Naiche had felt relief at first when Pan had woken up, seeing that while the Pangolin was banged up he didn’t seem near as bad as Naiche imagined.  The sense of relief over Pan was now twisting to a sinking sensation in his stomach at reaching the armada border.  It would be good to be home, but he already imagined some of the jokes one or two wolves might make over the change in his appearance.   Naiche had gotten a better look in some water at his sheared his fur had become.  He wasn’t bald per se, but looked more like all his dense and longer furs had been removed by some horrible shave job.  There were a few extra thin patches where red angry skin could be seen from his worse moments.  The areas around his shoulders and rear seemed to have had the worst of it where his head and under his neck seemed to be close to normal.   The fur felt even worse than Naiche’s realization he truly was shorter now.  Short should matter more in a fight right?  It didn’t hamper his pride as much though, he was still taller than some who did just fine after all.  Who would believe his crazy story of how it had happened?  There was no denying it though, the comparable height between the pangolin confirmed.  Sure, Pan could still easily ride on him but the pangolin was able to reach up a bit higher to start climbing on Naiche than he used to. Naiche was also scraped, bruised, and cut up in places but that seemed the most minor detail of all.  The wounds wouldn’t stop him from being able to fight and that was all that mattered to Naiche.  Stepping on pack land he prayed whatever wolves he met first were not the ones who would jump to mocking first thing. Speech:"Live to fight" Think

The Warlord had just learned that Magnus was blind, and Basilisk was paralised. He was not a happy wolf. His border patrol was a way to run off some steam, pushing himself into an endless trot from one side of the pack to the other. How could he fight what seemed more like a paranormal activity then something physical? It was like swiping at the wind. As he made his way back along the tall grass plains borders, he caught scent of Naiche. His support-reaper, and paused. Now would be a good time to talk to the man about stepping up and helping as Magnus adjusted to his loss of sight. He moved into an interception course, and found-- his thoughts ground to a halt, as did his body. He came to a complete stand still, looking at the naked mole rat that had crossed his borders. For a moment he had thought it had been Naiche. He moved closer, pushing himself into the creatures personal space and sniffing along the back of its naked head. By the gods, it was Naiche! “You shrunk!” he wasn’t exactly coherent at the moment, and the shrinking was the least of what Sirius was thinking. "Speech"

Naiche scented Sirius and a part of him honestly wanted to avoid his alpha.  Not that he didn’t like the warlord and on a normal day enjoyed time spent around him.  Today was not one of those days though as Naiche was feeling the humiliation at his looks all to well.  There were numerous wolves he wished would never see it.  Certainly, Sirius was one of those as he was one of those Naiche mostly wanted that acknowledgement from and not in this light. Of course, he did not turn away from Sirius but instead turned to face him at his approach.  Naiche’s ears bent backward in dismay at imagining how he appeared to the warlord.  After a moment of a debate with his inner pride, he forced his head to raise up more and his ears forward. He forced himself to ignore the lack of personal space, it was Sirius's right to get in it if he wanted.   “I…” there was no great way to respond to the statement, “I did.  Nor can I explain it.  Apparently working to get through a tight spot in a cave can make you shrink.” The explanation was given a bit dryly as the facts still stung all to well.  Gritting his teeth he managed to relax his voice if not his inner feelings, “I found a strange cave that actually went down in a lake, yet without the water flowing in.  I saw amazing sights in there..” It would be far too much of a tangent from Sirius's first notion to go into detail, “but after a bit I realized it was dangerously unnatural.  Sadly a bit too late for,” Naiche looked to his back at what all he’d lost in size and fur, “escaping all the risks.”    Naiche would have preferred more physical damage done to him over his humiliation. Speech:"Live to fight" Think

The Warlords mouth opened and close once, twice, thrice, like a dying fish. One did not simply ‘shrink’ when they squeezed through a tight space. Certainly the Warlord had done his fair share of squeezing in his time. His large frame meant spaces where an average sized wolf could travel easily, was a hazard for him. “‘Dangerously unnatural’ this feels like a common theme these last few days.” The Warlord said through gritted teeth. No, he could not go beat up a landscape for messing with his wolf. Dammit, give him an enemy he could fight why did it feel like something was messing with the members of his pack? He was not a religious wolf, in fact, he despised religion. That made it all that much harder to consider what was going on here. “Magnus has lost his sight, and Basilisk has been paralised. What am I to do with a paralised wolf?” he asked, some of his frustration leaking out. More than he intended his Warrior to see. He let out a slow breath through his teeth. “I’m going to need your help, seeing Magnus adjusted to his change. You’ll have to share some of the Reaper responsibilities, you're the next best wolf for the job. Lost inches and all.” He still hadn’t mentioned anything about Naiche’s… other changes. He sighed again. “I’ll make you a coat from the polar bear fur I have, so your warm until it grows back.” and perhaps Naiche would cut a dangerous figure in a polar bear skin. More so than the naked mole rat look he was pulling off now. They were going to need it, if any more of their wolves came back crippled. "Speech"

