Oh my word, the lands had expanded he found himself walking the slopes up a mountain side. the air was crisp and it made his lungs swell to adjust, it was damn refreshing. Cye did not enjoy the cramped caves or the crashing of waves, irritants to his senses. He needed mountains and plains, maybe a forest. The dark marked lion shook his dark mane out, he felt relaxed out here. And he felt much less grumpy and sour. Coming to a platform he carefully sat away from its edge his back against the mountain, closing his eyes to take it in. However his notched ear twitched listening to his surroundings.

She didn't often leave the swamps behind, and even less of the time was spent clambering up the mountain. Heloise didn't particularly care for it up there, to be honest. It wasn't that she disliked being up so high, though it admittedly wasn't great, but that she hated how out in the open it was.

Still, it was good for getting a more all-round view of the lands, and that was what she wanted right now. Just how far had the newcomers spread, and how plentiful were they? These were questions she needed answers to, and quickly.

Asking the spirits was useful, of course, and she could always try to pester Maua, but some things were better done by oneself.

Of course, who should she run into up in the mountains but one of those newcomers she had been thinking of?

"Ah, you not be enjoyin' the view?" she asked as she came upon him, noticing that his eyes were closed.

@cye

it was a weird sensation to explore completely new lands and never know what came around it's corner, it was kind of exciting but it made him anxious too. He heard her approach before he smelled her, opening a single eye and his notched ear craned back to listen to her speak. ”I am, I am taking in the land” he spoke evenly, with a soft deep vibration in his tone. ”It helps me to commit to memory what I see below” he added as a afterthought. ”I assume you belong here?” he asked letting a moment of silence dip between them before he voiced his question.


”talk”


@Zena ★

”You not be seeing much with your eyes closed,” she teased, a smile gracing the corners of her mouth. Scared of heights perhaps? Sure, he gave a perfectly reasonable response but she was willing to bet there was something more to it. Not that she was judging. She wasn’t particularly fond of heights herself, and yet she found herself up here more and more frequently these days.

She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his admittance that they didn’t belong here. Well, finally someone who understood. Granted, as long as they behaved themselves she didn’t necessarily mind their presence, and yet some of the first she had seen of them they were in the midst of a massive brawl. It didn’t bode well.

”Aye,” she confirmed. ”My family be living here for generations. I’m Heloise, voodoo queen of the Saucier,” she concluded by means of introduction.

@cye

oh what a clever little woman, Cye had no issue with the height he just preferred to close his eyes sometimes and take it in. ”always gotta be ready for when one loses their sight” he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, what if he got into a fight and someone blinded him? Might as well be prepared right?

”..the who of the who sorry?” he asked confused on the terminology she was using, he didn't understand voodoo or Saucier. Only thing he got was her name. ”Well I'm Cye Nestle, a ex guard...” he muttered it was the best way to describe his previous position in life, he guarded the pride with everything he had. Even risked his own blood and neck to do it.


”talk”

She'd admit to being somewhat surprised by the sageness of his response, and she nodded agreeably. One really never knew when something might strike you down, leaving you without some important sense or even the ability of movement. Anything from a nasty fight to a bad hunt or even a curse from the spirits. Not all such things could be healed either.

"The Saucier be my family, and a Voodoo Queen... well we deal with all the spirits and rituals, not to mention being healers of both the mind and body," she explained with only the slightest amused smile. She certainly couldn't expect a stranger to know anything about who they were or what they did.

"A guard aye?" she repeated with an approving nod. "I expect it won't be hard for you to find work here." With the influx of strangers, there were likely those who wanted a little protection in their life. Even if one of the natives didn't want him around, there were little prides popping up everywhere that he could be part of as well.

@cye