Halo felt like she'd moved into a land of giants. Everyone was so tall here, and that presented some unique challenges. In a pack filled with warriors, she'd need to have splinting materials on hand. With so many long limbs, the healer needed to be prepared. Splinting material needed to be measured, but not measured too short. Hmm, Halo thought to herself, gathering a bundle of sticks. They were far too long still, and she thought hard for a moment. Really, she needed someone else to measure against. But the tenderhearted creature was the opposite of imposing. Still, asking for help when you needed it was an important skill. She needed to learn. Halo needed to learn how to ask for the assistance of others if she was going to learn. After setting her bundle of large sticks down beside her garden plot, the girl moved toward the obelisk at their heart. Better to just do it than think too much. Before she could lose her nerve, the pale creature approached the first tall wolf she laid eyes on. "Excuse me, are you busy?" Halo's voice was small, but she was doing her best to at least feign confidence.

The winged wolf was making a gift for his boyfriend. He was settled by the communal fire, his wings tucked against his side, and his tail curled about his hind paws. His forepaws moved swiftly over the strip of coat. Snipping and tidying as he turned the plush fur into a scarf. He would need to dye it yet, but for that he would need to track down a healer to see what plants could be used for the colour.

He was so intent on his work, safe in the heart of the Armada, that he did not hear the approach of another. He jumped a little in surprise at the polite voice, his wings fanning out on either side of him in a jerk reaction. He turned, craning his neck towards the little wolf, and placed his paw over the scarf. A little embarrassed, and hiding his work. “No, not at all. Are you… Halo?” he asked, having heard from his father of the newest wolf to join the Armada. “How can I help you?”


"Mortis Fatalis"

When the stranger jumped, so did Halo. She skittered back when she realized-- wings. Her eyes widened for a moment, pulse rising before she could settle it. "Sorry I--" nope, she needed to catch her breath for a second. "I didn't mean to startle you, sorry," right, those were the right words. Her expression turned sheepish, offering a meek smile where she could. The wings had certainly caught her off guard. Though he said he wasn't busy, it looked like he'd been up to something when she approached... but it was okay. He said he wasn't, and she'd need to believe him. The man already knew her name, and she softly nodded her head. If she had to guess, based on resemblances, was this one of the Warlord's sons? Azure maybe, the one that he'd told her helped run the pack. Or... were there more? Surely there had to be more, and Halo didn't want to make the assumption and be wrong. "Um, if you wouldn't mind, and if you have time, would you be willing to let me ah... borrow your leg for a little bit?" Halo took a moment, trying to find a better way to phrase things. "Ah, what I mean is, I want to make a template so I can prepare some materials if I ever need to stabilize a broken leg and um. My legs are too short to make a good guideline," she was rambling, trying to find some way to explain what she meant. Her soft gaze lifted to his face, hoping that he at least somewhat understood what Halo was asking for. "Not to um, pull you away, but the supplies are at my den by the river," right, and she'd have to ask him to move. Halo was sheepish, not wanting to burden someone else, but this felt important. This was for the good of the pack, in the long run.

He blinked, looking at the little wolf as she began to speak, and then stopped. She looked a little startled and breathless. Had he surprise- oh, right. That. He grinned, and wiggled his wings a little. He had spent so much time in the Armada of late that he forgot how shocking it could be for others to see that particular attribute. “It’s no problem, really” he promised her as she apologised.

He got to his paws, slowly extending his towering height as she requested to ‘borrow’ his leg. “It’s not detachable, i’m afraid” he teased gently as he wiggled the limb in her direction. He laughed gently at her rambling request. “Of course! Please, lead the way, little healer” he prompted, indicating with a gesture of his wing for her to take the lead. He did turn back and frown at his scarf, scrutinising it for a moment, before wrapping it into a bundle and tucking it under the weather-beaten skin he’d been lying on.

"Mortis Fatalis"

