This was probably the last place she was supposed to be going after the Oasis, considering that whole blood feud between the prides and how a Bluffs lion had won the crown from Seneca, but honestly she'd never been that particularly loyal to Seneca himself and she'd also never been told why the two prides were fighting in the first place. What she did know was that she was in need of a new home (because it was so boring having to deal with such mundane matters as having to feed and house oneself) and she did technically have family here (not knowing he had already seen himself out of the pride).

So she made her way up the mountain until she reached their border. These Bluffs lions were rather literally looking down on everyone now weren't they. That was a bonus in her mind.

She paused for a moment to take in the view before she called out for someone to come speak with her. She still wasn't entirely sure this was the place for her, but if Amara was half as much of the badass as the rumors would have one believe then, well, she could be easily convinced.

Unlike those of the bluffs, rather the Dieudonne specifically, she was unaware of the feud between the bluffs and the oasis. Not one to participate in the fighting in the past, nor to care overly much for the violent acts of the lions here, she mostly strayed to the edges of pride life, renewing herbs within their shells scattered about the cliffsides to ward off negative energy. Now that she'd fought for a rank, unleashing some inner beast within the Dawnbringer, there was no choice but to integrate more firmly into the pride members. Thus she found herself at the borders.

Bobbed rump swayed against the rugged terrain as blonde paws splayed to keep balance. Upon the blustery cliffs made traversing harder for those missing tails, much like her counterpart, Vermier, forcing them to be hardier types than others who more easily kept their balance. A lone form stood against Wolfbron's borders, something she found herself honing in on, if only to greet the fellow lioness with a more friendly front than the others that would surely come. "Hello," soft spoken, her voice was quite different than the harsher commands of Amara, "what brings you to Wolfbron?" Buttery features regarded the deep maroon pelt of @Arcania ♔, noting how well the color would fit among those who already lived her. Only she remained a bright light against the dark here, so unlike her pride mates.

CODE•ART

Amara's attention flicked to the border as a call went up for someone to attend to this stranger. She rose from her den and made her way there. She wasn't the first to arrive, the surprise lasted for a moment that the light female was the first to arrive. The High Sovereign walked up next to her and stood still. The question was already placed and Amara's golden gaze was on the female. There was something about her scent that seemed to linger with the Oasis but she couldn't tell if it was because she had been a member or just taken advantage of the change in leadership. I am Amara Dieudonné. High Sovereign here. She gave nothing more and asked nothing as she awaits the answer that was more important, what was she doing here? the lost art of murder

code // art // do not use without permission

She had tried to be a sacred pride member. Perform her duties by hunting and guarding for the pride without stepping on anyone’s toes. It was just suppose to be temporary - the calling to find her family. There had to still be other X’uekai left after the big following she had created with her mates. At first she would vanish every few nights to search, but when the night would lack results she started to stay out longer and longer. Icefang had realized the moon did not provide enough time to search the surrounding lands by the Mire and when her absence did not seem to raise any alarm, she found herself wandering further. Eventually she had been gone so long that the Mire scent slowly rolled away from her coat and she would likely be seen as a rogue by those who did not know her.

She had been on her way back to the Mire, hopeful it would be easy to secure her spot back into the pride with little wrath from Alaric. She had seen him in battle, but it seemed he only fought when necessary rather than being a leader to hand out punishment left and right. Still, she had to stay on her toes as she was no longer royalty in these lands.

On her way back, she had caught a familiar scent. Familiar enough to draw her in and track, but faint enough that she could not pinpoint exactly who it was. As she slowly approached the bluffs and heard the voices of those gathered, Icefang kept her wits about her. She could tell she was heading towards a pride border and hoped her rash decision to track the scent hadn’t been a mistake. It wasn’t until her blue orbs caught sight of Amara did she realize she must of arrived to the queen’s home and when her sight shifted to Arcania did she realize who she had been following. ”Perhaps this is fate,” she states, unsure what Amara will think of her appearance.

The ivory beast steps forward to stand besides Arcania, blue orbs attempting to catch her gaze. Yes, perhaps this was fate and the sign for a new home.

@Arcania ♔ @Amara @Lycaonia

GOD KILLS INDISCRIMINATELY AND SO SHALL WE

A call from the borders was often beneath him. He did not like dealing with polite visitors; such confrontations were less likely to twist to bloodshed. But he did like interacting with Lycaonia, and he caught a whiff on her on the wind. He paused in his scouring of the borders to sniff more deeply. He couldn't tell where exactly she was going. Maybe she was just sunbathing, or shell sorting, and letting the less fortunate members deal with entry requirements, but he was close enough that it was worth a shot. Plus, keeping his presence sparse and unexpected kept the others on their toes.

He ran the sweat between his pawpads across another rock, scuffed up some dirt, and considered this day's mission nearly complete. He cut down a series of ridges to get to where he presumed the meeting might be. By now he knew many of the shortcuts, but had yet to learn common sense about when to take them. No mind. When he arrived he inwardly and outwardly grinned to see that there was another stranger, and therefore he had been right to show up and provide backup.

Not to @Amara. To @Lycaonia.

He swept toward her side, just near enough to brush the ends of some fur together. His gaze was upon the two new females, though, not willing to look away until he knew they were willing to serve and submit. "Two ze femme! Eez good. Good at fight?" OK yeah sure he should ask their names and stuff but he didn't care about that unless they had proven they were more interesting than gazelle.

