This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of drowning

Amara
Amara walked along the edge of the badlands without much thought. Her sides swelled and she felt the need to move far more than normal. Her mind was spinning as she was struggling to find a way to get Cassine back and the turmoil of being away from her. The sun started to set over the lands and she stopped to watch it for a long moment before spotting a zebra calf that was alone. Food was always good. The soon to be mother moved quickly toward her prey that took off when it spotted her. Oh goody, a chase!

Beelzebub
She doesn't often wander so far from home, but Beelzebub is shaken from the events in the Lagoon, and wishes for nothing more than a few days as far away from the ocean as she can get. The desert seems a perfect alternative; it is a different kind of sea, one of sand and silence -- peaceful, where the waves are not. Her paws leave soft impressions behind as she slips along the cracked earth, ears twisting forward when she spots a flurry of dust and dirt kicking up ahead of her. Intrigued, she follows after the movement at an easy lope, much too far behind to partake in the chase, though the familiar scent of Amara's trail is enough to prompt her onward. She chuffs softly as she nears, anticipating that the former queen will have either won or lost her prey by the time she gets there.

Amara
Amara's skilled legs carry her across the land as she cuts around with her eyes locked on her prey. Her desire to eat was almost nonstop now and the lack of a working pride was an issue. It took a moment longer than normal but finally, she got close enough and her claws grabbed the soft flesh of the calf and in a fury of dust, she wins. She pants harshly as she looks around, she had heard a call at the end of the hunt but couldn't have looked before. Spotting Bee she gave the yearling a welcoming nod before she settled in to eat. The calf wouldn't give much and with Bee arriving Amara wouldn't eat all of it. She would save some for Bee to eat once she was done.

Beelzebub
When the dust settles, Amara is there, victorious over her unfortunate meal and beckoning the Bezra nearer. She approaches at a trot, her long legs carrying her easily over the warm, cracked earth. Of all the faces she would have wanted to see today, this one perhaps tops her list. "Hey," she greets softly once she's within range, reclining on the opposite side of the felled carcass from Amara, her ears flicking towards the ebon lioness. She doesn't entirely know what to say, but all she does know is that she's happier in the presence of those she knows and trusts; she wants desperately for the turmoil to cease, and for them to all be under one roof again. The Lagoon doesn't feel like home anymore.

Amara
Amara's gaze flicks toward Bee as she arrives and greets her but doesn't focus much on her until she had eaten a fair majority of the calf. She likely could have finished all of it on her own but she pulled away. She shifted into a somewhat comfortable seated position and started to groom the mess her meal had made from her coat. "You can finish it if you would like." She offered the younger lioness. It didn't seem like she was losing weight under the new leader but still, it didn't hurt to eat a little extra when things were so uncertain. Her golden gaze studied Bee for a moment, there was a weight hanging over her and Amara could tell. The yearling had been through a lot just in the time Amara had known her and there was no doubt that it was a hard way to shape the beginning of a life. She knew that all too well. Still, she could only guess at what it was until Bee decided to share. Amara decided to go in a different direction with the start of things. Taking a hard turn toward something that she found mildly amusing. "I was made aware that I should thank you. So thank you." She let the statement hang. While she was talking about Bee's talk with Keir Amara wanted to see what Bee took it as. What was her mind looking for?

Beelzebub
For a while, there is only the sound of meat ripping and tearing, the crunch of bone filling the quiet. Bee is happy enough to oblige the offer; she had learned long ago to never turn down a meal. One could never know when the next one might come, if it comes at all. Her ears swivel towards Amara at the casual statement she lays between them and her skull lifts away from the carcass, tongue swiping blood away from her muzzle. Her brows furrow in uncertainty as the yearling peers at her company, both confused and intrigued. "For what?" she queries, her claws kneading into the dirt. She is so used to others being mad at her now, judging her -- and whilst she doesn't necessarily expect those things from Amara, the gratitude is unexpected, and in her mind, unwarranted.

Amara
The black lioness watched her eat before her an answer was given though not one that Amara had been hoping for. Bee hadn't fallen into her little trap to figure out what all Bee may feel she should be thanked for. Amara shifted her weight as she stopped her grooming to focus on Bee a little more. "Kieran." She flicked her ears and tilted her head slightly. "He said you suggested he bring me a gift." Granted a lion's leg likely wasn't what she had in mind but it was better than flowers. Her golden gaze laid heavy on Bee as she thought things over. "How are you fairing?"

