ooc: no VB or FR please! Any other prides are welcome to have a go at him.

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He'd been following rumors, leads, stories, and whatever else he could find to come to this place that had drawn so many others of his family here. It seemed most if not all of their fathers first litter had come this way, and a portion of the younger litter too. Perhaps he would be the first half brother showing up on their doorsteps.

The truth was, things had been a little too tame at home for Amadeus. So he had set off looking for adventure, following in his brothers' paw steps. It had taken him a bit to find this place, but now he found himself standing at the end of a strip of land connecting this island to the mainland. It was a sunny spring day; a little cool, with a breeze teasing the ocean into waves that lapped at the edges of the passage. Before him lay a new world, ripe for the picking.

Or so he imagined.

A smirk spread across his jaws. The scent of other lions was strong here. It seemed many came and went through this passage. Well, now it was his turn, and Amadeus was more than ready for whatever this place had in store for him.

Ghyslaine

Back at the passage, she wandered around- determined to find a suitable soul to bring back to the Mire. The last few days that she had passed through there had been scents but she hadn’t encountered anyone. Today it seemed, would perhaps be different.

The small wheaten lioness approached the fresh scent of a male, studying him as he came into view. “Hello. Welcome to Amaryllis. My name is Ghyslaine, Gentry of Ecrosia Mire… are you seeking information of the prides here?” Are you looking for a home, stranger? Would the Mire be a suitable home for you?

So she takes a polite seat and waits with a kind smile on her jaws as her mind races while she studies him.

@Amadeus

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Before he has a chance to move off on his own, a small lioness approaches him. Her wheat pelt would be plain if it weren't for the very strange markings on her fur. For a moment, Amadeus thought she had dyed her fur somehow to form the strange symbols. In fact, even as she came closer, he wasn't certain if they were natural or not. So his eyes skimmed her repeatedly, his gaze openly curious, questioning.

The first thing that caught his attention when she spoke was that she didn't share a family name. Either she didn't have one or had a reason to not share it (or perhaps didn't find it important enough to share). It gave him doubts on if he should share his own surname here, though it was nothing to be afraid of.

None of this had an effect on his demeanor. He had a self-confident smirk settled on his muzzle as he studied her and took in what she said. So, this was a claiming ground of sorts. He wasn't unfamiliar with things like that. "Well hello @Ghyslaine of the Mire," he said, breaking into a smile. "My home got a little too tame for my liking. I'm looking for some excitement. I can fight and hunt." He thought quite highly of himself, but he didn't need to go into things. His skills lay in fighting and hunting. "Is the Mire looking for anything in particular?"

Remembering his manners at the last moment he added, "I'm Amadeus Miroslav," forgetting that he might not want to share his last name until later.

Ghyslaine

She studies the male in silence with a friendly smile, and when he speaks, she dips her head politely, her ears pricking at his words. Well, the Mire was anything but tame. Especially in the wake of the recent war.

“The Mire is definitely not tame. We’re recently recovering from a war, and are currently building up our ranks.” She shares, and though she probably shouldn’t lead with the war. “We won the war, by the way. We’re a pretty strong pride.” She added. “Alaric rules us, and he is a fair leader- he doesn’t look for trouble, but when it finds us- we don’t back down.”

The male offers his name, and she blinks, but reigns in any other notice of his last name. Miroslav Related to the Oasis males?

“The Mire is looking for warriors and hunters- those who are strong and wise in that strength. We’re a rather large pride, and growing every day.” She offers proudly, and adds with a smile. “The Mire has a sneaky way of becoming like family, I have to admit. I’m not particularly fond of the landscape myself... but they’re family.” She adds, honestly.

Perhaps this isn’t what the male wants, but it is what she offers. A chance at glory and a family that would have his back.

Not to mention his surname being something that may interest Alaric, if he chooses to join her.

@Amadeus

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The Mire was certainly sounding interesting if all that she said really had happened recently. Of course, the name was serving as a bit of a deterrent. Mire generally meant muddy and swampy. He was far from vain, but that didn't mean he liked his paws being coated in muck on a regular basis. Would the benefits outweigh the downfalls?

"Mire sounds rather unwelcoming," he teased a little. "It's not at all where I'd expect someone like you to come from." A roundabout way of saying he thought @Ghyslaine was pretty with her golden coat and strange markings. "But I'll admit you've got me interested. A war you say? Who against?" If he was going to opt to join them then he might as well know who his enemies would be.

He was blissfully unaware that those enemies were his own family. But then...fighting family wouldn't necessarily be a new concept for someone from the Miroslav line.

Ghyslaine

She couldn’t help the chuckle that came from her at his words about the Mire sounding unwelcoming. She had to admit that it wasn’t her choice in scenery. “It isn’t my first pick in scenery but it’s become... home.” She said. “We do butt up to the ocean, I think most forget that.” She said. “I made myself a den not to far from the ocean- more away from the muck of the Mire.” She added- hinting that there were places that were more habitable within the land.

