some of us love you

it's not much, but there's proof

⚓︎
    Breathe. Drawing air into her lungs became easier and easier. Her head felt clearer now that they moved through the jungle, but away from the embers and soot, she felt the chill of winter. Sabine was used to the cold having been born on a frigid, windy coast, but shelter was still necessary, so finding "some place to live that has actual air" as @Rivia said needed to happen sooner, rather than later. She didn't talk as they traveled, still feeling a bit odd over whatever it was that was happening between them, but still... she felt a strange comfort.

    Perhaps it was just that, technically, Rivia was all Sabine knew now. Rivia technically connected her to her old life, but was also present in this one, and had been the only lion she consistently had a relationship with. Now, whether that relationship was healthy or not was a different story. A quickened pace found Sabine at the sight of the river and she did not hesitate at the water's edge, instead plunging into the current; though, was careful to still keep her paws on the ground.

    Sabine dunked her head under the water, holding it there for as long as she could. The burn in her lungs felt familiar, but she couldn't hold her breath as long as she used to be able to, especially not after damaging them with her previous residence. She allowed the water to flow through her pelt, soothing her skin, turning her attention to Rivia as the river cleansed her. "Have you found yourself a winter haven?" she questioned lightly.

rivia

The sight of the river was a welcomed one after the suffocating place they came from. It was an oddity that the winter air didn't quell the burned land even a bit. @Sabine was quick to submerge herself into the frigid waters when they arrived at its banks. Rivia was not quite as dirty as she, but waded in nonetheless. Her jaw clenched at the freezing sting that gripped her toes and shot up her legs. A small groan of temporary discomfort escaped her, swishing her paws individually to help cleanse them.

Eventually she moved further in to remove the ash that kicked up onto her stomach and reveal her fiery tones once again. She inhaled and exhaled sharply and retreated from the river as soon as she reached the 'good enough' standard.

She stood ashore and shook the water from her fur, her breath billowing out before her. "I've been living within the pride in the rainforest just north of here. Set my den up not too long ago." she answered her, thinking back to how cozy the warmth of her den would be right about now. "Sure missing my pelts right about now."

some of us love you

it's not much, but there's proof

⚓︎
    Sabine dragged her soaking wet figure to shore, shaking her coat roughly. She shivered, colder now that she was wet, but she felt amazing. She was back to her normal coloration and she had cleared her nostrils of ash. Hearing @Rivia had joined a pride sent a strange twinge through her. "I didn't picture you to be the pride type, but I guess if that's where your clan has hunkered down... It is where you clan has hunkered down?" Sabine's statement as she thought out loud turned into a question.

    "Sorry, I am nosy," she admitted, shrugging. Did it matter that Rivia was in a pride or where her clan was? Not really or at least, it shouldn't. They have no relationship with her. In fact, they might even hate her like Rivia did...or does? Status was still unclear. Sabine didn't really know how she felt. Not hatred anymore, she knew that. Sighing, she glanced around, "I'll have to find myself a warm hole to crawl in." As soon as the sentence left her lips, she smiled and shook out her wet fur again.

    "Not like that," Sabine chuckled. "Any place you would recommend? Err... is the pride any good or nice or whatever?" the woman asked, but it was clear from the expression on her face that she didn't even really know what the hell she was asking. She wasn't really sure what to say in the presence of her former foe and combat partner. It was an awkward attempt at small talk, but also, Sabine really did have to find a place to call home for the winter.

rivia

She nodded towards the lynx. "Yeah, it is where the clan has hunkered down." Rivia parroted, stretching her legs and bringing herself to lay with her belly to the floor. It was an odd realization that they had been there a whole season now. "I didn't think myself to be the pride type, but ya know, things change." She remarked on that vaguely.

Or captains make decisions for you.

Her trepidation towards committing to the rainforest was to no fault of Cupid's. He was the better thronekeeper for the rainforest than she had witnessed so far in her time in amaryllis. She had tried reaching out to other members if she happened upon them, so far only mostly met with ire, and attempting to assist in some hunts, but other than that life was rather boring there. It was good. Boring offered the clan a good chance to heal.

As @Sabine asked for her opinion, Rivia hummed in thought. "I can't speak for the other prides. I know we have allies, but I haven't found out who yet." She could only attest to the rainforest for now. "It's fine. Quiet. And you can still smell the sea. Most of the clan made their dens as close to the coast as you can get. I stayed a little more inland, but I get a whiff on strong winds." She rambled a little bit, hoping whatever information she was able to give was at least something the grey cat could go off of.

some of us love you

it's not much, but there's proof

⚓︎
    Sabine listened quietly, nodding along at the appropriate times. Something @Rivia said hung over Sabine though. "ya know, things change," she said. Things change. Maybe it was time Sabine changed with them. Not that she wanted to race and join the first pride she finds or join a pride with Rivia, but after trying to get this information, leave it to Rivia to be the one to deliver it to her. Even Gwyn, who thought so highly of himself, spoke nothing worth hearing, but this was something to go off of.

    "That sounds..." she paused, searching for the right word before settling on a simple adjective, "Nice." She offered Rivia a sincere smile with a soft expression. "I didn't really see myself joining a pride, but the security would be nice," Sabine mentioned with a small nod. She took a few moments to lap at her fur, working on drying herself amongst the bitter breeze. The hush between them was filled with the rattling of the branches above and the wrestling of trees that still held their leaves.

    Breaking the silence, Sabine took a step closer to Rivia, locking eyes with her now. "I do want to thank you for... whatever this was. Snapping me back to reality, therapy, whatever. If you hadn't come along, truly, I would have died there," she told the dark cat, "I mean it." There was no jokes, no sarcasm, no sass, just a deep stare into the purple hued eyes of her fellow traveler.

rivia

That was a good point. If anything at all, staying in a pride was decent security. And even if she didn’t feel like staying in the rainforest for as long as the crew might, perhaps she could relocate. A matter of choosing one, that was a different tale. “If you wanted to scout some prides, I could go with you.” Rivia offered @Sabine coolly, knowing she’d benefit from gathering information. Her mood could change come tomorrow, though. So, her tone wasn’t deep and serious.

That was left to the other woman who shifted the tone of their idle chatter to that of more sincere talk. She subtly fidgeted in place, unsure how to handle the emotions presented to her so suddenly. “You’re welcome,” she answered, meeting her fiery eyes; not her usual “don’t worry about it”, “no biggie”, “don’t mention it”. Rivia laid her head on her paws and let silence brew for a few moments again before speaking up. “Do you have an idea of what you’re gonna do?”

some of us love you

it's not much, but there's proof

⚓︎
    Sabine eased back to where she previously stood, rocking back into a comfortable seated position to continue her grooming. Maybe she would take @Rivia up on that offer. She didn't have to decide now because now she knew where to find the woman; though, clearly a pride territory didn't stop their random encounters.

    She shook her head in response, her tone light, "No idea, but I am farther along than I was yesterday." A gust sent another chill over the damp cat and she noticeably shivered. "Moving forward, right?" she remarked with a smirk. Yesterday, her future was nothing more than withering away amongst the smoke, but now, there was possibility. "Finding a place for winter is first on my list, likely outside of a pride territory to be safe, but I may take you up on that offer soon. I've been meaning to make my way around and note the territories, but... well you saw. I got a little preoccupied."

    "What made you choose the rainforest or did it sort of get picked for you?" Sabine inquired, lifting a brow. That was something she was unfamiliar with; obedience. When it came to her family, they worked together and made decisions as a group and when it came to the Blackwater Clan, well she defied them as much as she could, but just under the wire enough to keep her head, and if she did listen, it was not obedience, it was compliance.

rivia

That sounds like a good plan then," She responded at her idea to find somewhere near a pride territory to fortify for winter. Rivia didn't have anywhere in her mind to recommend, although, she did think back to the desert lands out west. She hummed and squinted, but her eyes flickered back to @Sabine when she asked her about the rainforest. A yawn pulled her jaws apart, her head reeling backward and her breath swirling above.

It was long and complicated in Rivia's mind, how exactly she ended up in the rainforest and how she felt about it. The quick and dirty answer would be that it was picked for her. "My captain had his eyes on the throne, especially when its holder changed so rapidly. He wanted to take it for us and give us a home to heal in." Rivia explained smoothly, licking the fur along her forelimbs, "I was dealing with other affairs when he officially joined alongside this leader, being his second for a time." It seemed odd to her that he let that slide as smoothly as he did. To lead as a second in command next to someone she personally sees as too soft to lead. Though, he has held the throne steadily and procured a few allies, so he couldn't be doing so bad.

"It was the rest of the crew. My other captain and my close comrades that found their way to us that coaxed me to go with them. Otherwise, I imagine my decision would have been much different." She had come to realize her loyalties were stronger to Calhoun and Roarke's decision making and lack of communication had put a bad taste in her mouth. Something she didn't expect in her years of running with them. Rivia breathed out and stopped, realizing she had been talking a lot.

some of us love you

it's not much, but there's proof

⚓︎
    Sabine listened quietly, eyes watching the other cat as she spoke. She hadn't really ever looked at @Rivia before now, even though she saw the woman in her dreams each night. Perhaps those would change now. She thought of Rivia often. Sometimes in anger, sometimes in a longing for something familiar; though, most of her anger had dissolved.

    "Sometimes I wish I had attachments like that to help me make decisions, but... I do like my freedom," she said when the other cat fell silent, "Sure, freedom to sit in a pit of despair surrounded by devastation, but freedom nonetheless." Sabine flashed her teeth in a prideful grin. She felt warmer and warmer with each passing moment as her thick coat dried.

    A yawn escaped her now. She hadn't had a good sleep in a long time, but she felt this would be restful. Sabine lowered down to her abdomen, her weight shifting until she was comfortable before her chin met her forearms. "I assume if I were to sleep, you would not be here when I awoke," she said sleepily, somewhat in the form of a question. Her eyes felt heavy.

rivia

She had a point. Sometimes having those ties give you a sense of direction and other times they held you back. At the moment, Rivia felt a little stagnant since she arrived to amaryllis and she wasn't quite sure how she would come out of it.

A meeting the captains was on the horizon, that she was certain about. Roarke or Cal, whoever would be found first to meet her. Though, she would prefer to catch up with Cal again. From what Calypso had told her it seemed like he was still dealing with some demons.

Rivia rolled her eyes at @Sabine when she referred back to her old home. At least, as much of a home as you could call it. She seemed to be getting sleepier as they chatted the afternoon away. "I can stay," she replied, a response that had a way of saying 'you can sleep now'.