Keahi is up early, even earlier than normal for the red wolf. The sun is just beginning to rise as she sets about preparing for the day’s task. Since the pack is new to this land, there is still much to be done to make it safe. With her bear coat in place, the red wolf trots to the area where stones have piled for the walls to be built. Looking around, she finds one of the buckets and gathers it up to trot over to Ruga’s forage where she finds the cement he had made for them. Placing the bucket down, she takes a large scoop of the cement before turning to gather four scoops of the nearby sand. Carefully, Keahi churns the mixture, making it into mortar for the wall.

Returning the bucket to the building area, the red wolf retrieves the other one and repeats the progress before she is ready to begin working. The area has already been measured out, the number of stones and how much mortar will be needed has already been considered by the Master of Arms. Stepping up to the marked-up area, Keahi begins to dig out where the bottom of the wall will be. They will plant the first set of stones in the ground and build up from there, so she digs.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Seeing as how his den and workshop were very close to one of the entrances they were planning to wall up and narrow in so that they were easier to defend, he was pretty eager to get that project going. He didn't necessarily think that he was unsafe where he was and was pretty capable of defending himself, but the sun came in pretty brightly in the mornings as it was and the one straight path from his den back out into the larger area let light shine right into his face so he hoped maybe the wall would help block some of it. That being the case, he had helped get together all the supplies and mix together the stuff they would need for the concrete. Luckily he still had a good amount on hand from building his forge so he didn't have to go far to get it prepared. He was told that he'd have a helper the next day to get it started so he got what he considered an early night—with the help of a couple of skins worth of mead.

The next morning, far too early for his liking, he heard shuffling and digging from outside and he groggily lifted his head, squinting and blinking against the sun that was shining in on him. He grumbled and pulled a fur over his face as he fought against the mild headache that was building in the back of his head until he remembered that he was supposed to be building a wall. A long, exasperated sigh left him and he reluctantly pulled himself up, giving himself a quick shake and grabbing a drink of water. By the time he begrudgingly made it out of his cave and to the main entrance he saw Keahi already hard at work digging away where the wall would go. "A little early, don't you think?" he mumbled as he came up beside her, looking at what she had done so far so he could see where he could jump in to get this over with.

"Ruga Amanto"

Paws pull at the frozen earth as it takes time and effort to break the frosty crust. Once through, red paws start to churn the dirt underneath, pulling up and away piles of dirt. When Ruga finds her, Keahi is elbows deep in the earth and about a quarter of the way up along the path of this side of the wall. Blue eyes turn to look up at the tired man and the red wolf gives him a knowing smile.

Panting slightly from the exertion, she deftly leaps out of the hole to crosses over to where a jug of water sits near the burning forage. The fire will keep the liquid from freezing and she pours herself a drink. Taking a long pull, she then turns to the tall Master of Arms and clears her throat before saying, “Mornin’ Ruga. I tried to be quiet but there are only many hours of light in the day and this will take a while.” Dirt clings to the fur of her red legs as she pours some more water for herself and offers the sleepy wolf a glass as well.

Putting the jug down, Keahi turns to the area she has been working and says, “I’m about a quarter of the way done digging out this side of the wall. Why don’t you grab a snack and then you can either start laying stones or help dig. It’s up to you.” Her smile is friendly as the red woman finishes off her drink water before returning to the broken earth to work.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga grunted in response to her greeting and her assurances that while she had tried to be quiet there was only so many hours of light to get this done in. He waved the not-quite-apology off with a motion of his paw. "It's fine." It was his mistake for having too much to drink the night before and not anticipating that she would want to start digging the base for a wall at the crack of dawn. It didn't mean he was going to be in any better of a mood though. He took the water he was offered and downed it while she explained how much she had gotten done so far. He looked from the dug up dirt to her, forcing himself to give her a slight smile in return and nod as she suggested he get something to eat and then join her. "Sure." She walked off and he sighed before turning and walking into the seperate alcove where he kept his supplies, pulling out some pieces of dried meats to have a quick breakfast and hopefully make himself feel slightly move alive before he went out to face his morning glory and the dumb wall he was now regretting signing up for.

It didn't take him long before he was back outside with her, walking over to where she had continued to dig one side of the wall. He looked over to where the other half would need to be dug and he knew that would certainly be the easiest and less obtrusive option for him to take to just put his head down and start getting to work. He wasn't particularly in the mood for letting them both just work in peace though. He ended up joining her in digging this side of the wall, starting from the opposite corner than where she had begun so he could meet her somewhere toward the middle, but every once in a while he would "accidentally" kick up a clump of dirt toward her to either hit her with it or toss it over into where she had already dug. He didn't look up from what he was doing to see if he had aimed well enough though, keeping up a perfectly innocent act of a hung over man doing sloppy work.

"Ruga Amanto"

The red woman gets back to work, noting the sour disposition that the taller wolf has. As she jumps down into the trench, Keahi wonders if he is just really sleepy or if he is always like this. The thought is quickly banished as she easily falls back into the rhythm of digging, the frozen earth finally moving more easily under her paws. Ruga rejoins her at some point and joins in the excavating process. The first time a clod of dirt smacks into her red coat, the tropical wolf turns wide, surprised eyes to her working partner. Hmm. He must have just been really careless. Head bows as she returns to work, ignoring the errant clump of flying dirt. They continue along, Ruga and her sides growing closer and closer and the clumps of dirt begin to fly more and more.

