Likely it was not the most ideal time to be out scouting around, what with the cold and damp that seemed to plague the lands. But Dobromira was once more testing the limits of her leash by scouting around the nearby jungle. It was closer to Ecrosia than some of her other investigations, making that tug on her neck itch just that much less knowing that she was staying close to where she'd been staked.

Her cloak of shadow was flecked with snow along the flanks and spine; large, dense but flimsy flakes that broke easily on her dark coat. It made the scabbed grooves in her flesh sting, something that the hound embraced and twisted to her own ends, using the discomfort to keep her mind agitated and keen as she moved between trees. The air was fresher here, even so close to the mire, not fully free of its sulfuric reek but notably less clouded by it. She was still acclimating to that miasma of scent that hung over her new home, sensitive nose overwhelmed easily at times when it rose up strong. In time Dobromira figured that her senses would adjust, maybe even be better for it.

Stilling by the frosted base of a tree, she leaned into its rough surface and took a few moments to study the jungle around her.

LION, CODE BY LARS

The dense overhang of the canopy above made the sunlight cascade above him as he found himself scouting the jungle further. His last visit he'd run into Nazonal, but now Alexander found himself wanting to explore this place further. The plethora of scents and sounds were almost overwhelming, but it reminded him of the jungle near his homeland. A place where the potent soil that healed his family had originated from. This place, however, was not as powerful - his skin did not hum when his feet touched the Earth.

Sighing heavily, his thick mane shakes, riding the pristine white locks of the snow that fell - finding the familiar chill as they soaked into the tendrils more annoying in this moment. The Savante's patience was growing thin, a need to find a suitable place for Camellia's flame to settle growing ever present in his mind with each passing day.

Toes curl, caressing the cool earth as he fills his nostrils with the heavy scent of dirt and trees. Blue eyes cast along the area, in search of something of note to catch his attention. The deep red of a plant catches his eye, but the beast found the ebony, lean form of a lioness near it and that stole his attention completely. A rumbling chuff escapes his throat as he calls to her. Approaching slowly, his head lowers slightly and those pale eyes of his study @Dobromira intently before he stops a few feet from her. Voice slips out in a throaty baritone, the heat of his breath causing a cloud to form.

"Greetings."

With her eyes tracing the myriad details around her and the striking palette of the approaching man in contrast with their more verdant surroundings, it was far from difficult to see the massive form of her company as he came calling. Dobromira remained where she was leaned, watching the steady approach with unblinking eyes until he decided the distance between them was sufficient and came to a halt. Not very far, each well within striking distance of the other. Conversation distance.

Hello. I am Dobromira.
It is on the tip of her tongue, that well worn greeting that has been drilled into her over and over. Let them know what to identify you as, it makes the organization easier. But this is not the pack and her previous handler had lost grip on her. There was a new hold on her chain, and she had to take a moment to consider if such information was meant to be shared so freely. So, for now the standard greeting was shelved in lieu of something more generic. Is there something you need from me?

The man had all but made a beeline to her and for a moment the hound pondered if she had stepped over some territorial boundary. Were that the case, however, she'd expect something more than a simple greeting. That left the man's intentions nebulous, though provided the giant had not come to collect her throat, Dobromira felt no call to aggressive action.

@Alexander ♔

LION, CODE BY LARS

If nothing else, she was doing a good job of eating up his time. Bruno was diligent in his attempts to keep tabs on the mire's newest lioness, eager to keep hold of his first win. It seemed her path had taken them to the jungle neighboring the swamps – convenient for him, with ample opportunity for blending into his surroundings. Bruno was trying his paws at stealth from above, his lithe stature allowing him to creep from branch to branch without breaking them or making the wood creak under his weight.

He stopped short when she did, olive gaze narrowing as he watched her lean against a tree. Oh, but did he smell someone else? The young prince peered around the foliage, eventually coming to spot a highly contrasting pelt of red against the green jungle shrubbery. Bruno rasped his tongue over his muzzle, picking up bits of the hardened, bitter mud crackled and dried against his pelt for a scent shield. As they began their idle conversation, he found himself pondering what family would look so brightly-colored – vaguely like his youngest half-siblings, it occurred to him.

