The pup had stumbled upon his grandpa early in the day, and the old wolf had tickled his belly, tested his hunting stances, and then sent him on with strict instructions to find the newest healer. Apparently she was to give him a check over, and ensure he was getting enough protein on his quickly growing bones, and ect, ect, ect. He’d stopped retaining the information after the first few words.

The boy trotted along to the Northern section of the territories. Looking for the place his grandpa had said this new healer had started her gardens. He walked, nose to the air, until his paw hit a wire, and with a yelp of surprise, he face planted directly into her newly turned gardens.


"Speech"

Halo had set about work, getting both her garden and her den set out and properly dug. Following the boundaries set by the twine made her life fairly easy, just time consuming. The dirt had really gathered up in her usually white coat, and after turning the earth, Halo figured she’d go for a bath. Not only that, she was so incredibly warm. Yes, a quick swim to rinse the dirt off and cool down, then she’d set to work planning on what she’d get into the ground and where. It was just as the tender hearted creature returned that she heard a yelp, one that sent her forward at a lope. Halo wasn’t necessarily fast, but there was some urgency to the way she moved across the ground. Concern shone in her lavender gaze as it set on the child, brow furrowing slightly. “Are you alright?” If she had to guess, this was another of the grandchildren Sirius had been so proud of. Carefully, she peered at the child, already looking for any signs he was hurt.

Basilisk propped his paws under him, and shook his head with a very vigorous gesture. Soft dirt flying in every direction as he looked up, a little dazed. A wolf was calling out, talking to him. He blinked, and focused on the wolf. She was little compared to the wolves here, but still bigger than the very young child.

He grinned, bouncing back to his paws with the invincibility of youth. “Oh hi, hello’ he said looking at the wolf before him. White wolf - garden. This had to be her, right? “Are you Halo? My grandpapa sent me out here to find you. He said he wanted you to… uhh…” what was the wording again? Did it really matter? “Check if my bones were big? I think?” he shrugged and grinned, unfazed by it all. “Are you really growing a garden?” he asked, easily distracted. He saved his hyper-focus for making his dad proud.

"Speech"

The boy righted himself, and Halo smiled softly. Puppies were... bouncy. If they fell over, usually they were able to right themselves and go on with life easily, but she still had to check. Had to make sure. Her gaze was shining, gentle as she assessed the boy from her distance before coming closer. He would be big, that was for certain. Big paws, and he would certainly grow into them in time. For now, it made the pup extra clumsy... endearingly so. As he nodded, Halo smiled. "Hello," her voice was soft, carrying the short distance between them. "I am Halo, what's your name?" She'd figure out which pups belonged to which names, and she'd be able to assess them all as they grew. Sirius had sent the pup to her... ah yes, to check if their bones were big. Halo's smile was genuine as she gazed at the pup, carefully moving to a comfortable space. "We want to keep track as you're growing up, and make sure everything is as it should be." She came to stand beside the young boy, nodding at his question. "I will be soon, I just finished tilling the soil and digging out all of the rocks today. Do you have a favorite flower?" After all, what was a garden without flowers. Halo would plant them in the gaps, and they'd be able to use them for dyes after the petals were collected and mashed. For a moment, Halo disappeared into her den, pulling a piece of charcoal from one of the stashes hidden inside. From there, she moved towards the tree that was just past her den. She'd have to ask Sirius about maybe putting some walls up for privacy sake, but this would do for now. "Are you ready for me to start the check up? It won't hurt, but I will need to touch your hips, elbows, and knees at some points. Is that okay?" Right, consent was key. In moments like this, some of the timidity dropped away from Halo, and she was a professional who took her duties very seriously.

Basilisk grinned up at the pale wolf as she introduced herself. “I’m Basilisk” he explained, though he was already growing accustomed to most wolves just knowing who he was. Well, at least she understood Seer’s message from the little he was able to remember. “What if it isn’t what it should be?” he wondered, curiously.

“What does tilling mean?” he asked next. He always had a hundred questions, but he knew better than to pester his father with them. But Halo smiled at him, and he felt like he could trust that smile. “I don’t know any flowers” he admitted.

She disappeared into a den after a moment, and reappeared with a bit of black firewood. “I’m ready” he promised her, eyeing her and the black smudge in her paw curiously.


