So much had changed in mere days and the news of Sirius' conquest had startled her as much as it had thrilled her. Zee would rise from a slave to a queen - something she'd longed for since before she could remember - and she owed it to the titan who'd stolen her heart. They had come a long way from where they'd started those seasons ago and soon they'd begin their new life together as equals and leaders. Never again would he push her face into the ground at their master's command. There was still so much to prepare for before they made the move off Ashen soil and onto their own bordering territory and the newly minted queen spent her time away from Deathbelle to work on carving out a temporary den. The prospect of living away from her mistress and friend made her uncomfortable but she knew the empress was strong. While her heart still ached with the loss of Archon, both her and the pups were slowly starting to return to normalcy. The last time she'd worked on a den it was her husband who finished it off for her; the thought brought a fond smile upon her maw. If she could only dig out the foundations then surely Sirius would complete the work - hopefully with another nook carved into the wall for her to sleep securely away from the night-terror ridden killing machine. With her gentle smile still upon her face the small wolf worked her slender paws into the dirt, daydreaming about the future to come. "Speech"

Io had given him the paramaters for her garden, and had a chance to explore the terratory where the Ashen Empire woukd eventually lie. With this done, he would lead the Vipress from the Ash ridden lands and into the desert. They passed by Wolfpaw lake, and he explained how the pack had lived here before the volcano had forced them further West.

It was a long walk, but he found the young, tiny wolf to be good company, and the Titan was in good spirits by the time they finally arrived at the Oasis. As soon as he entered the land, he caught the scent of his Wife, and he grinned down to the small wolf. "Alright, come meet your charge, just remember that your my secret weapon" he reminded her as he flicked his tail and lead the way to the den Zee was building. Bast bounded ahead of him, and Marshal the vulture glided somewhere in the sky above.

Walking cross country was an arduous process and, by all rights, Iolaire should have been completely beat. However, there was a little pep still left in her step when they arrived at the Oasis which, she had been told, was the temporary base while the mighty volcano roared. The pair was very easy company. Neither felt the need to fill the silence as they walked. Things were simply natural and comfortable. It was a good sign. As the pair neared their destination, Iolaire could see it in both the cat and the vulture. The eagerness in their forms to be off of the road and in their own space was evident. Eventually, the pair broke away, leaving their master and that was how she knew that their journey was at an end. Moving further into the temporary territory, a flurry of motion caught the woman's attention. Just as her gaze fixed upon the digging form, Sirius spoke up. Onyx ears swiveled his way, catching each syllable. She need only nod in response. Secret. Secret. Iolaire broke away a bit, leaving the giant a step ahead. That way he would have freedom to greet his lady. She could be introduced after pleasantries were out of the way. "Speech"

Sirius' footsteps were as familiar at this point as his scent, and Zee's ears swiveled eagerly to catch the heavy thuds behind her. Not many direwolves roamed these lands, and even less as heavy and muscular as her husband. She squeezed her head from the hole that was to be a den, shaking it to force some of the dirt off her coat. It wasn't perfect - small clumps of dust, dirt and ash still settled in the long fur around her face - but it would do for the meantime. At one point in time she'd never let herself be seen as dirty by any Ashen wolves, but around Sirius she could relax and be herself. "My Warlord." She greeted warmly, approaching him to nuzzle her head under his chin. It took a moment for her to realize he had not come alone and she pulled away from his embrace to peer around him at the stranger. Her nostrils flared to drink in the other woman's scent and her tail lifted from it's relaxed stance to appear more ready and alert. The stranger did not carry the scent of a wolf belonging to their empire and already the new queen was becoming possessive and territorial of her new domain. "Hello." She offered with an impersonal smile, her eyes darting briefly from the woman to her mate and back. In the back of her mind her thoughts raced. It was obvious enough that Sirius must have been behind this in some way, but the brute was not known to be easy to befriend... especially to befriend a wolf who was not aligned with the Klein empire. Why hadn't he warned her ahead of time? Diplomacy was vital to a leader; she felt utterly unprepared. "Speech"