When a huge clod smacks Keahi in the head, she has to stop and swipe the dirt out of her eyes and is forced to blink away tears as some of the grit grinds into the soft orbs. Huffing an annoyed sigh, the red woman leaps out of the trench and stalks over to the water jug, pouring herself a cup of water and taking a long drink. Blue eyes rimmed with red, turn to the grumpy man and she watches him for a moment, considering how to defuse his anger. Downing the rest of her water, the red wolf walks over to where the man works and says, “Hey Ruga, when you're done digging, why don’t you take a break? Seems like you could use a nap. I’m going to start laying the stones.”

Keahi knows she can build the wall by herself and she doesn’t really need a grumpy wolf trying to hinder her work. It might take her twice as long but she can work long into the night to finish their section. Hopefully the wind won’t knock over too many things over tonight…


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga noticed the sound of the woman's digging stop with a huff and he had a hard time keeping a hint of a grin off of his lips while he continued working at the ground. Maybe he felt a little bad for annoying her when she was just trying to do her job, but she just came across as such an up tight hard working type that he just couldn't resist ruffling her feathers a bit. There was a pause as she walked away for a bit, maybe to wash the dirt off of her face or something—he didn't know. Eventually though she reappeared at the edge of the hole he was just about done digging, causing him to glance up at her as she suggested that he go take a nap. Now that he was a bit more awake he wasn't quite so grumpy, but instead had found a whole new enjoyment out of bothering this very prim and proper wolf.

He bit back a chuckle at her suggestion and instead told her, "No, I couldn't possibly leave you with all this work. What kind of pack mate would I be if I did that?" He finished up the last bit of the digging under his paws, the first trench now fully dug. Hopping up beside her he tossed her a grin and added, "Besides, it's definitely not a nap I need... but I don't think you'd want to give me what I need." His grin widened and he gave her a wink before he went over to where the second half of the wall would start to begin digging up the hard ground while she worked on placing the first layer of stones.

"Ruga Amanto"

It normally isn’t easy to phase the cool-headed Keahi but being pelted with dirt while trying to work has gotten her hackles up. By the time she steps up to where Ruga is working, a silent anger bubbles underneath her blue eyes. The suggestion was the red woman’s passive-aggressive way of suggesting that the man take a hike but he easily plays it off. It earns the man raised eyebrows and, when he hops up beside her, narrowed eyes. His next words have the tropical wolf’s anger disappearing as she chuckles lightly, realizing that Ruga seems to be more interested in women then work. Catching his sea foam green eyes with her electric blue gaze, the hard edge that had been in them softens and she says, “Don’t think I’m your type handsome. However, if you need to go plow someone before you can work, feel free to.”

His wink is answered by a small shake of her red head and a chuckle as the pair split up to continue the work. While the taller wolf digs, Keahi moves to the pile of stones and buckets of mortar and picks out a long, flat rock. Carefully, the red woman maneuvers the stone to the trenches edge before returning to the pile to fetch a bucket of mortar. Setting it near the edge of the trench, she then grabs the next stone and settles near the edge as well.

Before moving back to the pile for a third time, Keahi looks to where Ruga is digging and says, “Hey Ruga. Since we are going to be working on this for a while, what do you say we play a little game? Let’s call it… tit-for-tat.” A playful grin spreads across her red lips as she adds, “Nothing bad just… I’ll tell you something about myself and then you have tell me something about yourself. The only rule is you have to be truthful. Other than that…” she shrugs her red shoulders to show that she doesn’t care what he says, as long it is the truth. Moving on to grab the next stone and move it to the edge, she begins the game by saying, “My family lived on an island before I… landed here. The island was called Hawai’i and I miss it.”

As Keahi continues to work, her blues eyes glance over to Ruga and waits to hear what he has to say.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga was genuinely surprised when the blue-eyed woman made a comment about not being his type, but gave him a pass to go plow someone so he could work. A snort of laughter left him and he tossed her another grin over his shoulder and replied, "Oh, darling, if I had someone to plow that's exactly where I'd be right now, don't you worry about that." If she had started out this whole thing with comments like that maybe he wouldn't have been so hard on her from the get go. It seemed like he had rattled her up enough to loosen her a bit through so all in all mission felt accomplished. The headache from his hangover was starting to dissipate and he felt slightly more alive now that the water and food he had was working through his system. Perhaps he could be a bit more agreeable for her now.

He went to work on digging out the trench for the second half of their project and after a while of working in silence his ear twitched as she called over to him, making him look up from where he was working to look at her with his light green eyes catching her bright blue. She laid out the idea and rules of a "game" which essentially just equated to sharing facts about one another with the only real rule being that they had to be true. He chuckled softly and gave a little shrug, replying, "Sure, why not." It wasn't like he really had anything to hide anyway. She started them off, telling him about her former island home and how she missed it. "Island girl, eh? Sounds like a much more appealing place to live than this. I could see why you miss it," he replied with another chuckle, tossing her a grin. He kept digging a bit while he decided where to start before he told her, "I didn't really grow up in any particular place. My family was traveling craftsman and just went wherever the work was. We hopped from pack to pack depending on where the fight was usually since those were the places that needed armor the most."

