Hattori knew of his grandchildren, both Ikigai and Kuroki's. Objectively speaking, he was not a good Father to his first set of children, and so by extension he wasn't much of a grandad either. But after meeting her at the Hallowed council, he supposed he was...curious, if nothing else. Awfully young to be representing the Vikings as heir, but capable at least to some degree, from what he'd observed that day. Hattori hadn't yet heard of the change of leadership, or even the nature of the pack itself, but if nothing else he would learn that today.

Winter was cold and harsh here, his coat clearly not suited for this climate and the brisk mountain air. He exhaled, the air clouding around his muzzle as he looked up at the foggy mountain paths and peaks. He had brought his children to the monastery that resided at the top once, long ago.

Tilting his head back he called out for Delphi, not yet knowing quite how much things had changed around here.

Fortunately for Delphi, she's making her way down from the inner stores of Fenrir's Maw when the call rings out. The tone is unfamiliar, but there's a certain clip to it that reminds her of the stories her da would tell when she was younger. Dropping her gathered supplies off at the lower storerooms for easier access, Delphi doesn't keep the man waiting for long.

Winter had only just begun to arrive and already fog swirled from her nostrils. A cape made from a wolverine's pelt is draped over her shoulders both to evade the cold and keep danger away. Being so small, she was always at risk from being snatched by large birds or targeted by even larger predators. Keeping the hood up over her ears as she makes her way down the snowy slopes, from afar it would appear she might just be a wolverine.

It's not until she's feet from the wolf does she tilt her head back to drop the hood and get a good look at who had come calling for her specifically. To her surprise and it's obvious by the way she stops in her tracks and looks upward, it is her grandfather. Blinking a few times before her brain comes back, she clears her throat and dips her head in greeting to him. "You're a long way from the bamboo, Hattori," Delphi can't hide the smirk. She's trying to be respectful, but after the griping stories from her da, she can't imagine being so serious all the time.

"Come, I'm sure you would appreciate some warmth," she nods her head toward a relatively spacious cavern not far from the border at the base of the mountain. It had once been home to a bear and her family, but has since been chased off so they may use it for temporary meetings or guests to stay in. Within, a fire already dances with sparks and warmth, kept alive by those who patrol the borders. A sort of beacon for those who are lost.

Taking her cloak off to sit upon it by the fire, she shakes out her fur and settles in before turning her attention to the Kaicho. "I am uncertain how much you know, but I suppose we can start with the basics. I am Delphi, daughter of Kuroki and Celeste, your granddaughter," her eyes stay firm on Hattori, trying to see if she can see any flickering changes of expression with the news. How much did he know of his grandpups?

He was greeted by the sight of a tiny wolf clad in a fur cloak. It was almost strange seeing a wolf with her coat patterns living in such a terrain, his homeland was one of eternal autumn, reds and oranges as far as the eye could see. He supposed if nothing else, Tenshi would feel at home here, that these mountains were near one and the same. From the snow caps to the dangerous winding paths, she was meant to be here, and he could not blame her for heeding its call.

He hummed low in his throat, a sound of acknowledgement, before he made to follow the yearling as they sought shelter from the brisk mountain air. The sort of cold that sunk into the bone. He settled on his seat, quiet as he watched her, gaze intense, the glow of his eyes mitigated by the flickering flames. He knew who she was, had put enough together on his own, but the introduction did feel necessary all the same, proper somehow.

"I heard what happened to her. You have my condolences." He spoke quietly in his native tongue, Celeste must have taught them that, no? In some way he felt responsible for the woman's passing, she had been dragged into it all and he felt as though- it was done.

As Hattori takes his seat, his quiet yet humble tones speaking a language she had not heard in ages, Delphi strains to understand. Her brow furrows, her brain working through dusty cogs until the syllables all click together. If it had not been for Celeste’s teachings and Kuroki’s off handed slang, Delphi’s only other language would have been the language Vidarr spoke. 

”Appreciated,” her smile is warm, but it doesn’t connect to her eyes. It’s clear by the look on her face that the loss of her mother still ran a sharp knife through her heart. “I am sure that is not why you’re here, no?” Delphi asks, switching back to the common tongue because honestly, she was out of practice and had not enough brain marbles to really put in the effort.

