Her pawsteps brought her to the shore again, and she stood there for long moments in near silence. The only sounds around her seemed to be the gentle patter of the waves against the shore and she breathed out peacefully. While Yelena wasn't much of a pride-lioness, she knew the life of a rouge didn't quite work for her. It was evident in the way that her golden fur clung tighter to her frame and she was tired of being alone.

Yet, she couldn't bring herself to call out to the leader of this land. She was so... unsure about it. So unsure about what it would bring. So she took in a deep breath, and stood there- staring at the border that was marked strongly with scent- the land that was not for rouges, and she counted to ten. Slowly, and then when her mind finally ended up at ten- she chuffed softly- calling for the ruler of these lands.

@Isla ♔

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The call is almost missed, being carried upon the breeze as nothing more than a whistle. If it weren't for Isla being so close to the entrance of the Lagoon she would have missed it completely. But attentive ears catch the soft chuffs, causing for colossal frame to pivot and begin to move in that direction. She is learning more and more about her new terrain every day, picking out the quickest routes to get to one place within the borders to the other. Even though the sand beneath her paws still felt a bit foreign to her, it was beginning to grow on her how the granules slipped between her toes. It was warm and inviting, feeling as though it were keeping her grounded.

Dual colored eyes soon spot the lioness that had called for her. Isla releases a chuff of her own whilst clearing the distance between the two before coming to a halt on her side of the border. "How may I help you?" Brow rises as she asks the question. Only one of two things came to mind as the reasoning for the woman to be here, and she was really hoping it was the one where she said she wished to join. All Isla wanted was to have an ever growing pride.

@Yelena

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The sweet song of the waves lapping against the shore felt as if they caressed through her fur- welcoming her back to the place that she rather liked. She was content to rest there in silence, waiting to see if anyone had heard her- waiting to see if anyone would come. When a lioness appears, Yelena remains silent as she approaches. Compared to Yelena, the lioness is huge- white with gray markings and as she nears, she notes a purple eye and an orange eye. She doesn't seem unfriendly- and Yelena flicks an ear in silent greeting, as she readies herself to speak.

"I like ze beach." She says calmly and quietly. "I am Yelena." She enunciates the words slowly, working on that English, and the thick Slavic accent that pairs her words. "I am look for a pride. I was a warrior but no good at fighting now." She says simply, not expanding on why she wasn't good. She wasn't ready to explain how she'd been ruined. "I hunt. Can try to help earn keep." Calm slow words.

She drifts into a second of silence, then fixes her lazy purple gaze on @Isla ♔ - waiting to see what she says.

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Isla nods her head slowly while the other one introduces herself as @Yelena before diving into why she was at her pride's borders. She stays silent and observant, catching the thick accent Isla isn't too sure on whether or not she's heard before. It's interesting and intriguing to her. "Well, Yelena," the Queen begins, giving the woman a warm smile, "I'm sure you are still a good warrior. But hunters are also a vital thing in any pride." Just because you may be bad at one thing didn't mean you were bad at all things.

"Have you lived in Scilla before?" Isla couldn't tell if she noticed the fading scent of the Lagoon wafting from the other or not and so she would ask. While she waits her paws shift as she fixes her posture, weight shifting between legs.

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Though her words are slow, it is the difficulty she has with English, more-so than her being a daft lioness. She just can't figure out all the strange nuances of this language, how it bends and curves on her tongue is so very different. Yet, she's learning and it is slowly but surely becoming easier. When the Queen speaks, she shrugs, with a gentle roll of her shoulders. "Last battle because of Plum king, he had us raid, and I was not... I couldn't do it. Brain said no." She says slowly- completely unaware of the male being not a friend of this Queen's. "Brown female of Brook maimed. Give scar." She gestures to the scar that harshly marred her face. "His world of violence not for me." She shakes her head. That wasn't the life she wanted.