"Ruga Amanto"

The tall Master of Arms seems genuinely surprised when the unassuming Keahi offers to him a free pass to go plow someone before he works. Another chuckle falls from her fiery lips as Ruga replies to her offer and she takes on a playful, mischievous, contemplative look. Softly humming to herself, she locks eyes with the older wolf and teasingly says, “I don’t know love… I haven’t really seen any of the ‘plowing’ type here. Must be very frustrating for a handsome one such as yourself.” This time she offers him a cheery laugh, turning back to her work to begin moving stones into place along the trench’s edge. She offers a game to Ruga, which he accepts, and Keahi gives him the name of her island. It is strange, giving such an important piece of information to the taller male.

Since she has arrived, Keahi has tried to keep the pack members at arm’s length, throwing herself into helping while also trying to keep her personal life out of equation. She had given Sirius small glimpses into her past but not this, not a full picture that she freely offered. Ruga’s voice has a wistful smile appearing as she turns to move back to piles of stones that need to be moved as she softly says, “It was beautiful Ruga. Warm all year round and volcanos that oozed lava like slow wounds from deep within the earth. It was… home.” Looking to Ruga, she offers a small, sad smile before moving the next stone to the edge, ears perking when he offers up a bit of his own story. She nods, wanting to ask if he enjoyed that life but the game is only about offering information, not having to answer questions.

Moving the last stone of the fist row next to the trench, Keahi looks to where the taller man works and says, “My family were called wayfinders. We traveled the ocean on canoes, finding lands for our tribe to spread out to. We always returned home. As long as there are stars in the sky, I know my way home.” The red wolf doesn’t realize that her head has tilted back to look up at the sky even though the sun is well on its way toward its zenith. Giving her head a shake, she makes the short jump down into the trench and pulls the bucket of mortar down to her level. Using her paws to pack down any loose dirt, Keahi then pulls the first stone down into the trench. A long, flat tool hangs from the handle of the bucket and she carefully gathers it with her mouth.

Taking small lump of the mortar, Keahi slaps it onto the side of the placed stone and scraps it down the side that will come in contact with next laid stone. Replacing the tool, she scoots the bucket backward and pulls the stone from the side of the trench to butt up against the pervious stone. She continues the process while listening to everything Ruga has to say.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga raised a brow at Keahi as she made a comment about the frustrating lack of 'plowing' worthy individuals around here, tacking on a compliment about him being handsome. It pulled a salacious grin to his lips as he muttered, "Frustrating indeed." If nothing else Keahi had made him completely reconsider his first impressions of her and peeked his interest in a way that he hadn't had in quite some time. He got to work while they kicked off their game of sharing information and he glanced up at her as she spoke wistfully about her home island and how beautiful it was. Even just from the description alone he would have much rather been there than here and it made him want to ask why she didn't go back, but that wasn't part of the game, now was it?

He finished up digging one side of the trench to the right depth and was moving to the other side when Keahi spoke up with the next fact about herself, describing her family as 'wayfinders'. It sounded like a very peaceful, fun way of life, at least from the brief description she gave, and when he glanced up at her and saw her looking toward the sky for the stars she spoke about it made him wonder what it was like to have somewhere that you were so fond of and attached to that you would day dream about it like this. There were places he enjoyed being and he liked living in Armada well enough, but he couldn't say he had ever felt as attached to one place as Kaehi seemed to be to her home. It was an interesting difference between the wayfinder and the vagabond he supposed.

That put the ball back in his court for what to tell her while he continued to dig and she began to mortar together the stones she was laying. At first he struggled to think of something that stood out to him from his life that he could share. None of it really seemed as interesting to him as the canoe traveling, island hopping wayfinder, but maybe that was simply because he had lived it. There were plenty of stories about things he had created, battles he had witnessed, and places he had been, but those weren't really about him. He quickly realized this was one of the first times he was really being forced to talk about himself and he wasn't sure if he really enjoyed the self reflection it was causing.

Still, it seemed like she was being very genuine with him and sharing important things about herself and he wanted to return the favor—especially after the hard time he gave her to begin with. He didn't look up from his digging as he spoke once he did finally come up with something to share, not really caring to see her reaction when he said it since it wasn't something he really liked to discuss. "Even though I'm a blacksmith and my entire craft revolves around armor, weapons, and battle... I hate the wars I've contributed to. I know how to fight out of necessity and for protection, but I never actually want to hurt anyone. I left my family because they only focused on what they could gain from their skills and would just sell these deadly weapons indiscriminately, regardless of who's paws they were ending up in." He paused his digging, staring down at his paws for a moment before he glanced up, pointing a dirt covered paw at her. "But if you tell anyone I'll call you a liar."

