The Warlord’s movements were stiff as he made his way to Halo’s abode. The healer had told him in no uncertain terms that he was to sleep under her watchful eye for a time. So he had left Hazel and Zee back at home, and had caught sight of a little Basilisk-shaped head sneaking into the den as he moved away from it. No doubt a stealthy sleepover had been planned between the two youths. Alas, if they annoyed Zee he’d box them over the ears, but otherwise he left them be.

Making his way across the plains, and arriving at the little healers home. The smell of growing herbs and tea over a fire tickled his nose. “Halo?” he called out at the door. If she hadn’t prepared some adequate defences against him, he would leave again.

"Sirius Fatalis"

Halo had prepared. She had rested during the day, flipping her sleep schedule to stay up and monitor the Warlord. She'd spoken to Mortis as well. If things got bad, well and truly bad, she'd send for him. She'd asked him to sleep lightly, just in case. They'd spent the afternoon together, moving some of the larger and more breakable objects (pots and especially jars, which Halo shuddered to think of losing to any misadventure) into what was Sedna's storage den. Halo's chest ached softly at the thought of the other healer, but she couldn't dwell. No, for now she couldn't. They'd rearranged the shelving, and Halo had begun squirreling things away for the winter months. The bee colony had done well, far better than expected, and Halo was quite proud of herself. There was an abundance of honey and bee's wax to show for it, all of which would be carefully stored and packed away for when they needed it.

Curiously it seemed that the alcohol she'd made for creating tinctures, carefully labeled, and stashed away in the main storage of the Armada had disappeared. It couldn't have tasted very good, and the pale healer was a bit confused as to how the whole batch had gone missing... well, these things happen. She'd collected the empty jars, and would remind herself to tell Sirius when she saw him that evening. What if one of the pups had gotten ahold of it? In truth, Halo would have worried herself sick and blamed herself entirely. With Mort's help in doing the heavy lifting, keeping the jars far from where any little paws could reach, she'd set a honey mixture to ferment this time. It would be better quality than the wild berry mixture from before, and she was beginning to wonder if she could set it up to distill.

Ah, she'd worry about it later. Sirius had arrived. She could hear his voice at her doorway, where she'd hung (and pinned back, for today) a coarse deer skin in place of a door. A door... that would probably be a good thing to have this winter, but for now, she was grateful for the breeze that was able to pass through the curtain, as well as sweep in under it. Sure, she could tack it down if need be to keep the rain away, but the sunny days had far outnumbered the rainy ones lately. "You can come in, Sirius." It was a gentle invitation, stepping to greet the Warlord with a gentle smile and a cup of tea. "Have you eaten dinner?" She presented him with one of the cups that she'd snagged from the stash Sedna had left behind, a well-cleaned turtle shell. It was the same comforting brew that she'd brought him on the evening of the checkup.

"Mortis um, he helped me with the heavy lifting, we set things up to be as safe as possible. If things get bad, I told him I'd call for him, and I thought about um... sending Marshal, if it's okay?" For all the things Halo is, fast is not one of them. Of the companions between them, Halo figured that the vulture would be the swiftest messenger. Still, he was the Warlord's companion, and Halo needed to have permission. "I um, I told Mort that we're studying your sleep, is all. Not many details, just that I'd appreciate it if he could come help if need be, if I was to call for it." She was uncertain about just how much the Warlord's son knew, and Halo didn't want to share more information than truly necessary. Still, when it came to trusting someone to have her back if things got sticky, Mortis was her first choice.

"Here, look. I borrowed some of the empty shelves from Sedna's storage and used them to create a boundary. I don't want you to feel boxed in, because that could create other issues, but it will slow down any possible incidents. I can fit under the bottom one, but I um, I don't think you can." Halo explained, showing Sirius the area she'd set for him to sleep. While it was the location that the pale girl would generally sleep herself, against the dug in back wall of the den itself, she'd expanded the pile of pelts in all directions. It was hard to tell just how big the Warlord is when she wasn't standing beside him. Ah, she'd gone maybe a bit overboard... comically so. Still, that was alright. She could share the space until he fell asleep, they could settle and talk, and she'd be able to slip out from beneath the bottom shelf to observe him while also getting some of her more typical work done.

