She was sick and tired of not being in charge of her own fate. First the Lagoon is wrenched out from under her by the mist and then by that wrench of a lioness. Then once she was finally settling into the Cove once again after being kicked from the Lagoon by the mist, someone comes and challenges for it as well - and then kicks out the entire pride. Before now… she couldn’t have done a thing about it. She was too young, too little yet at those times. But now? Now she was stronger. Now she was older. Nothing was going to stop her now - nothing would stand in her way of going after what truly needed to happen. Time to decide her own fate. It was time to be her own leader.

One might think her brash and immature for doing this - but she needed to do this. Cassandra knew she couldn’t deal with having home after home ripped away from her while she did nothing but watch it happen. And what better place to try to make her own way in this world than the Mire? She knew they were enemies of the Sigrun, and from the way she’d seen the Mire king approach the wrench who had bested Ragna, he was somehow friendly with the one who had taken the Lagoon. And from what she’d been told by her uncle, the current Lagoon queen was not to be trusted in any way. Apparently she’d tried to take the Brook before trying to take the Lagoon and had failed.

Letting out a call for @Myrkvi as she left the tidepools where they’d taken up residence, Cassandra made her way to the Mire. It wasn’t ideal, as it wasn’t a seaside pride like the Cove and the Lagoon. But it would work just fine. She’d beat a lion carrying the scent of this pride before in a dominance match - and that was before she’d even turned 2 years old. Her mother was a powerful fighter - had been Magnus’s lead fighter before becoming Sovereign alongside her aunt at the Cove a year ago now.

Steeling herself, Cassandra boldly stepped past the borders of the Mire. A challenging call left her muzzle, more powerful than even she had expected. It was time she took her life into her own paws rather than relying on anyone else to do it for her. And, if she managed to win the Mire, it would mean one less enemy to worry about for the Sigrun and for her family.


@Cassandra vs. @Alaric
For Ecrosia Mire
Round 0 / 5


[I am fully aware that if she wins her PVP will need to be moved to yellow ^^]

actions. "speech."

you should see me in a CROWN

Art & Table code by Zodiac

Morrigan had just been basking in the glow of Talisa’s first victory in battle, both proud and worried that her wife had taken officially to the violent side of things. It had only been a spar. Far from the dangerous nature of war, but they all had to start somewhere. The Greyflood had been assuming they had more time to prepare themselves for the coming war… until a call from a nearby territory sent a cold chill down her spine.

“Cassandra,” she said aloud as her skull snapped in the direction of the Mire. Worry immediately creased her brow as she recognized the sound of a challenge call. Silver and purple eyes shifted back to her wife’s face before she rose to muscular limbs and let out a small sigh. “This may get bloody,” was the only warning Morrigan could muster for @Talisa before she headed in the direction of the Mire.

The Greyflood warrior paused at the border markers before confirming her daughter had been bold enough to make her intended usurping well-known. Knowing she invited danger, Morrigan followed her daughter over just over the border to her chosen fighting position. Let them come, then. If their alliance with the Sigrun had not been reason enough, @Cassandra had now openly invited a target on her back.

Stepping into a defensive posture and casting a glance upward into the gnarled trees more than once, the Greyflood waited on their enemies to descend, wondering how many friends would show up as well.

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

The Sigrun prince made a distinct point to roll himself in swamp mud. He made sure to cover the ambush scars and muddle the scent of the ocean beyond recognition. It felt kind of gross, but the enemies lurked here and he would like to avoid an immediate target on him. This did not need to turn into another Brook war. The mud gave his shadowy figure a brown and green hue. He crossed whichever part of the border Cass may have crossed (if she had) without much hesitation after spotting Morrigan.. He was here in support and defense. When @Morrigan arrived, he followed after the warrior to stand beside her, muddied and tense.

code and art by aurora | BG to unsplash

T a l i s a

A few weeks ago she might have been trembling down her leg at the sudden call of her eldest daughter. Worry to be etched out upon her face for all to see but the Valour had woken. It had taken several years to come to terms with it but she needed to prepare herself and be ready should she need to be. @Cassandra calling for a pride - this pride - would not doubt put the spotlight on them but she knew that that was not Cass's intention. Their worlds had been rocked from day one and had continued to be a wild ride but Talisa had learned to roll with it but to also learn from it. Just as she was testing her own skills out and making use of the things she was given. She might not be a fully trained warrior like most of her family but she could still do it.

