only birds can fly

Tamsyn's words managed to bring some relief to the horned queen, and she gave her a smile in response. "I hope so too. I care very deeply for him, and I know there are many others who do as well. I can't comprehend what has gotten into him so early and impacted him so horribly that only a few months into life he'd wish it to end." She sighed, watching her paws once more.

When Tamsyn continued, Zee glanced back up at her. While the other woman had made it clear she did not want a pack life when they'd began their walk, something had changed her mind. The queen nodded slowly, glad that Tamsyn had decided to take her up on her offer. Already she felt protective of the wolf, and she could not protect those who did not want protecting. A part of her understood why Sirius forcibly claimed so many, because it was the easiest way to bring them into the shelter of the pack. "We'd be glad to have you. I'm sure the Armada would benefit from you in some way." Her smile widened as she paused, and then shifted into an expression of thought. "You'll need some time to settle in, I won't ask you to decide upon a path so soon. Test the waters, see what makes you happy when you're free to choose and let me know."

Knowing the woman's past, the queen hesitated before continuing. Would it scare her away to know of what the Armada expected of her? Zee could not show favoritism by giving her a pass to learn the skills that even the small healers had required of them. "Where you decide to go within the Armada is up to you, though we do have some requirements that each wolf must accept regardless of path." She began softly, her tone almost apologetic. "We function mainly as the Ashen Empire's first line of defense, as well as a school for warriors. Even if you decide fighting is not for you, you'll need to learn to. Self defense is an important skill, and in the worst case scenario if you find yourself attacked, I need you to be able to protect yourself at least until I can get to you."

It wasn't easy to imagine an unknown assailant aiming to hurt a member of her pack, and while Zee knew there were many warriors who would come to Tamsyn's defense it would be no use if the woman could not hold her own for the time it took for someone to answer her call. "I understand if it's hard for you, but it's not something I can budge on." She left the rest unsaid, that if the woman could not bring herself to learn that she did not need to join them.