The prince may have been considerably young still, but he'd been alive for long enough to come to know the swamp just as well as the back of his own paw. All the best hiding spots, the muddiest puddles to roll in, and the shallowest puddles to play in were no secrets to him, though he liked to think that these special spots were secrets to all the others who wandered through the Mire. This place was his, after all, even if Vater insisted that it had to be shared with others.

So of course, it didn't escape Hubert's notice when a bunch of those weird, slimy green clumps that had floated upon the surface of the swamp's pools for what felt like half of his life began to disappear.

Ever since the day he'd challenged Ottilie to that ill-fated dare and gotten grossed out by her unpleasant reaction to the substance, Hubert had more or less avoided the stuff. He still couldn't understand what made it so dangerous for the life of him, but previous experience suggested that maybe there really was something to the adults' warnings. Not that he would admit that out loud to anyone. He hadn't been wrong. He'd just been...testing it, yes, that was right! And his sister just happened to be kind enough to volunteer. Of course!

But he's the only one here right now, nose wrinkled and brows furrowed in suspicion as he taps a paw against the surface of a surprisingly clear-looking puddle. Was that algae stuff really gone? Where had it disappeared to, if so? Did that mean it was fine to drink anywhere again? Should he test it? If he tested it and it was fine, did that mean Vater and everybody would think he was brave once he told them? All very good questions, but the memory of Ottilie's barf still served as a restraining thread, making him hesitate in diving in headfirst.

For now, he just glared at the puddle with an oddly intense, concentrated expression for a child.

@Daenerys

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She was slowly getting more and more used to the swamp.

It was hard to like- and she was sure it would be even harder to love. The mud was a constant annoyance, always clinging to her pelt as if it was a child in need. Cleaning it off was even harder- how do you clean something that seemed to surround you to no ends?

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Daenerys focused on walking forward as she trekked among the lands of Ecrosia. Orange eyes scanned her surroundings- stopping when they landed upon yet another cub. A perk of interest, bodice nearing the small, black-pelted child. He seemed to be glaring down at... ah, a puddle. "What did it do to you?" Daenerys voices the question with a raised brow of amusement to her features. Sure, she knew the waters were algae infested and no good- but this puddle? It looked clean, so why was the cub holding such a grudge against it?

@Hubert

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So intent was the swamp cub's focus upon the dubious puddle that he didn't immediately notice the arrival of another. He startles when the sound of her voice breaks the silence, hackles raising as he spins to face her until he's a tiny mud-streaked ball of spiky fur. He hisses as he gazes up at the strange woman with widened green eyes that quickly narrow into slits. @Daenerys was huge and unfamiliar, but he wasn't scared! Really! "Who're you?"

Her words sink in, a bit belatedly, and the not-fear really does dissipate, replaced with a feeling of irritation that makes him scowl. It reminds him of something one of the older cubs might say, to imply that he was scared. "It didn't do anything to me." He's quick to declare. What could a silly pond do to a big, strong prince like him? He wasn't bothered by it, or worried, or afraid! Even if...

"It was my sister who got sick." Ottilie, however, he has little trouble throwing under the bus. It isn't that he means to imply that she's weak or anything, because obviously no Starke would ever be weak. But it's important that it's clear that he's stronger than even her. The fact that his sister's little episode could technically be called his fault was unimportant. Naturally.

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The cub is alert, defensive even as she arrives and she can't fault the young thing. If anything, she's glad to see such a reaction out of him. The hiss, however, was a bit overboard and Daenerys does her best to stop the amused smirk from taking over her maw. Instead, she takes a step back, giving him the space he had just so boldly worked for.

"You should not fear danger from anyone in your pride." She voices- head cocking to the side in curiosity as to why he was so on edge. Shouldn't he feel comfortable at home? "I am Daenerys. Who are you?" She shot the question right back at him, curious as to what name the oh so mighty cub had.

It was unfortunate to hear his sister had gotten sick from it. She truly hoped it wasn't the cub she had just met a few days ago. "She is better now?" Daenerys asks with a hint of concern; if not maybe she could find an antidote to the odd algae. Her gaze flicks over the puddle, searching for any signs that the infestation was still within it.

@Hubert

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Aha! See, the white-mottled woman really had been intimidated by his fearsome display, taking a step back despite her towering size. Oh, he could hardly wait to tell the other cubs about this! Who could dare to accuse him of being 'small' after this?

He shrugs at her words, finding that he wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. It was true that Vater surely wouldn't allow anyone who might want to hurt him and his siblings into the swamp, yes. But Vater also said, quite often in fact, that their family had plenty of enemies out there, waiting around every corner. That was why training was so important! Perhaps @Daenerys, as she called herself, wasn't a threat, but who could say for sure?

He huffs when she asks for his name, for how could she not know, when he was obviously such an important figure? "I'm Hubert!" He chirps, his chest puffing out as he drew himself up to his full height proudly. "Prince of the swamp!" Funny how easily all that caution got flung out the window as soon as the opportunity to prove something presented itself.

