She couldn't shake the curiosity that had gripped her following the encounter with that large lion in the Thicket. The scent that clung to his pelt smelled damp and of stone. Stuff she hadn't come across before. Using her skills as a tracker, Cáelfind had managed to track down where he lived. Why? She didn't know. But he intrigued her for some odd reason. Perhaps it was because he was different than the other lions she'd met in the world prior to this land.

She wasn't sure, but it had drawn her to try to track him down again. But obviously she would only come this way at night. As she grew closer to what the strong scent that had radiated off his pelt, the scent of more lions started to flood her nose. Crap. What was she wandering towards? This couldn't be okay for her.. what if all the lions here wanted to attack her?! Tail flipping nervously at her heels, Cáelfind let out a few soft chuffs for the lion she'd met in the Thicket.

@Mircea

//OOC - she is outside the borders

text. "speech."

Lineart by NorthernRed | Table code by Zodiac

It's not an unusual occurrence, to find Mircea prowling along the Hollow's borders in the dead of night. A ghoul dappled with moonlight, massive paws plodding heavily along the scent line with his head dropped down low, renewing scent markers with a methodicalness that was rather impressive considering the nature of the job. A gleaming tan gaze peers through the shadows of the unclaimed wilderness all the while, the beast deviating from his course only to investigate the most suspicious shapes and odd rustlings.

What is an unusual occurrence, is being called by a voice on the outside.

He does not disguise his answering approach, twigs and gravel alike crunching beneath his feet as he pushes through a small copse of foliage, his ghostly visage emerging from the ragged shrubbery to blink away a spark of surprise upon catching sight of that lovely lilac tigress from the Thicket standing before him, the moonlight casting her stripes and pale fur alike in a silver glow.

"You rang?" He rumbles out, tipping his skull an expectant inch towards the petite woman. Countless guesses as to why @Cáelfind might have followed him here thrum in his mind, ceasing only when he forces them to still on his next exhale.

He is a patient beast, after all.

+5 Patrol your borders

Art & Table code by Zodiac

She had not realized beforehand that the scent laying heavily on his pelt when they'd first met had been that of a pride of lions. Anxiety started to flood through her as she considered just leaving and escaping from the area before anyone noticed her presence here. Even if she'd already called softly for the one she'd met before, there was still a part of her that worried she would be attacked for merely coming along the borders of a lion pride. Every fiber of her being said to turn and to run, and to never look back.

Alas, her decision was made at the sound of twigs and gravel crunching beneath paws. Her heart raced for a moment, not sure who it was approaching her. Had someone else answered her soft summons? Her heart and breathing steadied once she realized it was the familiar large frame of the one she'd met in the Thicket. His simple statement caught her in a moment of silence, unable to find the words as to the reason why she'd called for the lion she'd met in the Thicket.

At least it was him who had answered her soft call and not someone else...? A soft exhale of breath, and then she quietly started to speak. "I was... curious. I'd not scented a combination of scents before that you had when we met in the thicker. I did not realize you belonged to a pride though..." She said, her voice trailing off as she spoke.

Curiosity was definitely a good reasoning as to why she'd tracked his scent down here. Definitely not the fact that she was strangely intrigued by him for reasons unknown to her.

@Mircea

text. "speech."

Lineart by NorthernRed | Table code by Zodiac

Had the tigress always had stars twinkling throughout her soft-looking fur, a scattering of pale speckles winking at him wherever the unique plum and lilac shades of her pelt shifted in the breeze. Of course, she must have, but the glow of the moon has brought them out more. Or maybe Mircea simply hadn't noticed them before, when caution had so densely filled the ample space between them. This time, the height of the treetops do not separate them so clearly.

@Cáelfind looks a bit like a deer caught in the headlights, her small, near-frozen stance giving away the fact that she still holds the spirit of that caution closely. Not that Mircea really notices, until the sound of her exhale catches his ear, and he promptly lifts his chin attentively as she finally speaks. As if that could cover up the fact that he'd been staring.

But soon, her explanation trails off into silence. One that, presumably, is left for him to fill. "Obsidian Hollow." He jerks his head vaguely in the direction from whence he had came. "My family rules the caverns beneath the mountains. They do not hunt tigers, either." Was there an undertone of teasing in that last line meant to comfort? Well no matter, he speaks the truth regardless. The Hollow still have one last tiger living amongst them, in fact.

