"Shit shit shit!" he muttered breathlessly to himself as he ran, glancing back over his shoulder occasionally to see if he had finally managed to lose the furious polar bear that had begun its chase a bit further north where the submerged woods began to fade into the large trees of the Red Forest. He had been lingering in the area for a while to explore northern Boreas and get the lay of the land before be caught out the man that his mother had suggested he go see. He had not been back from his travels for very long, but after just a short visit with his parents and relatives in The Hallows the wandering young man was already drifting off again. Wondrously while he and his sister were venturing out beyond the borders of Auster and Boreas, they managed to connect with some of their father's tribe and during his time with them he realized how valuable some knowledge in fighting could be when used in tandem with the hunting that he actually had a passion for. Even though he hardly had a desire to fight for any reason beyond self defense, he couldn't deny the logic of how the two skills intertwined which was what brought him here to the north–in search of Sirius Fatalis.

He could have easily stayed in The Hallows with his family there and learned from his mother and half-siblings, which he still might before it was all said and done, but his mother had encouraged him to branch out and learn from a range of different teachers and her own mentor had been the first name on her list. That brought him up to the north, but his own curiosity about the cold, snowy regions around the pack's claimed lands pulled his attention and he had drifted further up into the tundra. While he was there he had made quick work of a young caribou that was very nearly too large to be called a calf and was enjoying his breakfast when a polar bear came charging at him seemingly out of no where. He had very quickly jumped out of the way and abandoned his partially eaten kill since he had assumed that the larger predator had wanted the meat for himself. It felt like a logical explanation to him and he was more than happy to give up the caribou in favor of not having to tangle with an angry polar bear. However, as he began to run back toward the Red Forest the bear didn't let up on its pursuit and it left him bounding with long strides through the thick tree trunks. He honestly couldn't tell why it was chasing after him at this point, but his one attempt to round on it and try to scare it off had only earned him a fairly sizable slash across his shoulder that was now bleeding noticeably down his leg so he didn't really have time to question it more than that.

He kept thinking that maybe, at some point, the bear would tire out or give up the chase, but from what he could tell in his quick glances back at the pursuing predator, its eyes looked wild and panicked and the heavy amounts of spittle flying from its jaws as it ran didn't help the look. It made him wonder if it was really him that it was trying to chase or if something else was going on that had sent the predator into a tizzy, but regardless he desperately needed to get away from it since there was no way he was going to be able to face this behemoth on his own. Briefly he considered calling for help as he drew closer and closer to the heavily scent marked border of the Armada, but by the time someone arrived the polar bear would have already been on him and it'd be too late. Instead, Malik sprinted past the pack's borders with a silent prayer that they'd be understanding to the situation whenever one of them found him, and quickly darted into the more closely packed, gnarled trees of the Mile-High Woods. He hoped that the combination of the wolf pack's scent and the tighter quarters would be enough to finally shake the polar bear off of his trail, but just for good measure he made a beeline for the closest tree that had a low enough slope to its trunk that he could scramble onto it, clawing his way up into the thick branches to get out of its reach. Some combination of his attempts to get away finally made the bear hesitate and it paced a bit at the edge of the Armada's territory, almost appearing to be unsure of where it was or what it was doing. Malik watched it warily from where he was perched in the branches while he panted to catch his breath until it finally turned and lumbered off back through the redwood trees of the neighboring territory.

Malik let out a long, heavy sigh of relief once it was finally out of sight and he began to pick his way down the way he had gotten up, the reverse path somehow more difficult than getting up there now that he wasn't driven by wild adrenaline. He fell the last few feet to get out of the tree, landing with a thud and a grunt as he toppled a bit and eventually pulled himself back to his paws. Sitting down heavily on his haunches, he lifted a paw to remove the ram skull that had been fitted around his head up until now and sat it on the ground beside him while he turned his head to look at the cut across his shoulder. It wasn't too terrible, luckily. It'd probably heal up on its own soon enough, but a bit of help from a healer wouldn't be unappreciated. Suddenly remembering that he was in pack territory uninvited, be snatched up his helmet and moved back toward the border a bit before sitting back down and lifting his head to let out a howl to announce his presence and call for Sirius. This certainly wasn't the beginning of his training that he had envisioned, but it would certainly be a memorable one!

