He left Hika in their shared den, and made his way to Halos. He hadn’t considered the implication of the hour until he was almost at her door, and the scent of herbs could be found even from here. He paused, and looked up at the moonlight. He shouldn’t wake her for this, but if he didn’t get his questions out now, he was certain they would eat him up alive. He needed to know, he had to.

He paused another few moments, and then reluctantly made his way to her door. He leaned his head lightly against it, and whispered. “Halo?” he asked softly. Barely enough to sound to stir the fur of her door. He waited about point two seconds, before he leaned away again. Nope! Clearly asleep. He came two steps away from her door and looked up into the night.


"Mortis""Hika"

The evening had stretched on, and for what seemed like a long time. Halo was just about to get some rest, but of course, the healer's work was never done. She'd been working on drying the last of the herbs from her garden and packing the seeds away when-- shoot! Part of the issue in living with a raccoon came from the sheer amount of mischief they could cause. He'd tipped over one of the slates on the hearth, some of the herbs had caught fire, and well... it was a good thing that Halo kept a safety bucket right next to the fireplace. Though she'd had an easy time cleaning up the charred mess, Halo wasn't about to go to sleep without refilling the bucket.

From the distance, she could hear someone calling her name over the sloshing of the half-full pail. Her head quirked to the side, trying to better pinpoint the source of the sound. Was someone looking for her? She could see folded wings in the soft darkness, and at once she knew it was, in fact, Mortis. But what was wrong? Was someone hurt? Her pulse picked up and her head began to swim with the possibilities. Halo's pace picked up, offering a soft woof to the young man as she closed the gap. The water sloshed a bit, cold on Halo's pale coat, but that was okay.

A bit out of breath by the time she reached the boy, but bright-eyed none the less. "Mortis, is everything okay?" Worry creased her brow as she set her pail down.

"Halo"

Mortis backed slowly away from her den, his nerves already going cold in his veins as he lost his courage to approach her. Fate it seemed had something different in mind. He saw the brilliant sheen of her white coat before he heard her, and when he did it was accompanied by the sloshing of water. Squinting in the dim lighting, he realised she was carrying a bucket.

Quirking a brow, his attention was on that and at first he missed the worry in her voice. “Oh. Everything is okay… sort of.. Mostly. Kinda.” he cleared his throat, and tried again. “I was just wondering if you had a minute. Err… didn’t mean to bother you so late.” Yeah, the boy was definitely out of sorts. There was stress to be seen under his eyes as he spoke

"Mortis""Hika"

Halo shook some of the wayward water from her coat, careful to take enough distance between herself and her friend. Didn't want to splash him, after all. It would only get colder soon, the telltale chilly breeze kicking up around their shoulders. Everything is okay... but it didn't sound okay, and Halo offered up a steady, curious glance. There had to be something on his mind, especially as he continued to speak. Her brow continued to furrow as he spoke, asking if she had a moment. It's only then that she softens. "For you, I always have a moment." Halo offered a soft smile to her friend, opalescent gaze glimmering softly in the dregs of light.

"Let's get out of the cold, I'll make some tea." Her tone didn't invite polite protest, not in the slightest. Even if he tried, there were some things that the small healer could be strong-willed about. The tenderhearted creature lifted her bucket in careful jaws, moving to cross the threshold of her den. Still, she forgets that the new door stands solidly in place where the soft deerskin once had. Halo bangs into the solid surface, splashing a bit more water from her pail down her chest. A soft sigh, and she presses her shoulder into it instead. "I'm um, not used to this being here yet, sorry." Why was she apologizing? Still, typical of Halo, at any rate.

"Halo"

His expression softened into a smile at her gentle words. Halo was more than a pack healer to him, she was a friend. He was almost afraid to have them these days, with how easily they had soured in his life. But Halo had crept into his heart regardless. He knew he could trust her. He let out a soft breath and steadied himself. He would trust her with his secrets, and see what she could offer in advice, and he sorely needed advice and outside perspective.


