While he couldn't be happier that the crazy thoughts, the ooze, and the crystals were gone, the memories unfortunately didn't go with them. He was stuck with the detailed memories haunting him through every sleep, often keeping him awake late into the night. On nights like these, he had to make himself tired. His dreams would still be haunted, but at least he could get a few hours of sleep before the sun would rise again.

At least the sun was back. Although not now, as the moon returned to it's natural place and size in the sky, but it still felt normal again. Everything was back to normal, except for him. It was hard to stop thinking about everything that happened, but he found wandering around (definitely not near the hot springs or any body of water) and hunting whatever worthy adversary he found that night. Sometimes it was just a snack, other times a meal. This time, he was hoping for something harder, something that fought back. He needed to take some anger out on something anyway, and he didn't feel like holding back.

"Speech."

The Warlord was slowly making his way through the wolves of the Armada. Checking in, and seeing how they were going. Giving his children jobs and assigning them tasks, and in general restarting the movements of the Armada of the long and endless night.

He found a fresh scent of Grimshaw, and followed it towards the border between the woods and the Armada. He stopped by the border, breathing in deeply, and following the comings and goings of his wolves with his nose. Breathing in the familiar scent of all those that called the Armada home, and then crossing over into the woods. He caught the trail of Grim again shortly after that, leading him further into the woodland territory. He found the dark coated man, and approached him. “Grimshaw,” he said, looking the other wolf up and down. “You're looking good. How are you feeling?”


"Sirius Fatalis"

Perhaps it was all of the hunting he had done prior to his own infection that allowed him to find some kind of peace hunting when he should be sleeping. Bringing in meals for the pack while many of its members were sick had become daily for him, sometimes even multiple. With his birthday coming within the next few months, Grimshaw had grown nearly into his adult size save for a few pounds here or there. Hunting larger game was easier for him, but predators were something he hadn't quite had much experience with. Risk, maybe, was what he was looking for. Something else to dream about at night.

He hadn't known that he was being followed until Sirius spoke, checking on his well being. At least he wasn't sick anymore, but Grimshaw couldn't really say that he was doing okay. "I've been worse." His tone was flat, though he added a slight smirk to try and draw some humor out of it. "Glad to have things back to normal."

"Speech."

It wasn’t terribly strange to find the wolf out in the night - considering night was all they had had for so long. It was good to check in on him however, seeing how he was covering, and where he was at mentally. The Warlord cared for all of his wolves, and it had pained him to see any of them suffer as they had.

The boy's commentary was bland, and uninviting. It gave the Warlord pause, and he considered him carefully. It was true that many of the injuries his wolves had sustained were not all visible. “Indeed, I’ve never been happier to see the sun” he agreed softly. “What brought you out here, Grim?” he asked finally, having an inkling that not all was well with the boy.


"Sirius Fatalis"

When Sirius asked the inevitable question, Grimshaw tried and failed holding in a sigh. He wasn't exactly ready to talk about what happened with anyone besides the boy that witnessed it all, but he supposed if it would have to be anyone else, Sirius was the next best option. It was still hard for him however and it took him a good few moments before he could even find the words to start. "I haven't been sleeping well, so I've been out hunting." He started, as easy as it was to explain. That wasn't all though and that's where his problem was.

"I almost drowned because of a crystal in the hot springs, then I got infected with the ooze and bad thoughts. Somehow I ended up back where I almost drowned and then all my teeth fell out. They're growing back, but... I don't know and I can't even get to sleep before the memories start." Unfortunately for Grim, what he told Sirius wasn't the only list of problems he was working through. In fact, there was a whole different yet partially attached list that confused and scared him even more. If Malachai hadn't been there that day, he would have drowned. Despite the ache in his chest when he thought about that particular moment, everything else spilled over and covered the one moment he wanted to hold onto.

"Speech."

He had thought to take the man on a hunt, perhaps blow off some of the excess energy that had kept them both awake and alert well into the night. But looking at Grim, he wondered if there was more to the sleepinessness that kept him out here. He had found this boy on the knife's edge, his choice between life and death as easy one way as the other. He had chosen to accept the boy into his pack, into his family. Now, there was something clearly bothering him, and the Warlord knew it was his duty to find out what. To let Grimshaw in, when the Warlord had been holding him at arm's length. Weary after all his losses to take another wolf into his heart so fully.

The dark coated boy explained, his voice weary and soft, of what plagued him. The ooze had been even more unkind to him than others, leaving him with bad memories he couldn't shake. The Warlord shook his head, knowing he had failed Grim by not seeing it sooner. “Drowning is a fear I've had myself” he said, thinking back to the time when the heavy-set Warlord hadn’t had the faintest idea how to swim.

