She is more confident, this time. Hazel has done her best to learn to carry herself, clumsy as it may be. There was a flame inside her, a fire that couldn't be dampened or put out. With Bas gone, it was hard for her to find something to do with herself. Pick up extra patrols, sure. She'd done that. Try to round the pups up for training-- herding cats may come with more success, but she'd fill in the gaps and run lessons when she could. Honestly, Hazel was pretty good with the pups. They were surprisingly fun to work with... hell, Hazel was even surprising herself.


Maybe it was time. Maybe it was time for her to try again... right? That sounded good and reasonable. At least it was something to do, something to keep her busy while Bas was away. Hazel would keep pushing towards her goals, relentless as ever. Hazel made her way into the Warlord's den, seeking him out actively. "Sirius?" Confidence, this time. She would do it with confidence.

"Speech"

The Warlord was organising the supplies in his den. With a hoard of growing yearlings underfoot, food often went missing from unexpected places. He had also found a few hidey holes the pups had made. Those he was leaving be - everyone deserves their secrets. After he had finished sniffing them out, just to make sure his kids weren’t into anything bad.

A voice at the den pulled him away from the drying rack, and he made his way to the door. Finding Hazel there. She had been around the pack more often lately. In fact, he was pretty sure she was keeping out of trouble a little better with Basilisk gone. What did that say about the duo? He grinned and nodded his head towards the young girl. “Hazel, what can I do for you?”


"Sirius Fatalis"

Hazel would plead the fifth on the whole trouble front. She was really doing her best to show the Warlord that she'd grown up. That, and maybe she was preemptively trying to prove herself to Azure too. Though his approval had meant little to her in the past... well, things changed. Sometimes things changed. It seemed that her relationship with the Armada's Champion was destined to grow even more complicated as time went on.

Sirius didn't take long to appear from the depths of the den. "How's the uh, spring cleaning?" It's a soft smile. She's fond of the Warlord, always grateful to the man that had saved her. Warmth and mischief really was becoming of her, especially now that she'd grown capable and strong with the help of the pack and their teaching. Still, there was a reason she was here. There was a reason she'd sought him out today. "I wanted to ask you what more I can do to prove to you that I'm worthy of promotion." It's a question in earnest. Hazel was fighting to prove herself, like she had from the day she'd been abandoned.

"Speech"

He blinked at the younger wolf, and then grinned. It was Spring, wasn’t it? Feeling far too domesticated, he glanced back at the den behind him. “Keeping a den clean with yearlings under paw is a difficult endeavour” He explained in amusement. He wasn’t terribly surprised that Hazel was bringing up promotion again. She had done a good showing last time, but not quite enough for the large leapfrog over ranks that she had desired.

Now, she wanted General and was asking what she could do to prove her worth. He considered it for a moment. “It’s not news that's out there yet, but I want to pay the pirates back for their raid. In preparation for that, find which wolves need the most work, and the most gear. Make a list of who needs what, and do some training with those in need. That will earn you your spot in General, because it's exactly what I expect of my General.” He decided.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Sirius looked different in this light. He looked older than he had, even two years ago. Hazel still pictured him as the same man he was when he caught her trespassing, yes. She still saw him as that man, but she can see him as this one too. The Warlord raised this litter on his own, and that too, had aged him. It wasn't just time, but experience too. So many things had happened in the last few years. None of them stayed the same. Hazel wouldn't let the nostalgia take her in.

The Warlord's words don't come as a surprise. He wanted vengeance. Hell, Hazel did too. The Pirates had come at a time that was downright catastrophic last time, and it left her with a grim feeling in her stomach. This time would be different. The best defense was a good offense, and they'd strike on their own terms this time around. Hazel's expression was serious, giving a solitary nod. "Consider it done." With that, she turned on her heel and strode into the daylight. There was work to be done.

-- Exit Hazel, unless stopped --
"Speech"