The day had begun before dawn, and he knew it wouldn’t end until long after the sun had set. The waters had slowed after an hour, but the levels in the warrens would take a long time to go down. People were cold, hurt, and disheartened. They had lost much in the way of supplies and belongings, but they hadn’t lost any wolves. the rest was replaceable.

He took Aresenn aside for a talk, intending to leave Andy where she could rest with the healers. It wasn’t until he had out of the training den and part way up the mountain where they could talk in peace, that he realised Andy had followed them. He slowed with a sigh, waiting for her to catch up. His eyes told her she should be resting, but he decided not to argue with her. They were all of them too heart sore for that.

He turned to Aresenn then. “You took a huge risk, trespassing into Armada territory. Your timing is something else entirely. Did you do it for her, for Andy?” he asked softly, what he would say next depended on the boys answer.


"Speech"

At the invitation of a sideline conversation with Sirius Fatalis, Aresenn begrudgingly complied. He didn’t trust Andy to make the best decisions with her current condition in mind, so he was reluctant to leave her. But maybe she would listen to the advice of the healers and rest. It wasn’t until it became glaringly apparent that she was coming with them invitation or not did he recognize he had been the fool in thinking such. The Warlord slowed his pace, doing so with a sigh- an exhale he felt in the fiber of his being. It seemed they both knew better than to press the matter.

As the older brute turned to face him, he immediately set into the topic on his mind. “The risk wasn’t even a consideration.” Aresenn interjected, but in a lower tone. Not meant to talk over Sirius, but more of an observation of himself. While he was certainly aware of Andy’s parentage, he wasn’t addressing a concerned father in his mind. He was speaking to the Warlord of the Armada. “Of course I did it for her- but it wasn’t a self-less act. I did it for me as well.” Aresenn pointed out. He was not the type to gallantly search for opportunities to feed a hero complex. Had it not been Andromeda, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. “She is my …” What? He hesitated a split second before the word came to mind. “friend, and I will not stand idly by in the event she could be taken away …” from me. By death, thief, competitor, or otherwise.

"Aresenn Praetor"

He didn’t miss the hesitation between ‘my’ and ‘friend’, but he was starting to see the edges of this already. He trusted Andy to make good decisions, even if this wolf wasn’t one he would have expected her to form bonds with. Perhaps his choices today might have been different, if he hadn’t so recently lost Dread. If he hadn’t missed the changes in the boy, and who he was growing closer to.

He eyed the shorter yearling sternly for a long moment. “I can see that you care for her.” his gaze flicked over to Andy, who was still huffing and puffing her way up towards them. She did not look well, and the healers were worried about her. He knew what his decision would be if he was in Aresenn’s shoes, but he was not Aresenn. “If you wish it, I will find a place for you here. For her sake.” He said, making it clear why he was extending this offer. “I don’t know if your still friends with that… wolf, who fucked her with his eyes, but if you truly do care for Andy, you wont expose her to him again.” He did not parry his words, he wanted Aresenn to understand exactly where he stood.

"Speech"

When Sirius acknowledged that his current relationship with Andromeda wasn't one without care, he offered a stiff nod of his own. He wouldn't have risked his own life for hers had there been no feelings between them. However, what took him completely off guard was the offer to stick around for her sake. Uncertainty flooded his gut, as he immediately felt torn between wanting to say yes, wanting to think about it, and considering the consequences that might ensure for not agreeing right away. He wasn't given much time to respond before the Warlord mentioned Sephiran. He didn't blink at the crude address, though he was a little surprised that he had been so curt with with his daughter nearby. But hey, who was he to judge their relationship. He would talk in a similar way with his own father present had he felt the need.

The Sephiran bit was far simpler to deal with. “I have hidden her from him.” Aresenn responded honestly. He had never told Sephiran of his continued involvement with the ‘Armadan princess from that day in the marketplace’. He didn’t want to be put in a situation where he would have to defend Andy from the Saxe boy- who he wouldn’t so readily call his friend- but was easily the individual he had spent the most time with outside his immediate family.

But just because he didn’t want to have to, did not mean that he wouldn’t defend her.

“I also regularly remind her to be cautious- though, she is very much capable of making her own decisions.” But as the words came out of his mouth, he couldn’t help but think back to the situation he had just pulled her out of. Had she been more capable, would he have had to restrain her from going back into the flood a second time to save others? How long was she willing to pursue a lost cause? Until she physically couldn’t? That realization made him feel a little guilty, but he quickly blinked it away.

