Indy curled up in the middle of the little plot of land that used to be his garden. Most of it had died back or was wrapped to protect them from the winter. The place just made Indigo depressed, but he was trying to overcome his feelings. He had to be able to control them, and by feeling through the gross sadness that lingered here the boy looked to make himself stronger.

He still felt sad that he hadn’t been chosen to become an heir, and he was doing whatever he could to prove himself. He wasn’t a good hunter and he wasn’t very good at fighting with focus, but he was determined. The boy sighed softly as a light snow began to fall. He didn’t really want to move, he didn’t really want to do anything until spring. Parting his lips he blew upwards to disturb the growing fur of his developing mohawk.

His little Indigo was a child of summer, and winter seemed to have left him lackluster and quiet. The Warlord found him in the middle of his garden plot. The plants withered by winter frost. He stepped carefully besides the boy, and wrapped the growing child in his arms, looking about his broken dreams.

“Indigo, i’ve a very important job for you” A job that resulted in many trade agreements and hard work. Sirius was in debt, a feeling he did not very much like. The moment spring began, Sirius would be hard at work to repay them. Not all the work had been through trading. It had also involved swimming out to the island of human relics multiple times, loading up the cart, and carefully bringing the goods back to Armada.

The plans had been traded for the, the recipe for cement, traded for. The glass planes, the Warlord had strapped to his back, and swum back from the island with. Long days had gone into the making, but he finally felt prepared to unveil them to the boy.

“Follow me” he told his young son, and took him to the edge of the territory, the Westen section where the grass plains meet the sea plains. There, his construction site, which had been, until today, blocked off from the pack.

He led the boy forward, until the sun began to glint off the glass sides of the tiny house. There, the glasshouse lay. The walkway inside scarcely long enough for Sirius and Indy to sit, nose to nose. The small beds on either side, enough to fit a dozen small plants, but little else. It wasn’t the biggest building in the world, but it was a marvel. The planes of glass connected with the home-made cement. Sirius opened the door, gesturing for his son to enter. Inside, on that walkway, lay stacks of dirt, and small budding plants. “You have a garden to build.”

Working hard to make something for Indigo had kept Aslatiel's mind off of just how unhappy she was. They had found the strange panels on the island where her father had taken her. It had been decided that they would bring these strange, clear pieces of something back to build a house for Indigo's plants. Asla thought it was a good idea. She loved seeing her brother smile. The cold of winter had stolen that smile from him. She aimed to steal it back.

The girl had been collecting buckets of earth to bring into the see through house. Being inside still made her a little uneasy, but she'd been going in and out all day and so she barely paid any mind to it now. This time, when she entered the house, her father and brother were standing in side. Lowering her bucket of dirt to the ground, the girl, equally dirty, with a big smudge of mud beneath one eye, sat in the doorway and smiled. She waited silently to see Indigo smile. That was all that she wanted.

Indy sulked quietly by himself until his father’s sudden presence was around him. Siriu wrapped him up in a hug and Indigo didn’t fight him, he sighed heavily into his father’s dark fur. He looked up to his father’s similar blue eyes as he told him that he had a job to do. The boy couldn’t help but tilt his head curiously, despite his low mood he was eager to please his father. ”Important?” He asked as Sirius released him and told him to follow.

Indigo didn’t hesitate, despite the uncertainty in life the boy craved structure and direction. He trotted after his massive father, realizing in that moment how close he was getting to his dad’s height. Especially with the growing fur along the back of his neck and scruff. Those thoughts were interrupted as he caught the glint of the winter sun on the roof of his gift. At first he didn’t understand what he was looking at, he’d seen Io’s cottage before and he was reminded of her dwelling. As Sirius led the way forward and inside the boy’s bright eyes widened in surprise.

