He didn't know how long he had been in that watery hell for...how long he'd been thrown around, drowned, and tossed like a ragdoll. All he knew was the darkness that had surrounded him for days. The faint beating of his heart, the dull feeling of water still around him. He knew he was being pushed and pulled. The water dragging at his fur. His lips felt dry and cracked, his throat raw from the salt water he had inhaled... "G...Gimli...wake...up..." He could feel large paws struggling to pull him up. Teeth in his scruff. Hear the faint gagging and coughing of his companion. "K...Knut...?" He rasped His mind went in and out of consciousness as he struggled to figure out what was going on. Was he alive? Was he dead? How many days had it been? Where was he? Was it over? Before he knew it, he suddenly felt the soft, silty ground stop his body. The water gently pushing him to shore while Knut seemingly tried to drag him. Suddenly, he heaved and let out an absurd amount of water. He felt like he was choking all over again, but when he was done, he took in a choking breath of air that burned his lungs. Several painful coughs left him as he struggled to breathe, but when he finally stopped enough to feel like he wasn't choking, he managed to open his eyes to find darkness looming over him. "K...Knut...where are we?" He rasped. "No idea...but we're finally near land...and away from that watery hell..." Gimli sighed as he closed his eyes again. He felt like every ounce of energy had been drained from his body. He felt numb...cold...soaked. "I need te...rest...and we need te figure out our bearings...Goddess Eir protected us...and Hel had mercy on us...barely..." He sighed before trying to sit up, but when he did, he felt a splitting pain in his hind leg and he yelped before slipping back to the ground. "Yer leg appears broken...we need te mend it, but..." Neither of them knew how to do that. Curses! I just...I just need te rest and then I can walk it off..." He was joking...mostly...but even so, he didn't have the energy to even really move at the moment. "Speak"

I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord heard the sounds of the waves from the den he shared with Zee. His wife was curled up, asleep in her safe nock when the itch came across Seer’s paws. He stretched quietly, getting to his paws. He smiled at the sight of his sleeping Wife, before turning and slipping out of the den.

He yawned and shook out his coat, before falling into a light trott to stretch out his muscles, and warm his body in the chill air. He hadn’t gone far before Marshal let out a warning cry, his dark shape almost invisible overhead. The Warlord frowned, and turned in the direction of the cry, and let his paws take him.

He found the half drowned wolf lying on his beach, and stopped a short distance away, his lips pulling into a snarl as he assessed the situation. It didn’t take him long to see that the wolf had washed ashore - but what on earth had he been doing out at sea? Another hard look and he realised he recognised this wolf. He was supposed to be a member of Ashen. He was one of the children of Dutch… he tried to reach for the vague memory in his past. Of a wolf he had seen only a few times. What had lead to this wolf lying on his beach. “Child of Dutch, what are you doing in Armada lands?”

"Speech"

It felt like he barely had a moment's rest before Knut uttered a low growl of warning. A moment later, a voice that he didn't really recognize, but he recognized the scent. And...that name...he hadn't heard that name in years. Bah, don't ye insult me with tha' name! I am no such child and I bear no ties te her name, neither." He said with annoyance, though that was all he could really muster before the pain in his leg started to ache. He wanted nothing to do with Dutch and his namesake...though his father, he was unsure. Hannibal had abandoned him just as much as Dutch had, but Gimli had chosen to stay with the Klein side of his family for a while longer until the Gods called him away. And now he was back...sort of...he had debated coming back, but adventure kept calling him and now well, it appeared fate decided he wasn't allowed to continue procrastinating on it. "As fer bein' on yer lands well...ye know...I s'pose I just came fer a swim against me will...as ye can see. I was not aware I was in or near Armada...Ah've only jus' woken up from a most terrible, watery nightmare.." He shuddered. Still amazed that he had even managed to survive and get away with nothing more than cuts, bruises, and a broken leg. Though he had no clue if anything else was broken just yet...the adrenaline and cold from his ordeal still coursed through him. "Speak"

I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord's disapproval grew as the washway wolf took offence. He didn’t remember the boy's name, only that he had been a child in Ashen under Deathbelles rule, and a child to Dutch. A wolf who he had spent some small amount of time with, what felt like a lifetime ago. Now he was on Armada lands, cursing at the Warlord for remembering his mothers name.

It took a few more slow moments of working through the past to remember that he had also been a child of Hannibal. Deathbelles brother and sometimes lover. A wolf Sirius sometimes grudgingly respected, and other times actively disliked. A wolf that also had abandoned Ashen, and Deathbelle.

