more.” She tried to cut herself off, knowing how close to inappropriate she was flirting. ”I’d do anything for you.” Venom confessed with a breathy whisper as it slipped from her dark lips.

Venom stepped one pace closer and that should have been Hattori's cue to step back, but he remained where he was. Fixated. She had always been the one to take the initiative and make her feelings known, they were allies, friends and come spring perhaps even more. It was a lot to take in, this conversation with its twists and turns but for some reason or another Hattori did not feel overwhelmed. His emotions were there, roiling beneath the surface but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation, he supposed that this was what Venom did to him. Made him feel things. And he knew that she likely felt the same way, she'd openly admitted as much, so what was stopping them? Propriety? He'd said as much not long ago but despite using it as a shield to hide behind and to hold her at bay he knew better. She was his mistress and so she could twist the rules in whichever form best suited her interests and as always as her Shinobi he would obey her without question. But to even suggest that was so biased that it brought him shame to have even considered it.

Look at what she did to him, she made him weak. He bit off that line of thought and tightened the muscles in his jaw.

"And I for you. You need only ask, Empress." Anything.

The confession sounded foeign on her lips, but she knew them to be true. Venom was toeing a dangerous line, but how awful could being together be? Who was going to look down on them and even more so who had the right to look down on them? She shook the thoughts from her head before she could expand on them. They were holding back for the principle and for their own honor and that should have been enough for now. Spring would be here soon, and if Hattori was lucky, so would a marriage proposal. Venom could be patient until that moment. She didn’t have to contend with natural attraction and her heat right now. She had enough self control.

She was severely tested as Hattori confessed the same, but she managed to keep her distance and instead pulled further apart as she sat back on her haunches. He said earlier that she could not force anything from him, but if she had the will to ask it would be done. He tempted her further, and Venom felt herself take a steadying breath. ”I know,” She returned softly finding herself at a crossroads. She’d acted much too quickly the last time he’d offered her any of her desires, and she was much more cautious now. What she really wanted was the feeling of his embrace around her shoulders.

Venom stood once more and shook out her fur, discreetly pulling away as she fought for control of the fog in her head. ”Hattori,” she found his gaze once more as she aimed to lead them further down the shore. ”What is more common, redrafting a contract or satisfying its ends early?” She spoke as though the answer would have no consequence, and there was a hint of playfulness in her tone.

Hattori frowned as he fell in step beside her, letting her take the lead as always. Even with their stopping and starting they had covered a wide stretch of the beach, familiarising themselves with it in the hopes that one day it would be claimed as their own. He supposed if there was ever a place to speak of the future then this was it, the embodiment of it all, shimmering with hopes and promises of not so distant glory. He curled his talons into the sand as he walked, noting the grainy texture as it speckled the white of his paw pads. He thought long and hard on her question, wondering whether he'd made his thoughts a little too obvious with his last statement. The last thing he wanted after all was to lead her on, to steer her away from logical and considered lines of thought.

He met her gaze, unblinking and unwavering. She asked a question and thus he would answer. So much had changed but that had and would always remain the same.

"I would say the former." He told her slowly as he thought back, shuffling through the mental files he's stored away in his mind. "Most of my assignments required a task to be completed and once it was done I was no longer in their service. However, given the...unpredictable nature of my work if the situation or my duties change then the contract and price is adjusted accordingly."

She stole glances as she spoke, and his frown showed that he was not quite as amused as she was. Always mr. propriety. Venom was searching for a theoretical work around, but she had already resigned to waiting the allotted time. They had too much work to do to be distracted by weddings or affections. That was where Deathbelle had made her mistakes and Venom vowed that she would not. Spring would come in time, and as long as they wed by Autumn’s arrival… that thought went a bit too far. Gracefully sidestepping and crossing in front of her Shogun Venom placed herself at the ocean’s edge on his other side. White gloved paws teased the surf and the cold water quelled any further dissent.

Hattori left her waiting, but as always he gave his answer as truthfully as possible. Venom met his gaze, realizing the more they spoke the more free she felt. Free to do and be what felt most natural in his presence. This was a level of relationship she had yet to attain with anyone else. Even with Sirius she felt like there was a part of her she needed to guard. Something about Hattori left her wide open. Getting to know him had been slow going, but she felt so rewarded every time he revealed more of himself to her. They were swift partners but more than that Venom would be patient with. They had too much else to keep them occupied.

”I see.” Venom returned in a similar fashion to what she came to expect from him. She’d keep the knowledge to herself for now and use it if an opportunity arose. For now the thought of how many days to spring would sit in the back of her mind.

Hattori shouldn't have expected any less. Her witty little I see, earned her an amused exhale before he dipped his head in acknowledgement. If she was content to leave things as if for now then he would follow suit and do the same. Somewhat reluctantly he pulled his gaze away from her lithe form and looked once again to the distant and dark shapes of the archipelago, each island different size and shape to the last. The sun had long since set and the waves that rolled across the beach were as dark as the sand itself, but the stars were out and a quick glance back at Venom showed that they shone in her eyes. Bright and enticing. A weaker man would have folded weeks, if not months ago. He looked back to the sea and breathed deep as the chill of the breeze swept in again, casting  away his temptations with it.

"Very well. May I escort you back to Ashen?"

He was a good sport when he received a taste of his own medicine and Venom earned herself a sign of amusement. She couldn’t help but grin in response as their gaze broke. The pair were nearing the end of the beach, and the end of their adventure. Patrols still needed to be done, and the night was not yet over. They had much to dwell on from the trip and not only in a sense of their duties. His deep voice followed the breeze as he accepted her words and realized as clearly as she did that the time had come to return home. This had been a special night, and Venom held Hattori’s words close to her chest. ”You may,” Venom replied softly, lingering for a moment longer to search his silvery eyes before leading the way home.