The Warlord and his son had spoken about expansion. It had been an idle idea when they had first moved out this way - and part of the reason for the move. Here, they would have room to grow. Now with the pack settled into their new home and new members joining their ranks, it was time they gave themselves some more room.

Being a pack that had come from the ocean, the choice had become an easy one. So, organising teams to scout the land for different purposes - from mapping it, to clearing it and testing its hunting stabilities. Today, the Warlord would take out a group to clear out any predators.

He made his way to the beach, and lifted his head. Howling out for any wolf that wished to join him. After all, a pack was centred around working as a team.


"Speech"

Art by Salt

Since her trip down to Auster to warm up, Keahi has felt a new spring in step as she tackles each day’s activities. That, along with the plush polar bear coat that Sirius had gifted her, helped the thinner coated wolf feel more comfortable. She maneuvers her knife through a thick slab of deer meat, portioning it out before taking it to the stores to be dried, when a call rings out from the nearby beach. Red ears flick toward the direction of the howl that summons any wolves that wish to help clear the land of predators and Keahi quickly works to store the meat she had been butchering. White coat firmly in place, the tropical wolf quickly trots out to cove to find the howls owner, Sirius, waiting on the black sandy beach. Dipping her head in greeting, Keahi says, “Hello Sirius. Thank you again for the coat.” A friendly smile is offered to the tall Warlord as she joins him while waiting for others to show.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He had heard word of the pack wishing to expand. Although he had only been a member of the Armada for a couple of weeks now, he wasn't opposed to helping where he was needed. He'd been mostly focused on settling in, choosing a den, and working on it to make it feel more like a home and not like he was a stranger in a new world. Though he had been feeling that since joining, but only because he had been the local hermit up until he came across Sirius.

When he heard Sirius' call, the yearling had been nearby tracking down something to add to the pack's stores, even if it was minuscule for now, but he abandoned that to join Sirius in his endeavor to breach new lands. Upon reaching the cove, he gazed upon the black sands and the reaching waters for a moment before spotting Sirius with another wolf. A stranger to Grimoire of course, but likely a pack member he would at some point learn more about in the future. He arrived quietly, mind working as he mapped out what he knew of the coves. He had been here plenty of times. The cave he had lived in was not far from here at all, so he was quite familiar with this territory. He knew it like the back of his paw, so whatever their mission was today, he likely already had an advantage.

Hearing the call from her father for fighters, Aris took the time to duck back into her new cavern home and shrug into her armor. She was, after all, turning over a new leaf. She was going to be proving herself here in these new lands, as a warrior and a healer. No more getting passed over and overlooked in favor of her siblings, no more being ignored. No more being the disappointment. So she needed to take the initiative and answer as many of these voluntary jobs as she could to make sure her dad could see she was working hard.

She was still shaking to settle her armor properly into place when she set foot onto the beach. She stopped a moment, surprised at the black sand beneath her paws. She'd not had time to explore much up here, what with setting up the pack lands, but it seemed her dad had plans for this area too, so maybe she ought to remedy that. For now, she just kicked back up into a trot to finish closing the distance to the group waiting. She didn't know either of the pair there with him (but of course they like every other wolf in the Armada towered over her) so after a brief appraising glance at each she ignored them to favor her dad with a bright smile. "You called?"

Gossamer pinned her ears to her head as she maneuvered out of the gorge and headed back to Armada's pack lands. Herb hunting was not an easy thing to do in winter, particularly a winter so harsh. She'd had some good luck in the gorge however. It would be far better in spring but the shelter offered by the gorge had given the plant life more of a fighting chance. Shame about the wind though.

She'd just arrived back in the Armada when she heard her father's call from the west. Far west. Curious she scrambled back to her den and deposited her herbs before bounding out of the cavern and down toward the black sand beach. Panting, she skidded to a stop next to Aris. "Hey dad, what's going on?"

The Warlord smiled at the first wolf to arrive. Turning fully to her, he bent down and adjusted her coat ever so slightly. The white fur went very well with the intense blue of her eyes. But, more importantly, the tropical wolf was warm. “I’m glad you're enjoying it” he said as he released his grip on the coat. He turned in time to see Grimoire arriving, and nodded to the newest addition. “Our Northern expert, thank you for coming Grimoire” he said, clearly pleased.

He was surprised when not one, but two of his daughters appeared. Aris’s eyes settled on him, and he looked back at the small girl. He was very happy to see her coming out and interacting with the pack. Gossy’s arrival was a little more nosy, as she skidded to a stop beside her sister. He offered Gossy a smile too, and paused to give each girl a kiss on the cheek.

When he straightened, he was all business. “Today we are going to patrol through the cove. We are looking for any sign of predators, long or short term. If we want to claim this territory, we need to make it crystal clear to any other predators in the area that this is ours. We’ll start here” he pointed his nose at the ground where he stood, at the edge of Soul Sand Cove and Armada territory. “We will head down to the south, around the shore, and back up to the North. The idea is to destroy any predator homes and drive off any we encounter.” He explained, waiting a moment for any questions, and then headed off. Making his way south down the cove.

