cassandra

It still seemed so surreal to have her own sons and daughters. Of course she mourned for the one that her and Myrkvi had lost, and she’d never forget her little Anima. She’d just put all that extra love into her four surviving cubs - Eisa, Lukas, Analía, and Imber. They were the perfect blend of herself and her husband, and they had oh so quickly become her whole world. Rarely did she leave her den these days, not wanting to leave them be for even a moment - especially with this cold weather in the Brook.

But other than just the cold, Cassandra didn’t want to leave them at all. She could hardly take her eyes off of the four little squirming bundles at her belly. The young mother was tired, but the little noises her children made made the tiredness affect her less it seemed. A soft rumble of contentment left her as she gently nuzzle the four babes at her belly before she nudged them even closer to keep them nice and warm. Lifting a paw, she pulled some of the many pelts closer around herself and the cubs to make sure they stayed nice and warm.

She now understood what she’d been told - that everything would be worth it once she saw them, and that nothing would take her away from them easily. One would have to knock her unconscious or incapacitate her in some other way to get her to leave her cubs for more than a few moments at a time.

@Farrow

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

The weather had taken a turn for the worse. The approaching spring seemed to have not come fast enough, or was beaten back by the brutal winter who persisted in its stay. Oddly enough, it seemed to only affect the most northern of Amaryllis' territories, and as soon as Farrow ventured south, there were stranger, warmer weather occurrences happening. Compared to some of the peninsula, he considered they'd perhaps gotten off easy. This extension of winter and the frequent snowfall would have been more manageable for the older lions of the Brook, but Farrow knew that @Cassandra had recently welcomed newborns, and that the chill of winter would be felt much harder for her and her children than anyone else who may have bared it better.

He had collected a mass of pelts. A few were leftover from his own den, and others were hunted and skinned over the past few days. It had taken him a greater deal of time than he wished, but he knew the fragility of cubs required expertise, and he could not afford to give them something made haphazardly. Despite the nature of his and Cassandra's relationship, he'd still cared for her, and had wanted the best for what were technically his grandchildren through his marriage to Talisa. Though, he'd felt rather undeserving of the title.

But he would not give up. He may not have been able to have been there much for his shared children with Talisa and Morrigan, but he would endeavor to be there now. Venturing just outside of the den, Farrow let out a low and muffled chuff, the mass of pelts collected between his jaws and strewn about his feet. It may have been overboard, but it would at least let the new mother pick from what she liked.

cassandra

A cold wind started to blow into her den, and she braced herself against it, using one of the pelts and her own fluffy fur to cover the four newborns at her belly. They were still so little, so fragile. She had not expected the weather to take this sort of turn, or she would've waited to start a family with her husband. It was why she so rarely left her den since their birth. There was family a plenty to help keep her fed and comfortable, as they understood why she didn't want to leave the four of them at all. Her body heat, along with the pelts, would go a long way to keep them warm and safe from the weird winter weather.

The wind finally abated, but as it was disappearing she caught a familiar scent on the wind. One she wasn't exactly sure how to react to - @Farrow. Almost as if to confirm her suspicions, a low but muffled chuff sounded from outside of her den. A dark ear pushed back for a moment, that instinct to protect her sons and daughters from threats pushing upward for a few heartbeats. But she realized it would be far better to at the very least tolerate Farrow, for the sake of her sisters and moms, than to outright hate him. "Come in." Cassandra said, curling tighter around her cubs while tucking the pelt over them to keep them even warmer.

Her back was to the den entrance, but not because she wished to be rude to her visitors. It was the best way to keep the chill away from her cubs - by putting herself between the only way the wind could blow in and her little cubs. She wasn't sure what Farrow wanted, but she supposed she might as well find out what was going on.

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

He knew she knew he was there. It was a sinking feeling, one that half-compelled Farrow to drop the pelts off at the entrance of her den, wish her well, and take his leave. Perhaps it would've been better if he'd done that, perhaps it would've been more amicable. But for so long had Farrow endured the distaste of his stepdaughter, and even with his age and experience, he never quite understood it. He'd spent much of his time in the Brook, but perhaps it had not been enough. And when he'd been stolen away into the wilds it had not been of his choosing. He'd no time at all to enjoy the raising of his daughters with Talisa, nor was he able to bare witness to the ones he'd had with Morrigan. Had he'd known what all might have been coming, he would have fettered himself to the Brook simply so he could devote his time to his family.

He wondered that, even then, if that would've been enough for @Cassandra.

He shouldered his way into the den, the lioness' back to him, shielding her cubs away from a world that was freezing and burning all at once. And even in such unprecedented times, they were not spared the whims of ambitious lions, those of which who'd have their way come hell or high water. It left them vulnerable, bared raw to the fancies of their machinations. And the most vulnerable of them were in the most danger.