"Speech"

"It's very nice to meet you, Basilisk," right, for pups it was important to model good manners. Halo offered a smile and a nod, gentle in the way she looked at the young man. "If things aren't looking quite right, there are some little changes we can make. Sometimes it's eating more of a certain kind of prey, or being more careful about the kinds of training you're doing," the tenderhearted didn't know just how Sirius would react if she told him some of the pups may need to take it easy on their training, but she hoped he'd understand. With pups this large, Halo worried about the damage too much running could do before their growth plates closed. He asked of the tilling, and the girl's tail wagged at his interest. "Tilling means turning the soil, getting it soft and ready to have things planted in it," she explained softly, demonstrating with a paw how the soil had been moved free and loose. "That's okay, if you ever want to learn about the flowers I'm happy to teach you. Do you have a favorite color?" Honestly, the questions of children were some of Halo's favorites, and they always would be. She was as happy to teach as she was to learn. With soft steps over the grassy ground, Halo led the way towards the tree beside her den. "The first thing I'm going to do is measure how tall you are at your shoulder," the tenderhearted girl explained, tail wagging softly. "Then I'm going to feel your hips, elbows, and knees to check on your growth plates. Make sure you tell me if anything hurts, or feels weird, okay?" She would check for his understanding before setting about her work. With a practiced gaze, she marked the boy's height on the tree, writing a careful "B" beside it. Later, she'd take the time to carve it in as a record. Then, she carefully moved to check at the boy's hips in turn, feeling for any damage to the growth plate. It would be a gentle articulation of each in turn, walking him through a shallow range of motion and feeling for any strange clicks or pops with her paws.

Careful? Training? His dad would be pissed if Bas needed any kind of accomodation in his training, and the young boy knew it. That made this measuring thing Serious Business. He had to get it right. He stood tall, and glanced cautiously at Halo. even worrying about his dad however didn’t curb his curiosity. “Why does the soil need to be turned?” he wanted to know now. One question leading to another. “Is it better upside down?” he wiggled his nose as she showed him with a paw how moving the soil loosened it up. “Oh, you move it. Why do you call it turning it then?” if he was being rude, he didn’t know it.

“I like red, like my sister, Callie!” he said, shooting her a grin, his little tail wiggling behind him. She led him towards a tree and he stood obediently before it. “Okay.” he agreed as she told him what she was going to be doing. Then she started moving his knees and elbows and what now. He giggled as she rotated the limbs. Luckily, he was still small enough that she could manage it without any difficulty.

"Speech"

What they did as children would have an impact on the rest of their lives, both in learning and what they did to their bodies. With the size of the adults here, and likely the children because of that, if damage to the growth plate prevented a bone from growing to its full extent it would cause difficulties later in life. One leg being shorter than the other would be dangerous, and have consequences. If Halo needed to speak with the boy's father... well, maybe she'd ask Sirius for help. "Turning it means making sure that the grass layer is mixed back in, and so I go and dig it up with my paws," he was curious, and Halo appreciated it. "With the soil all turned over, I can put new plants in that aren't the grass." Red, like Callie-- Calypso. Halo smiled softly, she'd met Callie, and helped her navigate through the tall grasses of the Plains. "I'll try and get some red flowers in, then!" It was a cheerful tone in her voice. As she moved through the examination, Halo was struck by something odd-- and sharp. Her eyes went wide for a moment as she touched the child's knee. What was tha-- woah. Softly, she put a paw to the point on his knee. "Do these hurt at all?" They felt like bone, or maybe horn? Was there feeling in these? Also, there was the question of him poking himself with them. As the boy giggled, Halo did too. It was hard not to, the joy in children was infectious. His paws were also very large, despite being a pup. Halo wouldn't know for sure until she was able to measure some of his brothers, but she'd certainly keep it in mind.

He considered that for a very long moment, a thoughtful expression on his maw. “Okay.” he said at last “I could help you, next time you need to do tilling” he offered. Turning grass sounded like an easy enough job, and his Grandfather was always telling him how he should be working alongside the wolves of the pack so he could learn.

He thought of flowers in the same color as Callie and grinned. They would need to be able to glow, like his sister did when he embarrassed her. Then the healer seemed to be surprised by something, and he looked over at her. What was what? He wondered “My knees?” he asked in some confusion, twisting to see what she was looking at. “The spurs? Dad has them, too” he said. Had she never seen spurs before? But they were so commonplace. His dad had them, he had them, Callie had them but different. That meant they were normal, right?


