She'd never been to the coast before. Nor anywhere really. A not-so-princess trapped in a tower of trees and swamp filth. It had not been so bad as that really, the Mire was all that she had ever known, after all.
It was anger that drove her out, to seek something different for the day. She's not yet the nerve to abandon Ecrosia altogether, but one day she would, and perhaps it would be soon.
The black sand beneath her toes was a novel, one that she might dance across had she been whole. But she was not whole. So the best that she could sum up was to stalk across the beach until her paws met with the icy touch of the lapping waves.
On the cusp of adulthood and yet, still so far from it. Her abrasiveness threatened to fall away to tears, but she does not. She is strengthened by it, this ability to harden herself against the world. Without Mirari's emotions to interfere, she is untouchable.
Just about.

@Ronin

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

" speech"

At first, he didn’t know what had led him to the blackened shore. He had sat among the cliffside watching the waves from a distance for some time when movement finally appeared. Ronin would stand about to leave, when the flash of brilliant blue would catch his eye. For a moment, a flutter of pain would squeeze at his heart thinking it was Slaine, but no. He could not resist watching a little longer- to steal a pick at his former lover before sneaking away. What he realized was that it was not her at all, but someone he had very much looked forward to seeing. @Iona.

Ronin would smile and take a step forward and then stop, frozen in his tracks. What if she hated him? What if she didn’t wish to see him? What if… The doubts swam in his head, causing him to simply watch her…Like some sort of stalker. Torn between leaving and avoiding the girl that was a mirror image of the daughter he had watched die and of course, speaking with her and getting to know the daughter he still had. Ronin would watch as she stomped across the shoreline to the ocean edge. For a moment anxiety would tighten his chest, what was she doing? He’d better go see.

The beast would walk towards his daughter, chuffing to her once he was a bit closer. Then he would stop, lingering, waiting. Did she want him closer?

code by corvus / image by kim

The icy water began to burn her toes, seeping through blue fur and sending chills up her legs. Snout wrinkled and with an accompanying frown, the yearling took a step back from the tide's reach. Ringed eyes observed with distaste the black grain that stuck fast to her feet.
She was about to try and shake it off, but a figure in the distance caught her eye and she looked up to study it more keenly. Brow shuffled down to solidify her frown. The beast calls out to her, but for a moment she is perplexed rather than enlightened. It had been such a long time after all.

Any sensible child would turn tail and run, but she was neither sensible nor child. Taking a defensive stand, she readied herself for what came next. But as the male gained ground, the familiar markings across his face came into view. She squinted, confused for half a second before she recognizes him, at last.
Father.
Her shoulders soften, but Iona is not all forgiveness just yet. She eyed her father with caution, and also a certain amount of anger. "You didn't bring her back." She says, lips biting across words, clearly trying to contain her upset.
It is clear enough that she has spoken to her mother. Not that Slaine had remotely placed blame anywhere except her own shoulders. But Iona did not need to be told where to set her ire, indeed most of it fell upon her mother, but there was enough left over to find the man who had left them all behind.

@Ronin

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

"speech …"

The girl would shift at the sight of him, moving into a defensive posture as he had moved closer. If he had been anyone else, Ronin would be proud of her- and in a way he still was- but in that moment the lack of recognition pained him. His own daughter didn’t even recognize him. He never should have left. It had seemed like a decent time, however, to go and retrieve the rest of his kin. How wrong he had been.

Recognition would finally flash across her countenance, her shoulders relaxing a touch, but the burning glare in her eyes said that he was not out of hot water with her yet. He didn’t deserve blind forgiveness. Her cautious glare would wound him, did she think he would harm her? Ears would twitch forward to hear her words, drowned by the sound of the waves rushing the shore. Hurt and shame would read clear across his façade as he forced himself to hold her gaze. “I tried to…” He would answer the statement. “I’m sorry, Iona…” He would finish, waiting for her judgement and unsure of what to even say to the teenager. He wished he had never left, had never taken Mirari…if he hadn’t she would still be safe and growing.


