After speaking to the attendants at the smokehouse, checking on them, and telling them to clear all their catches and lines and racks, much to their chagrin, and cease all deliveries until they could get clean meat, she set back through the Col towards the woods.

Her paws itched to run through the Col, to run into the woods and find him herself but she knew that if he caught her in the woods he wouldn't hear a word she said. Instead of running across the Col she walked. Her body told her to slow down, she'll get there when she gets there. She stopped by the storeroom to help Vesper with a load of tainted goods onto the fire, checking she knew how to keep it from getting smothered. Then strolled her way to the line between the woods and the mountains.

She lifted her nose to the sky to call for Basilisk. She'll have to hold herself back from rushing into him the minute she saw him. He'll want an explanation first.

"Speech"

Basilisk had beaten his fever, but he was still weak and fragile. He shivered as he stretched his paws outside his den. In just the few days he had been ill, he had lost weight, and his blues were less vibrant. When Ignita’s howl touched the sky, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide this from her. But he couldn’t ignore her call either. What if it was about their kids, or the pack?

He made his slow, stumbling path to the border between the Col and the Woods, and he found Ignita there. Her gold form looked vibrant and full of life in contrast to his cool blue form. “Ignita” He said softly across his broken voice. “What news?” His enthusiasm for seeing her was dulled by the weakness of his body.


"Basilisk"

Ignita's breath caught in her throat. The minute her golden eyes fell on him as she stumbled his way through the undergrowth made her want to leap to him. He'd caught it. He was suffering. She swallowed as Vesper's words echoed in her ears, "is there... hope?" Suddenly her own words in response tasted like ash in her mouth.

"Much news," She started, inching closer to his weak but still formidably tall form, "Oleander is collecting new herbs to find a cure. I figured out that the meat in the storeroom was the same as the blighted meat from the Col, we've already been consuming it for a few days if not a week before we noticed the blight in the woods. We don't need to separate the Col from the woods and we can bring everyone home." She had inched closer and closer to the line stopping just before it. Watching his sunken visage with heartache clawing into her chest at seeing him so weak.


"Speech"

Basilisk rubbed a paw across his head, feeling a little short of breath and dizzy as he came to a halt. He seated himself gingerly against the earth, his eyes on Ignita. He watched the way she inched forward, but all he could manage was a slight curl of his muzzle, showing a hint of fangs in warning. He was probably weak enough that she’d actually win a fight for once.

Her news was terrible. Likely the entire pack was infected, and their efforts to keep it separate had been for naught. His head sank a little at the news. He was so tired, and hopelessness swirled in his gut.

He was so tired. What to do… he considered Yara, who had some experience with this, and Wilder who had been working on the quarantine wolves. He raised his head and called for the two of them so they could put their input into the quarantine, if it was worth keeping or lifting. Anyone else that wished to add to the discussion could as well.


"Basilisk"

Yara Grey

Yara paused, her ears perking up at the sound of the Warlord's howl echoing through the Mile-High Woods. Confusion flickered in her sun-yellow eyes - she was supposed to be quarantined here, away from the pack.. yet.. the command was clear and urgent. She could not simply ignore it.

With a shake of her stormy grey pelt, Yara lifted herself up from the small cavern they had been residing in and began her journey home. Her heart was racing before she even started running, which surprised her - had she really missed being in the Col? She felt.. excited.. to return.. home. She moved swiftly but cautiously, her lithe body weaving through the gnarled trees that stretched towards the sky. Each step was precise, avoiding the many roots and underbrush that would cause her to trip. She was learning these woods.. she was becoming an Armada wolf.

The woods gradually gave way to more open terrain, the dense canopy thinned and the towering trees were replaced by lower vegetation and rocky outcrops. Yara kept her pace steady, her senses alert for any sign of danger that might justify the Warlord calling her back here. She did not know what to expect.

As she approached the Col, the familiar sight of the clearing's obelisk surrounded by mountains came into view. The towering peaks formed a natural fortress, and in the clearing stood the Warlord and his wife. Yara's heart quickened with anticipation and anxiety - everything appeared calm. She kept a safe distance away, not wanting to risk getting the pregnant alpha sick.

"I am here, Warlord," she announced herself.

CODE BY SIN

Gossamer eyed the wrinkled, half-yellow leaf she had sitting in a jar. It had been carefully collected by Ásta from an infected tree and with extreme care Gossamer had managed to add a few drops of her elixer onto the leaf and now it was time to wait. It was occurring to her how much easier this would be with a companion with opposable thumbs. Perhaps it was best she stick to fighting after all? Speaking of which, it was time to patrol. Word had been given that the market was closed and so Gossamer assumed the other packs would keep to themselves but that was never a guarantee. And what of the other predators? What if an infected bear or some creature were to cross the border?  No, border patrol needed to continue.

