The girl would hum a quiet melody to the black raven, their wing bound with silk thread. Despite his occasional protest in the close proximity between them, he did not peck at the girl, nor squirm overly so as she gently removed the binding. Ravens were smart creatures, and part of Bordeaux knew that he understood what she was doing. "There you go Mr. Raven, you should be able to fly again, just in time too as I will be flying the coop today as well." She announced a smile on her face but eyes filled with pain and anxiety. It would be hard to leave behind her mother, even if it did mean getting away from the unpleasant and spoiled cubs and their lofty titles.

In her possession, a large number of medicinal herbs, all neatly wrapped in a leather hide. Her mother had given her all of her own herbs along with much of her own, even despite her protests. She would take them though, if that was what it took to give Patchouli peace of mind. She did not know where she would go from here, but thinking about it was making her almost nauseous. She had to keep telling herself it would be fine.. she would be fine.

As she had already had a tearful farewell with her mother, there was only one thing left to do.. march right on out of here. Perhaps she would encounter the mysterious king she had never known on the way out, or maybe one of his high-ranking lackeys, but she didn't imagine they would stop her. She need only tell them farewell on the way out the door.

With the raven taking flight for the first time in weeks, she found the motivation to go as well, soon finding herself and her belongings at the border of Ecrosia. Here, she would sit for a moment, looking back at the land both familiar and foreign to her.

image by moogle/code by saph

+5 Patrol your borders (1/2)
+5 Maintain your weapons (sharpen claws or care for teeth) (1/2)
+5 Slack off or shirk one's responsibilities (1/2)

The morning had begun very productively for the young Heir. It was a surprise, considering his usual tardiness and desire to sleep in until lunchtime. Subconsciously, the pale boy was always under external pressure - with so many siblings he must maintain both a good physical shape and a good impression in front of his Vater. How else would he keep boasting his superiority in front of the other Starke pups?

He was promenading down the damp, thorny border built by his father during Luther's childhood. It seemed as if it was just yesterday that Alaric had commanded the bushes to be situated around the most vulnerable openings of Ecrosia in case of additional Sigrun attacks. It had been long enough that he remembered his mother joining in the efforts, while she secretly pined for the moment an enemy would try to break through.

Tranquility had settled upon the land, morning mists rising high above from the Mire. For now, Luther was alone with the trees and the thorns on which he occasionally paused to use as scratching posts. His claws were an important asset, after all. Mid-way through his nail care, the boy managed to catch a far-away glimpse of a tiny silhouette pausing at the inside of the Mire scent markers. @Bordeaux was so tiny that the cruel princeling would've missed her if it wasn't for the baggage she dragged along. Luther thought it wouldn't hurt anyone if he slacked off for a bit - the place was pretty much dead quiet anyway - as he confidently swaggered towards the lioness.

"Going somewhere?" His dark voice prodded. Sharp green eyes fell upon the items the girl was dragging along, wondering who even needed that much trash, to begin with. Finally, his gaze bore into the yearling's face. She was unfamiliar to the Heir - an unimportant citizen of his father's great kingdom. "Or am I missing a grand relocation?" His lips twisted in a small smirk.

She had anticipated someone might show up while doing their usual rounds of the pride border. She had hoped perhaps it might get some agreeable princess, or whoever the queen was. She was a little more wary about wanting the king to show, despite her mother's promise that he was a good and reasonable lion, even if he looked intimidating with his size and collection of battle scares. Instead, she would be met with what she assumed must be a prince, given his perceived arrogance. She didn't know why, but @Luther ♔ immediately gave her a feeling of unease.

The boy would look at her collection briefly, seemingly disinterested in it. She was hopeful he would dismiss it as rubbish and simply yet her in her way, oblivious to how truly valuable such a collection of medicinal plants actually were. Instead he would look directly at her, the girl making a point not to make eye contact with him as stared so rudely at her. She would catch the faint smirk on his lips though, which did nothing if not cement her dislike of him, regardless if he deserved it on such a brief interaction between them.

"Mother says I am old enough now to choose a pride for myself, so I am taking my things and leaving. I was only waiting here to be dismissed by the king from his pride." She said in half truth. Really she intended to leave regardless as none would come looking for her, nor care if she was gone from here.

image by moogle/code by saph

@Bordeaux had a stroke of incredibly bad luck that day with the lion who'd come to intercept her. Certainly, Alaric was the sternest man out of the high-ranked lions, but his son was far more cruel and unfair. He also enjoyed toying with others, especially if they were smaller and of the weaker sex.

This one seemed to know her place, her mismatched pink & blue eyes shying away from the piercing pale green of his. Even as she spoke, she made no eye contact with the Heir. ...I am taking my things and leaving... the girl says. Oh, how presumptuous! Luther would've been far harsher if it wasn't for Alaric's rules. Indeed, it was the rules that were at fault here - they were too lenient, too soft and at fault for them losing a capable future hunter or... whatever that girl did.

