ooc: Hero has not yet crossed the border into Illyria, but he is dangerously close without realizing he's about to cross. Just a dumb boy. Have fun.

He had been a coward, to say the least. The boy had run when the earthquakes started, darting straight out of the caves while others of his family headed deeper into the tunnels to make sure everyone had gotten out alive. Where was his bravery? Hero paced along the outsides of the Hollow for a while more, avoiding the chaos that ensued afterwards as lions fought for his crumbling home. The longer he paced, however, the guiltier the boy felt in not having gone back in. What if someone was trapped? What if he could have saved them? What if some of them didn't make it out? Hero could hardly live with the thought and finally forced himself away from Obsidian, from the only home he had ever known. He would be nobody's hero today.

Ashamed to show his face among his family, if they had survived anyway, the yearling ran as far away as he could muster. He did not deserve their warm embrace, their name, their comfort. What kind of Hodari did not run back into the fray to save those he loved? His paws just kept moving as the disgraced prince let his mind race with every possible scenario that could have befallen his family. With winter already coating the lands, he barely noticed the deepening freeze as he climbed the mountain. According to his father, his ancestors had been mountain dwelling lions. It was where some of the Hodari got their thick coats from. For a boy who had spent much of his life underground, there was something freeing about climbing higher. Before he knew it, though, there was something strange in the air. A pride scent, but one he didn't know well enough to realize what it was. Hero had never been to another pride's lands before when it wasn't a challenge or claim for the land itself, when there were tons of pride scents all mixed up among each other, and some scents with no claim to a home at all. This was different, but yet he couldn't place why. The concept of a pride's scent border was not a foreign one to comprehend, but perhaps his mind was just too fogged with other thoughts to realize that he was edging up into the Summit's territory.

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Hello? Through the veil of winter Dio sees a dark shape. On the smaller or younger side, she isn't sure at first which. Her voice calls to him with concern. Not that he was so near the border but that he looked so lost. This mountain was not a place to wander in the best of times and for all of winter so far it had been hard. The snow was excessive, quick to move and unsettle below unsure paws. The edges were all the more hidden with the blankets of white that constantly moved. Having an unannounced visitor was quite strange and Dio did not want anything undue to happen to him on her watch.

So she approached.

With a few long, powerful, strides the dark young woman sims to come up before Hero and settle between him and the pride lands. She is Aquila's daughter after all and unknown to her his influence propelled her into the place where she could keep her family safest. Even against a lion that hardly seemed a danger at all except to himself. Hey what are you doing here? She asks with a critical gaze and analytical glance over his dark body peppered with snow.

@Hero_{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

In the boy's own dwelling mindset, he would not hear the initial greeting of a stranger. There was an odd comfort of the treacherous terrain beneath his feet, like he was always meant to climb the mountains. The furthest one could ever get from living underground, and yet somehow the Hodari did not find much difficulty in maneuvering the terrain. It was like it was in his blood. The therapeutic feeling that came over the fallen prince aided in his ability to block out the rest of the world.

That is, until something dark invaded the wintery white snow all around him. By the time @Diomedeidae came into view, Hero was struck with the realization on just how high he had climbed. The young woman's voice was finally heard this time, inferring from her word choice and facial expression that perhaps he shouldn't be here, wherever here was. The onyx lion stopped in his tracks, a mixture of confusion and concern coating his icy gaze as he looked the the yearling. "I-I-I'm sorry," the boy stammered at first. "S-s-s-hould I not be here?.... Where is here exactly?" Head tilted in question, though now his mind raced with every unfortunate faux pas he may have already committed.

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Normally Renly wasn't much of an intruder to ongoing conversations but the tiny bit of distress that she could hear in a nearby @Diomedeidae was enough to warrant the girl's curiosity. If anything, simply wanting to take a look to see if her sister cousin was alright.
The girl was family, thick as ever, and she would do anything for her. So she set off through the thick snow on the ground and came upon them. Dangerously close to the borders which seemed to be on the only thing she could think of as to why Dio hadn't given a more friendly call.

Alright, so it wasn't distress but word choice alone had invited her. The stranger that tickled at the Summit's borders was no familiar figure to her. Or --- squinting her eyes she decided to take a few more steps as she began to recollect something from months ago. A year ago? Being allies meant attending a lot of events and she vaguely remembered him from Obsidian Hollow. You're.. a Hodari, aren't you? It seemed unmistakable, really, that he be related to the Hollow's leader but she had to know. I'm Renly. Valour. I attended an event in the Hollows a while back. A.. birthday party, I think? She remembered talking to a half-maned boy there, and she was certain that it hadn't been @Hero. Though, as per your question, this is Illyria Summit. Ruled by my mothers, Morrigan and Talisa. From the Brook, she thought to add-on, but he already seemed a little flustered and was already likely putting a lot more into this than she should.

Just as she's about to give Hero some answers someone else arrives to provide. Renly's question about his heritage immediately causing Dio to whip her head and look at her. Just to make absolutely sure she heard right. Because the name brought up an immediate connection in Dio's mind.

A Hodari? Like Jai? She says first while still looking at @Renly but they smoothly let her vision turn back to @Hero and his nervous, anxious self. Dio felt a tug at her heartstrings. She didn't know what was going on, why he might be so unsettled to stumble over his words like that, but just seeing him as he was was plenty to impact her. She partly lowered herself into a sitting position, as well as relaxing how she carried her head and shoulders so that hopefully there was no doubt he wasn't in danger here. Not from her anyways, the cliffs could still kill._{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

Before the boy can learn about what lands he might have just stumbled into, another arrives with a name on her lips. It was not the name of the mountains, though, but his own. There was a drop in his gut at the thought of being recognized, supposing there was no denying his heritage now, even this far away from Obsidian. @Renly introduced herself as a Valour, so at least that meant a friend, right? Even if she had been at his aunt's birthday party, Hero didn't remember her. He had only been a cub at the time, too preoccupied with playing and running around with the other cubs. Such a simpler time it was then, and yet not all that long ago either. "Yes," he answered almost solemnly, though refrained from elaborating any further as to his specific relation to the Hodaris.

@Diomedeida held a name on her own tongue as well, seemingly having already met a Hodari for herself. Jai. Though the darker woman appeared to be asking this towards the princess, her vision slid back towards Hero just as swiftly. Yet another relation to acknowledge as the boy nodded quietly. "Like Jai," he confirmed. "My brother." How much did she know about Jai, though? Would she know that that made Hero a former prince as well? That he was Roan and Faelyn's son just as Jai? Hero let his attention return to Renly as the name of the Summit finally reached him. It was a familiar name his father had spoken before, a pride to remain on friendly terms with. He was uncertain if an official alliance had ever been achieved, but between the Valour name and remembering Keir's opinion of Morrigan, the Summit felt like a safe place to be, but how did he ask to stay?

The boy stood awkwardly now, feeling a million different emotions at once. The guilt of abandoning his home and family when the tunnels collapsed, but then yet also the yearning for this fortress of solitude; the height and distance a mountain offered. Was it cowardly still to run so far away when he should be looking for those he loved most? What could he do for them anyway? He was no healer, no fighter, no prince. What if there was nothing to be found anyway? What did he do now?

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Reine had heard about the things happening around the island but had stayed out of things. She was wondering her snowy home with love and gratefulness when she spotted a small gathering at the borders. She trotted up next to @Renly and smiled at @Diomedeidae as she listened to what was being said. Hodari was a name she knew. An ally, a friend. There was no reason to keep him on the boarder when there were warmer spots where they could talk. She glanced at Renly for a moment then back to @Hero. I am Reine. What is your name? She looked him over, he looked older than her but she wasn't much smaller than him. Did you want to find a warmer place to talk? Hopefully, that would be okay, that's what you did for friends right? Make sure they were comfy and cozy?

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Okay, so Hero wasn't the grandest conversationalist, it would appear. His inability to outright ask about joining the Summit, or at least stay for a bit, left the former prince in a state of awkwardness. Just about to apologize for his intrusion before turning tail to run, the silence was finally broken by another voice. This one much younger sounding, but yet the child seemed larger than expected for her youthful sound. Immediately, @Reine introduced herself, just as an innocent child likely would. Hero hesitated for a moment in returning with his own name. As much as he wanted to hide his identity, there was no point. They already knew he was a Hodari. There was no denying that, so why bother holding back his name? "Uh... I'm Hero," the onyx lion offered, sounding almost stiff. Why did he feel so bad admitting who he was?

At least the cub didn't seem to care much before offering the chance to find somewhere warmer to talk. Did that mean going into Illyria's territory? Or maybe they knew somewhere near by. What would they even have to talk to back, though? Hero was too caught up in his own thoughts to think that anyone would want to spare the time to talk to him. Before he could be sent away by the older lions, it was probably best to just take his leave on his own terms. "T-t-thanks, Reine, but I s-s-should probably get g-g-going." Hero's gaze had fallen to his feet already, paws instinctively backpedaling away from the territory's edge. "I don't mind the c-c-cold anyway," the boy mumbled. His nerves were getting to him now. This guilt that was gnawing away at his insides. He probably didn't belong in a nice place like this anyway as the Hodari's large formed turned away from the trio of young ladies. "S-s-sorry to have bothered you. Nice m-m-meeting you all." Again, the words were murmured. Body was already halfway turned as he spoke before then fully facing the way he had come, destined to keep climbing the mountains elsewhere, he supposed.

exit Hero

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Reine offered Hero a small smile as he offered her his name. He seemed nice enough, she didn't know why they were still standing around here. There were better places to be. She looked up at the older lioness there before she looked back to Hero who seemed to be sad. She took a step toward him as he moved backward. Hey where are you going? She followed him as he was leaving. You are a friend and can come here. Reine was unaware of any reason why the young male in front of them would be pushed away or kept from joining so she didn't want him leaving and thinking he wasn't welcome here. Hero. Wait. She didn't want to follow him to far, she hadn't been away from the pride lands before but she also wanted to follow him. This can be your home too. She called after him before looking back to @Diomedeidae and @Renly, would they help her or did they know something she didn't know?

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