"Basilisk Fatalis"

Halo's tail wagged, a smile happily on her face as she set about her work evaluating the young man. "That would be fantastic, thank you. This fall after the harvest I'll be sure to come find you," there was a softness as she regarded the boy. The eagerness and zeal of children was infectious, and Halo was pleased. It would be nice to have assistance, as the work was tiring and time consuming for the smaller woman. My knees, oh, no not his knees specifically. She carefully regarded the spurs, touching them softly. Dad has them too, she had yet to meet Azure, but she was glad they weren't unheard of in the line. Hereditary, and something they were already living with. She hadn't seen them on Calypso, though Halo had been rather distracted by their situation during the meeting. "Do they get in the way of you laying down or running, or anything else?" Carefully, the healer examined the sharp points. They were not only on his knees, but on his elbows. If they impacted his gait, or the way that he laid down to sleep, she was concerned about them causing more problems for him down the road. "It's also important that you're mindful not to get them caught when you're exploring, okay?" Halo's mind flickered back to the healer with horns that she'd met, Álarr. He seemed to get his horns caught on everything, he said. The spurs were on important joints, and to get them tangled amongst the brambles and underbrush could mean lasting joint damage. From the boy's knees, she moved to examine his shoulders, elbows, and ankles. At the end of the long bones, she could still feel the open growth plates. It was hard to know just how long they would take to close in a pup his size, and the size of his siblings. Around a year they typically started to firm up in wolves built like her, but it wouldn't surprise Halo if they took another two seasons past that. "Wait right here, I need to grab one more thing," into her den, the healer moved fairly quickly. She returned a moment later with a fairly long piece of twine. "I'm going to measure around your paws, and the length of your head, okay?" Especially with children, it was important to walk them through each procedure. Halo didn't want the process to be one they dreaded, and she wanted them to feel comfortable coming to see her if they needed anything. "After that we're almost done, I just have a few really easy questions." The healer didn't want to keep him from his daily excitement too long, after all.

“Whaddya gonna be harvesting?” he asked, still having barely a rudimentary understanding of what healers did. He was curious. Fascinated, even. Halo was small for an Armada wolf, and she had an easy smile, and answered all his questions without a single shred of annoyance. Honestly, he was already a little infatuated with her. She had patience for him.

He shook his head at her question, glancing at his spurs. They were so normal to him, that he didn’t get her fascination with them. “I’ve poked my siblings with them a few times, but that's a bonus not a problem” he offered her a cheeky smile. At her request, he nodded sharply. “I promise” he agreed easily.

He watched her curiously as she darted off back into her den, returning with a bit of thin rope in her paws. He followed her movements with his head and eyes, likely, but unknowingly, causing her some trouble trying to wrap it about his head when she wanted to. “I can answer questions! I know lots of stuff” he promised her.

"Basilisk Fatalis"

The child asked of her harvest, and Halo's tail wagged as she set about her work. Patience was something that came easily to her-- at least when she regarded others. She'd never admit that her patience for herself was rather thin, but such was her existence. "That depends on what I can get to grow here, it will be trial and error at first. I do have some lamb's ear that I'm going to try and plant tomorrow," it was nice to have someone so interested in the goings on of the healers. Though she could bet that the boy would be a fighter like his grandfather, maybe she'd be able to teach him how to patch up his allies in battle one day too. "I want to try to grow some lavender, but it might be too wet," she explained softly. He's poked his siblings-- of course he has. Halo chuckled softly, relaxed as she used the length of twine to measure around one of the boy's paws. With her piece of charcoal, she made a careful mark, mindful not to smudge it after. She'd spare him the be nice to your siblings talk, leaving that for his mother. As Basilisk followed her movements, Halo couldn't help but find herself struggling to get a good measurement. Still, she wouldn't rebuke the child, doing her best to stay steady with her measurement as he wiggled. She used her paw gently atop his head to keep her rope still, not applying too much pressure, but the position certainly looked silly. As she got her measurement and made another mark, she looked up to realize that she'd left behind a delicate, dusty pawprint on his coat. "Okay good, and you can move now! Can you tell me how often you're eating and how much?" Already at his size, he needed to be eating regularly. In her experience, more nomadic bands tended to produce smaller pups, and food scarcity could have something to do with that. Established packs, especially with storage like the Armada, should have an easier time with things like that. "How do you feel physically, does anything hurt or feel sore?" Growing pains wouldn't be abnormal, but maybe it was early for that yet. "And do you know how much sleep you're getting? How do you feel when you wake up?" If he was waking up still tired, then it may be a sign they needed to go to sleep earlier, or start adding more naps into the schedule. Halo was happy to advocate for napping.

