The Warlord woke with the morning, and stretched his legs, looking up into the reddish toned sky and shook the slumber from his limbs. There was much to do in a pack that had moved at the onset of winter. He wouldn’t have dragged them here if it wasn’t for the heat in the tunnels.

He made his way down the winding path from his den into the pack centre, and found the growing-familiar form of Keahi by the central fire, skinning what looked to be a deer recently felled. It hadn’t past his notice that Keahih had been out hunting and securing the woodlands often with Kotoi. “How are you settling in?” he asked warmly


"Speech"

The tropical wolf rises with the sun, her days beginning when the first rays of sunshine appear and ending well after the light had faded from the sky. Keahi is eager to prove herself, so she has thrown herself into hunting and helping from the moment she opens her eyes. Sitting by the fire that crackles in the cold morning air, she warms herself while working to skin the deer that she and Kotori had just killed. She works in silence, practiced paws moving with confidence. The sound of large paws crunching through the fresh layer of snow the night had brought, pulls her attention to where Sirius approaches. As the Warlord nears, Keahi offers him a warm smile and gestures for him to join her by the fire.

Blue eyes fall back to the kill as she continues to work, ears still alert for Sirius has to say. He asks how the tropical wolf is settling in and a small smile ghosts over her lips. While she does not want to seem rude, Keahi knows the importance of butchering and skinning a fresh kill, so she continues to work while saying, “I like it here sir. The heated caves are wonderful and the prey are plentiful in the woods. Your son Kotori has been very helpful in showing me the ways of the pack and we have worked together to clear as many predators from the hunting grounds as possible.” Glancing to Sirius, she picks out the signs that the Warlord had just awoken and smiles.

Turning back to her work, Keahi finishes removing the pelt of the deer and sets it aside before she begins to section the meat and cut it out. As the red wolf works, she asks, “And how are you today sir? Is there anything I can help with?” Pack life means being of service to the whole pack and Keahi wants to help in every way she can.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He joined her beside the fire at her gesture. Settling in, and feeling the radiated warmth sepe into his bones. The cold settled in the air here far more easily then it had back where the Armada had begun. The large central fire pit did much to chase the bite from the air however, and he stretched out contently, and looked to his newest addition.

He watched for a moment as she worked expertly to skin the deer. “The heated caves are a game changer” he agreed. They had been what had allowed him to move the pack here at the onset of winter. “I’m glad Kotori’s been showing you the ropes.” he considered her words for a moment. “At this stage, there's an endless list of tasks to accomplish. So you can take your pick, would you like something exploring based, hunting based, or lifting and carrying?” he turned an amused smile her way.

"Speech"

The Warlord joins her at the fire’s side and she smiles as stretches out contently. Keahi speaks with him in a comfortable, jovial tone, answering his question effortlessly. Nodding to his assessment about the heated caves, she offers Sirius a small glimpse into her past as she says, “Back on my island, there was a volcano that seemed to have its roots throughout the whole land. We had many hot springs.” Oh, how she misses that island and the hot, tropical days. But, if she is live here, Keahi is grateful to have a warm cave to help combat the frigid air. She had never seen snow before and now she lives in it. How strange and complex life can be.

The red wolf gives her attention to the Warlord even as she continues her work and she lifts her eyebrows at his offers of work. Paws stop as she turns her blue gaze to him, pondering what would be the best course of action. Finally, she says, “Well, I would like to get to know the lay of the land better. So, something exploring based would be ideal. But, I am also pretty good at hunting and heavy lifting is a breeze.” Keahi offers her preference but also shows Sirius that she doesn’t mind doing any type of work as she returns his smile with a friendly one of her own. She is a team player after all.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

The Warlord noticed the whisfullness in her tone as she spoke of her home, and the volcano that had given them heat. “Remind me to take you to the hot springs some time” he said with a small smile. “I think you might enjoy it.” A shame, that territory had been right beside them where they had lived for many years. Now it would be a decent journey.

She mentioned an interest in exploiting based tasks, and he grunted thoughtfully as he considered what needed to be done. “Any good at mapping out the weather? It's more important now than it ever was to know when it might rain or snow here” he explained. He wondered if an avalanche was something they would have to watch out for ‘First Light Point would be a great place to get a vantage point” had she been up that track yet?


"Speech"

Keahi gives the Warlord a small, happy smile when he speaks of hot springs and the red wolf dips her head in agreement. When she expresses her interest in something more exploring based, Sirius gives her the task of mapping weather. Eyebrows lifts as she looks to the leader, a smile ticking one corner of her lips up as she says, “I know how to watch the clouds and look for rain. The air feels and smells different before a heavy storm. I can also learn how to watch the skies for snow.”

Blue eyes meet as she looks to Sirius, he speaks of First Light Point and her lips tug down into a small frown as she says, “I haven’t been there yet.” She finishes cutting out sections of meat and, with the skin ready to be tanned, Keahi sets aside her tools and says, “I need to put these away but will you show me where it is? Um, if it is higher up, I might need a coat. The cold down here is already… uncomfortable for me.” The red wolf stacks the portioned-out meat and stands, ready to take them to the temporary storage area before following the Warlord.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

“Excellent” the Warlord said, filing away that knowledge. That was good. He’d show her the point he was talking about, and set her up to keep an eye on the weather. It would be good if someone could give them warning for anything extreme.

