Now that Basilisk had settled things between himself and Hazel, he knew he needed to talk to Spider as well. The yearling had not had a good time when Basilisk had posed the question to the both of them. In hindsight, perhaps he could see how the question might come across to two wolves who had been abandoned so easily by those that were supposed to love them. He hadn’t meant it that way, and while he wasn’t good with words… he knew he needed to put some effort into fixing this.

He was walking slowly along the Armada beach when he raised his head, and called out for Spider. He almost wondered if they would come, but surely Spider would answer his call?


"Speech"

since that disastrous meeting, Spider has been walking around as though in a daze, their stomach writhing with perpetual nausea. they feel hollow, carved out and choked up, a phantom blade hovering over their head and threatening to fall at any moment. cleaving themselves and their family apart.

it’s almost a relief when Bas calls, summoning them to his side. this is it, then: his final farewell. an exiting bow as he sets out to find his father. Spider answers immediately with their own affirming call, flocking to the beach at a brisk pace. it’s better this way, they think to themselves. better to make it as quick and painless as possible, like ripping off a bandaid.

of course, they’re not expecting the way their heart wrenches in their chest at the sight of him, agony pulsating through their very veins. they can feel the blade begin to fall as they approach, it’s lethal edge pressed decisively against their neck. “are you off, then?” they ask, trying to keep a casual tone. better for a swift clean cut, rather than a long, drawn out hacking. it’s the kindest end for both of them.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Spiders howl told him that the youth was still within the packlands, and in easy reach. He settled into a restful stance, and waited for his child to appear. It was a short wait, before the black and grey wolf appeared across the sand. They seemed pensive and uneasy, and it was immediately clear it was more than just nerves when Spider spoke. They believed he was leaving?

He expected Spider to be annoyed at the tactless way he had sprung the question on Spider and Hazel, but for Spider to so easily believe he was abandoning them? It truly highlighted the delicate edge in which Spider walked their life. Believing how easily others would leave them. Expecting it, perhaps.

“I,” he said quietly “Am not going anywhere. I owe you an apology for ever letting you think I would.” He moved to wrap a paw across Spider’s small shoulder, if the yearling didn’t pull away. “I was asking the both of you your opinions, and you’ve both made them abundantly clear. The Warlord, too. I am staying in the Armada with you and Hazel.” He had more to say, but he let that set in first.


"Speech"

i am not going anywhere.

they hadn’t realised someone could go weak with relief until this moment. Bas pulls them to his side, and they go easily, knees almost buckling beneath their weight. they crave his comforting touch, his scent, his rumbling voice and kind eyes. they want to emblazon every detail of him into their mind, stamp it firmly upon their very being so that they never have to worry about losing him again. their breaths are shaky, tremulous things.

“oh,” they sniffle, scowling as tears gather in their eyes. warriors don’t cry, after all. except maybe they do. maybe they cry when they realise they get to keep their Dad after all. “i’ll make it up it you,” they promise, craning their neck to meet Bas’ gaze. their path opens up in front of them in blazing clarity, filling them with renewed purpose. “i’ll work really hard, you’ll see.” regardless of how tempted he’d been to join his father, he’s chosen Hazel and Spider - and Spider will do everything in their power to prove themselves worthy of it, to make sure he never regrets that choice. to impress him so greatly that he never even thinks about leaving again. “i’ll make you proud, Dad. i promise.” anything to keep him here, with Hazel and Spider. anything to keep their family together.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

There aren’t many wolves who would see the truly soft side of Basilisk. In fact, the number of wolves that could was two, and Spider made that very short list. That was why basilisk was putting a lot of effort into righting this wrong, even if admitting to mistakes was difficult.

“There’s…” he was about to say there’s nothing to make up before he realised that perhaps this was a chance to give Spider a little push in the right direction with ambition. Their life was about to change, all their lives were. They would need strength to get through this.

