Wraiths and Shadows

The Second and final time Zee had died, it had been because of a terrible illness. His Wie had delivered the final blow herself, to save herself from a slow and painful death. She had done so at Sanheim in an effort for her death to mean something. That whatever Gods might listen would see her sacrifice and that it would bring something to her family. Some safety, perhaps. The Warlord could not fight Gods and illnesses, and he had been left with nothing to quench his vengeance.

The first time she had died, it had been a group of mercenaries. They had faked her death and left him to mourn for months. When he discovered the deceit, he had tracked them down and killed them to the last. He had never discovered why they had done it, and had wondered if it wouldn't come back and bite him one day. Catching their scent in this woman was… shocking. The mercenaries had broken his wife. Weakened and hurt her. If they hadn't, perhaps Zee would have had the strength to survive her illness. Yes… this death he could lay at their feet, as well. At her feet. This was her fault. He could not tell her age through the grime and bruises, but she was the last standing to answer for them. And she had so much to answer for.

He let himself into the pen, payment already made to his guide as he approached the newest wolf of the Armada. She saw the way she struggled to rise, and almost moved to aid her. It would have been instinctive. Sirius had come a long way from the tyrant he had been in the original Ashen Empire. A people that had long faded to dust. He curbed the impulse, seeing it as a weakness now more than he ever had before. He could not afford compassion for his enemy. Instead, he reached forward. Not to stabilise her, but to run a paw down her cheek. "I am Sirius. Warlord. Leader of the Armada." He said, voice soft. Azure would understand, but no other of his kin would. They would not.. no, could not know. "And you, Poor, sweet lamb. You are a wolf with such weakness in your limbs. Such clumsiness. You look as if you must tumble and fall so easily. Is that how you broke your paw? Did you fall?" He crooned gently to her, reaching down and touching a paw to the crooked limb. "Perhaps if we rebroke it, it might heal true…" he smiled at her then. Yes, this one. This was the one he would take home.

"Speech"