Word had reached the purple pup’s ears that there is a new wolf in the Armada. Curious and more than a little worried that the new wolf is in the infirmary, Andy had tasked herself with gathering items that will help the injured wolf feel a little more comfortable. First, she had gone to where they stored the extra furs and picked out two of the plushiest ones there. Next, she raided the kitchen for food which she carefully packed into a leather satchel she had borrowed from their stocks. Among an assortment of fruits, she added freshly prepared, steaming meats, which she wrapped individually so that they could keep their warmth.

Finally, Andromeda returned to the family den to pick up a very important and very special item of her own. Pulling the small, leather doll that her sister had given her from its hiding place, the girl holds it a moment before giving it a gentle kiss. It had helped her feel better when they had returned from the Hallows and, knowing that this wolf is new and might be scared because they are injured, she hopes it will help them too. Carefully, tenderly, she adds it to the items in the satchel. Shouldering the small pack, she tosses the two plush furs over her back and swiftly makes her way to the infirmary.

Spying a pelt made of blues, the pup pads quietly toward the stranger and softly calls out, “Excuse me. I heard you got hurt and I brought you some things I thought might help you feel better.” A small smile is on her purple lips as she approaches, hoping that she isn’t disturbing them.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

How long had it been since she and the Warlord had decided that they hated one another? The giant man didn't come to see her and she didn't mind. He annoyed the hell out of her and she seemed to have the same effect on him. Pity that she owed him a debt and had no choice but to interact with him. Why couldn't her savior have been someone that was a little less uncouth? Just her luck, she guessed.

As Isa mulled over her current position, movement caught her attention and she looked towards the doorway to see a pretty young girl entering. The child approached her and Isa smiled, ears perking as the girl spoke. She'd brought her things to make her more comfortable? That was very sweet. "Well thank you, sweet one." Isa pulled herself up to a seated position which wasn't terribly easy with one foreleg splinted and bandaged and one hip damaged and sore, but she managed.

Once she was up, Isa fixed her gaze on the child once more. "My name is Isa," she informed the pup in her soft, exotic tones. "And what should I call you, pretty one?" The girl's coloring was very handsome and it sent a wistful pang through Isa's heart. Would her own children have grown to be so lovely?

"Isa"

As Andy approaches, telling the lady that she had brought her things, the injured wolf decides to sit up. Pale blue eyes round in surprise as it is oblivious that the woman is in pain and the girl hurriedly says, “Oh you don’t have to move! I…” But her words stall as the blue wolf pulls herself up into a seated position. Worry knits the girl’s brows together but she moves closer as the woman offers her name and a gentle smile appears on purple lips. The pup warmly says, “Well, my name is Andromeda but my family calls me Andy. Either one works… Isa.” A small giggle escapes as the girl tries out the wolf’s name and the girl’s tail wags slowly behind her.

Coming to stop in front of Isa, the girl shrugs off her load and carefully pushes the two plush furs toward the injured woman. Andy’s voice is its usual soft, gentle tone as she says, “I brought you some extra furs since its pretty cold here.” A soft chuckle escapes as she pulls the satchel toward her, casting her gaze about to check that no one is watching before looking to Isa and whispering in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, “I didn’t know what you they are giving you to eat here so I brought you some of my favorite things.”

Eyes sparkle as she pulls out the warm packs of meats, opening the individual packs to reveal elk, bison, deer, and duck meat. The reason she had brought so many is because she wasn’t sure which one the woman likes. Steam lazily weaves its way into the air as she pushes the warm food toward Isa, adding, “Just don’t tell my dad about this. He’ll make me go hunt to replenish all the stuff I took. I’m… not a very good hunter.” The admission is given with a sheepish shrug of her shoulders and she quickly ducks away to spill out the fruit she had brought along.

Sitting back, Andy points her paws at the various colored objects, saying, “Apples, pears, oranges, and my favorite, plums. Those are hard to get this time of year so you know, our secret.” Another soft chuckle fills the air as she looks to Isa, curious if the offerings are alright. Paws toy with the satchel as she waits to give Isa the special gift wanting to make sure she is okay with all the items before explaining about the little doll.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

As Isa sat, the girl introduced herself as Andromeda. The older wolf grinned, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. "Very good to meet you, Andromeda." She was not the girl's family and so would not call her by her nickname until asked to do so. The blue fae watched as the girl pulled a pack forward and began digging things out of it. Her head tilted curiously as she watched and Isa was pleasantly surprised at the thoughtfulness of the child.

First Andromeda gave the 'slave' a pair of thick, lush furs to keep her warm. Following this came a variety of different foods, for which the injured fae was very thankful. The fruits especially were a lovely treat. The girl admitted that plums were her favorite and Isa moved a paw forward to heft the orange. "Oranges would be my favorite. They grow everywhere where I come from." Placing the orange before herself, she took up the plum and sat it in front of the girl. "Thank you for the gifts, Sweet One. Let's eat our favorite fruits together, shall we?"

