He hated to admit what she did to him. She override his good sense, and awoke a lust that he had not felt in so long. He let her leave, holding still as she kissed his chin and made him a promise that he almost held her to then and there.

Then she was gone, and he had just the scent of her. It took some time, but eventually the lust faded from his system. Once it had, he stripped off the polar bear coat and hung it gently to the side. He wiped down his sodden legs and examined the deep cut in his shoulder. He couldn't be bothered with a healer, so he wrapped it tightly and let it be. It would eventually be one more scar hidden beneath his thick coat.

He took the polar bear coat down once more, and started the tedious job of leeching the red from the white. The work kept him from hunting down a certain wolf…

A few hours later, he spoke with Bast and one of her offspring was chosen. Then, he took himself up to first light point to watch the last of the storm, and weep over a wife whose scent had already faded from his memory

-The next day-

He woke to find himself stiff and sore. He had come down from the mountain some point in the night, but the cold had seeped into his bones, and his recent wounds were an ache he struggled to ignore. The child of Bast appeared at his side as he began his patrols. Walking the border together, ane buying time until he would wake Isa. He would allow her a sleep in today.

He made his way to her den once his tasks were completed and knocked at the door. Curious, despite himself, what he would find in his emotions when she emerged.

Contrary to what the warlord may have thought, Isa did not sleep in that day. She was up with the sun and working on a thank you for the confusing giant that had saved her from certain doom. There was no doubt in Isa's mind that Sirius would come for her today. He'd said as much, hadn't he? And so, when the dire brute finally knocked at her door, the smaller wolf was ready for him.

"Come in," she told the man as she pulled the final piece of meat off of the fire. "I made you breakfast." She'd taken the boar from the stores and had salted and rubbed it with herbs. Then she had cooked it upon the hot coals until the outside was crisp and the inside was still tender and juicy. When Sirius came inside, his breakfast would be sliced into easily chewed pieces and sitting on a dish beside the fire.

What would he say to her today, Isa wondered? Surely he was going to pummel her in the training ring. Good thing she wasn't battered and bruised or anything, right? Internally, Isa rolled her eyes. In anticipation of today, she'd taken some pain relieving herbs. No doubt she would need them.

"Isa"

The Warlord paused, thrown off his stride when he opened the door and found her cooking away within. He was loath to halt the momentum of his morning, but luckily his goodsense kicked in before he could hussle her out into the Col grounds.

He entered her den, and the snow leopard followed behind him. He seated himself beside the fire, feeling strangely awkward sitting there in her den. The lust had faded away, but looking at her still sparked something within him. He felt something for Isa, and he wasn’t sure he approved of that emotion. Lust was understandable for one who had gone without for so long. But emotion? Attachment? He wasn’t sure he wished to give away that much of himself to someone who was not Zee. Why did it still feel a little like betrayal? Perhaps it was too early, too soon after her death. He felt the sudden urge to flee grip him, to run before anything more could form between them.

But he missed the feeling of having a wolf he could trust, confide in, and care for as deeply as he had. He was… lonely. He picked up the meat and took a bite, before gesturing towards the snow leopard. “She is one of the children of Bast, and has chosen to bond with you, if you will allow her.” His eyes were steady on Isa, knowing she would understand why he had organised such a thing.


"Speech"

Sirius entered Isa's den and she could feel the tension pouring off of him. The apprehension was written clearly on his face. That was why she had denied him yesterday. Imagine how much worse it would be today if they had lain together. In her mind, Isa had made the right decision in making the warlord wait. In making them both wait.

As the man settled down and tried a piece of his meal, he spoke of the leopard that had followed along behind him. A companion for her? The blue woman smiled at the cat and nodded her head. "Thank you for being so willing." She then asked the felines name and, once the cat answered, she begged her leave and left the two wolves alone.

Blue eyes rose to move over the dire giants face. "Thank you for being so thoughtful," the fae spoke softly before popping another piece of meat into her maw. It wasn't a heavy breakfast. She knew that they would be training today and doing so on a fat stomach wouldn't be ideal.

"Isa"

He watched the interaction, and was satisfied that Isa would not be rejecting his gift. He took another mouthful of the meat, chewing at the leopard then departed. He grunted at Isa’s words. “Now, you’ll have someone to fight at your side, or run for backup” He explained. He considered getting her an aerial companion as well, but one thing at a time. Let her bond with the leopard first.

