A little bit of investigating brought answers about a certain insufferable warlord. Though he'd lost his temper and injured her, Isa couldn't help but feel a little remorseful about having goaded him into such a disposition. So, honorable woman that she was, the blue fae decided to approach the giant with an offering of peace. What better way to apologize than by filling someone's belly?

Isa discovered that Sirius had a love of seafood. That worked just fine, considering her pack lived between sea and plain. She grew up eating fresh fish, crabs, mollusks... Picking through the Armada stores, it was easy for the fae to throw together a meal that she'd eaten many times. Isa was confident that she could make this meal with her eyes closed. It was all about smell when it came to the spices. Isa chose a freshly caught bass that was no doubt pulled from a hole in some ice covered stream or lake. The woman deftly descaled the fish as it was already gutted. Into the cavity, she placed herbs and aromatics, then squeezed the juice of an orange on the outside, followed with a little sprinkle of sea salt. Isa then wrapped the fish in wide banana leaves, then placed the bundle on the hot coals of a dying fire. While she waited for that, the woman prepared a side dish of sorts.

Oysters. The shellfish weren't easy to deal with, but Isa was practiced with them. With a thin blade, she popped the tops, saving the lower shell. Isa rinsed the meaty oysters in cold water, then replaced them in the bottom shell. She sprinkled the oysters with a concoction of seasoning and herbs before squeezing the juice of a lemon overtop the spread. Isa peeled and chopped a few pieces of fruit to add to the meal, then displayed it all on a wide slice of birch tree.

How was she going to get this to wherever Sirius was? Wrinkling her nose in thought, Isa just happened to see the man's bear ambling by. The woman hailed the ursine and convinced it to help her take the feast to her master. The cooked fish, still wrapped in banana leaves, was placed on the slab and together the pair made their way to the communal fire where glass blue eyes landed on the resting form of the saber toothed bastard. With care, Isa and the bear offloaded the slab of wood beside the big man, then the bear took its leave.

The cerulean fae gestured to the meal with one pale paw before seating herself beside the fire, thick blue tail curling around one hip. The split in her lip was still very obvious, but it had scabbed over. "An apology for upsetting you," she spoke softly. "Let's start over, shall we?"

"Isa"

The Warlord watched in silent bemusement as Isa - leading his Bear, no less - ambled towards him with paws full of some sort of giant platter. The scent was already trailing the distance towards him. Spices and seafood, through he couldn’t pinpoint everything that tickled his nose. He said nothing, just watching as they closed the distance and arrived by the communal fireplace where he had been comfortably working. “Who let you out of your cell?” He said, voice dry and teasing. Isa wasn’t actually under lock and key. Her words were an apology - which caught him off guard. He felt his eyes narrow, looking for the trap. The meal was placed down between them, and she settled on the ground by the fire. He took a sniff of the platter, and spoke cautiously. “This looks like a lot of work went into it.” "Seer"

The man's first words were a slightly joking jab and Isa's dark ears flattened for a moment in mock irritation. She was glad that he was in a joking mood. Once the food was placed down before him, the blue woman gave the big bear a pat on the back and thanked it for its assistance. She then seated herself across from the dish, facing the giant as he worked.

Sirius took a moment to look at the meal and she could see the suspicion on his face. He confirmed the suspicion with words, commenting on the amount of work that the meal must have taken. Isa couldn't blame him. They weren't exactly friends and he had struck her at the end of their spar. He claimed her as a prisoner and called her a slave. Isa had every right to want revenge of some sort. Alas, she did not want revenge.

"Oh, it took a long time,` my lord." Icy eyes rolled dramatically and one paw pressed to her chest. "It took forever to grind up the poison before I could add it." With a flashy grin, Isa reached out, plucked up one of the oysters and spilled it into her maw. Not poisoned.

"Isa"

He didn’t begin to eat, not yet. He subtly let his senses breathe in the food. It was aromatic, and the mingled scents of the seafood and seasoning made for a strong blend. If she was trying to poison him, she’d picked a food that would hide its scent well. “Sounds like a lot of work for an old man like me” He said dryly. He swiped an oyster himself and cracked it open. Using a claw to hook out the meat and pluck it in his mouth. He chewed slowly. “Really, you should have fed the poison to the fish first, let it work its way through their system. That way, the fish does all the work for you.” he said conversationally. He looked down at the fish on the platter in amusement. Where had she gotten the fish from, their stores? "Seer"

Sirius spoke of fish and poison but went ahead and ate one of the oysters. Isa shook her head and unwrapped the banana leaves from around the fish, presenting it to him. Tendrils of richly scented steam poured out into the cold, winter air. Isa took a bite of that as well, licking the succulent juices from her pads before sinking down to lay on her stomach. "I couldn't risk the potency. You're such a very big thing."