With one paw and her teeth, Isa freed the orange from its peel and pith. She then split the orange into sections and popped one into her mouth, a sound of pleasure escaping her as the sweet, tart juices hit her tongue. "Mmm, thank you so much for this. It's been a long time since I've had a taste of home." Isa then opened the packages of steaming, flavored meats and placed them between herself and Andromeda like a buffet. It was obvious that she wanted the girl to share a whole meal with her.

"Such a kind child," Isa complimented Andromeda, her kind gaze resting on the girl's lavender features. "Your parents must be terribly proud." She surely would be if she had a child so thoughtful.

"Isa"

When Isa calls her Andromeda, the girl ducks her head and smiles, enjoying the way it sounds in her exotic tones. No matter what station a wolf is in the pack, the purple pup understands the sadness, and possible fear, that being away from home and injured can cause. Because of that, she wishes to help make Isa feel welcome and offers her some simple comforts. When the fruit is offered and the blue hued woman picks up an orange, sharing that it is her favorite fruit and why, a warm smile spreads across the girl’s lavender lips. Seating herself across from Isa the girl’s smile only grows when the plum is offered to her.

Pale eyes round is surprise before blinking at the tender nickname that Isa offers and the girl’s heart melts for the woman. The smile that she offers now is bright and she nods thankfully before lifting the plum to sniff so she can savor the scent of the ripe fruit. Isa deftly peels the orange and Andy softly asks, “What is your home like, Isa? Is it far from here?” Mouth fills with saliva as her stomach rumbles its protest at not having the plum to digest. Eyes turn to the fruit and she takes a large bite, mimicking the woman’s sounds of pleasure as the tart, sweet juice hits her tongue.

At Isa’s voiced thanks, Andy smiles brightly, plum juice staining her lips as she happily says, “You’re welcome Isa! I’ll be sure to bring you many more oranges. I promise.” Shifting the fruit to one paw, the girl uses a paw to cross her heart in a show of the promise before giving a firm nod and returning to her plum. All too soon, the fruit is devoured but Isa then opens the packages of meat and places them between the wolves. Eyes widen as Andy takes it as an invitation to join her and Andy’s tail thumps the ground as she takes a piece of elk meat.

Again, the blue woman compliments her and the purple pup suddenly feels flustered, uncertain why she is getting so much praise for doing the right thing. Then Isa mentions her parents and Andromeda’s eyes falls to the piece of meat in her paw and she turns it over in her paws as he thinks for a moment before saying, “I… I think they are. Mom use to tell me that I was a kind child too but, uh, she went away about a season ago. And my dad is… dad. He doesn’t say much, one way or the other.” A shrug of lavender shoulders is given before she pops the chunk of meat in her mouth and slowly chews it.

Absently, her paw fiddles with the opening of the satchel as they eat and, when she finally swallows her food, Andy turns her pale gaze to meet Isa’s beautiful aqua eyes. With a gentle smile, the pup softly says, “I… brought you one other thing.” With that, she reaches in to the satchel and withdraws the little leather doll that Briar that given her when the family had left the Hallows. Lovingly, she cradles the object, saying, “My sister gave this to me after our mother died. It helped me feel safe and comfortable in a time when I felt anything but that.”

Lavender paws uncurl and legs stretch out to offer the doll to Isa as she says, “I’m sorry you’re hurt, Isa but she will help you feel better, I promise.” It is a child’s toy, offered with a child’s promise but, to Andy, it is the most important promise in the world. A warm, caring smile is on her lavender lips as she willing offers Isa her doll to help the woman feel better.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

As the girl asked after Isa's home, the blue fae's ears pricked and she swallowed the piece of orange in her maw. "Oh yes, it's very far away from here. Over much land and sea." A deep sigh pushed from the woman and her icy eyes closed momentarily as she pictured her homeland within her minds eye. "The sun always shines on fields of golden waves. Warm breezes dance across your fur day and night. It's never too hot, nor too cold. There are deep, green jungles and long stretches of white sand as far as the eye can see. At night we watch colors dance across the skies and believe that it's the souls of departed loved ones hunting in the heavens." The woman sighed again, giving her head a shake and opening her eyes once more. She loved her homeland but there was nothing there for her but sadness and memories.

Andromeda wanted to bring Isa more oranges and the fae laughed aloud. "Don't do anything for me that will get you in trouble, sweet one. I will live without oranges, I promise you." Fate had proven to Isa that she could live without anything, sadly enough. Silence fell for a time as the pair ate the feast before them. Isa tried a bit of each meat, making soft sounds of pleasure once she absorbed each flavor. Whoever had made the meat was a very good cook.