“Sounds good” he said, offering no protest and followed her back to the door of her den. She knocked her head on the hard door, and Mortis was quick to brush by her, steadying the bucket, before opening the door for them both, and taking the lead into her den. Normally, he would have simply held it open for her, but this time he moved into the familiar space, and grabbed a spare coat. Picking it up in his jaws, he tossed it around Halo’s shoulders before she could protest. “Whats the bucket for, anyway” he asked, stalling and curious both.


"Mortis""Hika"

Halo, well, she gets by with a little help from her friends. Mortis had never made her feel like an inconvenience, and he'd always gone out of his way to make her feel more comfortable, more at home within the Armada. In all, she was extremely glad (and proud, too) to call the boy her friend. Though she didn't always have the easiest time socially, she could rely on him. She could count on him. There were no words for how grateful the tenderhearted little healer really was.

Seeing Mortis comfortable in her home, too, makes her smile. "Thank you," the words are just a bit muffled around the handle of the bucket, smiling to herself as she sets it back on the hearth. With her paws, she makes to brush some of the mess that still remained into the fire itself, a bit of a surprised oof and a giggle as the coat is wrapped around her shoulders. "It's a safety measure, in case the fire gets out of hand. I had some herbs drying for the winter and Mr. Raccoon accidentally knocked them too close, so I had to use the emergency water just now, so I went to refill it again." She explained, nodding once to herself after deciding she'd done a good enough job explaining.

Satisfied with the state of her hearth, Halo set about heating water for tea. Carefully she poured some clean water from a large jar into her kettle, setting it on the makeshift grate above the fire. "Are you hungry?" The tenderhearted healer moved to the stash of snacks that she kept for the pups, pulling down a bowl filled with dried berries and mint. Mr. Raccoon crossed to the bowl first, pulling out a dried blackberry, and settled heavily against Mortis's leg. "Silly thing, well, both of you make yourselves comfortable," she smiled, finally settling across Mortis while the kettle began to heat.

"Halo"

“I can take a look at the fireplace sometime, see if I can make it safer for you to dry your herbs.” he said, brow furrowed with concern. He was glad she’d had the forethought and planning to put the bucket there in the first place. He couldn’t imagine the devastation if her home went up in flames. Or worse, if she had gotten hurt.

“No, thank you” he said as she offered him food. He was far too nervous to eat. Too much juggling around in his thoughts. He did pat the little raccoon's head as he settled himself against the winged wolf.

As Halo settled across from him, he knew it was time to start speaking. That knowledge didn’t make it any easier. “If two wolves wanted a child, and they were male, is there any way to… do so. Biologically speaking.” he glanced down at his paws, then up at her through his lashes without ever actually lifting his eyes. His heart in his throat as he waited to see what she had to say.


"Mortis""Hika"

The offer was a kind one, and Halo offered a small smile. "Whenever you have time, I would like that. Mr. Raccoon doesn't mean to cause trouble, he just... ah, he's a raccoon." There was a bit of pride in her tone, though. Having found the little creature on death's doorstep, it was nice that he was okay. Not just okay, even, but he was strong enough to cause trouble in the first place. If Halo had to spend the rest of her life raccoon-proofing things, she'd be happy to, because it meant that Mr. Raccoon was alive and well. She'd done well with him, and he was here to prove that.

Halo figured he'd speak, asking his question, when he was good and ready. She wasn't incorrect. He spoke of children... children from two males. With kindness in her gaze and fondness in her heart, Halo thought through Mort's question. Biologically speaking, was there a way for two males to contribute to the same child. For a long moment Halo thinks, and she considers. It's only after a long moment of consideration that she speaks, tone gentle as always. "I can't claim to know everything, and I'll find a healer outside the Armada to confer with in the morning," Halo begins, already considering if she's better off going looking for Sedna or approaching Fireside to find Álarr. "But children can't exist without a woman. There's no way for a male to carry pups, they don't have the right organs."

