Spring had sprung, and that really was just wonderful. Halo was quite pleased with it. The days were warmer, but not uncomfortably so. The daylight hung around for longer too, and she could feel the vitamin D having quite the positive impact on her system. Her spirits lifted with the temperature. Things were already starting to grow in the garden, and that meant she spent much of her day harvesting and processing the fruits of their early season labor. Today it was the cabbages, beets, and onions, all ready to be turned into dye.

But it was too much work for Halo to get through on her own. On days like this she missed Mortis especially-- he was always game to help with these projects. With a little tug in her chest, the girl instead called for anyone who wanted to help. Anyone who wasn't too busy, of course. It wasn't quite the important tasks that came with warrior training, but having goods for the market was important all the same.

"Halo"

He'd been so busy brooding lately that he'd barely been around to help Halo. Maybe Dread felt a little guilty about that. It seemed, too, that his interests had shifted away from healing lately. While the boy didn't want to disappoint her, maybe it just... wasn't in the cards for him. It had been weighing on him more and more, and really he should talk to her but... not right now. The time wasn't right. When was the time going to be right, if he felt as if he was hurting her feelings. That, and he was so busy thinking about her that it was hard to think about any other feelings at all. Shit.

Speaking of Halo, there she was, asking for help. It was coming from the Col instead of the flower beds, and Dread was drawn in by it. Who was he to deny Halo if she needed help, after all? Around her there were piles of vegetables, and she was working away at stoking the fire to get three pots of water heated. Dread quietly crossed to the fire pit, helping with the wood. "Are you making soup?" Dread was only half kidding, lowering his muzzle to sniff at a beet. He wasn't so keen on the idea of eating that.

"Dread Fatalis"

With the warmer days comes more sunlight and that means less clouds in the sky. While that may not seem important to many, for Andy, it means more uninterrupted views of the night sky. The girl is in her glass observation post, up on First Point Light, painstakingly coping one of her pervious star charts onto a fresh sheet of parchment when a call rings out from down in the Col. Pausing in her work, ink staining her toes around where the quill is held between her right toes.

Looking behind her where the door is, the purple girl decides to take a break and see what Halo needs. Setting the feathered quill aside, Andy stands and rolls her shoulders, working out the kinks that have settled in the muscles while she concentrated on her work. Swiftly, she leaves her post, moving down the path and to where Halo waits. Upon arriving, she finds the healer and her brother, Dread, standing around various vegetables while Halo works to get a fire going.

With a grin, she joins them, catching her brother’s words as she approaches. Eyes move to the pale healer as the girl says, “I heard you call for some help. Well, here I am!” Andy is happy, the nice weather helping lift her spirits. Plus, Dread is here and she hasn’t gotten to spend much time with the broody boy. Who knows, this could be fun!


"Andromeda Fatalis"

The warmth of spring is a welcome change for Keahi but, more than that, she is thankful to see the sun. Being from a tropical climate, the red woman misses the days of humid heat on her home island. With the sun comes a lifting of spirits and it seems to be affecting everyone in the Armada. Patrols are no longer a chore as the chance to move and watch flowers bloom is a happy occasion.

So, when a call from Halo sings out, the woman is more than happy to go lead a paw. Approaching the area, she finds that two of the Fatalis children have already arrived and are offering their help as well. With a warm smile aimed at Halo, she says, “Well, I am here to help too. Looks like you have three pots and there are three of us…” Voice trails off as she winks and looks to the yearlings, sensing an opportunity to learn something new.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Halo was pleasantly surprised when not only Dread, but Andromeda and Keahi too, arrived to help her. Many hands made light work, and it would seem that they'd be able to make quick work of what would take her an afternoon on her own. She chuckled softly as Dread asked if she was making soup. Maybe it did look a bit like that, actually, now that she thought of it. The vegetables, the pots of water, the heat source... true. "Not quite... actually that sounds good, now that you bring it up." She smiled softly, considering the still-chilly evenings. Maybe she would make soup one of these evenings.