Humming, the alabaster yearling let silence take root after the smaller female's response. His expression was mildly thoughtful as if he was still digesting what she'd said. Meanwhile, his eyes fell onto the girl's items, one paw snaking out to grab a loose plant from the bag and bringing it up to his face for inspection. Truthfully, he was not interested in the plant - he was only seeking to play around with Bordeaux's reaction. "Well, the King is not here," he twirled the herb between sharp, dark talons, before his eyes settled back on her dark-marred face. "But lucky for you, his Heir is just as capable of... dismissing you." Very, very lucky indeed. "And yet I'm not sure why I would do that." He appeared adamant that he would not release her, but it was simply a game that served to entertain his bored mind. He had to abide by Alaric's rules, as much as he didn't want to.

She didn't understand how lions could be such unpleasant beasts, even when they were speaking to other lions of their own pride. Bordeaux was as much a member of the Mire as this male, born within the territory and observed a full passing of seasons within it. @Luther ♔ had not really said anything unkind or done anything threatening, but there was something about him that was unsettling. He was a child drunk on power, one that was much bigger and capable in a fight than the female he was currently giving a hard time.

Bordeaux was not quite as defenseless as he might believe, having come up with a means to deter aggression for a time. Even now, she had the itch to find the carefully tucked away item, which was held within a small hollowed bone, open end stuffed with grass to keep the finely grounded up bird pepper inside. She had discovered its potency by accident when she had gotten a single grain of it in one eye. Nothing would wipe that stupid grin on his face or the arrogance in his voice faster than throwing this powder toward his eyes and nose.

She would resist such impulsive action though, her mother would not want her to use violence against anyone unless they did something that directly endangered her. Luther hadn't done anything to warrant such action. She would do as her mother told her, be nice and respectful, thus giving him nothing to work with but growing boredom.

As he grabbed one of the protruding herbs out of her collection, she would watch him, a slight frown edging her lips for a brief moment. "You should not hold that too close to your face highness, the leaves have been known to irritate exposed skin." She informed him, though in truth it was unlikely to be problematic if not freshly picked. Perhaps it was just some petty little part of her that wanted to make the male feel stupid for his lack of herbal knowledge.

"I will remain within the borders if that is your wish, wait here for the King if you have no desire to use your power to release me yourself." She informed him, her tone understanding and respectful. As if to make clear she did not mind waiting, she would settle more comfortably on the ground beside her belongings.

image by moogle/code by saph

In Luther's mind, he was simply being reasonable. Certainly he enjoyed his games a little too much, but that didn't mean he sought to chain the girl to Ecrosia. No, no. He couldn't do that even if he wanted to. Alaric's rules were lax, and Luther had no choice but to abide by them... at least until he takes up the crown. Besides, what could @Bordeaux offer to the swamp kingdom? She was quite useless by the looks of it - small, and too fragile to be a notable hunter. Being a fighter was out of the question. Her physical fraility only spurred the young Heir's desire to toy with her, his deep-rooted disgust for weakness coming into play once again.

His snake-like eyes turned toward the Sai as she spoke her warning, taking note of her displeased expression. He immediately tossed the herb to the side, discarding it with little care to put it back where he'd taken it from. If he'd felt disturbed by her warning, he did well to hide it. "Why do you need this if it's so dangerous?" One brow quirked in a leonine way across his forehead. He'd heard that herbalism could be used not only to heal but to destroy. Was this tiny girl before him an assassin in training?

His prodding for answers was left unsatiated by Bordeaux's dismissal which served to only irritate the princeling further. Her failure to play by his tune was drab. "You can wait all you want, the King has more important matters to attend to than you." He snarked back. "When I... dismiss you, which pride do you plan on joining? Surely you're not foolish enough to wander on your own?" He narrowed in, returning to the topic at hand.

Tinúviel is attempting to eavesdrop...very poorly. Feel free to find her!

Tinúviel had long been content to lurk about the borders, collecting soft mosses that grew on the swampy trees and sieve fresh water into empty coconut husks. It was modest and meager work, but selfless was she in her pursuits, hoping to maintain stores of fresher, cleaner water for those who needed it most. Her work was uninterrupted for the most part, save for the occasional patrol crossing her path or rustle of leaves and canopy from birds taking flight. Few ever paid mind to the dusky little healer, and even less cared to start conversation with her. Yet, she'd always felt their eyes; stare all they would, for often would she smell of him, and often had she stolen away from his den in the early morning hours in Slaine's absence.

A deep sigh thrummed through her lips as she continued along her path, her tail flicking out behind her, accompanying the rhythmic promenade of her every step. Eventually, she begins to hear voices; they grow closer as she closes in, muffled and incoherent. At first, she is content to curve her path and give them their privacy, but as she nears and their words begin to grow clearer, she gives pause.

Well, the King is not here.

