Dammit. She was no longer bed bound and had started to wander. He also noticed a few of his items and been rifled through, but he assumed it was perhaps Wylan, Zion, or even Ignita who had taken a poke at the cabinet.

Where was she off to? He forgot to give her a role to fill and he needed to or she'd be off wandering, she hadn't had this kind of freedom before. God's if she was trying to seduce someone Bas'll have both their furs on the floor while he fucked Ignita on top of them.

He wandered through the Col, getting more irritated, more worried she was getting someone in trouble and causing mischief than if she had run off.

He did his best to track her, but he still wasn't the best at it and her scent kept crisis crossing over others. Damn! Where had she gone?


"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Vesper poked through Oleander’s private study. She had no idea exactly what she was looking for, except perhaps to gain a better idea of what kind of person her new master was. So far he had baffled her more than anyone else she had served in her short life.

Once she was bored of his things, she stepped outside of the den. Glancing about, and wondering if she was going to find herself in trouble. She didn’t see too many wolves around, and moved as if she had somewhere to be.

She passed by the Obelisk with some derision, the stupid thing had gotten her into some trouble, and kept walking. But the truth was, she hadn’t been shown around the Armada before, and she had no idea what was where. All she knew was Oleander’s treehouse den and his new clinic. The rest proved likely to get her lost. She stepped into a warren, with its maze like caves and stopped to sniff the air.


"Speech"

After he had busied himself in the market for a time, then spoke to his father, he really needed to... Figure things out. She was far too fragile to be treated like a misbehaving slave. He needed to figure out what made her tick, find ways to motivate her into... a little more cooperation at the very least. Small steps.

He crossed the Col, huffing as he saw the obelisk, now a testament to another failed attempt at trying to reach her. He had forced things far too fast. His nose twitched as he passed it, her scent grew much stronger as he neared the warrens. He slowed, she must be inside, and close by.

Careful Ollie. Take your past experiences with her and her reactions into every new one with you. Right. Hmmm... Let's try something he hadn't tried yet...

He made loud sniffing noises at the entrance to the warrens, then said a little louder than comfortable, but with a light tone, "Hmm... I hope she didn't wander down there alone! It's a total maze in there!" Hopefully, it'll give her a chance to hear him coming. Would she run? Would she come to him? Would she hide or let him find her? Hopefully, it'll also give her a chance to stop seducing anyone inside if that was her activity. He slowly started to enter the warrens, cautiously keeping his senses alert.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Her adventure came to a grounding halt when she heard Oleander's voice. She had no idea who he was talking to, but it was clear who he was talking about. She didn’t bother trying to slink away. Hiding and running were always bad ideas. There were too many wolves that enjoyed that sort of thing. She had learned quickly not to give them what they wanted.

“I’m here” she called out softly, moving into Oleander’s view. Had he discovered that she had riled through his things, or that Wilder had helped her swipe a bottle of alcohol? She had no idea how much freedom she was actually allowed either. But in the face of Oleander’s very sudden disappearance, she hadn’t quite been able to help herself. She looked at his toes, prepared to face whatever trouble she might be in. “I’m sorry you had to look for me, My Lord.”


"Speech"

Oleander watched her emerge from the shadows, all demure and apologetic. Interesting. His eyes lingered on the healing mark over her maw.

"Glad you came quickly." He praised, his tone was measured and more warm than it was before. "Let's give you the tour so you don't get lost and know where you can and can't go." He said, "This way, that was the southern warrens. It's mostly made up of dens." He guided her and padded away from those warrens and drew them closer to the market entrance. She shouldn't be wandering around on her own quite yet.

"This goes to the market. Most slaves aren't allowed through here. There are a few guards at the entrance because the market is open to everyone, loners and other packs alike. Only the wolves of the Armada and honored guests are allowed on this side of the market." He kept moving, past the monument. Maybe Ignita is in the storerooms? They can finally meet!

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

She could feel his eyes on her, but he didn’t say much except for a short, odd praise. Clearly, her quick obedience had come as a surprise. Hey, she had sass issues, not disobedience issues. She knew her place. Him wanting to give her a tour wasn’t entirely unexpected. She would need to know where to go to complete any jobs he gave her.

He explained that the warren they had left had been dens. Good thing he had found her, she couldn’t imagine how bad it would have been to stumble over a fully fledged member's bedroom. He mentioned a market, and that slaves weren’t allowed there. Interesting, was that because that was where they traded flesh, and didn’t want their personal slaves to accidentally get mixed into the lot? “Do you buy and trade many slaves, my Lord?” she wondered as they continued past.


"Speech"

He noticed her easily falling in line with him, no sass yet. Hmm... Was she plotting something? As they passed the market he nodded subtly to himself as she spoke up. Honestly, it was a fair question considering the status quo.
"No. That's the Warlord's domain. Not mine. There are no slaves in the market, to be traded or otherwise." Did the Armada actually trade slaves? He honestly didn't even know how Bas procured Ignita or Marina for that matter.