He stepped forward, and noted that the Vipress gave him a chance to move forward on his own. He gave her an appreciative smile, before turning into the embrace of his wife. She was covered in dust from the hole she had done, and he had to chuckle as he licked a smudge from her cheek. It was so rare to find even a hair out of place on his Wife. perhaps it spoke volumes with how comfortable she had become with him. It left him feeling absurdly pleased. “My Queen” he returned in response to her greeting. She pulled away, and turned her attention to the one-wolf ontourage at his back. He turned also, looking to Io, and back to Zee. “Zee, this is Little Io, who will be the first member outside of the Empire to join our ranks. Io, this is your new Queen, Zee” he gave the introductions to the two before falling silent. He didn’t tell Zee yet that she was to be her companion, and he certainly didn’t tell her about the girls role as bodyguard. Instead, he fell silent, and wondered how the two would get along. Certainly Zee would see immediately why he called her little, she was smaller than Zee, and even his Leopard companion. "Speech"

The exchange of affections between the pair brought a pleased smile to the small woman's features. It was good to see a man in action, but it was a truer test to his character to see him in the presence of those that he held dear. The pure love and the lack of fear to show that love in front of a stranger won her to his side all the more. She was quite pleased. After their exchange, the woman known as Zee looked around her giant counterpart. She offered a greeting and Sirius gave a quick introduction. The small woman stepped forward, offering a nod and a genuine smile. "Iolaire Akeldama. Pleased to meet you." She didn't bow, she didn't avert her gaze. There would be no fancy titles. Iolaire was what she was. There was no sugarcoating. She would not be fake. Thanks to her strange sense of loyalty to Sirius, that loyalty would bleed over to his mate if she deserved it. "Good to meet you." Peering around the soiled woman and into the beginnings of her den, Io spoke. "Nice start. Would you like some help? As one who can't seem to keep her paws in one place, I've constructed many a den in my day." Perhaps this would be bonding time for them. They could get to know one another. If what Sirius planned came to fruition, the two ladies would be spending a lot of time together. "Speech"

The introduction was given and Zee stood quietly while her husband spoke of his new charge. She knew they'd need to be recruiting from the outside as to not take from Deathbelle's stores of loyal wolves, but this was the first she had become aware of and it made the situation much more real. She looked to the woman and nodded her head in greeting, her smile widening into one more genuine. "Little indeed." Her remark was lighthearted and playful, and she dipped her head as if to motion to her own small stature. "Not that it's a bad thing. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was something to be respected in the way the other woman carried herself and Zee hummed appreciatively as she regarded her. Zee's soft gaze turned to fall upon the mentioned den, her lips twisting in a displeased expression at the sight of it. It was kind of the woman to pay her the compliment, but den-digging truly was not her forte. Her small head shook, and then lifted to regard her husband. "Actually I think Sirius has it from here." The comment was directed to him alone and posed as a request, punctuated by a hopeful smile. She let her gaze linger on him for a moment longer before turning back to the newcomer. "I'd like to learn more about you and the position you will be filling for us. Something tells me it won't be as a professional digger. Perhaps I could accompany you in some of your work." Her husband might not appreciate it but Zee wanted some alone time with this new wolf. Besides, with his size and strength he could finish the job twice as fast as she and Io working together would manage. "Speech"

The small Vipress gave her Queen her full name, and offered to lend a hand building the den. Sirius tried not to chuckle at the thought of the two small woman being the man constructors of a den that had to fit his towering bulk. He could fit all four of io’s paws onto the palm of one of his, and Zee wasn’t far behind the short-train. He couldn’t completely bite back the chuckle. Oops Zee must have caught the expression, she turned her attention back to him, and tossed him the task of den-building. He gave her a sheepish grin, knowing when he was beat. He gave her a light, slightly mocking, slightly teasing bow. “As my Queen commands” He turned back to Io, raised one brow where Zee couldn’t see, and knew his secret weapon would understand. “Try not to eat the new recruit” he said to his Queen as he turned back to her, licked the other side of her face, and made his way towards the den, humming lightly under his breath, he was most certainly in good spirits, as only time with Zee could put him. "Speech"