Silently, Mircea prays that Dimitri is not the true last of the Katona.

He pauses then, tan eyes blinking at her slowly in contemplation. "You are welcome to take a closer look. If that will satisfy your curiosity." It is an offering of trust, to have such an invitation come from his lips.

But trust is an enigma that must go both ways.

Art & Table code by Zodiac

Without her treetops, she felt much more vulnerable and exposed to those who wished to do her harm. Tail flicked nervously at her heels as she stood on the neutral side of the borders, hesitant of the location she was at currently. Duotoned eyes darted around behind @Mircea, making sure that no others were following behind him and coming after her. She was still a nervous wreck around most lions, and would likely have bolted if another other than the large lion in front of her had shown up.

Her eyes would attempt to meet his gaze as she spoke, noticing the lift of his chin and feeling her fur grow warm on her cheeks at noticing that he’d been staring at her.

"A-Aren’t the caverns dangerous if an earthquake happens, or if someone wanted to hurt you guys?" She asked, not sure what to think of the fact that they lives within caves. Wasn’t it dangerous? A slight breathless chuckle as he spoke of his family not hunting tigers either.

"W-Won’t your family be mad if you bring someone strange into their lands?" She asked, taking a hesitant step closer towards him as she spoke. She didn’t want to impose, or risk his family getting mad at him or chasing her out - regardless of his assurance that his family didn’t hunt tigers.

text. "speech."

Lineart by NorthernRed | Table code by Zodiac

The densely woven branches of a treetop canopy, or the winding, shadowy tunnels of a mountain labyrinth - what was a comforting hideaway to one individual could easily seem confusing and claustrophobic to another. Not that Mircea harbored an intense hatred for the forests or anything. He didn't care all that much, in general. He'd probably have been living in a desert if his brother hadn't won this sanctuary for them instead.

But picking a hundred leaves out of his mane could get irritating after awhile, he supposed. And he wasn't even the type to fret over his hair.

If he noticed that she noticed the way his gaze had lingered, the dappled male wisely keeps his mouth shut about it, rolling his shoulder in a loose shrug when the tigress voiced her concerns. "We trust in the Mother and the strength of her embrace. Attacking us in our own maze would be unwise." Though he tirelessly keeps guard, even so. "If the caves collapse...I suspect we'd have brought it upon ourselves.."

Oh, but he certainly hopes that none of his kin would ever be so bold as to incur the Mother's wrath upon their heads. He prays, even.

When the lilac tigress takes a step forward, Mircea takes a step back, but only so that he can pull the rattling branches of the shrubs away from her path. "Not at all. They would welcome you." If anything, some of his kin would probably welcome her too enthusiastically.

Probably best to hope that the likes of Hadyn were too soundly asleep to bother popping out from the cliffs.

Art & Table code by Zodiac

A breath released from her as no other lion came out of the darkness behind @Mircea, tension falling from her frame that she didn't even realize she was holding in until it fell from her. Tail twitched behind her, eyes still watching cautiously behind his larger frame - just in case someone surprised them both by popping up unannounced.

"But - is there not the concern that someone might know the tunnels better..?" Cáelfind asked, concern etching her tone. She was personally afraid that if she stepped into those tunnels that she'd never make her way out of them again - that someone or something would trap her within the walls of the tunnels. Curiosity warred with her hesitance to wander into the mouth of a lion's den - literally in this case - and she hesitated after the single step forward.

A puzzled look was given to Mircea then, as he spoke of his family welcoming her rather than being mad. "That's... strange. Why would they welcome me of all things?" She asked, tilting her head as she spoke. Duotoned eyes noticed that he had pulled away the branches that blocked off the path into the tunnels, and her gaze flickered between the dark hole and Mircea himself.

A deep breath.

Then another.

Another step forward was taken, though in her nervousness she hadn't spotted the root in front of her paw. Catching one of her front paws on it, the lilac tigress started to tumble forward, momentum carrying her towards Mircea if he didn't move out of the way.

text. "speech."