“And it's not a fun one, and I didn’t have the ooze to cloud my judgement, and torment me at the time. Does the water by the ocean set it off?” he asked, wondering how he might help the other wolf work through this torment. He moved forward, leaning his shoulder lightly against the younger wolf, letting him say what was in his heart at his own pace.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Grimshaw listened as Sirius spoke, admitting that he himself had a fear of drowning. He supposed that anyone would be afraid of drowning if they'd thought about it, but how many actually survived a drowning? For him, the fear was much worse. Before he wouldn't have thought about it, but now it was almost all he could think about. Talking about it was good though, since it did feel a little better to actually hear someone admit to being afraid of it. He didn't feel as alone, even though it seemed like an obvious fear.

He asked then about the ocean that surrounded them and Grimshaw found his silver gaze casting over the waves before them. He wasn't keen on getting in or even too close to the ocean, but he supposed it was fine. As long as it stayed over there anyway. The tide wouldn't allow it to stay that way however, but they had some time before the tide would be pushing them out. "Well, I definitely don't want to go swimming in it." He laughed slightly, trying to make light of the situation. He certainly didn't like the water, but Sirius didn't have to worry about it chasing Grimshaw away from the Armada.

As long as the Armada didn't flood and become part of the ocean, anyway.

He was about to finish, to carry on with a verbal reassurance to Sirius that he was okay with the ocean more or less, but the sound of a large feline calling brought attention to his ears. They spun around, searching for the sound and found it just in time as his eyes landed on the form of a panther coming down the beach.

"Speech."

The Warlord nodded his head slowly. “Let me know if you feel up to the challenge, and perhaps we could slowly work on getting you in it” he offered, knowing that if Grim desired, Seer would be there every step of the way. Like Zee once had been, when his fear of drowning had almost gotten him killed. At least Grim was able to laugh at his question. He offered the dark coated wolf a grin of his own.

Grim looked about to speak when a deep throated cry caught the attention of them both. Turning, the Warlord found the form of the panther. From habit, his eyes ran into his body, searching for any hint of crystals or mushroom, and finding none. His body fell into a defensive pose, shifting slightly in front of Grim. the message his body portrayed was clear this one is mine, and I will defend it.


"Sirius Fatalis"

It was still too soon for Grimshaw to consider swimming or even dipping his toes in. Any amount of being wet was a no-go for him, and that wasn't something he wanted to push any time soon. He wasn't allowed to think much more on the idea though as the panther had caught his attention suddenly and Sirius responded quickly, moving between him and the panther as if the man needed to protect him. Grim rivaled the height of the warlord and although he was still young, he was his own force against a panther. Either one of them wouldn't have a problem handling the panther on it's own, so with the two of them together this panther better be remembering fond memories about now.

Grim worked his way from behind Sirius to stand on his side, though instead of stopping alongside him his pace would quicken as he charged at the cat with his head and tail high. He wasn't aiming to hurt the cat, but just to simply scare it and chase it off. As his rear lowered to the ground, Grim tilted his body to skid along the sand and send it flying at the felines face from a safe enough distance that while the cat would hiss and paw at it's face, he could regain his footing and put a bit more of a safer distance between them before going in for his next attack. He took a moment then to look for Sirius as he turned and charged back at the cat, this time aiming with sharpened teeth to grab a hold of the feline.

"Speech."

It wasn’t long before Grim was working his way out from behind the Warlord. It wasn’t unexpected, but the Warlord's face was a grim line. WIth the boy having just told him how he had been feeling vulnerable of late, the Warlord was feeling even more protective than usual. But perhaps Grim needed to work out some of his aggression..

The younger wolf charged at the cat, skidding in the sand and sending a wave of the gritty mess towards the creature's face. The Warlord trotted forward, considering the fight as he moved. If Grim needed the chance to work through some of the helplessness he had been feeling, then the Warlord was happy to be his wingman. Despite the initial charge, the cat wasn’t backing off. The Warlord stayed near its front, not cutting off its exit, but closing in on the two of them. Grim reached it a second time, this time going for its teeth, and the Warlord stayed a step back. Prepared to intervene if the young warrior needed it.

"Sirius Fatalis"

The warlord didn't make any moves to take over the fight and seemed to let Grimshaw take over, but he wasn't complaining. It a lot of ways, Grim did have things he needed to work through. Despite the cats proximity to the water, Grim tried to not let it bother him in an attempt to work through it. When he lunged for the feline, a cat paw reached out to swipe at him and managed to scratch his face, leaving him with a fresh set of lines down his cheek. They weren't deep though and bleed just enough to sting, but hardly hurt. Grimshaw quickly redirected his attack as the cat cowered defensively with a wolf attacking it and a wolf preventing it's escape. Hissing, the panther continued to swipe at Grimshaw, but his attacks now focused on the foot that kept reaching towards him. With each swipe of the cats paw, Grim would snap at the foot and after a few tries, finally caught it and clenched his sharpened teeth down on it to grip. The cat howled in pain, desperately trying to free it's foot from the mouth of the dire. It's claw's would eventually snag on Grimshaw's tongue as they flexed, forcing him to rid the thing from his mouth as it filled with both the cat and his own blood. Shaking his head and spitting it from his mouth, he glanced towards Sirius looking for ideas.

"Speech."