The  chuckle from the big man was met with a scoff and and upturned nose. "What? You think just because I'm small that I can't dig?" She could dig... it would just take her ages to make a den big enough for both of them. She'd soon have her paws full crafting her own hideaway. She'd already chosen a location. It would be difficult, but she would dig her dwelling beneath a wide old tree. She could use the exposed roots to hang herbs from so that they might dry. She had a plan for everything. The earthen woman set her mate to work and Iolaire grinned as he gladly took over. "Have fun," she said as the pair of gals turned to walk away. They'd leave him to his work and take a walk. Perhaps to some water so that Zee might wash away the remnants of her hard work. The woman spoke of learning Iolaire's specialties and the smaller woman chuckled. "No, not a professional digger by any means, though I've crafted more dens than I can count." The pair walked easily beside one another. Iolaire's steps were quick and she matched pace with the slightly larger fae. As they walked, a particular plant caught the dark woman's eye. Catclaw.  A thorny bush that she had used in the past. Casting a sidelong glance at Zee, Iolaire began to speak in her smooth, confident tones. "The reason that Sirius took me into service is that I'm a rather skilled healer. My specialty, however, is poisons. I was renowned for my skill in my former home." Io motioned to the useless looking bushes with a pull of her skull. "These will be useful. I'll have to return later and transplant some of these back to our new home." Having made note of the bush, Iolaire turned her full attention to the woman beside her. "And you? What do you enjoy doing?" Not 'what are your skills' or 'what are you good at.' She wanted to know what Zee enjoyed doing. "Also, do you mind if I call you Zee? That's the only thing that Sirius has called you so far. Feel free to call me Io." The small wolf cast her multihued eyes towards the woman  expectantly. "Speech"

Zee looked back at her husband - her expression playfully accusing - as he mocked her with a bow. Their dynamic was changing so quickly and it was still odd to see the titan warlord who once was her disciplinarian to bow at her feet as if she was his better. The new queen smiled at him as his tongue fell upon her cheek and leaned into the brief touch, mouthing thank you as he turned to head towards the den. "No promises." She joked in response to his request, turning her smile onto the new woman whom she definitely did not plan to eat. The pair fell together easily, turning from the makeshift den towards elsewhere. Zee herself did not know the area well at all having moved from wolfpaw lake, to the rocks, now to the oasis and soon to the plains. She'd always prided herself on being a good navigator, though slavery kept her bound from the exploration and adventure she'd liked to experience. They moved with no real purpose or direction, simply enjoying each others company and small talk. The woman directed her attention to a nearby plant and Zee's ears swiveled with interest to catch her words. She claimed to be a healer and Zee nodded appreciatively, glad Sirius had found a skilled wolf to tend to their forming pack. "I'm happy to hear that." Her remark came softly. Soft eyes fell upon the herb to be transplanted and for a moment she considered asking of the thing's purpose, though pushed the thought aside in favor of more important conversation. "Please, yes. Call me Zee." The new queen chuckled softly, regretting having ever told Archon - and by extension Deathbelle - her full name; in truth she hated it. "It is important to be honest with your healer." She began, a small sigh upon her lips. "I don't have many likes anymore, much changed for me when I joined the Ashen Empire. I began as a slave and frankly life was less about enjoyment and more about pleasing your masters." It was not a happy thought, and Zee turned to regard the woman to see how she might think of the knowledge. It wouldn't be easy for a wolf to accept a former slave as their leader, though the new queen was determined to not be ashamed of her past and how it lead her to where she was now. "Speech"