As to the offer, that was tricky. “I’m sure you are already aware that Gilgamesh has transitioned Pirates into something different within the last season.” He paused a moment before continuing. “I was born into that mess, just so you know. I saw the opportunity, and I left so I could figure myself out.” He had mainly stuck to himself in his absence from his family. Even still, he felt like he had managed to accomplish very little in that time frame. “And … I don’t think I’ve done enough of that yet.” He finished, maintaining eye contact through his reasoning.

In that split moment, his ear flicked back in Andy’s direction, returning part of his attention to her. “However, I would appreciate not having to be secretive when I want to visit her.” Aresenn added. He then chanced a look toward the girl as she closed the distance, offering her a half-sided grin. But I will if I must.

"Aresenn Praetor"

He believed Aresenn when he spoke of keeping Andy from the purple wolf. His actions proved that he wishes to keep Andy safe, and was willing to push boundaries to ensure it. It was hard to fault such loyalty to one of his own. He was disappointed when Aresenn denied his offer to join the Armada. It was against the rules to build such a relationship with wolves outside the pack - and for good reason - but he found it difficult to deny Andy. Both while she was injured, and while Dread's loss hung heavily in his heart. 


Andy was in hearing distance now, and he turned a little, including her in the conversation. "The offer to join will remain on the table for now, conditional to withdrawal should you offend the Armada" he allowed, turning a little more to Andy as he continued. "Such a relationship is frowned upon in the Armada. Dread stands as a good reminder what happens with split loyalties, but for the moment I will allow this, Andy." and a large part of that was his hope that Aresenn would join, and remove the 'outsider' factor from the equation. But he did not pressure the boy. "Howl at the border when you wish to visit" he ordered, having heard the unspoken intent behind the red wolfs last words.

After Aresenn had pulled her from the flood waters and helped to get her to safety, the purple girl has slept. Her denser fur has worked against her, keeping the frigid waters closer to her skin and taking her longer to dry out. It has hampered her recovery efforts and she continues to drift in and out of sleep. Andy’s frame often quakes with shivers the further away from the event she got, trying to warm her up while also sapping what energy she had. Then, there is the matter of the fire-kissed boy who had saved her life and she often blinks open blurry eyes to make sure that he is still there.

When her pale blue gaze finds him, which it always does, she offers the boy a relieved, dreamy smile before allowing her lids to fall closed once more. When her father had decided to steal Aresenn away for a ‘private’ conversation, Andy’s eyelids had immediately flown open the moment her mind registers his departure. As they disappear from the healers’ den, the dusty lavender girl struggles to stand and shoots anyone who tries to stop her, a withering glare. She will be damned if the boy is forced to face the Warlord alone!

The trespassing had been for a good cause and she is willing and ready to come to his defense. However, the coughing, prolonged chill, and shivering has stolen almost all of her energy. Still, she is bound and determined to follow after the pair. Breathing labored, she stalks out of the cave and stubbornly follows after them, her heavy paws and loud breathes giving her away immediately. Thankfully, her father realizes she is very slowly chasing after them and pulls the pair to a halt.

Thankfully, it allows her to concentrate on her steps as her breathes start to taking on a wheezing quality at the end. While Andy misses most of the talk, her father’s voice does pulls her head up as she finally joins the pair. Without hesitation, she moves to Aresenn’s side before unceremoniously plopping her butt onto the group. With a wide smile, she tries to catch her breath while offering the boy her silent support. Well, it doesn’t seem like he needed her after all.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Now that Andromeda was entering earshot, he felt the conversation shift ever so slightly to include her- though the Warlord continued to address him as she approached. Honestly, he hadn’t expected that the invitation to join remain open, though a part of him was appreciative for it. It would give him a bit more time to figure out what he wanted to do- where he wanted to go. The next bit was obviously meant for Andy- an example being made of an individual by the name of Dread as to why a relationship such as their own was frowned upon.

As he got the impression that his discussion with the Warlord was winding down, he was given what seemed to be final instructions to howl at the border before coming to visit- which was a reasonable enough request. “Understood.” Aresenn acknowledged with another nod- his attention lingering with Andy as she settled in next to him. Plopping to the ground to catch her breath, with the kind of broadened grin that immediately dissolved any of his frustration toward the fact that she refused to make self-care a priority. He was just glad to see her. Still, he couldn’t let it go completely without ragging on her a little. “Just out of curiosity, did it ever occur to you … that you should probably be resting?” The dry humor ever-present in his tone, though it didn’t negate the truth to his words.

"Aresenn"