He ate another piece, his eyes lingering on her form longingly. It was going to be hard to train her without his pesky emotions getting in the way. But she had made her stance clear, she wanted more than he could give her. He was not such a brute as to force himself on her, despite his earlier thoughts. “Thank you for the meal.” He said, taking the last bite from his plate. “Shall we get started on your training?”


"Speech"

Sirius thanked her for the meal then asked if she was ready to start training. Isa tilted her head, eyes narrowing as though deep in thought. "Mmm, I don't know. Are you going to be this stuffy the entire time?" Teasing him was her favorite pastime and he very well knew it. He'd said that he enjoyed their banter and so she would continue it. It was easy to push his buttons. So very easy.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, the blue woman moved from the den and out into the open air. Walking a few paces away from the den entrance, Isa stretched her forelegs out ahead of her, claws digging into the earth as she leaned back on her hind legs, effectively loosening her muscles. Then she did the opposite, leaning forward and stretching out her hind legs. With a roll of her shoulders and a flick of her white tipped tail, she was ready to do whatever Sirius had planned for her. "Lead the way, Warlord."

"Isa"

“Most assuredly” He promised her, expression stiff and voice bland. But perhaps she was starting to know him well enough by now to see the spark of amusement in his eyes. A part of him had hoped she might suggest something else, but her resolve was clearly much stronger then his own.

But she was already moving, heading to the door of her den, and out into the Col. he followed after her, watching the sway of her tail, and then the stretch of her body. Despite her bruises, she was clearly very lithe, relaxed in her movements, mmm… “Pardon?” He asked when she realised she had spoken, and then her words caught up to him. “Yes… this way.” He said, turning away from her and starting at a light trot to the training rooms that sat in an alleviated position a short way up the mountain.


"Speech"

She had distracted him with her stretching and he proved it by the sudden question. Isa couldn't stop herself from laughing aloud, blue eyes closing momentarily with mirth. It was such a strange situation. Here she was, six years old and Sirius someone had the capacity to make her feel like some flirting youngster again. It made the cerulean fae feel powerful in a way. She quite liked it.

Sirius led the way to the training area and Isa fell into step just a little beside and behind him. She appreciated the roll of his thick muscles beneath the dark coat and the way that his giant paws spread over the earth with each step. Isa's tail flicked and she took a deep breath. She had to control herself and not let her attraction show too much. Especially not after her declaration of being a lady the night prior.

"Isa"

Clearly still more affected by lust than he had first thought, he tried not to think about the woman behind him. He knew that this would be easier if it hadn’t been well over a year since the last time he had laid with a woman - and that had resulted in his last litter of children. Before then, it had been even longer. He was near touch-starved at this point. Even thinking it made him feel an inconsiderate ass. He knew Zee’s reasons well, her trauma. Remembering that the birth of that litter had likely been the death of her was a cold bucket to his senses. At last, he found himself fully regaining his senses.

They arrived at the training arena, and he gestured towards one of the rings. “Let's begin. Set your stances” He instructed her, entering the other side of the ring.


"Speech"

Once they reached the training area, Sirius became... serious. It wasn't as though Isa expected any less. The man liked to portray himself in a certain way and who was she to stop him from doing so? It might be nice to see him smile once in a while, however. He did have a very handsome face. Beneath the dark fur, there were most likely worry lines and wrinkles. Pity.

Isa settled across from the giant and was instructed to set her stance. The blue woman spread her paws just a smidge wider than her shoulders and hips, lowered her head so that she was more streamlined and stuck her tail straight out behind her. Ears pointed forward and eyes were wide and staring at her opponent. She was ready.

"Speech"

The Warlord circled Isa after she had set her stance, moving forward, he adjusted one of her paws marginally, until her weight was perfectly distributed. He gave her side an experimental nudge, just to be sure. When her balance held, he circled her once more. He was happy with the rest of her posture, and he let her know with a satisfied nod before setting his own stance across from her.

“Begin the round, attempt to score a point” he instructed her, and then paused, and his expression softened a little again. A hint of amusement in his eyes. “Would you like each point to gain the hitter something?” He said, in reference to the one and only other time the two of them had sparred.

