The Warlord's attention had first been spiked by the earthquake that had happened just outside of his pack lands. Past that, his hunters had noticed a strange scarcity in prey that began to worry him. His fighters had encountered a higher number of agitated predators. He himself had taken on bears on more than one occasion in the last season. He still remembered the volcanic eruption, the long night. He knew when the land was trying to tell them something.

It wasn't enough for him to paint a picture, not yet, but he was growing concerned. A northern life was a hard one, and they needed every successful hunt they could get. He took some time to assemble his thoughts before he raised his head and howled for Keahi, Hazel, and Basilisk. It was time for this higher ranking wolves to discuss what was going on.


"Speech"

Art by Salt

It was true, it seemed that something was up. Something was shifting, something was happening. It was a different sort of something than the coming of winter, at least in the way Hazel had experienced it last year. Something was shifting just beneath the surface... that, or maybe she was paranoid? Was that an option too? Maybe she was just extra sensitive, with the presence of pups and the disappearance of Azure weighing heavily on her mind. Hazel was just out here trying her best, you know?

It was just as she finished her patrol that the call came out. Keahi, Bas, and her. The tree of them closest to the Warlord, in the absence of a champion. Picking up a lope, hurrying but not rushing, the girl made her way to the source of the call. Slowing to a walk as she arrived, and dipping her head in greeting. "Seer, sir." Informal and formal mixed in her mouth, but hell, that's Hazel for you. Though she desperately wanted to ask if he'd made a decision in regards to their discussion after the meeting, Hazel knew better. For Sirius to bring them together like this, it had to be important so she'd hold her tongue for now.

"Speech"

Something is amiss in the lands of Boreas. It isn’t just the scarcity of prey animals and the increase in predator activity but they are a couple of warning signs. Since the strange things have started, the red Ambassador has traveled and felt the way the earth trembles underneath her paws as if something below is slowly stirring to life. While Keahi had not been born in Boreas and experienced the eruption of the volcano in the land; her home did have several active volcanos and the recent tremors are reminiscent of when the sleeping giants begin to stir. Always on the lookout for information, the red woman had traveled the lands in search for answers to these new, perplexing developments. The call from Sirius does not surprise Keahi, in fact, she welcomes the opportunity to share some of her observations with the high-ranking officials of the Armada. Fall is in the air and the chill in the late morning air is already noticeable to the thin coated woman. With her polar bear armor firmly in place and a thick woolen cloak wrapped around her shoulders, the tropical born wolf carefully makes her way to where the two wolves have already gathered. A warm smile is on her lips as she joins them and she offers them a happy greeting, “Aloha kakahiaka, Hazel and Sirius.” With the greeting comes an affectionate headbutt for them both since the red woman is not shy in sharing physical touch. With that done, she awaits the appearance of Basilisk. **Aloha kakahiaka - Good morning "Keahi Mogotsi"

Basilisk has asked for the time and resources to search for his father. The rest of the pack may have given up on their Champion, but Basilisk was determined to figure out what had happened. What was keeping him from home. He did not believe, not for a second, that his dad was dead. Azure was larger than life, invincible.

He had started with scoring the neighbouring territories, returning home in the interim of searching. That way he got to see some of Hazel, at least for now. He needed to expand his search, and when that happened it wouldn’t be so easy to pop home.

A call from Sirius surprised him, and was lucky to catch him on the territory. Or perhaps that had been by design? He answered the call, arriving moments after Hazel and Keahi. He gave his Girlfriend a subtle nudge in greeting before standing to attention before his grandfather.


"Speech"

”Thank you, the three of you, for coming” Sirius said once all of them had appeared before him. He returned Keahi’s affectionate headbutt, and smiled at the woman he called friend. Hazel received a nod and a smile, returning the level of formal/informal she delivered with ease. Basilisk received a brisk nod in return of his own. He knew the young wolf’s emotions were stirred with the vanishing of his father. Could Azure’s disappearnance be connected? It was something to wonder about.

“Keahi, have you noticed any changes in the land or weather lately? Hazel, have you noticed anything with the predators? Basilisk, what’s your assessment on the prey” He said, pointing from one wolf to another with his nose. His words seeming to say, and discuss!

"Speech"

Art by Salt

Keahi was next to join them, drawing Hazel's gaze as she arrived. The General gave a soft nod, a polite smile. "I ah, you too." The languages, the cultural differences, all of them escaped her. Still, she knows how to be pleasant enough. Now... where was her other half? Bas had been busy, and really, Hazel can't blame him. His dad was missing. His dad, who he loved, was missing. She'd never quite understand that, having cut her teeth on the blood of the covenant rather than the water of the womb, but that was okay. Bas was doing what he needed to, and she respects that... even if she does miss him. Even in his absence, she stayed busy. As he arrived, Hazel returned a fond nudge to his shoulder.