Dark ears swiveled, listening as the larger fae spoke. She gave permission to be called Zee and Io accepted it with a nod. She went on to speak of being honest with your healer and the dark woman chortled softly. It was important to be honest with your healer, this was true. How could one heal without knowing all of the facts? Zee continued, speaking of her lack of hobbies due to her former place. Iolaire wrinkled her nose slightly. Slavery wasn't something that she approved of. Her father had kept slaves. He had kept them and tortured them. On the off chance that she had visited the castle while he was away, she could hear them screaming and moaning in the dungeons. To her knowledge, none had escaped. Perhaps slaves were treated differently in these lands, but her past gave her a strong aversion to the practice. "You were not meant to be a slave. Nor was he." Sirius hadn't admitted to being a slave, but the way he spoke of serving his Empress, she could only imagine. "My father kept slaves," she admitted, giving a slight shake of her skull. "Kept is too light a term for it, really." She wouldn't get into it now. They were just meeting and the subject was too dark. Too sore a spot for the small dame. On to the subject of pastimes...  "Now that you're a queen, you'll have time to take on a hobby. Hobbies are healthy. Anything in mind that you think you'd like to do? I'm not terribly skilled in anything other than healing and poisons, but we could find something to do together. What do you think?" A smile on her face once more, a silver brow arched as she posed her query. "Speech"

Zee chuckled softly, remembering how much of the perfect slave her Sirius was when they'd first met. If Io had met him then, would she still believe it was not his destined path? There was little the brute would not do for his empress and sometimes Zee thought that his choice to claim a pack of his own was merely an extreme he took to be an even more dutiful servant. That was not to say he was not a fierce and powerful warlord, Zee knew he held the position well and was very pleased that he'd never need to call himself a slave again - he earned it and deserved the title he now held. "I've met my fair share of owned wolves, and as far as slavery goes Deathbelle treats them better then most." While she did not know yet how to think of this new woman she hoped to not accidentally turn her away from their empress. If one was vehemently against slavery then they might look down upon the alphas who chose to keep them. The change of topic was fluid, but Zee got the feeling that Io did not wish to speak on the matters any longer. She nodded her head with acceptance and filed the information away for later. A part of her wondered how she'd think of her new warlord when he inevitably made his treatment of slaves apparent. If there was anything Zee hated about the man it was the part that could humiliate and torture wolves he considered lesser. "I want to travel the world." She responded after a moment, continuing with the woman's line of questioning. "I did not do enough of it before I joined Ashen, I could not while living there. Though it seems now is not the time either, I can't leave when the armada is in such early stages of life." Darkened lips pressed together tightly and a puff of frustration was exhaled through her nose. "Perhaps I can join you in looking for herbs, we'll need a garden and I'm sure not every plant you'll need will be just outside our door." It was a good thought and Zee did want to spend more time with the woman. Aside from Deathbelle and Sirius the former slave kept little company and it was healthy to have friends. After a beat, she spoke again. "One more thing." There was hesitance to her words, and she furrowed her brow as she thought on how properly to word her request. Was it even a good idea to be discussing it with someone so new to them? Soft blue eyes fell upon the woman's face, and Zee wondered if she was about to make a mistake. Lucretia - the Ashen healer - might be the better person to ask, though the two never got along. "I'll need you to acquire a form of birth control for me. Our warlord need not know." The words felt weird to say, especially considering they had a new pack to think of and would need heirs... heirs that were already promised to Deathbelle's service, and likely expected sooner rather then later. However Sirius' night terrors worried the new queen, and regardless of the titan's protective streak she knew he could not help who he attacked while his sleep was plagued with the dreams. "Speech"

