Charlie left the Col with Silveris in tow. The shrike flew on ahead of the yearling as he padded into the woods. He was on the search for Wylan, but this time, he came with the task his father, no, the Warlord had asked of him. He would still be able to separate duty and family, but this was a task for the former. He needed to find his nephew and bring up the task Sirius had placed with him. But though he had the task, he needed to remember he would be working with a child. Creating a weapon or piece of armor for a child would be interesting.

It couldn’t actually be sharp, but if it was armor it would still need to be protective. He also couldn’t count on an armor piece that would last Wyl into adulthood, but considering something that be adjusted as he got a little older would work. Then, regardless of the route his nephew took, he could use the premise of what he asked for as a child to work on a piece to present him when he reached a year old. But before he considered the task of creation, he wanted to find his nephew and express his interest to spend some more time with him.

Last time he had started to show Wylan defenses, a base for any warrior to know. This time he could start with an explanation of the tools a warrior could use to be more of a formidable foe. Lead into asking which Wylan felt was more important, and then work with him on making something. The idea made him smile, and kept him a bit more distracted than he meant to be. He wasn’t watching the trees, though Silveris was keeping an eye out for him. Charlie just… he felt at peace with himself. Happy. He felt like he was finding his place in the Armada and moving closer to that wolf he wanted to be. He thought of his mother, remembering her smile, and slowed to a stop, closing his eyes.

So many warm memories… Even if she wasn’t here, he could feel her warmth within the land. Her memories were kept with all of them. It had hurt so much when they first lost her, and it hurt more to see his family hurting. Learning how life went on, even after losing someone you loved was a strange thing. It didn’t mean they weren’t missed. Didn’t mean they weren’t loved. But the living had to tend to those still here. He opened his eyes, gaze falling on the cuffs around his paws. A gift from his father on his first birthday, made with something from his mother. His brace too was a gift from her. Would the item he made with Wylan hold that same sort of significance? A memory of positive times and warmth? He hoped so.

Silveris would wing down, calling to Charlie to draw him out of his thoughts. He had completely spaced out, lost in his memories. He relaxed, giving a small nod to the bird. “Right… the treehouse is close, isn’t it? Wylan could be anywhere in the area now.” His blue eyes turned to the branches above. Would his nephew get the drop on him a second time? His ears perked, swiveling. At least this time he’d be a bit more prepared for it.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Wylan was picking sunflowers with his little polar bear friend. Despite having fully healed, the bear hadn’t grown any bigger. He had stayed pygmy, even as Wylan had gotten larger beside him. Naming the bear had also been a difficult thing. His friend (and his mother) had both refused the name Guts, and they had eventually agreed on Yarrow. A herbal name for the healer's helper seemed fitting, and he was quite happy with having come up with it. He was reaching up to carefully snip a sunflower when Yarrow told him that a wolf was approaching. He turned his head and saw Charlie moving through the woods. “Uncle, Uncle!” He said with delight. Grabbing the sunflower he trotted over to his Uncle. Without asking permission before touching, he leaped up. Leaning both paws against the larger wolf to stabilise himself. With a wee bit of stretching (and much grunting) he managed to pull himself up high enough to tuck the sunflower behind his Uncle's ear. “For you!” He said a little belatedly, his tail wiggling furiously behind him. “I didn’t have any guts, so I got you a sunflower instead” He explained. "Speech"

Charlie kept along, keeping a steady pace, when the pitter patter of puppy paws rushed towards him alongside the delighted voice of his nephew. The tawny yearling would turn his head to see the form of Wylan rushing up, a grin appearing on his face. “Wyl! Just the nephew I was looking for!” He came to a stop, glad to see his nephew seemed to be in good spirits. The boy didn’t slow as he reached him, and Charlie would chuckle as the boy leaped up. He shifted a little, using the positioning of his own body to help his nephew scale his taller form. The lad was on his shoulders before long and placed a flower behind his ear. Charlie would peer behind him, well, the best he could with their angles, feeling his heart swell with delight.

