It was an early spring morning, with the first rays of sun hitting the glimmer due resting on the tips of the grasses. Lia woke with a yawn, and started her usual morning chores, tidying the den and preparing some breakfast for her Mistress. Briar was out running her patrols, as she often was in the mornings. Lia left her breakfast where she could find it, before making her way towards her central point of the pack.

The task the Warlord had given her the night before was at the forefront of her thoughts as she arrived by the fire. She moved around the pit, letting the constantly-lit flames warm her richly colored coat as she sought out the den she was after… there it was.

She knocked gently on the den with a paw before speaking. “Lady Halo? Are you awake? The Warlord sent me to you.” She explained, falling silent to give the other woman a chance to respond.

"Speech"

The sleep that had taken Halo was, without a doubt, the most comfortable and sound that she'd ever enjoyed. She slept long and hard, having fallen asleep before the sun had even set. She only woke once in the night to relieve herself, but otherwise, slept straight through. This alone was rare for her. Though a bit anxious and uncertain by nature, it was clear that Halo had really found safety here. There was a pack that surrounded her. In time, Halo would meet them. She'd learn their names, their faces, and their medical history as best she could. What an exciting future lay before her here. Sunlight filtered through the mouth of her borrowed den, waking her early in the morning. Restful sleep followed by gently waking up. Though Halo was still sore from yesterday's exertion, it was a good sore-- the sore that she'd earned. Halo still felt the warm pride of the praise from Sirius the day before. Have pride, little one. You're courageous, if not experienced. It was reinforcement like that which would push her further, and that had her wanting to put more time into learning how to defend herself. More time, more energy. Halo would make him proud. From the mouth of the borrowed Den, Halo heard a soft voice. Still bleary eyed, but awake, the pale girl rose to her paws. Lady Halo, the words came-- Lady? That was new, and Halo was curious. She drew curiously to the morning sunlight. "Good morning," the tenderhearted girl replied. It took her a moment to get her bearings, blinking hard in the golden sunlight. Halo gave a yawn and a deep stretch, shaking the remaining dust from her coat. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. Right, it was rude to yawn without ducking her head away. "He asked you to show me around, right?" Her question came as she realized just how well rested she truly was. At Halo's haunches, her tail wagged. This really was exciting. Carefully, Halo stretched her hip, feeling the particular soreness of muscles that worked particularly intently while swimming. She'd earned the soreness, and the soft girl was pleased with that.

Lia dipped her head respectfully to the other woman as she appeared from the den entrance. Even new to the pack, she ranked higher than the Handmaiden. “Good morning, My Lady” she said, waiting a moment as the smaller wolf stretched and blinked, clearly having recently awoken.

“I’m Idalia, a handmaiden to the Armada” she explained. She was also a budding healer, but that was not a rank she had the right to claim. Once her Mistress reached the age of two, and married the Aegis of the Hallows, she and Briar would both move there. She hoped she would have a greater chance then to become a healer, through serving Art and Briar would also be a point of pride for her.

“He asked me to show you around, and help you pick a spot for your healers plot.” she explained to the pale wolf. “Would you like something to eat first, My Lady?” she asked, ever deferential to those around her.

"Speech"

She behaved in much the way that Halo was accustomed to behaving herself. She certainly wasn't accustomed to being regarded in such a way. The girl wagged her tail, studying the handmaiden as she spoke. "It's nice to meet you, Idalia." Handmaiden, right. Halo thought back to the rankings she'd taken a look at the day before. It was on the same level as the slaves, and the girl's demeanor made sense now. Still, Halo was relaxed, and looking forward to the start of the day. Having company too, was something Halo could be grateful for. The woman was taller, much taller than Halo herself. Everyone she'd met thus far had been so incredibly tall... was this a land of giants, truly? She'd been asked to show Halo around, and choose a spot for her den, and her plot. This was exciting to her, getting settled in and ready to go. "That sounds wonderful, thank you." Company. After being on her own for what seemed like too long, the company was so incredibly welcome. Something to eat first-- Halo stood up a bit straighter, nodding for a moment. "We could catch some squirrels, maybe? Or mice? Sorry, I don't really know what's around for prey." Halo apologized once more, but had thrown out squirrels as a recommendation. They were usually the easiest thing for Halo herself to catch. "Have you eaten yet?" With the sun shining around her shoulders, it really was a good day to simply be.