So rushing alongside @Morrigan after having dished how awesome it had felt to actually win her fight. A part of that adrenaline of memory was turned into pride and concern as they crested the borders and skirted through. Something in her body was electrified as she did so for she knew the consequences of crossing into a territory and yet... her daughter was here. Talisa could not not be there. Offering a strong nod and a motherly worry on her face that her mothers were here for her now and they would be whether she rose or fell. As her wife situated herself in a bold position, Talisa did the same beside her yet pivoted slightly so that she could keep her eyes on another direction. Already thinking on her feet and hoping that it wouldn't get too bad though Morrigan seemed dead set on what the outcome would be regardless of who won the fight for the pride.

i declare war - i'm kickin' down your door \\

she comes bringing with her a wave of retribution.

cassandra hadn't spoken to her before this but saga intends to fully use it to her - their - advantage. despite the healing wound where her eye had been, the aged warrior still manages to find her way over the countryside, traversing it with only mild impediment. having so many years on the earth it takes little for the feline to become accustomed to the sensation of full blindness. her tail aids her balance, her whiskers help serve her as she traverses, and her paws are as sure as ever.

saga sigrún will be stopped by nothing.

as she hits the borders of the mire, she looses a ragged, seeking roar for the rest of the sigrún. it was time for war; no more hiding. they were here to destroy the regime the rike are - were - building.

the scents of her kin swallow her and she carefully eases towards where @Myrkvi's is coming from. "find hillevi - and velkan - if they are here. take what children you find." she orders him low, lips wrenched back from yellowing fangs. her whiskers quiver with her rage and she steps past him, then, sweeping her tail out to tap against his shoulder - both in a dismissal and to assure she's not running into him.

@Morrigan and @Talisa's scents are thickest just ahead of where her nephew was and she swings her eyeless skull towards them. "i intend to destroy them." she says softly, her head canted slightly to one side so her ears can be trained on the swampy undergrowth surrounding them. "and i very well may not walk away from this." she steadies her skull, swinging it briefly side to side before using her whiskers to gauge how close she is to the other lioness, leaning in startlingly close ( if she had had eyes, that is ) and whispers softly: "if i fall... find my children. please."

table by ferus & lineart by eerien00dle

zelda As fate would have it, Zelda had been busy canoodling with her own tail within a tree not too far from where the challenge called. As her headed lifted slowly she could see that a few lions had just crossed over the borders and the one who had called had also happened to do just that. Lions that were not of Ecrosia and judging by the challenge, they were not lions of any ally. Not that she was aware of any allies; though, supposedly Andal wasn't an ally but potentially an enemy. That was exciting. So Zelda decided that she would just keep an eye on them from her perch. She didn't much feel like throwing herself into the mix of kitty cats but definitely wanted to get an idea as to what the crowd's vibe might come to be. Another lion came to stand next to them that she didn't know -- didn't care for -- but what was interesting is that she had no eyes. Coooool. Now that was a fuckin' woman right there. Zelda is attempting to stay hidden out of sheer laziness.

