cassandra

Lately she'd found herself a bit too busy to get too much free time from the Brook lately. With Myrkvi having to step down from her side as King due to a bout of pneumonia that he got after falling into the Brook in the dead of winter. But she still wanted to spend some time outside of the Brook while the weather started to get better now.

Stretching, Cassandra started to make her way up the peak. She hadn't been to the peak in a hot minute, much less the Lookout portion itself. Carefully making her way up to the top of the lookout, the Brook Queen found herself looking around for a place to lay down and relax. Spotting a large and sturdy ledge, she picked her way over to it and settled herself on it. A soft sigh escaped her as she let herself relax with the chilly breeze blowing around her.

@Ghyslaine

text. "speech."

Art by Thrush@dA | Code by Zodiac

A break.

She needed a break from the pride, the cubs, her husband though she loved them all dearly- she needed just a little time to decompress away from them all and their various expectations of her- or at least, the expectations that she felt they had of her. Whether or not those were actual things.... well, that was... something she could not determine for herself.

She only knew how she felt, and mostly she just felt tired.

Oh, she loved Nero and the cubs, she really did, but everything was just so damn hard.

So, taking a break was the best option. She decided as she trailed up the mountain to the edge of the peak- intent on just laying down and enjoying the view. It wasn't far from home- a cry away really, and she could just...

Well, that was a familiar scent.

"Cassandra?" Ghyslaine greeted as she rounded the boulders, only to indeed see the other lioness. "Out for a break too?" She said with a grin, and a light teasing tone to her voice.

@Cassandra

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cassandra

She had settled herself down, and had been about to rest her head on her paws when a familiar scent washed over her followed by a familiar voice. "@Ghyslaine. This is the last place I expected to find you at." She said with a soft chuckle as she turned to look at the Lorien Queen, flicking her tail as she spoke. "Just a small one - things at the Brook have thankfully been a bit peaceful lately, aside from a few little hiccups here and there. Gives me a chance to get away at least for a little bit." Cassandra added on, recalling the slight stress she'd been under with Kvi getting sick, her son Lukas showing back up injured after having been missing and then all the changes going on in the land.

"What are you doing all the way up here for a break? Its quite a change of pace from your plains." She asked, shifting to make more room on the large ledge for the other lioness. She was honestly curious as to what had brought Ghyslaine all the way up to the peak today other than just a mere break.

text. "speech."

Art by Thrush@dA | Code by Zodiac

Ghyslaine

Sometimes a mother needed a break, right?

There's freedom as she walks the narrow path- a freedom in being away from the cubs that are normally alongside her- and for what felt like years but in reality was merely weeks were clung to her side- and oh, how she loved them, but she just wanted a break. Just a little bit of time away- so she could breathe, and @Cassandra 's presence was just a welcome bonus.

"I've only been cooped on the plains long enough to get the cubs off nursing and I was going stir-crazy," she huffs as laugh. "I've hardly been away." She admits, approaching the other lioness, and joining her there on the ledge. "No one mentioned that part of mothering," she grins.

"How are your cubs?" She asks of her warmly, as she sits down, looking out over the ledge. "It's good to hear things are mostly peaceful for you guys- I'd wondered how winter had treated you." She says kindly.

"Never been up here," She admits, "It's not that far, and I just... needed to breathe." She admits. Was that a bad mom thing? Because she didn't think it was... right?

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cassandra

"I'm surprised you didn't take little excursions to nearby territories while they were still nursing. I was able to go to the lands directly next to the Brook while my four were nursing and get back in time for their next feeding. I think that helped me not go crazy. Plus, for most of their early life we had that weird weather system that made me want to stay cuddled up with them as much as possible." Cassandra said as @Ghyslaine joined her on the ledge. She had been lucky that the lands next to the Brook were so close and that she could go off from her den for a little bit while her children had been young. "I think it depends on how helpful the father is as well." Cassandra said with a chuckle. Myrkvi had been quite helpful with the cubs throughout their entire life thus far, and she had little doubt that he would stop being that way anytime soon.

"My cubs have been growing like weeds! They've been getting so big and adventurous lately. Imber and Eisa love to follow me around with my duties." She said with a shake her head and a soft laughter. She preferred they didn't sometimes, but such was life. They had the tenacity of both of their parents - that was for sure. A flick of her ear would be given at Ghyslaine's statement that she had hoped winter had been kind to them. "It thankfully was as per usual. My cubs got to experience snow while I hovered over them, ready to bring them in the first moment they got too cold." She said with a laugh.

"I can understand needing to breathe. We all do sometimes. Leading and being a mother isn't an easy task to accomplish, and doing so shows that you are strong and capable of more than you know." Cassandra said, hoping to make her friend understand that needing to give yourself space was important too. She had struggled to lead the Brook alone and be a mother, and thankfully Revna had stepped up to help her lead the Brook.

text. "speech."

Art by Thrush@dA | Code by Zodiac

Ghyslaine

Though it had been exhausting to stay so close to the cubs, she wouldn't regret it- nor would she have really wanted to be anywhere else. As @Cassandra talked, she smiled. "Nero is great with them, honestly, he's... he's the best father." Far better than even her own had been. "I just... didn't want to leave." Didn't want to risk something happening. "Yet, I did. It was intensely crazy." She added with a chuckle.

Hearing that Cassandra's children had been growing like weeds, was comforting. It was nice to hear. She grinned. "I can't wait for them to follow me everywhere." She adds. "Well, almost everywhere. They can stay in the plains until they're like.. 5." She laughed. In the plains they were safe- protected.

"Nero has joined me in leading, so the burden there is easier... it's just been... there's been a lot going on." She admits. The Scilla Lagoon challenge had made things tense. The desire to step away from their allies and aim for neutrality among everyone. "But winter is over. It's finally lessening its iron grip and prey is moving through more again." She adds thoughtfully.

"You were at that challenge- that Lagoon one. I saw you fighting. You were okay?" She asked, curiously. "Alizabeth went to the Summit with your mothers." She mused aloud, and then the next challenge. "I am starting the thing that the Lagoon may be cursed. It seems like we're all there once a season for a challenge." She joked.

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