Another kind face within the Armada, and Halo was grateful for that. The man before her, likely about her age, shook his wings playfully. It was enough to have her return the smile, tail wagging softly. It’s no problem, really. That was for the best… Halo was still existing with the fear that she could offend someone here, and lose her home as quickly as she’d found it. Home. She really was making a home here. As he rose to his feet, Halo is taken aback by just how tall he really was. Everyone here really was a giant. More awe– that seemed to be the common theme lately. Nearly twice her height, the tenderhearted creature realized that he really was a good subject for creating her splinting templates. She’d create a test splint, and then reverse engineer it for the correct measurements, before adding a bit more space from both the rawhide strips and the sticks she’d use as a frame. The large willow branch that she’d brought home a few days prior, now stripped of its bark, would come in handy. It was light and strong, and should make for a good start. Depending on how things went over the next few months, it was likely that Halo would need to collect more wood, and make more. Still, the laugh puts her at ease– the teasing doesn’t seem mean spirited in any way, more like one would tease a friend or a sibling. “Thank you for helping me,” her words were soft as she led the way forward, picking her way gingerly over the tall grass. “Can I ask what your name is? I’ve been meeting so many new faces,” the question was sheepish, and she felt as if she should know. Still, guessing and being wrong was a fear. As the path opened to the shorter grasses around the river bank, Halo’s den and plot came into view. Beside the plot sat the sticks she’d bundled earlier, and the meticulously stripped willow branch. Though she noticed the package that he’d been carrying about, she doesn’t feel brave enough to mention it, not yet. “My plan is to splint your leg like I would if it was broken, and then carefully take it off to see how much of everything I used.” Her explanation seemed simple enough. There was no emergency here, and she could take her time to get each measurement. From there, she could cut the pieces and assemble them into kits, which would be easy to grab when they were in a real emergency situation.

He easily followed after the smaller wolf, making his way through the tall grasses. He glanced down at the small pale wolf, and stretched open one wing, extending it over her and casting her shadows, shielding her from the heat of the midday sun. “I’m Mortis - and if you need any help placing who people are, and where they fit into the pack or family, I can help untangle it for you” he offered warmly. He felt like it had been a long time since he had been the excited pup, running into every newcomer and welcoming them in the pack.

It quickly became apparent she was leading her towards a relatively new den and plot. He had seen it in passing on one of his patrols, but had politely not intruded. They stopped near the garden, and the Winged boy sat down, extending his paw. “Sounds good, just tell me how you want me to hold it” he said, letting her work how she needed. He had been raised with Iolaire, so he knew the importance of a healer being prepared. “How are you settling in? Does your den need any more outfitting?”

"Mortis""Hika"

The wing stretched over her shoulder was a tender gesture, and Halo was grateful. Softly, she smiled up at the man. Her coat as thick as it was, Halo often found napping in the middle of the day preferable. Still, there was too much work to be done yet. Mortis, another name to keep and hold, and commit to memory. "It's nice to meet you, and thank you. You're one of Sirius's sons, right?" That much, Halo felt was a safe bet. The coloring and the teeth, it was pretty telltale at least in her mind. As they came to rest beside her garden plot, a spare few plants beginning to put their roots down, Halo set about measuring the stripped willow branch to Mortis's foreleg. Her movements were gentle, careful. "Thank you, you're good here as long as you stay sorta still," Halo's smile was soft. He didn't need to be perfectly still, just enough so she didn't lose her place. "I'm settling in nicely, learning how to navigate the grass has been a lot," she was sheepish, but her tail wagged at her haunches. "I saw some bee boxes by one of the dens, I'd love to learn how to make them." It had been at a distance that Halo had seen them, with no way to know who lived there. With practiced movements, she cut the measured branch, one for the inside and one for the outside of his long legs. As she did, and got a closer look at his foreleg, her brow furrowed slightly. "What happened to your leg here?" There was concern, the gentle concern of a healer. Scrapes and cuts, some new and some more recent. "Does it hurt any?"

“I am, “ he agreed, matching his steps to hers so his longer stride didn’t leave her winded. “His first litter is myself, Azure, Aslatial and Indigo. Those last two have left the pack, however” he explained. He missed his littermates, and hoped their journeys would bring them back to the Armada for a visit eventually. As she began to measure him, he held his stance. Keeping still at her request. She held the stripped branch to his leg, and chatted amiably with him as she worked. He grinned at the mention of bees. “Oh yeah, one of the healers used to keep them. I don't know how you’d go about getting the bees, but I could help you put the bee boxes back together if you like” he offered. He looked down at her question, and shrugged. “Must have nicked it training. I didn’t even feel it, too be honest” he explained. "Mortis"

The names rolled around in Halo's head-- Azure was from the same litter, and she wondered how strong the resemblance really was. "I haven't met Azure yet, but I've met some of his children... Basilisk and Calypso," her tail wagged, thinking of the pups. Having children around was enough to make Halo's heart warm. There were more siblings, two that had left the pack-- Indigo and Aslatial. Maybe time would bring them back, and she'd get to meet them as well. Carefully, she wrapped Mortis's leg with a soft skin, carefully cutting it for a snug but comfortable fit. "Is this too tight?" She'd check before making the final trim. Measure twice, cut once. He offered to help her fix the boxes, and at that, her tail wagged more quickly. "They're not being used right now?" Her gaze flickered excitedly to Mortis's face. She really was excited-- with the bees, she'd have honey on hand, and that was a wonderful antiseptic. It was also a good ingredient for cooking, and maybe that would make Sirius happy too. The wax as well would make for a good experiment in waterproofing. "I would love that, if you're not busy," she wouldn't want to impose on his time, after all. As she gazed at the scrapes on his leg, Halo examined them a bit more closely. "Will you let me clean them?" It was concern, really. Though they didn't bother the winged man, the tenderhearted girl was concerned about infection. Better to keep them clean and cared for.