“My pleasure, Lady Halo” Lia said simply, stepping away from the den to give Halo more space. She was surprised to hear that the woman wanted to catch her own breakfast, but didn’t let it show, instead she smiled. “The hunters have already been out for the morning, and there's fresh kill in the central cache. But if you’d prefer to catch your own meal, hare are extremely common in the plains” she offered helpfully.

She didn’t start to lead yet, uncertain if the other woman would wish for her to direct her towards the cache, or the irrigated plots that worked for growing herbs. “I had a bite to eat when I prepared my Princess meal” she said, almost apologetically.

"Speech"

Lady it came again, and she was still adjusting on the fly. It was a bit strange to her, and really, Halo was used to being at the very bottom of the heap. Children were meant to be seen and not heard, sit down, shut up, and stay out of the way. Still, she wagged her tail softly as she regarded Idalia. "You don't need to call me lady," Halo's tone was apologetic in turn. She is soft, and unused to holding any status. The hunters have already been out for the morning, at this, the pale girl's eyes widened for a moment. "The hunters... woah," she trailed off, still shaking the sleep from her brain. "Sorry, I'm just not used to... this." She was sheepish. It was hard to explain just what she wasn't used to. Being taken care of was really the long and the short of it. Idelia had eaten, and Halo smiled warmly. "I'm glad you have, here I'll go with you, I haven't seen the inside of the store rooms yet." Her tail hadn't really stopped wagging, already excited at the prospect of the day ahead of her. She'd be able to fill out her plot with plants as soon as she picked it, and she hearkened back to the mental list she'd made the day before. Halo stretched once more, giving one more great big shake in the morning sunlight. It would be a good day.

“As you wish, My Lady” Lia said, a hint of amusement in the brightness of her eyes, but otherwise she gave nothing away to show she was teasing the other woman. It was a spark of personality she never would have dared show before coming here, to the Armada. Art and Briar had freed her in many ways.

“Of course,” she said gently “I had a lot to get accustomed to coming here as well.” she admitted. As the Lady Healer informed her she would like to see inside the stores, Lia nodded, and turned from the den. Halo was already centrally located, so it wasn’t far to walk past the warm fire, and towards the door of the cellar. She worked a moment with the latch, and then pulled it with a grunt. The smaller wolf heaved, and then it was all the way open, and stepped inside. “The Warlord stores the meat and coats here, as well as some of the crafting ingredients” she explained, looking at the shelves around them. She moved forward until she found the cache pile, the recently caught meat hanging over a drip bucket. She tore a strip free, and offered it to Halo. “There are honeyed dried meats as well to your left, if that's more to your liking.”

"Speech"

It took Halo a moment to catch the joke, but it didn't go entirely over her head. After a moment she let go a soft giggle, tail wagging as the girl lead the way towards the center of the packlands. It was already such a beautiful morning, not too warm or too cool. Spring here was really quite beautiful. What would the summer bring? How would the weather look? There were so many questions, but Halo had a hard time asking them on an empty stomach. Idalia was so gentle with her, and kind-- Halo was grateful. As they approached the large door, the tenderhearted creature took a moment to watch how the latch operated. Halo was unsure if she'd even be able to open it on her own, but she supposed more strength would come to her bones in time. Pack strong and nomadic band strong were two different things, as she was coming to realize. Becoming pack strong, despite her small stature, was something that she could use as a motivator for herself. Another moment of awe washed over her as she took a look at the well stocked shelves and prepared foods and coats. "Thank you," Halo dipped her head softly, gratefully accepting the strip of meat with a wag of her tail. It didn't take her long to devour it, but being a quick eater was a necessity when you were always on the run. Maybe she'd learn in time. "Who does all of this cooking?" The question was quiet, eyes shining with curiosity. Whoever it was, Halo wanted to learn from them. Maybe some of their techniques could be useful in the makings of salves and ointments, as well as more quickly drying herbs when the winter was approaching.

