The Warlord had promised Venom that he would bring his youngest litter down to meet her youngest when hers were old enough to enjoy the visit. It was almost a tradition, creating playdates between Ashen and The Hallows. This would be the first that Zee would not participate in, and the thought squeezed at his heart. He took a moment, letting the pain settle, before continuing forward. Towing the wagon filled with little kids behind him. At his side was Basilisk, and a couple other guards as well as an assortment of companions to scout and keep watch. They arrived at the Empire’s ‘new’ territory without a hitch. The last time his paws had touched these lands, Deathbelle had been their leader and he her most loyal guard. The world had kept on spinning, and he knew his past self would no longer recognise him. He stopped at the borders and raised his head. Calling out to Venom, his message warm and clear. The playdate was about to begin. He had sent Marshal ahead with the news, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise to her. "Speech"

Sirius had indeed offered to bring his own tribe of youths down to meet up with her newest litter. It was mentioned briefly how many more pups the Armada had than Ashen, but Venom was nearly over confident in her pup’s ability to keep up with the older children. They needed some pups closer to their age to fully deplete their seemingly endless storage of energy. All signs pointed to the playdate being exactly what they needed.

Venom had spent the evening preparing the four rambunctious children after Marshal announced the impending arrival of Sirius and his mini pack. His call at the border wasn’t unexpected so the Empress went out to meet him. After almost a season of relearning the territory Venom’s white gloved paws carried her over the now well worn paths with ease.

The Empress greeted Sirius and his entourage with a grin and greeting, eagerly ushering him into the territory. She had prepared a picnic area by the lake. With so many eyes watching the water wouldn’t be too much of a danger to the plethora of puppies that would be meeting today. Once everyone was comfortable, and the wave of puppies were about to be released from the wagon, Venom drew herself up.

Her voice was much more commanding than had any right to be, but it was only so she would be heard over the commotion. "Alright everyone, quiet for a moment.” She waited for the commotion to settle, while giving a stern glance to any that hadn’t listened. "Before we go play, I think everyone around the circle should introduce themselves! Tell us your name, and what your favorite game is.” Venom started, hoping it would be both an ice breaker between the kids and an opportunity for her to try and memorize names. "I’ll start. My name is Venom, and my favorite game is Duck, Duck, Goose.”

"Venom & Maverick"

Happy, excited yips left the midnight blue pup as his paws carried him in leaps and bounds across the familiar grassy terrain between their palace home and the nearby lake. Rogue ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, eager and excited to get to meet some other pups! The boy would only slow down or stop for a moment when either of his parents told him off for getting too far ahead of the group, and even then he was anxiously waiting with tippy-tapping paws to keep running. Eventually they did make it all the way out to the lake, and when they arrived he found two gigantic wolves waiting in the twilight for them, a wagon filled with even more puppies all looking a bit older than they were with them. Rogue went running straight up to Sirius and Basilisk without any show of fear, skidding to a stop with a spray of grass and dirt to come to a stop right at their paws. They were huge! The one was even bigger than his sire! "Whooooa! You're a giant!" Rogue exclaimed in awe of Basilisk, the youthful innocence of the child overruling any decorum his parents might have tried so hard to instill in him.

When his mother and father arrived moments later, Rogue backpedaled to greet them with happy wiggles of his rump and wags of his tail. A picnic had been set up for them, and already Rogue's stomach was growling at the thought of food. But before he could sneak over to try and steal a bite, Venom was calling for their attention, and the boy's daring escape was cut short by the large paw of his father scooping him up around the midsection and turning him back towards the group. "Aww, Dad!" he whined, but reluctantly paid attention as Mom laid out the ground rules and made introductions, ever regal as she always was. With a puff of his chest and a Klein-like confidence, Rogue stepped up to his mother's paws and greeted their guests. "I'm Rogue, and my favorite game is Tag!" No surprise, the boy loved any game that would allow him to chase and pounce his siblings.

"Rogue Klein"

Riya had padded alongside the wagon the whole way and Crux had to admit he was almost jealous of the feline. His newest friend was quickly becoming a staple in his life and while he was amongst the last of his siblings to get a second new friend he was currently the only one whose companion had a crystal, like him... Well except for Vanta... But those had been their mothers so that didn't count. He'd found Riya all by himself! Still, as he watched her on their trip he decided actually he liked being in the wagon, by the time they got to the Ashen lands the leopard was panting heavily. Luckily she'd get to rest once they finally settled but conversely Crux's own personal nightmare was probably about to start.

A pretty older woman greeted them and then the small caravan were led to a space that had clearly been set up for them. The wagon of near yearlings jostled as the pups started exiting the wagon, Crux eager to stretch his legs which had started cramping a little bit ago. He groaned and stretched each leg out as he moved away from the wagon, double checking the weight of his feather pendant was still against his chest then settled himself closer to his father, Crux wasn't so sure he liked the look of the younger pups, not because there was anything actually wrong with them but because Crux was already imagining the ways they'd run literal circles around him and leave him scrambling to keep up. They were gently instructed to introduce themselves and say their favorite game. Crux hid a grimace as the boy named Rogue said his favorite game was tag, count him out.