Mortis' smile fell, just for a second. His feelings about Azure and Hana and the kiddos were a little… conflicted. It passed across his face like a shadow, and then he fixed his smile back in place. Widening their eyes back into the optimistic shape. “Yeah, little giants… right?” he said conversationally. “No, that feels fine” he promised her as she wrapped his splintered leg. “And the boxes have been abandoned for most of my life, so there might be some work needed in restoring them” he apologised. “We can head over and have a look at them once you're done here?” he didn’t have any patrols to run today, so his time was his own. “Go for it, if you like.” he grinned over at her, a little shyly “It would worry Hika if they got infected” "Mortis"

As the man's smile faltered, Halo's heart rate spiked for a moment. Had she said something wrong? Still, she was glad that she didn't have to make direct eye contact while she splinted his leg. When Halo looked back up from the soft skin, his expression had settled once more. "They really are, both of them are good kids... most kids are good kids, though," the pale girl chuckled softly, the sound ringing like a bell. "I'm glad... not too loose either?" Halo moved to wrap rawhide strips around the sticks where they lay over the hide. She'd tighten them slowly, watching Mortis for any reaction. "Let me know when you feel support," her voice was a bit muffled around one of the strips in her teeth. It was between her teeth and her paw that the girl tightened the rawhide gradually, looking to make a knot that she could easily loosen when she needed to deconstruct the splint. "Work is good, it'll keep me busy," she smiled, more brightly this time. Putting down roots, staying in one place, and really setting about making this her home-- all of it was so lovely. "Thank you." She was concerned about imposing, but it was so nice having the company of friends. The grin was a bit shy, and like there was maybe a secret that hung softly in the air. Halo's brow wiggled for just a moment as she set about tying the wrappings that would keep the splint in place. "Who's Hika?" This was a new name to Halo, one she hadn't heard yet. Her tail swished softly at her haunches as carefully, she worked on her splint.

“Yeah, it's good to see them running around” he agreed. He hoped Azure wasn’t too hard on them, but it didn’t seem right to gossip about his brother to this newest Armada wolf. He hadn’t spent much time with the kids yet. Life had kept him busy, and time slipped away from him. That's all it was, right? She started to tighten the straps, and he winced when she pulled it a smidge too tight. “Just a fraction less… yeah, that's good” he said as she found the right amount of pressure. “I feel plenty supported” he teased, fighting the urge to twitch his paw. “Alright, but I don’t know anything about bees!” he warned her with a soft smile. Then she was asking after Hika… perhaps a natural question after his words. Yet, it left him mentally flailing all the same. “He’s my, er, he’s uhm. A warrior. In the Armada. An Armadian Warrior.” Yeah, dad didn’t know yet. "Mortis"

At the wince, Halo's ears pulled back for just a moment. "Sorry!" She winced too, loosening the strap to a degree. It was hard to know where was exactly too much, and she didn't have the most experience yet. Trial and error was how you learn, and she was grateful to be practicing on a patient that wasn't injured. As he teased, Halo's tail wagged. It was good to know that there was no harm in the action... no harm, no foul. "Emotional support healer, physical support healer, learning how to do it all out here," Halo joked back, relaxing as she worked. As she finished the knots that would keep the splint secure, Halo sat back for a moment. "Will you try to walk on it, please?" Her gaze was trained intently on the device. "I want to make sure it won't slide around," Halo's tail wagged softly. Pack life... maybe it really was for her. There was something so enjoyable about the mundanity of it all. "I know a few things about bees, my parent's band used smoke to keep them calm so we could harvest their honey when we found them... once we fix the boxes I'll find some to catch," her tail wagged brightly. The question about this Hika sent Mortis flailing, and Halo cocked her head softly to the side. He didn't seem offended, more like she'd asked him a question that made him... blush? Was that the right word? "He worries, which means he cares," her tone was soft, neutral with maybe a hint of speculative knowing. Halo's tail wagged, smile playing ever so lightly on her lips. Were these budding feelings, or something that had been kept a secret? Regardless, they were safe with Halo. A doctor has confidentiality clauses, after all.

