The old cobblestone foundations felt worn and rough beneath the pale of Hattori's paw pads, yet another reminder of what had been lost to the passage of time. As he looked about he wondered what this place had once been like, whether it was anything like the castle looming in the distance. He regarded the Hallowed grounds from the corner of his eyes, wondering if much had changed since he'd been there last. He knew that Ashen as a whole had a friendly enough relationship with the wolves of Auster, but Hattori for the most part kept to himself. Interacted only when the situation called for it.

He was never going to be a diplomatic nor charismatic leader, there was no use in wasting time or effort in pretending otherwise. If Venom wished to maintain alliances with packs across all of Boreas and Auster than that was her choice. Even if she picked...unsavoury company. Wolves Hattori did not and would never approve of, in silence for now.

"Speech"

Avantika roamed not far from the Hallows. She was feeling the need to occupy her time again. The ever-present fear of: 'have I done enough?' What was it, she wondered, that made an empty minute with nothing to fill it feel like such a weakness? She was obsessed with productivity. She would love it if someone would come up to her with a timetable full of work to fill every second with stuff to do. Even if it was more than she could do. She'd rather be burnt out and overwhelmed than stuck in this anxiety and boredom. She couldn't think of enough to do to fill all her waking hours, even if she tried.

But she was forcing herself to leave for an hour or two. Maybe she'd meet someone; maybe she would have time to think. Those were both important things, right?

Turns out, she did spot another wolf. He was familiar, but she didn't even remember his name. He was at that practice raid, wasn't he? Which meant he was part of Ashen. Avantika wasn't fantastic at diplomacy, but she could talk to one wolf. "Hey," she greeted him.

"Speech"

Unsurprisingly, Hattori wasn't let alone with the old rocks and empty space for long. Her scent told Hattori all he needed to know, that she was indeed a Hallows wolf and considerably older than his own children. From the corner of his eye the Shogun regarded her with his typical, distant gaze that somehow said nothing but saw too much both at the same time. In terms of Boreas wolves she was rather plain and unassuming, her taller stature made up by mostly leg, but Hattori did not miss the keenness in eyes. Sharp and clever, like she and Hattori were alike at least in this regard.

Hattori blinked, only remembering to when his eyes started to feel tight around the corners. It wasn't a deliberate attempt to play into the secret and mysterious foreigner stereotype, it was simply part of who he was. The edges sharpened into spikes by years of conditioning, blood and tears. He knew the Hallows was a pack that offered sanctuary, but like all in the world he knew they'd encountered hardships too. That no one's life was ever as easy as it seemed, especially from the outside looking in.

"Hello." He rumbled, as if there was any room for him to say much else.

Avantika noticed that it took a little longer than usual for the man to blink. It was a little unsettling, to tell the truth. But maybe she was just on edge. He seemed pleasant and calm enough, although he scanned her for a while before returning her greeting, and when he did, it was rumbly and short.

But hey, she wasn't the biggest talker herself. Maybe this conversation would peter out quickly, and they could both go about their separate business without too much irritation. Maybe they'd do that right now. But she wasn't sure if it was really polite to back out that quickly, so she had to think of something to say. Maybe he'd be an important sort of wolf, one that could help her down the line if she gave a good impression now. That would make this conversation worthwhile, wouldn't it? "You're from the Ashen empire, right?" she asked, just trying to break the ice. "What's it like there?"

"Speech"

He supposed it was natural for the yearling to be curious, that she likely hadn't explored much of the world just yet, but he couldn't say he was the sort to enjoy being grilled with questions. Conversations were difficult at the best of times so as frustrating as it often was, all he could do was try.

"Yes. I am the Shogun." He nodded, knowing this title wasn't quite so self-explanatory in the common tongue. "I serve the Empress as her advisor and commander-in-chief." Her second question required more thought, enough that his burrows furrowed a little. What was it like? Hmm. "Ordered. With a defined purpose for those who seek it."

And now it was his turn to ask a question, a natural one given they were now neighbours.

"And what do you make of Fenmyre?"

Avantika wasn't usually a very chatty girl; at least, she didn't think she was. But she was a curious one. She just felt that it made sense to find out more about the other packs of Boreas and Auster. She wondered what they were like. Obviously, none could be better than the Hallows, but some of them could maybe be good alliances, and some she probably should avoid at all costs. She'd thought that Fenmyre would have belonged in the second category, but Art had had his reasons and she trusted him.

The man listed himself as the advisor to the Empress, which Avantika assumed was similar to the Aegis of the Hallows, and commander-in-chief of Ashen. That sounded prestigious. She was impressed, but she didn't ask any further questions, trying not to look inexperienced. She was almost two years old and didn't consider herself a child at all, but she still didn't know everything about the world. He described Ashen as ordered, with purpose for those who sought it. That didn't sound bad.

He also asked a question in return about her thoughts on Fenmyre. A couple of opinions jumped to the tip of her tongue, several including profanity. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and not speak like too much of a traitor to her pack. She would respect Art's decision and pretend she agreed with him. That would be the better choice. "They live in a very different way than the Hallows," she said truthfully. "But they are peaceful." All of that was true. Even if she hated to say anything good about Chimera's pack.

"Speech"

A flicker of emotion crossed the girl's face, so brief Hattori would have missed it had he blinked. So she did not approve of Fenmyre? That's what the look on her face said, but the following diplomatic words that slipped from her tongue certainly didn't match. Ah, so she was aware of their... interests. Though Hattori left Chimera's island well alone, he wasn't blind to the debauchery that took place there nor had he approved in the least. It was his relationship with his sister, Venom, that kept Hattori's mouth shut and only just barely.

But then she spoke of peace, or at least their version of it. Whatever that might entail. He wondered what was holding her back from speaking her mind, but knew well enough not to press this matter just yet. If ever. He would simply respond in turn, his words remaining polite but the intonation behind his tone saying more if she was clever enough to notice.

"I see." He rumbled, lingering for a moment longer than he usually would. "They live different from most, from what I have seen."