Her tone was stilted, the native tongue did not come to her as naturally as Hattori had assumed. But she understood him and responded appropriately, so if nothing else she had picked up manners somewhere, perhaps it was Víðarr's influence at play as well. Likely even Tenshi too. She smiled and Hattori had seen that look far more times than he cared to count, schooled and proper, good enough to be appropriate but not earnest in any sense of the word. He did not think much of it, admittedly, they were strangers and such a meeting would always be stilted to some degree. She was correct in pointing that out, sharp enough to do so and though he didn't say as much, it pleased him to realise how much of Celeste she carried. She had been a good woman and her death had been an necessary tragedy for all involved.


"That is true enough," he conceded, following suit and swapping to the common tongue as well. "I thought it odd Víðarr did not attend the Hallows meeting." Tojo and Heiðinn were not allies by any means, but there had been an agreement between the two packs. "Does he not have his own children to act as an heir?" The implication was a little pointed, but clear: why you?

Delphi's brow raises in question as Hattori moves to answer her question. Should she indulge the Kaicho in the truth or keep the darkness hidden? It wasn't like she was quite fond of Vidarr and his actions recently. Ever since Tenshi's sickness, he had been spiraling into madness far quicker than she had wanted. His violent actions and erratic behavior made it difficult to even interact the man.

She sighs, eyes levelling with Hattori, cold and devoid of any of the snarky spark she usually carried. Hattori was not wrong. There was Erik, hell even Akito or Morganna, that could have stepped up to take the place of Vidarr. Of course, the new ones were not even a year, they surely couldn't step up, but there were the older ones. So why her? It was a good question indeed.

"Morganna has never been around. Akito is I believe not truly Vidarr's? Or there's no way of knowing, but his dedication to your bamboo stands firm over any considerations of him moving north. Erik, well Erik, he is volatile," her nose wrinkles, the only indication that she was not Erik's biggest fan. "So the next option was myself. I have spent much more time with Vidarr than any of his own offspring so the decision is a no brainer," her shoulders shrug before she regards Hattori once more, her own question coming next.

"Do you wonder if Vidarr's agreement with you still stands?" Though the secret has not been revealed to anyone else, it was one thing that Vidarr insisted she knew about. If he were to remain an honorable man in his dying days, someone would need to ensure he held up his end of the bargain with Hattori.

In silence, Hattori listened, ears flicked forward and attentive. Hattori did not know Morganna very well, nor Erik for that matter. They did not seem overly attached to Tojo or it's way of life, so he had not protested when they decided to leave-he was not interested in keeping prisoners within his maze, those who remained did so out of choice. And it was undeniable that Akito was a valued member of the clan, on several occasions Hattori had considered making the yearling his heir, if nothing else at least until one of his children came of age.

So in that sense he could see why his granddaughter had been chosen, the situation was similar in some regards but different in many others.

"I do." He confirmed, grateful she got straight to the point. They had only just met in earnest- the Hallowed meeting did not count as they hadn't spoken- and yet she seemed to be able to read him well enough. He made no secret of his lack of taste for mingling after all.

Her grandfather is vastly different than her father. She can see that now in the way he sits like a statue, quiet and foreboding? Thoughtful? Formidable? Delphi couldn’t quite find the right word, but she was no stranger to reading other’s emotions. Call her intuitive or just plain observant or maybe she was more like Hattori than she realized. Idle chit chat really wasn’t her thing either.

”Vidarr had chosen Lumine as the contender for your agreement, but she does not know yet. He was waiting until her first birthday to impose the news,” Delphi pauses, her expression scrunched up for a moment. Since Tenshi’s ailment and Vidarr’s spiral, the pups were a mess and she wasn’t even sure if they liked her or were just staying until they were old enough.

”I have no qualms of upholding Vidarr’s end of the bargain, but I am not the girl’s father. I cannot promise she won’t give you trouble,” she lifts a brow, eyes remaining on Hattori to see what he thought of the predicament.

Lumine. Hattori had seen the girl in passing, though had not spoken to her personally. Any daughter of Tenshi would be a valuable asset; and though Tojo was rather isolationist he had grown up with the mindset that a good marriage provided stability for all. He did not see it as diplomacy, as much as setting the foundation for a better, stronger future. In many ways, his would have been easier to a degree if he hadn't had to choose, perhaps things would have worked out better if he hadn't.