"Speech"

It was no secret that fighting wasn't Isa's passion. She liked feeding people, not beating their faces in. Still, she saw the wisdom in honing this skill. Next time, she would be able to save herself. You know, if there weren't three giant dire wolves against one little old lady. Not that she was terribly old, but she was older than they had been. Had been. They wouldn't be getting any older now.

Sirius came to inspect her stance. It was easier to allow him this now than it had been when they first met. She was more relaxed around him, so when he adjusted her stance and gave her a little nudge, Isa playfully slapped his rump with her tail. The woman did her best to keep her expression innocent, however. Had it just been an accident?

When asked if she would like to be rewarded if she landed a hit, the fae's blue eyes crinkled at the corners, a smile spreading on her maw. "That makes training much more enticing, don't you think?" Isa rolled her shoulders once more, still a little stiff from having been strung up like a pig over a fire. She then threw her weight into her paws and rocketed forward, juking at the last moment to slide to the right rather than the left where she'd been aiming. Isa reached out and attempted to give the giant a little nip to indicate her win.

"Speech"

He frowned at her playful tap, but when his eyes met hers there was no hint that she had intended the gesture. As he sat his own stance, he knew by her grin that she was agreeable with the idea. "It does" he agreed. What did he want from her? Numerous terrible ideas flashed through his thoughts and he grinned back at her. A wicked thing that spelled of mischief.


More fool him, he had let his attention wonder enough that she surprised him. Rocketing forward, which set his defences to the fore. Leaning into his forepaws as he had time only to brace. Then her body was shifting right and her teeth where in his coat. He let out a grunt before pivoting suddenly and swiping his paw into her shoulder. He felt the connect through he hadn't set enough strength behind it to hurt her. "Conditions, Isa" he said, amusement a rumble in his chest. "What does a hit gain us?" They were one for one so far.

After she rushed him, her hit landed. To her surprise, so did his. Isa blinked as she was struck in return, though not roughly. She'd expected him to try and beat her by force, but the tap to her shoulder had almost been gentle. Sirius spoke, mentioning the conditions and asking what she thought a hit gained them. The blue fae considered for a moment, her dainty skull shifting back and forth atop a long neck. "Perhaps landing a hit gains us a request from the other. First one to three gets to make three requests while the other gets to make two."

Taking advantage of the thoughtful moment, Isa sidestepped Sirius and nipped the end of his tail between her teeth. She had used her opponents distracted state to win a hit. Surely he couldn't hold that against her. The smaller wolf pranced away, circling the dire giant. A grin on her maw, Isa spoke, "That's two for me, Warlord." The term that she had once used as an insult had become one of affection. Interesting.

"Speech"

The Warlord inclined his head. It was a lot to give - a favour from a Warlord, but he was beginning to realise that Isa could be trusted. She would not take the gain and use it to hurt him or his. Their first spar, when each hit had earned them a question, she had hurt him out of ignorance. He still vividly remembered the burning anger that had followed her questions. They had learned much of each other, and even more since.


The Warlords fighting style was very heavy set, which allowed her to land her hits more easily then if he had been a smaller, more nimble wolf. He didn't find he minded terribly much. 


The fight continued on despite his thoughts, and he felt a nip at his tail, he lashed it, so it snapped in the air near her face. As she pranced away he kept his position relaxed, and then lurched forward suddenly. Bringing him close enough to swipe nip at her shoulder. His hit landed and he moved away once more. "What shall I ask of you. Hmmm.." he eyed her speculatively for a moment, amusement in his gaze. Playful again despite himself. They were in their last round now, and he watched as she circled him again. Letting her stay in motion as he kept her in his sights. As she lunged forward again, he pivoted and brought his head towards her strike. He tapped her before her attack could land. Bringing him to the best of three. He grinned at her. "Ask me your first request. "

Isa's hit landed, then Sirius' hit landed right after. They were tied, but only for a moment. Once she rushed him again, the giant man sidestepped, dodging her attack only to tap her on the shoulder. "Dammit," the blue fae grumbled, though it was all in good fun.

Now that the spar was over, they had to decide what to ask of the other. Sirius, being the winner, received three requests while Isa had two. The warlord asked what she wanted of him and Isa gave her head a little tilt, glacial eyes roving over his handsome, grinning face. Suddenly, she knew what she wanted. "I want you to smile more," the woman spoke. It was a simple request. Sirius looked so happy when he smiled. Much less severe than his normal, resting bitch face.