WC: 1052 / 800

"Malik of the Sea"

The Warlord was already hurrying to the border, and arrived not moments after Malik howled. His companion had already warned him of the predator at his border, and of the wolf - that they could not identify - attempting to escape it. He arrived to the scent of polar bear, and found the blue marked wolf.

“Are you here looking for sanctuary…?” He asked, a hint of amusement in his tones. He realised he wasn’t entirely sure how to approach this situation. The stranger had trespassed, but by all accounts, had done so in self defence. The wolf he had been would have claimed him regardless. Now? Now he was a little more willing to listen to what a wolf had to say. “I’m Sirius Fatalis, and this is the border of the Armada” He added, in case the wolf wasn’t aware.


"Speech"

He had been fully prepared to wait for however many minutes it took for Sirius or anyone else to appear from further within the Armada territory, but as soon as his howl tapered off into silence he heard the sound of heavy paws hitting the ground heading right in his direction. For a split second he worried that maybe the polar bear had changed its mind, but when his two-toned gaze turned toward the sound he realized it wasn't the bear at all, but instead a bear-sized wolf. That at least was a relief. He quickly got back to his paws so he could greet the older man and he chuckled with a slightly embarrassed grin as he was asked whether he was seeking sanctuary. "Well, I certainly was until just a few moments ago," he admitted. "Luckily, I think the bear thought that chasing me up a tree was enough."

Before he could ask for the man's name or introduce himself, Sirius beat him to the punch and instead revealed he was indeed the wolf he had come here to see. He visibly brightened as Sirius introduced himself and a grin crossed his lips as his tail wagged gently behind him. "Amazing! I was hoping you'd be around. So sorry for running in unannounced. I'm Malik of the Sea, one of Tamsyn's sons. You see, I'm starting to do some training in fighting since hunting can clearly get me into some trouble at times and my mom suggested I go find some other tutors and see some other fighting styles. You were the first one she recommended coming to visit first." Hopefully his unusual and sudden visit wouldn't make for too bad of a first impression. He'd hate for one of his mom's friends to not like him!

"Malik of the Sea"

The Warlord's brows crept up in surprise. Tamysn was one of his life's regrets. He knew he had hurt her, and ruined a friendship he greatly valued. Especially in his older years, he had come to understand what a treasure that was to have. That she would send one of her sons to him came as some surprise. No, he would certainly not be turning this wolf down. He was an unexpected gift, a way to put some effort into mending that bridge.

“You are most welcome in Armada, Malik, son of Tamsyn.” He said, sincerity in his voice as he took a step back, inviting the other wolf onto his lands. The temporary trespass was entirely and utterly forgiven now. “I’d be more than happy to teach you some of what I know. How long do you plan to remain in the Armada?” he asked, his voice making it clear that it was an open invitation.


"Speech"

He was able to breathe a sigh of relief as Sirius seemed to very easily forgive his unintentional trespassing. He dipped his head in thanks as he was welcomed into the Armada and quickly grabbed his skull helmet to drop it onto his head as Sirius stepped back to welcome him in, stepping forward to join him in Armada's lands properly. He wasn't very familiar with pack rules and etiquette, but his mom had certainly taught him the basics like waiting at the border to be invited and being respectful to the leaders of said pack. Even if Sirius wasn't a friend of hers he still would have been his best behavior.

When posed with the question of how long he would be visiting for the lessons he sought, Malik quickly realized he hadn't really thought that far. "Ah! Well, um... I guess it depends on how long you think it would take to teach me what you want to teach me," he replied with a chuckle. "A few weeks? A couple of months? I only learned the very basics from my mom when I was younger so I'm kinda a blank slate. Of course I'm not expecting to be a master in this visit by any means, but any help you can give me would be appreciated."

"Malik of the Sea"

The Warlord listened, and nodded his head in understanding. “Stay as long as you wish. It might be a good idea to learn from myself, and some of my wolves. Hazel is a young warrior who’s doing very well for herself, perhaps you could seek her out” He suggested as he led Malik further into the territory.

It wasn’t long before they were stepping into the open expanse of the Col “Your welcome to stay in one of the rooms of my den, or to pick an empty cave to call your own while your here” He suggested, motioning with a paw towards his den, and then the Warrens, so Malik would know where to look. “How is your mother doing these days?” He asked softly.


