He sat with Chrystaloria on the wall, watching eastward, tail tick-tocking behind him off the other side. It was a week later, and he was finally, blessedly finished with the armor. It sat on the wall on his other side, wrapped in buckskin to keep the snow from soaking it. Now, it was down to waiting to see if Lia would show up. Aurielle had been warned ahead of time, and had added her assistance with some of the creation-work, and with the help of Ayodele, the piecing together had gone much faster. Occasionally, his deep sapphire eyes dropped to the package, before flicking back toward the east. A slight, anticipatory smile touched his features, ears perked as though they might catch sound first. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She'd mostly followed along the river until it curved too far north to be useful, Pachou trailing behind her. Her own home was a treeless plain, but even that had been a grassland, the soft undergrowth cushioning her feet and making a prime browsing spot for elk and other prey animals. The girl was clearly out of her element here. Once the last tree, the last patch of grass had been left behind, the duo made quick work of the stretch of land between there and Valhalla. Still not fully grown, she occasionally carried the sleepy kit on her back.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the border, Pach nipping impatiently at her tail. She swatted him playfully, and approached the wall. Her eyes searched the uppermost parts until she spotted Cairo, though it was possible that he'd already seen her from a long way off. "Hey stranger!" Her tail waved softly as she called up to him, happy to see her friend again.

"Speech"

He had indeed spotted her approach, and his posture straightened with a grin as Chrysta clicked her beak. As Lia called out, he grinned more widely, head cocking as he answered cheerily, “Stranger, am I?” Mock indignance laced his voice, before it fell into a chuckle. “How was your walk? And who’s this little fellow? He looks feisty.” He pretended to have forgotten the lump laying on the wall as he bounded down, tail wagging gaily as he nodded to the little wolverine kit… good thing he’d picked sheepskin instead of wolverine fur. His rump plopped down in the snow as he gave the smaller wolf a playful bump of his nose to her shoulder. He’d reached his full, final height, even in the week since he’d encountered her on the volcano, and he smiled cheerfully down at Lia, eyes sparkling. He was glad to see her well, glad to see that she was allowed to visit, assuming Sirius knew at all about the friendship. Aurielle had mentioned it to the man in passing, but she’d admitted to Cai that she wasn’t sure if the enigmatic giant had registered it. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She hummmed in consideration, straightening to look the man up and down. It was subtle, but Cairo was a bit taller than their meeting on the mountain, and definitely taller than when she’d first met the Valhallan. “Maybe. The guy I’m looking for is about yea high,” she teased, holding her paw out level with his chest.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief before she finally relented, smiling as she returned a bump of her own. “It’s good to see you!” Even more than the competition, she’d been looking forward to visiting the chocolate brute, making arrangements for her shifts to be covered while she was visiting. Laying eyes on the man had already brightened her spirits, as his presence often did.

“Ahh, could’ve been better, could’ve been worse. Pachou kept me good company,” she answered dually. As Cairo addressed her companion, Pach hid behind her legs and stuck out his tongue, chittering softly. It drew a laugh from the girl, who summarily gave the kit a reassuring pat on the head. “Yeaaaaaah, he’s been doing that a lot lately… he’s less feisty and more…” More of a hungry little bastard always begging for food. “…uh, hungry. And who’s this?” She gestured to Cairo’s companion, smiling at the owl.

"Speech"

He chuckled softly as she described a fellow and held a paw at chest level, a grin touching crookedly over his features as he playfully sat even straighter, displaying his full height before relaxing with a soft laugh. “Good to see you too.” He draped a paw lightly over one of her shoulders in an easy-natured hug before he lowered all the way to his belly on the kit’s level to be less imposing. “It’s nice you meet you Pachou. I’ll bet you’ve got Lia’s back, through and through, eh?” He looked up – for once – at Lia and added, “I’ve got a deer haunch nearby if you’d like to eat. He’s more than welcome to it.” Chrystaloria clicked her beak, introducing herself, “I am Chrystaloria. His companion.” Cai put in, “I found her injured on my way back from when we last met. She’s healed and been like a second shadow to me since.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Pachou narrowed his eyes, and merely nodded once at Cairo in the way of saying of course! before drawing in his tongue. He hunched his back and leaned his head forward to give the man a light sniff, a little less intimidated when he stooped down. Even if he didn't know the canine, Mal did. He guessed Cairo was okay...

Mal chuckled at the mention of the deer haunch. "We won't say no to that! Thank you."