"What do you think?" The pale healer turned to the Warlord, gaze soft but sheepish upon his face. His approval of the plan was important too, and really, the tenderhearted creature just wanted him to feel safe.

"Halo"

At her beckoning, he moved through the deer skin, eyeing it a moment as he considered that winter wouldn’t be that far off. She would need something a little more sturdy, and a porch. Somewhere to hang a lantern outside to stave away some of the cold… filing the thought away he moved into her house. He didn’t have to duck in the initial entryway, but it wasn’t long before he was ducking to avoid hanging things from grazing his ears.

He took the offered tea, and settled himself down somewhere safe, where his bulky form wasn’t too likely to knock everything over if he got to his paws a little thoughtlessly. Resting his tea in front of him, he took a cautious sip. The scent and taste was already familiar to him, the brew he had added into his routine at her behest.

“Thank you, and yes I ate with Hazel and Zee before coming out.” He explained. Taking another sip of his tea as Halo began to explain her plan to him. “Marshal is perched just outside, so yes you can holler for him if you need to.” He agreed. Mortis was perhaps the wolf Seer would have chosen himself, but that moment between dreaming and awake was a short one. Short was all the killing machine of his unconscious mind needed, however.

He got up, getting a wallop of drying herbs to the eye, before ducking under them and making his way to the sleeping arrangement Halo had set up. He eyed the shelves for a critical moment. Knowing his claustrophobia wasn’t going to enjoy this experience overly much. “It might work, but we are going to need to temporarily knock out the back panel of the bottom shelf. Give you space to roll away from me, instead of being cornered.”


"Sirius Fatalis"

As Sirius enters the den, Halo winces just a bit. She should have thought about that, the multitude of plants hanging from her ceiling. Some were medicinal herbs, others for flavor in mixtures like tea that would otherwise be less than excellent. More still, there were the herbs that she'd taken to drying for their color, to use in dyes. It led to a bit of clutter above their heads, and where Halo had plenty of space the Warlord did not. "Sorry," she looked to Sirius sheepishly. "You can take down the ones that are in the way, if you want. They're just um, they're draped over the lines, you just have to lift the bundles and they should come right down." The rawhide ropes were among the first things she'd set up within the space when she'd moved in. Each was strung across the very top of her den, and Halo wouldn't be able to bring the plants down without climbing up on the table that was currently scooted against the wall near the door.

He'd eaten, that was a good sign. Halo smiled softly as she listened to him speak of Marshal, who was perched nearby. Another mental note-- she'd have to grab the vulture a snack before bed. Is that how you won someone else's companion animals over? Well, feeding Mr. Raccoon had certainly worked out in her favor. Speaking of which, where was Mr. Raccoon? Ah, he'd turn up soon enough. He never went far, after all.

As the Warlord smacked his face into another bundle of partially dry herbs, Halo looked sheepishly to him. "Sorry," really, the healer was embarrassed she hadn't thought to take them down. She nodded though, as he thought to remove the back panel from the shelves. "That makes sense, um, would you help me pop them out from all three?" The shelves formed a semi-circle around the area that Halo had built out the sleeping space. She didn't want him to feel caged, or trapped. No, feelings like that would only make things worse. "I flipped my sleeping schedule, so I'll be awake the whole time. I want to be able to keep notes on anything that I notice while you're asleep, and I'll be awake in case anything happens." Right, she'd need to flip it back eventually, but if she was going to fix the Warlord, she was going to be at least a little nocturnal for a bit.

