The fields were a bit far for her little legs, but as the ground got less swampy and less covered with undergrowth movement for young Imrae got easier and easier instead of tiring her out. And so she kept going, driven not by adventure nor held back by fear. Curiousity of a child did hum in the back of her mind, but mostly she kept walking just because she could and it felt empowering to have the freedom, even if it required a bit of rule breaking.

She found short grass, trying it's hardest to survive the winter while the tall stalks died, that ran along her belly and brought up a weird sensation some other child might call tickling. She also found a herd of antelope in the distance munching away, hardly bothered by the small thing moving through the grass they were so far away. Eventually Imrae found a large, flat, rock. She scrambled up on top to improve her view around, claws making subtle scratching sounds as she pulled herself up.

@irish ★

Being lost had taught her plenty, or in the very least Vera thought that it had taught her plenty. She was pretty tough, she could make it on her own, and her chest was blown up to about twice it's normal size. Even though there had been repercussions it hadn't kept Vera from still venturing from her home. She was a curious soul by nature and in turn couldn't resist the urge to explore. That was what had brought her out to the fields to begin with. That and she wanted to practice disguising her tracks, especially if she was going to be an expert spy when she was older. So, as she moved across the snow-covered field, she carried a small twig with sparse dried-up leaves on its branches. Every couple of steps she would carefully take the twig and brush it across the snow-top, using it to cover her tracks and hopefully misguide anyone that might be following her.

As she moved it was imperative that she paid close attention to which direction she was going. In the distance she could see a herd of antelope to which her nose twitched slightly; her belly grumbled, and she knew she was hungry but that could always wait until later. Instead, what caught her attention was the form of @Imrae on a large, flat rock up ahead. Vera was immediately intrigued, after all the cub seemed to be pretty tiny, even compared to her. Quietly she lowered herself to the ground, sliding on her belly across the snow as she slithered closer, creeping up behind the younger cub with ease. "Boo!" She cries out then, hoping to startle the young girl before she too climbs up on top of the rock, making herself plenty comfortable. "What's a little girl like you doin out here all alone anyways?" She questions, wondering who she was and where exactly she had come from. The thought of covering her own tracks lost for now, she would get back to that later.

[sleuth exp]
+5 - Practice covering your tracks (1/2)
+5 - Learn a character's name and rank (1/2)
+5 - Tell a lie without getting caught (1/2)

_CODE

So focused was Imrae ahead of her that when @Vera snuck up behind there was not an inkling in her mind the a game was afoot. Far too late at the last second she felt a chill in her spine, the feeling of eyes on you that when listened to helps you survive. It's not a feeling Imrae liked to be on the recieving end of... Especially as a loud boo comes to join and makes her jump a little into the air. Nearly falling forward when she landed and tumbling off the rock.

She snarls a little. Imrae's face is momentarily coiled into a look of anger, as threatening as a kitten without sound coming from her lips. Just a visual glimpse of some kind of warning that soon faded to leave two toned ruby eyes still watching Vera. But with less malice and that flare of anger. They were still. Looking. She says quietly, not feeling that Vera deserves her question answered at all. But it seemed folly and mere pettiness to withhold the answer too. Like her siblings and the other cubs of Ecrosia meddling around with nonsense and nothing. Looking at you now.

Her game had been successful, causing the girl to jump and startle almost immediately. However, Vera didn't want to hurt her, and she was prepared to lurch forward and grab hold of the girl to prevent her from falling off of the boulder. Thankfully she was able to balance herself and she turns, a silent snarl morphing her face as her lips peeled back. Vera couldn't help but think how harmless she looked, but considering she was all puffed up and irritated she wouldn't poke at her further, at least not in the moment anyways. Looking. Looking at you now.

"Well, you are looking at royalty.. and it just so happens I'm the best navigation expert. Do you know what that means?" She asks her then, watching her carefully. She would never let her know that even she wasn't necessarily sure what it meant, the key was that she was perfectly confident in herself. "It means I'm the best at exploring.. and I saw you from a mile away." She mentions to her, as if she needed to even be reminded that she was sitting in the middle of nowhere by herself.


@Imrae

_CODE

Royalty of what? There wasn't much around that seemed worthwhile to be in charge of. And this wasn't someone Imrae recognized from the Mire either. @Vera's scent didn't carry the tell tale markers that Imrae had gotten to know so well already. She was still quite a bit young, much younger than Vera who already had so many important, early, months under her belt. Her concept of the world was relegated into one of two buckets, home and not home. Not home was like these fields, wide but empty. Other prides? What were those? No I don't. Imrae's face was more expressive than her still and numb vocal tones. One brow lifted and she cocked her head to one side, visually curious and intrigued in what this stranger was talking about.

Well I was up on a rock. Imrae pointed out, maybe trying to deflate this other girl's sails just a little bit by pointing out she wasn't the hardest thing to spot around here. There wasn't a ton besides grass anyways (that Imrae could find herself).

Royalty of what? The girl asks, and Vera offers her an easy smile, "The plains of course.. don't you know there are a bunch of prides around?" She asks her then, wondering just how far the girl's knowledge went. She was a bit younger than her so it wouldn't surprise her if she didn't know much. Perhaps she could educate her a bit, plus her company wasn't nearly as grating as Anniston's could be. She doesn't know what a navigation expert is and again Vera isn't exactly surprised, her point of being up on a rock cause that signature smirk of hers to appear. She liked her, she had charisma. Or at least that's what her momma would say. "True. Well do you want to go on a real adventure or stay up on this rock?" She asks her then, giving her a moment or two to decide. Meanwhile she tries to familiarize herself with the girl's scent, anything to plug into her own memory. "I'm Vera.. and you are?" She asks expectantly, after all if she was going to take her under her wing (whether @Imrae liked it or not) she wanted to know who she was first.

_CODE

Imrae shook her head no. She'd surely heard the names of other prides in passing and sometimes the adults came home smelling a little different. But a second hand experience was not the same as seeing someone from one of these other prides herself. Someone, more or less, close to her own age to boot. I just know the Mire. My home.

Imrae, unlike Vera charismatic and with expression upon her face, looked still and calm. It was hard to tell off hand what was going on inside that little head when it came to the chance of adventure until with no more energy the small clay child rose and leapt down from the rock. She glanced over her shoulder to @Vera. Well where are we going? Yeah I'm in. Imrae was not expressive but she was not without want to experience this either. I'm Imrae.