"Ruga Amanto"

They banter back and forth and Keahi feels herself relaxing more and more as they talk. It has been difficult for her since her impromptu arrival and she has tried not to get too attached to the other’s in her pack, believing that will protect her from any heartache that is surely to come along. Yet… Ruga is reminding the red woman that is okay to be herself, that it is normal to have friends. She wistfully shares about her family being wayfinders before moving to begin mortaring the stones into place. The tall Master of Arms continues to dig and shares about his own family of blacksmiths. His statement is a surprise to the tropical wolf and she pauses a moment to lift her head and look at Ruga. As soon as he is done, he pauses and points a dirt covered paw at her, telling her that if she told anyone he will call her a liar.

A small smile appears on her lips as she shakes her head and says, “I’m not going to tell anyone Ruga. You have my word.” To her a word is binding, the highest form of a promise that cannot be broken. Turning back to her work, Keahi continues to lay her first row of stones as she says, “In Hawai’i, we value malama aina. Oh gosh how to explain it…” Her voice trails off for a second as she smacks some mortar onto a stone and spreads it, humming in thought as she tries to think of the correct words. After a few moments of humming, her voice once again fills the air, “We have a strong connection to our land and it is our profound kuleana… uh duty, to be the stewards of the land. We must ensure that everyone, including the future generations can thrive on the bounty of all that the island has to offer.”

With the last stone of the first row placed, Keahi puts the bucket of mortar back up on the edge of the lip and steps out of the hole. Moving to where the pile of materials is, she begins lining up more stones along the edge, while saying, “Since our people first settled on the island, it took care of us. It gave us food, nourishment for our body and our souls. It took care of us when we needed it and now the new generation will be taught how to respect and care for it.” A happy smile is on her lips as she begins to place and mortar the second layer of stones while she listens to Ruga.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga gives a small nod as Keahi promises not to reveal his secret, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips before he lowers his paw and goes back to his work. He wasn't too far from being done with this trench so he tried to push through it and hurry to get it done. The cold dirt was not exactly pleasant to dig through and it made him wonder if they shouldn't have just dealt with not having these walls up until at least spring. As he was finishing Keahi began to speak again, starting to tell him about something called "malama aina" and he kept his ears turned toward her to listen while his sea foam gaze was fixed on the ground in front of him so he could make sure the trench he was digging didn't start going off course.

The more Keahi told him about her life on the islands and the group she used to live with the more it sounded like some kind of higher plane of responsibility and existence that he couldn't even really begin to imagine living himself. Most of his life was simply just making things work as he went and for the most part just looking out for himself. Sure, he had wolves occasionally that he gave a shit about and now that he had been living in Armada for some time now that was becoming a more permanent occurrence, but he couldn't say he had ever really considered the impact he had on the world or that he should even care about that sort of thing. Still, Keahi had a way of not making it sound like she was better than anyone else because she lived this way like some wolves he had come across did so he respected her for it.

By now he had finished digging the trench and he stepped out onto the ground around it and giving himself a small shake. Looking to where Keahi was working he saw her beginning to lay down the mortar with the next layer of stones at the ready and he walked over beside her, taking the job of laying the stone in place after she had put down a layer of the mortar, helping their wall building to go a bit faster. He knew it was his turn to continue their little game of personal facts and he paused for a bit while he tried to think of something good before finally sharing, "Can you believe my parents started teaching me how to do leather work before they taught me how to fight or hunt?" He chuckled softly, sliding another stone into place in the wall. "Sometimes I think they just had kids to have built in workers. Maybe my great grand parents or something had better intentions with all of it, but by the time it got to my generation it was only about making as many weapons and armor as possible and getting rich off of it." He sat another stone in place and scoffed, adding, "Their work was never as good as mine though because they didn't take the time on the pieces they made or put any creativity into it. I was always the one the alphas would ask for when they were commissioning something special. Sometimes I wonder whatever came of them after I left them and if they ever figured out that they were being fucking assholes with all of it." Glancing up at Keahi he grinned and said, "Pardon my language."

"Ruga Amanto"

Mortar is laid and stone by stone, the wall grows while the two red wolves reveal more and more about themselves. Since Keahi arrived in these lands she didn’t see any reason to share much personal information with others but now, working with Ruga and playing their ‘game’… it is refreshing to be so honest and bold about things. After she finishes talking, a comfortable silence falls between them and the russet male finishes digging the other trench. He then leaps out, giving his coat a small shake before joining her. She smiles warmly to the taller male as he takes up the task of laying the stones while she continues to spread mortar.

With both of them working together, the speed at which the wall is being built increases. Soon, Ruga’s voice once again fills the air and she listens intently to every word he says. He speaks of his parent, a soft chuckle escaping as he slides another stone into place and Keahi watches him out of the side of her eye. She continues to work, prepping the area for the next stone and the next will listening to what he has to say. Understanding slowly takes hold in the young woman’s mind and sadness fills her heart for the tall Ruga. While she cannot fathom what it must feel like to think you are only in this world because your Master of Arms.

