( before EM war) Snow fell in gentle swirling spirals from the trees above. The clouds lightly peppering the ground and earth with miniscule tiny flakes, flakes that fell upon Aquila's nose and immediately melted into small water drops. Weight was beginning to build on the branches overhead causing branches to sag just a bit under the weight. Strong, stable trees withheld. The young bent for their own survival. His feet crunched on the fresh snow below, his big paws leaving prints down his patrolling path. Markers of the lion's march along the borders. His body lazily swung side to side, his head roving lightly with momentum back and forth. Casual, content look of business on his face.

ART and Code by Cloudy

She followed in the distance, walking in Aquila's pawsteps far less awkwardly than she would have when she was younger. It was weird to think about, and so she tried not to. Her gait was a little awkward, as she attempted to walk more daintily to match how she was feeling today.

"Hi father!" she called out, briefly picking up her step as she tried to catch up. She felt a momentary pang of anxiety as she realized she didn't know how he'd take to being called her father but now that he was mates with daddy that was how things worked, right? If Sarthak ever came back then she'd just have three papas! How lucky could she get?

@Aquila

Good for Something

Spiritus. If he minded (and he didn't) it didn't seem that way upon his face as he turned around and found her there catching up to him. Being called father by Caligula's children worried him in the best sorts of ways- he worried after them like his own, wished he could ensure them a safer and more secure future. Wanted the best for them- whatever he could do. It was some added stress and worry but nothing he couldn't, or didn't want to, bare in order to call her and Parvati family. Do you want to join me on patrol? He asked, stalling in steps just enough that Spiritus could catch up if that's what she wanted to do.

New father didn't seem to mind her coming along, in fact even invited her, so she picked up her pace in a prancing jog to catch up with him and walk at his side. "Okie," she said happily. She didn't know how much use she would be on a patrol, considering you really only needed one set of eyes for that right? But, it would be a good way for her to get some quality time with Aquila, who she hadn't really gotten to talk to much at all yet.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked, looking over at him and finding herself slightly surprised that she didn't really have to look up at him. Dang, she still wasn't used to this whole "being grown up" thing yet.

@Aquila

"Anything interesting?" Well- Aquila took a moment. He looked outwards ahead of them and the path they were wandering together. Some footprints appeared ahead, some signs of trodden foliage and plants crushed by movements of large herds to the south. "Some animals moving through for wtiner looks like." Fueled by the changing weather most likely. It was not adnormal. "Good to let the lead hunter know so hunting parties can take advantage of them while they're still here." He passed along to @Spiritus, glancing away at last from the path ahead and over to the young lion beside him. "You? Anything catching your eyes?"

ART and Code by Cloudy

+5 Walk the pride borders

Spiritus followed Aquila's gaze to the prints in the snow and nodded slightly. It wasn't particularly interesting, tracks, but it was useful to note. She had a feeling that at this point in her life she ought to be focusing on the former more than the latter, regardless of how that might be boring. No longer was she a cub who wasn't expected to do things. Now she had to be a useful part of the pride, and honestly... she wasn't sure how to. She wondered what daddy Caligula did, because obviously new father was the one who ran everything so what he did for the pride was pretty clear.

"Um," she said, looking around in the hopes of finding something actually useful. Further ahead than the tracks of the prey were those who were familiar as belonging to another lion, one smaller than the pair of them. "Another lion passed over the border. Looks like they were heading out though, so probably another member of the Brook." If they were coming in, they'd probably be smart to check and make sure they didn't smell like another pride or something, she guessed.

@Aquila

Aquila nodded affirmation to her. His gaze wandering to where @Spiritus pointed out some lion prints heading off away from home. For a brief second he looked concerned and tilted his head up. He took a sniff of the air around them, nothing jumped out to him and nothing set off alarm bells beyond his initial tightening of his muscles. Either she was right, and it was from someone in Vermeda or it was too old of prints to carry the scent. "Should we follow for a bit and see where they went?" Aquila was less concerned about prints heading away than those who would be coming in… but it was what was on hand to investigate further. "I’m not the best tracker though I will warn you." He was big, he was the presence that was supposed to keep the honest lions honest, Aquila was the reason to think twice about causing trouble on the borders. He could spy signs of movement around the out skirts of Vermeda but unless they were quite fresh there was a good chance he’d have no idea where they went but a general direction.

ART and Code by Cloudy

+10 Learn a pride or family’s history
+5 Walk the pride borders

Hmm, should they follow the tracks? "Yeah, let's see where they go," she decided. "I've never tried to track before," she admitted in return. It seemed like it would be interesting for the both of them then. She suspected this was the sort of skill she should get good at, though.

Lowering her head slightly, she sniffed at the tracks and confirmed they did indeed smell like the Brook from what she could tell. It didn't, at least, smell vastly different which would imply to her that the tracks belonged to someone else. "Looks like they go this way," she said, nodding her head in the direction they seemed to be going before setting off.

It occurred to her that she really didn't know anything about the lions of the Brook or her new father, so she looked over at him as they walked. "So, what was this place like before we all came in? Did the Valour always live in the Brook or did you live all over Amaryllis?" she asked.

@Aquila

Aquila hung behind just a step, letting @Spiritus take the path she thought was appropriate to follow. More and more Aquila got reassurances that this was no strange set of footprints. A good learning moment, a safe thing to practice skills on. "Good." He said with approval and a nod of his head, tracing the foot prints out into the distance with his silver eyes. They faded into foliage, into dirt and then nothing.

Her question brought a small sad frown to Aquila's lips. Incontrollable, almost instinct. He recalled what the world was like before with bittersweet taste on his lips. "It was quieter, for better and worse I suppose." He did not discount the good that had come of the stranger's arrivals here. It was complicated to weigh them against each other most of the time, driven and fueled by the emotion of the moment. "We did live in the Brook yes, but we freely moved where we wanted. Heloise's family lived in the Mire- we might go to them for a few days." They did not have borders like existed now, the world wasn't patchwork it was ... "It was whole."

ART BY NICOLEXV , CODE BY LARS

+10 Learn a pride or family’s history

She continued to follow the tracks, but for the most part her attention was on Aquila as he spoke of the past before she and her family had gotten to these lands. Spiritus knew she, Parvati, Caligula and Sarthak had been in the first of the groups who had arrived, everyone else trickling after. Now Sarthak was gone, and while part of her would always miss her father another part of her was relieved that she didn't feel like she had to live up to his expectations (whatever they might be) anymore. Granted, she still wanted to live up to Aquila's expectations now, especially since he led their pride, but that seemed... easier, somehow.

"Wait, her family lived in the swamp by choice?" Spiritus asked, surprised. A shudder went through her as she thought of being surrounded by all that mud all the time. "There's so much mud and stuff." Not wanting to sound like a total prude, Spiritus only allowed herself another beat to ponder the idea, and then continued the conversation. "That sounds a lot nice than things are now," she admitted. "I mean, I'm glad daddy could meet you and be happy but being able to walk around without having to worry about borders or upsetting anyone sounds amazing." It certainly wasn't something she had ever experienced before, that was for sure.

@Aquila