It had been a while since the scent of one of his wolves had strayed further than their den. Considering the scars the long night had left on wolves, as well as this wolf's unfortunate history, it was well past time the Warlord checked in.

He made his way to Magnus’s den, a peace offering of a freshly caught hare in his maw as he made his way to the entrance. Placing it lightly on the ground before scratching at the door to announce himself. “Magnus?” he asked softly into the dim lighting. It was hard not to remember the wolf that had stood at his side, a leader in his pack once upon a time, when he saw the shadow of who his old friend had become.


"Sirius"

CODE © SKELLE 2021
With the memories of his past haunting him, Magnus couldn't find the strength to leave the safety of his den, nor was he really allowed to by his companions. They kept him safe here, or as safe as they could. Fearing that if they allowed him to leave that they'd find him at the edge of a cliff again, they'd since holed him up in his den and kept him there. They even kept Kiyo from seeing him, promising her that he'd come to her when he's ready. They could only hope that she'd wait for him, but as the days rolled into weeks they were getting concerned. Magnus did little but lay in the corner of his empty den, every belonging reminding him of anything shoved into the corner and covered with other, unrelated pelts. The only things left out where things that could possibly remind of him Kiyo, things given to him both by his companions and the women herself.

When Sirius called for him at the entrance of his den, he hardly blinked. Instead, the african wild dog moved to greet the warlord with a nervous smile. He hardly talked, even to Magnus or the hyena, but he still found the words to at least try to prepare the warlord for what he was about to walk in on. "He remembers everything."

"Speech!"

The Warlord blinked in surprise as Magnus’s companion came forth in his steed, and passed on a warning. Magnus remembered all. He remembered why he had left the Armada? The wrong he had done the pack? The Warlords reasoning for allowing him back in had been flimsy. He was badly injured when the Warlord had dragged him back here, and it wasn’t long before they realised his memory was gone. He was a different wolf, a broken one. So the Warlord had kept him on, and the days had bled into each other, and for the most part the Warlord had let him be. In honour of who he had once been. The Warlord’s right hand.

Who would he be now? Some meld of the broken wolf the Warlord had saved, and the wolf that had stood in a position of power over the Armada? Or something entirely new.

He frowned at the African Wild dog, and nodded once sharply. Whoever Magnus was, he would take it in stride. He pushed past the companion, and into the den. “Magnus” He said sharply. “Your wallowing has gone on long enough”


"Sirius"

CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"
He'd be wrong if he said that he wasn't a little bit angry that Sirius had kept everything from him. Hurt, mostly, but knowing that he could've perhaps remembered everything sooner or less painfully is what hurt the most. He knew that he had hurt Sirius in breaking the law, submitting to Aslatiel at her challenge, and running away... but was keeping everything from him some sort of revenge? He had children, whether Deathbelle wanted him to find them again or not hardly mattered. Sirius knew how badly he wanted children.

He couldn't even find the strength to be mad at him now though, and instead the demand was met with only silence. For a moment anyway, for the lifeless man finally started to move to face him. His old bones creaked beneath him, arthritis settling in with the loss of a limb expediting his age. "Blame them for it." He hardly sounded like himself anymore, glaring at the other canines wishing he had the strength to kill them for making him suffer in life when he wanted nothing more than to be anything but.

The Warlord blinked in surprise at the sight of him. He seemed older in years then he should be. Creaking and ancient and heavy. The Warlord looked at this shadow of his old friend, and he sighed softly. He did glance at the African dog for a moment, nodding towards the creature. “What does he mean?” he asked softly, needing all the facts.


Before turning back to Magnus. He moved forward, and crouched in front of the damaged wolf. He raised a paw and gently tucked it under Mag’s chin, lifting the other wolf's head, and taking him in. looking at the sunken eyes, the depression. Sirius knew the pain of depression. He had felt it curl about his heart before, strangling every drop of himself until he couldn’t breath. “What do you remember” He asked softly.

"Sirius"

CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"

The African Wild Dog frowned at Magnus comment and the Hyena just looked away, not exactly willing to talk about it either. Finally the painted dog sighed and looked toward the warlord with sadness and even some shame. They should've told him, but they worried about what exactly was right and wrong about everything that getting the answers right sometimes were difficult. "We found him about to take his own life, Sir." His eyes dropped to the ground, posture changing slightly worried about what either of them would say.

