[OOC: Set a few days after their return from the WB challenge]

Kireena stepped up towards where @Ryker was resting. She had two reasons for this visit today. The first came with the bundle of herbs she carried in her mouth.. and the second came with her own need to ensure the preservation of her home given the new injury to the rainforest king. The red giant carefully placed the herbs she'd brought down on a large leaf before calling for Ryker with a gentle chuff.

There was a selfish reason for this visit - she had recruited a second young lioness from the passage and wanted to ensure that both of the young children were kept safe and cared for within the boughs of their home. With Ryker's injury - Kireena knew that if there was no one to step in should it be required, they'd lose their home entirely. And she didn't want that.

ART BY VASILIA, CODE BY LARS

Usually, after a couple days, pain settled into a dull background noise he could mostly ignore. This time was different. His right eye had cleared up pretty quickly after the bleeding above it had stopped trickling in, but there was still darkness to his left - that side swollen and scabbed over. It ached every time he shifted his head, every time an ear twitched, or the small muscles in his face made any adjustment. At least the feeling had returned fully to his right forelimb, he'd been a bit worried for a minute.

Even wounded as he was, however, he hadn't disappeared entirely. Pride wouldn't let him seclude himself until he'd returned to top form, no. So he'd still been around, still pushing through the more important of his daily tasks, but there had been more resting and less conversation with others.

He was resting deep in his den, trying to keep his face and head as immobile as possible, when the quiet summons came. Ryker groaned, frowned lightly, and immediately regretted it. Still out of view, he let himself wince as he shifted to rise and pull himself back out into the light, but by the time he emerged, his expression was blanked again.

A glance to the herbs as he sat, and his head turned just enough to view @Kireena ♞ out of his good eye, Yeah? The word was a little stiff, a little awkward, the left side of his face not wanting to fully cooperate with speech just yet so leaving most of the work to the right.

No shackles on the demon in me

I'd rather be dead than average

code by corvus

She let her gaze land on the injured king, noting the way he held himself - the swelling and the general not looking good part. "I brought some things to help your eye...If you want?" She would do her best to help the lion - and perhaps even see about hastening his healing a little faster.

Still, she flicked the ear with her sisters claw in it, suddenly nervous to ask the question she had initially been coming to ask. "I also wanted to discuss the future of Firnen with you.." Kireena knew his own cubs were quickly gaining on a year old - but until they were able to step into the mantle of heir or heiress, the red giant wanted to discuss the opportunity with @Ryker.

Sure - the laws of the pride said she could challenge whenever she wanted to.. but she had come to respect the man enough to request permission and alert him to her plans. Honestly, it was purely selfish in that respect. To ensure that should something happen and he find himself unfit to rule.. she wanted to make sure someone else didn't come along and snatch it.

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ooc: sorry, he's a butt - but i couldn't resist making him y'alls issue lmao!

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I also wanted to discuss the future of Firnen with you...

Oh, this was definitely something Haider couldn't miss out on being present for. The shadowy son had been lurking nearby, playing in the dirt and with some sticks, digging at the soil and seeing the way it changed the deeper he dug. He hadn't been far from the den, and now, he came slinking back faster than ever.

He doesn't say anything, but he does make himself noticeable as he enters back through the mouth of the den, paws leaving dirt in his wake. It isn't until he plops himself down in the corner of the den, that he bluntly looks back to the maned giant. "Who are you again?" He cockily asks, internally smirking at himself, thinking he was the coolest thing ever to imply she wasn't important enough to remember... so why did she care about his home's future?

@Ryker @Kireena ♞

Ryker was not a man too accustomed to asking for help. Thus far, he'd patched up his own wounds as best he could, and done what he could to prevent infection. Probably how he ended up littered with so many scars the past few years, but he was alive and whole - wasn't he? It was harder to tell this time, but he supposed he couldn't put off the inevitable. The faster he healed, the sooner he'd know the true extent of any lasting damage - so he could only offer a short nod after a brief hesitation.

Curiosity flared when she continued, and if pressed, Ryker couldn't deny the future had been in the back of his mind ever since his wife had temporarily stepped down to spend more time with the cubs - such as the little shadow @Haider who was so good at popping up unexpectedly. The boy's attitude earned a scoff, but Ryker had very little room to criticize the behavior as he'd inherited it straight from his father. Probably the best way to stop it was just to ignore it - Ryker always got bored and moved on when that happened, anyway.

What did you want to discuss, exactly? He let himself shift, laying so she could better reach his wounds to do...whatever it was she meant to do with her little pile of herbs.

@Kireena ♞

No shackles on the demon in me

I'd rather be dead than average

code by corvus

The young prince arrived, and Kireena looked towards @Haider with amusement. It was like children to puff themselves up when they didn't know that doing so could get them hurt. Not that she would hurt them, it wasn't in her nature - but others? Certainly. When @Ryker shifted so he could make it easier for her to reach his wounds, the red druid got to work, using a nearby rock to mash things together so that they could be applied as a poultice.

"I would like to challenge for Heiress. With everything happening as quickly as it is in Amaryllis I want to make sure that should something worse happen none of us are forced under the rule of another.". Kireena spoke plainly as she worked, surveying the wounds that Ryker had to adjust how thick she needed to make it. "Your laws state any challenge is available, but you have enough of my respect that I feel I should ask permission.".