Farrow stayed a comfortable distance from her, but aimed to try and drape one of his gifts across her as well, not wanting to jostle her or her cubs too much by shoving them all to the side for her to get herself. But he did nothing else, wanting neither a tongue-lashing nor a swift swipe to the face. “It doesn't look like the snowstorm will let up soon,” he remarked, attempting to navigate a more casual conversation without coming right out and begging for her forgiveness, or asking what all he'd done in order to make him beg for it in the first place. His other daughters had understood him and loved him regardless. Why wouldn't shy? “Figured some fresh pelts may help.”

cassandra

She could be cordial and political, and try her best to get along with her stepfather. If only for her sisters' sakes. She knew her sisters adored him, even if he had left them without a word. Sure he said he'd been captured and kept prisoner, but internally her sharp words in their first meeting since his disappearance had been hormone fueled, and partially out of concern for her family itself. How did they know that whoever had captured him would not come back to finish the job? That his presence here could potentially be dangerous to everyone within the Brook, especially the most vulnerable amount then.

As he entered her den, one purple eye peered at him from the corner. She was not planning on moving. She'd finally gotten her little ones asleep and quiet for the time being, and she knew it wouldn't be long until they awake again, hungry and looking for the milk she could provide. Him being there caused memories of her youth to push forward again. Of her mom telling her and her siblings they were gonna have younger siblings. To Talisa introducing them to @Farrow himself. At that point in time, Morrigan hadn't been living with them in the Brook, and it felt like her mom had been trying to replace the monochrome lioness as well as herself and her brothers with a new mate and new cubs. She'd been young, and not as versed in how the world worked at that point in time

It was a surprise, then, when her stepfather carefully draped a pelt over her. An eyebrow raised as she turned her head more fully in his direction as he mentioned the snowstorm not looking like it was stopping anytime soon. "The whole world is falling apart - it's not just here that's affected to my knowledge." Cassandra said with a flick of an ear. As to why he'd stopped by in the first place, it seemed it was for a very similar reason that her uncle had stopped by before they were born. "At this rate my den will be the warmest in the territory." She said, a half laugh escaping her before she realized it.

She could do this. She could make nice with him, if only for the sake of the rest of her family. It was hard, as those memories from her youth of feeling like she was not good enough for her mom kept rearing their ugly head within her mind. But she supposed he deserved to at least meet her cubs, as since he was a shared husband between her mother's (she presumed anyways) they were technically his grandcubs as well. "You can come see them, if you want." Cassandra said, keeping a neutral tone. She didn't try to encourage him one way or the other, but perhaps now was the time to try to heal the issues she had with him. She was older now, more mature. She wasn't the same bratty cub who had left her mother's side to go live in a different pride entirely.

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

His was indeed a strange relationship to the outside eye, an interloper who showed up on Talisa's doorstep and had fallen for her in that first instance. It was entirely reasonable to be mistakenly considered a replacement, something of which Farrow could have scarcely blamed @Cassandra for had he'd known that it was the root of her distaste. But he'd loved Talisa, and he'd loved Morrigan, the entirety of his soul dedicated to the two women who'd tied down an otherwise untamable man. He'd never do anything to bring hurt to them, and if it were true that whoever was still after him (though, Farrow was pretty sure he'd killed them all), and his wives had asked him to leave, he would have done so for their protection.

As it were, he were here now, and he'd every intention of mending the wounds that had been opened in his disappearance.

He nodded in concurrence with her observation. Though he tried not to stray too far from the Brook, he had noticed that the rest of the world seemed just as blighted. “The rainforests are burning,” he responded with a nod, “And the far north is frozen over. I'd been forced to hunt further and further south.” In fact, he'd worked overtime with his hunting and patrolling. This weather seemed to have stirred the ambitions in some lions, and Farrow could here from even here the calls for prides he'd decidedly ignored.

At this rate my den will be the warmest in the territory. He smiled, slightly, curling his long dark tail around his forepaws. The den was just tall enough for him to sit at full height, peering down upon Cassandra and the pelts that drape her and her cubs. “As it should be,” he returned humorously. Cubs struggled to regulate their temperatures, and he remembered the way he'd curled around Arden, Renly, Nienna, and Tormund when they were just as small. He flinched at the thought of his son. He paused, looked down. Sighed. You can come see them, if you want. Farrow perked up, his grief drawn away at the proposition. Slowly and wordlessly, he inched forward, until he was hovering over Cassandra just enough to catch a glimpse of the cubs are her belly. He smiled.

“They're beautiful, Cass. You've done a wonderful job.”

cassandra

Perhaps now that she was a mother herself, it was time to try to fix whatever issues she'd had with @Farrow for so long. Her children needed all the family and protection they could get, considering their heritage. Their bloodline was hated by another, even though they had done nothing wrong themselves. A soft nuzzle was given to each of her babes in turn, hardly finding herself wanting to tear her eyes away from them for too terribly long. "Something is happening in Amaryllis, and I worry for the safety of my children... what if this weather stays like this?" Cassandra said softly, worry clear in her voice as she spoke.

