Now that Mercury was feeling better, his injuries tended to, she felt up to taking him to the Gorge. The pair walked side by side best they could, with the young man's longer legs keeping a steady but wide stride. Wren walked a bit quicker to keep up with him, all things considered. "So, what do you think?" she asked him, twisting her neck to look up at him. Asteria had been near the waves, so they were both used to water.

"This'll be Menagerie's base of operations!" Wren broke from Mercury's side to dash ahead, laughing. Her body language was carefree and friendly... Maybe at ease. More than both of them had been in a long time. "did you settle down at the Cove?" No doubt Sirius had put aside a space for the pack members as he promised. He was good at his word "if you're hurting still, I can find food..." She wasn't sure how to act around Mercury on a regular basis.

"Speech"

Mercury was more than pleased to be shown the territory that would likely become their home. Walking side by side with his childhood friend as they departed the Armada territory. Everything in this land was new to him, and the towering redwood trees caught his eye as they passed quietly beneath them.

“Where's the ocean from here?” he asked, trying to get his bearings as they arrived. If he wanted to rebuild any sort of ship, he wanted to know how far he would have to travel. As for the land itself… It sat in a bowl of the earth. Stretching out before them in a territory large enough to host any sort of structure they might want for the pack. There was a hint of spring to be found here in the budding earth. New life growing before then, like the perfect symbol of what they would build here. “I love it” he said softly.

Wren broke ahead then, and Mercury let out a laugh of his own. Not one to be outdone, he lengthened his stride and fell into a running gait as he sought to keep up with his Alpha. As he drew nearer, he attempted to swipe a paw at her side, almost unbalancing as he did so. “I did! It’s a good space for us until we move” he agreed.

"Speech"

"Ocean's all around us!" she replied to him as she ran "but to hit water quick, it'll be north or west or east!" She tried to dodge the swipe and jumped back, uttering a playful growl when she did "challenging me for the pack already?" Wren egged, wiggling her rump in the air "why, I didn't know you were the dethroning type!" She lifted her brows at him before launching. Rising as she neared the man, she rose up and hooked her front limbs around his massive neck.

"I won't go down so easy!" It was easier to forget the troubles of the world when you were with friends "for Menagerie!" Wren let out a challenge, attempting to balance as she held him. Her snout snaked forward, attempting to dig into his scruff. She growled but it was light-hearted at best. For once in a long time, she felt at ease. Playing. Laughing. It seemed like a dream to her. Second nature, before all the shit hit the fan. Probably.

"Speech"

He let out a playful snarl as his swipe missed her. She dodged to the side and teased him with her body and words. Wiggling her butt at him as she accustomed him of regicide. “I didn’t want my fathers kingdom, but I'm stealing yours!” he playfully snarled. This time, she came at him, hooking a limb around his neck. He let her, bringing her in close adn wrapping a paw around her back.

As she launched an attack at his scruff, he shoved his weight forward, attempting to topple down on top of her and pin her to the ground. He was careful to be gentle in his efforts to unbalance her. Aware of his greater size as they play fought.


"Speech"

"Ha!"

Cheek again! Wren growled a bit more forcefully, but all in good fun. Mercury let her come at him, and he retaliated. A hefty paw was wrapped around her back before he shoved her back. She was more or less dangling for a bit, letting out a startled yelp as she fell backward into his 'arms'. The yelp turned into a huff as she placed a paw against his chest, pushing him away.

He'd grown up. He's not a kid anymore. He's a man. Big, strong... Kinda cute. Wait, no. Don't think that.
Kinda hard not to when he was dipping her princess-style.
You're not a princess who needs to be saved!

Wren realized she had been staring at his blue eyes a bit. Starting, she began to push again. "Okay, fine. I concede!" she lamented dramatically "I'll just slink back to Armada, tail between my legs. Woe to Alpha Wren, who couldn't keep her pack from an ambitious prince!" She sighed, rolling her head back and 'pretending' to die.

Her tongue even stuck out.

"Speech"

He wasn’t entirely certain when she stopped fighting him. They were wrestling, and he was trying to throw her to the ground, and then she was in his arms, staring up at him. His own gaze caught on the blue of her own. So much warmer than his own, so much depth to them. Looking into his eyes as through they saw so much more of his soul then he wished to reveal.