He continues on, pondering aloud about what might have happened to them, using a couple choice words before glancing to her. Ruga grins and asking for her to pardon his language to which, Keahi replies with a genuine laugh. Blue eyes meet his sea-foam green gaze, the corners of her eyes crinkling with joy as she asks, “Pardon you for what? Don’t all wolves around here use words like that? Or… are they forbidden?” Dark eyebrows lift in curiosity, as she fleeting wonders if she might have missed a sign posted about it when she landed. With a smirk her focus returns to her work, prepping the area for the next stone to be laid as she asks, “Doesn’t everyone cuss? I mean… it is very… freeing. Sometimes you just need to shout ‘fuck’.”

Eyes dance with mirth as the final stone of the row is laid and Keahi moves back to the pile once again dragging the next set into place as she ponders what should tell him. She is silent for a long time, feeling a growing, yet welcome, ache in her muscles from the work that are doing while she tries to think of something to tell him. Her mind turns from subject to subject, trying to avoid the one thing she absolutely does not want to share. As her red paws settle the last stone in the row, Ruga’s bigger paw gently bumps against her’s as he moves to pull it toward him and Keahi’s gaze suddenly snaps up to his.

Emotions laze blue eyes brightly behind them, hurt, dread, longing, loneliness. The boil and churn as Keahi blurts out, “I got all of my crew killed and I can never return home because of it.” A lump settles in her throat, cutting off anything else she might say. The red woman allows her eyes to slide away from Ruga and she silently, she moves to gather up the bucket of mortar while working to regain control over her erratic emotions. By the time Keahi returns to where the tall wolf waits, the emotions that had seethed behind her deep blue gaze have calmed, the raging tempest is now no more than rolling waves.

Taking a deep breath, the tropical wolf slaps some mortar down and explains, “Back home, when we reached two years of age, we are allowed to start piloting our own boats in search of new lands to gather supplies from.” It is easy to fall into a rhythm while building the wall; mortar, stone, mortar, stone… so Keahi relaxes her body while replaying the events that led her here. Softly, she continues, “I was given six others to help with the ocean crossing. Six wolves… six families who will never see their loved ones again.” Shame fills her chest and chokes off the words that would have followed next. She has to clear her throat before continuing, “It was a freak accident, a storm we had been watching shifted course and… and it was too much for our small boat. Somehow… I lived, found my way to the lands down in the South.”

Another, short pause falls while a sad sigh escapes before Keahi finishes, “I knew I had to honor their memory and continue to live. It is… what I was raised to do. Life is for the living after all. And that is why I am here… to live.” Eyes dart to Ruga as she offers a smile. However, the one that pulls at her lips is smaller, dimmer then the ones she had offered Ruga before and it quickly falls away. With her deep, dark secret revealed, Keahi lapses into silence as they continue to work.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Ruga couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him as she questioned him on the 'forbidden' nature of curse words and for a moment he couldn't tell if she was serious or not, but the amusement in her expression told him she was in on the joke. "Hey, ya never know what's going to offend someone! Besides, somewhere in all of those leather working and blacksmithing lessons there was something about how to treat a lady and I'm pretty sure that included not cursing in front of them." He chuckled as they continued on about their work. It was tiring, but in a good way that he liked. It was the same kind of pull and strain that he felt on his muscles after a long day of working at the forge so he didn't mind the repetitive work of picking up a stone and putting it into place as Keahi laid down the mortar for him.

It was quiet for a while and just as he was beginning to wonder if maybe they had finally run out of stuff to talk about for their 'game' his paw brushed hers as he was leaning in to place a stone. He glanced up and when he saw her expression he realized she hadn't run out of things to say, she had been struggling with saying it. When their eyes met that seemed to unlock something and suddenly she burst out with the secret she had been hiding. The easy smile that had been lingering on his lips fell away as she admitted to getting to getting her crew killed and that being the reason that she couldn't go home. Well, that certainly answered his silent question before he ever got a chance to ask it. "Keahi..." he said softly as she started to move away to get more mortar, but he couldn't think of anything else to say in that moment—or at least nothing else that felt comforting or constructive. He sighed softly and waited for her to return to their work, a frown tugging at his lips.

He couldn't believe that she would willingly do something like that and once she came back and settled into their work again she continued to speak, explaining what actually happened and how she had wound up in that situation. Just as he had suspected it hadn't been malicious in any way. An accident, a freak storm they couldn't have predicted. The guilt she had from being the only survivor out of the crew she was leading was obvious and it made a surprising amount of emotion clench at his chest for her. He already knew that anything he tried to reassure her of wouldn't really help—at least not right now. He wasn't exactly the best wolf to come to with guilt or grief, but here they were and for the first time in a long time he had some kind of genuine connection with someone so he did want to help her feel better, even if he was horrible at it.

She didn't turn her gaze to his again until after she mentioned how she was honoring their memory by continuing to live and when she did it was only for a moment with a small, half-hearted smile that barely lasted a moment. His ears flicked uncertainly, trying to find something to say, and ultimately failing. As far as he was concerned their game was done for now and his attention had fully been placed on the red-hued woman beside him. There was just a few stones left to finish this layer of the wall so he waited till they were finished so that the mortar she had laid down wouldn't go to waste, but before she could start the next layer he reached out and placed his paw over hers, giving her a soft, warm smile. "Lets take a break," he insisted. He wasn't good at consoling or working through difficult issues, but he was very good at distracting and hopefully getting a smile back on her face.

