Clutching the rock and feather in her mouth, Makara skittered on home. The surrounding lands seemed to fly by until she hit the cove and the sand proved a trickier beast. Her booties were great for the cold, snowy drifts - not so excellent for traversing the sands. She slowed her pace to stop slipping and found a nice spot to settle underneath an old palm tree and call her father. The tide was out, the water line now far away down the beach lapping idly at the shore. This was her favorite time of day. That hard packed sand down by the shoreline was the best ground for racing, not nearly as much give as the sandy upper portion of the beach that was untouched by the ocean's waves.

Summer sun finally cut through the clouds, bright and oppressive. Makara sidled closer to the shade of the palm and out of its rays. She carefully placed by her paws the lava rock Sparrow had selected (unbeknownst to her, for its similarities to a rock the pirate King had once given her mother) and the spare feather from the pirate hat. Mak took a moment to admire the goodies - she was particularly fond of the feather - before calling out for her father. Hopefully he would attend to her - she didn't make a habit of calling on him, especially now with his new duties as Warlord. In fact, Mak had done her very best to keep out of his way. But surely he'd want to hear news of an old friend reaching out! Foolishly, perhaps, Mak considered any friend of Hanako's a friend of her father's, when she couldn't be further from the truth.

It was rare that one of his disappointments daughters would call for him, and Azure wasted little time in answering her call. His lips were set in a firm line, gaze hardening as he approached her. Her and her sister had done absolutely nothing to better themselves or the Armada in their time in the mountain - what right did she have to call for him? Whatever it was, the girl had better not been expecting favors. Those were reserved for his sons, the ones who had proven themselves time and time again to be fit to wear his name. His daughters, well, they could go fight for their mother's love and leave him out of it.

"Yes?" He asked briskly, eyeing the girl with mild boredom. Perhaps he was about to be proven wrong about her and she was finally ready to earn and hold a real rank, like her brothers.

"Speech"

As she spotted her father on the approach, a cloak of something that she knew was shame settled heavily on her shoulders. It was well known that her brothers had proven themselves, earned his favor, and risen far above her in station. In fact, it felt like she'd lost the moment she was born as a female. The more time she spent out of the pack borders the easier it was to forget. Mak could try and shrug it off, but it was no use. Perhaps he'd be glad that she brought tidings on a friend. When he stopped in front of her, the sheer size of him cast a shadow across her. Makara felt herself grow smaller and she forced the stream-of-consciousness chatter inward: Oh this was a mistake, a terrible mistake, he's going to just be angry that I wasn't working in some way to better the pack, to better myself, might as well lie or throw myself on a pyre although I'm not sure he'd be happy about that, maybe he'd just complain that my ashes were blowing all around making a mess that someone else has to clean up - This all ran through her head in a split second as she looked up at him and gestured meekly to the items in front of her: the rock and feather. Just lie, just lie, just lie. "I was exploring the nearby territories looking for resources - " okay, okay, good, reasonable, makes sense, you were technically looking for things "and I came across a stranger who called herself King. She told me that she was a friend of mother's, and she mentioned an invitation to come see your god children." Her entire body was a tense line, waiting for reprimand. "I assumed you would like to know."

Azure was not blind to the emotions flooding his daughter, finding that the negativity fueled him further rather than bringing forward any sort of paternal instinct to comfort and ease. He eyed her impatiently as she struggled before him, absorbing the meek silence until finally she gestured to the items and gave her explanation.

The realization hit him hard, washing away the mild enjoyment he had been feeling witnessing her discomfort and bringing anger-driven tension immediately to the surface. The Warlord stepped forward briskly, aiming to push Makara backwards and in the same motion, his paw moving to scoop the articles before her. He examined the lava rock and feather with a cool fury. The rock held no meaning to him, but the feather.. he'd not spent much time pouring over his arch-nemesis' hat, but this combined with the title of 'King' left little room for Az to wonder who, exactly, had given these to his daughter.

With one heavy toss of his paw hurled the items toward the shore, whirling back on Makara and flashing to her his teeth. "Tell me everything" He snarled, the emphasised word rumbling from deep within his chest.

"Speech"

She could feel his tempestuous disappointment fall on her like a rain storm. It was brutal and palpable. A churning began in her gut that she mistook at first for anxiety, because that feeling was familiar, but as it spun and twisted and tightened, she was surprised to find it was rage. Makara stoked the feeling, nourished it, felt it grow powerful inside of her. Maybe she had spent too long being afraid of him - maybe she could hate him instead. After all, what had he done to ever earn her respect? Contributed some small amount of genetic material? Why was it always she who had to prove herself?

