The scent trails of Nesta and Sindáriel were still fresh.

Ahyarë lifted her head, gaze peering toward the direction they'd walked. They were too far ahead for them to see or to hear, but they couldn't have been more than a day's trip ahead. What was peculiar, however, were the sudden mingling of scents that met them along this crossroads, and the splatters of blood accompanying clawed-free fur clinging to winter brambles. Brows furrowed, a fretfulness unlike the usually-steeled Ahyarë causing her paws to knead into the ground, her claws to sheath and unsheath.

She were enamored, as if she were studying the scene of a crime. What happened here, she wondered, whose blood is this? Perhaps were they not on such a stringent time limit and not so hungry and bedraggled from their travels, perhaps she would have investigated it further. Instead, she turned toward @Yúla, a thoughtful purse of her lips accompanying her words. They were here.

Of course they were here. The evidence of them was splattered all over the sand.

Quickly, she made her way over toward her dark-pelted sister, a sudden flare of the plush fur around her neck stood to attention, as if something else were on the horizon, as if this place were not quite as abandoned as it seemed.

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+5 Learn about another pride or band's laws (0/2)
+5 Learn a character's full name and rank (0/2)

Winter had unfurled its grasp on the world, encasing this foreign land in glittering, frozen light. Frosted grasses sparked in the watery sunlight, and beneath her paws, a swathe of snow—the lightest of blankets—crunched atop the stretch of sand. Nesta and Sindáriel had gone before them, as agreed, and yet, they had neither returned nor waited for @Ahyarë and Yúla to join them.

All that remained was the scene Ahyarë had discovered — traces of splattered blood and shorn, discarded fur.

Yúla stepped forward, brushing against her sister’s side, and lowered her head, nostrils flaring. The scents that lingered upon the sands were faint, buried beneath freshly fallen snow, and yet, just distinct enough. "There were, at least, four others with them," she noted, and as her gaze found the discarded clumps of fur once more, Yúla’s mouth dipped into a frown — for amongst the scattered fur lay evidence of Nesta.

However, the youngest sister would not be permitted to linger in her displeasure for long.

Ahyarë moved, and Yúla moved with her, snapping her gaze toward the yawning horizon. There were wraiths—both seen and unseen—in this strange place, and the sisters stood in the midst of their haunting ( hunting ) ground.

code to pine

Amara roamed into the passage, her goal was simple enough and one that she always had when she arrived here. To add to the numbers in her pride. To find new members who would be willing to call the Bluffs their home, to fight for it and those within it. The high sovereign spotted two lionesses and trotted toward them. She slowed as she got closer letting them move closer to her as her golden gaze looked them over. They didn't seem to be the normal lost looks that strangers had here, they seemed to know where they were going. Need help finding something? Amara asked to start things off. Two lionesses out here would be very tempting to some and Amara was never keen on fighting for unworthy bodies. If they were looking to get somewhere, she may aid them. If it would aid her in some manner.

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Paws carried the young queen towards the Passage once again, almost out of habit at this point in time. Feeling the sand shift beneath her paws as she approached the familiar sandbar of the Passage, Cassandra allowed a breath to escape her as she started to pad deeper into the familiar sandbar. A scent up ahead caught her attention, and her head lifted up as voices trailed towards her. The words were indistinct, but she could tell the pair ahead of her were discussing something.

A familiar form appeared in the passage as well - Amara. She had no personal quarrel with the Wolfbron Queen, and rather respected her somewhat for what she'd managed to do. She knew the star-flecked queen had managed to hold off many challengers and for that reason alone she held respect for @Amara. Coming up near the three of them, she caught the words Amara had spoken. "Cassandra Valour-Greyflood. If you need help in locating someone or something, I offer my assistance as well." She said, flicking an ear as she spoke.

@Yúla @Ahyarë

actions. "speech."