And then the moment passed, and she was pushing against him. He wasn’t expecting it, so she would have managed it easy enough if she had pushed just a little harder. Instead, she conceded the fight to him, draping dramatically in his arms. He had to work to balance her sudden dead weight, and he realised her little tongue was peeking out of the corner. He looked down at the girl in his arms, and mischief or… something else, compelled him. “Oh, my Wren! Dear Wren! She’s dead” he wailed. “I have heard… I have heard a kiss can bring back the dead” he said out loud. ”But do I dare?” he continued, looking down at her for any reaction.


"Speech"

He fell for it.

Well, in the sense he was playing along. He didn't fall for the fact she was really dead. He didn't do anything to make that happen. Mercury certainly hadn't changed inwardly. He was still a troublesome little brat at the core, she thought affectionately. Always trailing after her with questions and offers of trading with Asteria. As the beta, she had been in charge of dealing with other packs. Especially their own members.

"Blah!"

She gave a final death rattle before he proclaimed his sorrow. But when he spoke of a kiss, her inwards seized up in a panic. If he leaned forward, she didn't let him for long. Wren jerked her snout up almost immediately, feeling the time uncomfortably slowing down the more he peered down at her. Too serious. Too much everything. Too... personal. "I'm not a princess!" she proclaimed, bumping her olive nose against his cheek.

"But you're a prince, so I guess I gotta kiss you first" Wren said against him, her breath hot as she dramatically smooched his cheek. It wasn't much of a lick, but more of a messy kiss. Trying to write this off as something fun but probably sending the wrong signal "mwah!" She leaned back, falling out of his arms and against the soil. A cackle escaped her lips. "I didn't say I was dead, dear Mercury." She added mischievously.

"Speech"

His teasing words certainly had an effect on her, as her head shot upwards and she declared she was no princess. “No, but you’ll be a Queen shortly” he pointed out. Dry amusement covering… something. Was it disappointment perhaps? But then he was laughing again as her tongue messily licked across his check in a puppy kiss.

He released her when she pulled free, and she landed against the ground, her own mischievous laugh escaping her. “Oh good. I’d hate to lose my Alpha so soon after swearing my loyalty to her” he replied, and dusted off his paws. “So, did you still want to show me around?” he asked, changing the topic from the awkwardness that was clinging to them.


"Speech"

He was disappointed.

Did he... like her? Or was he just looking to smooch? Anyone? Wren hid her frown, her own disappointment he hadn't just gone for it. Wait, what was she saying? She was still hung up on her alpha, and she didn't want a fling. She wanted a partner. She wanted attention, affection, being the center of someone's world... She wanted love. Rolling away from him, she straightened and turned her attention to the Gorge.

With her back to Mercury, she lifted her lip briefly. Her eyes closed and she could almost sigh. "You're a prince" she repeated "you didn't need permission" Consent was a thing, but maybe whirlwind affection was also "not to kiss me anyway" More than that? Sure, yeah. Totally. As for being a Queen... She doubted this. She didn't point out she was a pauper, not a princess again. "a-anyway. Yeah let's keep going."

"Speech"

Mercury blinked at her bold words, wishing he could see her expression. But his soon to be Queen had turned her back to him, and he could only imagine what emotion might be on display there. “Am I to take that as open ended permission, little bird?” he asked, a note of teasing in his tone as he wondered how far to push her. They had both come through so much, both so guarded. But it was hard not to tease her. To the point where he wasn’t entirely sure where the line between teasing and intent lay. Perhaps it was better to let it lie for now. They had much to rebuild.

“Alright, what do you want to show me first?” he asked, stepping up beside her as he looked about the Gorge she had brought him to. It seemed like there would be much in this land to explore and discover.

"Speech"

Would it be so terrible to let someone in?

Maybe. She didn't know if the fully grown young man was looking for something fleeting, fooling around with his new maturity and with others in the process. "I'm saying" she said now, trying not to sound disappointed and awkward "girls like it if a man is passionate" Wren proclaimed, shooting a look from over her shoulder with a smirk "even if he gets slapped, he at least had no regrets about going for it."

That advice could be taken two ways. One of which would lead someone with a broken heart down a dark path. The other was... complicated too. Mercury missed his chance, and she also did. It wasn't just on him. Maybe if I told him the truth. She wanted to, oh she did. But what if he was just joking with her? Her heart couldn't take the blow. "Up there is where I think the dens'll be at first?" Keahi and her had driven out a grizzly.

She had gone back to check them, finding the space suitable for something. "Say, Merc" Wren added "what sort of rank do you want?" Trading Guild was a broad term indeed "I mean, I know you're a" prince "merchant. But what if you wanted something else?" How was she to know?