Still, Halo is one to dump information when she has it. "From what I understand, and I could be wrong but, I think two males can contribute to the same litter. I've heard of it happening, where a litter has two fathers, but I haven't seen it myself." Maybe not the answer that he was hoping for, but hopefully it was something. Better than nothing? Maybe? Halo rose softly to her feet and padded to pour Mortis a cup of tea, nudging it closer to her friend before taking a sip of her own.
"Halo"

Mortis nodded his head, filling it away for later. It shouldn’t be too hard to create something, perhaps a small sand pit, or something of the sort around the fireplace, or he could ask his father for ideas. Or maybe not… he wasn’t feeling terribly charitable towards his father at the moment.

As Halo answered his question, he leaned forward, his full attention on her. He already knew he couldn’t carry a child, but he had asked his question and wanted the full answer to it. It seemed Halo was more than ready to provide information, even going so far as to promise to confer with other healers. That thought made him blush. He wasn’t sure he wanted her to air his problems with strangers, but he trusted she would keep his name out of it.

She mentioned two fathers having the same litter, and he gave a slow nod of his head. ”My sister… Asla, she had two kids to two different fathers in the same litter.” he said softly. His cheeks were tinged red and he brushed a paw awkwardly across them, feeling the heat. He took the tea as it was offered, but didn’t sip from it yet. He let it cool in his paws. “Is there a way… to…. Impregnate” He couldn’t meet her eyes. “A woman, without… sleeping with her?”

"Mortis""Hika"

The relationship between fathers and sons... Halo isn't quite sure she understands it, but it seems to settle into her mind nonetheless. Matters of family were complicated, and really, Halo didn't understand most of them. Bloodlines, family ties, they ran so deep and so hot through this place. All over Boreas they seemed to cross, an invisible thread that tied so many of them together. Though this has been her home for nearly a year now, it's one of the things that leaves her feeling like an outsider still. Family... what a concept. She'd push the grey away, though, as there were far more important things on her mind.

It seemed that Mort was familiar with the idea of a litter having two sires, which was a good start. Thoughtfully, she mulls over his question. Is there a way to make puppies happen without actually doing the act. Her brow creases for a moment, a furrow forming in the middle. Halo sipped her tea. After a long moment, the tenderhearted healer shook her head. "I don't think so... the process overall can be kind of, um, delicate." She tilted her head to one side, then the other, as she spoke. Halo's tone remained apologetic as she thought it through. "But I don't know for sure," really, the pale girl didn't want to squash whatever idea Mort was forming. "I'll go speak with Fireside's head healer in the morning, and see if we can come up with some answer together." While not an allied pack, Halo knows a smart healer when she speaks to one, and Álarr had been kind. That, and she didn't know exactly where Sedna had gone. It was the most reasonable idea she could come up with, for now.

"Are you and Hika thinking about the future?" Halo's gaze was soft on her friend's face. She's always soft, but for Mort she is perhaps the most grateful of all. He'd been kind to her when he really, really didn't have to be. Around the boy, she never felt like she was in the way, or taking his time unnecessarily.

"Halo"

Mortis’s shoulder sagged at her answer. He had expected it, but there had still been a little ray of hope. “Now, finding a woman who would be okay to sleep with two guys and let them be the parents of the litter. Now there would be a magic trick.” He sighed softly. Had his father even thought through all the ramifications? With his fathers own rules on breeding and ties, it would be even more complicated than that. He would have to find a wolf that could move into the Armada, either for gestation or forever. If it was a temporary stay then she would also have to be able to swear to give up her ties to the kids. It was complicated, and messy. What had Sirius gotten him into?

His ears perked up a little at her mention of Fireside. His expression was guarded. “Their wolves have a habit of harassing us. Are you sure?” he asked. He trusted her to know what she was doing if she agreed.

