Ophelia, being the early riser that she was, had already left her home in the Brook by the time the sun had risen. She had a feeling in her gut that today would be a little different - perhaps the weather would be less severe, or Maua would gift her with something. Whatever it was, Ophelia felt good about the day that lied ahead.

Moving through the myriad of neutral biomes that Amaryllis had to offer, Ophelia hummed to herself quietly as she put one paw in front of the other. Typically, she travelled quite quickly to wherever her destination was, but today the ivory lioness took her time. She had decided quite early on that she wanted to explore the tunnels of Grimoire's Labyrinth and inspect the damage that had been done by the inclement weather the world had been experiencing. But before she could get there, she had spotted a small herd of rhinoceros in the distance that seemed out of place. The woman paused for a brief moment and watched as they made their way east, which seemed strange because east lay Grimoire's Labyrinth. What were they seeking there? Her brows furrowed for a moment as she thought it over - the only thing that sprang to mind was for the herd to seek shelter from the storm that had been brewing in the sky.

Ophelia broke her pause and decided to follow them, since it coincided with her journey anyway. The woman remained out of their sight so not to spook them as they moved at their own pace towards the Labyrinth. Eventually they arrived and slipped into its tunnels, and it was at that moment that Ophelia paused. Turning her crown to look behind her, she noted the dark grey clouds that had formed overhead and sighed. "Maua, please protect this herd. They have young, and old, and do not deserve to be trapped out in the storm that awaits." She whispers to the Deity, before slipping into the Laybrinth to follow them further.

@Farrow

Tickets
+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey
+2 - Pray to a god or deity for guidance
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 - Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before

Trade Exp
+5 - BWP-related EXP
+5 Study herd migration habits (1/2)
+5 Study the weather and how it will affect hunting (1/2)
+5 Follow the scent of prey (1/2)

code / artwork / background

A good feeling was rare these days.

Farrow would have reveled in it, if given the chance. He so missed those endless days of bliss, time spent within the Brook long before it had been frozen over, enjoying the bliss of peace even as Amaryllis occasionally erupted into political chaos. It had all begun with Viridian's challenge and Nymeria's cruel descent from the throne; Aquila were a fair and just leader in her stead, and one who did his best to pick up the ashes. But their peace had been shattered, and the invulnerability of the Valour had been challenged. The world tore asunder with it, and Vermeda had long been plunged into a wintry grip that refused to relent.

He'd done all he'd could to keep them fed and protected, but it never felt enough.

Farrow was out there again, desperate. His searches continued to stretch farther and farther from the Brook in hopes of finding stronger, healthier herds in the less beaten parts of the wildlands. He'd been so fearful of venturing too far from the Brook's borders that it had taken him months to find the will to reach the Labyrinth. Perhaps, too, it was because he'd found her scent along the path. Somewhere along the way, Farrow had come across something familiar; girlish, Valourian. One he did not quite recognize, but one warm and inviting all the same. What she was doing venturing so far south too was a mystery to him.

That was, until he saw her form disappear into the caverns just as he'd crested that last rocky hill. A brow furrowed, and Farrow swiftly ventured after her, too swallowed by the cave and the sounds of thunderous hoofbeats that accompanied them in the short distance. The overwhelming smell of rhinoceros began to overpower that of @Ophelia, but her focused tracking gave Farrow the chance to swiftly catch up. “Aren't rhinoceros usually scared of caves?” he asked, stopping a few paces behind her. He'd no true idea if such large beasts were truly afraid of this place, but he would be if he were so powerful in such a dark, cold, and small passage.

It was easy for Ophelia to wonder and guess what the herd of rhinoceros wanted with Grimoire's Labyrinth. She knew her own mind, knew what decisions she could and could not make, but it was alien for her to understand the rhinoceros'. They were prey animals, something she normally hunted, so it did not particularly occur to her to think about their thoughts or feelings.

