I want you to spend the night with me any rational thought he’d managed to stuff in there broke, even as he put his weight on his paw and pushed back the pain. He took a moment to hop a little and wince and buy himself some time to respond to that. Had the healer just propositioned him?

He didn’t get too sidetracked by her healer-talk. He hadn’t exactly meant to put his weight on his leg. Then she was once again offering to take him back home. Explaining how she would speak to whoever answered the call at the border. “Halo… I’m flattered” he said, rather awkwardly. In pain, emotional and flustered and confused. Oh boy. “Really. But I hardly know you, and…” he tried to explain, sure he was making a mess of it and hurting her feelings. He hurried to add. “But you really are beautiful, and if I didn’t have so much going on, I’d definitely take you up on that” he wasn’t entirely sure if that was true. Very new and all that to relationship stuff.


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Oh no. Oh no. "N-no that's not what I--" she stuttered, just as flustered, just as embarrassed. Halo wanted to find a nice deep hole and crawl into it, never to be seen again. "I-I... Sen that's--" she was floundering once more, blushing, looking away. Her heart raced in her chest. For a moment she catches the words... he thinks she's beautiful? Wild.

There wasn't time to dwell on that thought though because yikes. She's screwed up, she's crossed a line, she was unclear... oh no. Oh heck. "I just--" she's stuttering again. "That's not what I meant but also like, you're handsome, but yeah, um, I want you to spend the night inside the Armada because I don't want you out here alone with an injury but especially an injury like that one, it's dangerous." The words came out all at once, in a rush. Halo looked at her paws for the duration, embarrassed that she hadn't been clear enough the first time.

"Halo"

Halo became even more flustered and embarrassed, and suddenly Sen didn’t know where to look. He glanced at her eyes, and then away, then at his paws. He scratched an itch on his knee, feeling this entire situation was very unique to him, and maybe an experience he could have done without.

“Oh, OH!” he said, understanding dawning as she made her explanation. Fool man. She hadn’t been making a move on him. She had been wanting to keep an eye on him. Professionally. As a healer. Heat infused his cheeks and dared to look up at her again. A small, self-deprecating grin found its way to his lips. “I mean, yeah, pssh. Obviously that's what you meant” he scratched his knee again, wondering how his day had led to this. He was so embarrassed, and just wanted to move right on past it all. “Yeah, sure. If your Alpha doesn't mind. I guess I could do that.”

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

She was sheepish, cheeks still burning. Oh gosh she'd crossed a line, she'd looked dumb, and there was basically no coming back from it. Still, Halo had a commitment to him. She was going to patch him up and make sure that he wasn't falling apart... at least physically. As far as the emotional side of things... well, those were easier things to tackle with pack members, but maybe. It would be harder now that she'd crossed a line but if he still wanted her help... or if he wanted her help at all... ugh. Halo's head was very loud.

"Don't scratch, you'll start bleeding again," healer things were far easier to think about. Her redirection was soft, a gentle reminder. If he opened the wound then she may need to grab Sedna and throw some stitches in it after all. "We'll go to the border and ask," Halo confirmed quietly, still a bit shaken from the misunderstanding. "You can lean on me while we walk, if you need to." She offered, though small Halo was sturdier than she looked. Her companion picked up the basket, and they were ready to set off toward the borders. "We'll go at your pace, don't push yourself."

"Halo"

He hadn't even realized he had been scratching his knee. A nervous tick at the way this encounter had gone. As she drew his attention to it, he glanced down, and placed the leg gently back down to the ground. "Your right, wouldn't want to make a mess of your work" he agreed somewhat apologetically. She had just taken the time to patch him up. He flashed her a 'let's forget this misunderstanding ever happened' grin, and nodded slowly at her decision. Alright, he could spend a night with the Armada then. The pack was allied with Abaven, and it shouldn't cause any sort of hassle.

"...are you sure?" He asked, eyeing her tiny frame dubiously. Surely if he did that, she would topple right over and take him with her. Cautiously, he shuffled a little closer and leaned just a little against her. Enough to take off some of the pressure on the rest of his legs. He half expected her to fall even with this little bit of pressure, and eyed her carefully. He cleared his throat then. "So uh. That conversation never happened, right?" He clarified. He'd heard the Warlord could be a scary sort. The last thing he wanted was for the man to think he'd been out here upsetting his healer.