"I, um, I guess a few other weird things about my house," sheepish as ever, Halo began to explain. "Anything that has sharp edges will glow, at least a little, in the dark. The table, the shelves, the corners of the hearth, just so no one hurts themselves in the dark. The threshold of the door is also marked, that glows too, if you need to get up in the night." Foxfire, Halo had collected a decent amount of it. Before finding Mr. Raccoon, the pale girl had her fears about being alone in the true darkness of it all. The dim light it cast was enough to make the dark a bit less foreboding. That, and she was set up to house patients if she needed-- safety first. "Also, there's always snacks in the bowls to the right of the fireplace, right here." Halo indicated the spot where they were stashed, mostly herbed fish that had been dried and tucked away.

Somewhere outside, a dull crash, a splash, followed by angry chittering. Halo let go a long, slow suffering sigh, before sticking her head out her makeshift door. Mr. Raccoon stumbled through the door, sopping wet, scowling. The pale creature plunked himself on the hearth with a grumble, stretching out on the warm stone to dry himself. "This is what happens when you don't put the fire bucket back where it belongs." She giggled softly, shaking her head. Halo had meant to move it back, noticing it out of place, but she'd been so busy today. The nearly full-grown raccoon had tripped and fallen into the bucket of water they kept beside the fire pit as a safety measure. "Is there anything that I can do to make you more comfortable here? Is the bed enough? I added some pelts to it, but I can go get more." Her gaze on the Warlord was one of concern, hoping in her heart of hearts that she'd done enough. She wanted so badly to be enough.

Right, the alcohol conundrum! She had to tell him that too. "Ah, Sirius, I just wanted to mention it to you... I'd made some wine and labeled it for healer usage. It was down in the storeroom, but when I was down there the other day I noticed that there were only empty jars left." Though sheepish, Halo was at least occupied now, trying to figure out how to remove the lower panel from one of the shelves. "I'm just worried that one of the pups may have gotten into it, or something. I'm sorry, I thought I'd put it up high enough... I don't want anyone getting sick." Halo hung her head a bit, ears (well, the right at least, and as much of the left as she had control over) pressing closer to the sides of her head than usual. "It also couldn't have tasted very good, it was just meant as a base for tinctures." The note as a bit offhanded, but still. "We started a new batch of alcohol today, but will be stronger. Instead of being in the main storage, it's in what Sedna was using as a storage den, up as high as we could get it. It should be up high enough this time, I'm just... I guess I'm just worried, Sirius." Okay, but when was Halo not worried. At least she had the shelf to work on, and she didn't have to make eye contact.

"Halo"

He offered her a wry smile. “It’s fine, I'm the temporary guest here - for them it's home” he teased her lightly. A little more careful as he moved around the shelving units, studying them. His night terrors were a short, shock, sort of thing. The shelving wouldn’t slow him down for long if he was really gunning for a life, but they seemed likely to give him enough time to shake from his stupor and realise what he was doing.

He started to pry the bottom shelving at her behest. Moving slow and carefully, not wishing to cause any damage to her property. The man had spent enough time working on crafting that he had the knack for removing the backing in one piece. He lifted his head to eye her as she spoke again. Talking about staying awake and keeping notes. “I’m trusting you to me wise about this, Halo” he said, his tone almost scolding. Not that she was saying anything wrong, he just wanted to drive the point home. He was trusting her to get out of this alive.

Glow? He mouthed in no direction in particular. How peculiar. He wondered how she achieved it, and if it was a method he should encomperate elsewhere. The pack stores, for example. As for the snacks, he glanced that way in amusement. She must have gotten accustomed to the young Fatalis’s running amok.

At the sudden sound of a crash, the Warlord half rose to his paws, just about knocking over his tea as he made as if to lunge in front of Halo - but the white woman was already sticking her head out the door, and he realised it was a companion. He settled himself slowly back down in front of the next storage unit as though nothing had occurred. Marshal let out a soft ‘all clear’ caw as through knowing his master's heart. He had had the bird for as long as he could recall, after all.

“What you’ve got is plenty” he promised her, accustomed to sleeping on far less on numerous occasions. With a grunt, he pulled out the next panel, and stacked it carefully to the side. He moved around to the other side of the unit, examining the sturdiness of it without the back panel, and jerked his head, smacking it on a shelf as she mentioned with great regret about the alcohol. Shit. He knew that was bound to bite him on the tail at some point. “Ah… Yes. the alcohol. I had intended to let you know. It was required for a pack matter, and I was going to replace it with a trade deal soon.” Not the best as far as explanations went, but he didn’t intend to explain any further.