Andromeda appeared not long after Dread. Halo smiled softly to the girl, a warmth about her. "Thank you for coming, Andromeda. I don't think we've gotten a chance to really spend time together, I'm Halo. I'm glad you're here." Not just for the sake of extra hands, either. It was nice to get to spend time with the yearlings. Keahi appeared as well, and she was right. Three pots, three of them, and three piles of vegetables. "Very true, thank you all for coming. We're going to be turning these vegetables into dye. Some are extras leftover from our winter storage, and some are from the early harvest that isn't really good to eat yet." Halo explained softly as she set a pile of vegetables in front of each wolf. A pile of beets for Dread, a pile of yellow onions for Andromeda, and a pile of cabbages for Keahi.

One by one, Halo passed out some knives from her crafting kit. They weren't the sharpest, but they'd get the job done without potentially injuring anyone. "For the beets and the cabbages, we're going to cut them into chunks about this big, but they don't have to be exact. For the onions we're just going to use the peels." Halo drew a square that was about an inch and a half on each side in the soft dirt near the fire pit. "For the onions, we're just going to use the skins. We're not going to put anything straight into the pots that go on the fire yet, though. We need to know exactly how much of each we have, so we can get the ratio right when we add the water." The healer peered to each of her helpers in turn, looking for understanding. "Does anyone have questions?"

As they set about their chopping and peeling, Halo moved to help with the onions. She grabbed one of the pails from around the fire pit to collect them so they wouldn't blow away with a wayward breeze, setting it between herself and Andromeda.

"Halo"

Halo seemed pretty eager to put them to work. They were making dye, or something. He was grateful that Andy and Keahi had turned up to help too-- hopefully that meant it wouldn't take all day. Helping the healer was usually a recipe for some sort of drawn out task that wouldn't be the most exciting thing. At least with so many of them, it should go quick. Andy seemed to be in good spirits, and maybe that would rub off on him some. Osmosis, or whatever. How was she always so chipper? No that he was complaining... at least not that he was complaining today. As Halo passed out the vegetables and the knives, the boy would admit that his mind was somewhere else.

It seemed simple enough. Dread settled into the work, chopping the beets messily as he went. It didn't need to be perfect, it wasn't like anyone would be eating them. Still, Halo had asked for questions. "Yeah, does anyone actually like beets?" He sniffed at the vegetable as he stacked them into a messy pile in front of him. Right, they wouldn't put them in the pots yet. As he worked away at the bounty, he couldn't help but find his mind wandering. Shit what was he doing, having a hard time getting that silly pirate girl off his mind. Dread? Capable of feelings that weren't angst? Since when?

"Dread Fatalis"

A soft smile is offered to Dread as Keahi appears and the girl turns beams a smile to the red wolf as well. While they have not officially met, she does know about both of them. The mention of three pots and three of them has the girl nodding and Halo is quick to agree. Apparently, they are making dye and Andy’s ears perk up as she asks, “Will this be used to dye clothing and armor?” Questions swirl but she quiets down to listen to what the healer is telling them. She gets!... Onions. Blinking down at the yellow vegetables, she quickly returns her attention to Halo as she explains what they need to do.

Nodding, she casts a glance to Dread who… seems to be preoccupied. Resolving to poke him later about what is on his mind, Andy picks up her first onion and delicately begins removing the brown and yellow peel. Halo joins her with a bucket and she thankful deposits the items in the bucket. Picking up another, she asks, “Am I doing it right?” Pale blue eyes meet the healer’s lavender gaze, eager to please and get the job done correctly. They move through the pile of onions at a good clip and before long, the bucket is filled with onion skins.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Keahi settles in with the yearlings and receives instructions on what they are doing. Nodding along, she chuckles at Andy’s question before taking one of the knives that is offered. Learning over, she bumps Andy gently with her nose and says to both of the youths, “I’m Keahi.” A wink is tossed their way before she begins to chop her cabbage.