Halo smiled softly, shyly. "I just don't want you to get more hurt." The words were quiet. She's very gentle in the way that she regards the man, happy to put the awkwardness behind them. Really, the pale healer was happy to forget that the awkward moment had ever occurred. In the back of her mind, Halo still considered digging a hole and putting herself within it, but that would at least need to wait until she got Ru resting.

"I'm sure, it's okay," Halo wasn't necessarily tougher than she looked, but she was sturdier. She supports what she can of Sen's weight, doing her best to take the pressure off the injured leg as they make their way towards the Armada. Though the going was slow, Halo was even more glad that he'd said yes to spending the night. There was no telling what would have become of the man out here on his own. "What conversation?" There was a small, knowing smile, but she was still blushing about it. Humor was a decent coping mechanism, right?

As they made it to the border of the Armada, Halo called for the Warlord. It was a soft call-- she didn't want to worry him, or lead him to believe something was wrong. No, it was more of a when you have a minute, this doesn't need to be your priority call. No alarm, just a request for him. "How's the leg?" The pale girl turned to Sen, looking to inspect the wrapping for any shifting or any signs that the wound had opened back up while they waited.

"Halo"

He gave her a shy little smile back as she admitted to her concerns. It had been a while since someone had worried about him, and the feeling of her concern was a weight he wasn’t sure what to do with. How it made him feel. As he leaned lightly against her and they made their way through the willows, her words startled a soft laugh from him. What conversation indeed. He returned her small smile, of sharing a secret as they both left that embarrassment behind. Discarded in the woods with his tattered bandage and dried blood.

When they arrived at the border, she lifted her head and howled for the Warlord. Her request was surprisingly meek - or maybe not that surprising, having spent an afternoon with her already. When she glanced at him and his leg, she would find he was resting it on the ground, trying to appear unfazed as his eyes roamed the pack territory in search of this hulking Warlord.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Honestly, the girl had surprised herself with her own humor. Still, it had been easy to relax back into an easy rhythm with the boy. Though they'd had their moment of staggering, floundering, it was water under the bridge. Halo would do her best not to overthink it... at least until she was curled up in her own den tonight, alone, replaying the scenario over and over... and over... and over. That's okay. At least here, in the moment, she could be comfortable with Sen.

The warlord didn't appear right away, but that was okay. He must be busy. "Can you bring this back home please, and put some water on for tea?" Halo spoke softly to her companion, checking the contents of the basket. She'd found a bit of witch hazel, but she'd need to go looking for more tomorrow. That was okay, there were more important things at hand. Mr. Raccoon plodded off in the direction of their den, the basket clutched in his paws. Halo couldn't help but smile-- he really had made a full recovery.

"Does it feel like it's opened up at all?" She turned to Ru, fussing over the state of his leg once more. Sirius would come when he came, and Halo could be patient. Fussing over the bandage gave her something to do, and she could take solace in that. "Does it feel like the wrapping is too tight, or rubbing?" She inspected carefully, looking for signs of swelling, signs that she'd have to loosen the entire thing. Halo just wanted to keep him as comfortable as possible, after all.
"Halo"

He tried not to fidget, feeling like he was waiting for a scolding from a parent more than an Alpha to come greet him. Perhaps it was because he had never gone to another pack's borders before. He wasn’t even sure if Theory would approve of him doing this… he lost his battle, and shuffled his weight around, and scratched his knee again. Woops! Halo had looked at him at just the wrong time, fussing over his bandage again. “It’s itchy” he explained a little sullenly.

“I don’t think so” he said, glancing down at the wrapping. Answering all of her questions with that one. He lifted his paw off the ground to examine it, before placing it back down quickly and glancing about him. He really didn’t want the Armada Alpha to see him weak. Had this really been a good idea? Or had he let her drag him along too easily? Too busy blushing about the misunderstanding to think of putting up an argument.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

The Warlord was pulling Basilisk out of the water by his scruff when the howl came from the border. He flicked an ear at the noise, and grunted, yanking the oversized pup fully ontop shore. His grandkid was panting and shook out his coat, wobbly on his feet. “Basilisk.” he said, voice stern. “If you're going to get your paw stuck in a coral reef, you can’t swim unattended anymore. See me here tomorrow morning for a lesson about ocean hazards. Understood?”’ He waited until the boy gave him a sheepish nod and voiced his agreement.