The meal was for Sirius. Other than the two proof bites, Isa ate nothing. As he ate, she lay there, a silent companion. Eventually one paw crooked and the woman place her chin upon it, eyes closing against the bright light of the fire. She was still very much awake though despite the crackling flames lulling her into a state of complete comfort. Isa would allow Sirius to eat in silence, ready to take the remnants away when he was finished, as a good slave should.

"Isa"

He watched as the slave woman settled down on her stomach. She was something of an enigma to him. Usually, he felt a drive to protect the wolves he placed in the rank of slave. But Isa, something about her made him want to push her. To push back, and give as good as he got. He took a small bite of the fish after she did, and watched as she settled on her stomach. He frowned, and pushed the platter between them again. “If I wanted to eat alone, I wouldn’t do it here.” He said dryly, waiting to see if she ate any more of the dish before he did so himself. She could use the strength from the food herself. Her body was still repairing itself. A part of him wondered if she had brought the large platter before him because his own appetite had been scarce of late. But he did not expect such an observation from her. Eating alone wasn’t to his liking. "Seer"

The tray was pushed towards her and Sirius strongly hinted that he wanted her to eat as well. His words brought a soft scoff and the fae reached out to take another piece of the steaming seasoned fish. "One thing you'll learn about me, mister Warlord, is that while I'm cooking, I'm usually snacking." The resting fae patted the side of her pale stomach. "Have to make sure that everything is fresh and tasty. Besides," the woman took one of the oysters and slid it into her maw, "A big thing like you should be... bigger." Isa had noticed that Sirius looked a little thin. Knowing what she knew, the woman imagined that it may have been grief that made him thin. Without asking though, she wouldn't know for sure.

"This is quite a lovely pack," the fae observed, her blue glass eyes roaming around the clearing where the fire crackled. "Everyone has been incredibly kind." Isa's gaze narrowed for the barest of moments as she stared at Sirius. "For the most part." She just had to pick at him.

"Isa"

He waited until she began to eat again, and then picked at the food himself. Trying a little bit of everything. Politeness in the Warlord, who knew? “Then I’ll need to put you to work, before your as round as you are prickly.” He observed, taking another piece of fish, which just about melted in his mouth. He knew it was fresh and seasoned, but he still found it hard to swallow. He and Zee had shared more than a few seafood meals together over the years. He grunted at her comment of him needing to be ‘bigger’ He ate enough not to worry the kids, that was as far as he had to go to keep his promise. As she mentioned the kindness of the wolves, he barked a soft laugh. Clearing his throat so he didn’t choke on his latest bite. Ah. So she hadn’t met Azure yet, then. “Were you expecting differently?” "Seer"

His reply about her getting round brought a snort from the blue woman and she shook her head. "Not a chance." Isa was very aware of her health and exercised regularly. "You know I've been doing partial patrols? I can't make it the whole way yet, but I'm getting there." Yeah, she was often out on her own. The woman could rightly leave at any time and yet she chose to remain here, a slave, under the thumb of the tyrant beside her.

Something about her comment made the man almost choke on his food. He questioned her asking if she had expected differently and Isa answered honestly. "Yes." Slavery was not unknown to the woman. Her family had servants whereas others of her culture owned slaves. It had never been something that her family took part in. Any who came into their care were freed. That bred loyalty. One could never fully trust a slave, but one could trust a slave turned friend.

"You've labeled me as a slave. Where I come from, slaves aren't treated kindly. They're disposable. They have no rights. Sometimes they're barely fed. Kept under the watchful eye of their masters. They can be used and abused as anyone of higher status pleases." Isa took up a section of the peeled orange and placed it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before she spoke again. "So yes, as a slave, I expected much worse treatment."

