The opening of the passage beckoned Kiton within the promised shelter, his steps as loud and shuffling as ever for the large beast. This land was still so new to him even after arriving within the last few weeks, and he loved the feeling of walking along a trail where he did not know where it would take him in the end. He flexed his claws to compensate for the feeling of some stones shifting under his weight, entering the cool shade of the labyrinth and breathing out a sigh of relief.

The rocks seemed to go on indefinitely, shifting and morphing to create various tunnels that just dared him to venture inside. Mentally, the Hodari lion made a note to come back to this place if he was not able to explore to his heart's content just yet. For the moment, he leaned against a rocky wall and allowed himself to rest outside of the heat of the sun.

"speech"

code by corvus

@silver @mara

The tunnels wind and bend, and she keeps a mental map of the path they take. It’s Kiton’s scent she follows, trying to offer the lion some semblance of privacy and solitude if that’s what he wants. It’s awkward, following him around like a silly little girl.

She’s never really far from Kiton’s side, whether he appreciates the constant shadow or not. Without the safety of a pride and the unfamiliarity of this new land, and Kiton’s habit of wandering off and finding trouble, it pays to keep an eye on the Hodari. If anything happened to him… she’d be alone.

It’s not something Silver wants to experience again.

"Are you okay?" She turns around a corner, and finds Kiton against a wall. Her ears flick back into the fluffy fur of her head. "Why are we down here?" Besides escaping the heat… but that can be done above ground.

There will be no fair fight, there will be no good night

To turn and walk away

code by corvus

The few moments in which he leaned against the rocky wall for a rest were pure bliss. This was all he could manage before picking up Silver’s familiar scent nearby, indicating that the lioness was approaching at last. It had become a bit of a game to him—to see how far he could get before the skilled tracker inevitably caught up to him.

“Oh hey,” he greeted through a slight pant as the lioness made her approach and announced herself, turning his head slightly so that he could look at her while still remaining comfortably reclined.

“Just trying to get out of the heat for a moment,” he responded to both of her questions in one. While perhaps alarming from the outside, Kiton was quite accustomed to the measures he had to take to prevent heat exhaustion. This heavy coat of his was a family heirloom from the very beginning of his life.

“What, you don’t like the tunnels? He teased with a wild wave of his paw to gesture at their surroundings.

@Silver

code by corvus

She knows Kiton suffers in the heat because of the thickness of his coat; it’s something they share. The difference, however, is simply that Silver’s fluffy pelt isn’t so dark that it traps heat. If anything, her fur keeps her better insulated.

The lioness’s lips pull into a thin line, barely holding back the pout frown that threatens to ruin her stoic composure. “I can’t say I’m thrilled about being down here.” In truth, while she is far from scared (because Warcalls are not scared of anything, ever, and that goes double for her), these twisting, winding tunnels remind her of her birthplace and where she grew up. She had never liked the dark, despite living in it until she was old enough to sneak out alone.

“Besides that, we can’t keep wandering around this place, homeless. And this is no home..” She says plainly, never one to speak in riddles or halves. Whatever Kiton planned, or wanted, whether it was to find a pride to join or leave Amaryllis entirely, Silver would support it. As long as it wasn’t this strange in between.

There will be no fair fight, there will be no good night

To turn and walk away

code by corvus

starting to fly

I get so forgetful when I look in your eyes

+5 Negotiate or compromise with someone
___

"Mmm, five more minutes," he negotiated in a tired murmur. While he did not feel a particular attachment to this place, he did want to hold onto the chance to rest. It was easy for him to allow Silver to slip into the logical role--the one who saw no use for this maze and these stones in the grand scheme of things when he had a hard time looking further than his next meal or his next nap--especially when times were hard.
"I know," Kiton agreed. The seriousness of the statement was enough to make him straighten up into a proper sitting position, finally focusing on looking at the lioness and trying to gauge what he could say to ease her concerns.
"Has anywhere called to you yet?" He questioned, hoping that Silver had a miraculous plan to save them from their ceaseless wandering.

@Silver

code by corvus

It’s hard to argue with that tired face, harder still not to relent and settle on the cool ground. She would love nothing more than to not be the logical, harsh one and agree to an idea just because it sounds good, or it would be easier. But she’s not made for soft or easy; there are a lot of things she’s not made for. The comfy looking spot at Kiton’s side is one of them.

“Five more minutes,” Silver says, remaining on her paws rather than sitting. Would that she could sit; her legs ache, but making herself move again once she’s relaxed is a challenge she’s not sure she would accomplish.

Her eyes narrow on the man’s weary face, assessing the exhaustion and whether it warrants a proper rest. “No.” The answer is absent, her thoughts preoccupied with more important things. “If we knew more about the prides, it would help. There’s more than a few, and things seem peaceful, that’s all I can say.”

There will be no fair fight, there will be no good night

To turn and walk away

code by corvus

starting to fly

I get so forgetful when I look in your eyes

+5 Negotiate or compromise with someone
___

"You are a dear," he beamed at her agreement for a few moments before the expression stretched into a wide yawn, his eyes squinting shut and his jaws parting into a giant gape. He thought it was when he was at his most vulnerable--when he was hot and sleepy.
"I've met some," he announced while smacking his lips. "Well--in addition to our welcome party. I met lionesses from that lagoon and an heiress from a brook pride," Kiton explained with a shrug of his maned shoulders. It was not the juiciest information to bring home, but part of him wanted to show Silver that he had been making an effort during their time in Amaryllis to make connections. He had promised her that there was somewhere better for them out in the world, and Kiton found himself feeling an acute pressure to prove it to her.
"She told me there is an alliance between the hollow and the brook and that they have intermarried. Sounds peaceful to me," he surmised, gaze wandering across their rocky surroundings as he spoke.
"None of them seem particularly eager for recruits, though."

@Silver

code by corvus

She nods, silent while she absorbs what information Kiton has managed to collect. Leave it to the Hodari to charm his way into the good grace’s of some strangers. She expects nothing less of him.

“We can find our own home.” Silver says simply, a shrug of a broad shoulder to dismiss those that don’t want them. She understands - it can be hard to trust outsiders. Even joining a pride can be daunting, but it isn’t as if they have a choice one way or another.

“Time’s up.” The lioness announces not long after, a brow arching as she stands to look at her friend, daring him to argue with her now. “Come on. Let’s find some dinner.” That will likely get him moving. Without waiting to see, Silver slips toward the exit, guided by her hunger.

Exit.

"They don't just leave them out for the taking," he retorted with a snort, finally beginning to feel his body cool down and his limbs not have such an edge about the way they ached as he rested there for a while. He paused to consider what that might look like--finding their own home, be it an official pride or a hole in a wall where they thought no one would disturb them. It would mean another entirely foreign experience for Kiton, though he had never minded a life of adventure.
"Yeah, yeah--don't worry about me; I'll catch up," Kiton muttered sarcastically as he dragged himself to his paws once more. His joints cracked and popped with the strain of it and he lumbered on after the Warcall lioness, his mind sufficiently distracted with the promise of a meal in the near future.

[exit]

code by corvus