"Speech"

Girls like it if a man is passionate he’d remember those words, he knew he would. He didn’t know what he wanted, or if his affection for Wren was that of two survivors, adrift in the world. But he’d know where to start, once he’d made up his mind.

Shaking off the thoughts for now, he followed after Wren. Knowing he’d have time to figure it out, and find himself again before leading anyone along (although a part of him was a little weary of missing his chance). She pointed out a section of the territory where she thought the dens could belong, and he obligingly sniffed about it. He agreed, it looked like a good place to build their community.

“I’ve already decided to throw my all into this.” he admitted quietly. “So why don’t you tell me what would support you the most?”


"Speech"

"I -"

Wren glanced back at him, frowning. He said he was throwing his all into it, the pack. Menagerie. He wanted to support her in any way he could. A quiet blush crept up her face. Why am I so stupid she asked herself in the moment why... does he want me to pick for him? Was it because he was disappointed she didn't give permission to kiss before? Or was it because he trusted her leadership skills? Her mind quietly dwelled on both scenarios.

She chose one of them.

"If you wanted to focus on trading" she chose the least personal thing stupid stupid stupid to talk about "then you could be a Broker. It oversees the rest of the traders and craftsmen" A pause "if you wanted to defend and train new fighters, you could be a Seneschal. They'd be the lead trader and warrior, respectfully." Mercury seemed to want to focus on the pack right now. Their playfulness is forgotten about or ignored.

I'm sorry Wren wanted to say to him. She had been apologizing a lot lately. To Basilisk. To Sirius. To anyone. No, if she wanted to be a leader... she couldn't apologize. "I want you at my side" she said, a weighed addition to her words "but I also want you to choose it." To mean it.

"Speech"

He watched Wren as she seemed to think over his words. It was hard to pick a rank when he was still figuring out what Menagerie would be. But his statement was honest. He did want to support her in any way he could. As she spoke, it was quickly apparent she was offering him a leadership position.

It surprised him, but it made sense as well. She would need to build the circle of leadership in her pack, and she knew a little of his skills already. He hadn’t expected to walk immediately into leadership, but he would take it. In the end, the choice came down to him. Lead Trader, or Lead warrior?

In the past the choice would have been an easy one, but the faces of those he had lost flashed behind his eyes. He wanted to be stronger. He wanted to push himself, and learn and grow. He wanted to be strong enough to save those that relied on him. “Very well, I chose Seneschal” His eyes were on her, and he wondered if she would think the choice strange for him.


"Speech"

"Then you'll have it."

Wren promised him that at the moment, but would make good on her word further down the line. He'd be Lead Warrior. She trusted his skills in survival due to escaping the eruption, not just his fighting skills. She had never had a bout with Mercury but maybe that would change in time. She could stand to practice and learn more, and learn of him.

She didn't think it was strange, though. It suited his new mature body. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before snapping back, away. "We've probably got a few fighters already for you" Tanelan and Beauregard "so we have the makings of defense. I... don't really want people hurt over border skirmishes though." She frowned, knowing they'd need a healer and fast.

It was clear she worried about others. "It happens though" Wren finally huffed after falling silent "we can't always depend on others to help us..." Armada's umbrella would extend so far.

"Speech"

He found her eyes lingering on him, and wondered at her thoughts. Was she weighing his merits as a fighter? He had a lot to learn, he knew. But he would push himself. Learn all he could, before she took on the role as Alpha. By the time she was ready, he would be worthy of the position.

“That’s good news, I’d like to meet them when I can” He told her. It would be good to know who he would be working with, and what they were capable of. “Are you anticipating trouble?” he asked as she spoke of border skirmishes. It was true that he didn’t know much about the packs of Boreas. He nodded his head in agreement. He and Wren would know better than most that trouble could befall despite all their preparations.


"Speech"

"Armada has a lot of allies with other packs" Wren said honestly "we'd be under their protection until we can stand on our own" It meant if one of the packs allied got attacked, then Menagerie would be expected to rush to their aid "that comes with both problems and merits." She was thankful for Sirius' teachings and protection, even if she wanted to rush the process of being strong enough for themselves.

"We'd be a newbie pack" she sighed "some would want to test our strength, our patience. I don't expect trouble, Merc, but it's just... good to prepare for it?" They hadn't expected the eruption. It happened. It killed many. She didn't want anyone to die on her watch "others mistake peace for weakness" She added with a frown "we'd have to work hard to show everyone we're able to defend ourselves."

Even with a loose border. "I don't expect Armada to protect us forever. That isn't their job."

"Speech"