Thankfully, two of her children seemed to sport the same fluffiness that she herself did. For that, she was grateful. As Farrow leaned over to see the four of them, she moved the pelt slightly enough for them to be a bit more visible. Touching her nose to each one in turn, she would speak their names. "Eisa, Lukas, Analía, and Imber. Two boys, and two girls.." She said, giving each one a nuzzle as well as she spoke their names. "Did... did anyone tell you Myrkvi and I lost one as well..?" She asked, glancing to the dark male as she covered the four babes back up with the pelts. Cassandra wasn't sure if Farrow was aware of the daughter she'd lost before she could even meet this world. She wasn't aware of who all knew that fact aside from those who had been there to see them their first day in this world.

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

Farrow knew that, should @Cassandra dislike him to the ends of their lifetimes, he would still have loved her children regardless. Though not his grandchildren by blood, they were born of one who'd been the most precious gift from Maua to his two most precious lionesses. Her worry for them was a worry Farrow had, too, even for his own children who had all grown up now. “If this is not part of Maua's plan, than we must believe they will save us from this,” he encouraged. Farrow had once not believed in any Gods, but without Maua, Cassandra and her siblings would not be here. She was living proof that such a benevolent being existed out there, looking out for the best interests of their people. The blood of the last true remaining natives of this place ran through Cassandra and the rest of the Valour.

He smiled fondly at their names, his eyes resting upon each and every little nuzzling babe as she spoke of them. Farrow had been blessed with mostly girls, a feat he'd rather cozied up to over the years. He'd never been prouder of the strong women Talisa and Morrigan seemed to produce, and was more than content to be along for the ride. Her news, however, quickly drew away the comfort and warmth Farrow felt, replacing it with something deeper. Dread. Grief. “I'm so sorry, Cass,” he whispered. Once, he might have been young and ignorant and bold enough to tell her that it was the way of things. He'd witnessed enough of life's atrocities to know she should be thankful to have four living cubs.

But then he, too, experienced loss.

He wondered what Tormund would have looked like, now, what he would have been like. His only son, forever a cub. Wanting for nothing. Loved unconditionally, even in death. “The hurt never quite leaves,” he admitted, looking away, grief plain in his expression, “but it gets easier with time, I think. You cherish more what is still here with you.” And if it were up to him, Farrow would never leave his daughters' sides ever again.

cassandra

A flick of an ear was given as @Farrow spoke of this not being part of Maria's plan. She knew better that it was not Maua's doing. The pink deity was too benevolent and kind to even think about tearing the world apart like it seemed to be doing. "Whatever is happening in this land... I can be certain it is not of Maua's doing. They do not have mean fiber in their being to cause the phenomena that has been occuring across the land. Whatever's happening, is obviously something out of Maua's control." Cassandra said quietly, glancing past Farrow at the world outside.

Upon his apology for her loss of a daughter, Cassandra kinda just shrugged it off. If she didn't think about it too much, it hurt that much less. "Myrkvi named her Anima. We thought she deserved a name regardless.." She said softly, thinking of how her husband had opted to name their lost daughter rather than letting her go unnamed. "Part of me wonders if it was something I did wrong during my pregnancy. Maybe I shouldn't have continued with my duties as long as I did..." Cassandra said, pushing an ear back as she spoke.

She hadn't realize how much they had in common these days. Both her and Farrow had lost a child, though hers hadn't even had a chance to experience the world whereas her little brother had only just started his life. A half laugh escaped Cassandra as she thought about how much she had despised Farrow when she was younger. "Ya know, I thought I'd hate you my whole life. Same with Arden, Nienna, Renly and Tormund." Cassandra admitted, pushing an ear back as she spoke.

Art by Cala & Code by Zodiac

This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of miscarriage/stillbirth.

For so long had he believed in the brutal reality of nature, one that lacked the gentle hands of divinity guiding it toward a higher purpose, that sometimes he found himself with doubt. In moments like these he found it hard for Maua to be guiltless, to not have some sort of paw in what chaos they may have created or let rage unchallenged. It were only the reassurances of the Valour that kept him believing, holding out onto the hope that perhaps, like @Cassandra suggestion, this were something far out of Maua's control. Perhaps they would need to find the time and strength to overcome it.

The raw hurt Farrow had felt upon finding his son had caused him to shut down, to shutter away the aching wounds that festered and burned and ached. He'd become numb for a time, refusing to leave the grave of a boy, his boy, who'd only just begun to experience the joy of a life gone without war, without strife. It was hard to compare his own reaction to Cassandra, to see through her eyes the birth of a cub not meant for this life, to feel grief as she felt it.

“You didn't do anything wrong,” he immediately said, hurt at the idea that Cassandra blamed herself. “I've seen women fight in wars while pregnant and come out with healthy babes, and I've seen women do everything right and lose an entire litter.” It were the cruel reality of things. If Farrow had any say, women would never have to endure such an undeserving sadness.

He softened at her last remark. A sadness fell onto his expression, one deepened with years of happiness lost for so long. “I know I came rather suddenly,” he began, and though he knew well that Talisa and Morrigan had always shared their love beyond their own relationship, he knew just how hard it might have been for Cassandra to have come to accept that. “But it was never my intention to do anything but love your mothers and you with my entirety.” Perhaps, if things had gone a better way, he would have found the courage to consider Cassandra his own, just as Talisa and Morrigan had both come to call daughters the litters they'd bore with Farrow.