i won't fade away, be forgotten or just cast away

OOC: set before Tiamat's SL challenge, just after this thread

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It took some time for them to walk through Amaryllis to the Mire, the terrain changing as they traveled. From the rocky passage, along the black shoreline, into the open plains, and finally into the jungle before making it to the muck and mud of Ecrosia. It was not the most pleasant of settings, but there was much to learn from the area in terms of plant life and the environment. But the pride was also strong and capable. For a child such as @Carina that could only be a good thing. She would be safe and supported.

During the trek, she took time to teach the girl some more common words. Some for the scenery around her and others for interacting with other lions. She didn't stop with a steady stream of such things until they had come to the border, where she stopped. "Border," she said, indicating the scent markers and giving the common word for it. "We cross now, to your new home." As she walked across the border she chuffed out a call, welcoming any who wanted to greet their newest member.

this life is mine to live

table (c) anyu

The trip to the woman's home was a lot more extensive than she had imagined. Carina wasn't sure why she thought that all of them were in a quick skipping distance so she wasn't all that happy to have been walking for so long. Though, it did give her a good chance to see everything and listen to @Tiamat speak.

Bright bi-eyes scouring the mountains to the west and copying their points to memory. Gazing at them and recognizing that it was warmer temperatures that way because none of them were snow capped, not yet and perhaps not even during the winter seasons. Most of the land that they had walked was covered in sand or dust and it wasn't until they got close to Ecrosia that grass was even found but even then it couldn't even be grass. It just turned into, well, a Mire. Exactly what the lioness had mentioned.

The first thing she noticed as they traveled just a few feet outside was there was a very common poisonous plant that was just sitting there as though a warning to outsiders. Certainly not on purpose for it didn't look as though it had been placed there with that intent though, she did wonder if any of these lions had been foolish enough to taste test it. The next she found something more helpful in the vision of the akuamma which could be used as a numbing agent or a relieving aide.

Border. The woman's words caught her attention and she moved her head to see her gesture to what they were crossing over. Yes, it did have someone's rancid scent all over it, didn't it? King... border? she asked, wanting to make sure that this was the King's scent that was scattered across this terribly ugly landscape that they called home. At the end of the day, though, the place didn't matter so long as someone was willing to protect it and the lions within. With that being asked and out of the way she began her ascension within and waited impatiently for someone to greet her.

+5 - study the natural world (landscape)
+5 - Learn about another language (learning english words)
+5 - Study the flora of a neutral territory

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS

i won't fade away, be forgotten or just cast away

As they waited for anyone who might want to greet the girl - Tiamat had the rank to approve her entry so permission wasn't needed - she focused her attentions on answering @Carina's questions. "Yes," she huffed (not impatiently, but rather in the gruff manner that was simply her way of speaking) with an added nod of her bead to make the meaning clear. "The king's name is Alaric," she explained, using the word name specifically so the girl would understand the meaning of the strange word.

They began the trek into the territory after that, pushing through the muck and the vibrant foliage. Tiamat had taken a liking to the girl; she seemed intelligent and forward enough with what she wanted. Both things that the Anatu princess could appreciate. If she took the Lagoon later could she convince the child to come with her? That would remain to be seen.

"Questions?" she asked, giving Carina a chance to ask whatever she needed or wanted to know. She still needed to find out where the girl's skills lay. But that could wait until they had her settled in. She would need a dry den, probably something to eat, and a chance to rest and meet some of the others.

this life is mine to live

table (c) anyu

A simple hum was given in consideration of the name by which her King held. Ah-luric she pronounced in succession and in great thought. The name didn't sound right on her own tongue thanks to her primary language but at least she knew it. Carina vaguely remembered the dark brown lion saying something about Alaric... but she couldn't piece together the words enough to know or remember what other words had come with it.

