Reigning in or even keeping track of the tiniest in the litter was next to impossible. Due to her small stature, it was way too easy to sneak off. Well, to her knowledge she was sneaking off, but a companion was always seemingly hanging just behind to ensure her safety. So here she was, early in the morning, making her way downtown north to the willows. Why that way? Well, from the distance, the way the branches swung was interesting, that’s why!! Nearly tumbling down the hill to the willow grove, Delphi splashed through the spring-time puddles, making sure she got almost every bit of her covered in mud. Peels of laughter lit the air as she danced about the willows. Before she knew it, she was distracted by the low hanging branches. Steering away from the lily pad covered pond, she snuck up on the lowest of lowest branches. When she got a foot or so away from it, the little pup took a few bounding strides and leaped up until she grabbed ahold of a branch with her jaws. Clamping down, she swung in the breeze, laughing the whole time.

Explore a new land (Whistling Willows) - 1/3

The Warlord very rarely travelled away from the Armada these days. He was finding that as he grew older, he was more of a homebody. There was so much to do within the pack, constant training and building and crafting that required his attention. And that wasn’t even mentioning the patrolling, hunting, or all the other aspects of life that kept a pack fed and safe. But some days, you just need to stretch your legs.

He left Azure and Keahi in charge of the pack and ventured South from the territory. With her sights on the high ranking position, it was practice that would serve her well. Trusting that the Armada was in good paws, he let himself run. Racing across the Battlefield, and not slowing until he was near the river that ran through these parts of the land. Crossing it was an easy thing, his height allowed him to pick a semi shallow spot and wade through.

He had been to the Whistling Willows before, but it was some time since he had been here last. Out of breath from the long exertion, he made his way to the shallow water, and splashed his face in one of the deeper sections.

The sound of laughter startled him so much he almost fell in. only some clever footwork kept him on the shore as he turned, eyes scanning the trees. Expecting to find monkeys… and instead found a tiny wolf that seemed to wish she was one. He trotted closer to the trunk, keeping himself in position to catch her if she fell.


"Speech"

She swung until her jaws got tired. Hopping done as agile as she managed, the girl wavered on her paws for a moment. As she righted herself, a scent caught her attention. Completely lost in her own world Delphi had not noticed the titan approach. Bull frogs sang in the background as they hopped around on the lily pads. The breeze that whistled through sand their own tune. This was a beautiful place and was seemingly as safe as can be. That was until her nose tuned her into the approaching stranger. A gasp left her as her hackles raised. Lowering into a playbow, Delphi’s tail wagged and her lips curled up to show her growing canines. “Are you friend or foe?!” She attempts to shout but really came out as a squeak with an attempt at a growl.

It took her a while to notice him, and in that time Sirius was able to pick up her scent. There was something distinctly Ashen about her, as if she had spent some time in the pack, or had a relation to someone he knew. He couldn’t quite untangle it then or there… and truly, it didn’t matter. She could have been the child of a pirate, and he wouldn’t have meant the tiny bean any harm.

“Friend, definitely friend - but you shouldn’t trust me on my word in this.” He warned her, turning it into a lesson. “To determine if someone is a friend, it’s important to find out where their allegiances lie. You should practise, what can you figure out about where I’m from?” He asked her.

"Speech"

She eyed him carefully as he responded. A hum leaves her as she stands back up onto all fours. Squinting as if she were really thinking about it, the pup tilts her nose in the air. “Well, this place doesn’t smell like a pack. I’m not from a pack though. My grandmummy is though! Hm, let me smell you!” Delphi rushes over to him and sticks her nose right up against his toes. “You smell like the earth, but not soggy like grandmummy’s lake,” she comments as her bi-colored eyes turn upward to him. “This place kind of smells like her lake too so maybe you’re from somewhere else,” her eyes squint up at him again for a moment. Without warning, Delphi opens her mouth and bites onto one of his toes. After a quick taste, she pulls back and hums again. “Da talked about the mountains. You kind of taste like what he described,” she says before smiling and wagging her tail hoping she was right.