His father’s words made his heart soar and as Aslatiel slipped in beside Sirius the young violet boy felt his grin spread more fully over his young features. He wasn’t sure that he had ever grinned so big before. Despite the cold outside it was warm inside the glass house. He already knew he wouldn’t be able to keep anything too exotic, but the heat could be held inside enough that he could get more hardy plants to grow. If he stayed inside at night surely his body heat would protect them from below freezing temperatures. He was big enough for that.

He whined softly through his unmistakable smile as he felt himself at a loss of what to say. He felt loved beyond belief, along with a relief from the depression of winter. ”Thank you.” Indy managed to squeak as his haunches fell beneath him and he felt tears of joy fill his sapphire eyes.

He grinned at his daughter as she met them there, bringing in the last of the dirt buckets, the earth smudged beneath her eye. He leaned forward, licking it clean with one quick swipe, before nudging Indigo. “The plants were imported from Auster, but I was told they should be planted as soon as possible. Should we get to work, gang?” he said, looking about at his kids. He knew the first part of planting them would be almost as back breaking as building the greenhouse, but it would be worth it. After that, Indigo would be in charge of caring for their upkeep.

The Ashen Armada would have fresh herbs, even in winter, and their budding young healer would always be able to surround himself in growth, come summer or winter. “You two get started patting down the last of the earth, and i’ll start building the fence.” he said, ducking back outside the greenhouse, giving room for the younger wolves to fit inside.

He also had one last little surprise to set up… as he moved around to where he had hidden it, he pulled out the skin, oiled to be waterproof, and unwrapped the precious instrument inside. Beside it, was the stand he had created for it. Similar to the three-prong stick set up Asla had created back on the island, only more sturdy, and varnished to survive the weather. He set it up besides the greenhouse, and hooked the telescope securely to it. He then grabbed the skin, switched together to create something big enough to full throw over stand and scope. He then secured it to the earth on four sides. He chuckled, wondering how long the kids would take to notice the strange tarp set up outside, and began fencing off the small area.

The girl didn't say a word. Not even when her father came and licked the dirt from her face. Instead, she went to her now crying brother and wrapped her little arms around his neck. She pressed her cheek against the space between his ears and stayed silent. She hadn't liked seeing how despondent he was lately. Though she'd been avoiding them all, she still noticed his disposition. Placing a kiss between his ears, Asla released him, picked up her bucket and got to work.

After spreading the dirt equally within each plot, Asla made her way back outside. It had been some time and their father hadn't returned. There wasn't much room inside the little clear structure, so she hadn't thought much of it and she had been much too busy to look through the glass walls. Imagine her surprise when there was now a skin covering something tall. Curious, the girl nosed beneath the skin and instantly giggled as she realized that it was the magic looking stick. Removing her head from the skin set her fur askew, but she didn't care. The magic tube made her happy. Her father had created an opportunity for her and Indigo to spend time together again. Her looking tube and her brother's glass garden side by side.

His dad nudged him in response to his emotional reaction, but he was able to gain control of his tears quicker without a big deal being shown about it. He reveled in his sister’s easily given affections, but he was careful how he returned the love in front of his dad. He didn’t have to resist for long though, as both sister and father were eager to get to work, and so was he. He was going to have a green garden again and he could hardly believe it.

Indigo was easily consumed with planting his treasures, he could grow green things and provide the pack with harvest all year long. The boy was overjoyed, and his violet tail did not stop wagging as he enjoyed his time so close to Aslatiel The two of them felt so far apart right now, and he could feel the distance between their hearts just as keenly as any physical wound. Maybe she would spend more time with him in the glass house, they could look up at night and watch the stars together…

On that thought he noticed that his sister had retreated, but there was something new outside as well. Their dad said he was working on the fence but that musn’t have been all. ”Asla, what’s that?” He asked excitedly as he poked his head out of his new favorite spot in the world.

