The Archer-Lyall had come out to the ocean’s edge at low tide, in hopes of scoring herself a few cones from the cypress that grew here before the tides came in. Unfortunately, any that may have fallen had already been swept away by one of the daily tides, and those that remained were far too high up the trees to be accessible to the grey woman with her dull claws. If she got a run up, she might be able to grab hold of a branch to break off, sub-optimal as it was, but she’d be damned if she had trudged her ass this whole damn way, incoming tide lapping at her ankles for no bloody reason!

With a low growl she stepped back, the brush of seaweed against her leg enough of a motivator to spring forward with a choked off yelp. She bunched her weight back on bent legs, pushing off from the shifting sand that was being dragged back out to make way for the next wave. Teeth closed around a branch and she waited for the satisfying crack of a branch breaking... and waited, her body swinging back the way she had come. It seemed she didn’t quite have the weight to bring it down. She wriggled her body in the air in an attempt to bring the branch down, her frustration making itself known in a defiant growl as her teeth slipped and she landed back in the water, nothing but twigs to show for her effort.

Sedna spat, glaring up at the tree in front of her. One of these days... she’d have someone that could scurry into tricky places and get things for her... not a primate, those things creeped her out - but they couldn’t be the only critters with thumbs right?

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord padded quietly along the bench, and would be greeted by the sight of the young woman as she leaped upwards, teeth clamping on a cypress branch, and swinging slowly in the air below it. It was certainly a display of jaw strength, and tenacity as she hung there. Trying to achieve… something.

He held back a chuckle, and let his heavy pas lead him closer. He stopped by the reach of the tide, letting the cool water brush just past his toes as he watched her. She lost her grip as he did so, and fell back into the water with a light splash. He stepped into the water, letting it swirl about his ankles as he approached, and brushed his side against his wolf. He knew now from experience that she was not shy of touch, and the Warlord never hesitated to get his scent on those that belonged to him.

“Did you need a hand, Sedna?” he ventured, as he came to a stop beside her. He still wasn’t certain what exactly she had been trying to achieve.

Sedna was too proud to be embarrassed someone had seen her little tantrum at the tree (she was known to yell at the sky during storms, so this was nothing really). Instead, she leaned into the leaders touch and kept looking up at the tree with eyes narrowed in a glare, lips pulled back to reveal teeth in defiance of gravity and tides. It wouldn’t even be an issue if she’d been able to find some of the nut sized cones, on the ground, where they belonged. The audacity of some plants and the sea itself!

She was too annoyed to be mindful of the way she spoke, "I was tryin’ ter get some cypress cones cos they’re good fer stress and troubled breathin’ an’ keep infection away but the tide washed ‘em all out, an’ in a pinch yer can use the leaves or branches but I can’t even get one o’ those!" She huffed dramatically, as though personally attacked by the days turn of events.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Sedna leaned back against him, and explained her predicament. The Warlord frowned, and looked up at the tree she had been clinging too just a moment before. Pulling gently away from the woman, he marched up to the tree.

Rearing up onto his back legs, the impressive sized wolf leaned against the trunk of the Cypress. He leaned over to a brunch with a cluster of nuts, and let his elongated fangs bite into the bark with a ‘crunch’ and ‘snap’ and the branch broke clean off, falling into the ocean. He leaned further, and snap! Turned his head and snap! Snap, snap, snap! Branches rained down onto the water below him.

He let his front fall back into the water with a splash and tossed his head. “That’ll teach it for denying my wolf” he said, voice serious, but a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sedna, have you considered if you want a companion for battle?” he asked, bringing her around to pack matters.

Sedna felt a little silly that Sirius could just reach what she had to jump for just by standing on his rear legs. She ran to collect the branches he dropped before the blasted tides pulled them out to deep water, depositing them safely up on dry land, already formulating a plan on how best to process the sudden boon that was before her. Her skin warmed under her fur, her grin sheepish in response to his possessive statement, her tail taking up a low wag to show it didn’t bother her in the slightest.