With how they were standing, his side was right next to hers and when he looked down to her his muzzle was just inches from hers. A little grin tugged at his lips and he gave her paw a gentle squeeze. He was most certainly not the poster child for how to handle things in any kind of healthy manner, but what he was really good at was finding more entertaining emotions to drown the other ones out with. Lifting her paw to his lips, he gave her russet toes a soft kiss and chuckled, interest and intrigue lingering in his gaze. "Maybe we could circle back to what I needed instead of a nap if you want," he rumbled with a chuckle. Releasing her paw, he nodded for her to follow and he led her across to where his workshop was, moving through it to his den that was just around a small bend into a small cave.

Picking up a water skin, Ruga took a long drink of the cool water before passing it to Keahi and settling onto his haunches on a wide fur that was spread across the floor in front of a larger mound of furs that made up his bed. After a moment of silence and thought he told her, "I'm um... I'm really sorry that happened." he told her quietly, knowing he couldn't just completely gloss over what she had shared without seeming like a complete ass. "But... If you just want to forget for a while... I could certainly help with that." Was it bold of him to make these kinds of offers when they had only just met and she had just revealed her deepest secrets to him? Yes, of course it was. But he somehow also felt like he had just found his best friend and there was only one thing he could think of doing with his best friends.

"Ruga Amanto"

The banter that the red wolves share is easy and light and her question about if curse words are forbidden is met with a moment of confusion from Ruga. Keahi manages to keep a serious face, even getting her brows to furrow slightly to keep the charade up. The tall Master of Arms sees the amusement hidden in her expression and his answer is met with hearty laugh from the tropical wolf as she says, “Who ever said I was a lady? Besides, I hear women have more fun anyway.” Blue eyes dance with joy as she tilts her head to the side, a playful smiling dancing along her red lips. Ah, but it is her turn to share something. At first the red woman is stumped, searching for some odd fact the man might finding interesting. The one fact that she absolutely does not want to share keeps tickling the back or her mind, forcing her thoughts to come back to it again and again.

Ruga is silent as they continue to work and when their paws touch, Keahi can’t help but blurt out the most painful truth in her life. The soft call of name has the tropical wolf shaking her head and she turns away to grab more mortar while working to order her racing thoughts. They work, she talks and, in the end, the happiness and light-heartedness that had filled the area mere minutes before disappears. They lay the row of stones in silence, the tropical wolf silently trying to rebuild the wall she had kept around her heart in the hopes of keeping herself from getting too attached to anyone. Is Ruga disappointed in her? Is he disgusted? She cannot look at him, afraid of what she might find in those sea-foam depths. He carefully lays the last brick of the row and, as she moves to gather her tool to lay more mortar, a large paw comes to rest over her own.

Confused, Keahi turns her ocean blues up to the man’s soft sea foam greens and red brows furrow as she begins to brush off the suggestion of a break. But the fact that his muzzle is inches from her own has the tropical wolf’s words dying on her tongue as she breathes in his scent. The small grin that Ruga has forces her own lips to twitch up at the corners and, as he gives her paw a gentle squeeze, something stirs in her belly. As he lifts her paw to his lips and gives her russet toes a soft kiss, a light chuckle bubbles out of her mouth. Gazes meet and Keahi sees the interest and intrigue in Ruga’s eyes and she gives a small laugh at the words that rumble out of his mouth followed a chuckle. He releases her paw and nods for her to follow and the red woman does not ruin the moment with words, instead allowing her dirt caked pads to lightly follow after the Master of Arms.

Once in his den, Ruga picks up a water skin and takes a long pull from it before passing it off to Keahi. The tropical wolf gratefully drinks the cool liquid, watching as the taller male moves to sit on a wide fur that is spread across the floor in front of a mound of furs that must be his bed. She lowers the water skin from her red lips, watching as he quietly offers up words of apology. Dipping her head is silent thanks, Ruga then offers to help her forget about everything for a while. Blue eyes fall to the water skin that is in her paws and Keahi muses to herself for a moment. There is no denying the attraction she feels to the handsome blacksmith but she also doesn’t want to be his pity fuck, only bedded because he feels bad for her and he might eventually grow to regret. Well… there is only one way to remedy that.

Looking at Ruga, she says, “I wouldn’t mind forgetting things for a long time. But… just remember… we do have a wall to finish building.” A spark of mirth is back in her bright blue eyes as she lays the water skin aside and moves over to where the tall wolf sits. Keahi stands and places both of paws on either side his face to pull him down to her level and she plants a passionate kiss on his lips while her tongue darts out to lick at his mouth. He smells of sweat, earth, and leather and the red woman feels the stirring in her belly once more. When they break the kiss, she climbs atop the mound of furs and waits for him to join her.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He had no idea how she would respond to his offer of helping her forget her troubles for a time, especially considering how their day together had started and the gravity of what she had admitted to him. She very well could have been offended by the offer and walked away and he wouldn't have blamed her, but luckily it seemed like she had felt the connection that he had as well and when he made the suggestion because she agreed fairly easily and that glint that had been in her sapphire gaze before had returned. Her words made a sly grin pull across his muzzle, but before he could respond she stood and moved over to him, surprising him by clasping his face between her paws and pulling him down into a passionate kiss. A pleased, surprised hum escaped him as he quickly melted into the sudden affection and returned her kiss, his lips pressing hard to hers and that familiar heat and clench of desire in his core rose to the surface. He only tasted her mouth and was surrounded by her scent for just a moment before she pulled away again and his sea foam eyes blinked open to watch her move over to the mound of furs that awaited them.