Of all the things Naiche had been worried Sirius would say what he hadn’t expected to hear was how ‘dangerous unnatural’ was becoming common.  It was a strange enough comment to even forget how much his life sucked at this particular moment.  Two other wolves harmed at the same time? Naiche imagined it went along with the unnatural so he didn’t bother asking about who attacked them or what happened.  Sirius seemed upset enough about the situation to make him draw out more explanation.  Naiche was well aware right now what a pain it could be to speak of things unwanted.  What do with a paralyzed wolf indeed? One who was supposed to be watching over Asla.  That meant Asla’s guardian could no longer perform its function and she was still injured!   “Perhaps a paralyzed wolf could still offer advice to pups or rookies on how to fight or – whatever his areas of experience are greatest?”  It was hard to focus on that matter when he had his own problems and he was aware that was more Sirius venting than actually expecting Naiche to have an answer.   Naiche smirked at the mention of ‘lost inches and all’, that part was far easier to handle after all.  “Of course, I’ll be glad to assist” the answer coming out formally as he accepted the task with a crisp nod of his head.  Glad to assist even if it meant no way to hide his coat from the others.  “and thank you, for the fur.” It would be a relief to put something on to hide at least enough of the damage done to him.  Hopefully as soon as possible without rushing the warlord to get it for him. “It seems, overall I came back in better shape than others." Which was a surprise for sure. "How is Magnus managing without his sight?”  He respected Magnus more and in general preferred him over Bas.  As to Bas his main concern was Asla, who he would check on after he got that polar bear fur from Sirius. Speech:"Live to fight" Think

Sirius frowned, but made no comment on what Basilisk could or could not perform. There was still just enough practical darkness in Sirius that said the best answer was to put the man from his misery. He was going to be a drain on pack resources, and Sirius hadn’t formed any attachments to him. Asla however had, and it was for her sake that the Warlord left him alone. A third, soft sigh, and then a rueful smile to the sand-toned wolf. “Well, that's one thing at least I can do. I’m feeling rather useless otherwise. Come on, let's get you measured out for the coat. “ with Naiche’s acceptance, Sirius saw no reason to delay. The nakedness of Naiche alarmed him. How much of a wolf's fur was their natural defense? Against attacks and cold both. Naiche was vulnerable as he was, and Sirius wasn’t going to stand for it. “He’s not happy, but he’s dealing with it better then I would” The Warlord admitted. Knowing he would have lost his mind if his sight was gone. He had too much on his shoulders, too many wolves to protect. Vulnerability was death. "Speech"

Naiche knew the way his family was to leave when they were a burden to the pack.  Like his grandfather had ditched Naiche and left him alone to not be a burden.  The young wolf had to believe that it was the right thing to do if he didn’t want to feel betrayed, however, he would never question Sirius decisions in whom got the pack’s protection even if they were useless. Naiche nodded slightly in answer to his question on Magnus.  It was a subject to drop as Naiche had no good words to add.  He couldn’t say ‘it will all work out somehow’ or ‘he can be effective blind’.  Naiche would have likely only called for Sirius to ask for a deathblow had he been in that position.  Better to be dead than to be a burden.  If the only thing you could do to protect the pack was not a part of it, then that was the proper response.   As he tried to think over some course of action to help with all these troubles Naiche realized there was nothing really to do.  Nothing unless he felt the pack should hide in their boundaries as of too fearful to venture out.  Never.  There were no cowards here but the possessive warlord had to be frustrated if there was no way to defend them or avenge them. More questions came to mind, but nothing that needed to be discussed now.  Idle questions weren’t needed right now.  All he wanted was to get that fur coat and to get some rest in his den.  Normally he didn’t care for long times spent resting but mentally he was exhausted and his body was sore.  Now he was also to assist as the reaper and he needed to be completely fresh and alert for that!  That actually presented something else to ask, “Is there anything else I’d need to know of relevance before I start working again?”  He was to help take over reaper responsibilities with Mag injured and that meant being aware of everything important.  He couldn’t dig into sullenness so much as to forget his job. Speech:"Live to fight" Think