He eyed the boy for another few moments as he got to his feet, asked to be excused, and took off running through the tall grasses. He didn’t look any worse for after his near drowning. Perhaps he ought to get Halo to give him a once over anyway…

Speaking of the healer, he glanced back towards the border, and took off at a trott from where she had called. It was unusual for her to summon him to the border, hopefully nothing was wrong. Thanks to Basilisk, his answer was a little tardy. Shaking salt water from his coat he arrived and looked from Halo, to a boy who smelled faintly of Abaven, and herbs. “Halo, would you introduce me to your friend?’ he asked, assuming she would also full him in on what this was about.


"Sirius Fatalis"

It was itchy... Halo tilted her head to the side for a moment, considering. "Is the wrap itchy or the wound?" If the wound was itching, that could mean any number of things. If the bandage was itching, then it was an easy fix. Halo could re-wrap it with more comfortable materials once they were settled. Still, it would be an interesting study at least. Now that they were close to her den, Halo had the supplies on hand to fix anything that came up, and if she really needed help, she could run for Sedna. Just where was-- oh!

The Warlord himself arrived, still wet from the sea. Wait, the sea? Why was Sirius wet? Halo peered curiously at him as he approached. Oh-- wait, heck, yes she had a stranger by her side at dusk. She needed to give him an explanation. Halo's words came quickly, a ramble, as was typical when she was nervous. "Hi, sorry, yes, I went out to replenish my stores of witch hazel because I've been going through more antiseptic than usual with all the checkups and I found him," she took a breath. "Sirius this is Senryū, from Abaven. He's injured, I cleaned it up with what I had on me but it's getting dark and it's not safe for him to be out on his own, and with an injury like he's got I don't think it's safe for him to walk on it all the way back to his pack." Right, the dump of information. Halo gestured to the freshly bandaged wound on the boy's leg.

"He's um, Theory's brother." Halo had taken the time to learn the names of the alphas, of the packs, as she'd studied the rules. It seems that it had come in handy this time. "I was hoping that he could maybe stay here for tonight, so he's safe and also so I can keep an eye on his wound. He's not walking so well," her attention was trained on Sirius. Her worry was clear. Though she'd done what she could for the injury for now, it needed to be monitored. He needed rest, and the walk back to Abaven was a long one. Still, it was in the hands of the Warlord himself.
"Halo"

The Warlord's eyes twinkled as she let loose a torrent of words. A full explanation of why she was out and about, and why she brought this wolf home. She learned his name, and his relation to Theory. He gave a thoughtful nod of his head. He liked the young Abaven leader. “Very well, a brother of Theory’s is welcome to stay the night. Halo, he’s in your hands” he gave her a look that said keep him out of trouble

“And brush up on the rules on the packs loyalties if you need to” another knowing look. If she planned on having any sort of relation with the boy, she needed to be clear on that. “Come on in, Senryu, Halo will grab you something to eat from the stores and settle you in.” He was sure she wouldn’t protest. “Oh, and if you get a moment can you take a look at Basilisk? He had a tussle with a reef and lost” he explained, already raising a paw in greeting and farewell. “I’m out on patrol if you need me” perhaps he also ought to send word to Theory about her brother's appearance…?

-exit unless stopped-

"Sirius Fatalis"

Halo listened to Sirius as he gave his blessing. She'd be in charge of him, but in his current state, she really doubted that Sen could cause much trouble unless he really tried. Heck, if he really tried, it was likely even Halo could stop him. Lovalties-- oh. Oh, she squeaked, eyes going wide. "Sirius that's not what--" but he was already walking away. The pale healer was flustered again, looking at the ground. Basilisk... a reef? "I'll see to Bas." She confirmed as Sirius left. Still, Halo was reeling more than a little from the Warlord's mention of loyalties and her intent with Sen. "Thank you, Sirius."