So as she slipped into the entrance of the Labyrinth to follow them further, cautious to keep her distance in case one of them spooked and created a stampede, Ophelia turned her attention back to Maua, as though they were going to give her all the answers she required. Maua, The pink-tipped lioness begins. Guide me through this Labyrinth safely, and provide me with the answers to the questions I cannot answer myself. She whispers, taking careful steps not to get too close to the herd as they proceeded to walk around a corner and further into the depths of the chasms.

But before Ophelia could progress any further, the voice of another erupted the unsteady silence that had settled within the walls. She pauses and turns her crown rearward, spotting the recognizable yet unfamiliar figure of @Farrow. Had they met, once, before? There is uncertainty in her thoughts, but she does not push him away because of it. His question was a valid one, and something she had failed to consider. I couldn't say, The woman hums quietly, looking to the hoof tracks of mud that had been left in their wake. But there is certainly something strange about them coming in here, that much I do know. Ophelia remarks, taking a quick second to study the male's figure before turning her attention back to the herd. Do you want to follow them? She asks absentmindedly as she stares at the tracks on the stone floor.

Tickets
+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey
+2 - Pray to a god or deity for guidance
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 - Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before

Trade Exp
+5 - BWP-related EXP
+5 Study herd migration habits (2/2)
+5 Study the weather and how it will affect hunting (1/2)
+5 Follow the scent of prey (2/2)

code / artwork / background

She is familiar, indeed. Farrow may not have known her name, but he'd seen her in passing. That pale white pelt was unmistakable, and she'd held the same grace and quirks of the other Valour. Farrow's brow quirked at her response, certainly not having expected her to know the answer but curious to see her reasoning for exploring it further. He would've been content to write it off as some strange occurrence, something not quite worthy investigating for it was not common for them to hunt the rhinoceros. Their migrating patterns mattered little to the needs of lionkind, but Farrow could understand her desire to know more. The world was falling into disarray all around them, after all.

“Sure,” he agreed, a soft smile unfurling onto his dark lips. The very least he could do is offer her protection, and an extra hand through such a labyrinth. Certainly, its ancient passageways had been reshaped amidst this disaster, and navigating would be twice as hard as it once had been. Following the rhinoceros would be easy, but trying to stay safe while doing it would be the challenge. “Lead the way. I'll stick by you.”

@Ophelia

Ophelia could not deny her curiosity often got the better of her. She had always been that way, always wanted to know more when her siblings would settle for less. Perhaps that is why she left Amaryllis for a while, to discover what lay beyond their perfect little peninsula that seemed to be unable to do wrong. But what she had found was just more carnage and chaos - a world built on unsteady foundations that did not serve the Valour lioness. Her values of integrity and family seemed to outweigh any curiosity that lay at the back of her mind.

@Farrow's soft smile was soon reciprocated, and Ophelia nodded. Thank you, She breathes, and then turns to follow the drying tracks deeper into the Labyrinth. But then she stops, just as she rounds the corner, and looks back at the man. I don't think I ever caught your name, Ophelia comments, hoping to gain some more information on the man before advancing further.

Tickets
+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey
+2 - Pray to a god or deity for guidance
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 - Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before

Trade Exp
+5 - BWP-related EXP
+5 Study herd migration habits (2/2)
+5 Study the weather and how it will affect hunting (1/2)
+5 Follow the scent of prey (2/2)

code / artwork / background

They had both come at a strange and tumultuous time. How swiftly Amaryllis was plunged into this disaster; it was hard not to blame oneself for being the herald of such disarray when it happened so conveniently upon their return. Farrow was thankful that, at the very least, the majority of his family was happy for his return, relieved to see he had endured and survived what he did and come at just the right moment to help keep the Brook safe and fed amidst the unrelenting snowstorms.

