Sedna ran. She ran until her lungs burned. How was she supposed to explain this?

Her coat had darkened, from what she could tell. Silver eyes had deepened to a burning orange and red, glowing crystals had sprouted under her eyes and in the fur around her neck. Fiery patterns were burned into her flanks. She didn't look like herself at all, and everything hurt.

Thinking it better to try and explain, rather than cross the borders looking like a stranger, she pulled herself up short, a breathless howl of panic sent out for Seer. She was too anxious to sit and wait, so instead she paced, flattening the grass in her wake.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The panic in Sedna’s voice sent the Warlord sprinting. Dropping everything he was holding without a care as he tore across the Armada lands. His heavy-set paws leaving indents in the soft ground in his wake.

He arrived at the border, pulling to a stop, eyes alert and weary as he looked about for Senda. “You!” he barked, turning to the stranger that stood there. If she had done something to his warrior, she would be sorry. He took in a deep breath, trying to work out where she had gone. Her scent was around here, stifled by the smell of a strange soap and sulphur from the hot springs. It was like.. But no.

No.

He turned back to the stranger, eyes startled. “Who are you?”


"Sirius Fatalis"

Relief and concern crashed into her in equal waves as Sirius arrived and caution held her back from a normal greeting. Last time crystals were involved, the infection had spread through the pack at such a rate the healers didn’t have a chance of keeping up. Until she wrapped her head around the ones that had taken root beneath her eyes and in the thick fur around her neck, she would have to keep her distance.

When her leader barked his question, she spun in a circle again, trying to catch a look at herself. She really didn’t look the same at all, and she could even swear she’d had to crane her neck further back to look the massive leader in the eye. “I know I don’ really look’r smell like m’self right now but I reckon m’ voice is still the same.” Her head tilted and she gave a nervous smile. “Do I look as bad as I think I do?”

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Looking at the brilliant toned crystal-infected wolf, the Warlord started to get rather a strange feeling. One that only grew as the wolf opened her mouth and spoke. Sedans distinctive, familiar accent exciting the strangers body. Feeling a little surreal, the Warlord stepped closer to her. Leaning forward, and gently sniffing right at the taller wolf's neck. It was faint, and blended in with other scents, but it was there. A hint of Sedna to go with that familiar voice.

She looked strange, and yet magnificent. “You look… exotic, and strange. Tall, imposing. Was this a change you… wanted, Sedna? It looks good on you, but if you want back I’ll help you find a way” he promised her, having no idea how he would find an answer, but knowing he would look if Sedna asked it of him. Alternatively, if she embraced this new self, he would support that as well. She looked different, but somehow, inexplicable, it was Sedna. his Sedna.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Exotic? A self-depreciating snort left her lips and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. She’d still fade into the background, she was sure. It was a strange not quite belonging that had plagued her since the skies went dark, and perhaps if she believed more firmly in her mothers old gods, she’d take it as some sort of omen. “It wasn’ intentional… But I s’pose, s’not like I have ter look at m’self much, an’ I doubt ‘alf th’ pack’ll notice th’ change anyway.” She was trying to find the bright side of this foreign situation, but now that the panic was subsiding, melancholy was returning in a steady wave. For the first time since she had arrived, she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to take that next step to coming home.

And her bones hurt.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

He stepped closer to her, squinting and studying the strange changes that had taken over her body. Somehow, impossibly, she was the same height as the Warlord. She looked more like a warrior now then the wolf that had stumbled upon his borders so long ago. What had brought her to him again? She had challenged her mother, had she not? He had a feeling she might win that fight if she went home. But a large part of him did not want to let him go. Sedna had been part of the pack for so long now, perhaps he took her presence for granted.

“Believe me Sedna, they’ll notice” he warned her, but there was amusement in his tone. He rubbed his cheek lightly against her neck, placing his scent across her so no wolves in the Armada gave her trouble. She might be a familiar wolf to the pack, but she was no longer a familiar face. That done, he grabbed a paw lightly over hers. “Come on, lets get you a better look”


"Sirius Fatalis"

She wanted to take that final step home, but it was like an invisible wall rose up in front of her. She scrunched up her nose, not wanting to ask the question but knowing she needed the answer before she could really come back home. “What value do I even have ter th’ pack? They come ter me fer healin’, but I’m not a healer, th’ kids come ter me fer lessons, but I’m no instructor. I don’ wanna hav’ter fuck one o’ yer kids fer it ter be seen.” Her words weren’t sharp or accusatory, they were soft and sad. “I want kids o’ me own one day, sooner th’n later, an’ I don’ wanna burden th’ rest o’ yers with it.” He had every right to pissed with her, but she was still shellshocked from her transformation, sore and tired. She’d fight to protect herself if it came to it, but she held no ill will for the man that stood before her, and it just might break her heart to do so.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Sedna however stilled, looking very uncertain. It was still strange, to see the vibrant wolf before him and think of his Sedna. He fell still, releasing her paw and sitting back on his hunches, considering her. It was clear her words came from a deep well of uncertainty. Was she looking for a new future to go with her new face?

What value did she have to the pack? His eyebrows climbed for a moment, but gave her the consideration her words were due. “You are always welcome within the Armada, Sedna. It is your home. As for what you want, where you want your future to lie - there's always room to move about in the Armada. Did you want to be a healer? did you want to be a fighter? A scholar, a gardener. Did you have ambition to move higher? You have worth to me, Sedna. If you wish for more, we can figure something out.” he said gently, the words coming from his heart. He would be very sorry indeed to see Sedna leave.