Art & Table code by Zodiac

Her pace was slow as she moved towards the passage, cursing her husband with every step for the havoc he’d wrecked on her body. Her pregnancy was undeniable now, her abdomen practically ballooned to almost comical proportions. Aeistrios would probably be nervous, considering the passage really could be a mixed bag when it came to how the encounters could go, but the Heiress had no intentions of fighting today. She was here to scope out the new blood entering into the land, to see if there was anyone there who would be worth bringing back home with her. There were four women there already, two rouges (@Ahyarë @Yúla), and as well as a starry pelted representative from Wolfbron (@Amara), and @Cassandra herself. She couldn’t help the amused grin that slid into place as she heard the brown lionesses words, her offer of assistance. Throwing childish insults and accusations was typically beneath her, but the opportunity was too good to resist. “Is that why a member of the Brook was on our borders the other day, bartering for our aid after you refused to help free his wife several times over?” Her voice had a smooth lilt, her tone condescendingly close to true curiosity, though no part of her expected a real response. The details of Wolfgang's visit were fuzzy to her, but she knew enough that the finer details didn't matter as much. The point was, he had needed Cassandra's help, and she had failed him. There was no reason to expect it would be any different for the women before her. She then shifted her attention to the other lionesses, not bothering to ask any further questions as it seemed that part had already been done, and waited to hear their answer.

Art by Navarre - Code by Vasilia

The thought of an ambush had crossed her mind, a fear that gripped her heart and caused her breath to flutter. Ahyarë seldom let her fear break the steely indifference of her expression, but in this brief loneliness between the two of them, she let her resolve crumble just a bit, her lips curving downward into a slight frown. Do you think they were ambushed? she asks, a tense nervousness in her tone that she'd kept low, between her and @Yúla until it suddenly was not just them anymore.

Her gaze lifted as @Amara approached, any reprieve of concern washed away as she steeled herself once more, greeted the incoming Queen with a firm nod of her head. Need help finding something? she asked, and Ahyarë spared a fleeting glance toward her sister. Our sisters passed through here before us, she informed her, carefully thinking her words through; though there appeared to be a sign of a struggle here, Amara had approached them civilly, with seemingly little ill intent. Given the struggle, I'm assuming these are claiming grounds.

Similar to their homelands, she supposed. It would explain the blood.

And yet, Ahyarë still couldn't help but worry about their littermates; the crinkle of her brow upwards and thoughtful glances at the ground around them proved as much.

She was given little time to think further on it, however, as more representatives approached. The Tollaire turned to regard @Cassandra, another offer for her given to them (in return for what, she wondered, their servitude? Their loyalty?). A small smile unfurled upon her lips, a soft heh exhaling on her breath. She opened her mouth to respond to them both, but the incoming form of @Renfri stops her short; this time, there was no promise of assistance on her breath.

Ahyarë watched with upturned brow as the Lorien Heiress pushed her accusations upon the Vermedan, her claws unsheathing from her paws to grip the loose, cold earth below.

How interesting.

Bold are the accusations levied against you, Cassandra, what say you? she asks, but there is no malice in her tone. In fact, Ahyarë had every intention of portraying neutrality, curious to see the true nature of these women. And while she would have delighted in watching a catfight between Queens unfold right before her eyes, she knew there were matters far more pressing to them.

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+10 Use gathered information to the advantage of your pride/group/family (1/2)
+10 Discuss pride, group, or family relations with another character (1/2)
+5 Learn about another pride’s laws or culture (1/2)

note — so sorry for the wait!! pls excuse this mess.

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The hushed murmur of @Ahyarë's question drew Yúla’s attention from the horizon that yawned before them. Her brows furrowed, knitting together, as she allowed the weight of her sister’s suggestion to press upon her — allowed the implications of such a reality to envelope her heart in its icy grasp. Yúla sucked in a quiet breath, lips pursing against the swell of uncertainty—of fear—rising within her breast, as she met Ahyarë’s gaze. “No,” she breathed, pitching her voice low — soft, “They know better than to allow such a thing to happen.”

Nesta, their eldest sister, would never allow such a thing to happen — Yúla’s true meaning went unspoken, and while that thought offered her some comfort, it ultimately did little to soothe the fear taking root within.

Not that there was time for such things, anyway. A lone figure appeared, and soon their gathering grew. @Amara and @Cassandra were the first to arrive — both with offers of assistance on their tongues. Yúla regarded them quietly as her sister spoke, but it was to the third that her attention soon turned; a solitary brow quirked at @Renfri's accusations, and she tipped her head, dual-toned eyes sweeping back to the brown lioness, in

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same tasks as ahyarë; will edit later

code to pine

It didn't take long for one of the lionesses to answer. What are their names? Amara wasn't really big on making new friends but if there was a surname that she could maybe remember, that may be helpful. She gave a little nod to the question about it being a claiming ground before @Cassandra joined them. She had heard the High Sovereign had fought for her pride but Amara wasn't aware of the details around things or the fact that another war was brewing with a group she wasn't part of. She didn't get a chance to introduce herself as Cassandra had done before another arrived.