"Isa"

He grunted softly. He had her under watch, with his large family and their cumulative collection of companions, it was easy to ensure there was something keeping an eye on her. He knew about the patrols, but he had assumed they were more warm up activities for her recovering body than actual patrolling. He sighed at her abrupt agreement, and the explanation that followed. He understood the sentiment. His birthplace had worked under similar ideas. “In the Armada, a slave is the lowest rank. It’s a spot where a wolf is expected to learn and grow. They will be asked to do menial jobs, and treated… not badly, but perhaps abruptly. To push them to learn quickly and better themselves. A wolf that strives to better themselves is quickly moved into an appropriate rank. You can also challenge for the right to a different rank at any point. If anyone abuses you, you will tell me immediately.” He told her. "Seer"

Sirius stopped eating so that he could sigh at her response. The brute then launched into his own explanation of the rank. It seemed silly to name the lowest rank "Slave" and she almost said so, but this was an apology meal and so she wouldn't push too many buttons even though a spicy retort was waiting right on the tip of her tongue. When he informed her that she would tell him if she was abused, the woman just couldn't help herself. She chuckled and tilted her head slightly. "Oh, will I?" No one could make her do anything. If someone abused her, well... they'd catch hell. Nice to know that the big man would be her backup though. "Maybe I'll just poison them the same way that I'm poisoning you right now," she joked.

The fire crackled but was burning low, so Isa rose and move towards the large stack of split logs. Taking up a larger one by a broken branch that was jutting out of the side, she drug it towards the fire then used her paws to push it up over the edge of the stone barrier and into the flames. The fire quickly began to eat its newest food and rose a little taller because of it. Once finished, Isa looked back to Sirius who still hadn't touched his food. The woman's brow furrowed and she took a step towards him. "Am I going to have to feed you, my lord?" Isa motioned to the rest of the food with one paw. She made it for him. She wanted him to eat it.

"Isa"

“You will.” He agreed, his voice a soft warning. No one abused his wolves, they were his. And it was his right to know what was going on beneath his roof, and who was responsible for it. So yes, she would. He grunted at her mention of poison again. “You’ll need something a little faster acting. This one is hopelessly slow” He told her dryly. His eyes went down to the food again as she motioned to it. “No, I’m done. The children can enjoy the rest, the change would be welcome to them” He said, knowing for a fact that it was not poisoned. Or the kids wouldn’t be getting within a hundred feet of it. He rose to his paws, and fed another piece of wood to the fire to follow her own. The firepit very rarely was allowed to run low. Melancholy was catching up with him, and he knew he should head out before it caught up with him. Perhaps he had time to do some hunting. Their winter stores could always use a little filling. "Seer"

Sirius insisted that she would tell him of mistreatment and Isa just smiled. She didn't have to respond. He would know what she was thinking. He then mentioned the poison and Isa released a soft laugh, a genuine laugh. "Shucks. I'll have to try harder next time then, won't I?" She almost threw his rank back at him and said that it would be bettering herself to try again, but decided to just leave it at that.

Once the brute rose and said that he was finished with the meal, Isa frowned, her brows drawing together again. "I could make your children a fresh meal. They don't need to eat your leftovers." The woman pointed at him, "Which there shouldn't be any of, by the way." With his size, he should have had no problem eating the portion that she'd laid out for him.

Once Sirius threw the log on the fire, Isa noticed that he appeared a little antsy. His expression, though never friendly, seemed to have shifted into a scowl. Never being one to beat around the bush, the blue woman seated herself and asked straight out, "What's bothering you?" They may not have liked one another, but Isa was willing to help if she could.

"Isa"

He huffed a soft laugh at that. He had a feeling Isa wouldn’t try something as underhanded as poison, but it was hard to say for sure. Hard to get a read on her, sometimes. “They don’t need you to cater to them.” He said, not sure how he felt about her preparing a meal for the kids. Perhaps once he knew her better, but for now he felt better keeping a little distance between them. They were his little ones. The last little ones he would ever have. He grunted at her again. “Did I hurt your feelings, not eating all of your poison?” He asked her as he finished mucking around with the firepit. As he straightened, deciding what he should do next, he found himself face to face with Isa, who had questions for him. “Just need to burn off some energy” He said. "Seer"

Sirius huffed and told her that the children didn't need to be catered to. Isa huffed in return. "Of course they don't need it, but they might appreciate it." The blue fae shrugged, one shoulder lifting gracefully. "A little special treat might be nice for them. Who knows?" Isa didn't have children. Not anymore. She could only assume that she knew what a child might like. With their mother having passed, a little special attention might very well have made their day.

The brute joked with her about hurting her feelings and a sigh ghosted through the woman's grey nares. "It takes a lot more than that to hurt my feelings, Warlord." Though they didn't know one another well, he should have realized by now that she was made of stronger stuff. Someone's feelings could only be hurt if they were given that power, and Isa had given Sirius no such thing.

