The yearling trekked through the snow, noting it was somewhat deeper here than other areas he'd been to. Then again it was the North...he hadn't been up this way since he was a pup, but now that he was a yearling he was braving the world more and more as opposed to keeping to one area for most of his young life. He had felt safe among the caves...but he knew he couldn't stay there forever. When a grizzly decided to move in, he knew it was time to go. There was no way he could fight one of those by himself...

He just hated the fact that he'd been forced to leave behind his precious belongings. He didn't have time to gather them up before the bear chased him out. He heavily sighed as he gazed up at the trees, amazed at how gigantic they were. He had never seen anything like it before, and he was starting to feel small and insignificant against the giant redwoods...

The Warlord had so much to do. So much so that he hadn’t taken a moment to breathe since moving. But with the crisp, cool, winter morning and nothing going awry (yet) he decided to take some time to scout out the territories near the Armada. He hadn’t spent too much time in the red forest, and it doubled as a chance to catch some time to himself and gather intel for the Armada.

Marshal caught the sight of the stranger first. Flitting through the giant frames of the trees, he cried a soft warning to the Warlord. Directing his attention to his right shoulder. Turning and slipping around the trees himself, he found what had alerted his companion. The wolf was average in height, but his horns - like that of a sable antelope, stood out. Almost drawing his eyes away from his thicker paws. But this, despite being less noticeable than the horns, stood out more to the Warlord. The only other wolf he had seen with the likes of them was his own son. Interesting indeed. “Hello, enjoying the cool morning?” he asked.

"Speech"

Art by Salt

Preoccupied with his surroundings and his regret about leaving his things behind, he didn't notice the massive bird that flew among the trees, nor the large wolf that was approaching him on the ground. “Hello, enjoying the cool morning?” He startled a bit, but only because he hadn't really expected anyone else to be out here. Amber gaze carefully watched the larger male, studying him for a moment before responding. "Hard to enjoy when the mind is preoccupied." His voice held a slight edge to it, though it wasn't because of the newcomer. His ire was towards the bear, and he had to admit he hated the beasts now. Who were they to throw their weight around and run him from the only home he'd known since his parents passed? Ironically, he shared a trait with the ursine creatures...though maybe it was just his anger talking. He knew they were strong and powerful beasts, something to be respected. But right now? At least he hated the one that forced him to go.

Fully turning to face the stranger, he carefully assessed him and noted that he seemed to carry himself with authority of some sort. Not only that, but he carried a far different scent than himself. He definitely wasn't a loner...so a pack, perhaps? Someone high ranking, maybe? Grimoire had never been a part of one, but he heard the stories from his parents. Stories about his own father having been an alpha once before the pack had been lost in a challenge. After that though, his father had taken things in stride and enjoyed life. It was because of that decision to enjoy life that Grimoire had even been born.

"Who are you?" He asked, curiosity touching his voice.

The Warlord’s eyebrows climbed at the younger wolf's irritated tone. Noting the way he had jumped when Seer spoke, it was clear to see he was right about being preoccupied. He wondered what was irritating the young wolf. He paused as Marshal swooped down, flaring his wings before settling down on the Warlords broad back. He braced for the weight, and then turned his attention back to the stranger. “I’m Sirius Fatalis, Warlord of the Armada. Are you quite familiar with these lands?” he asked.

There hadn’t been any packs in the North when he and his son had scouted the area, but that didn’t mean there weren’t wolves that lived here. It would be handy to talk with a few wolves that had lived here their whole lives. Who knew how the winters would be, and so on.


"Speech"

Art by Salt

Amber gaze watched as the large bird landed on the wolf's back. Fascinating...his father had jaguars...this guy had a big bird. He hadn't considered finding another creature to bond with before, but he hadn't exactly tried, either. He'd been living in a cave since his parents had passed. He had felt...safe there. He didn't feel the need to venture very far until he was chased out. I’m Sirius Fatalis, Warlord of the Armada. Are you quite familiar with these lands?” The yearling nodded slowly. He was familiar with most of it mostly from the stories he was told. He hunted the lands surrounding his former home on a frequent basis but had never gone beyond the Northlands. "I am quite familiar with the Northlands, yes. I...lived nearby up until a few days ago, and my father's family roamed these lands for some generations before I was born."