A single ear flicks. Tinúviel was certainly not one to snoop, but when it came to matters of the King—and in a way, matters of the heart—it was hard to deny herself the true intention of their conversation. Silently, she slipped through the underbrush, careful not to try and make a sound as she lingered only close enough to catch their words, and not yet close enough to see them. But lucky for you, his Heir is just as capable of... dismissing you. Tinúviel's nose twitched. She had not known much of Alaric's Heir, only as much as she knew of his Queen, but she'd known what all Ecrosians known: his name, and his relation to the King. And yet I'm not sure why I would do that. A slender brow lifted in mild surprise. She'd come to know well the wiles of the Mire King and the rules he set on his subjects, but Alaric had only ever shown kindness to Tinúviel, and she had for so long assumed that the very same was given to the rest of them.

I will remain within the borders if that is your wish, wait here for the King if you have no desire to use your power to release me yourself.

She is still inching forward as their words continue to come, some caught and others lost in her focus. By the time she shoulders her way through enough of the underbrush to reveal the both of them, she sees the massive white male towering over a small, pastel cub. Her eyes narrow, their forms bleak and blurry from between the fronds falling in her face.

You can wait all you want, the King has more important matters to attend to than you.

She sucks in a breath, eyes wide and attentive as she struggles to hold her position, and doing so very poorly. She were, after all, no great sleuth or spy. There was always a lack of keen grace about Tinúviel in that way.

@Luther ♔ @Bordeaux

Art by AleTie, table by cala

Perhaps she ought to have noticed @Tinúviel lurking nearby, but all of Bordeaux's attention was on the unpleasant fellow barring her way. If the king was anything like him, she couldn't imagine what her mother must see in him that made him worthy of her service. In all the stories told of him, he didn't seem anything like his pallid son. Just her luck that she should get him instead of his father.

"Dangerous? I never said it was all that dangerous." She commented absently, watching him cast the small plant aside with little interest. It wasn't any loss to her really, as she needed to collect fresh ones once removed from this muddy bog of a pride. "The best way to keep small rodents from eating everything is to repel them. That plant deters them with minimal effort from important medicinal plants or stored kills. There are more potent plants that can be used against larger creatures, like lions." She informed him.

@Luther ♔ wanted a reaction out of her still, she was sure his comment about her lack of importance and questioning her plans was a way to get something out of her. She would not react to the first part, merely looking on impatiently. "I would consider my options once I am released from the Mire sir. I fear I don't have an answer that would satisfy you." Honestly, she was not in a hurry to pick a new home, even if she wasn't the best at hunting for herself. There was something appealing in the idea of complete freedom, all ties and expectations broken.

image by moogle/code by saph

Luther was not being attentive at all, as per usual. He was extremely comfortable in his thorny home, his giant confidence in the walls of the Mire only growing with time. This was his father's impenetrable fortress, and it has always been so. There have been wars and many have attempted to topple it over - but nobody had succeeded.

It will be so forever, he thinks.

So it wasn't that dangerous. He listened absent-mindedly as she explained it was to repel rodents from food, but it was evident that mid-way his attention began to wane. He was never interested in those nitty-gritty details. Only the last part managed to pique his interest again, and the Heir cast his gaze back to @Bordeaux, pointedly measuring her from head to toe. "You can do that?" Interesting. He'd doubted her skill, but perhaps that fragile girl had some use about her.

Consider her options. The Mire Heir gave her a look of surprise and perhaps a hint of irritation. The subtle impatience in her expression did not go amiss. "Consider them now —" the corner of his lip twisted in a small fiendish smirk. "— Vermeda, Firnen, Illyria." Her release would come with a price.

She would explain the purpose of the plants to him, the male appearing to grow bored with the conversation. She was not insulted by this lack of interest, if anything she would be more than happy to talk about plants with @Luther ♔ all day, that he never wish to be in her company again. It was wrong for her to judge others, but she had already decided he was one of the bad ones. The sooner she could be away from the beast the better.

Interest would pick up when she mentioned other plants. She would safeguard these more dangerous recipes, for surely this lion would use such things in a more cruel fashion. "I created some things I might use to defend myself if I am attacked. A brute like you wouldn't have much use for such trinkets." She informed him, not wishing to linger on the subject for long.

Ears would perk as she heard movement nearby, turning her head to look in the direction of their eavesdropper @Tinúviel. She knew someone was there, but it was just another stranger, their intentions and blood ties unknown. She might take comfort only in the fact there was someone to witness this encounter should things take some unforeseen turn.

Where would she go? He wanted an answer, and would even begin listing potentials off as if expecting her to know anything about the prides. Bordeaux had lived all her young life oblivious to everyone and their pride politics, buried only in her study of plants whenever she ventured outside of the Mire. She had to come up with something, to say she would not join any pride might just lead to him questioning why he should release her at all then. "The passage.. I cannot know who might appear there to offer me a home but that is where I would go." She decided.

image by moogle/code by saph