He grinned at her apology so that she would know it was alright. He understood that he was a test subject, and he didn’t mind if she took a moment to get it right. There were a lot of dires in the Armada after all, and she likely wasn’t accustomed to their size. Emotional support healer, eh? He wasn’t sure he should unload all his troubles on a virtual stranger, so he wiggled around that comment for now.

He rolled back to his paws at her request, stretching himself to his full height and towering over the tiny wee girl as he did so. He stretched out his wings, giving them a shake, before stepping forward. He did so slowly, walking a small circle around her. Giving her a chance to see how it worked on his leg. If she indicated for him to do so, he would stop in an instant. "How's it looking?" he checked with her.

“He does care, yes” he said in regards to Hika, giving Halo a shy smile as flicked his gaze down to her again.

"Mortis Fatalis"

Mortis's relaxed nature put Halo at ease, and she was grateful for it. He had been so gentle with her. They all had... it was more than Halo felt she deserved. Nearly constantly, the girl worried about letting them down. Her new pack, her new home... she owed them so much. She owed it to them to be the best she could be. Maybe she could make them proud of her, for real. Halo would do her absolute best to make it so, and she'd so them that she really did belong here... even if it wasn't in the way that most seemed to. Fitting in was a strange concept, but Halo wanted to try. The wings-- she was less startled by them this time, but her heart rate did pick up just a bit. They were big. That, and he really was quite tall. As he towered over her, Halo wagged her tail, a bit of a smile playing on her lips. Mortis had the option to be imposing, but instead he was relaxed and even keeled. His circle around her was careful, and Halo watched his splinted leg as he did. Carefully she took a step back, looking a distance and then close up. "It doesn't seem to be moving around much, which is good. Do you feel it rubbing anywhere? I want to make sure it's padded enough to not cause blisters." Blisters were a smaller concern than broken bones or pulled muscles, but they were still uncomfortable, and could still cause infection. He does care, yes, Halo's smile at the man was soft. This Hika was important, and for that, Halo was glad. Our bonds with others help keep us grounded and keep us whole. "I hope to meet him as well," her tail wagged softly, the words gentle. "After I take the splint off you don't have to stay, but you're more than welcome to if you'd like. I don't want to impose on more of your time, but I'm really grateful for your help," Halo rambles. When she's nervous, she rambles. This man was important to the goings on of the pack, and if he had things to do, that was okay. His assistance had been key in getting supplies prepared, and provided valuable practice for the girl. Halo hadn't seen wolves this big, let alone treated them. All of the things she did were valuable to the learning process.

He helpfully walked around as she watched from a distance, and then stepped closer, keeping a close eye on her handiwork. “Nope, no rubbing!” he promised her, giving his leg another wiggle. It all felt pretty well packaged, giving him an odd support to a healthy leg.

“Perhaps I could introduce you to him?” he suggested somewhat shyly. He came to a stop as she spoke of taking the split off and him staying or going. “I’d be happy to stick around, see if we can get that bee hive up somewhere for you. Is there somewhere near your garden you would like to place it?” he asked, wondering how difficult it would be to rig something up to keep the boxes on. “Let's get this off and go take a look?” he suggested.


"Mortis Fatalis"

Nope, no rubbing! Halo's tail wagged, excited at the small win. It was the first time she'd tried to splint a leg this long, and it had gone better than she could have even anticipated. "I'm so glad, thank you," really, she couldn't thank him enough. Mortis had been kind to help her with it, and Halo was pleased. Her tail really hadn't stopped wagging since they'd started for the day, save for a few moments of Halo's own internal tension. Was she... was she making friends? "I would like that very much," she smiled. To be introduced to this warrior that was important to Mortis... it seemed like an honor. Halo was looking forward to meeting Hika. He'd be happy to stick around-- oh! A genuine smile played on her face. "Thank you," Halo couldn't help but thank him one more time. His offer was kind, and the girl was glad for the help from the larger, stronger wolf. "I think setting it up above the ground a bit, maybe on a short log if there's one handy, might help?" Halo was thinking aloud as she darted into her den to grab a piece of charcoal. Upon returning to Mortis, she began carefully unravelling the splint. As she pulled the materials away, Halo marked each of the pieces. She'd be able to prepare kits with the use of those markings, and Halo was proud of herself. "About half way up the length of the plot there's a spot that gets about fifty-fifty sun and shade, I think that's probably the best spot," she mused softly. Halo returned the template split to her den quickly, and returned to the winged man with some of her witch hazel water. "Let me treat your scrapes before we go, please?" Her eyes flickered to his face, hoping that it wouldn't be too much of an imposition. Warding off infection was still important.