Curiosity was beginning to get the better of him. The stranger had said he was a warlord of the Armada...but he didn't know what that meant. "Is the Armada a pack or something?"

“Yes. We’ve recently moved into the Northern territories. I’ve scouted these places before, but I’ve never stuck around enough to know them like a native.” He admitted, offering the stranger a warm smile. He wasn’t afraid to admit it, after all he still had a lot to learn about these lands. He had spent most of his adulthood in the South. “What’s your name?” he asked when the stranger didn’t freely supply it.

He settled down on his hunches, it didn’t seem like he would be moving off immediately, and he was interested in what the stranger might have to say. “Perhaps you could tell me a little of the Northern lands? Was your family a part of a pack?” He asked, searching for inkling of what this man could tell him about the places the Armada now found themselves in


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Art by Salt

He listened to Sirius' explanation of not really knowing the lands the way a native did. While he had no personal experience with packs or why they chose to move, he wondered why this guy had decided to move his pack north. Surely there were better, warmer places no? Maybe the Armada moved for their own personal reasons. This guy didn't seem all that bad. He was showing politeness that Grimoire was familiar with, but he knew looks and outward pleasantries could be deceiving. Not that he was judging Sirius or anything, he was just like that with everyone until they proved he could trust them. "What's your name?" Whoops. He had forgotten to introduce himself, hadn't he? One of the downsides of living alone practically as a hermit was that he didn't have many social interactions. He had completely forgotten that telling someone your name after someone offered theirs was something he should've done...

"Grimoire Ancora. Er...former cave hermit, I guess." He flicked an ear out of embarrassment. So he didn't have a pack...or a place to call home anymore...no shame in that...right? Sirius settled down, and Grim resigned himself to doing the same. He supposed he was going to be here for a little while, which was fine. He didn't mind a little conversation all things considered. "Perhaps you could tell me a little of the Northern lands? Was your family a part of a pack?” He nodded, thinking for a moment. "My family has not been a part of a pack for a while...though my father was an alpha once. And my grandmother before him, and my grandfather before her. That was all way before my time, though. My mother and father passed away, and I imagine my aunts and uncles have as well...or most of them, anyway. I don't know who is still around, haven't met any of them save for one of my aunts, but...I'm pretty sure she's dead now, too." They had all died of old age save for Avalon's youngest litter...and he knew his father had other kids roaming around, but he had no clue where they were.

"As for the North, well...I should warn you it's not an easy place to live if you're not prepared. I've found bodies frozen in the snow. Some starved, others ill-prepared for the blizzards that tend to just come out of nowhere. Food can be pretty scarce around this time of year, too. I always made it a point to stock up before winter, but...everything I had was recently lost when a bear chased me out of my home." His voice was bitter as he sulked about the thought. Worst time of year to be chased out by a stupid bear...

Grimoire an interesting name. He wasn’t familiar with his family name, but the boy went on to explain some of his lineage. Despite finding himself a hermit now, he descended from a line of leaders. Perhaps he was feeling his age, but he found himself sympathising with this wolf. He knew what it was like to see packs crumble around him, and a part of Seer would always wonder how long his own legacy would last. “I’m sorry for your loss” he said simply. Putting the boy's own age as close to that of his grandchildren.

“It sounds as if you find yourself in a difficult position. The Armada is well prepared for winter, and we could use a wolf native to the North. Perhaps you would like to join us?” he eyed the man, who was a descendent of leaders, and wondered what he might bring to the Armada.


"Speech"

Art by Salt

He nodded his head in a small gesture of thanks when Sirius offered his condolences. He missed his parents. Had learned a few things in the short time he had them, but it was just enough to survive in the wilds. "It sounds as if you find yourself in a difficult position. The Armada is well prepared for winter, and we could use a wolf native to the North. Perhaps you would like to join us?” He glanced at Sirius in thought. Well, he wasn't wrong about his being in a difficult position. That was for damn sure. He still intended on going back for his things, but as a loner, he didn't have the manpower to go head to head with the beast alone. Maybe in a few days' time, he'd see if someone could help him, but right now, the smarter move would be to take Sirius up on his offer, no?