He grimaced a little at her last question. Perhaps a strange expression for one looking into puppies for their future. “Yes. Sort of. We have permission from my father, but it has to be organised soon.” That was the truth, just not all of it. As close as he could get without airing their problems.

"Mortis""Hika"

Halo exhaled a soft breath over her tea cup, lowering her head to take a slow, thoughtful sip. She thinks. She thinks on Mort's words, on the idea of finding a woman. Finding a woman, and the fact that the Warlord has his rules about taking mates and all. Well, this wasn't truly taking a mate as much as it was... mating. Er. Something like that. Complicated things. Complicated things and an act that would undoubtedly be awkward and uncomfortable for all parties involved. While Halo didn't know Hikaru other than in passing, and from what Mortis had told her, she could only imagine how he would feel about the whole thing as well. There was a solution that was beginning to form in the tenderhearted girl's mind, but would it be a solution that would be amenable to both men? To Sirius? As for Halo, she didn't feel badly about it. The topic shifts to Fireside, and the pale healer holds her tongue on the subject of who for the moment. Right, she wanted to make sure she wasn't having a rash thought, though already she was sure-- more sure than she usually was, about anything. But ah yes, on the topic of what (under normal circumstances) would be an enemy pack. "I met Álarr when I was still new to Boreas, and we talked for a while. Where he had every opportunity to take offence to me and my ah... occasional lack of social grace, he was kind instead. He's smart, and I have no reason to distrust his medical opinion." Halo had her reasons, but most of them were hard to explain. Still, she thinks herself a decent judge of character. "He told me that Fireside believes in fair trade. I'll bring him some honey and some horsetail, in exchange for the knowledge," the words were a bit softer now. Halo climbed softly to her feet, padding to her stores of honey and herbs that had already been carefully stowed away for the winter. With great thought, she takes a medium-sized tin of honey and places it in Mr. Raccoon's basket first, before gazing upon the many bundles of herbs all tucked away (some neatly, some not) on the shelves. She needed to get the nerve up to just... say it. Just make the offer. The horsetail, too, is tucked into the basket that sits on the table. It's Halo's turn to have something she wants to say but to be seemingly unable... seemingly. She returns to the shelves one more time, adding a bundle of sage for good measure. That seemed like an appropriate trade offer, and she could hope that the Master of the Cure would see it that way too. "Mortis I um," yes, it's her turn to be sheepish. Shy. Halo's voice was small as she returned to her tea, looking rather intently into the cup. "If um, if you... if you were okay with it, I mean... if you wanted, and if Hika wanted and was okay with it and stuff," she's rambling. Nervously, Halo is rambling. She swallowed hard, unable to look at Mort, mostly in fear of his reaction. "I... could do it." It's not that Halo was trying to get in his metaphorical pants, and instantly, she's afraid that it comes off that way. Her offer comes in earnest, as someone who cares very much about Mortis (and by extension Hika), and his happiness. The Armada is her family, and family does for family. "Speech"

Mortis nodded his head slowly as she spoke highly of one of the Fireside healers. He’d had little to do with the pack, and certainly didn’t know them as single entities. As a whole, they were a threat to the Armada. Much like the Warlord, Mortis protected those he needed to. If Halo came to harm from asking a question on his behalf… that would be very, very bad. But he also trusted her to know what she was doing.

When she got up to start gathering supplies, he watched her with a measure of amusement. She wasn’t planning on going now was she? It was the middle of the night. He sipped his tea and watched as she busied herself finding what to trade. Was she nervous? Perhaps he had made a mistake. If she was nervous about asking the question on his behalf…

His ears perked as she said his name, and he put his tea back down again. She was definitely nervous. His first reaction was to offer some sort of reassurance, but he didn’t know what to say. The Warlord had thrown him off his stride with his ultimatum.