Dread seems distracted and she leans over a couple times to nudge the boy to keep him from chopping off a toe. It does not take her long to roughly chop the cabbage and she puts the pieces in a small bucket near her. It isn’t the one that Andy and Halo are using but it does keep the vegetables from being strewn across the ground.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

At least Andromeda had good questions to ask. Halo chuckled to Dread as he worked away at the stack of beets, adding to the pile of onion skins in the pail as she went. "You know, they actually taste fine pickled... which you'd know if you did anything other than try to swipe them out of the garden to snack on." A little twinkle in her eye as she worked away at the pile of onions. "These are mostly for clothing, paper, and textiles. The dye from the onion skins will be orange, but not quite vibrant enough to color most leather. The cabbages make purple, which is one of the hardest colors to make. To get the nicest color, you need to start with something as close to white as possible before applying dye. Trying to lighten leather that much would probably come at a cost to the structural integrity, which could be dangerous if you're making armor." Really, Halo is happy to have a tangent to go off on as they work. She chatters away happily, giving Andy a long answer to her short question. "The beets will produce a vibrant red, which I've seen used nicely on leather. This batch was meant for the market, but now that I think of it, I should set some aside for Ruga."

"That looks great, well done." Halo nodded to Andy as they finish the pile of onions. She was grateful that Keahi was keeping an eye on Dread as well. What had gotten into that boy? Halo wouldn't pry, but it wasn't hard to tell. This was different than his typical brooding... a different, more teenager-y brooding had taken hold for now. Still, it seemed they'd gotten the job done, each of the vegetables in a spare pale. "Great, thanks everyone. Now, we're going to squish everything as flat as we possibly can inside the pails. Don't worry about putting your paws in it, and don't worry about bruising anything-- it doesn't really matter so much because it isn't food. We just want to make sure we can get as accurate a measurement as possible for how much plant material we have." Halo picked up a cold piece of charcoal from beside the fire pit, marking the line to which each pail was filled.

"Last step, we're going to dump the pails into the pots. The ratio we need is two parts water to one part plant material, which is why we marked how much was in each pail." Halo instructed gently as they went. "After that, we'll park them on the fire. I'll sit with them and stir for the rest of the afternoon, and you'll be free to go." Her smile was soft, genuine as she regarded the wolves that had come to help her. She stationed herself next to the large, full drum of water that lived near the fire pit, helping ladle out the two parts water for each. The dye would sit and simmer overnight, but for at least the next several hours Halo would be stirring and checking on it them intermittently.

"Halo"

Keahi seemed... alright, actually. Dread wondered if she was one of the wolves that he'd be sent on patrol with. Maybe she'd be more fun than Hazel, who seemed to be all business lately. Did Halo ever patrol? That would be a sight, actually. The little healer, what would she do if she came upon a predator? Worse than a predator, an intruder? Dread heard that she'd been in a raid once, and even won a fight during it, but he certainly couldn't picture it. So little and mild mannered, and such an odd concept within the Armada. Still, a pack of warriors needed a healer, and he wouldn't argue with the Warlord's decision that she was a damn good one. It was still hard to picture, the way she was going on about plants and dyes. There was something nice about the background noise as he chopped away at the beets.

The occasional elbow from the red woman keeps Dread at least a little more grounded. How was he supposed to focus when there was that weird glowy girl that haunted his daydreams like this? Shit, better to not lose a toe over this one. He probably needed most of those. Dread perked up when he heard last step. They were winding down. Wrinkling his nose a bit as he squished down the beets and Halo marked the fill line in his pail, and then poured it into the waiting pot. Two parts water, one part beets. Two trips to the water bucket, where Halo helped him ladle the right portion into the pail. From the pail to the pot, and back again. Huh, that was really all there was to this? And people would pay for it?

But the idea that Halo would spend all day keeping an eye on it-- right, that was probably why they'd pay for it like they did. "Do you need anything else?" His question to Halo was an earnest one. She'd asked for their help, he may as well see this project through to the very end. That, and the busier he stayed, the less time he'd have to think and brood and carry on. That was probably for the best.

"Dread Fatalis"

As they work, Halo answers her question and the girl nods along with interest. Keahi leans over and offers her name which has Andy grinning at the red wolf. Attention turns back to the healer to finish listening about dyes and she asks, “Well, what makes black dye? My armor is black. How did that happen?” They finish the peels and she smashes them down, watching Halo mark the height on the pail. Moving to a waiting pot, the girl tips the contents into one.

