Though she had her doubts that she'd ever make the trip back to the northern lands of Boreas again, once she had it in her mind to do it she couldn't let it go. The chilled air of Auster's winter and the heavy rains that came along with it was the last straw that convinced her to finally do it. At the very least she had another reason to go up into Boreas than just to reconnect with an old friend. She had feared that Kane wouldn't want her to go or wouldn't go with her since the trip would involve Sirius, but luckily her sweet mate refused to let her go alone and kept her company for the trip even if he didn't want to visit the Armada himself. She had a feeling that the temptation of the larger prey that lived up north and the promise of warmer weather was enough to convince him as well.

They took their time walking up through Boreas, only traveling a bit at a time and treating it more as a vacation than a hurried journey. It reminded her of the time they spent away from The Hallows as roaming loners and it did her some good to get some freedom and fresh air. She loved her family and their pack dearly, but the navigator and explorer in her sure did love seeing a variety of landscapes. Eventually they reached the towering mountains and evergreens of the north and shortly after they found the pack border that smelled heavily of Sirius and his family. Looking up at Kane, she kissed him lightly and told him, "Why don't you go hunt and scout us out a place to stay for the night? I won't be long." Though he was reluctant at first, she didn't want him glowering at Sirius her whole visit so she was certain it was best for everyone involved if he found something to preoccupy himself for a while. After some reassurances that she would be fine and would come find him when she was done, Kane went off into the nearby trees and she turned back toward the pack proper.

She took a breath and let out a call for Sirius, her tone relaxed and friendly. It had been far too long since she had seen him. No matter how tumultuous their relationship had been he was still one of her oldest friends and the last one that still remained. As the years crept up on her more and more it only made her want to revisit those relationships more than ever. She settled back on her haunches to wait for him, trying to ignore the bit of nervousness she felt. Hopefully he would be as happy to see her as she was to see him.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

The voice at his border was one he had not heard in some time. He lifted his head to the wind, his ears raised and tilted. There had been a time, long lost to him now, when that voice had been a fixture in his life. He felt the nostalgia wash over him, threatening to sweep him away. He was reminded of the first day she had been brought to him. Trailing behind his wife like a lost lamb. She had been a fragile thing then, and one his wife had taken under her wing. He had trained her, and she had shown her strength. He had gifted her ornate bracers, carved to show her rank when she had risen to his General. She had saved him when his adopted daughter had vanished, and he had forsaken his health to find her. She had fallen in love with Resin, and asked to leave when that old wolf had. She had flourished further in the Hallows, and saved him again when he thought to join his wife. The first time he had thought her dead.


If only he had been as wrong this time. They had not parted on the best of terms, and his paws were slow as they turned away from his work and made his way to the border. Tamsyn stood as a reminder of time, of how things had developed and changed as they grew. When he saw her, he was shocked to see had aged. A foolish thing to catch him by surprise, but it did all the same. He came to a halt before her, and dipped his head at his oldest friend. “Tamsyn, is everything alright?” He asked her softly. If she had come to him looking for help, he wouldn't forget the 

debt he owed her.

As she waited for Sirius to appear it was difficult not to be pulled down a trail of memories. This wasn't the landscape that they had spent countless hours and days on and the scent that distinguished Armada's borders from the others had changed and evolved over the years, but Sirius' familiar scent stood out above all else and brought back so many memories–good and bad. Before she really had much of a chance to get lost in her thoughts, she spotted Sirius' familiar form appear from the trees. He was every bit as imposing a presence as she remembered though certainly greyed with age just as she had. A little, wistful smile pulled at her lips as he approached. Oh how things had changed since he was once her Warlord and she his General.

"Everything is fine, you silly old man," she replied with a chuckle, pulling herself back to her paws so that she could lean up to press her nose to his cheek. She knew that things between them had been uneasy at best on and off for the last several years for one reason or another, but with so much time behind them and an unknown amount of time ahead of them she couldn't bring herself to hold onto even a bit of that animosity. "I just wanted to visit my old friend... if that's okay with you," she added after she stepped back to look up at him again, giving him another smile. "For once there's no catastrophe or loss or emergency to tend to or report. It's kind of a nice change of pace."

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

The Warlord leaned into her affection, surprised by it. He and Tamysn had a great many memories together. They had been through fire, and loss. Their friendship had bended, and he had thought it broken. Now it was time that they had weathered, but looking at the old wolf, it was easy to remember the times when they had worked together. 