"The predators seem like they've been on edge. It's not like they're stressed over resources or preparations for winter... it's like they're scared of something." A Hazel speaks, it's as if the thoughts are sorting themselves out. Unravelling as she goes over the mental list of things she's noticed lately. It's been more dangerous than the usual race to collect resources for winter. She rests her case, gaze flickering to Keahi and Basilisk in turn, and then back to the Warlord. So she wasn't losing it... had he noticed something too? Something really was... off.

"Speech"

Sirius returns her affection with ease while Hazel seems a little uncertain of her greeting. The red woman simply smiles warmly at the younger wolf as she steps back, knowing that, while she may have left her island behind, nothing can take the Hawai’ian out of Keahi. Thankfully, the wolves of the Armada have accepted her cultural differences and allow the tropical born wolf to express them without worry and with ease. Basilisk shows up shortly after her and the woman smiles brightly at the behemoth of a boy. Ah, but he is no longer a boy. With his second year of life, the giant wolf has become a man and his boyish features have sharpened into those of manhood. Ocean blue eyes watch as he joins Hazel, the red woman carefully folding her haunches to come to sit lightly upon the ground. Sirius speaks up and her gaze moves to him, the woman dipping her head in easy acceptance of his thanks without interrupting him. The Warlord goes on to ask each of them about certain things and Hazel is the first to give her report. Blue gaze flows from the tall Warlord to the General, watching as she explains about the increase in predators. As Hazel falls silent, the Gladiator hums thoughtfully for a moment, a habit that has followed her since pup-hood, as she orders her thoughts. Gaze slides back to Sirius as she says, “Things have felt… off in the lands. I have done some traveling to see if I could pin down exactly what is wrong and have only been able to find some strange phenomena that I have been unable to explain so far.” Keahi flicks her gaze over to Hazel and Bas as she tries to explain, “At times, the nearby rivers seem to flow backward. Also, their water level even seems to fluctuate in a matter of minutes. It doesn’t happen all the time but, if you watch them long enough, they seem to… change.” Her eyes turn away from the group, towards the peaks of the mountains as he points a paw up at them and continues on, “I have noticed strange lights that seem to gather near the peaks of the mountains, not just here but around Boreas, but they disappear if I attempt to approach them.” The red paw drops back to the earth as her gaze returns to those around her and Keahi finishes her observations, “That and the ground seems to tilt gently in places that it didn’t before. Finally, I feel some very fine tremors underneath my paws but they are not strong enough to do anything but they are there.” With her piece said, Keahi lapses into silence, looking to Basilisk and waiting to hear his report. "Keahi Mogotsi"

His grandfather jumped straight into the reason for the meeting, and he felt caught unaware. Like he should have been studying for a test, and was taught without his notes. Luckily, the other two were ready with their answers. Buying the behemoth time to think. And… to consider their words. What they said did not paint a pretty picture, in fact, it was rather quite concerning.

“Prey animals have been scarce in the area surrounding the Armada. Hunting is getting harder, but it's not like they’ve been over hunted or dying out” He said softly, drawing conclusions from what he had seen, and hoping he was making the right ones. He didn’t want to give his larger than life grandfather false information. “Maybe they are sensing something that we aren’t, prey have always been able to get a sense of danger faster than we have. What if they are fleeing something?.”


"Speech"

It was worse than he thought. Hazel confirmed his fears on the predator influx. More encounters, because they were on edge, scared. But Keahi had news he hadn’t heard - which was why he had called these wolves together. The island wolf spoke of strange phenomena found in multiple areas. The sort that sounded more like the Long Night, then the volcanic eruption. “The lights, would you describe them akin to fireflies?” Sirius asked, his voice growing tight quite suddenly.

He remembered the image that had flooded through his mind as Zee drew her last breath, of the creature that had come for her. Was it just him, or did the Firefly creature seem to be at the center of more than one thing? People had spoken of seeing him during the long night, as well. He drew in a sharp, angry breath. His people came first, the attack on his heart he could deal with later. Basilisk spoke then of prey, and despite Keahi’s report speaking of unnatural and worrying things, the prey was the most pressing concern. “We need to keep our ears to the ground, double our patrols against predators. But the prey… the prey worries me the most right now. I’m going to step up my timetable, we need to raid the raiders hollow. They themselves are raiders, and may have supplies that will help us through what I’m expecting to be a difficult winter.” He said, looking to his wolves. He wanted their opinions on this. “Any other suggestions are welcome, as well. Both to shore up our defences, and to prepare. ”


"Speech"

Art by Salt