Her mother went away. Sorrow struck Isa through the heart like an arrow and the fae's pale brows drew together as she listened to the girl speak. That didn't necessarily mean that the child's mother was dead, but Isa had a feeling that this was indeed the case. Andromeda's father seemed to be indifferent. Perhaps that was because he was suffering the loss of his mate; the mother of his children. Isa couldn't blame him for that. She knew all too well what that was like. "Perhaps your dad is just sad, sweet one. Sometimes silence is one's way of just trying to keep themselves in one piece."

Just when she thought the child couldn't get any sweeter, the purple girl graced her with one more gift. Isa's good paw moved up to touch her own chest, showing just how heartfelt the gesture was to the fae. She accepted the doll, ears tucking for the barest moment as Andromeda confirmed that her mother was indeed dead. The girl wanted this doll to make Isa feel better and it did, but it also made her feel so much more. The woman's pale eyes became glassy with tears and she smiled and nodded. "Thank you, sweet one. I already feel better." Feeling as though the child might need it, Isa gingerly put her weight on her splinted, injured leg and, with her good foreleg, draped it around the pup, pulling her into a gentle, loving embrace. They just met, but there was something about the girl that spoke to the motherly instincts within Isa. Maybe they both needed that hug in the end.

"Isa"

Andy asks about Isa’s home and the pup watches as the woman eyes close and she begins to speak of her far-off homeland. The world is built and as the purple pup sits, watching the woman, she swears she can see it. There is so much love in her words for the place she is from that it helps to paint the scene and the girl’s eyes drift slowly closed so that she can join Isa on a stroll through her homeland. Suddenly, the land flashes into view and she can feel the sun on her fur as a warm breeze runs its fingers through her coat, tickling the girl and making her smile. The jungles come into focus where broad leaves wave to her and thick canopies filter the bright sun and causes shadows to dance upon the ground.

Then she is running along the white sandy beaches, watching the way the sun glints off the rolling crystal ways. At night, the pup lays beside the woman underneath the night sky, watching the colors dance above them as she tells her stories of the wolves that came before them. Her words slowly melt away, taking with them, the beautiful scene and Isa’s sigh has Andy blinking open her eyes. Pale blue eyes catch the woman’s aqua gaze and the girl offers her a smile that is filled with love. It is obvious that the beautiful blue woman has been through a lot by the way she talks of her home; it sounds so beautiful but also felt final when the last word faded away.

A small inkling of sadness tugs at her heart but talk of oranges has the subject shifting on to happier things. Isa’s words about not getting in trouble have a smile slowly blooming across the pup’s lavender lips while a sparkle of mischief glitters in her eyes. Leaning toward the woman, Andy pitches her voice low into a conspiratorial tone as she shares, “I won’t get in trouble. Besides, they haven’t caught me yet!” A giggle has her shoulders lifting while her head ducks and she leans back to continue enjoying the food and company. She speaks of her parents and notices the way the woman’s pale brows knit together and her pale eyes fall to her paws as they talk of her father.

Isa tries to reassure her and she offers a small nod, knowing that the words are true but it still feels so hollow to be on the other side of the silence. True, Andy and Sirius have made breakthroughs with his anger but it still hurts that she feels like she cannot openly speak about her mother. Turning her eyes up to Isa once more, she softly says, “I know. I just… I want to talk about it… about her. I… I miss her.” A small shrug of purple shoulders is given and the girl changes the subject, turning to retrieve her last gift for the injured woman. With a gentle, loving smile, she offers up the doll that Briar had gifted her before she left the Hallows and she watches as Isa’s accepts her gift.

The woman’s eyes become glassy with tears and the smile that is offered has the girl’s heart lifting and breaking all at once. Isa reminds Andy what it feels like to think that the world isn’t so out of control, to not feel like the floor isn’t going to fall out from under her paws at any moment. Isa’s words have the girl ducking her head slightly as heat burns her cheeks but, when the blue woman moves to embrace her, Andromeda does not resist. No, she actually moves into it, trying to be careful of the blue woman’s injuries while wrapping her slender legs around the woman’s frame. The love in the simple act has Andy melting into the older wolf as tears sting the backs of her eyes. She has missed the hugs and kind words of her own mother and, for a moment, Andromeda allows the world to melt away until all she can feel is a mother’s love cradling her.

Once her heart is full, she releases her tender grip on she injured woman so she can lean back and take the weight off her injured leg. With her gifts delivered, Andy sits back to scrub away the tears that had leaked out when she wasn’t looking and says, “Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you Isa. But you should rest so you can heal up! When you feel up to it, I can show you around. And… if it is okay with you, I would like to come back and visit.” Andromeda smiles warmly as she gathers the satchel up, ready to leave the woman to finish her food and rest. Standing to she turns to leave, Andy pauses a moment as a thought tugs at her mind and she soft says, “Isa?”

Once the blue woman’s aqua gaze is locked with her own, Andromeda softly says, “I would like it if you called me Andy.” The smile that pulls at her lips is warm as she lets Isa know, in a subtle way, that she is her friend. With that, she offers her goodbyes and heads to the door.


-exit Andromeda-


"Andromeda Fatalis"