Her attention returned to Ru. "Right, we should get you something to eat, and settled in." She'd do her best to shake off the embarrassment without drawing attention, at least as much as possible. "I'll um, I'll get you set up in one of the guest dens at the center of the pack, I'll sleep in the one beside it so if you need me I'm right there." Halo moved to Sen's bad side, ready to take on the weight as they walked. "What do you like to eat?" Halo was only now realizing her hunger too. She'd grab something for both of them, then. A late dinner, but dinner nonetheless. It sounded good.

"Halo"

The Warlord made his appearance and Senryu ducked his head in a stiff, poplite greeting. But the Armada leader's attention was mostly for the white healer, and he let Halo give instructions. The Warlord seemed somewhat familiar with his family line, and made some strange comment on loyalties, before cheerfully going on his way again.

“What was that all about?” he asked, giving Halo the side eye. Whatever it was, it had made Halo rather flustered. ‘Food sounds good” he agreed. He was actually starving. More so than he’d been in a long time. He stepped into the Armada lands and looked about himself curiously, wincing at the stiffness in his leg from hobbling his way over here.

“Uhhh… It’s just a cut” he said, which was an understatement she already knew. “You don’t have to get uncomfortable in a different den or anything. And… I’m not fussed. Something meaty”


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

What was that about? The question was enough to make Halo give a soft, uncomfortable chuckle, and hide her face. "Oh, um, nothing... you know how alphas can be sometimes." She was doing her best to brush it off. Right, food would be a good change of subject. Food did sound good... Halo would see to it. "Wait here," she told Ru, ducking down the steps to the storeroom at the center of the pack. A bit of struggling with the heavy door and some rummaging ensued, before appearing with a few decent sized chunks of cured meat and some furs to make the guest den more comfortable.

"If you think it's just a cut, you really should have paid more attention in your healer training." Halo teased gently, her tail wagging loosely at her haunches. Teasing would make light of the injury, which made things easier. "Besides, you're my responsibility," the healer reassured, leading the way to the guest dens at the center of the pack. "You can take your pick of these," she offered, gesturing to the empty dens where they sat. "I'll help get you settled, then we can eat." Halo was warm, despite the awkwardness she felt sometimes... most of the time. That was okay. She was glad for the company.

"Halo"

The Abaven wolf was watching the little healer, and he raised a brow at her reaction. Watching the way she ducked her head, chuckling awkwardly. He had a feeling that the loyalty comment was about more than how it sounded on the surface. Before he could question her further, she asked him to wait and ducked down into a storage room. He watched her little white tail disappearing down.

“Here, let me grab that” he said, limping forward to snag the pelt from her arms before she could protest. He snorted at her sass. “I guess I fell asleep in that one” he mimed a yawn as he trotted forward with his stolen pelt and eyed the dens. Any was better than the open ground he’d been on lately. He nodded his head to one at the side, a little more out of the way. “Here will do”


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

For now, Halo could consider the fact that she'd reached the other side of the loyalty commentary unscathed a win. The Warlord... well, it was the same embarrassment she'd feel if an older brother or father figure had similar commentary. That, and she was glad she had the storeroom to hide inside until the strange feeling in her chest had washed away. Right. She could be calm, she could be collected... she could try to be both of those things, at least. Goodness, how Halo could try.

The tenderhearted creature opened her mouth to protest as Ru grabbed the pelt from around her shoulders. He trotted too-- ack! "Please, please be careful," she shook her head as she watched him. A side effect of pain medication... sometimes it would make you feel better than it should, and cause even more damage. "Just because it feels okay doesn't mean it is okay," Halo let go an exaggerated sigh. A rare show of silliness, but it felt warranted here.

A den out of the way, it looked good. The pale healer nodded once, taking the coarser hide that she'd grabbed and spreading it out on the floor before setting down the meats. "Grab what you'd like, I can always grab more if you want." Halo surveyed the spread for a moment before stepping back outside. Into the navy dusk she squinted, catching the pale form of her companion darting back in their direction.

