Normally this wasn't a place that Caligula would prefer to visit. He had nothing against the land itself but only the expectations that others had if one were to be found exploring here. But a familiar scent trail was what had him in the area. He was trying to pinpoint exactly where his child had gone. Spiritus had been somewhere in the surrounding area, that much was certain.

Caligula sighed and took a seat at the top of the pit. He remained outside of the hole in the ground and stuck to the elevated ground instead. It almost reminded him of the home he had lost as he stared inside. The place was barren and the sides were steeper but it was a hole in the ground, a crater. He missed the place despite the mixed emotions the memories caused.

@Spiritus

They didn't often venture away from the bluffs, mostly because they didn't want to get lost and separated from their friends again, but they also couldn't be bound to the same place forever! That was just boring!

So, against everyone's better judgement they were out and about that day, exploring.

The place they'd wound up was honestly pretty boring. The pit was cool and all, but they already lived in a place with lots of rocks and drops, so it didn't keep their attention for very long. What did keep their attention was the pile of snow that had collected against one edge of the pit, which was big enough for them to shove themselves into and nest in like an igloo (if they'd known what that was). It was from this vantage point that they watched others coming and going (or not as the case may be).

They actually drifted off for a little bit, only waking again when they heard someone approaching. Wait, was that?

"Daddy!" Spiritus shouted, springing from the pile of snow so fast it went in all directions, and they almost lost their balance, which would have been unfortunate because it likely would have sent them plunging into the pit head over heels.

Yeah, grace still wasn't their strong suit.

@Caligula

There was a call of Daddy! and then all of a sudden snow went flying everywhere. Out of this shower came Spiritus. It was one lost child found. Or more like Spiritus was the one doing the finding. "Spiritus!" Caligula returned the greeting with the same amount of eagerness, and perhaps a bit more as he moved close to try and wrap a forelimb about the yearling in the gesture of a hug.

"What are you doing here? Taken a liking to fighting?" He wouldn't hold it against the youth if that was his passion, though Caligula wouldn't be the one to encourage it. He was more of the 'use your words' parent. Or maybe they had been here looking for Sarthak as well. Caligula often came here to see if maybe the golden lion would eventually show up. "How are you feeling today?" Or more like, how should Caligula be currently referring to them.

@Spiritus

Spiritus was delighted when they were pulled into a hug. Much as they liked their new friends at the Bluffs, they certainly weren't as touchy-feely as Spiritus was used to. They'd come to miss things like this.

"No daddy," Spiritus replied with a giggle, adopting that tone every child does when a parent has said something silly. "I was exploring!" They were about to expand on that when Caligula asked how they were feeling that day, and they gave it a moment to think about it.

"They's fine today," they replied with a short nod. "But daddy I'm sorry! I was exploring and I got lost, and then this thing chased me and scared me! Arjana and Circe said it was a mongoose, whatever that is. So they let me stay at the Bluffs with them because I couldn't find my way back home." They were embarrassed that such a thing had happened, and they knew that their father had probably been really worried about them. It was a good thing they had run into each other!

@Caligula

The hug was accepted and so Caligula sought to nuzzled his head against Spiritus's. The bronze lion had always been one for physical displays of affection. He never wanted his children to ever wonder if they were loved and so he had always made certain to show it as well as say it. "I have missed you so much. And I know I haven't told you lately that I love you." As that would be how he would always phrase it 'Have I told you lately that I love you?' Of course he hadn't because he hadn't seen the yearling for a good bit.

"I like exploring too. Maybe you can show me what you have found?" He expected that Spiritus had something interesting to share. It was a penchant that Caligula had himself. He always found something while exploring even if others wouldn't think much on it.

Caligula sought to draw the child closer when he started to apologize. "It is okay. Mane Daddy is lost too. So are Rsorvic and Parvati. But we have each other now and we will find the rest of them together. Speaking of a home, I have been looking for one. I found this place called Vermeda Brook and I am thinking about living there. Would you want to come with me? You can stay with your friends in the Bluffs instead if that is what you want." After all Spiritus was old enough to make his own decisions now.

@Spiritus

An almost constant purr was escaping Spiritus as they were embraced. They'd been missing their family, and it was good to be reunited with daddy and be told that everything was okay. "I love you too daddy," they replied, leaning into their father's embrace.