He offered her a smile. It was true that calamity had been a part of their last few interactions. “You're always welcome here, Tamysn. Your son found his way to me as well, Malik is a quick learner” he said conversationally as he led her into the Col. It was her first time visiting the Armads since they had moved here, was it not? He let his paws drive them towards the centre of the Col.”Your timing is interesting, this might have been your last chance to visit me as Warlord. I'm passing the pack on to my grandson next season.” He explained

A proud grin crossed her lips when Sirius shared that Malik had found his way here and complimented how quickly he learned. "Good, I'm glad he took my advice. I wasn't sure if he was serious when he asked me about learning how to really fight, but I guess he meant it. I knew that if he was going to learn the basics from anyone but me I wanted it to be you." All of her sons had taken to fighting fairly well as pups except for Malik. He had shown so much of his father in him with his love for nature and hunting, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't happy that he came around on the idea of at least being able to defend himself well. It put her mind at ease a bit now that he was fully grown and out wandering the wilds without her. Hopefully he'd return home soon so she could see what all he learned.

She followed along beside Sirius as he began to lead her into the pack's territory and her gaze drifted across the mountainous landscape, taking it all in. It was such a drastic change from the open, grassy plains where she had known the Armada, but as they drew closer to the hub of what they had built here she began to see why this was a good move for them. Sirius had always been one for building and creating a home and these caves certainly made for a good medium to do just that. As they walked he admitted that this might be the last time she could visit him as a Warlord and her gaze immediately went back to him with genuine surprise. "Well... I never thought I'd see the day when Sirius Fatalis would retire," she teased with a chuckle. And it was true. She had been certain that Sirius would never actually retire and that he would hold onto his place in the pack until the day he passed. "I'm glad," she admitted after a moment. "You've been doing this a very long time and as good as you are at it I'm glad you're finally going to get some rest."

It occurred to her after a moment of processing this news that he had said his grandson would be taking over from him. Not his son or his daughter. She wasn't completely detached from the going ons of the Armada with Briar and Artorias occasionally keeping her informed or at least overhearing their conversations, but there was quite a distance between their packs so it wasn't as if every change or update reached them in Auster. Still, she was slightly surprised by the shift. "Which of your grandsons will be taking over then? Basilisk? I'm surprised to hear it's not Azure or Mortis." The two boys had been contenders for it back in her time with the Armada, but she knew that was a long time ago now. Things can certainly change and apparently they had.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Tamsyn had become a formidable fighter in her own right, and he was touched that she had sent her son his way. They reached the Col, and he slowed, giving her a chance to take it in.  “I'm old,” he said softly. “I can feel it in my bones.” He wasn't sure if his grandson was ready, but he knew Hazel would balance him, and others would help to guide him.


He started to walk at a regular pace again after a moment, leading her through the Col and up towards First Light Point. He reaches the incline when she questioned him about his heir. “Mortis rejected the position, and has found his place in being a father instead.” He explained, carefully keeping any bitterness from his tone. “Azure went missing shortly after… Zee died.” Here he couldn't stop the worry that crept in.

As Sirius citied his age she could only nod with a deep understanding. She knew that feeling he spoke of–that age that seeped down into their bones and made everything just a bit more difficult than it had once been. She didn't like the idea of making the best of what time she had left and tying up any loose ends she might still have because that made the approaching end all too real, but it was a reality she was going to have to face sooner rather than later. At least Sirius was being realistic in his affairs instead of holding on far longer than he should.

They began to climb a slope and Tamsyn continued to follow along beside her friend as he spoke of Mortis' decline of the position, mentioning his focus on being a father. Her obvious surprise and excitement for the winged man showed on her face with a grin that pulled across her lips. She still remembered Mortis jumping from tree branches and surprising her and now that young man was a father. It made her wonder if any of his pups were as much of an adorable trouble maker as he had been. She didn't have a chance to share her excitement for Mortis though as Sirius went on to share Azure's disappearance following Zee's death. Her expression faltered and a frown replaced her grin.

"Azure is a strong, smart man. I'm sure he's alright," she replied after a moment of consideration. "Everyone deals with grief in their own way... I learned that for myself the hard way," she added more quietly, her gaze slipping away from him to look at the ground ahead of her. She was quiet for a moment before she looked back up at him again with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry that I never had the chance to give you my condolences when she passed. There's not a lot of things in this life that I actually regret, but letting things become so... tangled between us and letting that keep me away when all of that happened is certainly one of the things I regret the most."

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

“This pack meant something to him.” He said softly, having Azure at his side had given him strength, even as his own had begun to wane with age. He had lost his chosen Heir as well as Zee. He shook his head, chasing away the thoughts that rose free. “I suppose we do.” He agreed. She had lost Resin, he had lost Zee. Their respective kids had lost a parental figure. Neither of them were strangers to grief. 


He was nearing the top of the lookout point when she spoke of her regret. He breathed out slowly, feeling the emotions that wrapped about him with her words. It would have been good, if Tamsyn could have been near. But he had already proven to them both that he could not be trusted with her in his grief. He had caused her a lot of pain - the golf that had grown between them had been of his own making. “The fault isn't with you.” He said gently, stepping out onto flat ground, and heading to the edge. The glass watch post he had constructed for Andy sat on their right. “I'm glad you came. I didn't expect it… but I'm glad.” He said, taking a seat here where they could look out across half of the pack. In the distance, a tiny winged figure jumped across the sand, leap-frog style.