She waited a moment as Halo took the strip of meat and devoured it. Seeing how quickly she consumed it, Lia grabbed a bag off a shelf and wiggled it over her shoulder. She grabbed some of the dried meat - the kind easy to grab on the go, and stored them in her bag. That way she could ensure Halo was fed throughout the day. “I believe the Warlord himself cures most of the meat in a hot house on the Sea’s Plains.” She explained, stepping away from the drying meat and back towards the cellar door. “Are you done in here, Miss?” she asked, waiting for the others' response before heading back out.

Closing the door behind the both of them, Lia started to lead them towards the North-West corner of the pack, where the stream bordered the Plains and Ashen’s Shrine. “The land here is irrigated beneath the soil. Once you chose a place you like the look of, we can mark it off with pegs and twine so no one disturbs your seedlings” She explained, looking to the other wolf, and waving a paw before them. The choice was hers.

"Speech"

Lia had the foresight to pack lunch, and Halo was grateful for that as well. In general, smaller meals were usually a "catch it or don't eat" scene. The idea that there was just food on hand, and they were cared for and well prepared for anything and everything was just... it was incredible. Everything about this experience was already blowing the tenderhearted girl's mind. "Incredible," she breathed. The idea that he did that all himself. Halo made a mental note, and would remind herself to ask if he needed help when they met later. If she could help him with the smoking and drying process, maybe he'd let her use just a bit of the space to dry herbs for winter. That, and he already had so much to do, surely it couldn't hurt to offer help. "Ah, sorry. It's just a lot to take in," Halo's tail wagged softly, moving carefully out of the stockpile. It was here that she turned and cocked her head to the side softly, watching Lia as she closed it. Right, the seal on the door was important, and Halo would need to learn how to operate it properly. As they moved to the north west, Halo's steps over the ground were careful. The grass in some places was so immense, so incredibly tall... Halo couldn't help but feel a bit of amazement creep in. Lia explained that they'd set a boundary so no one could trample her plants, which sounded good. If Halo's plants were disturbed, it would likely hurt her tender heart. She took careful note of the sun where it hung in the morning, and then where she could predict shadows would be cast at different parts of the day. Humming softly to herself, the girl set about choosing a spot. "Here looks good, don't you think?" Halo paced a long but thin rectangle in the rich soil, digging a spot in each projected corner before settling back to take a look. "One side is fully shaded, one side is in mostly full sun, and in the middle it's a bit of both." She considered for a moment, peering at the sky. At least, if her calculations were anything close to right, that was her plan.

Lia smiled warmly at the other wolf “Take all the time you need, Lady Halo” she prompted. Closing the door, and leading the other wolf towards the plot of land the Warlord had mentioned. She did briefly wonder if she’d laid out enough meat for her Lady Briar, but she knew the Princess would call for her if she needed her.

As Halo began to pace forward, taking careful consideration of the sunlight and placement of trees, she hung back. Giving the other woman space to work. She settled on her haunches, the bag hanging lightly past her back.

When Halo spoke next, calling her attention to a certain spot, Lia moved forward, taking a look herself. “Good thinking,My Lady” she agreed, touching the earth gently. There was a slight dampness to it, telling her the irrigation reached it just fine. The earth was also soft, and easy to work with. Free of clay, though there were some stones they would have to dig out. “Should we set up the boundary line?”

"Speech"

There was the Lady title again, but Halo’s smile was soft. In time, she hoped that there would be a familiarity here. The tenderhearted creature’s thoughts flickered back to what Sirius said about slaves being able to climb their way out, and prove their worthiness. It was also clear that the Armada treated them fairly, certainly more fairly than she would have expected hearing the word slave. Halo wasn’t sure how to feel about the situation, but the Warlord himself was a former slave. Though she was new to this place, she trusted him. Softly, Halo smiled to the girl as she went to test the land with her paws. Her tail wagged, and she could feel the sun shining on her shoulders and back. “I think so, this seems like the spot,” Halo peered softly to Lia. “Do you think we should stake it out, and then tie the twine between all four posts or do one side at a time?” The pale girl was happy to take input on which way would be the most efficient, as honestly, she had no idea.

