So Much Harder To Leave

Alastor squinted his eyes into the strengthening wind that kicked up his flowing fur, blowing in the darker storm clouds in their direction. He wasn't worried about the weather either; if anything, they'd just need to divert back towards home or hunker down in a den and wait out the storm together. That in of itself could become a very favorable situation, the dark dire grinning to himself as he envisioned all the ways he and Relm could help pass time and keep each other warm while they dried off. The two wolves walked side by side around the lake, completely unperturbed by the shifting weather while they discussed pack business. Relm's quip about having one of their two matters down brought a barking laugh from the dire brute, a wide and entertained smile splitting his lips from ear to ear. "Touché," he remarked with another chuckle, leaning over to playfully nudge Relm's shoulder with his own. The little grin he saw on her lips helped ease his soul. Knowing that Relm was happy made him happy. Emotions were a heavy thing for the both of them, more so than other wolves. It was nice to help put Relm at ease to a point where they could just exist together in cohabitation, as pack mates and as lovers.

Relm suggested holding a meeting of sorts for Elysium's warriors to promote them improving their skills. Ideas of training spars and melees were put forth and Alastor hummed as he considered the ideas. "That's a good idea. Perhaps having our master fighters lead each of the groups so they have a mentor overseeing each group." Dividing up the work to be done amongst the wolves themselves would also mean they wouldn't need to micromanage and be watching over the fighters' shoulders so much. Plus the idea of a group melee just sounded like fun sport! "Are you sure you're not just looking for a reason to kick your pack mates' asses though?" Alastor teased Relm with an impish grin and mock suspicious eyebrow raise. Not that he would have blamed her, of course. Nothing got his blood pumping quite like a good fight! And depending on who he was fighting, that could sometimes lead to getting tangled up in other physical activities too, and rolling from fighting right into fucking was a unique and special kind of enjoyment indeed.

Distant thunder rumbled closer than before, signaling the approaching storm moving in fast, but Alastor paid it no heed. He was enjoying his leisurely stroll with Relm, acting as if it was a bright and sunny spring day instead of an imminent thunderstorm. Relm asked about the pirates and what their deal was, and it took Alastor a moment and a bewildered look before he remembered that Relm hadn't actually been a part of their group when the pack challenge for Incendium had gone down. "Elysium was supposed to have been founded good three seasons before it actually was," Alastor explained, frowning as he recounted the day from memory. "When Incendium fell, Manea claimed the fallen pack as her own to found Elysium from its ashes. But the narcissistic bitch Sparrow challenged her for that right. Manea fought her best, and in many ways was the better contender, but Sparrow somehow got the upper hand and won the challenge." Alastor sneered, lips curling back from pearly fangs in a silent growl. "That was how the pirates came to be, and why we despise them. They tried to take Manea's dream from her, one she's been working at since she was a pup. We fortunately found other means to make Elysium a reality, but there was a time when we thought that hope had been stolen from us." Alastor's black gaze narrowed to a deadly point as he added, "Plus one of the pirate lackeys called Manea a bitch during the fight. Nobody calls my wife a bitch."

"Alastor"