"Sirius Fatalis"

As Sirius teased, Halo couldn't help but giggle. It was a soft sound, not unlike the ringing of a bell somewhere deep in her throat. She's happy. Imagine that... Halo feels genuinely happy in this moment, standing with the Warlord. Though soon she'd be plagued once more with self doubt, and feeling like she didn't deserve it, and all of the other not so excellent things that the grey brought with it, she can be happy here. Still, it takes Halo three times as long to slide the back of the shelving unit free. By the time she manages to wiggle the piece out and set it to the side, Sirius had already handled each of the others. How did he do that? "I know you are. If I'm awake, there's also no chance that any outburst will catch me unaware." Though the carriage of her head lowers just a bit and her good ear flattens a bit at his tone, Halo reminds herself that it's because the Warlord cares.

The tenderhearted healer wrapped her cranky raccoon friend up in a large scrap of clean deerskin, and (much to his chagrin) began scrubbing him gently. "Sorry Marshall," she called out to the bird, mistaking his all clear for something that was either startled or disgruntled by the clumsiness of her trash panda friend. "It's called foxfire, it's a harmless fungus that grows on decaying wood. It particularly likes olive wood, at least from what I've found." Taking Mr. Raccoon by the scruff of the neck, Halo set him back on one of the warm rocks beside the hearth. From there she crossed the floor to carefully drape the deerskin over the side of the table, on the side closest to the fire, where it could dry properly.

As the Warlord smacked his head, Halo lowered hers a bit, eyes going wide. "Sorry, sorry, it's a bit cluttered in here." She winced. Maybe tomorrow she'd need to get Mortis to help her move more things into storage. The pale girl had never been part of a pack before, she had a hard time knowing what was important to have directly on hand and what could be put away and stored. "Oh gosh no, you don't have to replace it, the next batch should be done before we even need it," the words came quickly, sheepishly. Halo was able to relax at the thought, though, that it hadn't made its way into hands (paws?) of those that shouldn't be drinking it. "I was just really worried about someone getting sick, is all." She was sheepish... Halo worries. She'd always worry. "If um, if you're trading other packs for things though, I'd be really grateful for about five more jars with lids that screw on tight. They're important for storing the herbs for winter, so they don't go stale and lose their effectiveness as quickly." Though Halo didn't really like asking for really anything, this was something that could be really necessary and useful. The thought of impending winter was always in the back of her mind.

"Are you feeling tired yet?" It's a light, conversational question as Halo stirs at the fire as it winds down. Carefully, she spreads the coals with her fire poking stick, exposing them more to the evening air. Her lavender gaze doesn't return to Sirius until the end of the stick is submerged in the safety bucket beside her fireplace once more.

"Halo"

The sound of his healers giggling was soothing. His own nerves he was stuffing down as much as he was able. He was weary about hurting her, but was pragmatic enough to know that an Alpha that could not control himself in his sleep, was detrimental to the pack. As she promised her understanding of the seriousness, and her intent to remain awake, he paused. He placed a paw on her shoulder for a brief second. “Thank you, for this” he said simply.

Before returning to complete his inspection of the shelving, and letting her finish seeing to her companion. As he smacked his head - eliciting an apology from her, he grunted. “Hazard of height” he said simply, as though he hadn’t been startled by her words. “I believe Abaven would be the pack to go to for jars, I can look into it for you” he promised.

“No, it might be a while yet before I slip into sleep” he apologised, easing himself between the shelving, and flopping down onto the bedding there. The scents and sounds of the den were different to his home, but that wasn’t what stilled his sleep. If he did irreparable damage to Halo in his sleep, then he would need to give serious consideration to stepping down. To leave the leading to those that wouldn’t hurt the wolves that relied on them.

"Sirius Fatalis"