Iolaire gave a soft shake of her skull. She couldn't understand slavery. However, it was good to know that Deathbelle was fair to her charges. That most likely explained why Zee and Sirius were the way that they were. She wouldn't make any decisions about the woman without knowing her, but it was definitely a negative point that she promoted slavery. Zee confessed to wanting to travel and that brightened Iolaire's mood. "Ahhhh, that's something that I know well." As the pair walked, a stick crossed their path. The smaller fae leaped across it without missing a beat and continued speaking. "The wolves in my family have what we call 'thirsty feet.' My mother was a notorious wanderer and I seem to be taking after her in that aspect." That was about the only aspect. Resin had been a giantess. A warrior of great renown. Iolaire was far from either of those things. The suggestion was made that they travel together while Io collected herbs and she agreed heartily. "That sound splendid. I need to learn this land and its plants. There are so many new types of flora here." And then Zee brought up the need for contraceptive. Iolaire arched one silver brow. Why would she need contraceptive? She was a queen now. A kingdom needed heirs. Perhaps she simply thought that it wasn't the right time with the kingdom being so new. That had to be it. "Done." The woman stopped and slid the satchel from around her neck. Nosing inside, she rummage through the various herbs within. Bringing out a slender stalked plant with a flared, lace looking flower, she spoke. "Wild Carrot. You take it after each time you mate. From my experience, it works more effectively than the every day herbs that one can consume." She cast a sidelong glance at the larger wolf. "It's easier to conceive when you're ready when you take this variety." She did plan to eventually give Sirius heirs, right? "Speech"

The idea of having a traveling buddy was one that Zee could come to enjoy, especially if things continued to come up to interrupt the honeymoon she'd been asking for the last season. She asked herself if she could see herself spending one on one time on adventures with this healer - the woman whom Sirius had so quickly and uncharacteristically taken a liking to - and decided she wasn't sure yet. While the woman seemed to be a good match for them and their empire, Zee couldn't help but feel there was an ulterior motive behind Sirius' acquisition of her. They'd need to spend more time together for her to get a true read on Io's intentions. "Well, you need only tell me when you're to leave and I will accompany you." She offered. If anything, she could tell herself it was only to protect their new healer and not to flush out her true feelings for their warlord. At Zee's request the other woman's body language shifted slightly and the pair paused. She saw the arch in Io's brow and the sidelong glance, and the new queen had to fight to keep herself from becoming defensive. A certain trust had to be given to the healer, yet Zee's heart squeezed at the thought of her request being shared with Sirius who was surely expecting children - or worse, with Deathbelle to whom said children would be handed over. Her husband needed to get his issues under control before he'd be safe around a newborn. "Thank you." She said simply, eyeing the medicinal carrot carefully. Zee couldn't carry the thing home with her, couldn't request Io to bring a stockpile to her den. Sirius might not know the art of healing but Deathbelle did, and Zee could not know what treatments her vessel had overheard in their many years together. Her lips pressed together tightly, and she turned away from the offered carrot. "I'll... I'll come find you for some, when I have need of it." She said after a moment. Zee pulled her skull back towards their walking path in a gesture before starting onwards once more. She watched the landscape as features fell in and out of view, carefully mapping out the territory in her mind and creating landmarks for herself to refer back to. Though she still felt uncomfortable in her sudden request to the healer she did her best to swallow her shame and get to know the new woman further. She thought upon which questions to ask and found it difficult to come up with one that was not too personal yet still informative. When her voice finally broke the silence, she did her best to not make it sound accusing. "How did you meet Sirius?" Her gaze moved sidelong to observe the woman. "Speech"