The Warlord couldn’t help but laugh as the tiny wee pup bounded over and gave his toes a sniff. He wasn’t sure who this child belonged to, but they were going to have to be careful with them. They were far too trusting and friendly with everyone they met. As she sniffed his toes, he gave them a wiggle. She truly was incredibly tiny.

“Ow!” He said with exaggerated emphasis as she suddenly bit his toe. “I taste like mountains?” he clarified in amusement. “You're right, I do come from the mountains. I come from the Armada Mountains, which are in the North. You smell as if you’ve been spending some time around Ashen. Did you know that Ashen and the Armada are closely allied?”

"Speech"

Delphi’s ears flick back and her eyes widen as he exaggerates the “ow!” “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you!” She chirps before leaning back to sit down. The pup couldn’t believe how much he had to look up at him! Just like Da! “Oh, yes, you taste like mountains! Like river rocks but not dirty,” it was hard for her to explain just how she knew, but from the stories her Da had told her, she just knew she was right. “Armada? That sounds familiar! Oh! Ashen! Grandmummy is leader lady of Ashen! She’s so pretty! Did you know my Da is Grandmummy’s son?! He says it’s just like I’m his daughter!” Her voice pitches with excitement. “Are you someone’s son? Or a leader uh sir? Right? Sir? I don’t know,” the words spew from Delphi’s mouth as she sees his toes once more and squints at them. Maybe just one more taste…

“You’ve got a pretty strong bite!” He said as she apologised. She didn’t. In fact, her teeth were so tiny that the grass probably did him more damage. No need to tell her that, however. “So Venom, the Ashen Empress is your grandmother? I’m her Godfather, which makes me your great-grandfather… but you can call me granddad” He explained. Hopefully her father didn’t mind. He ran through Venom’s kids in his mind… Obviously this wolf meant her first litter, which left Kuroki or Takēshi. He hadn’t heard of either having children…

“I’m Sirius, the leader of the Armada.” He wasn’t sure how to navigate the question of being someone's son. It was… someone complicated for him. Instead, as she eyed his toes again, he gave them another wiggle.


"Speech"

Delphi continued to eye him as he explained that he was Venom’s Godfather… whatever that was! But he said that she could call him granddad! Did that mean he was like grampa Vidarr? Not that she knew any different that the other shadowy man wasn’t really her grandfather but it was all the same to her. “Okay gramps!” Delphi chirped back as she wiggled and squirmed like any puppy would. “Sirius? That’s a cool name. My name is Philadelphia Hattori-Klein, the daughter of uh Oki! I think that’s what mummy calls him,” she brings a paw to her muzzle before she is one again distracted by his wiggling toes. “Oh but call me Delphi!” The girl furrows her brows and glares up at him. “Don’t call me by my full name!!” She squeaks before one more leaping onto his paw and giving one of the toes a nibble.

Okay gramps! a bright, cheerful grin flashed across his expression as he suddenly and unexpectedly found his family a little bigger. He would of course need to track down her parents at some point and have a chat with them, but first he would need to figure out who they were. Turns out, that was easier than expected. ‘Oki’ narrowed it down to just one wolf, Kuroki for sure. “You think? Do you spend your time with your mum, and not your dad?” He asked, surprised at how unsure she was of her fathers name. Perhaps he shouldn’t be prying…

“Very well, I will call you Delphi” He promised her.


"Speech"

Delphi stopped tasting the Warlord’s toes for a moment to look up at him. “Well, I spend time with mum and da and other mum and my siblings and Zo and Ulmy and auntie Pandy and Arnie when he’s not busy! Oh and other gramps! But he had to go live with his own family so I don’t get to see him,” it was clear that Delphi probably just didn’t pay attention to the names of the adults. “Mum and da and other mum always tell me not to eat things and to watch where I walk, but hello I’m small! I can’t see very far in front of me!” Her brow furrows as she scoots forward until she is sitting on his large paws. “Do you have pups, gramps? Are they fun? Do they know my da? I bet they do if you’re grandma’s godfather! Does that mean everyone around here knows everyone? Or no? That’s a lot of wolves! Have you met grampa Chi? He’s funny,” she beams a toothy smile up at Sirius. “I like meeting new wolves!” Delphi chirps as she leans her chin against his foreleg.