A strange turn of events - and truthfully the druid has wondered at the path her life had taken. From prisoner to noble, to potentially heiress. Mind, she was aware that his son would likely have some rage filled words at her request. But she for one wasn't interested in falling under the rule of a vulture who came for scraps of Ryker and Levana found themselves in trouble again. It seemed especially obvious that those of Obsidian might seek to cause permanent damage ..as evidenced by the kings mangled eye.

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His father does not seem to pay him mind, other than a scoff which only caused a smirk to play on his lips. He didn't like the majority of his actions were ignored, but the shadow boy was growing used to it. Better to be ignored than smacked - right?

His attention goes back to @Kireena ♞ , and the boy feels his expression change from arrogant and nonchalant, to observant. Judgmental. She was a busy body, that was certain. She'd only been in Firnen for so long, and yet here she was... reaching for more power. His gaze flicks to his father, before his brows furrow. "You are not content without power." He blurts out the thought as it came to him, the real reason he sees for her to be acting like so... especially right after his father just got weakened again.

"'iinaha tasil 'iilaa alwarithat baed 'iisabatika... 'aetaqid 'anaha taseaa lilhusul ealaa tajiki." She reaches for Heiress after your injury... I have belief she seeks your crown. Arabic words leave his lips in conversation to his father. He was not stepping out of place by sharing his opinion, his perspective from all he'd seen. Perhaps it would be more of a shock he did it nicely, and less disruptive and disrespectful from other times he forced his opinion on people.

She had come for their home, had been kept prisoner - and been climbing the ranks ever since. He does not think she will stop, if granted Heiress. He does not think she will be content until it is only she in power. But alas, that was not his call. Nor did he care too much, for he was certain he could keep his family safe wherever they went. But, he would peer to Ryker with curiosity to see if he would allow Firnen to sink or swim.

If @Ryker wanted power more than the giant before them.

Ultimately, he supposed it wasn't much of a surprise. She'd challenged for the territory itself, so why not keep on trying for some sort of higher level of power within the pride? A part of him found amusement in the boldness, but it was a unique situation all around, he was sure. How many challengers had been turned prisoner, only to become a proper pride member after? How many of those had stayed and helped and worked for the betterment of the group? He'd made her a deal, back then, and she'd kept up her end, shown him she was worth more to them as a full member than a drain on resources with no political significance.

An ear twitched to @Haider as the boy spoke up, and Ryker hummed, You'll learn very few lions are content without power. A glance, then, to the boy, as his least injured brow lifted, Would you be? He already had a disproportionately large ego due to his title, so would the little shadow ever be content without some sort of authority?

Foreign words came next, his mother's language kept alive in his children - the last part of her he supposed he'd ever experience again - and Ryker chuckled. Haider thinks you're still after my crown, a slight smirk was angled at @Kireena ♞ as he translated the gist of the boy's words, but his attention remained largely on the young prince. I believe if Kireena still wanted my crown, she'd just challenge directly again. When she lost the last time, I made her a deal. If she could prove she wasn't out to kill us all in our sleep and take over, she'd be able to either become a full member or we'd work out a way to get her out of the rainforest. He shifted, then, to better look at his son, She made the choice to stay, and full members have every right to challenge for whatever rank they want. It's not a weakness to turn would-be enemies into allies, Haider, that's just good strategy for the long run. And, anyway, he settled again, shifting back to a position that would allow the red woman to work more easily, if I hadn't taken the time to prepare, she probably would have won.

There was more to life and ruling than what seemed to be the most straightforward path at any given time. Every situation had multiple angles and multiple outcomes, and Ryker saw more of them than he liked to let others believe he did. So. If Kireena wants to challenge for heiress, that's her right as a member of Firnen.

No shackles on the demon in me

I'd rather be dead than average

code by corvus

She continued to work on the poultice for @Ryker's eye, mashing the rock as he spoke to @Haider. The firnen king spoke of ambition and she chuckled, nodding almost to herself rather than the two speaking. When Ryker spoke and translated what the young cub said, Kireena laughed outright - working to get the mash of herbs onto her wide leaf she'd gathered.

"He's correct. I told both your parents when I came for the Rainforest it was because it was the land I thought was prettiest - and I had just lost my home in the Oasis. Given that I had myself and my daughter to worry about - I felt it best to try to rule and rely on myself than another to care for our needs."

The red giant would glace towards the Firnen prince before she lifted the leaf smeared with the poultice carefully in her fangs and carried it towards the King. "My reasoning for wanting something higher is to prevent the fall of the pride should our enemies wish to harm your parents further.." She murmered as she focused on keeping the poultice inside the leaf.

"Ryker losing his eye is going to take some time to recover.. your mother has already been attacked as well. You four are months too young to take up the mantle, let alone be strong enough to stand against our enemies should they wish to take your home if you were to rise up to take your parents places.." Truthfully - she wasn't lying. "I want to be in a position to ensure that whoever rules is someone I can rely on. I know Ryker and Levana would defend myself and my children.." She would pause near Ryker, giving him a chance to avoid the incoming leaf before she would carefully seek to place it over his eye.

"If you or your siblings were to rise into the positions of leadership - could we trust you to see to our safety as we would see to yours?" Perhaps a trick question - but the woman did need to know. Given that it was the obvious choice for the royals to take after their parents should the time come - she would need to know she could rely on them as well. "The Rainforest is my home.. Sure - I tried to take it, but your father and mother earned much of my respect in the last few months....and my loyalty."


Attempt to heal Rykers wounded status:

Rolling 2d10: 9 + 10

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