---

|| march y9 | 1y 7m | EM royalty | at aniadar jungle | HIDDEN - can be skipped | @Dobromira @Alexander ♔ ||
+10 - Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 - Spy on an individual exchange
+5 - Track someone through a neutral territory

_CODE

She speaks and the Savante male lowers his gaze to watch the curve of her lips, the intricate details of how her face moves with every syllable spoken. A simple hello causes a smile to touch his muzzle. Alexander can't help but notice that no name is offered. She doesn't seem the type to be forthcoming, this is only confirmed by the question that slips from her lips next, a simple enough follow-up, but it reveals something to him.

Pale blue eyes cast to the side, focusing on the vibrant red berries that hung almost delicately from the limbs of a tree. "I was here for this, you are a pleasant coincidence." He muses lowly, deciding then to slip toward her left where the berries were, daring to get closer - even if indirectly. In truth, Camellia had sent him in search of the plant and had guessed that it might grow in an area like this. The jungle here was much like the one from his homelands.

"My sister has had trouble sleeping, supposedly this will help." He couldn't remember the name, but it felt as if it were on the tip of his tongue. Brows furrow a bit, nose brushing the berries - specifically remembering that the Savante woman had told him she needed the stems, leaves and berries. Attention shifts back to @Dobromira, his form settling to sit finally. For a moment he simply studies the woman, his own features impassive.

"I am Alexander." It was not often the beast took initiative to introduce himself or take that step into learning more about others. The Savante enjoyed listening to others speak more than hearing himself, despite his own vanity. Perhaps this would encourage her to speak her own name - he felt more than a little curious at this point. He is yet unaware of the unwanted, unknown spy watching them both.

When the man'swinter sky eyes flicker to the side of her where a bunch of crimson berries hung, Dobromira takes that second to study details of his face from another angle. His features seemed slack in neutrality and she had no illusions that the small smile curling his lips was genuine, but such things were far from her business. All that the woman needed was to complete a little risk assessment in the presence of such a large lion. In the end, it mattered none, should this turned sour she would fight all the same.

Confirmation came that he was indeed here for something, not here, but those berries that had drawn his attention. Dobromira remained as she was while he gravitated closer to the bunch, closing the distance further between them until his auburn and white mane took up much of one side of her vision. She studied as he did, only shifting to the side enough to allow him ample room to retrieve his target. Herbs were not the hound's strong suit, she knew of some basic wound care related combinations but the more advanced intricacies like sleep aids were never part of Rigmor's standard curriculum. The man could be about to poison his sibling for all she knew, and it remained none of her business.

I see, Dobromira mused, keeping her to her paws while her company, to the extent that she knew of it, sat. You would know more than I, Alexander.

The subtle nudge for a name was not lost even to a rough-at-edges beast like her, and Dobromira knew better than to poke what may well be a literal bear... but she couldn't help the faintest of twists turning the corner of one side of her mouth as she continued to play keep-away with monikers. It was a fun change from the standard chant; I am Dobromira. I am Dobromira. I am. I am.

She made sure to enunciate each syllable of his name smoothly for the man, in recompense for what she held back.

What I know about red berries ends on a lesson about their potential as poison if you pick the wrong ones. The night-clad woman shrugged. Or right, depending on the desired results. None of my concern either way, Alexander.

@Bruno ♔
@Alexander ♔

LION, CODE BY LARS

"Not quite. I only go by the will of my sister." He responds calmly, his gaze still focused on the berries on front of him. Alexander knew there were other uses for this plant than insomnia, of which he had no intention of testing out - not yet.

Some of the medicinal uses Camellia had spoken of was impotence, and while he certainly had no issues there, the fertility of his bloodline had come into question in the most recent years. A new litter of children hadn't been born in the family for over three years.

Alexander drags himself out of the depths of his thoughts to turn his attention from the berries to the ebony feline near him. Still she was elusive, like a shadow attempting to escape the very body it was tied to. The urge to reach out and touch was overwhelming, but still the beast kept his paws to himself.

The way @Dobromira spoke each syllable of his name made his skin crawl. A subtle tightening of muscle the only indicator that it affected him in any way. Tongue slithers out to slid along his ebony lips, wetting his nose before retreating back within his muzzle.