"There you are, silly thing," the words held a smile as Mr. Raccoon came back into focus. He came with the basket, filled with a jar of hot water and a few small containers of herbs, along with two bowls. "Thank you," she graciously accepted the basket and ducked back inside the den. "Can you please grab two of the hides from our den? We're sleeping up here tonight." Two would be comfortable enough, and Halo had been known to curl up with the creature as a pillow. Finally, she settled down to prepare tea, still a bit flustered at the prospect of being alone with Ru once more.

"Halo"

Ru gave the girl a cheeky grin at her surprise, the pelt about his shoulders as he trotted away from her. It was true the drug she had given him had dulled much of the pain. “Make me” he challenged boldly at her words, not entirely sure what compelled him to issue it. Her sigh just helped encourage him to tease her. At least it was only a short walk from the storage to the den. He doubted he’d really do anything to make it worse in that short time.

She spread one of the hides on the ground, and he draped the one he had grabbed onto it. Eyeing the den for a moment, and then the spread of food she had brought with him. His tummy grumbled. He snagged a piece of meat as Halo stuck her head out the door and spoke to a creature. Reminding him that it had been some time since he had seen his own companion. The reminder stabbed him straight through the heart, as he remembered how in his youth he had decided to name her after his father to tease the man. He’d have to change her name now.

He sat down on the hide, trying not to think too hard on the mess of his life, and instead concentrated on Halo. “So, your Armadas healer. Does it keep you busy looking after a Warlord?” he crooked a brow at her.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Halo steadies herself, still a bit unsure what's come over her. Really, the girl is glad she has such a thick pelt to hide the warmth that washes over her cheeks. The teasing it's almost... it's fun. Fun in the same way that she'd been able to joke with Lia. With a pang and a subtle tightness in her chest, she realizes that she misses the handmaiden more than she thought she would. Maybe Halo would need to walk down to the Hallows at some point, after the checkups were done, and say hello. She could visit Audra too, and she could see Auster for the first time. Was Halo trying to distract herself with just how flustered she'd gotten when it came to Ru? Maybe. (Probably.)

Halo's attention remained on the tea, too. Mr. Raccoon had grabbed the green tea base, a good choice considering how close it was to bedtime. It was far too late at night for black tea. Carefully, she bundled ginger, cinnamon, and rosemary together, adding them to the mix and returning the lid. "This needs to sit for a little while before we drink it, but it should help take the edge off of any inflammation and swelling." Right, she'd busy herself. Halo was always much better off when she busied herself. As she did, she took a bit of the cannabis for herself, popping it into her mouth and chewing. It would help with any remaining anxieties in her system, after all. Goodness, she had been a bit on edge lately, and she was almost grateful that Ru was so disarming. Almost.

Finally though, she turns her attention to dinner. Daintily, Halo snags a piece of honey smoked meat and chews thoughtfully. "Really, the Armada as a whole keeps me busy," she smiled softly. In truth, it was like pulling teeth trying to get Sirius to tell her if anything was wrong. "It's mostly small things though, wounds from training and all. I was actually out to collect more witch hazel when I ran into you," she explained quietly. Witch hazel, boiled and then concentrated, was an excellent antiseptic. Most of the healing Halo did was washing out wounds and preventing infection. Warriors, all of them, and most didn't even seem to notice when they got hurt.

Though she wants to ask about his job in Abaven, she recalls his words-- if they still want me. No, she'll hold her tongue for now, taking another careful bite of her dinner. "How do you like the food? I'd never seen it preserved this way, until living here." Right. Focus on something neutral. Don't pry, and be careful getting too close. Always careful. Always polite.
"Halo"

He settled down across from her, watching as she stirred things into the hot water. The scent that came from the pot was warm and calming. Reminding him a little of home. He stretched out his injured leg with a soft huff, more relieved then he would say to be off it.

He stayed silent a moment, watching as she worked, stuck the lid on the tea, and then grabbed something to eat herself. He wondered what it would be like to be kept busy. Had he been away from home too long? He knew the answer, but he still wasn’t ready to go there.

The boy shrugged, taking another piece of the meat and chewing. Possibly a little too quickly, but he was hungry. ”Abaven preserves food too, but this tastes different. We salt it, this tastes like smoke.” He mused thoughtfully. “Where did you come from then, if not the Arnada?” he wondered


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"