Passing through the territory she had half a belief that there really wasn't anyone here at all. Not a single soul had slithered their direction and she was certain that that had been @Tiamat's point to introduce her to the rest of the pride. Not even the King though she supposed he was busy with other matters. The only leader-type she had ever known had never given any commoner the time of day so she couldn't expect another leader to be any different. Healers? she asked suddenly, as her gaze drifted from one of the wound anesthetic plants that she had been eyeing since they had arrived and walked past.

Tiamat didn't have any severe wounds but Carina liked to think that she could at least make the woman's wounds heal quicker than normal. Can help. While she was young, she was diligent and smart and had learned from a very early age on what type of plants were good, which were bad and how to use both. Being solo for so long you had to find what you were good at so that others would see your usefulness.

+5 - study the natural world (landscape)
+5 - Learn about another language (learning english words)
+5 - Study the flora of a neutral territory

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS

i won't fade away, be forgotten or just cast away

Tiamat offered a basic nod to the girl's repetition of the name. It wasn't perfect, but it was impossible to expect @Carina to have the pronunciation on point when it was clear her common was very basic. She had a heavy accent, and that was fine. Tiamat's was less noticeable, but she'd had time to work it out of her common words. When she spoke her mother tongue it was much more blatant.

"Close enough," she said shortly - a lioness of few words most of the time. She took a moment to look around the thick vegetation and mud of the Mire, her eyes narrowing as she huffed in irritation at the emptiness around them. The Mire was not usually so empty. "Where is everyone?" she grumbled, with a shake of her head and a thorough tail lash to punctuate her irritation.

It was the pointed question that drew her gaze back to Carina. She had to think a moment about her answer, and came to the realization that she did not know of any in the pride itself, except perhaps one that she had seen in passing. "Only one," she shook her head. "You heal?" If that was one of the girl's skills then she would be a boon to the Mire. They were often fighting - there had been several rank challenges, including her own - and needed the assistance of a healer. But she couldn't think of individuals that stood out as actually leading the pride in that job.

At her mention of being able to help, Tiamat glanced at her own wounds. They were minor at best - it was a short fight in comparison to some of the more violent ones that occurred - but they were wounds nonetheless. "If you want," she said with a noncommittal shrug. As long as she kept them clean they would heal fine on their own, but she wouldn't turn away a bit of help. It was permission for the girl to do whatever she wanted in terms of the wounds the wheaten lioness bore. "Healers are sometimes called medics here," she told the girl. It was a new word for her to learn, in case the call of medic went up and she actually was needed. "Your skill will be good for the pride."

this life is mine to live

table (c) anyu

Despite how embarrassed or frustrated she should be feeling due to such a large language barrier, she held strong. The last thing she wanted was to become some burden who couldn't do what was needed because she couldn't understand someone. Carina simply had to work extra hard and thankfully, that was something she could easily do. King unwelcome, she issues, not particularly addressing that the King himself was unwelcoming but his pride was but if the King wasn't up to it, then how could he expect the pride to do so in his stead?

Da, heal. Simple explanation that yes, she did in fact heal. It was one of the few traits that she had been shown as a child that had stuck with her. Burned into her, even, that it was one of the most important tasks that one can do for a pride built into war and chaos. Meh-dicks, she enunciated as clearly as she could so that when the time came she could tell whoever she needed to heal that was that word for better understanding. Better she use the word lions were most comfortable with unless she wished to be snapped at for their stupidity.

That being said, Carina took a few long strides towards one of the nearby plants that could at least soothe @Tiamat's wounds. The akuamma plant would be a good start and could help with relieving the pain as well as numbing it but she didn't want to leave the woman without feeling in her leg at all. They weren't bad wounds, no, but they would at least heal quicker and thus get the woman back out there into the fights a little bit sooner. That way Ecrosia wouldn't be a lion down if they needed her; though, from what Carina was seeing, the pride didn't give a single shit about who was coming or going from the borders.

+5 - study the natural world (landscape)
+5 - Learn about another language (learning english words)
+5 - Study the flora of a neutral territory

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS