The Warlord completed his rounds during the early hours of the morning. The air was still and quiet, and he wondered if the afternoon would bring snow. Winter might have changed to Spring, but sometimes the world forgot to tell the North that the seasons had changed.

As he was passing out of the forest and into the Col, he caught the scent of Lefty. He had seen little of the new Armada wolf since he had handed her off to Basilisk. Curious to see how she was getting along, he changed course to seek her out. Her scent led him a little deeper into the Col, and towards the packs stores. He stuck his head inside, taking a moment to assess the newly repaired shelving. The packs stores were finally adjusting and improving. It had been a tough winter, but they’d made it out the other side.

His eyes landed then on Lefty, and he raised a brow at her. “Lefty - good morning. How are things going?” He asked. He had ‘pressed’ her into service, but she didn’t seem to hold a grudge. In fact, she took everything in stride rather impressively.

WC: 195
"Speech"

Lefty's thoughts turned, quietly, to the woman she had encountered in the woods. She'd not expected her betrothed to return-- but Thorax seemed to be accepting life in Boreas rather well, and all things considered, Lefty was pleased to see that. While their union had never been one of... equal grounds, not really, not with Lefty's status, it still would have frustrated the blue-furred wolf to see their once-promised treated badly.

But since she wasn't, Lefty went back to her business. Armada. Perhaps other wolves would have taken the whole deal much worse, but Lefty found it calming, really. They liked Wylan, and they liked Bas, and the pack was full of enterprising faces. Today, Lefty passed through the Col, looking for a potential material for a sword hilt. It was about time she begin to make her own.

But a voice caught her attention, and Lefty's ears pricked forward. "Ah! Warlord. I'm doing quite well; I'm searching for a fine material for a sword's hilt. I believe it's about time I begin to smith my own weapon." Their head inclined. "The party for the yearlings was quite pleasant. I had an excellent time." Then -- "And yourself?" Polite, as always.

"Speech"

Sirius let his eyes glance over Lefty, checking them over to ensure they were well. He could see fairly easily that she was fed, and whole of body. Of course, he was sure that if it had been otherwise he would have heard of it by now. Satisfied, he let his attention turn to the conversation. He was pleased to hear she was looking for ways to arm herself. The Armada was a warrior pack, after all. Its wolves need the knowledge and resources to defend themselves.

“Excellent, have you made use of the smithy?” He asked, keeping his voice steady and smooth. Leaving no evidence in his tone as to what the pack had lost. Their Smith, who had manned the smithy, had passed away in the flooding. The smithy had been repaired and returned to its original place. He knew some in the pack had been making use of it.

“I’m glad you liked the party, the kids deserve to see their birthdays pass remarked. Wylan could perhaps learn some table manners” He added with a wry chuckle. He took after a younger Basilisk that way. “And what have you learned of the wolves of this pack? Its politics and nuances?” he asked, eyeing her with interest.


WC: 215
Total: 610
"Speech"

She laughed, then, soft and satisfied. Not at him, but along with him, while her ears flicked back and she looked up, taking in a deep breath of air. "They did, yes. I had to mind my manners, of course -- it was my first real chance to observe the group as a whole, and I had to seize it." And Lefty had: they'd dipped their head, made small talk, but had spent most of the celebration calculating, thinking.

Sirius asked a followup, and Lefty's lips twitched in a little smile. Nothing devious, but...

"There... seems to be some tension between the younger heirs. Many things seemed unsaid at that party, and some of the wolves present-- I had the distinct impression that they were holding themselves back from revealing a whole truth at the event." Her tongue touches her teeth, then runs over part of her snout. "A tragedy has happened, I feel. Many seem to be recovering, still; they lost those who were close to them." She had been informed of the flood, and its recovery efforts, but. She did not know the specifics. "But moreso-- there seem to be tensions relating to... loss of a different sort. I saw some of these wolves, and it felt as if they were trying to cover up a presence that wasn't there." There'd been a strange melancholy to some present.

Lefty sighed quietly and continued. "Armada is a pack of hard workers, and-- yes, I have been using the Smithy. Learning its intricacies. I think that Armada-- its nuances are nuances of strength, but also of a pain that some have trouble expressing. This needs to be taken into account when dealing with them." They cleared their throat. "As I would say if I were reporting intel."

"Speech"

total wc - 906

The Warlord leaned back curiously and listened as the blue wolf spoke. Her mention of tension between heirs was interesting. He only had one official heir, so to whom could she be referring? Basilisk and Mortis, perhaps? Mortis had been his heir until he had rejected the position. Unless she meant heirs more generically - his offspring. He knew there were tensions among some of them. Dread had returned for the party, and many were unhappy with him. There was also Kite, who had a grudge against… just about everyone.

His expression dropped a little, subtle though it was, as she spoke of other events. Yes, he wasn’t surprised that she had caught on to the underlying feelings. He knew she was referring to the flood… and then to his late wife. Her absence at their party had been painful to everyone. He decided to clue her in, she had earned that tidbit of information. “My late wife, and the mother of many who had been at the party. Which heirs are you referring to?” He asked.

“A good summary of the pack. It might be time for you to move up soon, and put your skills to use.” He said thoughtfully.

Total: 1113
"Speech"