Okay second time's the charm, right? At least this time he was keeping an eye out for someone trying to spook him. This time he crossed the border with more courage, that was not the scary thing he was going to try to do. No that would come when he found the girl that had stolen his heart.

He was old enough now to make his decisions on where to go, on what to do with his life and more than anything he needed direction, he knew he wanted to train to be a fighter, but he didn't feel that he could really dedicate himself to fighting for his cousin's pack, his aunt maybe? But he'd never really known her. He would fight for his siblings, his mother and his father but Venom? That was unlikely, but maybe... maybe he could end up fighting for someone else as well? So he knew what he needed to do, he had to find out if the Armada could become home for him. So he sought out Asla, his heart hammering away in his throat.

"Speech!"

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"Aslatiel" Aslatiel still wasn't able to walk on her own, but she'd bitched and complained until she was at least allowed outside of the den for a while. The independent girl was going thoroughly stir crazy and her mood definitely reflected that. With the summer sun being so warm, it had been insisted upon that she have at least some sort of cover. Those that fretted made a quick overhang made out of one big fur draped over a few tied together poles. Whatever... as long as she didn't have to stay inside. The injured girl had insisted on privacy, so she sent everyone away, guards included. She knew they wouldn't be far though with how utterly helpless she was. Couldn't stand. Couldn't walk. Asla would be a nice, easy meal for any predator with the balls enough to traipse into Armada territory. Just because she couldn't walk didn't mean that she was totally helpless... She still had claws and teeth, but she'd have to wait for the danger to come to her. Bleh. With a long, drawn out sigh, the cream and grey young woman flicked her tail in the grass. She was just now able to move her tail again, proof that she was indeed healing. As she looked straight ahead (because she didn't have a choice) a pale figure moved through the grass. She could see flashes of white fur as the lazy summer breeze parted the grass. That same breeze brought the scent of the wolf towards her, but it wasn't a wolf at all. Tall ears perked with interest as Asla called out, "Mojiiiiiiiiiito!"

Her call to him was like a siren's beckoning to a sailor. Just as sweet... and potentially just as deadly. Mojito had no way of knowing how his life might change in the coming moments, what dream would soar and which would crash and burn... what choices he'd make in relation to it all. So yes maybe a siren was a fitting metaphor. His ears perked, lifting slightly though no matter how he tried his ears would always flopped in some way. He had learned not to mind that as much anymore...

As for Asla's condition... well he had no idea. The last he'd seen or heard of the girl she'd been playful and vibrant, alive with energy. Now as he approached he couldn't help but think she was simply lounging languidly, below a tarp of fur so she was out of the sun but likely enjoying the day regardless. That was until his gaze drifted down to her hip, and he noticed the splint on her leg. Bright blue eyes grew wide as he stopped, now in clear view of the girl. The last thing she probably wanted was his concern, especially as he was quite clearly upset by this but he couldn't help the way his voice lilted higher as he spoke. "Asla, what happened?" Was it normal to feel this distressed over someone he hardly knew? Probably not, but that didn't stop his whole being from exuding that feeling. He was in this moment, a truly open book.

"Speech!"

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The shock on Mo's face as he saw her splintered leg was so genuine. So raw. It reminded Asla of just how pure the collie mix was. He'd never been anything other than one hundred percent sweet to her. She enjoyed him so much. He was like a breath of fresh air. Not at all like the company that she usually kept.

As the pale boy drew closer, he questioned her. "Oh, this old thing?" Purple eyes glanced to the wrapped leg and hip, completely wrapped in bandages. Her leg was entirely immobile for the time being. "Naiche, a packmate of mine, was almost gored by a boar. I saved him. This was the price." She said it so nonchalantly, as though this was something that happened to her every day. Outwardly she was cool and connected. Inwardly she was thrashing against the bars of her prison, ready to get out.