Lineart by NorthernRed | Table code by Zodiac

He is not necessarily the only beast with a penchant for roaming these great halls long after the sun has set. But the nights are quiet more often than not. His kin rest while the ghoul keeps watch and so far, tonight does not seem terribly different in that regard. It's just as well.

He has neither want nor need for any extra excitement beyond this.

Her concern is not an illogical one. Who could say how much the lions of Wolfbron might know about the mountain labyrinth, when one of their own had once ruled this place? "Someone with that knowledge may exist. But they would not know our tricks." Could there be any others who knew of the hidden passageway to their sacred desert shelter? It seemed unlikely.

But he would endure far worse than a crafty opponent before he allowed his family to be driven from their home so easily. "Or our stubbornness."

They did not deserve to suffer such loss again.

"You would hardly be a strange sight to them. There is a tiger in our ranks still - his presence is honored." Just as yours would be. It's a shame that @Cáelfind was so startled by the idea of being welcomed. A natural consequence, of course, of the experiences life had thrown at her. Natural - but still a bit sad. "Moreover, does one need a grand reason to welcome a friend?" He suggests, honey-toned gaze watching closely to see what she might think about being called a 'friend.' There were little more than acquaintances in truth, but...

Was it wrong to think that surprise visit may suggest that that might not always be true?

Another inch of trust is symbolized by the physical step that she takes, closer to him and the yawning mouth of the cave. If only Mircea had been perceptive enough to warn her...Alas.

He is too slow to react to her stumble beyond a surprised huff of breath. Not that it matters. The giant barely budges when the petite woman crashes into his side, though he is quick to lean down (she really is small) to steady her warm shoulder against his own. "Careful." He grunts chidingly, looking down into Cáelfind's vibrant, mismatched eyes. It had not been so easy to take notice of their sparkling jewel-like qualities before, in the thicket. Up close, they seem enchanting.

As the initial shock wore off, the realization of how close they actually are now bolts through him like lightning, the warm softness of her striped fur brushing against his, the thrum of blood beneath her skin, the feel of her breath tickling at the inky locks of his mane. When was the last time he had been touched by someone who was not family? The contact is strangely electric, and indeed - he draws back as if he'd been stung by sparks, attempting to recompose himself by clearing his throat.

"Sorry." He rumbles, resolutely turning his eyes away to stare into the dark, behaving for all the world as if he had fallen into her. "After you?"

Art & Table code by Zodiac

She tended to sway between the day and night, tending to remain awake long after the sun had gone down. It was a survival aspect in her case. Others tended to be more awake during the daytime, so as such she had taken to living awake within the twilight. It was how she had managed to make it in this land for so long without much issue. She hunted in the dusk, and after the sun had set.

The way he spoke of his family and their knowledge of the lands. It intrigued her. She'd never been part of a large, close-knit family before since it had been just her and her mother for when she was younger. And then it was just her on her own for the last year and a half of her life or so.

A soft smile graced her face as he spoke of her hardly being a strange sight. Interesting that they would honor the presence of a tiger... Most lions she'd come across did quite the opposite when it came to tigers. At the mention of @Mircea calling her a friend, Cáelfind felt her cheeks grow warm.

The amount of trust she was placing in him in coming forward at all, thinking of following the path down into the tunnels.

And then her trip and stumble could've easily screwed up the tiny bit of confidence she'd had there.

At his word of careful, her duotoned eues met his as he looked down at her. They had not been this close before - and she had not realized how quite large he was... Nor how honey-golden his eyes were.

She had not realized just how close they were until around when he did. The last time she'd been touched by a lion had not been kind, and thankfully she did not bear the physical marks of that encounter.

A few heartbeats went by, though it felt longer than that. Some odd part of her felt inclined to press her nose into his mane, see if it was as soft as it appeared to be. Giving in to her odd desire to do so, Cáelfind would attempt to push her muzzle briefly into his mane if he'd allow her to before he drew back and cleared his throat.

And then, it was almost as if he was the one who had fallen. "I-It's not your fault.. I tripped..." She said softly, white tipped tail curling around her ankles. Composing herself mentally, the lilac tiger took a few steps forward, trusting that the words spoken by Mircea of his family and pride not minding her presence were true...

text. "speech."

Art by Drifty | Table code by Zodiac