He waited a little while for things to die down, and Isa and Andy to heal a little. The body of the deranged bear had been cleaned up, and it was clear that no one was going to contract any diseases from whatever had driven it insane.

When he went looking for Isa a few days later, he found her by the central firepit. He approached on quiet paws, and came to a stop a short pace from her. “Isa” He said. He didn’t do words like ‘thank you’ easily, and sometimes, actions said them better regardless. He gave her a quiet sort of smile, and held out a paw. “Come on, I’m sure you feel cooped up in the Armada by now. Let’s go for a walk.”


"Speech"

It felt like Isa was always healing from something. By now she'd developed a healthy distaste for bears. Her shoulders and neck were healing and were still a little stiff, but she was trying to push herself, as was her way. The blue woman didn't like to sit still and she didn't like feeling useless, so as she was laid up in bed, she'd been crafting cushions from a stack of small furs. The whole Armada would be able to have a cushion by the time she was done.

Getting tired of being holed up in the mountain, Isa slid into the cloak that Sirius had given her and moved out to lay beside the blazing fire. The day was a little chilly, but it was no big deal, especially between the fire and the fur on her back. She was a little surprised when Sirius found her and asked her to come with him, but she shrugged and got to her paws, following along behind the giant man. They hadn't really spoken since he and Basilisk had come to help Andromeda and herself back from the fight with the polar bear. She was curious what he wanted, but she kept her silence in a very un-Isa-like fashion.

"Isa"

Her silence surprised him. It felt like she always had something to say. Something to push him from his comfort zone, or speak of things he would rather not. But the woman was quiet, bundled in her furs as she followed after him. He kept the silence as well, leading them from the Col, and out through the market paths. He didn’t travel outside of the Armada as much as he used to. Perhaps he was getting too old to continue the efforts he had once put into recruiting - or perhaps he simply felt that the Armada prospered with the numbers it had. A record number of wolves resided within his borders.

He led them to the border that met with the Battlefield, and turned back to Isa. breaking the silence at last. “Where do you wish to go? We can head West, into desert territories, South, to hunting territories, or East to more woodland.” He said, leaving the choice to her.

"Speech"

Isa continued to follow along beside Sirius, quiet as ever. The silence didn't bother her. She didn't always have to push his buttons. Really, she only did so when he was being rude and callous. Since he was playing nice today, she would do so as well. Hopefully he kept it up, because she could spit venom at the drop of a hat.

Dark ears swiveled to catch the mans words as he gave her options. Isa stood, looking in the different directions. The fae's dainty nose quivered as she took in the scents that came her way. The rich scent of woodland met her nares and she motioned with a pull of her skull. "Woodland. Then I won't have to leave my cloak behind and hope that it's still there when we return." She didn't know who or what might want to take it, but it was a gift that meant something, so she wouldn't leave it up to chance. One paw extended out before her. "Lead the way, warlord. This is your walking tour, after all." She teased a little simply because she couldn't help herself.

"Isa"

“Woodland it is, and you need not worry, no one will take your belongings” He promised her. Even Slaves had rights in his packs, especially those he cared for. As she indicated with a paw, he nodded, and stepped forward. “We will be heading over the Battlefield. I don’t recommend crossing this territory alone” He warned her. She would be easy picking, and he had no interest in losing her to some ambitious upstart. Which reminded him, he needed to do some combat training with her.

“Boreas is a huge place, I've lived here most of my life and there are still territories I haven’t explored.” He explained as he walked, leading them in the direction of the Buffalo Knolls and Soulless forest - through it would be some time before they reached either place.


"Speech"

Sirius assured Isa that her cloak wouldn't be stolen, but she still didn't want to chance it. Casting her glacial gaze about, the smaller woman moved towards one large tree and stuffed her garment carefully in a hollow. She would be able to retrieve it on the way back and it would be kept out of sight until then.

Isa kept pace with Sirius, listening as he spoke. Once he finished, she couldn't help herself and a look of sharp amusement glittered in the fae's gaze. "Ahhh, the mighty warlord doesn't know everything? Shhhhocking." The hulking brute admitted that he hadn't traveled the whole continent which was entirely understandable, but the man had a very... 'holier than thou' attitude a lot of the time, so it was amusing for Isa to point out.

"This Battlefield," the mottled woman motioned in the direction with a point of her dark nose. "What is it's purpose? Just a place for fighting?" Surely he remembered that she wasn't from these lands and so would know nothing about the rules of such a place.

"Isa"

Despite his words, she hid her clock in the hollow of a tree. Hopefully no patroller would think it lost and helpfully move it, or Isa might become even more concerned over her meagre belongings. Or was that the issue? She had so little, she hated to lose even one? That thought gave him pause, and he found himself mulling it over for a moment. Perhaps that was something he needed to change. Just because she was a slave, didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed a sense of belonging, or having things of her own.

He snorted as she spoke, playfully batting at her paw as he walked beside her. “It’s impossible to know everything, and I would never assume otherwise.” He told her. At her mention of the Battlefield, he looked to their right, where the open expanse lay. “It’s a place where challenges happen. Spars, lessons, or finishing grudges. It’s also a place where a wolf might disease anyone traversing it is there to be preyed upon.” He warned her. He didn’t often see it used nefariously but… he had done so himself in the past.


"Speech"

Having things wasn't the issue with the woman. She had no real need for a plethora of belongings. It was what the coat signified that was important. The fur was the embodiment of the apology that Sirius had given her. That was what meant something. He had shown her vulnerability and that he was capable of admitting when he was wrong. With that gift, he had become more than a pompous, pig-headed bastard. It let her know that, even in his worst moments, he was capable of being better.

Sirius seemed to appreciate her joke and a grin spread on the fae's maw. He even playfully batted at her paw, which she found amusing. The conversation shifted to talking about the Battlefield and the warlord laid out its purpose. Isa made a contemplative sound in her throat and shrugged. "I doubt I'd do well in such a place." Stepping to the side, the icy fae bumped her shoulder against him. "Good thing I have such a giant man to protect me, eh?" Though Isa was working on her fighting skills, it wasn't something that she sought out or enjoyed. They were just skills in case she needed them.

"Isa"