His next question though, gave her pause. "Closest thing I had to a companion back home was a hare that helped me find herbs... until she got herself eaten. Didn’t get a chance ter kill the wolf that did it though... Did you know some hares and rabbits can eat nightshade and not die? Not such good news for those that eat ‘em, he was dead before I caught up with him." Her smile had a slightly dark edge to it for a moment, before she got around to actually answering his question, "Honestly, I’d love one, especially if I could put it to work helping with healing too, though I wouldn’t know where to start as far as picking one, or having one pick me. How does it work?" She supposed for a start she’d have to stop thinking of every animal she saw as a potential next meal.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

He raised a brow at her mention of a poisoned hare. That sounded oddly like something Io might do. For Sirius, the idea of poisoned meat rankled him. A pup could have taken the companion, through he did see how it was an effective repellent. The Warlords retaliation would be just as brutal if someone took from him something that belonged to him.

“People go about it in different ways,” he began. Answering her question about how companions work. “Some people stumble across a creature that connects with them. Some actively search one out. For convenience, I trade with a wolf that is accomplished at procuring different creatures.” he paused, taking a few steps towards Sedna, considering her size and nature, and tasks. “You’ll likely want something with an opposable thumb, and fierce nature. Any suggestions?” If she didn’t, he could always pose the question to the trader and see what options they brainstormed together.

The poisoned hare had been the first instance where Sedna had questioned whether the mid-moult snowshoe was actually supernatural or whether her mother just knew they ate the nightshade over their burrow and told the stories calling the critters sacred to keep her own pack from falling prey to the unintended danger. Sedna was quickly pulled from her reminiscing by Sirius’s answer to her question. That there was someone that went around collecting animals to sell off as companions was slightly mind-boggling, but she supposed it made sense.

The mention of thumbs bought to mind images of strange, flat-faced primates, and her nose wrinkled nervously. No, she really didn’t want one of those things... but what about animals from home? She’d seen raccoons picking up things with their funny feet, and they seemed to get into everything... skunks too, though she wasn’t sure either of those would necessarily be considered fierce... And then she remembered being very small, and very cornered by a hissing, growly beady-eyed beast that had a white head that seemed to hang suspended in the dark... and those teeth! Her eyes lit up. "What about a possum?"

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Watching Sedna as he was, he noticed the unhappy change in her expression, and his own fought the twitch of a smile. Clearly she disagreed about something with which he said. He kept his silence, letting her mull it over and decide for herself. No matter what she picked, he would expect it to train and aid her in battle. If she wished to take on healing seriously, she would be wise to pick one able to do so, but ultimately, the end choice was up to her. He would not push an unwelcome companion upon her.

“A possum would do excellent, alternatively, have you considered an opossum? the one’s i’ve encountered have a more fierce disposition” he suggested, though either option would work, and the Warlord would be happy to put the word out and see what came back.

The Archer-Lyall’s tail halted in its wave for a moment, "Wait, which ones have the white face and the pink nose and go..." She scrunched up her face and did her best impression of an angry growling hissy opossum. She wondered if it was just her mother’s habit of leaving the starts and ends off words that had omitted the ‘O’ or if there was another creature that was similar, but different? If she had encountered the tamer of the two, she was even more excited to see what the fiercer one was. She was getting so excited about the prospect now that Sedna was practically dancing from foot to foot, "Do they live around here or would we have to see a trader?"

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord barked a soft laugh, and shoved his shoulder gently into the smaller wolf. Enough to knock her off balance, but not over. He had to always remember his strength. “That sounds like an opossum to me” he agreed. She seemed keen for the idea, and he considered how quickly he could get her the companion. “I have a trader that often has an assortment of companions for me to pick from. We could head over there and see what he has?” he suggested. It would serve better luck then stumbling across a creature and hoping for the best.

He did a mental stocktake of his supplies, he always kept an abundance of weapons, armour and pelts. He could grab a few and offer them for trade.