@Iona

code by corvus / image by kim

He cannot speak, cannot spit the words out fully to tell her exactly why she now has to live her life half dead, half missing. The young lioness bristled, largely because she felt a growing sympathy for her father and his genuine regret and sadness. Such feelings would be chased away quickly. She would not be a forgiving adult, let alone child. Iona knows instinctively that she will be a severe woman, feels the snaking grip taking hold already.
The yearling shook her head, letting go of her anger for now. This was a situation she could not change and at least Mirari had been able to see the world beyond. An experience Iona had been sorely lacking, cooped up in her swamp cage.
"When ye find somewhere to live, I may wish to come with ye." She stated, pressing her sandy toes deeper into the black beach and issuing a demand like only a child could.
Her eyes, which had shifted away from him to the shoreline snapped back onto the mismatched gaze of her father, the protector that had loomed large in her sister's dreams, the ones she had tapped into before her death.

"Ye shouldnae hae let her go." And she does not speak of Mirari now. Unlike her mother, born in Amaryllis Iona could switch the Scots accent on at will. She does it to remind him of the lioness he had left so easily behind in the Mire. But despite her appearance of maturity, the young lass was still just a child and had little understanding of adult relationships.

@Ronin

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

Sharp, judging, and angry eyes would fixate on him, saddened. He could tell that his daughter would not be a particularly forgiving soul, but he could yet determine if that would protect her or harm her in her lifetime. Ronin had not been the most forgiving in his younger days, in fact, it was one of the reasons he had enjoyed fighting so much. He could let out all that anger without ever forgiving anyone- he could punish them instead. He didn’t want that for Iona, but he also saw no way to prevent it either. It had protected him for so long…he couldn’t deny that to her. When she finally spoke, shock would flicker to his face, she wanted to live with him? “Why?” It was a simple question, one that he should know the answer to but he needed her to explain. Did she simply hate the swamp? Or did she simply want to get to know the father she barely knew? Perhaps both. Still…he needed to hear her reasoning. Her eyes would stray, lingering over the shoreline and he took that moment to look over the ocean. The waves were churning, slightly frothy with the current. Not at all inviting, but Ronin wanted to dive in to the biting sea- and never come up. Thick accent that reminded him of her mother would bring his attention back to his daughter. For a moment he was silent, it only took a moment for him to realize that she did not speak of Mirari, but of Slaine. He would regard her with hurt, but he would shake his head. “Fighting Alaric would have only hurt her more…Iona…” He would trail, looking from her to his paws, “I broke her heart and Alaric helped mend it… I can’t take that back just by coming back from the dead.” He would answer, if he could convince Slaine to love him- and only him- he would have done it. @Iona "hi"

Why? The yearling sighed, the temptation to roll her exasperated eyes was almost too great. As if her petulance was entirely understandable and not at all the surge of youthful hormones. "Because I havenae seen nearly anything of this land." She replied, before sighing. "There are so many cubs in the swamp. I do nae wish to compete for titles like the others. I want to explore!" This was her vocation; she had travelled nowhere at all, but she was certain enough that this was her desire. Mother would miss her, and she would miss her mother, to some extent. But Iona quickly felt like she was outgrowing the need for anyone else's companionship. Anyone but Mirari.

Even though she was excited at the prospect of using her father to venture further afield, it was only natural that she would desire her parents to remain together. Unified. It made everything much neater. @Ronin's explanation does not make sense to the Svend youth, though she does not think that he is wrong. It had been a surprise to her when her mother had admitted that she had grown fond of King Alaric. Perhaps explaning the Scottish woman's interest in raising the man's brood of unruly younglings. Though the King had not returned the interest upon herself in any way. Yes Iona herself had been quite oblivious to the undercurrent of the adults' relationship.