Returning to the waiting healer, she fills the bucket and moves it to her pot before returning to fill it again and deposit it. With that done, she moves the pot onto the fire before settling back. If they are going to watch the pots, might as well have fun! Turning to Dread, she says, “Hey! Want to spar while we wait?” Brows lift as she offers him a grin, tail wagging loosely at her hips.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Keahi listens to Halo, nodding along with the tale. Eyebrows lift at Andy’s question and she whispers, “That is a great question.” A smile is given and a wink as she has to elbow Dread into awareness. Looking to distracted boy, she leans close and softly asks so only he can hear, “Who is on your mind?” A knowing grin is offered and amusement sparkles in her blue eyes as she gives the boy a small wink.

The cabbage is chopped and she mushes it down, marking her pail and following along with the yearlings. In short order, the three pots are on the fire and beginning the journey of turning into dyes. Sitting back she laughs at Andy’s challenge, offering, “Halo and I will be our referees.” She tosses a wink the healer and keeps her eyes on the pots as they slowly boil.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Andy really was on it with the good questions, and Halo appreciated it dearly. She wanted to learn, and the healer was happy to teach. "Black dye is made from soaking rusty iron in vinegar. Darker dye tends to show up better. Do you want to help me the next time I make some? Dye or vinegar, I'll probably do a batch of both soon." Halo's offer is genuine. Teaching was a great joy, and she'd always be happy to spend time with the yearlings. Heck, she'd be happy to spend time with anyone and everyone, really.

"That will do, Dread, thank you." Andromeda's offer to stick around and spar, that sounded good. Halo was glad for the company, it would make the time pass easier. Halo began to stir each pot with a stick as they came up to temperature, making sure nothing stuck to the bottom. Nothing would scald, the yearlings were occupied, and she had company. She could think of no better way to spend the afternoon. Halo offered Keahi a grateful smile.

"Halo"

The usually unflappable boy was caught off guard with Keahi's knowing smile, her question. The boy's ears flattened against his head, flustered. He looked, and then looked away. Dread really couldn't be saying stuff like this out loud. This was his secret, and he had to keep it. Wanting to change the subject and fast, the boy was glad that Andy wanted a spar. He perked up, stepping to square up with his sister.

Dread tried to steady himself, pull himself back together, clear his head. He nodded, understanding that they sparred now with an audience. Dread drew to his full height before Andy, head heigh, gaze bright. Carefully set defenses, carefully distributed weight. Dread would give Andy the first move, and let her be the first to strike. He could use the work on his defenses anyway.

"Dread Fatalis"

Dread vs Andromeda for spar
Round 1/?
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Snow Leopard, Female - Attack
Companion 2: Tasmanian Devil, Female - Attack
Mutation 1: Thicker crystalline fur - Defensive
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

As the two women settle in to watch the pots of water boil, Dread and Andy square up across from each other. They settle into their defenses and, once her brother is ready, the purple girl pushes off to meet him. Dread has height on his side but Andy has been honing her fighting skills in more than just spars and she uses her knowledge of fighting bears to help her now.

Andy closes the gap quickly, coming at her brother straight on. At the last possible moment, the girl shifts, aiming to move to her brother’s right side while simultaneously darting a leg out toward him. She attempts to hook her leg around his ankle so she can use her momentum to try and pull his leg out from underneath him.



Andromeda vs Dread for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Thorn Wrappings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Armor
Companion 1: Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Female - Flying [Perception]
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Kudu horns - Offensive
Mutation 2: Grippy paw pads - Agility
Mutation 3: Denser Fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Andy is quickly distracted by the spar and Keahi chuckles softly at the two yearlings. Turning her gaze to Halo, the tropical born woman says, “That is very interesting about the dyes, Halo.  How many colors do you know how to make?” While this may not be her cup of tea, she always in interested to know more about the wolves in the Armada.

Halo is an accomplished healer in the pack but there is so much more that the red woman does not know about the pale wolf. A soft smile is on her lips as Keahi divides her attention between the spar that is unfolding and her companion at the slowly boiling pots. She moves to help stir the items in them so that nothing burns and sticks to the bottom.


"Keahi Mogotsi"