“I think I’d like the sunflower more anyway. Thank you!” He would let his gaze slide to tiny bear companion as he carefully lowered to the ground so Wylan could get off without hopping too far to the ground. “But I have something that might be better than flowers and guts combined!” There was excitement in his voice as he spoke. “You know what every warrior needs, Wyl? A weapon and some armor. Which one do you think is more important?” He would pose the question to his nephew, preparing to use the answer as the determining factor at which battle accessory to craft alongside his nephew. As well as explain some safety that would be important alongside it.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Wylan scoffed audibly at that. Better than guts? Silly Uncle. But despite his scepticism, his curiosity was almost immediately overtaken. The excitement in Charlie’s voice helped with that. Charlie was one of the few older wolves that interacted with him regularly, going so far as to help him with his stances. A weapon? his eyes lit up, and he looked at Charlie with new respect. Maybe Charlie was onto something. If there was anything that was better than guts, it was sharp and pointy things. He almost missed the fact that it was a question, and had to backtrack a moment. Which was more important? He made a face, he had a feeling he knew which answer an adult would want from him. But it wasn’t the right answer! “A weapon. Grandpa says the best defence is a good offence” He said confidently. "Speech"

Seeing his nephew’s eyes light up at the mention of armor and weapons brough happiness to the yearling. It was unsurprising that the boy, already eager to be on the path of a warrior, would take interest in the question he posed. He'd listen to Wylan speak before giving a nod. "There is truth to that. Having a strong offense can help you, but knowing how to use a weapon safely and properly in battle is key as well. A misused weapon, no matter how small, can be double edged. This means if you do not handle it with care a weapon you carry can turn itself on you as well." He enjoyed passing on these lessons to his nephew.

“And so Wylan, before we can talk about you getting your own weapon, we need to discuss weapon safety. It is crucial to remember that a weapon is not a toy. Swinging it willy nilly can cause injurie. Injuries to you, or to loved ones, and improper swings with a weapon that is not the right length or weight can cause strain to your jaws and neck. You can even accidentally cut parts off of loved ones if they come close and don’t realize you are using it. You must be careful. If you hurt someone, even by accident, you may not be allowed to carry a weapon ever again.” His expression became serious. "The Warlord is not afraid to forbid any wolf from becoming a warrior if they don’t take things seriously. I almost lost that chance myself, Wyl, so please take what I am saying to heart.” Would his nephew understand the importance of what he was saying? Was he old enough to? Charlie’s expression had fallen. How could he make him understand…? Ah!

An idea strikes him, and Charlie speaks again. “If you promise to listen to what I’ve said, I’ll help you make a prototype weapon. It won’t be as dangerous as the real thing, but if you show me you can be safe with it, I’ll make you the real thing on your first birthday. You even get to choose what type of weapon! Do we have a deal?”

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Wylan nodded his head rapidly to show he was listening, even if he wasn’t fully taking it in. a double edged sword was bad. He let out a sight as his Uncle went on to explain the need for weapon safety. He wanted to move on to the fun and shiny things, but he also knew what adults were like. When they had their mind set on something, it was impossible to shake it. All he could do was endure. As Charlie spoke about the Warlord banning warriors that didn’t take things seriously, he straightened immediately. A worried expression on his muzzle. To lose his shot at becoming a warrior? That was worrying. Charlie wasn’t all doom and gloom however, offering him a chance to learn how to treat a weapon safely, until he was old enough to get the real deal. “Yes! I’ll prove myself to you Uncle!” He swore. "Speech"

The warning was not necessarily meant to discourage his nephew, but if Wyl took things seriously from the get go then it would be easier on both of them. The last thing he wanted was for Wylan to accidentally hurt someone, but he was also sure that, so long as he expressed the need to be careful, his nephew would be. Charlie gave a warm smile and nod as Wylan promised that he would prove himself. “Of course you will, Wylan. I tell you this so you know the risks, but I don’t doubt that you will handle the weapon safely and become a proud warrior of the Armada.” He straightened, thinking. “When handling a weapon, a warrior must consider the size, length, and weight. Given your current size, you would want to focus on something lighter and easier to use. But as you grow and develop muscle, you can use heavier weapons.” Charlie explained. “There are ways to modify weapons so that you can use heavier ones later, like the one your grandfather was helping me make for myself.” A weapon that had been lost in the flood, sadly. “But I could tell you all this until we’re both bored out of our minds and we’d get nowhere… So let's get to it! We’re going to need to see what size and weight you can handle. Find a big stick, the biggest one you think you can lift with ease and use, and bring it to me.” "Speech," 'Thought.'