Basilisk’s eyebrows shot up at that. She wanted to harvest a lamb's ear? He wiggled his tail, and grinned at the white healer. “I could help you take down a lamb!” he volunteered. “What does planting it do?” it seemed like a strange thing to do to him. But what did he know? He wasn’t a healer.

He wiggled and watched, until she eventually placed a paw gently on his head. He got the message and held still, following her with his eyes to an almost comical point, going cross eyed in his efforts. Then he was free! He gave a little jump for joy, and shook out his coat. Sneezing as some of the charcoal found its way into his nose.

“Dad gives me the first pick of the food he brings in. I eat… a.. A lot. But i’m always hungry” he complained with the world=weary tone of a kid who doesn't know how good they have it. Speaking of… “Do you have anything to eat?” did healers keep tasty treats around? Only one way to find out.

“My gums get sore sometimes around the fangs, and my feet get sore, ‘cause I'm always tripping over them” man, she did have a lot of questions, but he did his best to answer them. “I sleep at night, and I'm wide awake early in the mornings. I annoy my mumma sometimes because of it” he explained, exasperation entering his tone again.


"Basilisk Fatalis"

Lamb's ear-- oh yeah. She chuckled softly at the pup, shaking her head for a moment. "Lamb's ear is a kind of plant, I can show you when we're done here," her tone was gentle, smiling without condescending. "Sometimes it helps fix up scrapes, and will help them hurt less when they heal." Lacerations, small flesh wounds, things of the like-- such was life when it came to a pack filled with warriors. Halo really wanted to make the Warlord proud, and do what she could for her new family. Being useful... if she was useful, they would want her to stay. Her family telling her to get out and not return still hung in the back of her mind, their lack of warmth something that would haunt her. But it was no matter, at least not a matter she could dwell on. As the pup bounced on his feet, Halo bounced in return. The infectious joy of the young was something that she could be grateful for. It was enough to clear some of the grey. "I do, come on, we'll have a snack," the pale girl's tail wagged, motioning for Basilisk to follow her. Always hungry... that was likely right for his age. Some gum soreness in teething pups was normal, and Halo would need to learn more about the fangs as they came in. She made a mental note to ask Sirius if he remembered when his stopped aching, or when he remembered when the complaints of his fanged children ceased. A baseline was important. She led the way to her den, carefully tucking the string with Basilisk's measurements away in a basket labeled pup records. As Basilisk was her first patient from his litter, she'd be able to color code his twine later. Red, he'd decided. "Do you like fish?" Her tail wagged, looking to the child. She'd pulled up so many minnows, dozens of them, the last time she'd pulled water from the river. Halo had been able to leave them to dry on a broad flat rock while boiling the water, and they made for a pleasant and tasty (though not the most filling) treat. "When your teeth are bothering you, you can come find me and I'll give you some herbs that will help," as for his paws, that was par for the course. As she went to pull the minnows for a snack, Halo also grabbed a small box that was filled with red berries. Choke cherry, and these weren't ripe yet-- something that she certainly wouldn't recommend eating, but also wouldn't be harmful. She'd dump them in the smallest pot near the fire, splashing them with water before adding them to the heat. "How's your training going, Basilisk? Are you learning anything fun?" Maybe he'd even be able to teach her something.

Lambs ear was a kind of plant? Boring. Taking down a sheep sounded way more fun then a plant. But… maybe he shouldn’t say that outloud. Halo clearly loved plants, and knew a lot about them! “I get scrapes, we spar a lot here” he explained. Sparring was a vital part of the pups learning, and it seemed everyone was asking them how many spars they had gotten into.

