Oki was at serious risk of freezing his tits off. He'd only really just started to get used to the desert climate and yet here he was, the air clouding from the pale of his nose as he grabbed a drink from the pool below the peak. The water tasted too cold too, made his teeth ache a little as he pulled back up and made a juvenile eugh face. At least back home if he got too hot he could lounge in the sun or take a dip in the oasis, but here it felt inescapable. And it was summer too for crying out loud, how did folks 'round these parts cope? And he could tell in fact there were folks around here. The heavy, tell-tale scent of a pack rolled in from the north. Sort of familiar but not? He figured he ought to head that way anyway, spread the good word yadda yadda. Ethyria was a chill place, there was no reason to start shit with anyone else. But then again sending Kuroki out to be a diplomat probably wasn't the best of ideas. "Speech"

Az's inclination to defend and patrol was bordering upon obsessive after the raid against the pirates and the loss of his tail tip. It was all he could do that felt even half-way productive, especially as his mother and father had taken his newest siblings and gossamer off to meet Briar's first litter. Az could have gone with them, but in truth was happier to remain at home. It was nothing against the pups or their parents, but he had enough on his plate with the pirates and was not about to leave the Armada undefended with four of it's strongest and most experienced fighters visiting the southern continent.

The wolf he'd caught wandering around south of his borders was not quite trespassing, but the way he ambled almost without purpose as if he didn't know where he was going was suspicious. Azure wasted no time climbing down from the Col to intercept him, stepping out through the tree line and baring his teeth in a silent warning.

"Identify yourself." He commanded, as he did every wolf who even so much looked at his borders lately.

"Speech"

Oki glanced over, head tipping slightly at the approaching dire. "Oh sup." Somehow he was reminded of an ornery Fatalis he had met back in the day. Looked just like one too, all stripey with a stern expression. "Kuroki. I'm from Ethyria, new desert pack." He thought on it for a moment and then like a click of his fingers he remembered the Armada had moved north at some point. Before he'd left Ashen anyway.  "Armada right?" It was weird, he remembered trotting around the Plains as a kid, felt no worries about being chased out as Ashen and the Armada had been as close as could be. How things had changed huh.

The words that rolled off from the aloof male's tongue stunned Azure speechless, his brows furrowing deeply in confusion. Sup??? The man - no, boy, no man would introduce himself in this way - gave his name and the pack he hailed from. Az had heard the name before, of the wolf but not the wolf's home. Was this not one of Venom's children? A sudden relief washed over him as he realized the bullet he must have dodged. The one and only time he'd found a positive to come from losing his first love.

"Kuroki." When he finally spoke once more his tone was dry and unimpressed. He ignored the boy's weird realization of the Armada and it's new home, focusing instead on who this brat was and why he was outside Azure's borders. He considered many questions and rejected them mentally each in turn, trying to find some way to not potentially offend a new pack should this boy be their diplomat. "Ethyria, do they know you are here?" Kurori had to be a random-ass member, wandering aimlessly, right? What sort of pack would put this at the head of their negotiations?

"Speech"

"Yeah. Cel sent me." He paused for a moment, figuring he ought to put her on a bit of a pedestal, since yanno she was in charge. Big boss lady, Mistress, whatever she went by she was the reason the pack exsisted at all. He was just arm candy and muscle, and that was fine, he was a simple guy. Had long since grown out of his moody teen phase and just settled, mellowed out and dumbed in. "Celeste, I mean. Wanted me to spread the word to packs she knows about." He shrugged, in a sort of it is what it is, kinda way.

Azure dreaded the confirmation and thus was able to keep his expression mostly level when Kuroki spoke those awful words. How could any alpha have such a terrible taste in diplomat? Or was this some weird, new age, 'trendy' pack for teenagers who never learned how to grow up? Azure swallowed, considering his next question carefully. "I see. Very well then, tell me about your pack. You were once an Ashen wolf, what is the relationship between Ethyria and the Empire?"

Closing his maw to listen, the dread beginning to sink back in. If this 'dude' was about to tell Azure that Ethyria was an Ashen extension and that Az would be forced to play nice with this boy for the remainder of his life, he worried about exactly how long Kuroki's life would reach. Would one idiot diplomat gone missing amidst the mountains really shock this Celeste so much? There were plenty of caves around to hide the body.

"Speech"

"We're set out in the Oasis back West. Mum gave us her blessing and all, Ashen is welcome to rock up whenever they feel like it. I don't think Cel knows any of your lot personally, but I've never had beef with you guys." He explains, casually as can be, not really putting any value in the background politics. He used to play in the tall grass as a pup, it was fun and he does have fond memories of those times. Back when folks didn't have such unattainable expectations of him. "I don't suppose you winter wolves would like the desert much anyway, but if anyone swings our way I'll make sure to show 'em some good old Ethyrian hospitality."