He did not approve of the wolf's attitude, injured or not. He had a lot of talk for a wolf injured and at the Warlord's mercy. The coved shape of the Armada beach meant he had to have started out near Daager Isle, or Ashen territory. He had not seen him around Ashen for some time, but he had to know… “Mind your tongue, boy” he said, for he still did not recall the name he was born to. “Are you Venom’s wolf?” If so, he would return the boy to her immediately so he could seek the help he likely needed.

"Speech"

"Watch your tongue, boy." Knut narrowed his eyes a bit at the larger wolf, though said nothing as he shook out his waterlogged fur. Gimli, on the other hand, took in a deep breath as he suppressed a retort. He wasn't in the mood to be scrutinized. He was tired, in pain, and wanted to get out of the water after his ordeal. But it didn't seem like the wolf that had found him had any intention of being kind enough to help. Just his luck. "Gimli Klein, and no, Venom is not my alpha. Last time we went around there, the pack seemed full to the brim and I doubt that's changed, so ah'm packless at the momen', " He tried to recall where he'd seen this man before...something told him he had met him before, or at the very least, seen him around, but he couldn't remember his name. "Ye seem oddly familiar, big guy...ah've I seen ye before? Friend of my aunt Belle perhaps? If ye know Venom, asides from bein' neighbors, then I presume ye know the rest of me kin?" He was curious about the male, but also on guard. He couldn't exactly defend himself very well at the moment, though he'd still try if he had to. Did this guy mean to harm him? He was sure as hell threatening...and the dwarf wasn't sure why considering he wasn't exactly a threat at the moment. And it's not like he willingly showed up on the borders of the pack, but...fate had an odd way of doing things... "Speak"

I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord looked at his trespasser with a frown. He would not have thought wolves washing up on his shores like debris would be an issue he would have to look out for. But now this had happened twice, and that seemed like a little too often for coincidence. The last wolf had been frightened and demure, instantly obedient to the Warlord. This wolf was prickly and sour and Sirius fought to push back his desire to toss him off the Armada lands. To try and understand that this wolf had landed her by accident and not purpose.

He gave his name to the Warlord now, and it was faintly familiar. He hadn’t interacted much with the wolf, but he had seen him around the Ashen pack back in the old days. “You might remember me better as Deathbelle’s guard, then the Warlord I am now” he admitted grudgingly. “Sirius Fatalis, and we’ll get this straightened out and have a healer see to you” the last wolf had had amnesia and had been able to tell him nothing about how she ended up on Armada shores.

Raising his head, Sirius called out to his lead healer, and knew the man would be along shortly. “How did you end up in the water?”

"Speech"

“You might remember me better as Deathbelle’s guard, then the Warlord I am now” Aahh, well it sort of rang a bell. Honestly, Gimli didn't remember too many faces in Ashen considering they hardly paid him any mind. Asides from his aunt once in a while, but other than that...he had been largely ignored. "Ah, I vaguely remember ye but if I'm bein' honest, most of the wolves when I was younger hardly paid me any mind so I ended up doin' the same. I was but a wee pup I was, so I ventured on me own. Bein' a loner in the world was better than feelin' like I was alone in a pack if tha' makes sense?" He mused. He glanced at Knut after the larger cat cleared his throat, and Gimli realized he had rambled a bit. He supposed the big guy wouldn't really care, and if that was the case then it wasn't unusual. They hardly knew each other even when they had been in the same pack at one point. "Sorry for me ramblin', but if ye must know...we were attemptin' te cross the ice bridge up North, and before we knew it, a big tornado of water appeared. We tried te escape back to the mainland but it was quicker than we were. It picked us up and took the both of us for an unwanted ride...I imagine tha' was but a few days ago..." He fell quiet as he tried to figure out how many days, but he'd been unconscious since. "It's...been several...Gimli and I were knocked unconscious, but I came around faster than he did and managed to drag him onto a piece of debris to keep us afloat...I imagine it carried us a good distance before dropping us in the water, and judging by where we are, it carried us pretty far..." Gimli shuddered as the exhaustion started cloaking him like a heavy blanket. "Tha' is not somethin' I ever want te do again, nor should anyone else...I thought we'd be dead but the Gods seem to 'ave spared us, eh Knut? Strandin' us in the ocean for a few days though...at leas' they were merciful in sparin' our lives..." he muttered. "Speak"

Why could no one need him need him during the day? Mojito was roused from his sleep, his daughter tucked at his chest. Tira was spending much of her time with him while her mother was away and some part of the young man wasn't certain he'd be able to sleep peacefully once she went back to her mother's den. But for now it meant that when his alpha called for him he had to try and figure out how to remove himself from his nest without waking the young girl. Hoa was roused from his own corner of the hut and Mojito quickly grabbed some basic herbs: Dandelions, Meadowsweet and Yarrow, common herbs that could cover pain and bleeding... Without knowing what he was about to walk into the man wasn't about to potentially waste the more precious of his herbs. Hoa could easily return to get something more specialized.