“Something I need from you, actually.” He agreed, thinking fast. “I have agreed that I will set you - and Wylan - up as Heir to the Armada. Being Heir to such a big pack is going to be no easy task, and having competition will only make it harder. I want you to succeed, and other forces want Wylan to. You're going to have to prove yourself.” He explained carefully.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

for a moment, silence fills their mind. they simply gaze up at Bas in surprise, reconciling themselves with this new development. they, alongside Wylan, would be heir. “i-i’m honoured,” they profess, staring dazedly into the distance. on their worst days they still think of themselves as that shivering no-body orphan - but here they are, with a family and a name and a pack. sometimes they feel so undeserving of it they ache. but Bas was trusting them to prove themselves. “you can count on me,” they promise, tone firm. “in fact…” their voice turns sly, teasing. “i’ll be an even better heir than you.” they poke their tongue out cheekily.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

He grinned at Spider, amused at their declaration. He knew he hadn’t taken the role of Heir as seriously as he could have. Perhaps a little bit of competition wouldn’t have been the turning point for him. “I believe you just might” He agreed.

“The rank comes with a certain level of responsibility. The ability to make decisions regarding wolves lower ranked than you, including discipline or encouragement. There won't be many wolves above you” The rank of Heir was a high one, and intended to keep it that way. “In return, I expect your support in meetings, and changes in the pack. I don’t know what sort of pack I want the Armada to be yet, but can I count on you?” He asked his Heir.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

the longer Spider sits with this new reality, the more impossible it seems. Bas, in their mind, had seemed to wear the title well. naturally. like he was born to. it feels like frighteningly big paws to fill.

well, if nothing else, they’ll do their damnedest to try.

and if there’s one thing Bas can depend on, it’s their support. “yes.”  a single incline of their head punctuates the word, brow set in a determined line. for the family that’s given then everything, they’d shift earths. “i’m with you. always.”

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

There was no doubt in Bas’s mind that Spider would get the rank of heir. They were his child, and they would therefore gain the higher rank, and the respect that came with. There were very few wolves that Basilisk truly trusted, and he needed to surround himself with the ones he did. “That’s all I ask for” He said, letting out a slow breath and smiling at the younger wolf.

“Now, before I get locked into Warlord and all the jobs that come with it - is there anything you’d like to do together?” He asked, knowing that soon it may be a little harder to find free time.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

at Bas’ question, Spider beams, bathing in his attention like a patch of sunlight. it’s saddening to think that they won’t get to spend as much time with him, but that just means they’ll savour these moments together as much as possible. the serious stuff pushed aside for now, Spider’s mind turns to possibilities of fun, tail starting to sway as their excitement mounts. “hmm…maybe we could have a beach day!” they still want to practice their swimming, and what could be safer than practicing under Bas’ supervision? “we could bring snacks for a picnic!” sure, the weather isn’t ideal for it right now…but Spider isn’t thinking about that! logistics are boring.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

While Bas was still knee deep in the worries of what was to come, he knew that putting aside time to simply enjoy Spider's presence was important. Spider was important to him. The spider-eyed wolf had crept into his heart with remarkable speed. From a stray that Hazel had picked up to his child in every sense of the word.

“A beach day it is!” He agreed, the water might be cold, but they could set up a bonfire on the sand to dry themselves out. “Orso can you gather some snacks for us?” he said, turning to his reindeer before getting to his paws. Making ushering motions at Spider, he turned towards the beach. “First one there gets to light the bonfire!” He called, as if he himself was a kid, before dashing (but not at his full speed) away.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

Bas is quick to agree to their proposal, and Spider begins bouncing on their toes with excited energy. their heart feels light, buoyant, and as Bas breaks into a run it's like the last of their worries have dispersed into the air. tomorrow, they can be warlord and prince, respectively. but today, none of those responsibilities can touch them. "hey!"  they cry out, laughing as they scramble to keep up with Bas. "no fair, you had a head-start!" it's likely a plethora of challenges lie ahead - but for now, they can just let themselves be young and careless. free.

[b]"Speech"

[/b]

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Basilisk laughed at his kid, shaking his head as they ran. “You’ll have to be quicker than that!” he warned, but he didn’t use his headstart. They arrived at the beach in a tie, and he trotted to a stop at a good spot to sit. He grabbed the basket from Orso, and picked out a package of dried meat. Tossing it at Spider before grabbing one of his own. “So. Spider… had any boys or girls catch your eye?” He asked, wondering if they were old enough to think about that yet. For Bas, it hadn’t been girls (or boys) it had been Hazel. Only Hazel.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