He begins to follow her deeper into the cavern, noting the way the walls seemed scraped by stray horns and large, round footprints broke through the sturdy, compacted floor of these ancient labyrinths. He glances back at her only when she pauses to speak. “Farrow,” he replied with a smile, leaving her the opening to introduce herself as she pleased, though he already had suspicions of who she may be. She smelled of the Brook, he would learn her name sooner or later if she'd not offered it now.

@Ophelia

@Farrow delivered his name to her with a simple whisper, nothing more. It was accompanied by a smile, and Ophelia found herself drawn in by the gentleness of the man. It is nice to finally meet you properly, Farrow. Ophelia remarks with a gentle smile and a nod of her head, before proceeding to introduce herself. I'm Ophelia, of Vermeda. But I suspect you already know the scent my pride carries - it's hard not to when it's been around for all these years. And who could she blame? They were natives first and foremost, lions who thrived in the land that Maua had so gracefully provided them.

So when the herd of rhinoceros made their way into Grimoire's Labyrinth, Ophelia knew that there was something wrong. That, combined with the strange turns in weather and the danger that so many lions seemed to be in, Ophelia knew that something was awry. Looking to Farrow before continuing, Ophelia continued round the winding trails of the Labyrinth, proceeding to venture deeper and deeper into its complex system. Eventually she found the herd, but strangely enough they had settled, laying together peacefully with young in the middle. The poor weather and the threat of the storms must have driven them to the safety that Grimoire's provided.

Tickets
+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey
+2 - Pray to a god or deity for guidance
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 - Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before

Trade Exp
+5 - BWP-related EXP
+5 Study herd migration habits (2/2)
+5 Study the weather and how it will affect hunting (1/2)
+5 Follow the scent of prey (2/2)

code / artwork / background

Indeed, their years spent in the Brook seemed to have been a crux, a strange crossroads where they'd often scented each other or seen each other in passing yet had never truly met each other, until now. How lucky they were to meet now, like this, amidst all this chaos and destruction and strange weather. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you, too, Ophy.” Farrow grins at his usual charm, having always delighted in giving nicknames to those he'd acquainted himself with. He'd hope, at the very least, that he'd get to see more of her around the Brook. Hopefully, when all things had begun to settle down and relent.

The deeper they got into the Labyrinth, the calmer things seemed to be. The weather outside could not quite penetrate this far deep inside the cave, and it seemed the rhinoceros were more keen to that than the lions were. Farrow paused just behind @Ophelia, his gaze wandering over the settle herd; dust still kicked up from their great escape but now settling. Some were snoozing, others tending to their young. There were no greenery here for them to eat but there was plenty of cold pools to drink from. Farrow turned toward his companion, a brow raised, his voice not going above a whisper as to not give their position away. “I guess here is the only place they can escape?”

Ophelia pauses as she comes round the corner and observed as they seemed to peacefully go about their business. It was nice to witness such a display of affection that was rare to see. So often, lions were on the predator end of prey, and did not stop to consider the family aspects of such a herd. Though, her attention is quickly snapped away when Farrow gave her a nickname, something which she had never been given before - not by anyone other than family. No one has ever called me that before, She whispers, finding herself feeling some sort of emotion she had never really experienced before.

Though soon their attention turns back to the herd, and she simply hums at his comment. I guess. She pauses, looking at them some more, before observing them all settling down for a well deserved nap. It's fascinating, isn't it? She remarks with a twinkle in her eye at such a phenomenon. Turning around and satisfied with her original enquiry, Ophelia feels as though it is time to leave them be. Shall we leave them to their nap, and we go elsewhere to see what else we can find? She asks, heading back in the opposite direction and hoping Farrow would follow.

Exit with Farrow

Tickets
+1 - Make a BWP-related post
+2 - Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 - Assess the impacts of the weather on herds and prey
+2 - Pray to a god or deity for guidance
+2 - Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 - Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before

Trade Exp
+5 - BWP-related EXP
+5 Study herd migration habits (2/2)
+5 Study the weather and how it will affect hunting (2/2)
+5 Follow the scent of prey (2/2)

code / artwork / background