So it was under these circumstances that Mojito arrived at the shore, giving a quick but respectful nod to his Warlord as he moved past Sirius to look at the small man on the sand. The man spoke with a thick brogue, Sirius already clearly having asked how it was the man had ended up in his drenched state. Mojito was too young to recognize his cousin and even if he had he would have done his best to put aside his disdain for the Kleins at least until his work was done. Was washing ashore something he needed to be better prepared for? Mojito glanced at the big fluff ball of a cat for a moment before he set about nosing gently at the man. "Hey, I know it's hard but I'm going to need you to stay awake for a bit longer." He said voice soft but firm as the man seemed to deflate a little after his story. "Outside of muscle stiffness do you have any other pain?" As Moijito nosed at the man's thick drenched fur he would occasionally rub the man's skin with his paws, gently trying to coax the blood to flow again and start trying to warm him back up. He glanced up at the cat again. "If you have the energy for it I recommend trying to groom yourself, it'll help to warm yourself back up." He said to the feline, ready to also poke and prod him if he'd let the young man.

Then he quickly glanced over at his companion. "Hoa if you could get two bowls of water, drinkable, please." The sheep nodded before trotting back towards the hut. It would be important to make sure these two weren't dehydrated, especially if any of the salt water had been ingested. Then he turned his attention back to slowly warming the man and checking him for open wounds, everything else he'd leave to the Warlord.



Speech

Art by Rivaah

I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord grunted noncommittally at that. He had first been a slave and a bodyguard. He had gone where he was told, and where he was needed. His sense of loyalty to the pack was strong, and had never had a sense of what Gimli was talking about - first, because he had been a slave. Then second, because he had become a leader.

“The ice bridge is the furthest point you can get from the Armada and still be on Boreas. Frankly, I’m astounded you survived. You're in the Southern territories now.” He explained, wondering if he should be skeptical of such a story, but finding no deceit in the man. As he spoke, he heard the sound of Mojito approaching. He nodded his head to his healing specialist. He was giving Gimli the best treatment by calling for the man.

“Thank you for coming, Mojito, sorry for the late call” he said politely. The man was the father of his grandchildren, as well as his lead healer now. An adult, a far different cry to the young wolf who had come to his borders looking for a place in the world. Sirius fell silent as Mo began his examination, taking control of the situation easily, and ordering the washed up survivor. Sirius leaned back, giving Mo all the space he needed, and then, finally, asked. “So what do you think doc, is he in for a long haul?” As leader, he was going to need to decide what to do with this wolf.

"Speech"

By this point, the exhausted male was starting to fade in and out of consciousness. He was exhausted, cold, hungry, felt like he got the shit kicked out of him and the pain was starting to worsen now. He was surprised he had managed to stay awake this long but he supposed the adrenaline was wearing off now. When the pack healer arrived, Gimli shot him an appreciative glance and didn't bother to fight it when Mojito started to put his paws on him. He lied still, one ear cocked towards the warlord as he spoke. He had the feeling he was unwelcome, though it wasn't like he planned on showing up at the border uninvited and this late at night at that. He wanted to respond to Sirius' mention of how far he'd been compared to where he was now, but again, he hadn't planned this. It was likely the waterspout had taken him on a wild ride before dumping him in the ocean, and the currents took it from there. When Mojito asked him about any other pain, the dwarf tried to sit up but winced and slumped back down while biting back the pain. "I...I think me leg migh' be broken... not sure about anythin' else but I feel like I've been trampled to hell," Still, he feebly attempted to lick himself where he could without upsetting his left hind leg. He couldn't feel his toes on that leg, but everything else seemed to be fine as far as he could tell. Barring the heavy bruising & cuts he had here and there, but he wasn't too concerned about anything other than his leg... he couldn't be an effective fighter if his leg was broken and he didn't know how long it would take to heal... "Speak"

For all he'd been through Mojito would never regret making the first choice he'd ever made for himself. The Armada had accepted him, had asked much of him and yet he'd never felt that he was saddled with too much. The only expectations placed on him had been to show up and do the work, and he'd flourished under that, blossomed even. Under his aunt and cousins he likely would never have outgrown his parentage, bogged down by the disdain his family seemed to hold for his father. So while yeah, he'd rather have been curled up with his daughter at his chest he would never begrudge the warlord for calling for him. It was his job, and it was the path he'd made for himself. Injuries did not care what he was doing when they needed treating.