He laughed softly under his breath as he turned back to look at the two pups discover the telescope. He couldn’t take all the credit, he was still a little nervous about putting these two in the same space. It was Zee’s influence that had made it possible. It had been her idea to create a space for the two of them. Sirius had almost negatively impacted their friendship with his harsh reaction, but it was Zee’s balance that allowed him to understand that they were just kids. It didn’t mean sexual love when two pups accidentally discovered kissing. Through it did mean they needed a talk.

He hammered down the wood with a meaty, flayed paw, until it was thick in the earth, and barely moved at a wiggle. He set up the next post, ensuring no one could accidentally trample the outdoor garden Indigo was sure to build here in summer. He paused as he did so, taking a moment to simply watch the kids. His healing-loving boy, and his family-loving daughter. He wondered if he would still be around to see the day, when Azure and Mortis became leaders, and Indigo and Asla their most trusted advisers. Would he be happy, and retired? Or a dead warrior in some unforeseen war?

Just as she was about to put her eye to the looking piece, Indigo poked his head out of his new inside garden. "Why don't you come see?" Aslatiel stepped aside so that Indigo could take her place. "Just close one eye and put the other up to the end of the tube." She adjusted the angle so that she thought it would point towards a nice, bright gathering of stars.

Dark ears swiveled to catch the sound of thumping as her father hammered wood into the ground. Was Indy going to have two gardens or would they let the other go back to the earth? Two might be a lot to care for. She knew that he could do it though if he wanted to try.

Aslatiel sat off to the side, curling up on the skin that she'd pulled from the looking tube. Though she was glad to be spending time with her father and Indigo, her heart was still heavy. She wasn't in a very talkative mood at all.

His dark brows rose as Aslatiel called him forward, Indigo didn’t hesitate to close the distance. Doing as he was instructed Indy closed one eye and pressed the other to the eye piece. ”Oh! Hey, look at that!” The boy was rather astounded, especially now that this day had easily become the best one that winter. His vivid violet tail wagged happily at his hips as he pulled away from the wondrous tool and back to his sister. A gateway to the stars, and a winter plant cottage right next to one another.

The massive maned boy looked back over towards his father with gratitude, his head held high. ”Thank you, Dad.” He said with a tail wag and quick lowering of his ears. He could be around Aslatiel more often and she could escape to the heavens beside him. Sirius really did love them, especially considering how much work he had to put into the structure before him. ”I love you guys.” The boy added in emotionally as he looked from his sister to father and back again.

Leaning against the newly grounded fence post, the Warlord crossed his paws, and looked to the two youngsters. Asla was showing Indy her star-gazer, and he could see the surprise and excitement as the purple boy discovered the closeness of the stars.

He didn’t expect Indy to look over at him, he expected the two of them to get lost in the fun of the tasks he had set for them. Instead, his son looked at him, tail wagging , and offered his thanks. Seer gently nudged aside the last of his posts, waiting to be set, and made his way back over to them. The scent of the ocean gusted up over the ocean, and he could see the waves from here, as close to the shore as he had built this structure. Perhaps he ought to shore up the sea-side as well, to ensure a high tide never came close enough to damage it…

He shook aside the distracting thoughts, bringing Indy into an embrace, and rubbing a nockie across his forehead with one giant paw. “Alright lad. Anything else you need for your garden” the affection was there, even if he didn’t say the words. There was a gruff awkwardness to the giant, but it was clear to all to see how much he loved his children.

Asla simply smiled at her brother's amazement as he finally got to see the stars above as she had. It was a breathtaking sight and she had almost cried the first time she'd seen the detail in the skies above. Indy wouldn't cry at that, but he might very well cry over the plants that he loved. They were different and the same in that regard.

As her father drew near, Indy thanked him as well. Asla nodded in agreement. She was thankful that he'd set up her sky tube beside Indy's see through plant house. She was dirty and more than a little tired, so when Sirius asked Indigo if he needed anything else, the cream and grey girl curled up on the fur that had covered the seeing tube. She needed a nap.