Zee stated that Iolaire only need tell her when and they would be off on their merry way. The smaller woman gave a nod. "I intend to go out every day while we're waiting on the volcano to stop its fuss. Collecting is a tedious, time consuming process. Best to get as much of a head start as I can." She anticipated her pack would be full to bursting by the time they all moved to their permanent home. In fact, she really hoped that it would be. Hell, she might need another bag. She might eventually train someone and bring them along with her. There were loads of possibilities. The apprehension in the woman when Iolaire agreed to providing contraception was very obvious. Again that brow arched for Iolaire, if anything, was an archer of brows. "You needn't worry. I won't tell him." Turning her gaze back to the road ahead, the woman sighed softly. "There are some things that men shouldn't know. If the time isn't right, then the time isn't right." She continued, expounding upon her statement and sharing her own personal thoughts. "We aren't home yet. We have to wait for the smoke and ash to clear. We'll have to deal with the aftermath of the volcano. Food will be scarce for a time." There was no reason for the woman to have children now. It would be a detriment, really. Both she and Sirius were still young. There was ample time to create a family. Silence stretched between them for a short while. A silence which Zee eventually broke. How did she meet Sirius? "Ah, I was in the place with all of the birds. Disgusting, noisy place." There was venom in her words. The woman wasn't a fan of birdsong or bird screeching. When you had mass amounts of avians together... it was a recipe for a fine headache. "I'd spent the day collecting supplies and had just settled down to sleep when I heard this deep voice calling me out." The woman gave a gentle snort of amusement. "I met him face to face and, after a bit of banter back and forth, he offered me the chance to join you. I took it." A shrug was given. "Nothing entirely fancy about the whole affair." Deciding to go along the same lines, she asked. "How long have the two of you been together? He cares for you a great deal. You can see it in his face when he talks about you." The tiny woman grinned. "It's very sweet and slightly surprising. I've known many a leader in my day. Showing blatant emotion so freely, especially to an outsider, is a rarity. I think that was partly what made me agree to join." "Speech"

Zee simply nodded as the other woman accepted her offer to travel with her for herbs, glad she'd have a better chance to speak with and learn about this new packmate who her husband had taken such a liking to over the coming season. It would be a hard road back to replenishing their stores and keeping Ashen healthy at the same time and Zee was glad that Io seemed willing to put the effort in. Her silence remained as the other woman assured her Sirius would not know, and she directed her gaze onto the smaller woman's face in case there was a lie within her expression to detect. She hummed thoughtfully, continuing their pace through the lands. The time wasn't right, this much was true. How much did Io know of Sirius and his... issues, Zee wondered. Her response to her meeting of Sirius came off genuine and Zee listened intently to ensure there were no flags to worry about. It was so odd the way her husband quickly took to this woman, and from her explanation there was still nothing she could pin-point as odd or otherwise abnormal in the way he'd recruited her. She sighed softly. "I see. Well, I'm glad he grabbed you for us before another pack came sniffing along." Her words were joking and a soft smile touched her lips. Regardless of Sirius' intentions with the woman, a capable healer was not something you turned away willy-nilly. "We haven't known each other too long." Her admittance came with a quiet laugh. "We met in Ashen shortly after I joined. It's only been a couple seasons now, but we fell for each other rather quickly." She looked over the other woman carefully, wondering if she'd see jealousy within her bright eyes. "It's curious you'd get that impression of him. Sirius is not often described as caring, sweet, or emotional." Why was he so different with this woman? Where was her protective, powerful, defensive husband that day with the birds?   "Speech"

Zee expressed her pleasure that Sirius had scooped her up before another pack had. Io released a gentle chuckle. "That's been the story of my life for the past two years. Moving from one pack to the next. Practicing my craft in exchange for protection." A sigh ghosted past blackened lips and she shook her head. "You'd be surprised how quickly things can go wrong and packs, even kingdoms, can disperse." Many had. They had either dispersed or the atmosphere became so uncomfortable that she packed up her things and left. She had a good feeling about this group, however. And if they'd listen to her counsel... they could very well thrive.

The conversation shifted to her meeting with Sirius. Io grinned at the tale. They had fallen for one another quickly and had only been together a few seasons. From what Sirius had hinted to, their bond was strong. Although when Zee spoke, she didn't seem to share the same emotion outwardly. Io chalked that up to being a complete stranger. It wasn't easy to share yourself with someone that you'd just met. They would be getting to know one another, however. Hopefully the woman's love for him would show through eventually.

A tinge of suspicion crept into the woman's tones as she spoke of Sirius not being the emotional, feeling sharing type. Io shrugged a bit. "He was pretty clear with his feelings for you." Jealousy never crossed her mind. Why would it? Hell, she was more likely to come on to the woman beside her than her new alpha. Though the little dame swung both ways, she leaned heavily towards the female form.