At the sound of clicking, her eyes widened slightly. Alright, so she was not expecting the owl to talk. Sirius communicated to his companions in sign language, and well... Pachou understood her, but they mostly communicated in growls and loaded glances., thus far. But it was a wonderful surprise, and her tail waved a little as she nodded to the owl. Chrystaloria. "It's nice to meet you." To Cairo, she added, "That's good of you. I'm sure you're glad you've found each other."

Ah, and there it was again, that twinge of insecurity. The Valhallan really had a way of making her feel giddy with happiness... and then, not so. Sirius had bought Pach for her -- she hadn't even considered if the kit was bred, or even stolen. Cai's companions -- Aurielle's, too -- had chosen to be with them.

Her ears flicked away the thought. Something to chew on later. She sunk into an easy pay bow, tail wagging slowly. "Soooo, you gonna give me the grand tour?" Oh, she hadn't forgotten about the gift, but it'd already been a week, hadn't it? She could wait a little bit. ...Maybe.

"Speech"

Cai smiled as the kit sniffed him, tail swaying behind him. As Lia accepted the offer of food he rose slowly and led the way to the haunch, sitting to the side and grinning. Chrysta dipped her moon face in response, pushing off to glide a few feet down the wall, watching the surroundings. Cai didn’t miss the slight hesitation in Lia’s expression. He wasn’t sure what had caused it, not knowing Pachou’s origins himself. Buying a companion was indeed a foreign thing. All the companions he’d ever met had chosen to be with their wolves. They were thinking, intelligent creatures, the primates especially. At Lia’s suggestion, Cai grinned. “I can’t give you the full tour, but I can show you a little. The Armada and Valhalla are not official allies, so, in the realm of politics, it’d be best that you not ever be forced to choose between duty and friendship if Sirius or Ashen ever decides to raid Valhalla. You’ll have less problems with that the less you know about our layout.” He smirked at her, playfully swiping a paw at her as he nodded north, toward the ruddy rocks well off in the distance at the edge of the plains. “Those are the Redwater Rocks, where I fought those two lions with my fellow warrior.” His head cocked innocently, “Hm… I feel like I’m missing something…” Sapphire eyes slanted to Lia, a grin tugging at the opposite side of his face, though his tail waved slowly. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

"Fair, fair." She smiled brightly. Mal hadn't expected him to give way his pack's secrets, and a walk-around was just fine with her. She dodged the swipe with a huff before following the man northward, Pachou padding along on her other side. Her eyes roved over the coppery collection of stones, earthen streaks of every shade rippling along the structures. She glanced over at the man when he mentioned the lions, her gaze sliding back to the scene of the battle, something like anticipation passing through her. As hard as she trained, she couldn't imagine facing the maned beasts and winning, even with a warrior beside her. No, not yet.

She grinned without looking at him as she studied the formations. "You do, huh? Well, let me know when you figure it out..." Her ears flicked boredly as she trailed off, taking her sweet time to survey the scenery.

But when her gaze finally slid back to Cai and that baiting expression of his, she couldn't hold the nonchalance, ears immediately flattening. "Aggh! Wipe that look! Off your face!" She padded up to him, jabbing his chest in mock anger at the last word. "You've been holding out on me bub, so what is it?"

"Speech"

He was glad she didn’t take offense at his care with not giving her a full tour of the lands. He didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. He had to bite back a snicker as she played along with his mock forgetfulness, but a laugh burst free as she quickly lost patience, warding off her poke with a playful flap of his front paws before he twisted to his feet and padded back to where the package perched on the wall. He rose up, snagging the wrapped pack in his teeth, careful not to accidentally unwrap it as he carried it back to her and set it at her paws, backing a few steps and grinning expectantly, tail whisking through the snow as his rump settled down. He hoped the girl would like it. The design, he hoped, would symbolize her nature from what he'd learned of her in their two - now three - encounters. It was something that would suit a warrior who was also a healer, complete with two pouches that had room for herbs, supplies, anything she might need to carry with her. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Mal exhaled, but said nothing as Cairo went off to retrieve this mystery gift of his. She sat on her haunches and wrapped her tail alongside her paws, the picture of patience as she waited. She gave a little wiggle when she saw the man returning, then, and stood as he set the pack down in front of her. It was... bigger than she'd expected, but then again she still didn't know what it was. Mal raised a brow at the expectant grin, but soon enough she used a paw to unwrap the pack.