A toothy grin crossed his lips as he eagerly got up to join her and he quickly jumped up beside her, hooking a foreleg around her waist and playfully knocking her down into the furs, turning her onto her back so that she was laying under him and he could look down into those stunning sapphire eyes. He was never shy about his flirting or advance to pretty much any beautiful female that would allow it, but with Keahi it had been different and somehow that made him even more ravenous for her than he would have been otherwise. The cat and mouse game he usually played was fun, but getting to know someone the way he had gotten to know Keahi in their brief amount of time together felt different in the best way he could have imagined. "Forget the wall..." he rumbled low in his chest with a chuckle before leaning down to press his lips to hers in another heated kiss. He settled down over top of her so that every inch of their chests and stomachs were pressed together while he got another taste of her mouth. One foreleg remained tight around her waist, keeping her held firmly against him, while his other paw slipped behind her head to hold her to him, making out with her with an eager hunger that he hadn't gotten a chance to satisfy in quite some time.

He didn't let their lips part until he was breathless and even more enamored by this spitfire of a woman, grinning down at her with desire burning hot in his gaze. Slowly, he started to acquaint himself with her body as he worked his way down her neck, chest, and stomach, scattering all kinds of affections along her russet furred form. He took his time, savoring this chance to have her like this just in case it was the only time he got to have this. His kisses and nibbles graced her skin all along her torso, his teeth gently catching her fur and teasing her skin as he worked his way over every inch of her. "You're absolutely stunning," he rumbled again against the inner portion of her thigh, looking up along her body at her with a sly grin, leaving another kiss there before starting a trail of kisses to even more intimate and sensitive places, learning all of her and what she liked as he enjoyed their time together and pulled out every trick in the book to remind her why there was even more reasons to keep living than just to honor her fallen compatriots.

"Ruga Amanto"

Some wolves shy away from their sexuality, pretending that they don’t feel passion or love… or even lust. Keahi is comfortable with herself, with who she is and what she likes and Ruga is an extremely handsome wolf. Their game of sharing information had shown vulnerable sides that both wolves might not have so freely given under other circumstances. But, with the sharing, came a connection and the red woman is eager to explore it further. She speaks, quickly stepping up to capture his lips with her own, passion evident in her sudden kiss. Ruga gives a surprised, pleased hum and Keahi’s red lips twitch in an amused smirk against his. His scent fills her nose, the earthy aroma of dirt, the tang of sweat, and the dark, luxurious smell of leather igniting a deep burning need inside her.

Keahi breaks the kiss but only so she can climb atop the mound of furs, her blue eyes dancing with joy as he grins at her. Ruga quickly joins her, hooking a foreleg around her waist and playfully knocking the red woman onto the furs. A soft, joyful laugh follows her down and as she rolls onto her back to look up into those sea foam green eyes, a soft hum of pleasure passes her lips. The blue of Keahi’s eyes are normally the bright, crystal clear depths of a calm ocean. But right now, they are dark, chaotic, the crashing of waves on a stormy day against the pristine golden sands of a beach. Desire burns in their depths, a yearning to know Ruga more intimately. The man’s low tones talk about forgetting the wall, his voice causing his chest to vibrate as the words rumble past his lips.

A smile appears on red lips, teasing, alluring and she lifts her head to nibble gently on the man’s light cheek. Keahi’s nose ghosts over the fur her breath softly puffing into his fur. Her mouth nears his ear and she pauses, lifting her muzzle until it almost pressed into his ear. “Make me…” A tease, a challenge… an invitation. Their lips meet again, sparks flashing in blue eyes as he lowers himself over her until every inch of them is touch. Red front legs move, bringing her claws to gently tense the sensitive skin of his belly for a moment. They quickly move upward, pads rubbing small circles into his sides as they pass. The kiss breaks and she gulps in a deep breath eagerly. Ruga isn’t gone long, kisses and nibbles begin to pepper her chest.

Soft, pleased moans begin to fall freely from red lips and her eyelids flutter as he hits all the right spots. Her paws are moving again, rubbing along his strong, muscled sides. His ministrations pause and a sad, confused sound fills the air as her eyelids flutter back open, lust darkening her blues until they are almost black. Ruga’s words bring an enthralling smile to Keahi’s lips and he begins to kisser her more passionately. He hits the sensitive spots, the tender areas that send her heart fluttering and head spinning.  She enjoys his touch but it is her turn to show him just much she appreciates him.