“There is a family here, Sigrun’s they are called- they drown their cubs.” Ghyslaine said darkly, repeating what she’d learned from her King. “They came to our land and attacked us- so we fought back and drove them back out.” She paused. “Anyone who harms cubs has to be evil... and I’m proud to be part of a pride that stands against that.” She says. Stands against and wins.

“We’ve got some other enemies. Males who run around claiming females, not giving them a choice but we haven’t escalated to war status with them.” She added. “We have allies too, in other prides.” She added thoughtfully, not wanting it to seem like she was just talking about their enemies. The Mire did have allies.

“What do you do, Amadeus?” She asked, curious to know if he was a warrior, healer, hunter, or something else. I do a little bit of everything- though my preferred time is spent with cubs. I enjoy watching out for and helping with the pride’s youngsters.” She said, sharing a bit about herself in an effort to hopefully get the male to open up.

@Amadeus

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The idea of a family that drowned their cubs didn't bother Amadeus all that much. As such, there was no visible reaction on his face or in his body language. It was probably a more tame ritual than things done in his own family in the past. "I'm assuming those cubs survive if the family hasn't died off yet," he said with a shrug. "Do you know why they drown them?" He was asking because he was curious if @Ghyslaine even knew, or only assumed the worst, not because he wanted to know why they did it.

The idea that anyone who hurt cubs was evil drew a chuckle from him, albeit a dark one. "I'm told one of my half brothers killed one of his littermates when they were still small," he said, recalling the talk he'd heard of it back home. "Does that make him evil, even though he was a kid himself?" Things were never as black and white as they seemed.

And then there was the part about males claiming females. That sounded like something his family might take part in as well. Would he if he had the power? It was hard to say. But it wasn't necessarily impossible. He remained quite on the issue, though his posture and lack of response might have made it clear that he wasn't bothered by the idea.

"I'm a warrior," he said with a shrug. "Most in my family are raised that way. We do a lot of fighting. Never had much interest in kids, I suppose. Or healing. Fighting spilled over to hunting a bit, so I've gotten good at that." He was becoming rather bored with the conversation already. Perhaps because his views weren't quite aligning with hers and he had not patience for discussing things with others. As intriguing as war was, he wasn't sure the Mire was the place for him.

Ghyslaine

@Amadeus ponders aloud, wondering why the Sigrun drown their cubs and she can’t help the jaw drop she has. “Does it matter why? The whole idea that they intend to drown their children- even if some survive... what of those who don’t?” She counters. “I’ve never asked a Sigrun why, though one day perhaps I will. However, I doubt that any reason they could give is a good enough reason to willfully put a cub in harms way.” Gods, on what planet did that seem like a foreign idea?

He gives her a scenario, and she ponders that for a moment. “The action was wrong, but is he evil? I don’t know. Depends on what he did after with himself, I suppose.” She shrugs. “If he was repentant and sorry, then I wouldn’t call him evil.” She added.

She lets out a soft snort of amusement at his words. Perhaps he belonged more in the Mire than she did. The lions there enjoyed fighting for ranks, and proving themselves worthy warriors. “The Mire encourages fighting for ranks. Alaric, our Sovereign, likes strong warriors.” She said, musing aloud now. How had she gotten so comfortable within the Mire, when she wasn’t exactly a fighter? However, she was done trying to sell the Mire- if he wanted to come and be a strong warrior who chased glory- she would take him back, if not. What else could she do?

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"I think it does matter why," he said with a tilt of his head and a gaze that had turned oddly serious for the usually cocky and fun-loving male. "Not everyone is a part of the same culture or religion. Beliefs and values differ between families. Some things may seem cruel to those on the outside." In a way, he was defending his own brutal culture through his defense of these supposed cub killers.

"Besides," he added. "If you fought a war against them then the drownings are obviously not killing them." Wasn't that obvious?

He let her words on his brother be the end of that conversation, since beyond the death itself he knew of no details. His face was a mask of politeness as he humored her through it, decided that this was a waste of his time. His, not hers.

"Your Mire sounds interesting," he said, sincerity in his voice. If it weren't for her expressed dislike of people that might have different beliefs and values, maybe he would have considered it. "But I don't think you and the Mire would appreciate my family's practices any more than you do the Sigrun's. I think it's best I go elsewhere."

He gave her a polite dip of his head (so much more controlled than he normally was), and stepped around @Ghyslaine to make his way through the passage and into the rest of the land. Perhaps he would find his family here yet.

/Exit unless stopped

Ghyslaine

When he speaks, she can’t help the frown of frustration she feels growing on her face. How could it matter why? He goes on to say that if they had fought them- clearly they were living. “And the ones who don’t?” She can’t help but quip, her brain completely baffled by the notion that there could be any sort of defense for this blatant cub drowning.

There is no way to justify such an atrocity to her- to willingly place a cub in harms way?

With that, it seems like he dismisses her and she can’t help but stare after him with a frown. Maybe he was right… if he could get on board with cub drowning maybe he wouldn’t enjoy the Mire. But she couldn’t help the feeling of failure that followed. Instead of letting it show further, she just sighed softly.

“Good luck then.” She offered, before she moved to leave herself.

-exit Ghyslaine-

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