If the trader was the better option, then Sedna decided she wouldn’t let Seer foot the bill for her, "I’ve got a few gems, and that coyote pelt, and some honey." She had set her queen with her comb up underneath a propped up turtle shell she had dragged up from the beach, and the rest of the previously wild hive had followed. It was nothing as impressive as the established bee barrel hives, but it was coming along, and the insects seemed to enjoy the way her garden was taking off as well as she did. "I’ve never met a trader before, do you think it’ll be enough?" Her tail waved hopefully behind her.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord laughed softly at her suggestion, and ruffled the smaller wolf's ears with his paw. “Don’t you worry about that, as your leader it’s one of my pleasures to outfit my wolves in whatever way I can.” He told her, stubborn as a mule. A small yawn escaped his lips and he shook his head , glancing at the collected cypress cones and his wolf. “Come on, let’s stick these into your den, well we can find out if my trader is still over at the Stone Steppe”

He glanced around, looking for Marshal, and found the bird seated high in a cypress tree. At this nod, his companion spread his wings and took off.

Sedna initially hunched under the weight of Sirius’s paw then straightened, a ready smile on her face, tongue lolling between open jaws. She understood the pride aspect of his statement but she was also loathe to be a burden. She supposed she could hold onto her goods to trade for healing supplies that would benefit the whole pack if he insisted... It might mean a second trip to the trader but once she knew who to look for, well that should be easy enough. "Thanks." she relented, tail waving as she moved to gather her branches, happily dragging them back to her den with a bounce in her step. She was excited to see what the trader had on offer.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord could be as stubborn as they came, and he wasn’t going to relent easily. He did love to spoil those he considered his. Just as he would always fight to keep them safe. Besides, Sedna had a steady head on her shoulders, and worked hard in the pack. He had seen the progress she had made in the garden, and had caught her patrolling and keeping up with pack responsibilities each day. She deserved a little spoiling.

“I’m going to grab the wagon, meet you at the border” He said, waving her own to finish heading to her den, before trotting off in a different direction. He loaded it up with some spare coats, dried meat and various bits he had crafted over the months. Knowing something would catch the traders eye. He hooked it up to his bear, and together they trotted to the border to meet back up with Sedna. “He isn’t far, Marshal says he’s still camping out near the Kamui Delta. Ready to go?”

Sedna wasn’t quite sure she would ever get used to the sight of a bear pulling a cart. The look on her face said it all, unable to yet shake the momentary freeze that was reflexive whenever she was something her brain determined wasn’t quite right. Sirius asking if she was ready to go was enough to bring her back, her tail waved affirmatively and she smiled with a single nod, relaxing into a steady ground eating stride alongside the larger wolf and the cart. She wasn’t quite sure where the delta was, or what a delta even looked like, but she trusted the warlord wouldn’t lead her astray.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth at Sedna’s expression. She had come from a place far less industrial than the Empire he had grown in. In fact, in comparison to his birthplace, the Armada was much more ragged. He did his best, building and creating to provide comfort for his people. But he could not compete with the land he had come from.

He leaned over and nudged Sedna, waiting for her to snap out of her surprise. Her wigging tail and smile told all. “Alright then, were off” he said, and it was all the direction the bear needed. without another word, the small procession made their way out of pack lands, and towards the Delta.

Reaching the small beach inlet, he had them slow, and then pull to a stop near the shaded spot the trader had picked to rest for the day. The Warlord hailed the Trader, and approached. “I’m glad I caught you. I’m searching for something very particular this time. An Opossum” the trader glanced from Sirius to Sedna and raised a paw himself in greeting. “I have just the thing” he promised, flipping back the cover over his cart and nosing inside. When he returned, he had an opossum dangling from his nose, looking at the two wolves with open curiosity.

The Archer-Lyall could hardly contain her excitement when the trader mentioned he had just the thing. Her tail waved and she stepped from foot to foot impatiently. A smile split her face when she saw the creature hanging from the traders nose and she bowed down to get a better look at it’s face. A sleepy eye cracked open and the opossum hissed at her, exposing sharp teeth, a fingered paw stretching out as if to ward her off. An excited sound was building in her chest, she couldn’t containe the high pitched "Eee!" that threatened to edge on a scream. "He’s perfect!" she declared, a hopeful look thrown to Sirius. Even if he didn’t agree, she’d find a way to come back and offer whatever the trader wanted. Someone else might have seen a cantankerous, reluctant pet, but Sedna knew with just a bit of time, they would be the perfect team.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed