The Warlord caught the sounds of movement from the house behind him. Hazel, by his guess. Getting ready to head out for the day. He listened to the sounds of her scrambling for a moment, as he looked out into the early morning sun. It glinted over the ocean inlet that sat before their den. The little bridge he had built for his first children to play on bore signs of age. The salt of the ocean had eaten away some of its integrity, and moss settled on the planks. Perhaps it was finally time to take it down. Hazel was nearly a grown woman, and the aging Warlord knew no more children would play before this den. Not his, anyway. Perhaps he could fix it for his grandchildren...

He shook away the melancholy as Hazel opened the door behind him. He turned to the red toned wolf as she excited the den. "A moment, Hazel." He said softly, knowing that would capture her attention. He looked at the early morning frost beneath his paws. A mark, among others, that winter had arrived. He had decided that the first day of winter was a good place to begin. One of his behemoth paws rested on a package. Something small, and wrapped in cloth. He eyes it for a moment and then nudged it with his paw. "Open this, and listen a moment." He said, pushing it towards her.

"Your a year old today. Scarcly a child anymore. You need to think about what you want to do with your future." He paused a moment as she opened the packaging. Inside sat a delicate silver braclet. Rugas fine work, of that there was no doubt. On the braclet sat numerous charms. The Warlord reached forward, extending a feline claw and tapped the little stylised Obelisk. It's rough shape carved from jade. "The Obelisk" a little obsolete. "For pack." He explained. His claws found another shape. This one was a cyrstal tooth, not dissimilar to her own. "For self." He said softly. Next, his claws stopped on a small piece of dark black onyx. Silver slashes stopd out in stark contrast. "For family. Hazel Fatalis." He said, clearing his throat with a soft cough. He wasn't good with the mushy stuff and expected it from her. "Now, head over to the Beach, Basilisk is going to be waiting for you there. But be back here for lunch time, you hear? We have your future to discuss." He made a shooing motion with his paws.


Ooc: Set on the first day of winter

"Speech"

Pulling herself together for the day, preparing herself to get going. Going through the motions. Stretch, chase the sleep from her bones and from her head. There was something exciting about the onset of winter, like there was excitement in the air. Maybe she’d confused it for the chill, but whatever. Good enough. Anyway, cool weather was good for exploring… or getting into trouble, whichever came first.

She’d been ready to tumble out the door when Seer (sir) stopped her. A moment, and she stopped, padding quietly across the worn floor of their den. Something sat beneath his paws, she noticed, as she came closer. It was pushed towards her, and the girl’s green eyes flickered with curiosity. Her tail wiggled at her haunches, using one of her crystalline teeth to carefully remove the trappings of the package. As her gaze settled on the bracelet, Hazel couldn’t chase the awe from her gaze.

Each of the carms seemed to tug at her heart, one after the next. Family– it caught in her chest. The red and pale yearling couldn’t help herself, moving to press her face into the Warlord’s neck. “Thank you, dad.” The words are spoken against the man’s dense coat, the embrace one of warmth, of comfort. Family. This was her family. Fate had been cruel, but fate had been kind too. Hazel was better for it.

“Help me put it on before I go?” The words came when she finally withdrew from the hug. She couldn’t help but wag her tail, and really, her entire body in the process. Her gaze danced, and she really couldn’t hold herself back from it. The typical words and reminders from the Warlord, reminding her not to be late for meals… there’s comfort in the typical. With her head held high, Hazel bounded in the direction of the door, and then the beach. “I won’t be late, and if I am, it’s Lis’s fault!” A little bit of feral, a little bit of wild in her gaze as she called over her shoulder. “Love you,” and with that, she was out to find her best friend.

"Speech"

Sirius wasn't prepared for the full impact of hearing those words. As she transitioned almost seamlessly from calling him Seer to calling him Dad. Choking up as he swallowed back the emotions so she wouldn't see how it hit him like a sucker punch to the chest. He fumbled with the clasp of her braclet, a delicate feline like claw extended as he got it open and put it gently over her paw. Fastening it there.

The little charmes snuggled into the coat of her paw, and he lifted her paw up, kissing it. Words still being beyond him. And then she was off like a summer breeze, brushing past him and gone. He swallowed. He wasn't tearing up, he wasn't.

She was long gone by the time he was able to raise a paw in parting in the direction she had vanished. "Love you too, kiddo."


"Speech"

If you asked Hazel, she wouldn't have been able to tell you where those words came from, either. It was simply... natural. Just as natural as eating rabbits. Just as natural as pestering Lis. Just as natural as napping beside Bear, using her great, soft haunch as a pillow. As natural as night became day, and day became night. Hazel belonged here, and this was her family. Hazel Fatalis. A name that she would wear with pride, now and for as long as she could imagine being. As Sirius fastened the bracelet with one of his agile claws, she couldn't help but smile.

Before tearing out the door and into the light of day, she stretched up as tall as she could with her red and pale muzzle. An affectionate lick to the side of the Warlord's face, and she was off in Bas's direction. Around her wrist, she could feel the weight of the bracelet, and the comfort that it brought. Like another piece of her puzzle was clicking into place, so too, Hazel was finding her place in this existence. Coming of age stories are always tough, but maybe... maybe things would be okay, at least for a while. Hell, it was the first time in Hazel's life that it felt like she had a future. Anyone looking in from the outside might even be surprised she'd made it this far.

Hazel's paws reached the sand, and she's comforted by the way that it gives beneath her feet. "Lis?" She called out, her head quirking to one side, then the other. As a stiff breeze kicked up, the girl paused to scent it, looking for just where Bas had gotten off to.

"Speech"