Stiffly and with great care, Aslatiel moved to sit up, her body in a half curl. She couldn't stay this way for long, but she needed to sit up every now and again to simply feel normal. "What brings you out this way, Mo?" Tall grey ears flicked forward. Her galaxy gaze was only for him.

Mojito swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to push down his visible worry as Asla explained her injury, he tried to imagine the girl jumping in front of a boar and- yeah okay so maybe imagining that wasn't the best idea. "Well I wager it's better than being gored." He said, trying to make his tone light and joking.

He shuffled as she lifted herself and jerked forward awkwardly, before stopping himself from running to her side to help her. Instead, he shuffled forward and settled himself in front of her, folding his hind legs under himself so that he was sitting with her and- welp she just came out and asked huh? Mojito felt his face flush. "Well... uh... Things have been changing a bit in Ashen and I'm feeling kinda lost and uh- I guess I'm considering asking to join the armada but um... I wanted to check something first. So uh I got something to tell you." Gods he was stumbling all over his words, looking like a fool no doubt.

"Speech!"

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Sitting up when you couldn't really move your leg or hip was difficult. It put strain on the girls back muscles and she had to admit that she'd never been quite so sore. It would have been easier on her had she thought to have Bas being out a stack of cushions, but it had slipped her minded. Ah, but here was Mojito. He could be her knight in shining armor if he'd only help her out.

Large, purple eyes settled on the young canines face, one brow arched in question. "Mojito would you get me some pillows from the den?" She grinned. "Or you could lay behind me and let me lean against you." She would let him choose. Really though, she hoped that he would choose to be her pillow. Asla did enjoy a good cuddle. She enjoyed it more when it was with someone as cute and sweet as Mojito. Asla wondered if he'd let her touch his ears again.

As she waited for him to decide, Mo continued speaking. He wanted to join the Armada? Well that would be lovely. They'd be able to see each other all the time. Asla was beginning to realize that she was friendlier than she'd thought. Bas, Kaizer, Naiche, Magnus. She had a lot of friends. If she could have Mo close as well, she'd be pretty happy. The horned lad said that he had something to tell her and Aslas gaze flashed with curiosity. What could it be? "So tell me, " she laughed softly, one brow arched as she waited.

Mojito practically jumped to his paws when Asla suggested he fetch her some pillows, such luxury was not totally foreign to him but he had to admit he wasn't used to it and not for the first time he was struck by how unaware of her home life he was. Then as she suggested maybe he instead act as her pillow the half-collie couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Anything for you." He said, this time the teasing in his tone was genuine and he moved to lay down behind Asla, he'd graciously accept any position she found to be comfortable with minimal complaint, he would be like putty in her paws.

He sighed contentedly, feeling his eyes drift close and for a moment, a brief blissful moment he was content in his brief lapse. But then the cream girl would remind him... oh yeah he was hear for a reason! Right... shit. "Yeah I uh-" Okay, deep breathes! Mojito took a breath, his eyes closing for real this time and he let the words tumble from his mouth. "Asla I think- I think- No I know... I like you!" He said, keeping his eyes closed and his body tensing as he waited for... anything.

"Speech!"

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Asla was more than happy when he chose to be her pillow. As he settled down beside her, the cream colored girl leaned into him, giving a little wiggle as she got comfortable. His fur was so much softer than her own. She always marveled over him. He really was a handsome guy. She liked his coat, his horns, she loved his ears, his personality was lovely. There were no negatives to Mojito. Already she could feel the tension in her muscles leaving as she let him bear her leaning weight.

It took him a while to get his words out and he seemed to be a little embarrassed by them. He liked her? Well she would hope he did. "Well, I like you too," she replied. If they didn't like one another they wouldn't have been friends, right? Was that really all that was bothering him? She hadn't considered the fact that he might be attracted to her. All of that stuff was still fairly new. She was attracted to others, but she wasn't sure if they were attracted to her. So she took Mo's statement literally. He liked her. She liked him. Friends.