Keahi suddenly shifts, moving to try and flip the taller man over on the furs with a joyful smile on her red lip. Once on top, she looks to him, an eagerness in her eyes that has not been there before and she whispers, “My turn.” She lays against his chest, tongue darting out to lick and kiss at him, trailing further and further down as she goes. Her belly tightens when she feels his muscles tense under her and a shiver of anticipation races along her spine.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He savored the taste he got of Keahi as he learned what she liked and what pulled the best reactions from her. Every woman he had been with was a little different and equally as special and unique in their own ways and preferences. Keahi was certainly no exception and he was more than happy to take his time with everything and let her revel in the pleasure he offered just as much as he was. It wasn't long though before the spit fire personality that he had caught glimpses of in their conversations showed itself again as his new partner as she shifted away from him and instead pushed him down into the furs. Looking up at her with a mix of surprise and eager lust, a toothy grin lingers on his muzzle as his paws lifted up to her hips, his claws running slow circles through her fur and lightly over her skin. It wasn't all that often that he had women take charge like this but he was not at all complaining. He loved the similar eager need in her gaze and the sureness she had as she started to leave a trail of licks and kisses down along his chest and torso.

A breathy sigh of pleasure escaped him while he settled back into the furs to simply enjoy everything she did, his paws lightly trailing over her sides until she had moved out of reach. Light shivers of need moved through him with each teasing affection that made his core tighten and his muscles tremble under her touch. His large paw caressed the top of her head and her cheek encouragingly, his breathing picking up into light panting the further she went. Eventually he couldn't restrain his reactions any more as she reached the parts of him that were desperately in need of attention and his head fell back into the furs with a low groan, his claws lightly scratching between her ears as his eyes rolled back and fluttered closed. "Keahi..." he moaned as he fully lost himself to the amazing things she was doing to him. It really had been quite a while since he had gotten to be with anyone like this, but even if his pent up needs weren't a factor he would still be just as enthralled with Keahi and lost in the lust she had sparked in him.

He let himself be at her mercy for a while, letting her guide the direction of their evening and enjoying everything that she offered him, but eventually he craved even more than this and in the haze and heat of his passion and desire he pulled away from her and instead hooked his paws around her to pull her back up beside him, rolling with her until he was over top of her again. One of his strong forelegs held her steady by her waist with his body resting lightly on top of hers. Everywhere they touched it felt like electricity was dancing along his skin and when his green-hued eyes met the blue of hers he was absolutely lost in the cool pools of her gaze. His free paw held the back of her head as he kissed her deeply and passionately, holding her as if he might never get the chance to do it again and he needed to take it all in right now in this moment. His hips moved to hers with a muffled groan against her lips, but he stopped just short of joining them together. Instead he broke his lips from hers his heavy lidded eyes finding hers again with a silent question, waiting to know if this was what she wanted as well and if he could fully show her how she made him feel.

"Ruga Amanto"

Ruga works her and is rewarded with moans of pleasure. Some of them long and deep, others panted from between clenched teeth as she tries not to bite her tongue. Eyelids flutter, revealing the ocean blues that lie underneath. Lust feels them but something more… a deeper need that cannot be properly voiced. Sometimes, the blues fully disappear behind red eyelids when he reaches a new to place to explore. Keahi’s muscles twitch with the softest touch of him… become taunt as ropes when he deepens the kisses to her tender belly and relax when he backs off. She hums in appreciation for the masterful work that Ruga has shown her and as he rumbles his own gratitude for her, the red woman flips the script.

Keahi takes control, pushing him down onto the furs while softly humming to him. The look of surprise and eager yearning that he gives her has a mischievous smile playing along red lips as she leans in to capture his dark lips with her own. Gods, he is so handsome. His paws lift to her hips, claws running slowly through her red fur as she takes over. Breaking the kiss, she quickly moves to begin, at first only planting gentle kisses on his throat. Each exhale of her breath pushes gently at his fur, reminding her of the nearness of him. Then Ruga’s scent once again feels her nostrils and she greedily drinks it in, moving down to pepper his muscled chest with kisses while her tongue darts out here and there and teeth nibble at choice area as she goes.

His claws near leave her fur, shifting with her as Keahi moves until his large paw is caressing her cheek. Blue eyes flick up to his sea foam gaze, a smile tugging at her lips as she continues to work. Her own red paws begin to work the outside of his hips, her claws ghostly lightly over the skin there. Ruga moans her name and the red woman smiles while continuing to work, losing herself in his pleasure as much as her own. She teases, satisfies, plays with, and gratifies the man in equal turns, only stopping when he pulls away to move her back up to him. He rolls over once again and she happily surrenders to him, her own building needs screaming to be answered.

She sees it in his eyes that the electricity that dances along their hot skins connects them. Her gentle ocean blues have softened, the eager lust replaced by a quiet plead for intimacy. One of his arms holds her hips and the other cradles the back of her head in a surprising show of tenderness that Keahi had not expected. Her own arms reach up to wrap around his neck and shoulders as Ruga kisses her deeply and passionately. The tropical woman holds onto him, losing herself in his presence. She feels his hips moving, his groan against her lips making the edges of her lips curl upward for a moment. He breaks the kiss, his heavy-lidded eyes finding her yearning cool blues, a soft smile on red lips as she once again recaptures his lips and waits for him to fulfill the unspoken promise of his hips.

-fade-

"Keahi Mogotsi"