Amara's features were very good at hiding every emotion but as the unknown Plain's lioness spoke Amara couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit. She didn't enjoy petty things when she was stuck dealing with it. She was happy to watch it happen around others but the moment it got close to her, no thanks. Amara found the information interesting and tucked it away for use later but Amara was aware of things as well. Had her King arrive here, he would have claimed you both. Taking away your ability to pick where you go or find your sisters. Amara nodded toward Renfri and spoke only the truth as she knew it. She wasn't sticking up for Cassandra but was making it very clear to the gathering of females that neither of them were on a higher ground here. If anything, it seemed that Amara might actually be. What a world it was becoming.

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She had to hold back the lift of her lip that threatened to come to the surface as @Renfri appeared and tossed accusations her way. Did these Plains lions know nothing of diplomacy and how to act properly when their king had a bruised ego after losing a fight to a girl? It seemed they all only served to soothe their kings bruised ego and had no minds of their own any time she came across one of them in the passage. This time, the Plains batch accused her of not being able to help, considering she had had two of her members betray her.

Mentally composing herself, Cassandra smoothly answered tbe queries tossed towards her. "If a member of my pride had come to your borders, then they are a traitor. I have not had anyone of my pride come to me for help and turned them down. I do not know of this member you speak, and they never came to me to ask for my assistance with anything. How can I help if my assistance is not requested and someone does not come to me for my help? I never refused anyone assistance - no one came to me to ask for help in freeing anyone. I am not a mind reader, I cannot know everyone's problems if they are not brought to my knowledge." Cassandra said, keeping her tone and body language neutral as she spoke.

Her attention would flicker towards the two lionesses that were at the passage and for whomever seemed to be searching for someone. "I come regularly to the Passage, and perhaps came across someone you might have been looking for. As Amara asked, if you could let us know the names of your sisters, I could perhaps point you in the direction they went in." She said, one ear turned on Renfri in case anything were to happen. @Amara spoke the truth, however. If the plum bastard of a king had been here, these lionesses would not have had a chance at even having a choice in where they wanted to go.

@Yúla @Ahyarë

actions. "speech."

Art & Table code by Zodiac

How easy it was to rile the Vermeda princess as Aeistrios and Reah had taken to calling her. Renfri herself had tried to avoid the slight, but as her rambling response came, seeming desperate to excuse and defect from her own failures, she was starting to see why they’d refused to consider her a Queen. “Yes, I’m sure it was far simpler for our new Gentry to make himself a traitor and risk coming to enemy territory to get assistance, rather than asking you. I wonder why he might have made such a choice.” Point was, her story made no sense, and anyone with any basic critical thinking skills would see the gaps. And in addition, labeling the Brooks traitor as their Gentry would show a willingness to promote their members, another thing that the Plains did better than the Brook, according to what they’d been told. At the assertion that Aeistrios would have claimed the lionesses, she shrugged. “He very well may have tried to claim to you, the Plains are not against such things. Anyone who gets claimed and remains unhappy in Lorien is allowed to leave, though. It’s far too much work to keep unwilling hostages, and we prefer to keep our focus on helping our members. If claiming and thefts are an issue for you, though, Vermeda is not innocent in that regard, either. It doesn’t exactly fit into the pretty pitch Cassandra likes to share, but a ranked male of her pride attacked and tried to claim me in the early stages of my pregnancy, a fact he was well aware of when he launched the first assault.” She may have been lying about it at the time, but there was more proof in her favor than there was against it, given the obvious bulge of her abdomen. Her issue with Vermeda was personal, regardless of what the brown lioness may have thought. “I didn’t come here just to talk about Vermeda, though. My king may have his faults, but we are honest about who we are and how we operate. The male that came to us for help informed us that his wife was taken by a pride that we are working on aligning with, and while we hope to get her back and remain on good terms with them, we will do what we must to reunite his family. If you joined the Plains, we would readily do the same for you. Our members are our top priority, always, and we have ranks available so that you would be able to fight for your sister yourselves if she’s been claimed, and if you would like the opportunity to do so.” She wasn’t sure about Wolfbron, she had very little information on them, but thanks to Wolfgang, she knew that Vermeda would not prioritize helping them find their sister in the way Lorien would. @Ahyarë @Yúla @Cassandra @Amara

Art by Navarre - Code by Vasilia