"I'm Crux." He said, his voice already picking up an awkward pubescent timber, he was gonna be squeaky and suffer voice breaks for a while still though. "I like Hide and Seek." It was a simple answer, though he honestly preferred any game that didn't require him to run, or be highly mobile, there was something about hide and seek that piqued his interest, the knack he had for finding hidden places that hadn't been seen in some time.

Crux & Riya

Art by Twonahalfer

Kite had her blindfold firmly in place on the journey to the Ashen lands. But her ears were on a swivel as she listened to everything around her. Occasionally she begged her sister to describe what they saw, and she tried not to feel too salty about missing out on the sights for herself.

When at last they arrived, and the wagon pulled to a stop, she climbed to her paws. Her head she held tilted to the side as she tried to make sense of what was going on around her. There was so much noise, so many bodies. Then suddenly an adult was calling out over the noise, commanding silence. As the adult introduced herself as Venom - she knew that name, she was family to their dad - and mentioned her favourite game, Kite couldn’t help but giggle. Venom sounded like fun.

“I’m Kite, and I like to explore!” She called out. She didn’t know if it was her turn, she couldn’t see what was going on around her. But she wasn’t about to miss out! As she spoke, she had scrambled to the back of the wagon. She was putting one paw in front of the other, looking for the exit, and then suddenly her paw was over open air. The ground met her with sudden force and she shook out her head, scowling. But nobody saw that, right?


"Speech"

The trip from Armada lands to the territory of Ashen is uneventful. Andy chooses to plod along behind the cart that carries the youngest pups and a few of her own siblings. Keeping alert, she often offers her sister, Kite, descriptions of the lands that they are passing through. Bast’s grandson, Leo, toddles along with her but will leap up to join Crux and Kite as the still growing cub tires easily. She offers her siblings, and the pups, encouragement as they go and prides herself on the fact that she is walking the whole way to Ashen. However, when her father stops to announce their arrival to the alpha, the lavender girl cannot help but feel relief.

Standing in place while they wait to be ushered in, Andy feels her paws begin to throb slightly and she if grateful to be close to finish line. The tall, beautiful wolf appears and invites them in, taking the group to an area that has been prepared for a picnic near the shores of a lake. Eagerly, the lavender girl finds and sinks down onto a soft fur, stretching out her muscles in an effort to stall the lactic acid that will build up. A yawn slips past her lips as the toll of the trip begins to take hold but any thoughts of a nap are pushed away as the lady that greeted them calls for everyone to be quiet. Voices and joyful noises settle down and the girl who has been quiet, remains that way.

An icebreaker is offered and the pup nods to herself, ears perking as she catches the Empress’s name and her favorite game. Next to speak up is one of the blue and black pups, offering his name as Rogue and he is quick to label favorite game. Crux was next, followed by Kite and then a small lull in voices has the girl speaking up in her soft tones, “I’m Andy.” Pale blue eyes dart to her siblings as she racks her brains for a game that she likes but is forced to fearfully admit to herself that she hasn’t really played any games since mom died. A shrug of lavender shoulders is offered as she casts her eyes to the ground and says, “I like riddles.” Hopefully, that is an acceptable game to like.

A noise at the back of the cart pulls Andy's attention away from the group and she sees that Kite is on the ground. Oh, shit! She hadn't helped her out! Thankfully, Leo is quickly beside the blindfolded wolf, offering his small, pudgy body as a crutch to leverage herself up on. The tension in her body melts away as she sees her companion is already there and helping her sibling.

"Andromeda Fatalis"

He wasn’t sure that there was any other day beyond their first day outside the den that he had been so excited in his life. They were about to meet and play with other puppies! Their mother warned them that they would be older, and promised not to bother them unnecessarily if they didn’t want to play. They were to be on their best behavior, this was their first diplomatic meeting.

And as soon as the young prince watched his brother begin to pull ahead of the group, he rushed right after. Leaving all thought of decorum behind in the dens. Though the trail to the lake was familiar, it was brand new as his lavender gaze beheld their guests. Two wolves, one an absolute giant, and a cart full of other puppies. His tail was already beginning to wag excitedly. Of course, when his mother wanted his attention her raised voice easily gained it. As the Empress gave her announcement it didn’t take long for puppies to answer. Ren looked towards his brother as he announced his name and his favorite game. This was quickly followed by a few of the Armada puppies before he was given his chance.

"And I’m Renegade!” He told everyone confidently as he got closer to his brother. "And my favorite game…” he started before suddenly trying to spring up and over Rogue’s head. "Is leap frog!” And he giggled, probably hung up on his brother as the boy tried to regain his balance upon mismatched paws.

