It had been some time since Cirilla had seen the likes of Ambrose. She would not admit it to herself (or to him) that she had missed his mismatched face, but sometimes additional company was nice. Rising to her paws from an idle slumber, she had been participating in from the calmness of the Cay, Cirilla made her way into the belly of Amaryllis. She wandered almost aimlessly, curious to know just where the troublesome duo had got to in recent months. She had seen them both at her challenge for Caladan... but after that, nothing.

It concerned her.

Slipping away from the distant rolls of thunder and flashes of lightning and tucking herself away into the quiet crimson hideaway, Cirilla found a secluded little spot to lay and mull things over.

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A daunting shaft of lightning unrolls from the sky, its bright afterimage lingering for a few fleeting seconds before dissipating back into the comfortless afterdark. He tries to follow her scent, growing ever fainter in the terrible weather. @Cirilla lost her fight for the crown, and he's concerned about her health status. Once he does find her, it's probably time to teach her the importance of regrouping.

He doesn't know how badly she was roughed up, but his own wounds seem trivial in comparison, even as the fresh lacerations stretch taut over his skin with each movement. Finally he sees movement, diverting his eyes just in time to see her outline slinking into the cave. "Ciri!" His voice barely rises above the violent sky above, and so he limps after her into the cave. But the fresh wounds on his leg don't agree with the sudden extertion, and he crashes down onto the soggy soil. And stays there. "Ooow."

Everything just has to suck today, doesn't it?

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The rolls of thunder and cracks of lightning never bothered the girl. She had grown up around the sea, so the hums of tension from a storm seemed nothing more than white noise. Slipping into the hideaway, Cirilla continued to wander aimlessly until she heard a voice calling out her name.

Ciri!

No one called her that. No one called her that except Ambrose. She froze in her tracks for a brief moment, her ear twitching instinctively as she waited for more words, for more calls of her name. But she heard nothing. With a frown, the lioness turned her crown to look behind her, only to see her own shadow on the floor.

With a mild sense of curiosity, the tan lioness moves away from her spot and back out to the storm as it continued to thrash the earth. Vellen seemed to be unsettled. But before she reached the entrance, the woman spotted an ever so familiar figure and for a moment, her heart flutters.

She is quick to push the feeling away as she audibly sighs. That is what you get for fighting for me, isn't it? You great buffoon. She mumbles, shaking her head. Making her way over to Ambrose, and for old times sake, she towers over him. Now... where have I seen this before?art — code — bg

A jolt of pain spreads through his body upon impact, and he groans, trying to prop himself up on his elbows. There's nowhere the Caladan man didn't shred him, and now that the adrenaline has tapered off, he's feeling it more than ever. Each movement feels like he's being sliced into all over again.

Just when he thinks his voice got lost in the thunderstorm, he sees the familiar woman reappearing from the grotto, standing against the flashing sky like an image. "What we do for beautiful women." He says it with a decidedly childish pride, even if his sable adversary did a good number on him.

@Cirilla stands over him, and he smiles at her words. "So romantic." It is how they met, after all; a first meeting about as unusual as the bond that it created. "Help me up?"

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She stands over him and observes silently. Rose eyes study his form for a moment, looking over the fresh wounds that he had been given at her pride challenge. She still felt guilty about it - the unnecessary fighting that happened - and how he had been injured on her behalf. But Cirilla was not going to admit that to the lion.

No. She answers his question, refusing to help him get him. You're a big boy. Get yourself up. She comments, looking at him once more before turning back into the hideaway, away from the rolling thunder that continued to crack in the distance.art — code — bg

Her answer doesn't exactly surprise him; but it doesn't bother him—her hardness is an intregal part of her, and he knows not too take it too seriously. "You're so cute when you give me the cold shoulder." He smiles through the pain and wills himself to stand up, every inch of his body screaming out in agony as lacerations tauten and reopen.

He limps after @Cirilla, giving the steely sky a dubious look. He hasn't seen such a bad storm for months, and were he the religious type, he might have thought some angry god to be commanding the gales. Once inside, he sits down with a pained groan. "So what happened back there?"

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His compliment irks Cirilla. She had never been good at receiving them and did not understand the purpose of them. Why would people be nice? She had grown up in a world of hostility. Eyes look to @Ambrose and she observes him silently, judging him, before turning round and heading deeper into the cave.

Away from the harsh rolls of thunder and the cracks of lightning, which seemed to be Vellen expressing his dismay, Cirilla sits. The quiet of the cave was surprisingly soothing. She releases a sigh, and watches as Ambrose sits sheepishly down. He was hurt, and she did not like it.

What happened? She echoes, unsure whether to react with a snort or with a giggle. Are you blind as well as stupid? She asks, looking at him with a raised brow before looking over his wounds and almost allowing her heart strings to tug at her chest. I wasn’t strong enough. She admits, defeated. Why did you fight?art — code — bg

When he enters the cave, the world seems to disappear behind him, the din of the thunderstorm reduced to a murmur. She reacts with an iciness that he expects from her, but he's no more put off than the first time she scolded him. I wasn't strong enough. Words he wants to dispute—why is she always so hard on herself? "You made it out of there okay. That's the important thing."

He's surprised when she turns the attention on him, his wounds all but forgotten. "Got a foot up my ass for trespassing." He remembers the Caladan lion quite well; he was a relentless bastard. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" He knows Cirilla might not be one for meaningless prattel, but he would assume taking over a whole pride would be worth informing him about.

For all he knows, things could have gone awry and then he would have no way to know her location. He doesn't want to butt heads with her, again, but there has to be a way to work through their communication problems.

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Cirilla turns to look at @Ambrose as the words slip from his lips. You made it out there okay. That's the important thing. She can't help but bare her teeth at the ivory male, her tail lashing to and fro behind her. Cirilla had always been a sore loser, and this just seemed to solidify her thoughts. She never would, despite her efforts, be good enough.

His question echoes through the cave and she remains silent for a moment. Cirilla had not thought about telling anyone her plans. She had become so used to doing things for herself that she had forgotten about the pillars of family and the importance of communication. I didn't want anyone to know. I guess... I guess I wanted to prove myself, but instead I made a fool of me, and you, and got you injured in the process. She reveals with a sigh, sitting down as the cracks of thunder begin to die down.art — code — bg

At his reassurances, her nose bridge wrinkles back in a snarl, her annoyance palpable. For a moment, he thinks he's going to receive an earful—maybe even a thwack—but he has to ignore the quickening of his heart. He sees through the frustration, the rugged exterior. Sure enough, the anger melts from her face, dwindling as the storm does. He manages a smile and shrugs, seemingly unfazed. "I can handle a couple of teeth. It's not fun if it's not dangerous." This time.

But even Ambrose can't completely overlook her recklessness.

"Ciri... we've been through this. This whole wolf without a pack thing... it's getting us nowhere." He recognizes her desire for solitude, deadset on making decisions without consulting anyone else—she reminds him of his twin sister in that regard. But they're a team now, and Ambrose needs to know she's not going flying into the face of danger again. Not without him, at least. Next time she does something as drastic as challenging for a pride, he wants to be in the loop. "Don't throw any more parties without inviting me. Okay?"

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