Spider chews contentedly on their meat, admiring the shoreline with a wistful little smile. this far from the water, it looks almost…peaceful. of course, any serenity they’ve gathered quickly disperses in the wake of Bas’ question. “D-Dad!” they splutter, hiding their face behind a paw. they’re hopeless enough in the romance department without Bas learning about their mishaps! but as they wait for the heat to subside from their cheeks, a part of them is pleased at his interest in their life, glad to have someone to talk to about the awkward trappings of adolescence. in fact, it only takes a few minutes before they give in. “well…ok…i kind of..haveacrushonsomevikings.” they clear their throat and stare determinedly at their paws, studying the groves in the sand. “and i…i really like them both, but they have each other, so…”  Spider gives a dismissive shrug, but secretly they’re hoping Bas has some wisdom to impart. he has a mate, after all; he must’ve had some game.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Basilisk grinned, pleased at the response he’d gotten out of the younger wolf. He waited for Spider to remove their eyes from behind their paw before raising a brow at them. It seemed to him that Spider did have someone catching their eye. “Some Vikings?” Not like he disagreed, but as if he found it surprising.

When they began to speak of liking them both, but them having each other, Bas moved a little closer. Placing one of his giant paws over Spiders, and drowning their little one beneath it. “While I wouldn’t judge a multi-wolf romance, you deserve better than to be someone’s second choice, Spider.” He cupped a paw gently under their chin. Forced to be slow and careful with how small they were. “You.”he said with feeling. “Should be someone’s whole world.” He released their chin and tweaked their nose. "But tell me about your vikings?" He suggested.

"Basilisk" || "Spider"

any hesitation about confiding in Bas - who wants to talk crushes with their parent, after all - quickly disperses in the face of his kind understanding, his gentle interest. warmth and embarrassment suffuses their chest, enveloping them in an invisible embrace that is no less comforting than Bas’ physical one. his unerring belief in Spider’s worth, even when they themselves aren’t always certain of it, is nothing short of heartening. “well…um, they’re both my friends.” they grapple for something to say, something that doesn’t make them sound completely ridiculous. “they’re really strong, like you can tell they’ve been through a lot but they haven’t let it break them. oh, and loyal - fiercely loyal.” a dreamy smile spreads across their face, but Spider is quick to chase it away. “what about you, Dad? how did you meet Hazel?”

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

You can tell they’ve been through a lot Ah. Spider too had been through a lot. Abandoned by the very people that should have loved and cared for Spider the most. Perhaps there had been some common ground there, something that had driven them to find friendship in these wolves. “Loyalty is always to be admired.” He said with a smile, knowing that he treasured the wolves that were loyal to him.

That was a loaded question. Bas sat down beside Spider again, leaning towards but not against the smaller wolf. “I found Hazel by the Armada’s old territory, we were in the South back then. Her parents had abandoned her, but we were both pups. We played for a bit, and she got hungry. So I took her home to the Armada - only I did tell my dad or grandad what I was doing. I snuck her into the food stores, we were forgoing ourselves when the Warlord found us.” He grinned at the memory. They’d basically been inseparable ever since.

"Basilisk" || "Spider"

they can't help the dreamy little sigh that escapes them, smiling as they picture the scene. a tiny Bas and a tiny Hazel, drawn together by chance and determined to cling to the other for the entirety of their lives. how..."romantic," Spider sighs, grinning. they lean their head back against his shoulder, blinking up at him. "it's like something out of a fairy-tale.” okay, so maybe that's a bit naïve to say, but they're kind of a dreamer when it comes to romance. sue them. but really, they can’t help but long for something similar, a connection so strong it spans years. ah well, maybe one day. “i’m glad you guys are happy,” Spider says after a moment, gazing contentedly into the distance. ultimately, their family is safe and together; what more can they ask for?

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Basilisk snorted softly in amusement, leaning down to breathe on Spider’s ears to match them twitch when the small wolf leaned against him. “We’ve had our drama, and our rough spots. But Hazel - and you - are my world.” He said gently. Knowing if for the truth, and the only truth he really knew.

He didn’t want to discourage Spider, but he also wasn’t sure how he felt about them falling for some Vikings. A pack a fair distance from their own. He knew Spider would grow, and have their own life some day. But he selfishly wanted to hold them tight for as long as he could. His. His kid, his Heir, his future.

"Basilisk" || "Spider"