"Speech"

"Yeah! Sounds like a good idea to me," he agreed with a nod as Sirius suggested that he seek out some of the other warriors here to learn from as well. His own mother had learned how to fight here in the Armada and she was a hell of a fighter so surely there were plenty of others that were just as good here too. "I'll help out around here while I'm visiting, of course," he added. He appreciated that Sirius would agree to teach him without setting up any kind of trade or arrangement, but he knew better than to just take without giving something in return. "I love to hunt so I'll help add to your supplies between lessons."

He nodded appreciatively when they reached a mountainous series of caves and places in the pack where others obviously stayed and the Warlord offered him a place to stay while he was here. He was very much like his father in the sense that he loved to spend every moment he could out in the open and more often than not fell asleep under the stars, but he was wise enough to know that this far up north it would probably be too cold for that most nights and having a cave to retreat to would be needed. He was looking around and getting a lay of the land when Sirius questioned him on how his mother was doing and he smiled a bit as he turned his attention back toward the other saber-fanged man to answer, "She's doing well! She just moved back into The Hallows recently. Seems like her and my dad are done with wandering around–something about wanting to be closer to the closer to the grandkids with Art and Briar's newest litter running around."

"Malik of the Sea"

-time skip to next day-

The Warlord helped Malik settle in, and then left him for the night. In the morning, he walked a shortened patrol. Enough time for the sun to rise a little before he went to fetch Tamsyn’s son. He gave the younger wolf some breakfast, and then led him towards the Armada training ground. Heading up into the mountain a short way, and then into an open cavern. A small antichamber housed a lot of the practice supplies. He didn’t grab anything off the rack yet. Instead, he moved into stretches. His old bones already creaking from the cold.

“So, tell me a little about your experiences so far with fighting” He said to Malik. “It’s important to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Your mothers greatest weakness when she first came to me was in confidence, and then she climbed to the position of my General, and became my right-hand woman” He said with a chuckle, surprised at the sudden surface of a memory. Of Zee, arriving with Tamsyn in tow.


"Speech"

Malik settled in easily enough to his temporary home here in the Armada once Sirius had shown him to where he could stay and gave him a bit of a tour. He was so used to drifting from place to place and making anywhere he was home that it wasn't a stretch for him to get comfortable here. He slept plenty well after a long day of travel and he woke up with the sun the next morning, just in time for Sirius to come find him for breakfast and to begin their training. He hadn't expected to start his training right away like this–mostly because he didn't want to assume the Warlord would be able to simply drop everything to teach him–but it seemed like the older man had at least a bit of time on his paws and Malik certainly wouldn't turn it down!

Following Sirius up to where a training area had been set up, he let his hazel gaze roam over the various supplies and weapons that had been placed in various areas around them. At the Warlord's questioning, he brought his attention back to Sirius, smiling a bit as he was told about his mother's own journey with her training and the path she took to become General. "Truthfully I know very little besides the very basics. Some fighting stances and defenses, stuff like that. I was never interested in being on the offensive before, but mom forced me to learn how to defend myself before I went off on my own."

"Malik of the Sea"

He was surprised to learn how little Malik knew, but approved of Tamsyn teaching him the basics on defending himself before letting him roam. “Alright, let’s start with what you already know, and move up from there” he decided. He stepped into the ring, and beckoned for Malik to join him. “Are you comfortable with your defensive posture? Lets see it” He said, letting his own body fall into the familiar motions. It was as easy as breathing for the ageing warrior. Even if parts of his body clicked and cracked as he moved. Old aches letting themselves be known, and promptly ignored.

His attention was on the brown wolf before him. He couldn’t deny that as his eyes roamed over the near-stranger, he sought familiarity in his form. What parts of him were Tamsyn? He missed his old friend.


"Speech"

Malik nodded in agreement as Sirius decided that they should start with what little he did know. That certainly made sense to him–especially considering it had been a while since the lessons with his mother and he figured he would need a refresher. Sounds good to me!" Walking into the ring with Sirius, he started racking his memories for what he was taught just as he was questioned about his defensive stances. "I think so, but it has been a bit," he admitted with a chuckle. Shifting his paws into a wider, stabilized stance, he stood across from Sirius with his head lowered and shoulders rolled forward. It wasn't as easy or natural as it seemed to be for Sirius, but the form was there and solid. If nothing else he was a good student and didn't let his mother's teaching go to waste. "How's that?" he questioned, looking for any confirmation or notes from his current tutor.

"Malik of the Sea"