"What is the girl like?" He asked then, head tilting just slightly.

Delphi was typically wrapped up in her own world so the question posed to her left her silent. A moment passes, leaning back into her seat as she tries to think of the best way to describe the girl. "Lumine is," Delphi starts before letting out a sigh and giving her head a shake. "From what I've witnessed, she's a near perfect candidate for such an arrangement. Even at a young age, she's poised, thoughtful, carries herself well. No outbursts, no temper, cool and levelheaded. Very much similar to Tenshi," she pauses again, assessing Hattori before saying one last thing. "As of late, she has taken the situation poorly though and I have not seen much of her. I don't believe she wishes to call the mountain home anymore," her lips turn downward into a frown. Frankly, Delphi didn't want the mountain to be home either, but unless she found a better place for them to move, it didn't make sense.

"Delphi"

Soaking in the information, the girl did sound like a suitable enough candidate. His Granddaughter seemed level-headed, rather impressive for her age and the sudden burden of responsibility that was foisted upon her- Hattori did not think the girl would lie, least of all about this. And though he had never been able to..be what Tenshi had wanted from him, he had always respected the wolf- she had earned as much if nothing else. Deserved to live the life she'd wanted-one that had been cut shorter than she deserved. That thought sat heavily with him, made his brows pinch, a feeling of...disquiet, an ache almost. Loss.

"Tenshi, what happened to her?"

For a brief moment, she believes she sees a flicker of emotion across her grandfather's face. Was that... something for Tenshi? Delphi's head tilts, eyes narrowing, but she doesn't think too much about it. The fact that he was here right now was more than enough for herself. Not like her father had said many great things about the man anyway so it wasn't like she revered him as a god or some higher being. His question though leaves her thinking. Her expression tightens, chest feeling heavy.

"I, hrm," she doesn't want to say this bit, but knows it has to be said aloud. "Vidarr and his healers are not so great at healing when they put their gods before medicine," the words are careful. Not exactly placing blame upon the Mad King himself, but surely there was a cause and effect to his ways. "Tenshi gave birth to the pups and didn't take it so well. I had attempted to help, but there was insistence that they pray to the gods for help," her voice is strained, annoyed almost. Stupid Vidarr. "They went to raid The Hallows. Tenshi thought herself recovered, but she ended up catching something really bad on the way there. Fighting only worsened it and by the time they returned to the mountain, it was basically too late," Delphi looks away from Hanzo now to stare into the flames. Her heart ached for Tenshi, for her own mother, for the pups that would not know the woman who brought them into this world.

"I wish I had done more, but no one has seen her since the return from the raid. We all have assumed her rightfully dead and gone. Vidarr wouldn't let anyone get close, not even his own sisters or their children," her nose wrinkles as she looks back to her grandfather, curious to know what he thought.

"Delphi"

Hattori would claim that he was above casting blame, but from what his granddaughter told him it very much sounded as though this was Vidarr's fault. If he had no faith in his own healers, Hattori would have-not for outside trade or diplomacy, but to help an old friend. That was all it had to be. But he hadn't asked, thought he could handle it alone in his own way with faith and words that were ultimately empty. And to think he'd let her raid- Hattori was not an angry man, nor full of rage or vengeance, it was all shoved deep down, he pretended it did not exist and yet such things always came to the surface. One day. "And where is he now? He just left?" He didn't expand on why he was asking, his lips pursed tight.

Delphi looks carefully at Hattori as his question leaves his lips. Why was there so much interest in Vidarr? From what little her father had spoken of her grandfather, she wouldn't have taken him as someone who took much interest in anyone but himself. Not that he was selfish per say, but that he didn't enjoy wasting time on things that weren't important. There is a beat of silence, Delphi weighing the options of telling the truth or a lie.

"I have banished him from the mountain. Along with his son, Bjorn. Our last conversation was not productive, dangerous rather. He quite revealed that his mind was spiraling into something dark and I wish it not be around my pack," her teeth grit together, lips wrinkling slightly in distaste as the memory washed over her. "I do not know where he has gone," not once has Delphi allowed her gaze to leave her grandfather. She wants him to elaborate on why he asks, but won't push the topic either.

"Delphi"