It was familiar and it was not, and after a moment she realized that it was most likely the hide from the young buck they'd hunted together. The girl ran her paws over the hardened leather armor, tracing over the intricate swirls of plant life, the beading, the pouches and the designs that adorned them. She nosed the silver and black ruff of sheepskin at the collar, eyed the stitches, the dye work. It was clearly well-made and painstakingly fashioned.

Her tail only wagged silently at the work. Joy flooded through her, excitement at the prospect of real armor, that Cai thought well enough of her to give such a gift. She was not without a touch of guilt, too. The same that appeared when Sirius had gifted her the steel claws. At least she was a part of his pack, the gift an investment of sorts, a boon for any warrior to have. But what had she done to deserve this?

"It-It's amazing, Cairo," she stuttered. Her voice was quiet, but her tail kept moving, betraying her happiness. She couldn't even muster up a joke this time, much less look at the man. "How... I didn't expect... you made all this for me?" It didn't hurt, too, that her natal home had been lacking in this kind of crafting, this artistry. It only made the gift that much more wonderful.

"Speech"
ooc: thank you again! <3

The Adravendi was vibrating inside with anticipation as Lia opened the buckskin, and he felt a thrill as she examined it, obviously stunned and overjoyed. Thank gods. He couldn’t help the tiny dance of his front paws, or the little wiggle of his hips. “I’m glad you like it. Hopefully it fits you alright.” His muzzle bobbed in affirmation, and he added, “I did. I used the hide from that deer we took down.” His tail swept the snow in a near constant wag back and forth as he added, “I thought you could use spine protection, with your height and the commonality of wolves so much bigger than yourself, and you’re a healer, so the pouches will be useful for herbs, or a first aid kit.” He stretched a paw forward and flipped one of the pouches open. Inside were some packets of dried herbs, a few bottles of salve, honey, and tinctures that Paladin had said would be a good starter kit for such things. She’d be walking home with the ability to treat an injury on the fly without having to search for any plants. And, beside the packets, in a slot, were her own mortar and pestle stones. His eyes twinkled happily as he returned his paw to before himself, head cocking cheerfully at her. “I think that’s a good start?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She finally broke into peals of laughter when she saw that silly little dance he did. Her ears twitched at the mention of the hide, her head tilting slightly. "You sentimental so-and-so," she teased, but even the jest was lightly made, her tone tinged with wonder and gratitude. He could've used any old hide. Hell, he could've added it to his pack's stores and not even thought about making something for her. But he did.

Oh, but the gift giving was far from over, apparently, as Cairo went on to explain the addition of pouches and reveal several other goodies packed inside. She laid a gentle paw over each article, silently noting their uses as she often did when she was reviewing herbs. She found the mortal and pestle soon enough, huffing softly with laughter as she remembered him showing her how to use one for the first time. And now she had one that was hers.

She blinked rapidly a few times. "I think you're gonna make me cry." Ah, the girl was joking, but her fluttering little heart didn't really know what to do. Except -- "Wow, I'm dumb, I didn't even say—" And for this, she bumped her head each time into his shoulder. "—thank you, thank you, thank you!" She pulled back with a grin and shining green eyes. "It's awesome, Cai. It's um... it's a really thoughtful gift...."

Her eyes slid back over to the armor, and she padded around it. It was still a bit of a shocking thing, but it was hers, so.... "I'm gonna give it a go." With a bolt of enthusiasm  she leaned down and tried to wiggle into the thing from the back end, and.... Oh dear, that wasn't going to work. For all her bravado, she was unused to armor and how to put it on, exactly. She pulled back and gave a good shake of her scruff, before shooting a pleading glance at her friend. "Uhhh... I might need a little help?" Just a little.

"Speech"