Any mention of herbs and lambs was quickly forgotten at the mention of a snack. He perked up instantly, coming alert with pointed ears and upturned snout. Ohhhh his posture immediately said food?

He scampered after Halo eagerly, wondering if she would have something tasty and new for him to try. She led him towards her den, and he watched curiously as she put away the rope she had used to measure him. “Fish is my mum's favourite food, so we get it sometimes” he agreed. He wondered what she might do with his teeth next time they ached, but his interest in food was far more prominent. He sat down by her hearth, sitting up right at attention. His eyes followed the food as intently as he had followed the rope earlier on. He didn’t know why she tossed some of her food in a pot, but it seemed healers had some strange tendencies. He simply took it at face value. When she asked a question, he knew from experience he wouldn’t get any treats till he answered them. “Training is going good.” he said obediently. ”I’ve won against Levi and Callie so far in spars, and dad taught me how to kill and skin a crocodile. He said I need to find a bigger opponent tho.” He looked Halo sceptically up and down. She was an adult, but somehow not what he thought his dad was looking for in a challenge for his son. Food, food, food His eyes said.

"Basilisk Fatalis"

We spar a lot here, and Halo nodded thoughtfully. She figured they would, the training of warriors was something to be taken seriously. That seemed to be doubly true when the man at their helm was called The Warlord. The girl wondered how long it would be until she saw a serious injury, either the fault of training gone wrong or a real fight gone bad. In the back of her mind, there was always the possibility that something would happen, and she did her best to stay prepared. "The lamb's ear can help stop some of the swelling, and keep things clean and padded," she explained. Halo's tail wagged as he joined her inside the den. He'd eat fish, that was a good start. Carefully, Halo grabbed the jar of dried minnows and set it between them. If the boy ate them all, that was a-okay... plenty more where those came from, as the fish served as little more than pests when she was trying to get her chores done. She'd dried them with rosemary and sage both, the latter of which had some decent anti-inflammatory effects according to the healer she'd learned from in her parent's band. "Let me know what you think, I've been eating them whole and I think they're quite tasty," she smiled, tail wagging. As the boy talked of his training, Halo snagged a minnow for herself before turning back to the dye spoon on the fire. Carefully, she tugged it free, waiting for it to cool on one of the broad flat rocks before beginning to stir and squish the berries with her paw. "Nicely done, can you remind Levi and Callie to come see me soon for checkups too please?" Her smile was warm, listening to the child as he explained. "A crocodile, that sounds intense," Halo couldn't even imagine taking down a predator so large. The panther that she and Sirius had taken out her first day was already far larger than anything she'd even attempted to harvest. "Maybe one of your uncles will spar with you," she suggested softly, carefully returning the dye to the fire and turning back to Basilisk. "And you can teach me sometime, your grandfather has been helping me learn how to defend myself." Halo had been taught early that teaching a skill to someone else could aid in the learning process, and any practice she could get was good practice.

He eyed the jar of minnows as it was set before him, and glanced up at Halo. checking if it was okay to help himself. When she didn’t offer any protest, he leaned forward and stuffed a few of the tiny fish in his maw. Not enough to satisfy a hungry tummy like his, but it helped take the edge off it. There was a funny flavour to it that he wasn’t familiar with. But it was good! He shovelled a few more in there, eyeing Halo out of the side of his eyes to see if she would protest.

She asked him what he would think, and he wiggled a few fish to the side of his mouth. “Ish gud” he said, before chewing a little more and swallowing. He watched curiously then as she did something with a funny smelling stick over the fire. He shuffled at her question, and nodded. “Okay” he agreed, he’d let them know.

”I don’t have many Uncles, ‘cept Mortis and Kotori” He explained, and the Winged wolf didn’t seem like he sparred with other wolves. “I could, we could take on a lion together!” he suggest, a grin widening his eyes at the thought.
"Basilisk Fatalis"