Mojito chuckled, a soft boyish sound as Asla wiggled further into his plush fur. This was comforting in a way that he'd never really felt before. He wanted to lean in and breath in her scent, to bury his face in the back of her head. Instead, he'd hold himself rigid, waiting... And then she responded. And for a moment the boy's heart soared, she liked him too? But there was something in her tone, something in how quick she was to respond that dimmed the bright feeling in his heart.

"No I uh-" He stammered for a moment, wanting to make it clear exactly what he'd meant by his comment. "When I look at my parents I know what love is. My mom could have picked any wolf in the world, and instead, she fell in love with my dad, enough that she wanted to start a family with him. I know their feelings are real, it's hard not to when you see how my dad looks at her... and it's clear because of who my dad is, that my mom loves him too." He was rambling, he didn't actually think Asla would care about his parents but he needed something to compare it too.

"I-I don't know if that's what I can claim to feel... but I think it could happen?" Was he just being confusing now? "I guess what I'm trying to say is I like like you." He lifted his head, turning his gaze towards the fur stretched above them. "I want to kiss you more and I dislike the idea of others getting to kiss you. My heart won't stop beating when we're close, and I want to hold you like this all the time."


"Speech!"

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Nestled comfortably against the floppy-eared boy, Asla's eyes drifted close. He was a nice, soft pillow. She enjoyed his company thoroughly. Always had. From the very first moment that they met, there was this easiness between them. And Mojito was about to change that. The young canines words met her ears and Asla stilled. He felt for her. He liked her and compared his feelings to that of his parents being together. Oh no... She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to hurt him in the slightest. Mojito was such a good boy. He was a pure soul, she knew. Whereas she was darker, tinged with negative emotions and... more adult in a sense, even though he was older. Mojito continued, confessing how much he wanted to kiss her and expressing jealousy at the idea of others kissing her. He wanted to hold her all the time. Well... Sigh. Aslatiel extracted herself from the collie mix's grasp slightly so that she could turn and meet his blue gaze with her swirling purple orbs. She needed to look him in the eye for this. He'd shared emotions. Important emotions. She wouldn't make light of them at all. He deserved to see who and what she was. What he did with the information after was up to him. "Thank you for telling me," she began, her voice soft. "Mojito, I don't think I can be who you want me to be." Her brow furrowed slightly as she prepared to see his expression drop. "I don't think I'm made for one person alone." It was difficult to explain, but she tried. "I don't believe that I could be with only one person. I would be unhappy and the person that I was with would be unhappy as well." She placed one striped paw over one of Mo's soft, pale paws. "I do care for you as well. We can be great friends. You can hold me whenever you wish. I can give you all of the kisses that you could ever desire... but I can't be yours alone." She didn't know if he could accept this or not. Indigo accepted it. Kaizer accepted it. Basilisk had no choice but to accept it. If Mojito wished to add himself to that list, it would bring Aslatiel great happiness... but she wouldn't hold it against him if he couldn't. Asla brought one dainty paw up to cup the boys cheek. Sincerity poured into her amaranthine gaze. "I don't want to hurt you, Mojito. I also don't want to lead you on." She needed to be transparent with him. Whatever choice he made based on the information was up to him. Mojito would always have a place in her cold little heart, but it would be a place that he had to share with others. "Speech"

Her physically pulling away felt like a knife through his heart still Mojito forced himself to listen, slowly lowering his head to look at her. He did his best to keep the hurt from shining in his eyes, but he couldn't know if he was successful or not. She began to explain, and it was difficult for him to process, it felt like a rejection. She was trying to tell him she wasn't who he'd imagined her as and some part of the boy's brain agreed, he'd always known he didn't know her too well. She claimed she wasn't built to belong only to one wolf, that she'd be unhappy with that... and so would her partner... He wasn't about to argue that she could be unhappy with that but he had to bite down on his desire to tell her that he would be happy. Just being with her made him happy.