Beelzebub
Kieran, she says, prompting an arch of the girl's brow. She snorts, actually expressing humor at the explanation, which is an incredibly rare event in itself. She hadn't thought so much of the interaction, and had frankly all but forgotten it in her anger at the Dieudonne for his refusal to teach her. "Yeah, I did," she admits with a bemused huff, her tail sweeping across the sand. "Must've been something good," the yearling mentions, though she doesn't much care one way or the other if Amara reveals that secret. The following question sobers the amusement from her face, and she twists an ear back. "I dunno. Okay I guess," she answers awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably in her spot. "I-- they have this...ritual." She purses her lips, and her heart begins to pound as if she's watching it all firsthand all over again. "He struck his children and sent them into the sea. Some trial of strength and faith." The concept is far from foreign to her, and whilst she's never told Amara much about her spirituality, she's never made it a secret, either. This event, however, had been far more cruel than anything she had ever learned. "Some of them almost died. And they were all...different." Myrkvi couldn't remember what had happened to him, one of the girls had lost an eye, the white one is crippled... She wonders -- is this the penance owed from their god for giving them the sea? What a cruel twist of fate. Her mismatched gaze settles heavily upon Amara's face, and it's evident that the event has rattled Bee and driven her to these far reaches to clear her head.

Amara
Amara simply nodded, unwilling to say what it was. While she had a fair amount of faith in the yearling, there were elements of her life that weren't up for sharing and that was one of them. Even though it had caught her off guard because she was clueless that anyone could have any feelings toward her it had been enough to get her to pay attention and see everything he had done for her. Bee's change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed and Amara's ears flicked forward to pay closer attention to what she was going to say. Anything that could be used against them would be useful. She wasn't ready for what she was told though. Surprise rolled over her features as she listened. It was clear that it had bothered Bee and Amara was concerned that it seemed that Magnus didn't seem to have tried to hide it from those who were not family. "I am sorry you had to see that. Did he make you watch it?" Maybe it was some show of power toward the others? Would he try to do the same to them? Concern came with her question, "Are you worried he will do the same to you? Your siblings? Cassine?" Amara's weight shifted as she started to think about how she would be able to get the group out. She still wasn't ready to fight that brute again but if she needed to, she would need to find a way to fight once for all of them.

Beelzebub
She can't make heads or tails of her feelings about Magnus; on some levels, she understands him, understands the drive of his god and doing anything in his name. But on the other paw -- she can't imagine her own father ever following such a tradition, and she wishes desperately that he was here for her to talk to about it. Her lips purse and she shakes her head at Amara's first question. "I wasn't supposed to be there," she admits with something of a shrug; she doubts that it will come as a surprise to the black lioness. She's always had a propensity for following her curiosities, and her desire to learn more about the lions who had taken her home had been enough to drive her to poke her nose where it didn't belong. "No," she reassures her former queen, meeting her gaze with a certainty on that front. Their ritual is only meant for family, and she very much doubts they have any interest in baptizing anyone else. "It's why they wanted the Lagoon. Their god dwells in the ocean. Or he is the ocean. I can't tell," Bee muses, shedding some light on motives that Amara may not have known about before now. Perhaps Magnus would be angry with her if he knew she was being so candid, but he is not the one who has earned her trust -- he can hardly expect her loyalty. It had always belonged to Amara and the Dieudonne, after all. She's never tried to pretend otherwise.

Amara
Wasn't supposed to be there. The smallest smirk flashed across Amara's face, it seemed a common theme for the yearlings to be in places they shouldn't be. Still, coming across the drowning of young wasn't something you could ever be ready for. Amara knew that to some, her family’s taste could be seen as worse but it was rare for the young to be targeted. Ambro had set some strong rules in place and Amara had passed that along to the yearlings in her care when they made their first kill. There was no room for random killing. Her ears flick as the smirk fades, at least they were safe for now. It was still unknown if Magnus would be upset that they saw what they saw. She hoped not. So they wanted the Lagoon because of the ocean. "Wonder if it ever crossed their mind to just, ask if they could join to be closer." She mused out loud. Their families had nothing against each other until that lioness showed up. Had she come asking to join, both their families could have been spared a lot of struggle. Her golden gaze flicked around to make sure they were still alone. "You and Cassine remain close?" Amara had noticed the budding friendship between the two and could only hope that it would offer something to the family that would be as lasting as her own commitment to it.

Beelzebub
She huffs softly, a slight shrug rolling her shoulders with Amara's commentary. Somehow, the Sigrún don't seem like the type to be willing to coexist, but the midnight woman no doubt already knows this. In the end, what's done is done, and she grows tired with all the considerations of what could have been. All she knows is that she'd like a new chapter in her book to look forward to -- living in this one has become terribly unpleasant. An ear flickers towards Amara's change of subject, brows furrowing ever so slightly. "Yes," she answers, an unseen shiver rippling down her spine when she considers their last exchange. She has no intention of going back on her promise; for better or worse, her loyalties have been made clear to the Dieudonne heiress. But why Amara is asking after their friendship, she remains uncertain.

