It felt... Wrong. This was not the armada he knew anymore, the lands had changed and he had no way of knowing how much the wolves had changed. He idly wondered who's replaced him, he'd not had much contact with the other healers in the pack and so had no way of knowing who even qualified... He knew well enough that Sirius did not give up his wolves easily and Mojito was asking for more than he had any right to, the Warlord had already let him go to be with his daughter, he had no real right to ask for another wolf. Still, he couldn't help but hope that whatever affection Sirius' had felt for him was enough to at least grant him some leeway. Of course, Mojito had no way of knowing that Sirius wasn't the warlord anymore, wasn't even here right now having taken his family down to Auster. So when he stopped at the all too familiar scent line he called for the warlord, not knowing he would get a very different man from the one he'd grown to respect as a young man. He did not call for Nao, not because he did not want to see the man, he very much did, but because he did not want to have to face the man if he failed, did not want him to see if Mojito was forced to fight and lost... He was scared of disappointing him. Mojito was conflicted, the Armada was the only place he'd ever felt at home but in the weeks since he'd last spoken to Nao he'd been forced to think about if he could ever seriously return there... He wasn't sure he could, he would not be who he was when he'd left, and everywhere he'd look would be the ghosts of the once love of his life and his daughter. He needed a fresh cut, and that hurt too in its own way, because Mojito had nowhere really. His family were not family to him and he was scared of finding himself alone, but forever this time. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

Of all the voices he expected to hear at the borders, that of his once combat medic (and Asla's child's father) was not one of them. He took his time coming down from the watchpost and moving through the woods to answer, comforted by the familiar howl and knowing that at least for this moment, the pirates were not an immediate and present danger. Mojito had been a loyal member of the Armada, leaving with his sister only to help protect and raise his child. Azure had respected that decision then even if he had hated seeing Asla walk away, and held no malice for the man now that he had returned.

Coming up on the border he gave the half-breed a shallow nod of his head. "Mojito." His words were clipped, but not necessarily hostile. "What brings you here? Are you finally ready to come home?" Sirius had told him that the man had sworn to return once his children were of age, but that was years ago. What had happened to Mo between then and now?

"Speech"

It was Azure who approached, and Mojito found himself holding himself a little more rigid, not stiff just, he knew little enough about the man just that he was more of a warrior than and he almost instinctively fell into a more soldier-like stance. He dipped his head as the man greeted him but it was the follow-up question that really got his attention. The man swallowed the lump forming in his throat, his heart ached at the thought of going home. Of getting to call the Armada home again, of getting to feel like he was a part of something again... Maybe if he was lucky he'd get to do that and also get to help his friend. Mojito cleared his throat before speaking in response: ”In truth I am not totally sure.” That would be up to the warlord in the end. ”I guess for now it's easier to start with this: I would like to speak to you about a wolf within your employ,” that was a tactful way of saying it, ”Satoru.” Saying the man's name seemed to send butterflies skittering through his stomach and Mojito knew his face was flushing slightly, though he did not let his expression drop too deeply into his adoration. ”I've come to see if there is anything I can offer to help earn the man his freedom, you need only ask your father about my skills as a healer if you're in doubt and I am not so precious as to be unwilling to dirty my paws.” Mojito didn't say it out loud, didn't say that there were many things he was willing to do in exchange for the man's freedom, if Azure had dirty work he needed done Mojito would do it, just to make it so Nao could finally have the freedom he so craved. Maybe once he did he'd still want to stay, but not having the choice now meant Mojito could not know if the Armada could be home again. And if he had to, he'd be willing to fight for it, though Mojito himself knew he could make no such claims on the man as of right now. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

Azure's posture stiffened as the man he'd been prepared to welcome home all but declined the offer with indecision. It was clear by the way Mo's face flushed at the slave's name, and the tactful way he maneuvered around Nao's title that he respected him greatly - or maybe it was much more than that. Either way, Asla's once-puppy-love was not here because of the promise he'd once made to return, nor loyalty for him or his. It was loyalty to a slave and worse than that, it was the desire to free him. Azure did not understand why Nao needed his freedom. Why did Mo not just come home and spend time with his friend here, where they could live together happily ever after? The more Azure thought on it, the more he felt he understood Mojito's motives.

"You wish to take from the Armada one of our slaves?" He stated, clarifying Mojito's tactful bullshit into something much more blunt. Azure stepped forward toward the half-breed mongrel, maimed tail flagging as he looked down his nose at the smaller man. "My father has shared with me the circumstances of your departure before, you left to protect my sister and her puppies. We were under the impression that you were planning to return one day, that it was a temporary separation. That your loyalty to us was only second to the loyalty to the child you sought to keep safe." His muzzle wrinkled in a sneer. "And now I find you have yet another loyalty that comes before your pack - this useless slave. Nao has been with us for years and has done nothing to earn his own freedom, what makes you think I'm willing to give it to you now?"

With a shake of his head and a snort, Azure dismissed the ridiculous notion. "No. Nao will be remaining with me." He insisted softly. "As for you - I am hereby revoking the permission you received from my father so long ago to part from us. His empathy for your position and his love of his grandchildren seems to have poisoned his common sense and allowed him to look past your disloyalty." The Warlord's fur bristled, his intent to fight becoming clear in every tensed fiber of his thickly muscled form. "You and Nao can work toward your freedoms together, perhaps he will be more ambitious to break out of his rank with you by his side."

On either side his companions began to slink out of the trees, circling Mojito and quietly awaiting the signal to strike. Azure waited too, his eyes fixed upon Mo's own expectantly. Would the man submit now and accept that he still owed the Armada a debt, or would he try and fight for his freedom and be dragged into the mountain range by his ear?