She could see that Halo loved the idea of this spot, and there was a lot of potential here. Perhaps when Lia came back to visit the Armada, she would find a beautiful garden where this soil currently lay. She gave the woman a warm smile, and considered the question for a moment. “If it pleases you, My Lady, we could stake it out to the boundaries you're happy with and then tie the twine?” she suggested, already organising what they would need.

She passed a stake over to the lady, and nodded towards Halo, waiting for her to decide where exactly she would like her boundaries to lie. “Would you like you den near your garden, Lady Halo, or elsewhere in the pack?” she wondered as they began to work.

"Speech"

It was a good spot, really. Halo's gaze was soft as she took all of it in, feeling the morning sun warm on her back. The ground was nice and flat, soil not too hard beneath her paws. Lia had a good head on her shoulders, and was happy to guide the process. The idea of putting roots down was so new to her, but it was so immensely comforting. They were setting up for her to be here. A home. A real and true home, and Halo couldn't even begin to think of how wonderful it was. She was able to relax. "That sounds lovely," she smiled, watching as Lia set out their supplies. "Thank you," she took one of the stakes, moving to place the first one in the soft ground. She'd do the short side first, and then the long ones. She was careful as she paced them out, making sure the sides were as even as she could manage. "Do those look straight to you?" From her vantage point, Halo couldn't really tell. Lia had a better spot, a bit farther back. At the thought of a den, she took a moment to think, gazing from where they stood to the bank of the river, and to a nearby tree. It really was a nice spot. "I think this is a nice spot for my den, plenty of fresh water and shade," her tail swished softly. "Do you think it's too far from everyone else?" She worried for a moment, brow furrowing. The solitude would be nice, but if someone needed her maybe it was too far to call for her.

“Nudge that one a little more to your right, Lady Halo” Lia called out helpfully as she found the end of the twine and tied it into a loup that she would hook around the first stake. She shook the bag off her shoulders to give herself a little more room to work, and carefully picked up the twine, bringing it over to the first stake Halo had set out. Tying a secure knot with a mixture of her paws and teeth.

“Not at all, My Lady. Everyone is spread out across the pack, but it’s easy to get to the Obelisk from here, and if anyone needs you they can meet you there, or come here.” She suggested. “We could get the parameters of your den set tonight, but I suggest getting one of the strapping warriors to dig or build it for you, if that pleases you, My Lady”

"Speech"

Carefully, she moved the stake a bit to the right, standing back to take a look at her handiwork. Yes, that would do quite nicely. Halo's tail wagged, smiling to Lia. "Thank you," and really, she was grateful for the assistance. Two heads were better than one, and it made things go far more quickly than it would have if she'd done it on her own. Between the four stakes, Halo helped Lia stretch the twine, securing it with knots that would hold quite well. They'd mark things off, and Halo would be able to get to digging over the coming days. Tilling the soil, removing the rocks, clearing away any roots-- a big job, but she was up for the task. "That sounds good... I'm glad that the path to the obelisk from here is easy," she admitted. "Sometimes I'm worried about getting lost in the grass." Her tone was delicately sheepish, a bit concerned with just how tall it grew around them. Halo was considerably shorter than many of the wolves that called this place home, and it could be a little overwhelming at times. As Lia explained setting the boundaries of her den set, but getting someone stronger to help build it, Halo nodded. "That sounds good, you don't think they'll mind?" Her previous band had prized self sufficiently above all. "I'm not used to asking for help," the words were quiet, and she was near sheepish talking about it. Everyone here seemed to be a family in the realest sense of the word. "Do you have a rainy season? Should I be concerned about the river flooding?" Though Halo preferred sleeping in a den dug carefully into the earth, maybe she'd need to reconsider if they had wet seasons. That, and it would determine just how far back she'd need to set her home. A worrier by nature, sometimes her anxious nature did her well to consider possibilities.

With Halo’s help, the work went quickly, and soon enough there was a decent sized section of land marked off for Halo’s plot. At the other woman's words, the little handmaiden smiled. “There are paths if you know where to look, My Lady. Those big giant wolves that seem so frequent in the pack are good at wearing a path for us” she joked.

