The sun hides behind a thick layer of clouds as they rumble a throaty protest to the day. A storm hides in their dark bellies but they have yet to unleash on the Armada. With the flood and subsequent fallout, Andy had been remiss in collecting the trophy her father had requested. True, the pneumonia had wreaked havoc on her body and made traveling all the more difficult but the forced downtime had not stop Andy from gathering information. Using her trusted companion Aquila, the purple girl had sent messages to her sisters and aunt Iolaire, requesting ideas for something that her father might deem a worthy trophy. They had kindly supplied her with stories as she lay recuperating in her den, filling her head with ideas until she was able to go chase down some leads. And today, she hopes that those ideas will pay off. Paws carefully pull Andy through the familiar territory of the Col, a somber stirring of emotions fluttering within her chest as she spies small reminders of the flood. An object is gently clutched between her jaws while the item itself is hidden by a swath of white tiger fur. Stopping before the Obelisk, she gently places the trophy on the ground before tipping her head back to summon her father. With a rumble of nerves, Andy then seats herself upon the ground with her prize resting between her paws as she waits to see if father will deem her trophy worthy of the promotion she seeks. "Andromeda Fatalis"

The Warlord was fully understanding of the delays for the Armada rank. Both Andy and Hazel had been putting in the time helping to get the pack back together. Andy had been close to death, and her health was prioritised over any competition.

So it came as some surprise to him when her voice called out to him. Her tone was official, indicating that this may have something to do with exactly that. A smile flitting across his maw, the Warlord turned from his patrol. Indicating to Bast that she should finish it, as he trotted back to the Col to see what Andy had come up with. He was curious to see what her ingenuity would have wrought. “Hello, Andy” He said with a smile.

"Speech"

The lavender girl is not left waiting long for her father to appear and her tail thumps the ground happily as he greets her. Dipping her head in polite acknowledgment, she lovingly says, “Hey dad.” When Andy’s head once again lifts, there is a bright smile shinning on her features. Taking a breath, she points her nose down to the bundle of white tiger fur that lays between her paws and softly explains, “It took me some time to come up with a suitable trophy and then the flood happened and well…” Emotion strangles the last few words and her voice trails off as her troubled pale blue gaze meets his and she quickly turns her eyes down to her prize. Lifting a paw, it gently comes to rest on top of the fur and she turns gaze back up to him as explains, “The Armada has survived many things over the years and we will triumph after this. So, I have chosen this trophy and present to you is a reminder of that, no matter what we may face, we as a pack, will endure, and…” Her paw moves, deftly shedding the cover to reveal the hidden object beneath. A dagger glitters in the fire light, its handle carved from the elk horn and carefully wrapped with strips with red leather. The blade itself is not made of steel but obsidian and the dark black, glassy sheened, rock is streaked with thin red veins that shimmer in the firelight. Shoulders square with confidence and a fire blazes in her gaze as Andromeda meets her father’s eyes and she finishes, “And we will fight on.” Silently, the young woman hopes that he understands that she had pulled the obsidian from slopes of Mount Volkan and is meant to be a reminder that the pack has survived more than one natural disaster. "Andromeda Fatalis"

Andy returned his greeting, and it was clear a lot more life had returned to her. Having seen her in her sickbed, struggling and suffering… it was difficult for any parent to deal with. He had told her stories, and forgone many of his pack duties until she was on her paws again. Now she looked as healthy as ever, growing to her full size and excited about what she had put together.

She unveiled the trophy, and he marvelled at it. Her choice of Obsidian was an interesting one. It was a very brittle and difficult to work with material, but when broken in the right way, it was sharper than any fang.

“This is a beautiful gift, Andy, and a difficult one to make. It takes a great deal of patience to work with Obsidian.” He gently took the dagger from her, and held it carefully in his paws. Testing the balance. “We will always fight on, Andy.” He said more softly, reaching over to kiss her brow.

"Speech"

Andy holds her breath after presenting the obsidian dagger to her father. It had taking time and a lot of trial and error to get the perfect size and shape for the blade. Hours had been poured into selecting chunks of rocks and carefully breaking them in an attempt to find the knife blade. However, when it emerged, sharper than any steel she could have made, the lavender girl had felt proud that she had not given up. From there, she had selected a piece of an elk’s antler and whittled and rounded it until the blade slipped perfectly into the hilt. Halo had taught her how to dye leather and Andy had sought out the deepest, reddest bark she could find. Patience had been key in the process and, once the leather had taken the dye, she had carefully and purposefully wrapped the hilt and bottom part of the blade to hold it all together. Now, she presents her work to her father and he… seems to approve. A smile blooms across her face as he speaks and she nods at his words, pale blue eyes watching as he tests the balance of her handiwork. Then, he reaches over to kiss her brow and she nods at his soft words, tears stinging the back of her eyes as she bows her head in quiet reverence. Lives had been lost and the Armada had been hurt but they were rebuilding and pulling together. Perseverance was in their DNA and it shows in everything they do. Lifting her head, she meets his gaze and offers a small smile. Head tilts slightly and Andy cannot help but ask, “How did I do, dad?” It had taken time and lots of planning but she had finally done it and presented her father with a trophy she believes is worthy. But the important question is, does he think so? "Andromeda Fatalis"

It wasn’t the sort of trophy that he had expected Andy to return with, but he had left it open ended for a reason. That reason was to see her creativity and adaptability on display. Her heart was in the right place, and she showed tenacity when it came to the Armada. She was one of the more invested of his children. He did worry she might not have the steel required to lead and make tough decisions, and her finding this trophy did not display those aspects. But perhaps, in time, she may be leading beside Basilisk, and he was sure his grandson had a harder streak than Andy.

“You thought outside the box, Andy, your creativity is good to see. Hazel is yet to complete her side of the challenge, after she has done so I will make my decision. But know this, you did well and no matter how things fall, I think a promotion of some sorts is in your near future.”


"Speech"