Upon admitting that he needed to burn off some energy, the fae got to her paws, giving a little stretch. "Okay. Where are we going?" With her cerulean gaze upon him, the lady gave her skull a tilt. He said that he needed to burn off energy, but Isa felt as though he may have just been trying to go be alone with his misery. Maybe what Sirius really needed was a friend. If he'd stop being such a bastard, he'd realize that the woman was actually quite good at that.

"Isa"

“Leave it.” He said, not prepared to launch into an explanation of allowing a stranger close to his youngest litter. He eyed her as she started to stretch, getting to her paws - but not heading to her bed as he might have expected. where are we headed She asked, and he wondered how he might lose his tail. He sighed, knowing already that she was tenacious and stubborn. “I’m going to head up to First Light Point first” He said, it was a decent hike, and up a mountain. He wondered if she had any fear of mountains after her harrowing journey down one not that long ago. "Seer"

It was obvious that Sirius didn't want to talk about his children and Isa shrugged. "Of course, my lord," the fae gave a bow. "They're your children." If he didn't want to talk about them, that was fine. It did make her terribly curious though. Would his children all be as stubborn and uppity as their father? She'd have to meet them eventually and was already making mental plans to seek them out.

The sigh of acceptance brought a triumphant, mischievous grin to Isa's features. The woman's pale tipped tail swished lazily back and forth at her hips, obviously pleased with his agreement that she would be going. Sirius let her know that he'd be going up to the Point and Isa lifted one paw, swinging it out in a flourish. "Lead the way, my lord." Though she called him 'my lord' it was said as a joke and so she always said it with a bit of snark in her accented tones. Today it was all in good fun, however.

As she fell in step beside Sirius, her pace forced to be a bit quicker than his, the woman gave him a side-eye and asked. "This is the second time I've heard you mention this place. Why is it so important?" Isa knew that it was up a mountainside and that the going would be hard. Was that the reason that Sirius liked it so much? She imagined not many would bother to make such a trek. Was solitude his reasoning?

"Isa"

“They are” he agreed, adding a touch of a growl to his tone so she would know to leave them alone. At her direction, he did exactly that. Turning and making a start towards the pathway up the mountain. They had to head away from the Obelisk and towards the woods first to get there. Just before the wall that separated the two territories, he turned right and started up the path. “It has the best view in the pack. It’s the best place to experience storms, too.” He said, thinking of the day he had stayed up there with Keahi during a thunderstorm. There had been a few storms since then, but he hadn’t been up during one since. He had spent them in his den, mourning his wife. Wondering if the afterlife had storms, and if she was alone in the midst of one. "Seer"

Sirius puffed up and growled at her yet again and Isa rolled her eyes. "So prickly," she informed him with a sigh. The woman didn't mind calling him out on his shit, that much was obvious. Were his children just tiny pups? If so, she could understand his hesitancy to let a stranger be around them. If they were older though... well, then he was just being overprotective.

The long legged woman kept pace with the giant as he made his way to the mountain path and began going upwards. He gave her an explanation as to why he liked the place and she nodded in response. Being the best vantage point was a good reason. He mentioned storms and the fae's ears perked. "Storms," the woman repeated after him. "Where I am from, storms are very uncommon. The weather is always mild and warm." Isa hopped over a rock in her path, her shoulder accidentally sliding against the warlords hip as she gingerly landed, her trajectory off since she didn't want to upset her still healing leg and ribs. Continuing on as though she hadn't just stumbled into him, Isa spoke again. "Because storms are so rare, my people believe..." she trailed off as she remembered that she no longer had a people. They were all dead and gone. Brows pulled together for a mere moment and she was speaking again, though her accented tones were less animated. "We believe that storms tell of great change incoming, whether for good or ill." There had been a storm before the illness ate them away, so how could Isa believe otherwise?

"Isa"

”Where is that, exactly?” He asked as she mentioned coming from a place that was too mild for storms. Did Auster have storms? He wasn’t sure, but the temperature was more mild. Perhaps she had journeyed North from there. He felt sudden warmth as she brushed past him again. So quick he could almost have imagined it, and then she was gone again. Leaving him feeling colder than he had before. Soft brushes, light touches. A presence beside him. All he could think about in that moment was Zee, and his heart ached so badly it was a wonder he could walk at all. He was grateful for the distraction of her words, and snorted softly. “Storms blow in often from the North here. Sometimes one after another, by that logic, nothing would be stable within the Armada.” "Seer"