As for the other part of her words… he considered the logistics of it for a moment, and then nodded. “If you wish to have children, we have the space for you to bring in a mate and start a family. Our space does fluctuate, so if you wish to do so I can reserve the space for you.” and he would need to consider helping her enlarge her den.

"Sirius Fatalis"

The Archer-Lyall released a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. “I enjoy givin’ th’ kids lessons, findin’ what they like an’ settin’ them up with a good foundation. I might not ‘ave all th’ answers, but we ‘ave others that can handle th’ more advanced stuff.” She gave a shrug. “But I dunno if that’s a position that needs fillin’.” Things weren’t broken the way they were, she just didn’t feel like she fit.

“An’ who said anythin’ about keepin’ a mate! I said I want kids.” She scrunched her face with an amused smirk, wondering what Seer might have thought of her mother’s method of getting her older siblings. Maybe it would make for a lighter change of topic. “Did I ever tell yer how many husbands an’ wives me ma has?”

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord gave a surprised chuckle at her words, and realigned the thoughts jumbling about in his head. Enlarge the den, and assign her someone to help with the kids. He also would need to be very clear on his view of loyalties. He frowned a little, wondering if this complicated things. “How much claim would you consider the father having to your kids? I’m giving you the okay to have kids, but I need to know yours and their loyalties won't be divided.” he explained.

At her question, he tilted his head a little in curiosity. “You have not” he said, wondering just how big the list was going to be. She called them husbands and wives, not just sperm donors. He wondered how all that worked, and if it made things complicated….

"Sirius Fatalis"

They were speaking in hypotheticals now, and Sedna wasn’t sure she could give a direct answer. “Depends on who it is an’ if I can be bothered lookin’ at ‘em after don’t it? Jus’ cos they’d make cute kids doesn’t mean yer wanna spend th’ rest o’ eternity wakin’ up ter their mornin’ breath.” The answer was given with amusement, but she supposed the logistics were something to consider if it wasn’t someone who had loyalties to the pack.

“If it was someone in a pack we were friendly with, I couldn’t stop ‘em from bein’ involved sometimes, but th’ way ma managed it was ter raise us, an’ then give us th’ option when we were yearlin’s if we wanted ter stay or go… Well, fer th’ cousins with dads outside th’ pack anyway.” She tilted her head in thought. Her own dad was her mothers first husband. There hadn’t been restrictions on her access to him. What would her kids be missing out on if they didn’t have access to a father? Maybe keeping one around wouldn’t be so bad.

“As fer Ma, she had my dad Renier, and Cela - who was also my uncles mate, an’ then there were th’ rest, it changed a bit, sometimes they’d grow in different directions an’ it was encouraged fer everyone ter do what made em happiest. An’ o course, not everyone was a boyfriend or girlfriend, it didn’t make any difference at th’ end o’ th’ day.” Everyone had the same expectations, was treated with the same respect. What they did on their own time was their own business, as long as all parties were consenting there was no need for undue drama. Well, no more than any other relationship. “Sometimes it was physical, an’ sometimes it wasn’, but lookin’ at other couples, I think they talked more, made sure everyone was on board before anythin’ changed or anyone new was bought in.” It significantly shaped what she looked for in a partner. Having kids was one thing, committing to a mate was a whole other long list of considerations, and she wasn’t getting any younger.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

The Warlord considered that for a long moment, before speaking again. Sedna was one of the wolves who had been here the longest. She had never done wrong by him, and if anyone deserved the benefit of the doubt… “Just bare in mind the packs rules on loyalties, and I’ll ensure there’s space in the pack for a few more kiddos. I’ll send someone by to help you enlarge your den, too, if you like.” he suggested. It might be nice to have some kids running around that weren’t a direct Fatalis line for once.

“It seems your pack had a different way of looking at love, but if they made it work, that's great” he thought briefly of the moment Zee and he had almost welcomed Deathbelle into their marriage… he shook the thought away. The image of Deathbelle as she was now was too hard to bear. “As for your duties in the pack - we can figure something out around your desires to lay a foundation for younger wolves. In the meantime, your contribution to the pack healers stores has been great.”


"Sirius Fatalis"

Sedna appreciated the sentiment, but she also had a while yet until her next heat was due and with all the craziness it seemed safe to assume nothing would eventuate until next spring. Plenty of time to get herself sorted out. “Don’ go puttin’ the cart before th’ bear, it’s not like it’s gonna happen soon, if it even happens at all. I’ll have time ter sort myself out.” She hadn’t expected things to take this turn at all. But there were always what ifs. “If I do find one I wanna keep around, I’m not gonna be war n peace about it Seer. Relationships, good ones anyway, involve compromise. I’ll keep th’ pack an’ th’ rules in mind, but if it isn’t whats best fer me movin’ forward, I’ll let yer know.” She smirked, her voice taking on a teasing tone despite how tired she found herself. “Besides, it’s been a while since we ‘ad a good tussle, it could be fun.”

She nodded to his words about her position within the pack. Things might change, or they might not. She was happy to maintain her garden and her own stores, as well as stocking up those the others could access with ease. “I do enjoy th’ gardening, it keeps Otis busy… an fat. An’ what I don’t ‘ave on hand gives me an excuse ter check things out outside pack lands. If bein’ a herbalist is more useful with teachin on the side, that’d work too.”

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed