The sky was black and cold above her, no trace of the soft silver clouds in sight. It was quiet aside from the occassional shifting of the sands at her back and the distant sound of waves. As the great crag in the rock grew closer, her footsteps began to falter. The large woman was coming to the end of her reserves. She was no longer even certain how many months had passed since she'd been separated from Avaneira.

The well-worn path of others had eventually led the dark woman to this land-bridge and whoever might inhabit it. Morrigan no longer felt certain she would find a living sister at all and the possibility had left her more cold and hollow than ever. She no longer cared what happened to herself. All she had known was this half-life of sheer survival for so long. Her broad shoulders and hips jutted out from beneath her black and white pelt, the extra lengths snarled and tangled, the pristine white stained with the grime of her voyage.

She walked with an obvious limp, unable to properly treat a badly twisted ankle, an injury that had only served to make survival that much more difficult. As the darkness deepened, she lifted mismatched eyes from the dirt to find herself in the shadow of the wide corridor. As she came to the edge of the new lands her pawsteps slowed and then stopped next to a large, smooth sided boulder. She half leaned half collapsed against it.

It would have been easy to let her eyes drift closed, but they remained stubbornly open and waiting, watching the darkness ahead as it decided her fate.

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

It had been poor luck for the King to stumble upon yet another injured party. Still, not such bad luck for @Morrigan, who quite clearly was in a bad way. The journey here was a treacherous one, whether souls were caught up in the waves or set upon by hungry nomads. She would stare at the horizon with defiance, determination, clearly expectant for someone to come upon her eventually. And, as luck would have it, the titan was indulging in yet another patrol of the sandbar. His movements were swift and intentional, and while he was loathe to get too close to a woman that would more than likely already be on high alert, he would at least stay close enough to get an idea of what he was dealing with. Close enough, most certainly, to be within earshot. The journey has not been kind to you, the King observed, mismatched gaze shifting from her face and down along her partially-slumped form. Are you looking for shelter?

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

Jewel approached the sands once more, her steps measured and certain. The ebony lioness spotted @Magnus - or so she thought the silhouette to be that of the familiar Hollow king. Meandering her path that direction, she would make slow progress, uncertain of why he was standing next to a large boulder. The closer the female got, the more she realized it was not in fact just a boulder - but another ebony feline.

The Caladan lady smiled, pleased to see that there were so many that shared the same pelt coloration that she did. When she had been born, her family had been perplexed - but it would seem that these lands, such a color was not unexpected. The female would slow her steps as she got closer, head lowering and ears tipping towards the female that Magnus was standing close - but not too close to.

Taking her que from the other lion, Jewel spoke, cerulean eyes landing upon the form of the other lady. "Or, perhaps it is information that you seek?" Jewel smiled, tails twisting and tilting near her haunches as she would watch @Morrigan, waiting for her response. Jewel would remain a short distance away - as Magnus had.. so as not to send the other lady into a defensive spiral where logic would take it's leave beneath the need for self preservation.

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

Steel and amethyst watched as the first of two ebony cloaked beast peeled themselves away from the deeper darkness. It was a man, though he lacked the typical mane. He was entirely shrouded in black, down to the color of his one seemingly functioning eye. A colossal living shadow. Her muscles stiffened instinctively as he came closer, but his body language so far did not feel like a threat, nor did the words he spoke upon reaching her.

The journey has not been kind to you. Are you looking for shelter? He noted her weakness but did not immediately seek to take advantage of it, and it seemed he would not be her only courtier either. Before she could answer he was joined by a woman who was also cloaked in obsidian, though her eyes were of such a bright blue they seemed to glow even in the dim light of the night. Or, perhaps it is information that you seek?

Morrigan adjusted herself to sit up straighter, her pride fighting with the desire to collapse further now that she did not appear to be in immediate danger. "Both, if you would be so kind to indulge me," she answered, mismatched eyes moving from @Magnus to @Jewel and back. She was after all a stranger here and whether they could truly offer her salvation remained to be seen. She needed to know more about the people who called this place home. But then, perhaps they too were still strangers to this world.

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

Magnus did not mean any harm; if he had, he would've had more than enough opportunity to do so by now. @Morrigan seemed to acknowledge this - sensibly wary, but not outright fractious like the last wounded party he'd found had been. Still, this woman had the advantage of age. Only a fool would blame a child for being frightened. Indulge he would, gladly, and a glance and nod of greeting would be offered to @Jewel before focus returned firmly to the rogue. I can, he confirmed smoothly. You stand on the threshold of Amaryllis. I am Magnus Sigrún, ruler of Obsidian Hollows. If you're looking for somewhere to rest and recuperate, you would be welcome to join my pride and I there. For a cost, of course, as he - like many - did not offer free board. Payment could come in official allegiance, or simply replacing the resources she'd used during her stay should she wish for the arrangement to be temporary. He could not expect an injured woman to earn her keep in her current state, so that would all come afterward. I have a healer in my employ, also, who would be able to take a look at your leg. It was a worthy addition considering her predicament, and this time it was not an untruth. Fhtagn seemed an odd soul, but she would be useful.