His paw twitched as she laid her own on him and Mojito tried not to look too sullen, he couldn't help but feel that she was placating him. He pulled his gaze away then, he had to look away, just so he could think. He'd be stuck drowning in her eyes if he didn't.

He paw gently cupped his cheek and his gaze returned to hers, and despite himself, he could feel her sincerity and that chipped away at the wall that had suddenly slid up. He remained silent for a moment. "I need to think..." He said, he could see that she was genuine in expressing her willingness to be with him, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her either. "Let me hold you again, for now?" He asked, barely above a whisper, he wanted to feel her in his arms, at least while he tried to work through everything he was thinking.

He didn't think she was wrong, but he also wasn't certain he could be happy like that. He trusted her own assessment of herself, and he certainly didn't want to force her to be unhappy... but he doubted he could live with that jealousy... that pain. Gods... what was he going to do?

"Speech!"

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He couldn't hid the hurt in his face and Aslatiel felt horrible for it. For a moment, she wished that she could be a one-wolf lady just to chase the pain from Mojito's bright blue eyes. It just wasn't within her to be monogamous. There was a whole world full of wolves out there to kiss and touch and explore. She would be cheating herself out of many pleasurable experiences if she chose to be with only one person for the rest of her days. It wasn't appealing. She knew that she would be unhappy. In turn, whoever she tied herself down to would be unhappy. She would begin to resent them and no doubt her anger would show through and focus upon them. No... she couldn't do that to Mojito. That didn't mean that they couldn't do other things, however. When Mo eventually said that he needed time to think, Asla couldn't hide the sorrow in her face. "I'm sorry, Mo," she said again, shortening his name this time. She didn't think she'd ever called him Mo before and it was odd to be focusing on that rather than on their emotional stated. Anything instead of the pain, she supposed. Mo asked to hold her for now and Aslatiel nodded in agreement. A little bit of humor snuck back in simply because she couldn't help it. "We're already here, so we may as well, right?" Turning back so that her stiff frame could be more comfortable, the small girl leaned into the boy behind her once more. Her ears drooped a bit and she released a pent up sigh. Gradually she closed her eyes, lulled into a doze by the sheer softness and warmth of him. She hoped that he'd still be there when she woke, but wouldn't be surprised if h wasn't. "Speech"

It seemed that he'd opened a can of worms and now both of them were destined to hurt each other, Mojito's heartbreaking even more as he saw the sadness in Asla's face when he asked to be allowed to think. Well fuck. What was he supposed to do? He could feel his resolve wavering as she offered him his nickname. But as she settled herself against him and made an attempt at a joke Mojito found himself relaxing into her. He reached down and gently poked his nose into the top of her head and breathed a deep sigh. Her warm frame pushed into him had a sort of calming effect that was numbing the flurry of thoughts going through his mind. It was only a few moments later that he realized Asla had slowly drifted off and the boy would stay there, watching as she slept, unwilling to disturb the little injured girl who'd stolen his heart from her sleep, and it offered him time to try and sort through the turmoil that was his mind.

-fade for passage of time-

"Speech!"

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Aslatiel slept surprisingly well beside the collie boy. He was sweet and he was soft and she was a total jerk for not being what he needed. They wouldn't be happy together. Not truly. Aslatiel would be content to be his friend for as long as he wished, however. She quite liked being around him. He made her feel normal, in a way. Mojito made her feel like a girl. Like a sweet, pure girl. She wasn't, but that was how he made her feel. As she slept, the girl cuddled closer to the pale boy almost involuntarily. Even in her sleep she enjoyed the feel of his fur against hers. Because she'd been sleeping so much lately, she didn't sleep for long at all. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when her galaxy eyes opened again, she felt nice and rested. "Hey, you're still here, soft boy." Rather than sit up, she stayed where she was. She did curl her neck a bit so that she could look at him, laying more on her back than on her side now. Her spine was twisted to accommodate the new position, but it didn't bother her too much. "I'm glad that you're still here. I would have felt horrible if you'd left while I slept." "Speech"