"And what would you have of me, Warlord?" Isa had no idea what he could possibly want from her, but she would soon find out three times over.

"Isa"

The Warlord's lips twitched at Isa’s reaction. He was happy to see her invested, and knew she was putting in the effort to strike him. If turning it into a game helped to keep the healer invested in fighting skills, he was happy to oblige.

He asked for her request, and was surprised by the answer. Oh, they were going the route of self-improvement, were they? Two could play at that game. First, he gave her an appraising look. He did not easily forget the heat he had felt for her when he thought he might lose her. "I want you to set yourself a reasonable timeline - by my standard - and decide what rank you want within the pack and how you're going to achieve it" he told her. The smile he gave then was self-satisfied. ‘And your second ask?” He asked softly, taking a step closer to the blue-toned wolf.


"Speech"

Sirius didn't seem terribly amused by her request that he smile more which made her smile in return. Had he found the request annoying? She sort of hoped that was the case. It was enjoyable to get under the big brutes skin and she thought that she was good at it. He liked it as well. She knew that he did.

When it was the warlords turn to make a request, Isa's dark ears shifted forward to catch the man's words. He wanted her to decide what rank she wanted within the pack? Isa's brows drew together for a moment as she considered. "You know I don't particularly like fighting, Sirius. I would be a poor warrior no matter my skills because of that." She thought of other ranks and gave a little shrug. "There's no 'personal chef' rank, so I suppose I could do something a little more diplomatic?" A sly smile cut across the fae's face. "You know how well I talk circles around you, Warlord." She said it with affection, but also blatant teasing.

Nothing came to mind immediately when asked for her second request. Another little shrug was given. "I think I'll keep my second request for now until I think of something suitable. What do you want of me?"

"Isa"

The Warlord required that the wolves in his pack knew how to fight, but it was okay that she didn’t want to become a warrior. There was a time where the warrior rank was all he had, but he had grown past that as well. She mentioned a cooking rank, and he didn’t comment. To make one now would be to pander to the idea - and he couldn’t think how they would fit into the current structure of his pack. Diplomacy however, was an idea he could get behind. Though he wasn’t sure what he thought of her heading out into the world without an escort.

“Very well… the rank of Diplomat” He said thoughtfully. What test should he apply to her? He decided on something simple, but required thoughtfulness. “Very well. To gain the rank - Venom’s daughter, and crown heir Kiyohime is getting married and I’ve been invited to attend. Venom’s children are like grandchildren to me” He explained - and luckily, Isa would have seen Venom during his children's birthday party. “Think of an appropriate wedding gift for her. You may travel to Ashen and speak to her relatives if you think it necessary” He said, pleased that this mission would require a level of thoughtfulness and consideration of impacts in diplomatic relations.

As for what he wanted from Isa… he knew, but he did not want her to comply because she must. “I know what I wish to ask of you, but I will instead place restrictions upon it. I would ask for a kiss, with the knowledge that you can refuse to comply.”

"Speech"

Sirius wanted to test her? It was a silly thought, but she wouldn't tell him so. Isa was charming and thoughtful and quite clever, so thinking that she might need to be tested for a rank that required all three of those traits was comical. She would humor him though. He wanted her to think of a gift for his allies daughter, then she would do just that. It might be nice to see some of the land and stretch her legs a bit. She would need an escort, of course. Even if she was the greatest fighter in the land, luck had a way of abandoning her, as her track record showed.

It was easy to agree to the task that she was given and she did so with a nod. Sirius then laid out his third request, but added stipulations to it. He wanted a kiss... but she could tell him no. "You are a sly devil, Warlord." Isa's dark blue tail lashed back and forth behind her as she eyed him with a narrowed gaze. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to kiss her. So, what was the problem?

Isa didn't want to be a secret. She didn't want to be a passing fancy. The woman didn't require that they be public lovers and go out and get married and all of that, but she didn't want to be forgotten. Sirius was a Warlord. He could have whatever fae he wanted, she was sure. It frightened her that he might toss her aside after he got what he wanted from her. At some point though, she had to trust him, right?

The woman brought her glacial gaze up to meet the dire brute's big blue eyes. She exhaled long and slow and gave her second request. "I want to be able to trust you," she admitted softly before rising to all four paws and lifting her lips up to press them against his. She would give him his kiss of her own volition and could only hope that it wouldn't bite her in the tail later.

"Speech"