"Not much around here," they said. "But I found a cool cave in the tunnels one time! Had pretty crystals and everything." The pit though, that didn't have a whole lot of cool things. Although one could possibly dig out a cave in the wall of it to have some shelter from the sun, and a prime viewing spot for the fights that occurred there, if one cared about such things.

"Oh," they said when daddy told them that everyone was missing. Well, they hoped their siblings were okay. Guess they weren't the only ones who had gotten lost. "I think my friends need me," they said slowly. "I think Arjana, she doesn't have many other friends. But I'd come visit!" They thought the brook sounded cool, just from the name of it.

"Daddy why do I gotta have a mane?" they asked suddenly, the conversation about mane daddy having reminded them that they'd been wondering that for a while. "It's itchy." Daddy didn't have one. Father did, but he also saw girls who had one. So what gives?

@Caligula

Despite all of his desires Spiritus hadn't had the easiest of cubhoods but it didn't seem to dampen their spirit any. For this Caligula was glad. Others might see the yearling as soft but Caligula had always sought to nurture that kind and considerate nature that Spiritus had. It was becoming a considerably rare trait, or so it seemed.

"You are going to have to show me these cool crystals at some point. Maybe your friend Arjana will like them as a gift." He couldn't say for certain what the lioness would like as he had never met her before. Still, he had always given his friends gifts when he went to visit. It was just the polite thing to do. And he would stand by the yearling's decision to stay with their friend. "I will have to visit you too then."

Caligula laughed at the sudden change in conversation. "It is how you were born, your mane makes you special." And with that Caligula sought to lick at the fur growing upon the yearling's head. "Maybe it won't be so itchy when it all grows in." On that Caligula had no experience. The bronze lion hadn't even grown a small tuft of fur upon his head.

@Spiritus

They gasped in delight at the idea of offering Arjana a gift of crystals. Maybe she would like that! They weren't entirely sure, but those crystals were pretty and who didn't appreciate pretty things? "Good," they said, satisfied that daddy had promised to come visit. They'd missed their family ever since they had been separated, so it was good to know where at least one of them was.

"Hope so," Spiritus replied with a slight pout. They weren't super fond of their mane. It was plain annoying when they felt like a girl, even though yes they'd seen plenty of women with manes themselves, just none with one like they had. Sure, it was nice when they felt like a boy, but still. Oh well, there wasn't anything they could do about it. They'd probably feel just as weird if they didn't have one at all on those days they felt like a boy.

"What's ummm... Vermeda Brook like?" they asked, struggling for a moment to remember the name of the pride their father had just said.

@Caligula

Caligula laughed softly at Spiritus's response and sought to nuzzle the boy fondly. That made it quite easy to appease him. But then Caligula was the same way. Just the simple things were enough to make him happy. He cherished his family and being around them. He hated how things had transpired and how they were all scattered to the winds at this point. Perhaps one day they would be reunited and living within the same borders again.

"Do you hate your mane that much?" He asked when the other pouted. There wasn't really anything he could do on that front but he still hated to see his child so unhappy. Caligula had always been the sort to do whatever it took to make someone else happy. But how was he meant to make Spiritus happy about his mane?

"I haven't seen all of it, just the outside. It looks nice from what I can see. There are trees at the border and green grass inside." And that had been as much as he could perceive from his trip around the outside. He hadn't been about to ask to venture inside when he had still been uncertain about joining at this point. "What can you tell me about the Bluffs you want to stay at?"

@Spiritus

Spiritus shrugged as they were questioned about their mane. "It's okay most of the time. I don't like it when I feel like a girl though. And it's ITCHY!" There wasn't anything they could do about it though. There seemed no way to get rid of it. Well, perhaps it would be nice when winter rolled around and things got cold. They remembered that happening before, though faintly as they had still been young at the time.

"Pretty," they said, though they didn't have a lot to go on for that determination. Still, trees and grass were lovely. "It's um, up high, and there's lots of rocks. It's nice and cool too! Though I guess that isn't going to be great in the winter," they mused. Maybe their new friends would be open to a cuddle pile! Yeah! That would be awesome. They grinned at the thought of it.

@Caligula