Gossamer doned her armor and weaponry and gathered her companions as she stepped out in the humid spring air. She was nearing the border with the woods, a common path she walked along first light point when she heard Ignita calling for Basilisk. Ahhh… that was right. He had fallen ill and was now in the woods, at least if the rumors were true.  This was a good chance to talk to both her alphas at once and so she shifted course. She heard Basilisk calling for a few more wolves and she arrived about the same time as Yara. Gossamer kept her distance. "I apologize for the intrusion. I thought I should let you know that on my patrol I've come across a few ravaged carcasses of blighted deer. I believe bears, big bears, to be the culprit. It's possible larger predators are being infected as well and could present a threat."

He curled his lip at her inching closer. She took the hint and sighed sitting where she ended up. Just barely touching the line in the dirt.
He didn't say anything to her about her news, he called the others to gather and weigh in though. She chewed on her cheek as his howl ended, should the rest of the pack really see him in this state?

Yara arrived, she looked rested, a little leaner than before. Ignita nodded a thankful greeting then turned as Gossamer arrived. She gave them news of big bears in the woods. She nodded her head to each member that gathered as well. Her expression was stoic and ready.

"That's unfortunate. I know we burned the first tree but the blight spread too far before we noticed. I've matched the meat in the storeroom to the samples gathered from the first prey victim. It had the same tang that I've noticed we'd been getting from the smokehouse. The blight has been running rampant in the prey for a while now. Long enough that our reserves are all blighted meat. I have Vesper working to clear the storerooms now and burn the blighted products. That means the entire pack has been exposed to the blight already." She glanced at Basilisk, offering him an opportunity to add to the news before pressing on.

"We need to gather everyone out of the woods and I think we need to burn it all through. We should burn it so that those bears or any other blighted prey avoid the Col." She glanced again at the Warlord, "I don't think we can save the woods. We might need to change the territory borders away from it." She glanced at Yara, the Songbird had experience with plagues, would she concur?
"Does anyone have any other ideas?" She asked the gathering throng.

"Basilisk" || "Iggy"

He nodded his head to Yara when she appeared. Good, she might have some Expertise to lend to this. His Aunt appeared next, with alarming talk of bears. I'd they were infected and hallucinating, they woukd be incredibly dangerous. Ignita spoke first, and her suggestion was… surprising.


Burning the entire territory would be catastrophic, and he shook his head, looking at Ignita with a hint of alarm. “So far, no wolves have died from this. We've got dead deer and rabbits. If we burned the woods we'd condem every living creature in there to burn to death. A fire of that magnitude would rage for days and be uncontrollable. The wind would blow the smoke up the Col and suffocate us. We could poison the lake to the north. I don't think we're there yet. But you may be right, the territory may need to be abandoned.” He said, nodding his head towards gossamer. “The Col is more defendable if rabid bears start attacking.’ And that wasn't a pleasant image at all. “We may need to start scouting another territory to full supplies from.”

Yara Grey

Yara arrived just in time to hear the alarming conversation. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she listened to Gossamer's report of the blighted bears and Ignita's subsequent analysis. The mention of the blight spreading through their prey and the storeroom meat sent a shiver down her spine. The situation was dire, but Yara knew that drastic measures were sometimes necessary for the survival of the pack.

She stepped forward, her gaze locking with Ignita's before she turned to address the group. "While I understand the urgency, burning the woods is too extreme and would endanger us all, as the Warlord has stated," Yara began, her voice steady and resolute. "We cannot afford to risk the lives of every creature in the woods and the potential for the fire to spread uncontrollably. The smoke alone could suffocate us in the Col."

Yara looked at Basilisk, her expression firm. "We need to find another way to contain this blight. Moving away from the infected area and relocating the pack temporarily might be necessary until we can find a safer solution. We can scout for a new territory and gather supplies."

She took a deep breath, her mind racing with the gravity of their situation. "Ignita's plan, while well-intentioned, could lead to greater disaster. Let's find a compromise that ensures the safety of the pack while addressing the blight. We should focus on relocating temporarily and scouting for new territory to avoid the infected area. We will need new food immediately since our stores have been depleted. I believe a few of us should go ahead and find these hunting grounds first and foremost. My experience with hunting in the surrounding lands from before I was an Armada wolf might prove useful." She knew her suggestion was a bit bold considering her rank of Songbird, but she hoped that her pledge to Armada when they were out in the woods would grant her a bit of trust from the pack.

CODE BY SIN

The call from Basilisk was heard and not ignored. In fact, Wilder began his jaunt over to meeting area as soon as the last note had died on the wind. It was just that... he was sick. Sick like many others and while it wasn't as dire as some, it was enough that moving any faster than a walk put too much strain on him. His lungs struggled and a harsh cough swept from his throat. He was trying to do his best to hide it from everyone. To stay strong and resilient in the face of danger and fear.

But he would try his best. No matter what. So though he missed the first part of the conversation, he approaches slowly as Yara finishes. He notices Gossamer is there as well and finds it interesting. Did he miss something important? Turning his attention to the Warlord, he dips his head. "I've gathered as many wolves as I could find. Most haven't been experiencing symptoms except for a minor few. The ones not sick I've sent to the warrens closer to the cove and have been trying to keep the sick ones with Mortis by the treehouses," Wilder keeps his distance, trying to speak loud enough so that his raspy voice may be heard. It was probably obvious by then that he too was feeling sick, but nothing that would keep him away from trying to help.

"Wilder"

Maybe it was the protective hormones surging within her to do anything for her growing brood within, maybe it was the dire situation but she couldn't help the bristling of her fur as Basilisk denied her suggestion. Then Yara backs him up in such a way as to command the crowd, even going so far to present the ideas as if they were her own! Painting Ignita into a floundering naive buffoon before them all. Who did she think she was? Her golden eyes glanced between Basilisk and Yara. Her head swung toward Wilder as he made his way forward. Oh no... He has it too. How long will it be until she starts showing signs... If the blight gets the babies surely it'll kill them.

She rests her paw protectively over her stomach, concern washes over her features as they each weigh in.

"Thank you, Wilder." She responds first, giving him a warm nod, "Then we'll hope the forest will recover on its own. Since the stores have been tainted anyway and the market is closed for now, why don't we bring in the afflicted for a warm den so we can tend to them more easily? There's no point to this quarantine if we were all exposed to the blight for a week or more before we noticed." She looked at Basilisk only, a grimace over the implications, worry for his strength and the health of the babes. Where was Ollie on that cure?

"Speech"

He paused a moment to squint at Yara as she repeated back what he had said as if presenting new information to the group in regards to the fire and smoke. Yes, every wolf had been here five seconds ago when he'd said it. But… he dismissed the thought, it was irrelevant, and they had bigger things at stake.

“I'm not leaving the Col. It's the heart of the Armada, it's everything we've built, and the most defensible position we have. We can create choke points with the walls we've built at either end, and the heat provided in the caves will help the sick.” Especially with pups on the way. The endeavour of moving all their supplies, and sick wolves into an unknown and indefensible position was not a good idea.

Wilder appeared as he finished his speech, and he nodded his head to the mossy wolf. He could hear and see that Wilder, like Basilisk, had caught it as well. But most of the other forest wolves were okay so far. “Cure or no, I think we might have to end the quarantine and abandon the woods. The damage done by the fires and blight will shorten our resources for some time.”


"Basilisk"

Yara Grey

Yara felt the heat of embarrassment flush through her as the misunderstanding became apparent. She had only meant to show she was paying attention and agreed with the Warlord. Lowering her head, she silently berated herself for speaking out of turn. Her position was clear—she was a slave, not a leader, and should remember her place.

As she listened to the others speak, her thoughts drifted. Despite her status, she cared deeply for these wolves. They had saved her from a life of solitude and given her a place, even if it was at the bottom of the hierarchy. The pack was her family, and she would do anything to protect them, even if it meant enduring her position without complaint.

She watched Ignita, noting the concern in her eyes for her unborn pups. Basilisk's strength and resolve were admirable, and Wilder's condition reminded her of the fragility of their situation. Yara's heart ached for them, for all of them. She had experienced loss and knew the pain of losing loved ones.

Her loyalty was to the pack, not just because of her status, but because she genuinely cared. She would follow their lead, support them in any way she could, and hope that one day, her contributions would be seen as more than just the duty of a slave. For now, she remained silent, observing and learning, ready to act when needed.

CODE BY SIN

Gossamer sighed heavily, wincing at the news that their food stores had been contaminated and they'd all likely been exposed. Fucking great. She'd just get over one debilitating disease, now she was at risk for another. Ignita mentioned burning down the woods. It seemed a touch extreme but that was the expected course of action for regular blight when it infected a plant in the healer's gardens. You pulled it and burned it. At least it was spring meaning wider hunting opportunities. Still, the likelyhood of the blight having already spread beyond the woods border made it seem too little too late.