"Renegade Klein"

It was weird to be leaving home again, even if it was only for a little while. Last time they'd all left home... well. Suffice to say, he'd be keeping a close eye on his dad while they were out here. His siblings too, but he wasn't quite as worried about them.. right now. The blond prince ambled along beside the cart with his little cousins inside, and left Peabody in there while the caravan headed south. The little pangolin didn't move as fast over long distances, and he didn't want to lose him. Stratum pestered his siblings and watched the clouds as he walked. It wasn't so bad, all things considered. When they all came to a stop, he was mostly surprised to find that they hadn't travelled very far for this trip. At least, not as far as the last trip. Maybe it just felt longer last time cause they were all in such bad spirits. His father announced their arrival with a booming howl, and already the young male was wandering away. Before he ran off, he butted his shoulder up against the floor of the cart so Peabody the pangolin could clamber down onto his shoulders and slip safely onto the ground. If they would be waiting for someone to come get them, he would look around for a while.

Thick limbs carried him off from the rest of the group, head lowered to sniff about the undergrowth and search for cool rocks. When the telltale thrum of paws approached quietly from up ahead, he gave up on his idle hunting for distraction. By the time he'd started moving away from the fringes of the border, a greyscale dame had appeared from the lush undergrowth with a smile. Mercury gaze drifted between her and his father, searching for a resemblance. Were they related? He couldn't quite remember what he'd said about how they were tied, whether blood or politics. He'd ask again later. When the mysterious Empress invited them across the border and closer to the lake, he was quick to move. Trundling along with a loose limbed gait and a quiet, tuneless hum.

There are already a host of pups playing by the lake, vibrating with energy and laughter. Instinctively, the youth balked. He waited for one of his more confident siblings to get in there. Sure, they were way littler than him. But still. He didn't want to be the first one there. In comes Andy to save him from being all alone with the little kids, and Crux follows. He can hear Kite coming at her own pace, and checks over his shoulder to make sure she's alright. Vanta and Dread will probably follow quickly, and Dread is trustworthy enough to take care of their other blind sister. The golden lad plods up to his lavender hued sister and plops down on his haunches beside her, waiting for the lull in the conversation where he can add his own voice to the chorus of names and games. And there it is, right after the little silver and champagne boy- Renegade.

"Uh, I'm Stratum. I like making stuff.." he offers hesitantly, looking around to see if anyone is staring at him. It doesn't look like anyone is judging, but there's.. so many of them. Everywhere. So many eyes looking at him, and he feels very exposed outside of the comfort of his caves with his little wooden tools and rocks.

"Stratum Fatalis"

This was easily the farthest Tethys had ever gone before, and she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing somewhere new. Even if most of the group was made up of Sirius's kids rather than her own siblings, she didn't really care. An opportunity to learn and see something new was enough for her to step outside her comfort zone. She was quiet as they made their way to Ashen's lands, only making noise once they landed - she hopped off the wagon with a soft little squeak and tried to stand tall, wanting to look strong and courageous for this meeting with their neighbors.

After the rest of the children introduced themselves and answered Venom's prompt, so did Tethys. "I'm Tethys. I like to wrestle." Besting her siblings was something she got a lot out of, even if they didn't always particularly enjoy it. Showing off her physical strength was something that was important to her, and she secretly hoped she might have a chance to do that here today. She fell quiet as she waited, eyes darting from one wolf to the next, though she fixated on Rogue for a long moment, deciding he looked a little bit like her... different colors, sure, but she saw the night sky in his coat and she was transfixed with the sight for the moment.

The last time they'd left their chilly northern homeland, mom died. What was going to happen this time? Leaving home could only spell trouble, Dread just knew it. He had a bad feeling about leaving, heading down to visit Ashen. He did his best to not complain too outwardly about the whole thing, but it really didn't sit right with him. Really-really. This wasn't something he was going to enjoy, and he would make his displeasure as quiet and clear as he could.

It seemed like any time they went somewhere else it was also loud. So many other children, and he was expected to... play with them? Dread isn't sure the frivolity is on his agenda. As Venom asks that they all introduce themselves, the boy has to keep himself from shrinking back. They all followed directions, going around the circle, giving their introductions. He isn't pleased, but... fine. "Dread." Right, that's the first part out of the way. As for games? He doesn't really like games. He liked to train. He liked to learn. He liked to help. All of those things were very serious, not game-like at all. "I guess wrestling is fun." Dread would take Tethys's answer. Good enough. The boy looked to his father, wondering how much longer they'd need to be away from home.

"Dread Fatalis"

Rampage was as excited as the rest to see all the pups that were coming to play with them.  He didn’t charge ahead with the others despite his excitement but instead jogged along with a collected gait and head raised up a bit to move with as arrogant a grace as possible.  Running ahead looked more fun but he wanted to make an impression.  After all, the armada wolves might be their friends and these puppies might be fun but obviously, the Klein family was still better, right?

“I am Prince Rampage Klein,” he tried to sound as noblish and princely as an excited pup could manage.  That was hard though and as he got around to the last bit he lost it to more puppyish excitement as he added, “I like tackling and wrestling,” a pause then added with a smug grin, “and winning.”  The boy's eyes flicked between Tethys and Wrestle, grinning boldly at them as if to announce assurance he’d win in a contest of skill.  How could he lose?

"Rampage Klein"