"You can finish them off if you want, I'll make a fresh batch tomorrow," Halo's tail wagged as she worked. The calm that had settled over her wasn't unusual, but she was feeling more cheerful than usual. Working with children did have that effect. Relaxed and lowkey, she would be able to live out her life here. As Basilisk spoke with his mouth full, Halo couldn't help but giggle to herself. Heck, she wasn't his mother, she didn't have to tell him off for it. A good boy, and agreeing to send his siblings down as well. Even if the child forgot, Halo would be able to round them up soon enough, hopefully between training sessions. A pack of warriors. "I might try some different spices for tomorrow's batch of minnows, do you have any that you like?" It was probably a toss up, whether the child knew of spices. She'd have to teach him about the flowers, so may as well add cooking herbs to that list as well. Halo would likely become the strange aunt that treated her plants like they were her children and used her niblings as test subjects for her cooking. The berries in her dye were beginning to break down, and she moved the metal portion of the spoon into the white-hot coals at the bottom of her fire. Carefully, she tipped the spoon in circles, doing her best to keep agitating the mixture so her dye wouldn't scorch on the bottom. "Your aunts as well," right, Halo would occasionally put her paw in her mouth (though she'd be glad if the child didn't quite notice), and the yearling girls would likely be just as fierce as the boys. The Warlord's children seemed to be quite the trained force when it came to fighting. Mortis and Kotori-- more names for Halo to learn and hold onto. Learning would do her well, and it would take time. "A lion," Halo's pale eyes widened as she looked at Basilisk. He was grinning, that was a good sign. Maybe it was the imagination of a child, but Halo didn't know enough about the larger predators in the area to be certain. "Do you have lions nearby?" Was that something Halo needed to be worried about? "Are there other large predators in this area?" Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't. Halo made a mental note to ask Sirius when she saw him next.

“I don't know, I’ve never really tried spiced things” he explained, far too busy just scarfing down anything he was offered. She told him he could finish this batch, and he wasted no time in doing exactly that. Unashamedly eating through her supply in short order. Mmm, food was so good.

Having finished that, he leaned forward, sniffing what she was doing curiously. Moving a strong smelling spoon around - were healers weird? Maybe healers were weird. He nodded sagely as she added in Aunts. ‘I have my Auntie Gossy, she’s a good fighter. My Auntie Ophelia is big and round and doesn't fight much. Auntie Aris is snappy. Briar can fight, but she’s leaving soon.” he concluded, giving her a run down on his extended family.

Then Halo zeroed in on his words of a lion, and he grinned, bright and wide and excited. “It was big, and yellow! And I had some help, but… I totally took it down.” he boasted. He frowned thoughtfully at her question. “Mostly coyotes, and occasionally big cats. But most predators don’t go near the borders” he explained, sounding rather put out over that fact, like it was a personal affront.

"Basilisk Fatalis"

Never really tried spiced things, Hazel nodded as she set about her work. "Well, maybe you can try the next batch too and we can see which you like better," Halo smiled softly. The boy was happy to polish off the rest of the minnows, and that was good. A growing boy needed to eat, after all. Healers were probably weird, but that was okay. Halo has never been known for her particular normalcy. As Bas climbed to his feet and came to her side, Halo continued to stir the dye where it rested on the fire. He spoke of his aunts-- Gossy, Ophelia, Aris, Briar. There certainly were so many... Halo would meet them all in time, she was sure. Briar can fight, but she's leaving soon, Halo nodded. If Briar was leaving, then it was certain Lia would go with her as well. The healer made note of that, she'd make something for her friend before she went away. "Careful, don't touch this okay?" Halo's gaze flickered to the child, warning him against touching the hot spoon. As he spoke of the lion, the pale woman took the string with the measurements from its spot in the basket. Careful to not disturb the markings, she dragged the hempen cord through the dye, catching enough of the red coloring to stain it. Yes, perfect. Basilisk chattered on excitedly about having taken the lion down, albeit with help. That much she'd figured, but to be exposed to such danger as a pup? Bas was proud, and Halo couldn't help but smile. "That's incredible!" She'd leave it at his pride, and smiled at the child-- really, Halo was impressed. The tenderhearted girl was happy to listen as she took about her chores. "Your grandfather and I fought a panther on my very first day here," she smiled softly. It's true, Halo had no idea what she was doing when they were fighting the thing, but she had still helped. Halo set the freshly dyed string on her drying rack, then rummaged for a makeshift lid for the spoon. She'd leave it on the fire for the rest of the day to cook down until there was nothing left of the berries themselves, and the skins had dissolved into the mixture to yield a more intense color. "Do you have training to do today?" Halo checked the position of the sun in the sky, wanting to make sure she wasn't keeping the boy from his responsibilities.