Gossy sat quietly, listening as the others spoke. She nodded her head as Basilisk spoke of claiming a different territory. The others carried on with their thoughts. When Gossamer saw an opening she added her own. "I agree, claiming a new third territory could give us a source of food for now and limit exposures. Unfortunately, the blight might have to be left to take its course and hopefully some of the plants and animals will begin to develop immunity. We might need a brutally cold winter to really cleanse this land." She sighed again, shaking her head a little. "I just hope this isn't a kin of the disease that spread during the Long Night." She shuddered at the memory of the ooze in her nose and ears, the sight of mushrooms growing out of pack mates ears.

A cacophony of yowling caught Gossamer's attention. A pair of coyotes farther up the border. She snarled. "Pests. I'll take care of it. You all can continue hashing out a plan."

-exit unless stopped-

He can tell the moment is tense between the wolves as they speak. Instead of interjecting right away, Wilder thinks of something he can contribute. It doesn't help that he feels weak and wishes for a bed. If the quarantine were to be ended, he could go sleep away the sickness in the safety of his own den.

Once Gossamer departs at the sound of coyote's yipping in the distance, he turns his attention to Basilisk. "We can easily abandon Mile-High Woods without taking a hit to our stores. Red Forest, Gale Gorge, or even Waterfall Peak has plenty of resources for us to utilize while the woods recovers from the Blight. No sense is going the extra mile and doing anything drastic when we can just transition hunting parties to a different territory," he lifts a brow, curious to see if the Warlord would agree to his suggestion.

"Those sensitive to sickness should still keep a distance from the sick, no?" He questions, eyes lingering over Ignita for a moment having noticed how she clutched at her belly. "Exposed or no, is there reason to expose them even more? The ones showing signs should stay in their dens and away from the market just to be safe," his gaze moves back to the Warlord, expression settling into something a bit more serious. Why risk the life of pups? Though it wasn't his decision, it still didn't make sense to allow everyone to mingle so soon.

"Wilder"

Ignita glanced at Yara as Basilisk admonished her idea as well, though he seemed to certainly have made it a sharper tone toward the new Songbird than Ignita. She didn't know if she felt relief that Bas was treating Yara sharply or felt sympathy. Both. Basilisk could be quite harsh, Ignita's scar would remind her occasionally.

He did take Ignita's suggestion to end quarantine seriously though. The songbird was silent and her head low. She decided she felt more sympathy for the girl, she cared, but had put her foot in her mouth.

Gossy had a good suggestion of just finding new territory and what the area might need for the blight to clear. Ignita agreed, either a good cold winter or perhaps a harsh hot summer might bake the blight. It was mid-spring now, and it was prime ingredients for sickness and mold to coalesce. She glanced at Basilisk as The Lieutenant mentioned the Long Night. She remembered what Bas had told her about it. The call of coyotes over the ridge had her fur bristling and her lip curling. Her body tensed at the sound. Coyotes nearby while their own pups were on the way were not something she wanted to be worried about on top of it all. Gratefully Gossy excused herself to deal with it. Ignita nodded, no doubt with Bas, to let her go.

Her attention is drawn back to Wilder in his cool and drawling accent, roughened by his own infection. She sucks in her teeth and purses her lips as she listens, contemplating where each place is. She knew Waterfall Peak, and the Red Forest, she could only guess Gale Gorge was clear on the side of the mountains of the Dreamers Col. They would have to navigate all the way around the spine of the mountains or find precarious paths through them to have access to the gorge and Red Woods easily. Waterfall Oeak was too close for her comfort to the woods.

"I've noticed there's a large tundra peninsula across the channel from the Cove. We could at least start to find an easy way to cross the channel and find how the hunting grounds could be there before we trek to the Gorge." Ignita interjected.

Wilder's next question made her brows lift in concern and glance hurriedly at Basilisk. He had a point, if some of them weren't showing signs maybe that means they weren't sick yet... And Bas was already weakened. Would he chance it or did he feel like he was well enough? She hated the notion of spending even one more night without him. She had already spent most of this pregnancy alone. Would they risk it? Ollie wasn't back from the Red Woods yet. Surely since she'd been eating the plagued meat daily now for the last week she was perhaps immune? She was being selfish, of course, they should still be separated. She really was a naive desperate needy fool. A pressure began to rise behind her eyes as she thought of how many more nights she may need to spend without him.

"Ignita"