@Arcania ♔ @Icefang ♔

+5 Patrol your borders

She wasn't kept waiting long, which was good both in that she didn't grow bored and in that it meant those within the pride actually cared. Not that she personally cared about the woman who first came to greet her, because she didn't know her in the slightest. She knew better than to say that, though.

"Well," she began, but it was then that the one she was truly seeking arrived. "Truth be told, she brings me here," Arcania commented, bowing low to the high sovereign, looking up at her from the depths of her submission with a sly smile.

As she rose, a familiar figure stepped up beside her, and her smile widened all the more for it. At last they met not on another pride's territory. And thank goodness for that. She hadn't been back to the Mire to say hello properly since they'd last met, and judging by the lack of scent on her pelt, Icefang wasn't there any longer.

A man came to crash their little party, but that was... fine, she supposed. "I fight from the shadows, with poisons," she said to him, with perhaps noticeably less interest in her voice. "Well enough to serve." She could say she dealt in subterfuge and intelligence gathering as well, but suspected that would only serve to put them off. "I am Arcania X'uekai, daughter of Renozuri. My... nephew Caelum told me of this pride, and of course I've heard of your exploits," she concluded, returning her gaze to Amara.

@Lycaonia @Amara @Icefang ♔ @Vermier

+5 Walk the pride borders
+5 Learn something about another trade and their skills (arcania fighting with poison)

His patrol had taken him close enough to hear the call when it rang, and so he arrived unsurprised to see that @Lycaonia, Amara & @Vermier were already there. They were greeting two rogue women, and from the Sovereign's question about their skill in battle, the Lead Fighter could only assume that @Arcania ♔ and @Icefang ♔ were looking to join. Wolfbron could use some new members, that's for sure.

He greets the two with a pleasant, kind smile. One of the many weapons he wielded. Arcania, as she names herself, shares her unique skillset. We could use a skilled assassin, his accented voice chimes in as he settles beside the group of Bluffs greeters. I can zhest zhem in battle, if you wish, votre Majesté. He dips his head in a typical theatrical bow at @Amara with his offer to test the two._{BG — ART — CODE}

Unsurprising the matriarch appeared maybe a minute or two after her own presence veered toward the stranger. Sunset eyes drifted momentarily toward @Amara, acknowledging her presence through extension of chin hellwards. Respect for the older woman who'd run the pride for as long as she'd been here, although it was @Vermier whom she'd initially thought held sway over the bluffs.

Another stranger crested a rise, pure white against the dull reds and browns of wintry cliff sides. Gaze swept to this one, measuring the woman that approached. Strange words left this stranger's lips, as if @Icefang ♔ may know those present already. Ah, how she missed much by flitting in the background of the pride lands. Unease crept beneath pale flesh, she'd promised to protect the pride should anything happen. Quelled fears come outlined by the deep tan form that brushed ever so lightly against her own. Thickened accent dropping into the distance between them all, questioning the newcomers fervently about their fighting abilities.

Always the fighting.

Then, one of the stranger's speaks, the ruddy colored one who'd been alone when she'd arrived. An odd display occurred shortly after the initial words; a deep bow before the high sovereign of Wolfbron Bluffs. Such formality towards a deadly woman. The name spoken had elicited a vague recollection of someone by that name living among the pride lions, though she wasn't sure who Caelum was. Quick enough the conversation pressed to darker subjects. Blonde ticked shoulders shuddered with distaste of the violent acts that consumed the bluff. No amount of shells with little herb offerings would provide a thorough cleansing of the bluff's energy here. Yet it was the Dieudonné way. Solidified by a second male showing, who offered to test the women at the borders, encased in that thick accent many of the Dieudonné seemed to share.

"Amara?" The question is simple, one-worded. Whatever the queen wished to result would happen, and she had made the oath to follow suite at the time she'd accepted her rank.

CODE•ART

Amara's ears flick slightly as the lioness says it was her that brought her here before bowing before her. Amara's skin felt like it was crawling, she didn't like large displays like this. Vermier enjoyed this type of stuff way more but Amara just wanted to get things over with and would much rather see someone prove their worth in their loyalty or strength than bowing before her. Thankfully another arrived to switch her focus. She had a small memory of the pale lioness before her. It was a long time ago and she thought the lioness went to the mire but that didn't seem to be the scent that came from her. Vermier and Apollinaire arrive to stand with them. She couldn't help but notice that he went directly to Lycaonia's side. She didn't look at him as she listened to him asking about the pair's fighting skills. Something that would always be useful here in the Bluffs. @Arcania ♔'s answer caused her gut to clench slightly, why did all of these assassin types show up after Keiran's death? Amara looked among them all before looking to @Icefang ♔ to see if she had anything to add. Do both of you intend to join? It seemed like a simple enough question given that they were here and making a show of things. She could get into detail with Arcania's answer about it being her that brought her here later. That wasn't what she was looking for right now. the lost art of murder

code // art // do not use without permission

Icefang watches as more appear from behind their pride border, the lioness resisting the urge to show any signs of uneasiness. They were outnumbered and with the thought of the males waiting for the signal to engage she knew it was best not to piss Amara off. When attention is drawn to her, Icefang nods. ”Yes,” she replies short and sweet. Arcania’s dismissive display towards the high sovereign causes Icefang to release a soft growl in her throat. While the larger female beside her was no longer the young child she had met and semi raised, she could not help feeling the need to slightly reprimand her. She could speak to Lycaonia about her real reason to see her later.

@Arcania ♔ @Amara @Lycaonia @Apollinaire @Vermier