Patience. Toes thrum along the earth beneath his paws idly, enjoying the feel of the warm earth beneath them. A stark contrast to the rest of the land. "What is your concern, then?" He replies bluntly as a paw raises to cup the berries gently within the palm of his paw, testing them a bit with curled talons.

Well don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your lifeBy the will of his sleep deprived sibling, was it? The man had better be sure he was picking the right fruit for her sake. It was true that the majority of Dobromira's "expertise" began and stopped at red berry bad - keep out of mouth, but she could probably hazard a few guesses as to what they were if she cared to look. Loathe as she was to take her sight off of @Alexander ♔ when the autumnal giant was already too close for her senses to soften their wary edge, Dobromira turns her eyes toward the berries in question.

He asks her what her concerns were, and a joyless rush of breath leaves her that might have been a laugh.

I don't claim to be anything but simple. My concerns are what the ones holding my leash say they are, the hound replies, finding that this particular bunch of red was an unfamiliar one to her. A pity, but maybe an opportunity for study later if she remembered. If you held a claw to my throat and asked me to form one of my own, then I'd tell you my concern right now was the red giant who could easily crush my spine, within a spaw's swing distance. Another, somewhat more genuinely amused laugh.

But that's just the training speaking, hm? Keep an eye on the big ones and their inherent strength, the small ones and their speed. Her skull swung in a subtle shake, shoulders raised in a shrug to the well-worn knowledge. It was in her nature to take stock of those around her in one way or another, a habit born out of the rank and file of so many bodies in one place that shifted and changed ad infinitum. No point in fear, what will be, will be. But a little risk assessment rarely hurts. Rarely.

There's a bad moon on the rise

_{BG — ART — CODE}

He remained still from his treetop-perch, practically holding his breath to prevent making any detectable sounds. It seemed the direction of the wind was working in his favor, carrying scents to his lookout while carrying any of his own away from the jungle scene. Perhaps his curse was a blessing after all: to be invisible, meant to be seen and not heard. He pursed his lips with bitterness at the thought.

Bruno focused his attention on the encounter below, straining to hear what bits of dialogue he could from up above. Alexander offered his name, explaining that he needed herbs for his sister. Likely story.

"What I know about red berries ends on a lesson about their potential as poison if you pick the wrong ones." This bit of information held Bruno's interest as he twitched his whiskers, wondering just how much knowledge she held of poisons, or if it was merely a warning chanted to overly-adventurous cubs. Next, "I don't claim to be anything but simple. My concerns are what the ones holding my leash say they are." And, Bruno could not help but wonder who it was holding said leash – or, did she mean him? The phrase would no doubt swirl in his mind next he laid down to attempt sleep.

---

HIDDEN - can be skipped | @Dobromira @Alexander ♔
+10 - Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 - Spy on an individual exchange
+5 - Track someone through a neutral territory

_CODE

OOC: So sorry for the wait!

If the fruit were wrong for any reason, he was certain Camellia would know. She was, after all, the expert on the matter - he was merely her willing errand boy. Leaning forward, his massive jaws manage to delicately slice through the tender limb of the tree. It hadn't been very thick to begin with, the berries weighed down on an outstretched, lower branch. Jaws part and allow it to fall to the earth as his attention resumes onto @Dobromira.

"So you have no desire to think for yourself." It is more a statement than a question. The beast pauses for a moment and considers her next words carefully. Looking back down to that massive paw of his, the pawpad skyward, those toes flexed - talons a deep black. While he was dreadfully aware of his size, Alexander did not often take it into account when idly interacting with others until they brought it up.

Not one to force his presence on others, it simply felt like something one with insecurities might do. Alexander was as vain as they come. Of course, he was very good at being subtle about it, at least he was of the mind that he was.

Fear, she said, no point in it. A brow arches, curious of this woman's upbringing if she were in such a state. It was both something to admire and something that caused the Savante beast great concern. On the same token, however, it was obvious she did not need saving. Alexander did not make a habit of saving damsels unless they specifically asked. "Who holds your leash currently?" He questions, voice low - yet not withholding the curiosity.