Hubert nods when she asks after his sister, her apparent interest making him realize belatedly that maybe that was the sort of thing he shouldn't openly advertise either. But it'll be fine in this case, he thinks. "Yeah. She's alright." She'd thrown up, yes, but she hadn't died. What more could one hope for? His emerald gaze returns to the pond, his nose wrinkling at it disdainfully. "There was this weird green stuff...but it's gone now." Was it hiding? "Did you see where it went?"

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Hubert- Prince of the Swamp.

How interesting that was to learn- she stood before supposed 'royalty' to the pride she lived under. Funny that she was meeting the Prince before even knowing the King; but she supposed she would keep that information to herself. It was obvious Daenerys still had a lot to learn about Ecrosia and it's members.

"Prince, hmm? Such a powerful title." She commented idly, letting her thoughts be voiced aloud as she perhaps looked to boost the little boy's ego. It couldn't hurt, right?

He confirmed his sister was alright and went on to talk more about the algae. Daenerys was glad to hear the cub was okay, and let her focus drift to where his was and she hummed lowly in thought. "I'm not even sure how it got here." She started, taking a few steps closer to the puddle with a curious expression on her face as she studied it. "The heat could of dissolved it perhaps." A theory, but she honestly wasn't too sure the more she thought about it either.

@Hubert

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She seemed appropriately impressed, now that she knew precisely who she was talking to. Although it had hardly seemed possible, his chest swells even more with pride, his chin tilting up so high it would be a wonder if he could even see the ground. 'Powerful.' Yes. No matter what anyone else might have to say about it, he knew it to be true, that he was indeed very powerful. Just as much as his older siblings were. He'd prove it to them, one day.

"Mmhmm. I'm the strongest one!" He declared boldly, his lips pulling up into a pleased smile. If @Daenerys had wanted to get into Hubert's good graces, flattery was definitely the way to go about it.

Adults often liked to act as if they knew everything, but surprisingly, Daenerys doesn't seem to have a solid answer for his question. His head tilted in confusion, gaze turned back up towards her curiously. What, so this stuff had just appeared and then disappeared, like magic? Right. He was too old to believe in silly things like magic, thank you very much!

So naturally, her proposed theory draws his attention immediately. "Dissolved? What's that mean?" He asks, reaching out a paw to prod at the water's surface once again, watching how the ripples fanned out around it. "Is it good to drink again?"

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Not just a Prince, but it was made known to Daenerys that he was the strongest Prince. She couldn't help but to smile at this, she liked this cub's confidence in himself. Most were timid and scared of the world- but him? He was oozing and beaming with potential and power- well, as much power a huffing and puffing cub could have.

"It means it broke apart, into tiny pieces that may be too small for us to see." She explained to him, not minding to fill him in on the details. "Just because it potentially dissolved doesn't mean it evaporated; so, it could still be dangerous. We could... find a test subject." She raised a brow, looking to him. She was sure she could catch some prey or something and herd it to the water somehow if he wanted.

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It was immensely gratifying, being able to display his might without someone immediately shoving his face down into the mud. Sometimes it was hard to feel powerful when he was amongst his siblings, his older ones especially. But on his own, he could demonstrate what he knew to be true as much as he wanted. Having @Daenerys as an attentive audience just makes it that much better. Unfamiliar though he is, Hubert thinks he might like her just fine.

His ears prick forward with interest as she explains her meaning further, her gaze soon darting back to squint at the puddle as if he really could spot those tiny pieces that used to be algae, even though she'd pretty much just said that they would be unlikely to spot. "Huh." It was almost like the green slime was setting a trap for them, if that was the case. Sneaky, sneaky.

He turns back to gaze up her quickly once she mentions the possibility of 'test subjects', his brows raised. "Really? You think so?" It's not the sort of plan he thinks Vater would approve of, but that just makes the idea more exciting. "Who...? What?"

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She could tell he was listening, taking in what she spoke of and hopefully storing it into his small, growing brain. Kids were like sponges, she knew this would just be the start of the many things he'd grow to learn.

"Mhmm," She hummed in a 'yes', gaze darting about. The swamp was most beneficial with toads, something she had annoyingly learned and she Daenerys turned from him, silently padding off a few yards as she searched some of the surroundings for a victim. She found a medium-sized toad, along with some insects. Instead of the toad, she opted for a small snake she saw slithering through the mud.

After some effort, she came back with the harmless reptile and swiftly tossed it into the puddle. She kept a hold of the end of it, letting it be engulfed by the water for a few good seconds before lifting it back out and then pinning it under her paws. Looking to the cub, she smiled with a certain entertainment at this experiment. "Now we wait and see."

((feel free to assume whatever reaction of the snake you want/ and if you wanna exit him out somehow for the BWP i totally dont mind either! I would love a normal thread with these two sometime too <3)

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