She couldn't rightfully deny him when he insisted that the fault for her distance hadn't fallen on her. She had long let go of the grudge that had formed around how Sirius had handled things when they first believed Zee to be dead, but that didn't mean that he hadn't been to blame for the vast majority of it. She had given so much of herself to try and keep him afloat and had never truly felt like she had gotten the same in return. Regardless of their past, he was still her oldest friend and the only one that had lived through so many of the same joys and sorrows as her. Nothing should have kept her from being with him when he had to say his final goodbyes to Zee. More than that, she had never gotten to say her own goodbyes to Zee and she had been as much her friend as Sirius had been at one point. It was a regret that she'd hold onto for the rest of her days.

They reached the flat point at the top of the path, revealing a look out point that looked out over a beautiful landscape. She settled onto her haunches beside him, glancing up at him as he mentioned how glad he was for her surprise visit. A little smile tugged at her lips and she nudged him gently with her shoulder. "I am too. I've missed you." She didn't know how much longer she would be given in this life, but every day that she had left she was going to spend it with the wolves she cared about most. Of course the majority of her time was dedicated to her children and Kane, but Sirius had played a very important role in her life for a very long time and it only felt right to reconnect with her friend while she still could.

She looked down at the shoreline ahead of them, spotting the shape down bellow hopping across the sands. She realized quickly that they had the same distinctive wings as Mortis even though she was too far away to make out other small details about the young wolf. "One of Mortis' I assume?" she questioned with a chuckle, a grin pulling at her lips. Who else would bring more winged wolves into the world? There was a pause as she watched the boy for a moment before she added, "I'd like to see Mortis too while I'm here if that's okay." While she hadn't really had the chance to grow close with all of Sirius' children during her time in the Armada, she did have very fond memories of Mortis and she'd love to see how the boy she knew had grown into a man and a father. "Is there anyone else still around that I'd know?" she questioned, wondering just how much the Armada had changed in the years since she was its General.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

There was a lot of familiarity to be found in settling in beside Tamsyn. He rubbed absently at his chest, feeling the weight of his age and the press of his memories. There were many things in life that he missed, and having Tamsyn at his side was one of them. Zee. The strength of his youth, and that fire that had driven him in his younger years. But he would not give up his children to feel the ache in his joints fade.

Life happened, and there was much to love about what was around him right now as well. This mountain he had chosen for his pack was a fine place. He could only hope his grandchildren, and great grandchildren could build many memories here.

He grinned as Tamsyn spotted one of his grandchildren, watching for a moment as they frolicked and played, a little dot below them. “Wylan, his oldest” He said in answer to her question. “You're more than welcome to see anyone you wish here, and to stay as long as you like.” His home was open to her. He hesitated at her last question, finding it to be unexpectedly painful. …No” he said after a pause. “No, I don’t believe you will.” His voice was wistful and soft. Too many wolves gone without so much as a goodbye.


"Speech"

As she had suspected, the winged boy was one of Mortis' children, named Wylan. She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to see Mortis with a family given the fact that Artorias and Rudyard both had families of their own as well–Artorias and Briar two times over a this point–but there was something about the fact that it had been so long since she had seen Mortis that he was just frozen in time in her mind. It was a silly way to think, of course, but it was just another piece of evidence that time did indeed move on with or without her. She wasn't surprised when Sirius confirmed that anyone she would have known from her days in the Armada were gone for one reason or another and she gave a slightly forced smile and a nod in response. "I kind of figured that would be the case... Everything moves on one way or another, for better or worse."

It made her think of the Hallows and how different it was from when Resin had first formed it. The pack had gone through two more leaders since her death, both in the form of Ulric and then Artorias, and truly the only reason there was still a number of familiar faces there was because so many of her children had stuck close together. There was many newer faces that had joined in the years since she had separated herself from the pack, but the Hallows was doing better than ever and she was proud of her son for growing it the way he had. "Do you ever wonder what it'll be like? When we're gone?" she asked quietly, watching Wylan play down below. "You know they always say that our loved ones are still watching over us and all of that... Do you think we'll really know what's going on here when we're gone? That we'll actually be able to help protect them?"

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Of his own children, the ones Tamsyn had really known were his oldest, and only Mortis was let in the Armada from that litter. That perhaps made Mortis the longest standing wolf in the Armada after himself. It was a very strange thought to consider. If only the boy had held a little bit more ambition. It would be him, and not Basilisk, set to take the crown.

“Lately, I’ve been wondering it often. Packs in these lands rise and fall so easily. I hope those that come after me can hold onto what I've created.” He said softly, watching Wylan play still. He wanted there to be generations of wolves in this pack, something stable and long lasting. A place to hold his family together. “Vanta - one of my youngest - she said Zee has come to her in her dreams multiple times, and helped to guide her. I don’t know if its true.” His voice grew a little choked. “But I hope that it is. If I ever have the power in m to do so, I would watch over the Armada, and my family, for a long time.”


"Speech"