He mulled it over for a moment. He was hesitant. He wasn't one to blindly trust others, nor was he a fool enough to just waltz into something he knew little about. "I am interested. It's likely to benefit us both, but...I need to know what your pack is like first. Nothing against you, I just feel I should know what I'd be walking into were I to accept your offer." What was the pack like? Their laws? Their morals? He never really cared to learn of the packs that were strewn across Boreas or Auster. While he was still quite young, he often liked to make an informed decision before jumping in.

The Warlord inclined his head at the question, taking no offensive in the asking. “The Armada was first created as the first line of defence to protect another pack. Because of its roots, we specialise in fighting, and all wolves that join us will learn at least the basics of self defence.” He began, building an image of what the Armada used to be, as well as some of the expectations he would have for those that joined them.

“We have since grown into something independent, and we are now branching into something new entirely. We are building a market to promote neutrality and trade, but how that turns out is yet to be seen.” He admitted, a wry smile touching his lips. It was definitely a new direction for the pack. He nodded his head towards Grimoire. “You mentioned a bear driving you from your cave. Weather you join us or not, I’ll help you get your things back”


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“The Armada was first created as the first line of defense to protect another pack. Because of its roots, we specialize in fighting, and all wolves that join us will learn at least the basics of self-defense.” He nodded as he listened quietly. “We have since grown into something independent, and we are now branching into something new entirely. We are building a market to promote neutrality and trade, but how that turns out is yet to be seen.” A small tilt of his head expressed some interest, and he couldn't deny that the latter part interested him. So the pack had initially been created to protect another pack? Odd. Maybe the other pack wasn't that great if it needed others to protect them. Whatever the case for that was, it seemed the Armada had taken steps to become their own entity. Something that defined them as their own, and not defined by another. He could respect that.

"You mentioned a bear driving you from your cave. Whether you join us or not, I’ll help you get your things back” His ears perked up as a look of surprise crossed his features. He hadn't expected the offer for help so quickly, but he was glad nonetheless. He had precious heirlooms in that cave. The armor his father once wore that he still needed to enhance so it would fit him. The only thing that had stopped him from doing any work on it, was the fact he didn't want to accidentally damage it beyond repair. Of course, he had more than that in there...so the offer to help him retrieve it was a welcome one. "Thank you. I appreciate the offer." He took a deep breath as he considered what Sirius had offered him.

The smarter move would be to join a pack. Especially now that he was homeless. He knew about the northlands and everything about it, so that would help them. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided it was in his best interest at the moment to join. If he decided later that it wasn't for him, well...he'd have to wait and see. "I think joining your pack would be beneficial to the both of us. If you think I could be of some use, then I accept your offer of joining the Armada." One of those you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

The Warlord inclined his head as Grimoire accepted his offer. “Let's start with getting your things,” the Warlord said as he considered the best course from here. “Then we can get you settled in, and you can go over the pack rules and pick a den.” He explained. From there, he could assess Grimoire’s fighting abilities, and then he could pick a path within the Armada to match what he desired to learn or grow.

“But let me be the first to welcome you to the Armada” he said, and raised a paw, indicating for the other wolf to take the lead. After all, the Warlord did not know where this den he had been evicted from resided. Taking on a bear was always a tough call. After a moment of consideration, he whistled to Marshal, who lifted off his back and took off to the skies. He would fetch the Warlords other companions.


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Art by Salt

“Let's start with getting your things" The feeling that flared in his chest at being able to get his things sooner rather than later was indescribable. Sirius was going to help him collect his precious heirlooms! "Then we can get you settled in, and you can go over the pack rules and pick a den.” He nodded to the man, eager to get going. “But let me be the first to welcome you to the Armada” This was...definitely going to take some getting used to. Honestly, he had never thought about joining a pack up until recent events forced his paw.

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing what the future holds with the Armada." He stated before taking the lead and heading in the direction of his former home. His main focus now was securing his belongings, then after that, he'd follow the warlord back home. Or...well...back to the pack. It didn't feel right calling it home just yet...

-Exit?-