He rushed forward to grab the trinkets she'd been given, buffeting her backwards in the process. Makara stumbled but tried to put some grace into the motion and pass it off as if she was sitting neatly back. She watched the trinkets fly off towards the shore where the tide might eat them up - she had expected to feel more attached to them, but the sight of them being thrown away caused her no sorrow. The feather was quite pretty but it had caused an itch deep in her nose that she knew would trigger an allergy attack if she kept the thing around for long. Mak gritted her teeth as he flashed his, fighting the urge to reflexively bare them. Tell me everything. Of course, now he wanted her to speak. Makara drew herself up to attention and began, using a more careful voice she reserved for speaking with her parents or superiors: "I was scouting nearby lands for resources and stopped to inspect a lake of liquid fire. When I was inspecting the area, a stranger came up to me and asked if I was from the nearby pack. There is no disguising my scent, and I found no reason to lie, so I confirmed I was from Armada. She had said that she knew quite a few of you and asked after who my father was" - excluding, of course, the joke she'd made about him never laughing - "and again, I saw no reason to lie. She said I was Hanako's daughter and that she was an old friend of mother's... then presented me the feather and rock, added that you are welcome to visit your god kids, and left. I did not pursue her."

Of course, she cut out all of the meat of the situation and left just the bones. The absolute necessary information. It was bad enough that she was clearly in trouble.

Impatience brewed deeper in his chest as the young wolf spoke, recounting her story and of course leaving out every morsel of importance that he was looking for. Az gritted his teeth and interrupted her, his paw lifting briefly like he'd wanted to utilize it before he'd managed to restrain himself. As it touched back onto the earth, the Warlord's voice forcibly softened. "This is not a test, I am not trying to trick you. I am not looking for how you presented yourself or us or how much of a good and obedient child you happened to be." As the sentence progressed, his resolve to be gentle slowly died. The last of the words bordered upon mocking, and Azure was too keyed up to notice or care.

His pitch rose once more, lips twitching. "This wolf you've very coincidentally stumbled upon is very likely to be the Pirate King; the very one who sent her wolves to burn our plains to the ground. The one whose wolves have been targeting Gossamer to the point where it is no longer safe for her to stay here. The same wolves who took my ear. The same King who kidnapped your mother." Standing straighter, he took a step toward his daughter's personal space. And another, and another. With each emphasized word he drew closer, imposing and firm. "Now think, Makara. Where did you see this wolf? What did she look like? Do your job and help me to identify the problem so that I can do my job and keep you and the rest of our wolves safe. She is dangerous."

"Speech"

Everything is a test! Everything is a trick! she wanted to shriek impudently, but Makara bit her tongue until she tasted copper. No, no. She had to keep it cool. Keep it all bottled up inside. She would not let him see her break. It would be her own small victory. Makara listened as he continued. The Pirate King? The Pirate King? Suddenly her mouth went dry, only intensifying the taste of blood left behind. He was on the approach again, and she let him walk up on her. There was no point in stepping back, he would close the distance again and again and again until he got what he wanted.

"I saw her by the pool of fire just west of the Battleground. We spoke briefly, as I said - I - " she was beginning to lose herself now and it took her a moment to stop and haul herself back together. The rest of the sentence was addressed up at him, since he insisted on being so close that she had to crane her head like child: "she was about your height, wearing a hat, her fur shades of brown. Muted colors. Markings on her face like freckles. She told me not to get too serious, have a good time, get goods, and be good to those who are good to me." You've never once been good to me. Not a single time. She couldn't keep the petulant thought out of her head, but her words had been measured and sure. "Then she passed me those items and told me to pass along that message to my parents, about the god children. She left shortly after and put plenty of distance between us." Makara stared down her nose up at her father, hoping that the interrogation would end soon so could absolutely lose her mind in private.

Azure absorbed her words, taking in her discomfort and drinking it in if only to settle the burning pit in his chest. That instinct that told him to turn now and try to catch up with the bitch who had dared approach one of his own - again. Makara was giving him little more than the first time, but at least she had managed to be useful enough to answer his questions. As Sparrow was described, there was no doubt left on who it had been to run into his daughter. "That's her." He confirmed, the words clipped.

It was almost impossible to contain the rage that boiled at the words Makara repeated. At the 'well-intentioned' advice he assumed Sparrow would consider it to be. He had to nip this in the bud now before the bitch succeeded in poisoning his wolves mind as well as mutilating their bodies. Was this the escalation he'd expected? "Makara, it is very important you listen now." Peering down his nose, he leveled his firm gaze at his daughter. "This wolf is not a friend to me, your mother, or to you. Do you understand? Everything she says is a lie, a manipulation. She has been attacking our family since before you were born. She is not a wolf to look up to or aspire to. Her crimes are vast. Arson, maiming and kidnapping, among other things. She wants her victims to take it 'less seriously' so that she can play these games without consequence and we cannot let her get away with it."