Her ringed gaze held steady upon her father, ears flickering under the sound of nearby waves. "Well. If he were dead, there wouldn't be an issue, I guess." She shrugged.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

Yes, the eye roll would not have gone well for the teen had she done it. He was a patient beast and knew he had much to make up for but even now he would not let such blatant disrespect slide. When she spoke Ronin would respectfully listen, trying to glean a better understanding of the daughter he had been away from for so long. He was both confused and frustrated as she explained her longing to explore and the lack of desire to work for and earn a title amongst the other cubs. Toes would flex into the sand as brow furrowed ever so slightly in disapproval. Had Slaine shown her nothing? Taught her nothing? “Have you been taught to defend yourself?” He would ask rather sharply, almost stern with the girl as he turned his burning gaze to the sea. “If you wish to stay with me, that is fine. I’d love nothing more than to have you at my side, Iona. He would speak calmly, but firmly, “but-“ there was always a stipulation wasn’t there? “Understand I am not Slaine, I will not coddle you. The Svend fight for and earn what they want.” His gaze would turn then, from the waves back to his daughter. If she wanted to be with him, so be it, but it would not be the cushioned life in the swamp. Is that really what she wanted? Her response to the problem with the King would make him laugh softly. “No? Would your mother not be hurt and grieving? Would you want me to kill her lover, friend.. and my comrade? All for a love she would never give me again.” It was the bitter truth, but he pushed her intellect, hoping to force her to a more mature thinking. She was young, but it was time she grew up a bit. If she wanted to explore that childish thinking would get her hurt - or worse, killed. @Iona ”Hi "

It could not escape the yearling's notice that her father appeared at least a little disappointed when she stated that she longed to explore rather than battle it out for meaningless ranks beneath a tyrant King or Queen. She quirked her expression at him, finding his frown both irritating and faintly amusing. Iona is not used to pulling her words. She has never been taught to hold her temper in. Why would she? Though it seemed to the girl that her mother was now far too soft, Slaine had positively encouraged Iona to be full of spirit, as she had once been.
"Only what mother hae taught me and what I hae learned from my attempts at hunting." She replied, remembering the skewering she'd had from a warthog not too long ago. "But I'm not afraid to fight! I want to!" She added, a little too much eagerness mixed with her biting tone.
@Ronin issued his conditions, rules for if she were to join him, wherever he might go. Iona pursed her lips together, this time frowning herself. Coddle her? Perhaps mother had done so, not allowing her freedom from the Mire except when she snuck out of her own accord on the rare occasion. "Aye. That is what I want." She nodded, eventually. Though she still did not much care for becoming some loft lady creature.

Her father would find so much error within his young patchwork daughter and she found her stance hardening to his admonishments. Her toes finding purchase in the black sand and gripping it tightly. She cannot understand Ronin's pain, or Slaine's. She is too young to know how things are between adults. "I would find it quite romantic." She shrugged, pushing her shoulders up. Perhaps Iona was too much like her parents after all.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

Ronin would not want to break his daughters spirit, to the contrary, he wanted to mold that spirit and watch her grow into something fierce and feared. He wanted her to be strong and independent, reliance on others would only lead her to disappointment one day. The warmonger only wanted to see his daughter fight for something that she wanted rather than just change her mind and go after something easier. Ronin would listen as she explained only what her mother had taught her and her hunting attempts. Lips would twitch slightly in irritation at this. What had she even been taught by Slaine? He would have to test her to find out…but not today. As much as he wanted to, it would not be today. She would go on to say she was not afraid to fight, that she wanted to and he would smile slightly, a glimmer of approval in his eyes. Combat was the Svend way. His stipulations explained, she would perse her lips and think for a moment before agreeing that it was what she wanted. He would nod, “very well, then I will speak with your mother soon about it.” He wouldn’t keep her waiting too long. His brows furrowed ever so slightly as the thought came. Family was coming and his daughter was not ready. His frown would fade, however, as she spoke up again, finding his hypothetical scenario romantic. “Iona…I hope you never feel this pain and that whimsical romance never happens…” He had nothing more to say on the matter. His stubborn daughter would not see reason, why would she? She was too young. One day, she would understand how childish she was being. The beast would turn away from the churning sea, head tipping to invite her further up the shoreline where he would then lay down. If she chose to leave, so be it, but he did want to continue the conversation with her…just not where the spray of the ocean made him cold. @Iona ”Hi "