(1/2) +5 Maintain your weapons (sharpen claws)
It didn't take Vulferam long after he came back to the Mire that he was growing quite bored with the mundane life of a Prince. Sure, having such a title made him feel quite superior to most that he interacted with, but he wasn't too concerned with pulling his weight that came with such a title all that much. So what does he do instead of taking on any duties for the day? He slips past the borders and makes his way toward the grove.

Melanistic form pads along with very little urgency, instead taking in the scenery around him. He couldn't recall if he had actually made his way through this section of Amaryllis yet, and if he did he surely didn't remember it. Coal eyes flicker here and there, brain absorbing everything they landed on. It wasn't a bad place to wander through, and in the back of his mind he wished Ecrosia was this nice instead of, well, being in the heart of a mire; it would be nice to not have soggy paws most days.

With a rather loud grunt, Vulferam would rear onto hind legs as forepaws reached towards the trunk of a tree, claws unsheathed. They'd grip into the bark, and once they had a secure hold the yearling would drag his claws downward, leaving shallow claw marks in their wake. Once he reached the part of the trunk that was at the same height as his belly Wolf would repeat the process, enjoying how the bark was being ripped away.

@Vera

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

A lot had changed in such a short period of time. No longer could she call the Plains her home and it was an odd feeling. Vera felt out of place, but at the same time she was no stranger to living life as a rogue. She had made it on her own once before when she was younger, this situation was no different than that aside from the fact that her entire family was now out of place. All that was left now was to explore, perhaps she could find somewhere to settle on her own before looking for another pride to join. Of course, she would wait to see what her family had in mind, but in the meantime, there wasn't anything wrong with exploring. The Grove had always been a place of interest to Vera, she hadn't had a chance to really explore it in it's entirety but she planned to change that today. The trees were phenomenal, their height looming overtop of her. The forest was significantly cooler and it was relatively easy for her to blend in with the greenery around her. Finding the closest tree she could scale she began to make her way upwards, climbing higher and higher until she was able to rest her petite form on one of the broad branches. It was nice up here in the tree, feeling the breeze on her face. Only then did she notice a figure moving up ahead, dark as night. Curiously she would walk across her branch, moving to jump to the next nearest branch to her left. She would slowly follow the figure, trailing him without having any intentions of letting him know that she was above him until well .. after he might notice her.

@Vulferam


[sleuth exp]
+5 - Study the landscape of an area
+5 - Learn a character's name and rank
+5 - Follow someone through a territory

code to pine

(2/2) +5 Maintain your weapons (sharpen claws)
After he had shredded the bark on one side of a tree would he move to the next, repeating this process a couple of more times before he finally grew bored. Coal eyes would look around him, trying to point out something else to keep himself occupied with for however long it would last. A rather heavy sigh would escape him as he began to pad forward, only for him to abruptly stop in his tracks as he heard the softest of snaps from up above. Muscles would tense as Vulferam's attention went toward the canopy, examining and scrutinizing what he could see with narrowed eyes.

Was that a lion up there?

'No way,' he would tell himself internally; why would a lion climb up into trees? They were mostly too large for these types of trees, anyways. So with a huff he would continue forward, swatting at a rock that was in his walking path and watching as it tumbled forward several feet before hitting the base of a tree.

@Vera

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

She forgot what it felt like to be up in the trees. It took very little effort for her to jump from one tree limb to the next and she found moving about the trees was like home to her. The comfort it brought her was something that she would never be able to fully explain to someone else. Unknowingly Vera would continue to follow that darkened shape up ahead, not necessarily sure whether it was male or female or even a lion. From behind the individual looked to be like a bear which only made her more inclined to stay up in the trees. And the trees seemed to go on forever, their expanse seeming to be never ending across this Grove. She was thankful for the reprieve from the sun, but foolishly she hadn't been paying attention. Soon enough her paws would slip just enough to send her toppling from her branch. Grasping wildly for anything she could sink her claws into she managed to collide with the wide width of the tree trunk, careening downward before landing on the ground in a disheveled heap. For a few moments she saw nothing but beautiful little stars dancing in her vision. `Note to self: do not fall out of trees. She thought vaguely before she realized that she had well .. fallen directly in front of the bear she had been following. But this was no bear, no he was just about the same age as her. His fur as dark as night itself. It was no wonder she had thought he was a bear at first. "Oh." She said softly, mostly to herself as she waited for the stars to clear from her vision. Surely she had given herself a concussion and she hated the way her body groaned in agony as she moved to slowly put herself into a seated position. Anything mildly defensive in case this stranger wasn't friendly.

@Vulferam

code to pine

It would be the more distinct rustling above him that tipped off Vulferam that something was following him. Every now and again it would get louder than normal, causing for him to stop and stare up for several long moments. The sensation kept causing for his fur to bristle and muscles to stay tense, and as he was about to stretch up onto another tree with a thick trunk would his suspicions become true.

It was a sudden and loud noise, thudding and clambering, before the body of the yearling fell from above and right in front of him. It would cause for the Prince to jump a paw step or two backward, lips peeling back and being accompanied by a loud hiss. Vulferam would take a second or two to recompose himself, coal eyes narrowing onto the soft shaded girl. "Why were you following me?" The question would be slipped forth in a rather demanding tone, the boy trying to make himself appear larger and scarier by rolling his shoulders back and standing at his full height as much as he could without it looking stupid; but for Wolf, he could've looked stupid either way.

@Vera

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

Why are you following me? He asks, puffing himself up to make himself larger which he technically didn't even need to do to begin with. He looked like a bear, his paws twice the size of her own. "Who me? I wasn't following you." She says nonchalantly, eyes ablaze as she surveyed him carefully. "For all I know you could have been following me." She mentions to him before she would rise off of her haunches, still watching him with ease. "You stink of the Mire." She says it blatantly, she had smelled plenty of Mire lions before, they were all the same. And she had nothing against them, just something she couldn't help but point out. The muck seemed to cling to his fur, thick and heavy. She herself didn't even smell of the Plains anymore, her own scent of ivy and cedar (likely from climbing around in trees and then falling from them).

@Vulferam

code to pine

The girls denial and accusations cause for a loud scoff to be released. "You're insane," Vulferam would begin, adding an eyeroll and a shake of his head to further drive the point - whatever that was. "I'm not the one trapezing up in the trees where nobody can see you." Eyes narrow as they look at her now, slowly prowling to the right side of her. She mentions that he stinks, more specifically Ecrosia, and he can't help but let out a sort of chuckle. Vulferam couldn't agree more that the homeland his Vater had claimed wasn't the most ideal place in Amaryllis, one of those reasons being because it did have such an odor.

"That's because I'm a Prince." Ah, with the gloating. Wolf would roll his shoulders as he turned on his heels and began to prowl back around and now toward her left side, pacing slowly. "But you?" A sniff of the grove air would tell him that she belonged to no pride. "It'd be a shame if someone were to claim you." Would he really follow through with it? Probably not; he wasn't as obsessive with claiming just because he had the power to do so like a certain Mire Heir, but the mere fact of Vulferam having that to hang over this girl's head, well... It made it fun.

@Vera

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

You're insane, I'm not the one trapezing up in the trees where nobody can see you. She couldn't help but smirk at him, especially at her comment about his smell. "The trees are far better than being down here. I bet you can't even climb with all that fur bogged down by Mire mud." She muses, scrutinizing him as he stood before her. He mentions being a Prince and she does no more than bat an eye at the comment. Perhaps if she was Anniston it would mean something, but Vera not so much. She had once been hungry for a throne, now she was more then willing to stay within the shadows. But you? It'd be a shame if someone were to claim you. He assumed she cared about trivial things like that and Vera couldn't help but laugh and laugh loudly. "Bold of you to assume I'd listen to a claim." She says with confidence, magenta gaze sparkling. She takes a step forward, chin lifted high and eyes locked onto him, "And who exactly would dare to do such a thing hmm?" She questions him, go on, show me Prince.

@Vulferam

code to pine

"Climbing isn't hard." Had Vulferam ever even tried to climb? Absolutely not; he wasn't suicidal and this girl didn't need to know his inabilities. He would quict his pacing whenever he was parallel to her left side, tail flicking behind him while shoulders rolled. She would continue, her laugh causing for his jaw to tighten and teeth to grit against each other. "You seem to be confident I wouldn't make the claim myself." And maybe he wouldn't have pulled a Luther and instead continued to just mess around with her. But feeling as though his pride and ability to do something such as claiming was in jeopardy here, Wolf Wolf act accordingly.

Without warning, the melanistic yearling would twist his front half and attempt to lunge toward her left side. Right front leg would attempt to wrap around her midsection while hie left front leg attempting to curl his limb around the bottom of the girl's neck in an attempt of a hold of sorts. A snarl would release as jaws snap forward, attempting to bite the at the center of her back. This'll show her to question him.


vulferam vs @Vera
for claiming vera
round i/iii
hits

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 12 + 5 + 7 + 4

dodges

Rolling 3d20: 8 + 13 + 12

luck

Rolling 5d20: 12 + 15 + 2 + 5 + 14

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

Climbing isn't hard. She smirks at him, knowing that just by him denying it was evidence enough for her that he both couldn't and wouldn't do it. You seem to be confident I wouldn't make the claim myself. A cheshire grin forms on her perfect features, perhaps she was instigating but it was one of the things that Vera was best at. She braces herself slightly, magenta gaze narrowing as the male tenses. Without warning he lunges and she's not quite fast enough to avoid his grasp. A large paw grapples around her midsection while the other hooks around her nape in an awkward bear hug. The bite on the center of her spine causes a snarl of warning before the yearling is moving. She lurches forward, springing to life as she attempts to buck upward with her hind end in an attempt at checking Vulferam's chin with her back. He was heavy, a lot heavier than she could have anticipated. "Clearly you guys have no shortage of food in the mire, eh?" She snaps at him between breaths as she pants, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp afterwards.


Vera vs @Vulferam
for claim
round i/iii

hits

Rolling 2d20: 3 + 10

dodges

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 5 + 3 + 9 + 8

luck

Rolling 5d20: 16 + 11 + 19 + 3 + 14

code to pine