Azure vs Mojito for Force Claim
Round 0/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
*Companion 3: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

Mojito was the product of love, deep down, that was the fundamental truth about his birth. But the layers of him that made him up were years of hardening. Of realizing others would hate him simply for existing. He did not get to be the one anyone thought of kindly. He did not get to be the one that got to feel comfortable. He had been fighting his entire fucking life and had been forced to understand that he was never good enough, even at Asla's side he'd never been enough. So maybe it had been delusion to think he'd ever get to call someplace home. Maybe it was a delusion to think he'd ever belong anywhere. It didn't make it hurt any less to realize he'd deluded himself. Mojito was not wanted anywhere, only tolerated and if Azure was so determined to make it so the Armada had never been Mojito's home, then so fucking be it. The man narrowed his eyes, lips curling back. Many a retort ready on his tongue but he swallowed them all down. It had been Sirius he'd respected, he'd had little enough opinion on his son who'd been missing for much of Mojito's time climbing the ranks, he silently told himself that Azure could not know what lay in his heart. But that did not mean he had to take the insults, the disrespect laying down. Azure did not know the deep loyalty he still felt, because Azure could never know the things Mojito had been forced to endure since the moment of his birth. The blessed, vaunted fucking child. He would never know what it felt like to be looked at like you were hated, just for being fucking born. Azure as he was now, would have crumpled under the weight Mojito bore every fucking day. Because he hadn't had to learn how to carry it. So though he knew himself not to be the strongest fighter, knew himself unlikely to be a match for Azure he would not back down. If Mojito had learned anything it was that he would be the only one who would fight for himself. And if this was the Armada now, he didn't need to respect the puffed-up prick in front of him just because he'd respected his father. His loyalty would not be questioned by anyone who mattered because Azure could never know what it had meant to be here. Hoa sensed the shift and stopped grazing, head lifting to look at the two wolves and taking a few steps forward, tossing his head. He stopped just a few steps behind Mojito, turning around so that he was facing away from the two wolves, tracking the big cat with his eyes while an ear was perked towards the sound of movement on the other side. Mojito could see the bigger man's companions slinking around him, trying to circle him but he never removed that blue gaze from Azure. Ears pulled back and he tucked his head, knees bending and toes splaying to grip the earth. Azure would remember he'd been trained in the Armada as well and would realize he knew well enough how to fight. Without a word Mojito exploded forward, looking to use his size to his advantage and slide himself in close to Azure, hopefully before the man could stop him. Mojito was attempting to get his head in just slightly under Azure's chest, then toss it back, hoping to dig the points of his horns into the much bigger man's chest, hopefully between one of the ribs that sat towards the front. Mojito vs Azure for Freedom Round 1/2 Age: 1+ Size: Small Build: Light Companion 1: Mini arapawa sheep, Male - Battle Mutation 1: Goat horns - Offensive Skills: Expert Healer & Advanced Fighter ”Speech”  ’Thought’

It would seem that Mojito had no intention to come quietly at simply Azure's insistence that he must, and offered no words of explanation or argument before exploding forth to begin the match. Az was prepared for the fight to come but not for the initial lunge, though with the mongrel's meager height it was only a matter of rising upwards to dodge the blow of horns aimed at his chest. What comes up must come down however, and Azure needed a place to land his forepaws so that he would not simply crash his chest down harder upon the mutation.

His heavy right forepaw led forward, its aim to land squarely upon the flat of the horns front and push them back while he repositioned himself. The move would leave his pawpad open to injury if any of his toes landed even slightly overtop the tips, but protecting his ribcage was much more important and he could risk a few days of pain in return.

As his paw (and front end) came back down, Azure angled his muzzle sharply low too. He watched for the result of his attack, jaws waiting to attempt to snap down upon the top of Mojito's muzzle should the weight of his paw be enough to drive his opponent's skull backwards and his nose high. Getting control of the head was one of the easiest ways to end a fight quickly, and a swift finish was undoubtedly Azure's main goal.

Azure vs Mojito for Force Claim
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
*Companion 3: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

Mojito was not quite as successful as he might hope, the bigger man would lift himself so his chest as out of range of the Klein's horns and Mojito bit back a hiss, Azure tried to push them away instead and Mojito would take any opening he could, angling his horns to try and catch the much bigger man's toes, maybe it was petty but Mojito was feeling a little petty to be honest, and only a fool wouldn't take any opportunity afforded to them in a fight where they knew they were outmatched. He couldn't afford to let any chance slip by. Because he was tilting his head to his right Azure's grip wasn't central but Mojito did not manage to escape the jaws that sought to hold his face. Azure instead gripped the left side of his muzzle, closer to the bridge of his nose than the nose itself, it was a stronghold regardless but it gave him a small amount of wiggle room, which was all he needed. Mojito thrashed his head, risking tearing his face but attempting to scrape his horns on whatever part of Azure's head he could. But in reality, it was meant to be a distraction. He'd noted Hoa had made the choice to risk things a little, no longer guarding Mojito's flank and instead moving to circle around Azure, a wide path to try and slip through his blind spots. Angling himself to be perpendicular to Azure's torso Hoa lowered his head, and pawed the ground a few times before attempting to blast himself full tilt at the massive wolf. The sheep was attempting to ram Azure's sides, aiming for the soft stomach area unprotected by ribs, his horns, less sharp than Mojito's were pretty decent battering rams all things considered. Mojito vs Azure for freedom Round 2/2 Age: 1+ Size: Small Build: Light Companion 1: Mini arapawa sheep, Male - Battle Mutation 1: Goat horns - Offensive Skills: Expert Healer & Advanced Fighter ”Speech”  ’Thought’

And the winner is...

Mojito

Due to not posting within the time limit, Azure loses by default and his force claim is unsuccessful. They must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out.