The man before Mojito tried to sit up and before Mojito could even gently try to hold him down and tell him not to move he seemed to be stopped by his pain and Mojito frowned. His leg? The young Klien moved his attention towards the man's leg, moving extra carefully as he gently put his paws on the leg in question, applying pressure and even slowly flexing the man's joints, the entire time he kept his eyes on the man's face looking for any indication of extreme pain, he'd retract his paw quickly in such an event. Hoa returned with two bowls, each with fresh water and the sheep silently moved to drop one in front of the cat, gently pushing the other towards the two wolves. "Drink that, the only water you've gotten in you since being swept away is salt-water, you need to make sure you're properly hydrated."

Mojito stepped away turning his attention back towards Sirius. "That he's here right now and coherent enough to hold a conversation says a lot about his resilience. It looks like most things are surface deep, nothing some time and rest won't solve. That leg is concerning though, especially if I have to set it. All of which is a moot point if we can't get him moved somewhere warmer, dying of hypothermia won't do his wounds any good." That was the only real big thing they needed to focus on now, a broken limb could be set and kept in a sling but laying on wet sand in the middle of the night wasn't going to do his already wet and cold body any good.

Speech

Art by Rivaah

I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord gave a grunt of acknowledgement to that. “Do what you need to to prep him for transport then” he said, flicking one last glance at the shipwreck survivor, and taking off at a trott. He gave a soft howl as he moved, ordering Bast to set up a den closest to the pack's firepit. It had been lit for some time, and would have staved off any chill in the dens entrance. It would do for his place of recovery for now.

The Warlord headed towards the barracks, and going inside grabbed out one of his projects - what would eventually become the door of a den. The door, built for a Dire wolf to pass, would easily fit the entire body of the smaller wolf. He punched a hole at the top with a claw and tied a rope in a knot. He could drag the plank of wood this way.

Returning with it in tow, he placed it beside Gimli. “Bast is preparing a den near the firepit, it’ll be the warmest there.”


"Speech"

He allowed the floppy-eared, horned male to continue examining him. Even going as far as allowing the healer to touch his leg, but when he felt a little too much pressure was being put on it, he couldn't help but screw his face up in pain and the leg reactively pulled closer to him which, in turn, caused even more pain. He muttered curses under his breath. How had he let himself get into such a predicament!? There was no doubt in his mind now. He hated the ocean and wanted nothing to do with it if he could help it. He shivered as the last of the adrenaline wore off and the cold started to set in. Even with his attempt at warming himself, his thick shaggy coat was just too much for what he was trying to do... His efforts were interrupted, however, when the healer's companion arrived with fresh water. The dwarf didn't need to be asked twice to drink. Knut took it a little slower, but Gimli? He practically tried to gulp it down, realizing then how suddenly parched and dry he felt. He felt like he couldn't get enough of it, and in his haste, he choked and sputtered for a couple of heartbeats before he slowed his pace. One ear cocked to the one he learned was Mojito and Sirius as they spoke. When he finished drinking the water, he watched Sirius leave. "He seems t' be wary of me...I don' blame 'im. I'd be wary of a stranger washin' up on me lands, too." He said quietly. When Sirius returned, he nodded his thanks before slowly - and carefully - moved to lie on the plank of wood that Sirius had brought. He lied on his right side, his left leg already stiffening up a bit from the cold. He felt completely helpless. Trusting these wolves to care for him despite not really knowing who they were. While Sirius was the only one he vaguely knew, Gimli was just a child in Ashen and had been focused on his own issues at the time and hadn't really spent time with the Warlord enough to really know him. Basically, he was putting himself in a vulnerable position among strangers...though he wondered if any of his relatives were here (considering they were close to Ashen), he couldn't say for sure just yet. "I want te thank ye both for yer help...I promise te repay ye when me leg is well enough," He would settle his debt. He glanced at Knut, about to motion to the larger cat to join him but it seemed the feline had already made the decision to get up and walk. That was fine. While yes, Gimli was resilient as Mojito had pointed out, Knut was the one that was walking around with nothing more than minor wounds. "Speak"