Ah, but he did so love making others happy. A snicker escaped as she remarked upon his sentimentality and his muzzle bobbed in agreement. He’d left their first meeting already considering what to make with the hide, with her in mind. She’d left a lasting, good impression on him. Not to mention, she would need some physical protection. A pack with the name of Armada was bound to be highly war-themed. She’d need the armor. Maybe it’d give her an edge in her rise through the ranks. He grinned at her exploration of the pouches, his tail thwacking the ground in a rhythm of pleasure. Knowing his own nature, he’d probably be trying out making a helmet for her—he hadn’t tried making head protection yet. “As long as they’re happy tears.” His voice was playfully teasing, eyes half narrowed in a smile. Then it broke into a laugh at her thanks. He was a physically affectionate sort of man, and readily accepted the shoulder thumps with a light drape of the paw over her back in turn, thrilled she liked it, and thrilled that it would be well used. He sat back with a little smirk on his lips as she tried to wiggle into the armor, rubbing his muzzle with the back of one paw as she wriggled back out of it, hiding a chuckle. Nodding he rose and picked up the armor by the back of the collar, holding it up so that the breast-collar hung away from the ruff, leaving room for her to slip her head through while the belly-band hung unfastened at one side. Once she was in he released the collar of the armor, sneezing softly to clear the tickle left behind by the sheep fur ruff and bent way under the smaller wolf’s sternum to snag the belly strap, pulling it under like the girth of a saddle. He showed her how to fasten it over the bear tooth button that matched the buttons on either pouch. Under severe stress the leather loop the bear tooth was attached with would snap, but that was a good thing, in case an opponent got a good hold on the armor and tried to drag her. She would even be able to worm her way out backward if it was captured. Stepping back, he looked her over with a calculating eye and grinned, nodding in approval. “It looks great on you.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She smirked in turn. "You don't even know, man, I'm just gonna start bawling. Sad tears? Angry tears? Who friggin' knows..." Luckily, Malalia wasn't much of a crier, as heartfelt as her thanks had been. Jeez, that would've been embarrassing.... although, maybe not as embarrassing as not knowing how to put on the damn thing. Oh yeah, she'd seen that sneaky little paw-rub, but the movement failed to hide the mirth in his eyes. She glared jokingly at him, maybe bristled a little to look intimidating -- stop laughing! -- though for all intents and purposes she probably looked more like a whiny cub than an imposing she-wolf.

Before long, though, her features smoothed into a grin, paired with a small huff as she stepped aside for Cairo. Once he held the armor up, she slipped in easily, and followed closely as she showed her how to fasten and secure the straps. Once all was done, it fit snugly over her back, tight enough to be secure without chafing.

She couldn't help but let out a humorous snort at his comment. "Uh huh, says the wolf who crafted it. Very humble I see." She threw him a teasing, sidelong glance before taking a few, slow steps around. Now and then she looked back to herself, how the armor moved with her. "It does look great, though. Feels great, too." She kept moving away until she started up a short sprint across the snow, the pouches tapping against her hips as she ran. The wolf wheeled back around after a few seconds, loping back over with a giddy smile.

She sat down, gave Pach the opportunity to lean up and sniff over the new armor for himself. Her head tilted curiously. "Do you make armor a lot? Did you make your own, too?" she asked, recalling the green armor he'd worn when they first met.

"Speech"

He laughed outright at her quips, the rich sound echoing toward the northern red hills, and his bi-chocolate tail waved in natural emphasis to the amusement at the mock glare, his own head tilting to the side with a droop of the lower ear, the upper perking straight to the sky. He snorted in further amusement at her next remarks on his humility. “Really, I do think some of the carving could be better, but that’s just who I am. I’m never good enough for myself.” He flashed a wink at her, tail tapping the ground as she amended that the armor felt and looked good in her opinion as well. It was important that it fit well without impeding her movement or pinching her. He watched her test the armor out, a contented smile on his features, tail momentarily still and draped over his paws for some warmth. As she came back and asked about his armor-making, he cocked his head, smiling. “I make it quite a bit now. It’s fun, and a relaxing project to do between training and hunting, and patrol work. I made Aurielle’s newer set of bracers, and my own armor.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That little comment about the carving drew a chortle of laughter out of her. She could understand the feeling, though. He'd get better if he wanted to, that was for sure, but the armor looked more than alright to her. As he explained that he did indeed make armor on the regular, she raised an eyebrow. She was new to armor, but... yeah, with that experience under his pelt, she doubted that what he'd made was anything less than exceptional.

Suddenly remembering, Malalia moved away from him with a flick of her tail and put a fair amount of distance between the bow. She uttered a soft, contemplative hum before tossing her gaze over to Cairo as she sunk into a play bow, and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Mind if we test it out?" Part of her was torn -- she didn't necessarily want to scuff up her new armor. But! The urge to spar was just a bit stronger, and what was armor for, if not for fighting? "I can take this off if you want... but you do owe me a spar," she pointed out, recalling his invitation beneath the willows. If he accepted, she was so going to kick his ass.