She eyed the shorter wolf again, and a stronger hint of her humour came through. “Of course, if you're worried, we could tie a stick to your back with a little red ribbon on it, so anybody can find you” “My Lady” she added politely.

Halo wasn’t used to asking for help, and Lia could relate. She was still intimidated by the lifestyle here. The freedom of these wolves. At the mention of the river flooding… Lia winced. “We did have some flooding issues last winter, but I believe the Warlord had shored up against it for the most part now. If your worried, we could build your den off the ground” he suggested.

"Speech"

Lia's words left Halo giggling, and she was grateful to have her company while they worked. It was nice to have someone she could view as a friend here, especially in the strangeness of times as they were. "I can't wait to get more familiar with all of them," her tail wagged, happy to have a job. It certainly would keep her busy. "Where do you live?" It was a casual question, but it would be best to get a lay of the land and a way to orient herself after all. Halo's giggle was hard to keep contained, bubbling up as she looked to her new friend with a grin. "I'll need to make some sort of collar with a bell, while I'm at it," the humor came easily. Companionship, especially agreeable companionship, was hard to come by when you're on your own. Halo's appreciation for the Armada and her place here already couldn't be overstated. Between the two girls, it seemed that everything was already so comfortable. The tenderhearted girl was so immensely glad. If you're worried, that was the thing, Halo was usually worried about most things. The worrying kept her alive when she was on her own, though it hadn't initially been enough. Sirius had built up the banks of the river a bit as well. Softly, the pale girl nodded. "I think it would be safer to set it maybe a bit above ground, but the floor can still be dug in enough to keep cool," that made sense, at least in her mind. With her coat as thick as it was, she was always a bit concerned about the heat in summer. Halo was starting to picture it as she paced the nearby land, feeling it out with her paws. "Is this a bit of a rise, or am I imagining things?" She chuckled softly, moving over what felt like a bit of a roll in the landscape.

“With my Mistress, Briar.” She started, knowing that wouldn’t fully explain the situation to Halo. But she went on to explain the ins and outs of it to the newcomer to paint a bigger picture. “She’s one of the younger daughters of the Warlord, and is moving to The Hallows on her second birthday. For the time being, she dens adjacent to Mortis and Hika, near the South West of the pack - just by an inlet on the Grass Plains” she finished, raising a paw and pointing in the general direction to help orientate her.

She laughed at Halo’s mention of a bell, neglecting to mention any inkling of slave collars. No point bringing up the past. She followed Halo as the other wolf moved, paws carefully tracing the ground. She gave a small nod in the affirmative. “I do believe you're right, that sounds like a good place to start. We could always build drainage around your den as well, for double insurance” she continued. She wondered if she should attempt to bring Mortis and Hika in to help, two strapping boys would make the job much easier.

"Speech"

Halo listened to Lia as she explained, nodding along softly. There was so much to learn... so many intricacies of pack life. It was all so new, and all so different. The pale healer was grateful, extremely grateful, to have a guide in all of it. Her tail wagged softly, gaze flickering off in the direction Lia mentioned. Right, the inlet-- there were so many names, and so many places. At some point, Halo would need to visit them all. She'd need to see all of the places, and meet everyone who lived here. The idea was overwhelming in isolation, but she wouldn't be alone in all of it. That was the thing that she could take solace in. "That's a good idea, I hadn't thought of that," making sure that there was good drainage would keep everything inside even more safe. Halo was really excited to have somewhere that would be her home. Somewhere she could come back to every evening, and stay. Roots to put down... a home. A real and solid home. For as overwhelming as things had been, she was also so incredibly excited. "I think we can start the stakes here," Halo pressed one stake into the ground with a bit of difficulty. She wasn't quite heavy enough to press them into the slightly stiffer soil with ease, but that was okay. "And maybe come to here?" The tenderhearted girl staked out a small den for herself, considering how much storage she'd need for supplies. Still, Halo didn't really... she didn't really know. She'd never actually stayed in one place for long enough to know what she needed.