He rounded a corner and they were coming upon the storerooms and utility rooms. He spoke as he stepped inside.
"Here we have the storerooms, a kitchen, and back there are the baths! Ignita?" He changed tones to call her out, "Iggy you here?" The steward was particularly obsessed with the organization of her storeroom.

"Speech"

From back in the storeroom a shuffling sound came forth and a muffled question emanated behind a stack of furs. After another moment of quick shuffling a small bright woman climbed the mountain of furs that had fallen off the shelf and into a pile.

She shook her fur free of the dust and grime before laying her golden eyes on the two and shoving her goggles up over her brow.
"Ollie! Hello! Oh! Good! I finally get to meet you properly! I've seen you in a class of mine! I'm Ignita! What's your name?" She asked cheerfully, quickly coming to sit with them in a comfortable circle. A little golden possum scrambled out from a corner of the storeroom and quickly clambered up the golden girl's shoulders. Ignita touched noses with the possum, an old scar across her nose briefly shone in the torchlight before she turned back and to the conversation expectantly.

-Ollie would let Vesper speak for herself.-
"Speech"

This was the most she had seen of the pack lands so far. It was nice to get away from the same four walls,even if her healing also meant she would finally find out what use they had for her here. She did perk up just a tad at the mention of baths. What did that entail, in a cave? Actually, come to think of it, she probably didn't want to know. She could guess who would be charged with hauling water to a bathing area.


She followed him into the cave all the same, watching silently in the background as he called out a wolf. A name she had heard a few times, an idea he had paraded in front of her. A slave to pack wolf. What sort of wolf would inspire such a story? She had met this wolf of course, she had held a few lessons that she had been ordered to attend.


She still didn't believe her origin story. When Ignita appeared and greeted her, she immediately found her cheerful nature to be grating. Too bright, too happy. She struck Vesper as a silly thing. No, there was no way she had been a slave. Too upbeat. “What would you like to call me, Mistress?” She asked, voice dry.

Oleander sat back and his tail swept back and forth as Igita came into view, cheerful as ever. He watched Vesper carefully during their interaction. He wondered how Ignita would handle the dichotomic slave girl. He hoped she would inspire Vesper to behave and work her way up the ranks.

He nearly intervened and sighed when the girl called her mistress and put the onus on Iggy to call her something.

How would Ignita take that? He had been taken aback when Vesper called him lord. Oh damn... Ignita was a sort of Mistress... Would she be offended? By the look on her face, he didn't think so.

"Speech"

With the way Ollie was sitting and from what she had heard from Bas, this was Ollie's own songbird. From the way she was submissive and catty she was possibly raised as a poor one. From Ignita's experience, she had heard of slaves being kept to carry progeny. She was surprised Ollie would be the type to have his own slave to be frank. He was so young.

She hummed with a knowing smile when the girl replied with the question.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get one of those names eventually. Bas would call me his Little Bird. Still does. That's not how I operate though. You may call me Ignita or my Lady. I'd like you're actual name, please." The Steward was shorter than both Ollie and the girl, but she had worked hard to find her inner confidence.

"Speech"

One of those names Oh goodie, something to look forward to. She wondered what sort of derogatory nickname they’d develop for her. She could see she wouldn’t be able to get out of answering. She looked at the paws of Ignita and responded. “Vesper, My Lady.” She introduced herself.

Lady Ignita certainly didn’t carry herself like a slave. She seemed to Vesper to be more like a Lady, and she easily called the towering Warlord ‘Bas’ without a second thought. She was a wolf comfortable in this pack, and treated well. She doubted any of these wolves had slashed her in the face.

"Speech"

Ollie couldn't help but smirk at how Ignita was handling the slave, it seemed her easy warm demeanor brought out Vesper's compliant side. Maybe he could try his paw at Ignita's way of handling her. A sense of humor and calm commands.

"You've come a long way Iggy, haven't you?" He asked, leaning back and remembering the feisty little slave that helped him defend Bas against a bear. Little help that she was.

He narrowed his eyes at the songbird and wondered if he could play into that humor now.

"I mean if you want one of those names I can certainly think of some. Maybe something like Bear Food, Chewtoy, Little Viper? Hm?" Ollie said mischievously, giving Vesper a coy side eye, testing her response, and leaning slightly into her. What would Iggie's reaction be?


"Speech"

She nodded as Vesper relented with her actual name.
"A beautiful name," Ignita remarked honestly, then drew her attention back to Ollie as he asked her a question.

"I suppose I have." She started humbly, "I mean I've worked hard, sure." She rubbed one of her arms with a paw shyly. She couldn't help but feel she practically cheated the system by slipping into Basilisk's bed, by accident. But if that were truly the case she'd still be a slave wouldn't she?

She tilted her head with a furrowed brow then at Ollie's gibe toward Vesper. The dynamic certainly wasn't the same as her own and the Warlords. He seemed still so uncertain of himself. He wasn't supposed to offer the slave a choice of the name. She shook her head, she'll let him figure this out. She couldn't help but slyly roll her eyes at him in Vesper's direction. As if to confide over the audacity of these boys.

"Speech"