claiming welcome

Willow moves quietly, her pale ears drawn forward at full attention. She doesn't know this place or its inhabitants, so she treads with caution. It cannot be worse than the place she was born, surely, but there is enough healthy fear instilled deep within her breast to hesitate. Why she has been called to Amaryllis is unknown, but she hopes in time all will become clear. She sucks in a nervous breath and presses on, holding her head high as she marches into the unknown. What she will find here is a mystery and despite the trepidation thudding in her heart, Willow is.. excited.

And that, she knows, is more dangerous than anything else.

Sniff sniff. Ocean air, salty breeze, hint of bird and... lioness. Violarum pinpoints the location of a rogue woman through a chin-high snuffle, jaw hung loosely ajar to taste the winter wind. Eventually, he wanders onwards, strides heavy and pace lazy, a previously useless forelimb host to little more than an awkward limp now.

"Hello," he greets her, gold and simple and delightfully feminine. Golden forelimbs cease their toe-dragging efforts, coming to stand nearby, doing nothing to hide the wander of crimson gaze. "Want to come to Ecrosia Mire with me?" why not? Didn't look like she had any place else to be.

@Willow

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She isn't alone for long.

Willow pauses when the wind shifts, bringing an undeniably masculine scent on the breeze. The trepidation that flashes through her is short-lived when she realizes it is a stranger and nothing more, unless.. no, no. She won't allow herself to become paranoid in this land of fresh starts and brand new chances. The lioness does her best to appear calm and collected, something she is well practiced with from her childhood days. When the man finally forms on the horizon, he greets her and suggests they go.. where? Willow blinks, a bit taken aback. {"Forgive my ignorance, but what is Ecrosia Mire?"} her head cants gently to the left as she wonders, studying him with her icy blue eyes. {"And who are you, sir?"} Willow adds softly, the tug of a good natured smile pulling at the corners of her lips. {"My name is Willow."}

@Violarum

She seems a bit bewildered by his forward approach, and Violarum finds himself momentarily confused - as if forgetting not all lions had traversed this land before, or as if there was a great big sign that told of the territories purpose. Eventually however, he backpedals enough to hopefully be somewhat enlightening.

"Ecrosia Mire is a good place, muddy but good. A prideland. There are other pridelands but ours is probably the best," he pauses, noting the warmth of her lady-like smile. @Willow seemed nice enough. "Violarum, Sovereign of The Mire. I can show you? You don't have to stay if you don't like it," a quiet shrug of hefty shoulders. No point keeping the lady if she was going to become bitter about it he supposed.

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Willow craves the stability of a home. She yearns to feel safe and as far away from her past as possible, but is she foolish enough to simply go home with the first man she finds? Her tail twitches thoughtfully as she listens to him, her gaze intense as she tries to sift through his offer. If she is allowed to leave whenever she wants.. well, she supposes there's nothing to lose.

But what if it's a lie?

Willow tastes blood in her mouth and realizes too late she has been anxiously chewing on the inside of her cheek. Ugh. The lioness swallows it down with a gulp before finding the courage to ask: "If I join, will I be protected? Safe?" Will this man fight for her if need be, or is she merely a number?

@Violarum

Though usually oblivious to most social queues, Vio is vaguely aware of her quiet unease - though perhaps not sensing the extent of it. He watches her keenly, though his body-language is ever aloof, his mind is quite faithfully fixated upon her. Admittedly, he did mostly want to take @Willow home to add to the numbers, and maybe even for the props, but given a chance to get to know her he'd willingly give himself further.

"Hey," an excitement washes over him, the large male perking up with a roll of his shoulders and the cup of round ears, "That's what we do best." He looked down at his leg, though it was no longer splinted it was clearly weaker, "Broke my leg fighting for one of our yearlings." Perhaps more so for his pride, but still.

"Come on, it'll be fun," and with that he sought to pivot away from her, a backwards glance over shoulder hoping she will follow, "I'll look after you. Alaric too."

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He seems genuine enough, she thinks, but her track record would suggest that she shouldn't trust herself. Perhaps it's a bit depressing for an adult woman to be so untrusting of her gut or maybe it isn't, Willow doesn't have the life experience to know. Still, she feels somehow reassured when @Violarum shows off his healing leg. If a yearling warrants that much of a fight, she wonders what he might do for the others in his pride. Willow drums her toes along the earth, considering the options, before noticing the man is pulling away. It'll be fun. Well, she's certainly curious about that now. "Okay," she finally concedes with a sheepish grin, trailing off after him with a newfound bounce in her step.

exit w/vio

Although he certainly appreciates @Willow as more than a number, he is definitely going to carve a +1 into his secret tally stone. Or he would if he had one. Though, trying to do better at leading than Ronin was less fun when he now held the rank of second in command. It felt almost like he was required to be better than him, instead of it being a bonus to the ego.

Regardless, Willow is a good lioness. She looked good, she talked good and she seemed friendly. He supposed he'd have to set her up with the right sorts though - no doubt Ghyslaine would happily befriend her.

-- exit with Willow to EM

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