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

She would wait, her tails flicking near her ankles as @Magnus spoke, filling @Morrigan in on where she was. "And I am Jewel Khulani, ruler of Caladan Cove to the northeast. The offer to join a pride is also extended from the Cove - we, too, have healers and resources for you to recover." The lioness knew that Magnus had recently taken in a small cub and found herself curious about the wellbeing of the child - but she also knew that now was neither the time nor the place to address such things.

Ears would tip towards the other female, a smile tilting her muzzle at the strength the woman showed in pulling herself up by the metaphorical bootstraps. Jewel wouldn't be a judge against her character either way - but she knew that by showing such fortitude, the lady was proving herself to have a depth of character that would be an asset to the pride that she joined.

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

If Morrigan had expected anything from throwing herself at the mercy of strangers, it had not been to be faced with two outwardly appealing choices. Both offered what she asked of them without any unnecessary conversational fluff, which the Greyflood found refreshing. I can, began the first stranger, You stand on the threshold of Amaryllis. I am Magnus Sigrún, ruler of Obsidian Hollows. If you're looking for somewhere to rest and recuperate, you would be welcome to join my pride and I there. She couldn't help but note the fitting nature of the dark beast's kingdom.

Obsidian King indeed, she thought as her attention shifted from @Magnus to @Jewel, And I am Jewel Khulani, ruler of Caladan Cove to the northeast. The offer to join a pride is also extended from the Cove - we, too, have healers and resources for you to recover. Hmm. Her brow furrowed at the choice before her. Both offered essentially the same. Her only thoughts between the two was the assumption that Hollows sounds like cooler weather than a Cove, and the Wolf's hide she'd been blessed with was not kind in the full force of the sun.

Still, she would let a less selfish factor decide her fate, "Well, as I can find nothing unrespectable about either of you or your offers, I will go with whoever has the fewer mouths to feed. I'd like to be as little of a burden as possible while I recover." Her expression, though clearly exhausted, was determined, and as the pair of rulers seemed to be on good terms she expected they would accept her decision with integrity.

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

He remained silent at the cogs in @Morrigan's head turned, anticipation brewing in the air around them. Finally, when she did speak, Magnus would have to fight to keep the surprise from his expression. He'd recruited a few souls here now, and not one of them had used such motivations when selecting their new home. Not outwardly, anyway. We are a newer pride, the titan admitted; his numbers compared to Jewel's would probably be paltry. Still, he refused to be ashamed - in this particular case it sounded as if it would lean in his favour. If you joined us, you would be our ninth member. It wasn't hard to tally them up in his head - the cubs, Zulema and Avdotya, Hakon, Halimede and Zulema's recruit Zoya, who he had not yet had the chance to meet properly.

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

If there were any visible sign of his surprise seeping through, her tired eyes did not catch it. To her, it seemed a perfectly reasonable line of logic. Besides, if things didn't work out it would be that much easier to disappear if fewer faces were aware of her existence in the first place. We are a newer pride, the dark man admitted, If you joined us, you would be our ninth member. Not that Magnus had given her any reason not to stick around long term if she did go with him, she just needed to see what else these Hollows had to offer her first.

Jewel offered no argument with @Magnus having the smaller pride, so Morrigan took this as her acquiescence to her decision. The magpie colored woman was truthfully exhausted and only desired to find somewhere relatively horizontal to sleep as soon as possible. "Well then, I suppose I'll join you in the Hollows, Magnus." She stood on steadier limbs now that she'd had a moment to rest and dipped her head respectfully to the dark woman whom had also welcomed her to Amaryllis before turning to her new Sovereign.

"Shall we?" Though her voice still held a stubborn strength, there was no hiding her weariness as she prepared to leave with Magnus.

exit w/ magnus

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

Another meeting done, and another win for Magnus. While @Morrigan was still a relative stranger - an acquaintance at a push, perhaps, thanks to the successful recruitment - there was something about her that bode well in his mind. He had faith that she would be a real asset, once back at full health. With a nod of farewell to @Jewel, he would gesture to his newest follower with a subtle jerk of the chin. It is not far, the titan would assure her as they moved away from the Cove Sovereign - leaving her to her business - and back in the direction of the Hollows.

EXIT

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus