The sun was finally showing through the skies more and more, and having been born in Winter- it was a wonderful thing for Merveille to witness. She found she quite enjoyed the warmth over the chill of the snow, and while she was often coddled up with her parents and siblings in the den for most of that cold season, it never stopped her from disliking it when being taken out to explore.

Now, she found herself playing with a few twigs and long strands of grass from the Plains. In her mind, she was creating something- piling them all on top of each other. Oblivious to the area around her (because why did she have to keep a look out at home?) she didn't notice the large bird circling her overhead, beady eyes focusing in on her as a target.

Just as she placed another twig on top of her stack, her body leaned forward to grab the next one- and that was when the bird swooped for her. A startled cry left her lips, the bird narrowly missing her frame due to her leaning forward. She fumbled, eyes wide as she tripped over her pile and tried to run forward, all as the bird began to circle again, preparing itself for another dive at it's fleeing prey...

The sun's rays were somethin' Lucien was more than happy to soak in. He wasn't a huge fan of winter or what it brought with it, and whenever he could he always took the chance to relax and sunbathe. He were layin' on his side on one of the smaller hills that created Lorien, eyes closed and his breathin' steady. He had just finished a patrol before he decided to come here to take a quick nap, and quick it would be. A sudden shrill cry would cause for the dun man to lift his head up in sudden alert, ears twistin' in the direction the cry had come from. Hoistin' himself back up onto all fours would he give himself a quick shake as golden gaze scanned the area.

It wouldn't be until he glanced up at the sky that he would watch a large bird begin its descent back up into the air that would cause for leonine brows to furrow in suspicion. Without much more thinkin' on it would Lucien begin at a steady jog down the hill and toward where the bird had been. The scent of a cub would soon hit his nostrils, causin' for his worry to grow and for his heart to quicken. 'Please don't let no cub be bird food,' he would think as he cleared the distance. Eyes would catch movement then - the wheat furred cub tryin' to scramble away as fast as she could from whatever it was she was pilin' up. "Come here!" Lucien would call to her as he continued to close the distance between them, comin' from behind her, his eyes dartin' back and forth between the sky and the girl.

@Merveille

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS, MODIFIED BY GUNNER
*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*

She didn't know what it was- but it was terrifying!

Was this karma? Revenge for her chasing a bird before? Oh sweetness, she could feel her heart pounding a mile a minute. Her paws didn't seem to move fast enough, and as she stumbled over the pile she worked so hard to make, she didn't find the time to be sad over it. Instead, she tried to run forward, tripping more than once, her balance less than perfect as she was still growing. Panic sung through her ears, she could barely focus!

Come here!

Her head snapped, seeing an adult, and her paws instantly dove themselves in that direction. The bird circling in the air saw her moves, and in one last attempt was it swooping down at her again. Merveille let out another cry, her front paws extending to try and jump into the adult, her hind legs pushing off the ground with as much strength as she could muster. The bird was so close- close enough she felt talons scraping at her back. Would her efforts be enough? She didn't think so- all she could do was hope the adult would save her.

@Lucien

The bird of prey swooped and Lucien was prepared to leap and meet with it in midair to deflect it from tryin' to grab the cub and make its way off with her. But as his muscles bunched to ready himself would she fling herself toward him. He had to act fast, now reachin' forward with his jaws open to grab her by the scruff, albeit way rougher than he would with a such a small child but he couldn't help it in this instant. As Lucien did this would the birds talons instead meet his body, feelin' it ensnare in his mane as well as diggin' into the skin along his left shoulder. The pain of his skin rippin' and clumps of mane bein' torn out would cause for him to let out a muffled hiss, but large paws kept his body movin' forward.

At last the dun man would spot a cluster of trees up ahead, and soon enough would he close the distance to reach them. Sides heaved as he placed the girl down gently in front of him, his face contortin' to show his discomfort with the deep marks the bird left on him. "Are you... okay?" He'd ask in between pants, golden eyes lookin' down at her in worry and tryin' to assess to see if she had any injuries of her own.

@Merveille

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS, MODIFIED BY GUNNER
*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*

How the bird hadn't grabbed her was beyond Merveille's mind. She swore she had felt the ends of it's talons on her spine- so close to digging into her skin. @Lucien had managed to grab her, and instead of the talons digging into her back they found his mane instead. Merveille gasps at this, her tiny body shaking from the fear of everything as she dangles from the hold of the adult.