Amara
Yes. A simple answer to her question. Amara didn't need anything more. She had plenty she would be saying soon enough and needed the yearling's attention. "That is good. I don't know how much you know about Cassine's mother and I but I was her protector before I was Cassine's. I raised Cassine and her brother the best I could but I am no mother." Her face twitched slightly at her words. She loved both of them very much but she doubted they saw her as a mother figure. She had always been very careful to never allow them to call her such or to step into Ambro's paws in that manner. Still she couldn't deny the connection that she felt, even if no one else knew it. "Normally a protector comes from within the family but Ambro won my loyalty and I hers. I became and will always be hers to command into battle or to care for her when needed." There was the slightest ache in her tone as she spoke of Ambro. "I will always protect Cassine, to the death if needed, but she is much younger than I am. She needs a proper protector that can stay with her after my death." Amara didn't plan on dying anytime soon but times weren't the easiest on the family and things were changing quickly. She gave Bee a long and steady look, studying her to see if she was catching on or if the idea was one that she wouldn't accept.

Beelzebub
She maintains her lapse into silence as Amara fills the quiet, beginning with something of a story and leaving Bee very much wondering where this is going. She's always been good at listening, however, and so she doesn't even consider interrupting with a question, simply keeping her gaze trained steadily upon the older lioness. She doesn’t know particularly much about Cassine's heritage, only that they had faced tragedy not unlike the Bezras, and parts of her family are missing. She could have easily suspected that Cassine's mother was one of them, and Amara all but confirms it, in the way she talks about Ambrosine like she might come back. She is also smart enough to recognize the increasingly subliminal message to the woman’s words; she is not just talking about herself and Ambrosine, but about Bee and Cassine. One ear remains perched forward whilst the other suggests her hesitation, twisted against her skull. Her brows knit together, and she finds herself unable to do much of anything other than ask an incredulous, "me?" She, who wavers in every decision? Who hardly knows up from down? Surely, surely, there are better choices, more seasoned choices, more stoic, more...anything more than her. It's not a question of if she would defend Cassine to the ends of the earth -- of course she would -- but she still sees herself as hardly more than a girl. She’s no warrior. Not yet, anyway.

Amara
Amara wasn't surprised by the questioning nature. She would almost worry more if Bee didn't question it. "Yes Bee. You." She doesn't take her steady gaze off the yearling as she speaks. "I can train you. Teach you." Amara would gladly pass on the knowledge she had in fighting and as far as the family matters went that would be up to Cassine to tell her about if she chose to. Amara didn't learn it for a long time but when she finally learned what the family took part in, it didn't matter to her. Only her loyalty did. She could only hope that when that day came, Bee would feel the same. "Only if you want it. I know you have your own family and loyalties to them. My family was dead long before I found this family." Dead and rotting where they fell in battle. She had no ties to anyone but that wasn't the case for Bee. If the yearling was forced to pick, Amara needed to know she would pick Cassine. It was a lot to ask but there was a lot of faith in the very action of Amara asking her and it wasn't something Amara normally gave to anyone.

Beelzebub
She's never been particularly good at making big decisions. Bee knows little else than the direction of her gods, and they're giving her painful little to go on these days, which leaves her trying to figure things out on her own. Her uncertainty is written all over her face, wavering between her want to say yes and her recognition that Amara is implying she would have to choose between Cassine and her sisters if it came down to it. She is young and unsteady, and endlessly frustrated that she cannot simply have both things be true. "I... I want to learn, I do. And I want to keep Cassine safe. But...my sisters need me, too." It's an honest admission, and she is rarely anything other than fully honest with Amara; there is a trust there, and the forging of it hasn't been an easy road. It's an impossible decision, and one that Beelzebub is not yet ready to make.

Amara
Amara looks Bee over as the task given to her seemed to weigh on her. She knew that it wasn't something that would be easy for her but Amara could only hope that in time, things would change. Amara attempted to mask her disappointment that Bee didn't take her up on the chance to be what Amara had been to the family. Things were different and maybe in time she would be able to get her to see that. She nodded slowly. ”I will teach you then.” It would be best for all if Bee was a better fighter. ”I hope if the time comes for you to pick, you will be able to live with the choice you make.” That was how Amara had found herself living her life. All her choices were based on how her life would be after it. Rarely was a choice made without some thought for what was after it. What the outcome would be. She gave Bee a sharp nod before walking off to think everything they had talked about over.

exit amara

Beelzebub
She doesn't expect any great sense of compassion or coddling from Amara -- that isn't her way. Her claws grind reflexively in the sand, tail curling somewhat uncertainly against her hip. She's granted some reprieve, at least, that she doesn't receive a harsh judgment for her inability to make a decision in this moment; at least, it isn't harsh by Amara's standards. The words she wants to stay are stuck in her throat, but she knows it with certainty: I hope I never have to choose. She ends up watching the speckled woman leave in silence, and gets to her feet shortly after, beginning the begrudging journey back to the Lagoon. Her first problem, really, is securing their freedom. The rest can wait.

exeunt beelzebub