They made their way to the tip of the beach and the southern mountain, and back up by the shoreline before they encountered a pack of coyotes. “Keahi and Grim, flank their left side. Aris and Gossy, flank the right. I’ll take the centre” he ordered, and picked up his pace. He’d prefer to kill the creatures, but driving them off the land would also set a precedence.

"Speech"

Art by Salt

The tropical wolf smiles warmly when Sirius reaches out to adjust her coat, a soft chuckle rolling out as Keahi teases, “Thanks dad.” It is gentle and, while it is meant in jest, there is still fondness in those words. The Warlord releases his grip and speaks to her which has the red wolf smiling even brighter. She turns as the next wolf approaches and, while they have not officially met, she has heard his name in passing. Luckily, Sirius connects the dots for her when he greets Grimoire and Keahi offers the male a respectful bow of her head before straightening back up. The next wolf that appears bears the same familial markings as Sirius and she can tell that this is one of the Warlord’s daughters.

Kotori has filled her in on his siblings and the tropical wolf knows her as Aris. The Warlord’s daughter casts an appraising look her way and again, Keahi offers a respectful dip of her head. In the end, Aris ignores her and the red woman slowly moves to the side, allowing the leader room to interact with his family. A final wolf, also a sibling of Kotori’s, Gossamer if her memory is correct, appears, skidding to a stop next to her sister. Subtly, Keahi moves a little closer to the outskirts of the group, not wanting to intrude on a family moment as Sirius steps up to give both of his daughter’s a kiss on the cheek. Then it is down to business and her red ears perk up as the tropical wolf looks to the Leader.

Keahi nods in understanding, as he speaks of driving out predator’s and the tropical wolf sits in silence when he leaves space for questions. Then they are off, making their way out along the cove, the tropical woman in her polar bear coat sticking close to the group. They find their predators, a group of coyotes that have staked their claim to the cove. Sirius pairs her with Grimoire and she dips her red head in understand, looking to the taller male before silently peeling away from the group. Working together, they give the pack a wide berth while they move up the left side to hem in the pack. Blue eyes flick toward her companion, silently asking if he is ready before looking out toward the others. Once they are all in place, Keahi races forward, making a ruckus to startle the encroaching pack.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Gossamer settled in to listen as her father explained that they would be scouting the lands for signs of predators. There were a number of risks this far north, as she was learning. An encounter with a polar bear had brought her into contention with one of the north's top predators if not the most dangerous. After something of a stare down they'd both gone their separate ways.

She hoped they wouldn't need to drive off any polar bears today and as she moved down the beach it seemed like the land was ripe for the taking until they encountered a pack of coyotes. Sirius gave them orders and she moved swiftly to the coyote's right with a malicious grin on her face. She was in this fight for blood. One of the coyotes snarled at her, its back arcing and hackles raised. Gossamer shot forward in conjunction with Keahi, targeting the snarling coyote.

“Our Northern expert, thank you for coming Grimoire," Grimoire nodded as he waited for the rest to arrive. He was still getting used to all this. Used to being around others. He wasn't shy at all, just...unsure of what to expect from these strangers. They all seemed to know each other. That, or they were related. He was the outsider still, but he knew he wouldn't be given some time. When the others arrived and it seemed no more would be coming, he listened to Sirius' plan in silence and offered a firm, quiet nod of understanding before splitting off from the group and going with Keahi when they came upon a pack of coyotes. This pack looked familiar, and he was sure this was the same pack he had had scuffles with in the past.

On the other side of the pack, one of Sirius' relatives (he didn't know who the hell was who yet) was already going head to head with one coyote, and he was about to tangle up with another, it seemed. Two coyotes came for him, snarling at him with raised hackles and bared fangs. Grim snarled back, hackles rising along his back and making him appear bigger than he was. As one darted in to get a bite, Grim slapped at it with a heavy bear-like paw. The coyote fell back with a whine, though it wasn't deterred just yet. He snarled and barked at them, horns and claws at the ready should they decide to try another assault.

Gossamer rounded out the group before Sirius began to explain what they were doing. Aris had mixed feelings about the plan. On the one hand she was excited to go clear the land of predators and kick some butt. On the other,she was a bit concerned that they were already expanding before they had actually gotten a tight grip on the new lands they already had and they might be spreading themselves too thin for the amount of warriors they had. But her father was alpha, and she was not, and he was experienced, and she was not, so she kept her mouth shut and trotted alone obediently. Even if nothing else, they would be having a good bit of fun fighting predators and would be eliminating potential threats to the pack lands.