It was a good thing he had put down the tea, or he would have dropped it. As it was, his paw jerked, and he almost knocked it over anyway. He managed to stop it falling and busied himself putting it gently back on the ground, and brushing it further away from himself. “Halo…” he paused, glancing up himself, and seeing that she didn’t want to meet his eyes. Even before he considered the implications of her offer, or anything else, his voice was soft. “I would never ask you to… you don’t have to offer. I wouldn’t… It’s a lot to ask of anyone Halo. I wouldn’t put you in that position.” He fumbled, badly, as he tried to put her at ease.

"Mortis""Hika"

Though the relationship between the two packs was fractured, Halo had more confidence in being able to locate the Fireside healer than Sedna. A pang in her chest... she missed Sedna, and really it would be better to speak woman-to-woman on these sort of things but it was awfully time sensitive. That, and the business of healers should be its own kind of sacred, its own kind of respected... right. That, and Tyrian himself would hopefully see it as a fair trade of resources. A resource for a resource. Goodness, she could hope. And it seemed that Mortis would trust her judgement. Halo trusted the Warlord to do the same, as this was a healer's matter. She was learning to stand up for herself. Halo would grow a spine eventually... eventually. In the year that had passed since she'd joined the Armada's ranks, there had already been some change in Halo. There was no telling what the next year would bring... hopefully things that were good... hopefully. Hope for the best, expect the worst-- wait, no, not that. Well, Halo does have anxiety so it makes sense. She catches the jerk of his paw from the corner of her eye. Halo's pulse raced, and she's anxious. The inherent fear of rejection, but it's a different kind of rejection. The offer wasn't one she made lightly. Halo took a shaky breath, lavender eyes raising to meet that of her dear, dear friend. "I know that you wouldn't ask, and that's all the more um, the more reason to offer." She tries to quell the shaking in her voice and address it practically, first. "I'm healthy, not in a relationship, of age, and not blood related to you or Hika," which, as far as Halo knew, was more than could be said for any of the members of the standing Armada. "And we know how your dad feels about the idea of having pups with someone outside the pack." Per Sirius, it had to be organized soon, and with a time crunch like that... well. "You are dear to me, Mortis. You're my friend, you keep me safe, and you do for me more than I could ever even dream of asking." Halo loves him, of course, but it's the platonic love. There's more than one kind of soulmate, after all. Sitting here with him, the gravity of the situation, Halo knows that his soul and hers are very old friends. "I won't hesitate to do for you, either." There is a difference between loving someone and being in love with them, and through her tone and her expression she hopes to make it as clear as possible that it's the former. "If that's something you and Hika would want." The words are soft. She knows that there's a lot to consider, a lot to discuss, and the weight of the world on Mort's shoulders. "I don't want you to feel pressured, or like you have to make a decision right now, or that you have to say yes... but the offer is genuine." "Speech"

Mortis didn’t know what to do. A part of him thought this was the easy answer but a larger part of him wanted to protect Halo. Would this be right for his little friend? Who’s small stature and big heart gave him the impulse to shield her. If they went through with it, what would be the larger implications? It… wouldn’t hurt him, being tied to her with children. He did not love her romantically, but he knew that she would genuinely care and be good to any children she bore. But what would it do to their friendship? After doing what was required to make children, would he be able to look her in the eye again?

He looked at his tea cup for a few moments, letting the thoughts settle back down into something more coherent. “I’ll have to talk to Hika about it, but children are… When… knowing me and Hika can’t make any, I didn’t even consider that we could share them with someone I loved and respected. But I want you to consider it very, very carefully, and you can withdraw your offer at any time. You don’t even need to give a reason.” he said softly, looking up at her at last. “Consider what it would mean for your future. Are you sure you want your first litter like this? That there’s no men in your life that might be upset?” he paused, and gentled his voice even more. He was a wolf shy when it came to these matters, but Halo was shy about a lot more. “Are you comfortable with the act of sleeping with two men?”


"Mortis""Hika"