Askan cracked his mouth wide open with a long, toothy yawn. Whilst his day hadn't been any more strenuous than the last, there was no denying that Askan-unlike his mate- was not a creature of the night. If anything, he belonged in the light of day, when the sun shone just as bright as his eyes. Still, the sun hadn't quite set yet and it was a smidge too early to retire for the night. Being the stubborn man he was, he made a point of not being the first to claim a spot in the den. He knew the other's probably didn't care, let alone even noticed this habit of his, but whatever. Askan was a man stuck in his ways, he had routines and he stuck to them.

For the most part anyway.

Knowing that his mate was no doubt on the prowl, marking the borders and keeping any intruding owls at bay, Askan had some time to kill. Weeks ago he would have sought out Sachiel and Hawthorne, to make sure they weren't up to no good. These days though? Well even with one half of the pair was gone, he was more inclined to trust that Sachiel was behaving himself. Same for Percy, she was still a little shit, but she most certainly wasn't a kid anymore. Which was sort of weird, considering how he remembered her being a tiny little pup as though it was yesterday.

Man, that made him feel old.

With a huff and a puff he stepped out of the forest and into the wide open space that housed the Shallows. To say he was surprised to see Lyanna would be an outright lie, she always seemed to be about. He wasn't accusing her of sitting around on her butt all day- like she was now- rather, he felt as though the world seemed determined to smush them together. Like Askan needed his daily dose of sass.

"What are you glaring at?" Askan found himself asking as he drew closer. He followed her line of sight and- oh, an eagle? Okay.

Wretched? Him? As bloody if! He was many things, but he was hardly wretched. He felt the intense need to shove her words back in her mouth, but rather than get too carried away Askan simply huffed at her comment. He was still a bristly, grumpy man, but he wasn't the sort who chomped down on his subordinates muzzles because he felt like it.

Besides, he should have seen her snark coming, should have realised his blunt question would have encouraged her to get lippy, but nope, once again he'd walked right into it. Almost like the time he'd stomped right into that tree root. His lips curved down into a grimace as his brows drew together, all squished and scrunched together.

"I was fine till you came along." He looked to the eagle instead and his nose wrinkled as it tore out the snakes innards, like a worm fresh plucked from damp soil. "So...how are things?" It was a pretty shit one, but he'd made an attempt as civility.