A fierce grin showed her oversized fangs when the pack of coyotes was spotted. Driving them off would let them save their energy if they needed to chase away more predators later, but she wouldn't mind leaving a few canine bodies along the way. The smaller wolf-like "cousins" were enough like wolves to really work off some built up frustrations, without the social constraints and taboos on killing an actual wolf. Aris was more than happy to throw herself into the fray, coming up behind Gossamer to sink her teeth into the scruff of a coyote who was treatening Gossamer's flank. Blood spurted as her thick fangs sank further than an ordinary wolf's would, and the coyote began to shriek. Aris' eyes slitted, almost seeming to glow like polished gold with the heat of the fire in them.

The coyote twisted up and snapped at her, just missing her chest. He wouldn't get a second shot. Her saber fangs dove down, piercing the coyote's neck deep enough to cut the jugular. The coyote shrieked, limbs flailing as Gossamer violently shook it back and forth before dropping it. Another came toward her flank but was swiftly intercepted by Aris. Gossy grinned and searched for a new opponent. Aris was plenty skilled enough to handle a coyote solo.

A scraggly male coyote dove for her, coming in low. It tried to slip past her forelegs and get at her belly. She swiftly caught the coyote by the back, just in front of the hips, her fangs slicing into its bowels. Much larger and stronger it was a straightforward matter for her to twist her head back and fling the coyote aside, daring it to try another assault.

He spared a brief moment to flash his teeth in a happy, amused expression at Keahi at her words. They reminded him briefly what the wolves of the Armada meant to him. His, and beloved, one and all. He didn’t make any further comment however as the party moved on with the hunt.

After finding the coyotes, and giving his instructions, the rest of the wolves went to work. Keahi and Grim to the left, and Aris and Gossy to the right. Leaving the Warlord to take the centre and ensure none of the scavengers slipped past him.

He heard the sounds of scuffles around him as the Armada wolves proved they meant business. As he caught up to a coyote off his own he swiped a powerful paw at it, spinning it off course and to the ground. He snarled at it as it scrambled back to its paws and made a half hearted feint at the larger wolf. The Warlord kept going forward, curling back his gums over sharp fangs. Threatening and commanding as he drove it back, until it was running from him. He scanned the area, ensuring the rest of the coyotes were engaged, and would be driven out.


"Speech"

Art by Salt

Keahi and Grimore move in from the left, the tropical wolf snarling as two coyotes rushes for her companion. As Grim snarls and engages the bolder of the pair, the tropical wolf chooses to keep the second coyote off her partner’s back. She charges straight for second one, slamming her body into the coyote. Bowling it over, teeth flash as wolf and dog roll and bite, flailing brown and red limbs marking their passage. Shoving the coyote away, Keahi regains her paws and curls her tail over her back, hackles raised and ready to fight. Blood leaks out of various wounds on the coyote while the wolf remains unscathed. Lunging forward toward the coyote, with a loud snap, she smirks as its tail tucks and it shrinks away. The coyote glances at the rest of its pack and seeing that they are losing, turns tail to run. Keahi lunges forward one more time to plant a deep bite on its butt, giving it a reminder to never return. Turning her attention to Grimore, the red woman moves to help him if he needs it.

"Keahi Mogotsi"

Aris finished off the coyote, dropping it before bounding forward in Gossamer's wake. She wondered idly if anyone would care if she took the wolf-like body back to the mountain to dissect it in her new workshop... They wouldn't be able to kill off the whole pack, not after the initial surprise of the attack wore off, but the bodies laying there now would serve as a stark warning to never come back once they got the pack running. They were already almost to that point, terror beginning to overwhelm anger. Aris slashed her claws across the face of one coyote, immediately turning to claw another's shoulder with her other paw. That one she followed up with a vicious slash of fangs higher on the shoulder, not to grip but to lacerate. That coyote turned to run, stumbling into one behind it. The pack was all but routed now between all their efforts. It wouldn't take much more to convince them to run away.

Luckily for him, Keahi took on one of the coyotes that came at him. While that one was tangled with her, the other one came at him. It lunged for him, teeth snapping as it managed to yank some fur from his chest. With a snarl, Grimoire lunged back, shoving the coyote back on its ass before he lowered his head and charged at it. Curved horns stabbed into the smaller beast, hitting vital points as it stuck onto his horns like a pincushion. It flailed and snarled at him, but the light quickly died from its eyes when Grimoire gave it a good shake and the other canine dropped dead. Well that didn't take long...

Shortly after that one was done, a skinnier brother of the one he just killed thought about coming for him but backed off when Grimoire turned to it and flashed his fangs and a snarl. Thinking twice about its advance, it turned tail and ran with those that were left.

He pulled back, giving a violent shake of his head to dislodge the coyote, and when all was said and done, he looked up to find bodies strewn around them as the others had managed to make their own kills, and drive off the rest. His heart pounded in his chest, though it was more from adrenaline and the thrill of a fight. Huffing, he looked around them, waiting for Sirius' next order, if any.