He takes her to some trees ahead and when he sets her down, Merveille whimpers, swiftly scrambling forward and placing herself firmly back beside him, almost as if she was trying to tuck herself underneath him. His question to her has her mind reeling for a reply, trying to form some sort of words for him. Y-Yes? I... She looked at her back, not seeing any wounds. She wasn't hurt, just frightened beyond belief. Him on the other hand? He had been hurt! Why it do that? She whispers to him, eyes wide as she peers out beyond the trees- as if the bird was going to swoop from out of nowhere at them again.

He sees that she is unharmed and lets out a heavy sigh of relief. How was he goin' to explain that to Ghyslaine or Nero that their daughter was almost bird food? She pressed into him as if to try to conceal herself from the open expanse of land and Lucien would find himself slinkin' back to recline into a sit, his back pressed up against the trunk of a tree. "Good good," he would huff out with a bob of his head, yellow eyes goin' back and forth between her and the sky. The bird seemed as though it had disappeared, but if it had the gall to come and try to swipe her away again he would be the one makin' a meal out of the bird.

The girl would then notice the gashes on his shoulder and ask why the bird had done that to him. "Not all birds are nice," he would begin, his head turnin' so that he could get a sideways glance at his newest set of wounds. "Some of them are hunters and try to steal away cubs like you because you're small and easier to carry away." Now Lucien wasn't tryin' to make her afraid, but the sooner she learned about the dangers of bein' exposed in vast landscapes while she was still small was just as important as learnin' how to hunt - it was a eat or be eaten world out there.

@Merveille

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS, MODIFIED BY GUNNER
*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*

There was an odd sensation that Merveille felt at knowing not all birds were nice. That was weird, shouldn't everything be nice to her? That's how she saw it at least- how it should be too! Well... I be big soon! She huffed with a puffed chest, eyes glaring up at the sky with a frown on her face. Are any birds fighters? Healers? Now she was... curious. Did birds live like they did, but in the sky? It caused her to tilt her head in thinking, mind spinning at what seemed to be endless possibilities.

@Lucien

He couldn't help but smile at the way the girl reacted, puffin' out her chest as if to further emphasis her comment. "Bigger and stronger," Lucien would respond with a wink. He could only assume as she aged that she would become more in tune with the world and her surroundin's which would help her in situations like these ones - even if she would be too big for a bird to carry her away. Her question brings Lucien back to the present, brows furrowin' as she asked a rather odd question, one he had no answer to.

"Hmm, I'm not sure," he would respond, his eyes trailin' away from her to look back up at the sky. Did birds have hierarchies and laws just like they did in prides? Did they utilize any skillsets? It was all a big question mark in the Sovereign's brain. "What's your name, little lady?" Lucien suddenly realized that he didn't even know the girl's name even with knowin' who her parents were, or if he did know her name he couldn't remember it right there and then. Let's blame it on the near death experience he had to save her from.

@Merveille @Sava

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS, MODIFIED BY GUNNER
*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*

Well he didn't end the curiosity in her mind when she questioned about the ways of life with a bird in the sky- if they had laws and a way of life like them. Her ear twitched and she watched the bird for a few more moments before she heard his question. Merveille! She happily mused, almost forgetting about the whole ordeal from above. She did, however, now have a lasting dislike for birds. What's that mark on your face? She craned her head forward, eyeing the white color on his head with a tilt of her head, her mind unable to stay focused on one topic for too long as her curiosity led her away to something else.

@Lucien

"Pleasure meetin' ya, Merveille. I'm Lucien." He would give the girl a way more dramatic introduction by bowin' in a greetin'. He was happy to see that her spirits were up and unbothered from her questionable fate if he had not intervened. She would ask him about the markin' on his forehead and he would give a soft chuckle as he stood back up. "I was born with it," he'd begin, a forepaw risin' from the ground to touch his forehead softly. "I was told the shape is called a diamond."

Lucien remembered all the questions he had about that singular word when he was told about it, so before @Merveille could find herself askin' he would continue on. "A diamond is some sort of rare mineral that is very shiny and beautiful to look at. Like a gemstone - a pretty and colorful stone." Eyes would glance around them, and before long he felt that it would be best to corral her back to her parents, to make sure she wouldn't fall into any further danger out here. "Let's get ya back to your ma and pa, okay?" The same paw that touched his forehead would now gently prod Merveille along with him as he padded off in findin' either Nero or Ghyslaine.

exit Lucien.

@Sava

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS, MODIFIED BY GUNNER
*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*