“Put those away, and I’ll meet you near the entrance to the baths” he said, giving a moment for her to acknowledge, before trotting away. He made his way up the steps and back towards his den. Hopping into his own little storage corner, he grabbed out a piece of grizzly bear coat. The full coat had been too big for any wolf to wear, and he had dismantled it into parts years ago. There was a touch of age to it, but it was clean and tidy. He checked it over as he punched holes into two corners and another two in the middle. Looping rope through them so she could secure it under her belly and around her neck.

He returned to find her waiting where he had indicated, and he tossed it lightly around her shoulders. “Here. This will keep out even the worst of the chill. Keep it. A welcoming gift” he said, brushing past her before she could offer her thanks and leading her towards the base of the walk.


"Speech"

The Warlord seems pleased with her knowledge of weather and she nods, standing to take the meat and pelt to their storage area. Sirius instructs her to meet him at the baths and Keahi dips her head in acknowledgement before they both go their separate ways. The red wolf works quickly, putting first the meat and then the pelt away. Stepping back, she wipes the blood from her paws before closing the temporary storage area. With that she moves to where the baths are and waits for the tall leader to appear. His dark form soon approaches and a genuine smile pulls at her lips when she spies what he is carrying.

Keahi gladly accepts the bear pelt coat and slips it on, heaving a relieved sigh as warmth spreads through her body and she ties it off. Dipping her head, the red wolf says, “Thank you Sirius.” even while he brushes past her. A small chuckle fills the air as she falls into step behind the tall Warlord, happy to have a coat to help keep her warm.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

The Warlord, a few steps ahead of her and already arriving at the base of the patrol route, smiles out of view. He might have to tackle down another polar bear one of these days, so he could build up another caiche of the especially warm coats. But then again, he didn’t like to pick fights with one if it was avoidable.

“Alright, so this is where the patrol route to First Light Point starts” he explained, gesturing to the pathway up the mountain. It was wide enough for them to walk side by side, and he slowed down so they could walk up the path together. Occasionally he dug in his with extendable claws for purchase on the rocky walk. “The sun rises in the east, and you can get some very nice sunrises up here.” He explained as he walked.


"Speech"

The red wolf quickly follows after the Warlord, the bear pelt is a welcome addition as the pair reach the pathway in the mountain’s side. Blue eyes trace the route as Sirius explains and Keahi nods as she steps up beside him. They walk side by side, the curious tropical wolf confident in her steps as she admires the view around them. He speaks of sunrises and a smile filled with longing pulls at her lips. Casting the Warlord a glance, she says, “I cannot wait to see them. Sunrises are always beautiful, especially after a storm.”

Memories swirl as she thinks of the way the sun would break over the ocean of her home. How the rays seemed to ignite the water and paint the sky with vivid colors. And how a storm could never dampen their spirits as long the sun rose the next morning. Casting her thoughts aside, Keahi turns her mind to more important matters, asking, “Do many wolves patrol this path?” It is better to focus on the task at hand and, if she will be traveling up this way frequently, then it is best to know who to be on look for along the way. Wouldn’t want it to get too crowded or anything.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

The Warlord thought so too. He had seen quite a few of them in his life. An effect of his habit to rise before the sun. He didn’t speak however. Navigating the path up the mountain. It wasn’t yet well-worn but he had hopes it would be one day. At her question, he nodded his head. “It’s a patrol route, it’s a good way to keep an eye on the market's entry as well the entryway into the Col” he explained.

They weren’t too far from the highest point now, and he cast his gaze across the horizon. Too late for a sunrise now of course, but it was still a good view. “So what do you think of the weather?” he asked.


"Speech"

Sirius is prompt to answer her question and Keahi nods in understand while her eyes look out over the land below. Her attention is pulled off the ground and brought back up to the Warlord as he asks about the weather and the red wolf looks to the sky as they slowly continue toward the peak. Keen eyes find the clouds that drift across the sky, noting their structure and speed. Pink tongue darts out of her mouth to test the moisture in the air and she inhales deeply to bring in the scent of the earth.

Taking in all the information she has gather, Keahi comes to a stop at the highest point and looks to Sirius. Slowly, she says, “There has been no snow or rainfall in the past several hours but that will soon change. Those clouds say so.” A red paw points up the large clumps of clouds that appear like fish scales. They are puffy and close together and she says, “Back home we have a saying for those clouds. It goes, ‘mackerel sky, mackerel sky, not long wet, not long dry’. Basically, they mean that weather will change and rain is going to fall.”

Turning back to the Warlord, the red wolf says, “The temperature is below freezing so the rain will turn into snow and, by tonight, there will be a fresh blanket of powder.” Assessment done, Keahi waits to hear what Sirius thinks of her reading.


"Keahi Mogotsi"