Azure knew of the very large gap between him and his daughters, understood that he could not use any love between them to sway her to his side. But there were others she cared for, others who wore the Fatalis name and walked under the Armada's protection. "You need to be watchful and vigilant. If you see her again, leave the situation and call for someone. These pirates skulking outside our borders is a bad omen - it means danger for not only you, but for your sister, your brothers, and your mother who's already suffered their torture once. I need to know that you will do everything in your power to protect our family and our pack, just as I do."

"Speech"

Arson, maiming, kidnapping... If her mouth had gone dry before, now it was a parched desert. Makara smacked her lips listlessly before sealing them shut and listening to the rest of her father's speech. He was looking down at her from up there - and no, there wasn't warmth in his eyes, not at all - but there was an absence of cold. He was gravely serious and it rendered his words a careful shape. They weren't barbs meant to prick and probe. It felt as if, for a moment, he was truly just... speaking to her. As an adult speaks to another adult. It offered her the barest glimmer of hope. She would never expect kindness from him, but perhaps she could nurture whatever this was. Prove herself worthy.

Makara was a thinker, a wanderer, and a fighter by happenstance of birth. She couldn't imagine taking torch to another's lands, attacking with intent to cause lasting, permanent damage; it was all enough to make her a little sick to her stomach. "I will, I will take it seriously," she said, "I absolutely will." She peered up at him through her googles, her ghostly pale eyes widening a sliver. "I will do everything in my power. I want to protect our home." Granted, she wasn't sure of it until the words tumbled out of her mouth, but her own conviction surprised her. She loved it here in the north. "I will call if I see her, but... tell me what I need to do, if there is anything else I can do, to help." To earn your respect. To fight, kicking and screaming, for some little shred of what I see when you look at your sons.

The look in his daughter's eye changed, and while Azure could detect the note of emphatic truth in her tone, he could not help but raise a brow as she stated so vehemently her intentions to assist and protect. She assured him she understood, which at least hopefully meant she would not go seek out the pirate bitch anytime soon nor take her advice on 'goods'. "Good." Azure affirmed softly. While the girls may have been weak and worthless, they still belonged to him. For as long as they wore the Fatalis name, they would have his protection the same as Basilisk or Levi would.

Makara continued then, posing to him a question on how she could help. Az's brow raised and he swallowed the urge to give back a laugh. He'd told her how to help - get out of the way, and call someone who could actually do something. He did know better however then to say the words aloud, especially when he'd reached her enough to gain such a loyal response. "You tell me." He decided upon. "How do you think you can help?" Surely she was not stupid enough to offer to fight the pirate King, right? Azure honestly couldn't say, having spent so little time with his daughters. She may very well might be, but he gave her the opportunity to surprise him anyways.

"Speech"

How do you think you can help? Makara's mouth went dry. She had to proceed very carefully. Every further word would have to be weighed and measured. She licked her lips and steeled her shoulders. "I want to train, so I'm better prepared for anything that may come... I'm ready. My allergies are much better in the north! It won't hold me back. I want to learn, I want to help," her words were still a bit of a runaway train, but the core sentiment was there. "Assign me training tasks, I will complete them, or tell me who I need to speak with," Makara said, knowing very well that her father clearly had Bigger and Better things to do than deal with her if such a threat was looming on the horizon. He may view her as a disappointment, but perhaps she could at least prove her usefulness around the pack lands. If she had a goal or tasks to work towards it would be so much easier for her. She wasn't like her brothers, motivated by some mindless urge to be "better," she wanted the satisfaction of completing something.

Azure remained still and quiet as his daughter plead her case, offering up ways she could assist their pack in need against the pirate King. At mention of her allergies he almost spoke up - having forgotten them entirely for the better part of the last year - but thought better of it, nodding instead in what could have been pleasure at hearing they'd improved. "Good." To her request for training tasks, Azure had to give consideration. What wolf could he afford to force to waste time training her? Any of his best fighters needed to train members with actual potential, and he could not assign her to anything of vital importance or have her take a mission a better fighter would be more suited for. "The best way to learn is to teach." The Warlord said after a moment of thought. "Your grandparents' newest litter, they need training. Work with them and help them to improve, and through their accomplishments I will judge your own. If you need help with lesson plans, Gossamer or Grimshaw can help - or even my father, should you find him having some free time."

"Speech"