The trauma she'd endured in her life brought flashbacks, that had caused her to lose the fight- and she now... did not think she could ever fight as she once had- could ever be the lioness and warrior she once was. "I not able to ally with male who brings so much violence." Even if he'd been fun to flirt with... it wasn't who she was, or what she wanted. All she craved now was peace. "Never part of Lagoon. Only plains. Seasons past." She clarifies.

@Isla ♔

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She can tell the other has a hard time with the common tongue, Isla taking that inter consideration for the next time she spoke. She knew lions of all walks of life called Amaryllis home, and this one was no exception. It's not until she speaks of a certain plum lion that brings her attention fully back onto the other, muscles tensing and the feeling of anger beginning to grow rising within her chest. Isla had to remind herself that @Yelena was not the problem, Aeistrios was, and even with him long gone he still seemed to be popping up every now and again in some conversation or another.

Yelena goes on to say that she was maimed by a a woman from the brook, one with brown fur no less. This causes for the Queen's brows to knit together in a frown; was it Cassandra she was speaking about? Eyes take in the scar that the other motioned to, lips pulling into a thin line while Isla collected her thoughts. "That lion is no longer in Amaryllis, and he's lucky he left when he did." A lash of her tail shows just how much she despised that man as well as the bite in her tone, ears twisting backward slightly before becoming erect once more.

"Scilla will never fall into whatever Aeistrios believed in. We are all better than him." A pointed look is given to Yelena, as if to say she, too, was better. Which, in Isla's mind, she was. Knowing that what he had been doing was wrong was what stood out to the wildcat, causing for her to assume that this lioness before her had to be better. "If you still want to call Scilla your home you are more than welcome to."

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Remembering Aeistrios, brought back the strangeness in her mind of her knowledge of the male. When she'd met him- he'd been a lazy king- indulgent on the beach of the passage, and relaxed. She had thought him to be so in his plains, to remain lazy and indulgent of life... and when he wasn't - when violence spawned. She knew it wasn't for her- but she did not think that leaving the plains would be simple. Yet, the clay male who had challenged for it came and won and she was content to know that- to know that the lands were under a different reign, and yet still not for her.

She listens as @Isla ♔ speaks, that Aeistrios is gone, that this pride-land will never be what he had made so many others, and she nods. At the end of the Queen's speech, she is quiet for a moment before she speaks slowly, and plainly.

"I vould stay here, if it suits. Try better. Try to be pride lioness." She confirms her desire to remain. "Like beach. Good homes along beach." She adds with a wry smile, and she sees it- a kernel of hope for a future she'd almost forgotten, a chance to just exist -- perhaps without any pain and drama.

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Isla can see a flicker of hope shine in the woman's eyes, a feeling that causes something to swell within her chest. All she ever wanted was to become a Queen, to be just as great as Morrigan and Talisa. She was on her path, and Isla knew she would need loyal and hardworking pride members to help her further achieve her goals to greatness. What was success if you have nobody to share it with? "The Lagoon is happy to have you," she purrs a welcome, raising a paw to motion for @Yelena to come and pass the borders into her new home. "We can walk and I can tell you more about what Scilla aligns with while we find you a den." It had become custom for Isla to personally help her new members to find a nice den to call their own, and being able to walk and talk with them also gave her the option to learn more about them, as well.

exit Isla w/ Yelena.

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Joining this pride felt very simple, and Yelena reflected silently on how different life was here than from where she had been born and raised. In her homelands, you would fight to the death for entry into the ranks unless you were born into them as she had been. She'd been in battle training from six months and up, and her beginning ranks of thirty had dwindled to a mere fifteen by the time she'd hit adulthood. Training had been brutal and efficient, she supposed, but this... this was a chance for something more.

"Thank you." Each word is enunciated with precision and practice- not her lazy normal speech as she looks to meet @Isla ♔'s gaze. "Need ze den with a nice flat rock for sunning." She offers with a more lazy grin, and stands and moves to follow the Queen into her new home.

/exit

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