Magnus scoffed before the dog could continue, rolling his eyes. He wasn't wrong, but Magnus couldn't believe that he wasn't even proud to admit it. He was about to finish for him when the man grabbed his face and he had half a mind to bite him but could barely even pull his face away when asked what he remembered. Anger flashed through his dull eyes then, glaring at each of canids in the den. "Everything any of you could've told me before letting me remember on my own, months later, and with someone that did not need to witness it." He was out of breath by the end of his short rant and his teeth clicked together abruptly, the hurt and anger in his eyes masking the wonder if Sirius even noticed Kiyo stopping by his den while she visited the Armada.

The Warlord glanced back at the dog as he spoke, and tightness curled the edges of the Warlord's eyes. One of his wolves had been in serious trouble, and no one had deemed to tell him about it? The look he shot the dog made it very clear what he felt about that.

His attention back on Magnus, he saw when anger darkened the other world's eyes. The Warlord took it in, and let it roll over him. “When you came to me, you were badly injured, damaged. Head injuries, I’ve been told, are tricky things. So I housed you, and fed you, and let you be. Wondering if things would trickle back in. I’m sorry it hit you all at once, Magnus.” Seeing the depression in the other wolf, he wondered if it was a good thing, or a bad one, that the memories had returned to him. “But now you remember, what are you going to do about it? What do you want in life, Magnus, who do you want to be? Do you want to be a wolf that stepped into the darkness and let themselves fade away from memory?” his voice picked up a hint of a snarl, and he didn’t release his grip on the other wolf. Magnus needed to decide. Not wallow in his misery.


"Sirius"

CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"
The dog frowned as he caught the look of the warlord. He knew it was wrong now, but at the time everything was so stressful. Leaving Magnus alone even for a minute was risky and at the time, one of them wasn't enough to fight him off. He regretted it now, but slunk to the shadow the Hyena hid in to avoid any other confrontation from either of the wolves.

Although he couldn't be grateful for the attempt Sirius had made at saving his life initially, had he had any inkling of an idea of his further suffering he would've begged the man to kill him right then in there. Save him by sparing him the pain of remembering the children he'd probably never get to see again. Save him from remembering his daughter falling into the frozen ocean and out of reach. He could've saved him from so many things by ending his suffering right then and there. What had he brought him back for, anyway?

The questions started and Magnus wanted so many things that he didn't even know where to start. He wanted to end his suffering by any means possible, quick or slow hardly mattered at this point. At least suffering in a slow death would be different than suffering in life with his memories, give him something else to think about maybe. It was welcomed, at least, even if it wasn't the most favorable option for anyone involved. He allowed himself a moment to think and as much as he wanted death, he wanted a better life. A life where he could have at least some of the things he had lost. Even if he'd never have kids again, he could at least have love. Provided she wanted anything to do with him once he told her everything, anyway.

"I want out or death, give me peace somehow."

The Warlord considered Magnus, and the man's words very carefully. He wanted out of the Armada - and the Warlord was not opposed to allowing it. His presence here had always been a little tricky anyway, with the rules the man had broken.

He would not, however, allow him to leave only to hear of his death days later. He thought of Deathbelle, fragile and broken at his borders. He had not done his best by her, and wished he had found a better solution. He would not fail Magnus. He might not be the best wolf of the Armada, but he was the Warlord's friend. “I will let you leave, so long as you agree to one condition. You take Mortis with you. And my son remains with you, until he, by his own judgement, determines you are not a threat to yourself.” he said at last.


"Sirius"

CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"
Magnus wasn't sure what he expected Sirius to do, but it certainly wasn't that. He knew the rules of the Armada as well as the next, but he didn't question it. Instead he let that weight roll off his shoulders and allowed Sirius to finish speaking. A condition no less, but he hardly expected anything else of him. He was to take Mortis with him as a sort of baby sitter until his mentals were well enough. He couldn't argue with the warlord, he'd been given not one, but two free passes out now. Provided Kiyo didn't push him away, he finally had some sort of hope.

"That's more than fair." He finally said, though wondered what following an old grump around would do for Mortis. No doubt every one of his actions would be relayed back to Sirius, he just hoped things turned up rather than down. What if it didn't though, would Mortis end his suffering if he begged?

"I mean you no offense, but as soon as he is ready I'd like to leave. I can't live in this prison of memories anymore, I hope you understand."