The Warlord shook his head, slowly, thoughtfully. “Not much has been going on of late. Currently we are surrounded by allies, with Ashen beside us, the Hollows above us, and Recluse’s extension of the Empire above them. Abaven to our North East is on good terms with us. So the entire Eastern side of the land is with us.” it was pretty impressive to think of, actually. And it had all started with Deathbelle. He pushed aside the thought of his childhood flame to continue on. “We have a couple new members, and Azure and I recently dealt with a threat. I won’t go into details, but it was a threat that meant harm to one of ours. Things have been... calm” he admitted as they arrived at the den. The scent of puppies and the leaders were abundant here as he ducked his head in and grabbed the large coat. It also had the scent of puppies to it, but there was also an abundance of coats in the main sleeping area. The warlord spoiled his children, and the Ox coats left behind held thick and soft sleeping spots. He shook out the coat and indicated for Naiche to come forward so he could drape it over the man's shoulders. It was large and unshaped, and touched the floor on either side of the smaller wolf. The Warlord methodically began to make pintprint incisions in the coat with his claws, marking spots as he moved from head to toe of Naiche. “How would you like it to hang at the front, over your head like a hood, or end at the shoulders?” "Speech"

Naiche trailed along behind the warlord, glad to hear about current status of things aside from the condition of mags, bas and himself..  He had known they would be on good terms with the hallows and Ashen but hadn’t known anything about Abaven.   “I had never imagined a wolf pack on good terms with so many.” New members? He would want to check on them later.  Naiche was interested in the threat that was dealt with and felt like the best part of the whole conversation could have been how Azure and Sirius tore someone into shreds.  Anyone threatening this pack was insane.  Bad enough there was Sirius and Azure but had that somehow not been enough the pack was littered with fighters who enjoyed risking their neck for the rush of battle. The puppy scent seemed soothing in some strange way.  Going from life outside of this den into something with scents of simpler things.  It felt like forever since Naiche had spent time in dens with his old parents.  The bear pelt was huge, and as Naiche came forward it was an even stronger puppy scent when it was put on. “The pups are doing well I assume?”  It would have been hard to not ask on pups when the sights of little impressions and there scents were all over.   Naiche recalled back a wolf who had worn a cloak with a hood, considering the way it could offer up a mysterious quality to it.  Would it look that way on him? Or was he fooling himself and in the end it would look awkward wearing a hood?  He could always keep it down and the notion occurred it might be handy when it was raining.  Imagine something that could help keep the rain out of his eyes. “A hood sounds useful.” Thankfully he could at least think on that one, feeling less need to hide his face so much as the rest of him. Speech:"Live to fight" Think

The Warlord laughed softly, and then a little louder as it continued. He wheezed slightly as he found his breath again. “Oh Naiche, I agree with you one hundred percent. When I first started this pack, I decided I had no need for allies. We would guard Ashen, and stand apart from the world. It's funny how things like friendship and trust sneak up on a wolf.” He shook his head. Leading this pack, and raising children had changed him. He was no longer a callus bastard. He cared about these wolves. He didn’t always care about a stranger, and sometimes Zee still had to smack him. But at the end of the day… Naiche and the rest of them, they had changed him. Resin and Theory, they had turned out to be wolves worth knowing. It was an honour to be their ally.

Sirius nodded softly, leaning forward and breathing in the scent of the den. Of his home. He could pick out the individual trails of each of his kids, and that of his wife as he did so. “They are, they are taking everything in, and learning so much.”

“Hood it is” the warlord agreed, taking the coat back off Naiche and laying it down on the den floor. Not one to waste time, he began the work then and there. It was somewhat time consuming, even for the little bits he needed to do.

Using elongated fangs, and extended claws, he shredded along the lines, and then bunched up the end for a hood. Using flax for the thread, he knelt his head down, poking it through one hole, catching it with a claw, and bringing it back up through the other. He continued on this way, until he had sown the shape of the hood. Tying the end, he picked the coat back up and gave it a shake. “Here, try this on”