"Speech"

He grinned, mirroring the girl’s playful bow, his tail flipping up to wave above his rump in the air. “Oh, I do, do I?” His voice was teasingly surprised, but the grin was a definite giveaway that he remembered. “Well, I guess I should pay up, eh?” He launched himself toward her with a playful leap, tail wagging before he settled into the light-hearted seriousness of a spar with a friend. He sought to close the distance quickly, coming headlong, though one ear was cocked toward Pachou. A wolverine clamped to his ankles was something he didn’t fancy experiencing. At the last second, he feinted to his left before veering right, his right foreleg aiming to cross between Lia’s front legs and grapple her right leg backward as his front end dropped slightly to drive his right shoulder forward, seeking to slam the point of that shoulder into the right side of her neck. His head tipped left, jaws parting and scything toward the top right side of Malalia’s neck, midway up the unprotected scruff, aiming to clamp his jaws shut on her scruff and keep a hold to rattle her with. He'd be gentle, of course, not wanting to draw blood. Cairo Lanze Adravendi vs Malalia for Spar Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 Size: Large Build: Heavy Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw bracers Defensive Battle Accessory: Torso armor Companion 1: Barn Owl, Female - Flying Companion 2: Mandrill, Male - Battle Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter Specialty: N/A Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She grinned, calling Pach over when Cairo dipped into a bow and dipping her head to mutter a few things in his ear. Her eyes narrowed, smile broadening when he mentioned paying up. Let's goooooooooooooo!

Cairo ate up the distance between them, but she was prepared. Just before they met, Pachou leaped up in front of her, aiming to latch onto the larger male's chest or face as he'd done with Sirius before. Meanwhile, Malalia darted low and to her left, aiming to grasp Cairo's right foreleg in her jaws as she barreled forward, hopefully bringing him to the ground, or at least off balance. She would quickly let go, half pivot to swing her rear end away from him, and bolt forward with a strong push of her hindlegs, aiming to grab his scruff in her jaws.

Malalia Fatalis vs Cairo for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Steel claws
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Skills: Novice Healer & Expert Fighter
Specialty: N/A


"Speech"

Sometimes, ya had to take a hit. It was far too late to avoid Pachou’s attack, and thus, the best he could do was to rear slightly mid-stride. The wolverine kit found purchase on his brisket, luckily with mostly a mouth full of fur, but he felt those sharp little teeth nick skin. But he was dogged in his sparring. If the kit didn’t release his grip, Cairo would just lug him around by the jaws from the brisket as Lia’s jaws successfully caught his foreleg. Instead of going against her pull he whirled with her, thus keeping his balance for the most part, dangling wolverine kit or no, and met the girl’s push head on, forelegs lifting to aim a bearhug – possibly a group hug – for her neck, wincing as she still managed to grab him, though on the lower side of his neck instead of his actual scruff. He aimed to twist suddenly along with his hug, hoping to throw his smaller opponent down to one side, and drop his weight toward her, assuming he’d been successful in the hug in the first place. If not, he’d still attempt to wrench free of her jaws in the process. Cairo Lanze Adravendi vs Malalia for Spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 Size: Large Build: Heavy Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw bracers Defensive Battle Accessory: Torso armor Companion 1: Barn Owl, Female - Flying Companion 2: Mandrill, Male - Battle Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter Specialty: N/A [Gosh dang you gave me a good puzzle to solve here lol! Poor Pachou might end up squashed if that bearhug works out -Snicker-] Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

He was quick enough to go with her, when she pulled, rather than against her, and she let go as she'd planned, wheeling halfway around for her second attack. By that point, he'd moved so that her teeth seized the skin of his neck, closer to his front and not along his scruff like she'd wanted to.

Unfortunately, that meant she couldn't warn Pachou. The kit growled determinedly as he held on to Cairo's brisket, his other limbs digging in to secure his hold there so that he wasn't swinging mid-air as Cairo moved them along. He let out a sudden squeal, though, when the two came colliding together, squishing him in between.

Sorry, Pach! He'd have to be uncomfortable for just a bit longer. She'd seen the man lifting, aiming to entrap her, and leaving himself open in turn. Malalia had snaked her head backwards, leaving her grip from the side of his neck to shift to the center, and aiming to snap upwards for his windpipe -- not enough to seriously injure, of course, but it'd probably be very uncomfortable.

She'd gone willingly into the bear-hug, so it was unlikely she'd miss some type of grip there. She would wrap her own forelegs around his torso and hold him there. Cairo would still manage to throw her down, and maybe for that she'd lose, but if she had him by the neck, he'd either go down with her, or pay the cost of wrenching away.

Malalia Fatalis vs Cairo for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Steel claws
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Skills: Novice Healer & Expert Fighter
Specialty: N/A


"Speech"