Bard exp +5 Attend a challenge +5 Apply dye/paint on yourself or someone else She was just back from tending to the food caches, diligently as always. There her mind lingered over the image of her siblings...a word she haven't heard in months now. And hearing it from Slaine's own mouth, it meant the world even if for others it would be a dumb reason to feel so much joy for that, but if they knew where she came from it would be enough to justify such effect on the orphan yearling. But as she enjoyed her duties, a war song came to her ears, one she had heard countless times whenever she went to watch a challenge, but now.. this one was intended to their very own home. Fear poured into her chest as she rushed to where it came from. A brown lioness was challenging against Alaric. Why? He was such a kind king! She took colored stones to draw lines under her eyes, and then in her forehead. Painting herself for war. And no, this wasnt a joke, she was doing it for real. "Leave!" She said to all them.

ART By Moogle CODE BY Cloudy

Fucking hell, were his first thoughts very shortly followed by, What are you doing, Cass? as he stopped short on his journey back down to the southern territories. He’d been planning to meet back up with @Voluspa after checking in on his kin, but the last he knew from Morrigan was that Ecrosia was the enemy. He sent out a chuff to let his paramour know he was headed to the Mire if she wished to meet him there, but a small part of him hoped against reason that maybe she would choose to lay low for this one. These challenges seldom ended peacefully in normal circumstances. It was one of the reasons he’d wished to leave this all behind and find a way to live outside of the royal structure. But for now he remained a Vermedan Prince whose sister was attempting to make a very big wave in the politics of their world. He was duty and love bound to be there for her and protect her. Just as his mothers were, whose familiar forms he found having already crossed the border and taken up defensive positions. If that weren’t enough, Saga’s roar sent the dread settling in Khal’s bones. So it was to be that kind of day, was it? He shook himself where he stood before waiting on Voluspa to join him. If it came to it, they would fight together. Saga was murmuring something to his mothers and there was a lion nearby who Khal could only guess at being Myrkvi, but he wouldn’t blow their cover to confirm. As if Saga’s presence and their trespassing wouldn’t be enough to make all their allegiances known. His silver streaked eyes spared @Cassandra for last, finding it hard to imagine his little sister in the place of the proud woman who stood before them, inviting the wrath of a King and all his allies on her head. She was brave, he would certainly admit that much.

oh ho ho, what's this? what's this? curiosity bids him to scuttle towards the mire, eyes trained on the borders as he slithers towards them. he pauses to lob pawfuls of mud onto his shoulders and into his mane ( inwardly sobbing in vanity ) and then pauses to roll in it for good measure to get good and stinky. he doesn't particularly want to be bothered while he watches this clusterfuck so expects if he blends in as well as he can, it's the best for everyone.

with his piebald fur covered with dark blotches, the miroslav steps gingerly across the border, utilizing the shadowy undergrowth to his advantage. just as he's about to find a place to settle down a very familiar scent wafts to him and he slides his bi-colored stare about, looking for wherever @Zelda is hiding. he never thinks to look up and instead settles quietly at the base of the tree she's in, doing his best to follow the scent...

annie is trying to find zelda

Rolling 1d10: 7

BG CODE ART

zelda The striped yearling that the Mire was very close to (that she, surprisingly, actually liked) came strolling in with what looked like warpaint and demanding that everyone leave. Oh, Kinks. Don't go doin' that. Last thing she wanted to do was to have to defend anyone who could've been smart enough to avoid it. Alas, she supposed that there were several individuals in this lifetime that enjoyed stirring the pot intentionally and unintentionally and @Kinki sure did the latter. Thankfully, it was too easy to get distracted as she did a double-take when she locked onto @Antares in full muddy uniform sniffing around at the base of her tree. Tongue lightly clicked against her teeth as she snickered a little bit to herself, tail whipping against the branch as she peered down at him. Studying him and his muddy self for a few extra unnecessary seconds. If you're looking for babes, I'm afraid I'm the last in stock. She whispered quietly above him, hoping that it had been loud enough for him to hear but she also wasn't super keen on being spotted when the rest of Ecrosia hadn't shown up. After all, she didn't have a solid allegiance to the Mire (yet) and simply enjoyed the presence of some of them. Unfortunately, her desires often won out and she was going to do what was best for her.