It was the snowiest even Aquila could remember. The flakes were thick, heavy as they fell to the ground with subtle thumps off trees and branches. The air was strangely moist and all around the forest was sagging under the extra weight of the wet snowfall. There was not even the suggestion of wind, everything was still under the grey winter sky. Until a gathering mound of snow shifted off a branch, fell to the ground with a thud, and sent the branch itself shaking back upright into its normal position.

THe powder crunched below Aquila's feet as he walked- whispering aloud to himself. "Hi Cordi... hi..." Just soft greetings, soft calls for his lost daughter as he patrolled the otherwise seemingly empty stretch of Vermeda.

ART BY NICOLEXV , CODE BY LARS

After the events that had befallen her mother and her red-haired sister, Ana hadn't spent a whole lot of time within Vermeda. Though, she also didn't go very far from its borders either. Every where she looked she felt like someone was watching her and truthfully, it made her feel that much smaller. Being half blind (her left eye fully blind from her sigrun ritual), it left her feeling weak and vulnerable at every corner. Feeling as though she couldn't even fight because she didn't have all of her senses. Not like everyone else so she tried her best to do other things but even then, felt small in comparison.

So when she heard someone calling to someone, she picked up her gaze from the ground where she lay. Chin lifting as her good eye began to search and found a family member. Calling for someone she knew she was supposed to know but after all that had transpired, she didn't seem to remember anything except chaos, fear and confusion. Lifting to her legs she attempted to gravitate towards @Aquila, wondering who it was he was calling for. Hey Aquila, she called to him under the assumption that they would have met behind the scenes and all, what're you doing? At least she knew that those within Vermeda were nice -- except that one guy that was at the meeting but of course, he was no longer a Vermedan so perhaps he was in the wrong place to begin with.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

His world had continually changed, it always had. He had never quite liked it or gotten used to just how rapidly things shifted and faces emerged now that Maua had opened their lands. But he had always been aware of it, been somewhat aware of new pride members, of families growing, and life moving on. Since Cordi died it had grown harder to maintain some presence and knowing.

And it meant other children growing up far too quickly, more joining them, and he had a world he barely knew. For a second there was no recognition in Aquila's face, his mind swimming only with the visage of his own daughter until @Analía's voice caught his attention. So much like her father... what had happened to her eye? How much had he missed? Patrolling. He answers, a half truth that makes it a bit easier to hide some of the lie in his voice. The last thing the large bronze lion wants to do is burden the youth of the pride with his everlasting, unshakable, grief. He focuses on her dark form and in the fleeting shadows beyond the memories he'd been holding of his daughter faded off into the trees for another day. Do you want to join? He offers then, looking away and up the path he had been starting to traverse that would eventually head closer to the borders on the south._{ART — CODE}

Good news for the Valour Noble was that Analia was usually oblivious to most facial expressions and easily missed anything that could constitute as a lying face. After all, why would anyone lie? Oh, she answered quietly and made the assumption that maybe he was saying goodbye to someone a second ago but she was quick to throw the notion out as he invited her to come along. Oh yes, I'd love to. Though, she wondered if she should say something about wanting for her right side to face out of the borders so she could see but decided that it wasn't important. @Aquila could handle it. So Ana weaseled her way into a decent position so the two could walk together and patrol their borders. While not so eager to get into a conversation about it, she hoped that none of those Plains lions came knocking. Do you patrol a lot? It was only something that she had recently picked up doing and still she felt as though she was half-assing it due to her half-blinded self. Yet, she still tried because at least she was doing it.

+5 - Walk the pride borders

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

He looked over with a soft smile at @Analía' as she took up position beside him. He set off at a slower pace than before, taking his time to ensure it was one she was comfortable with before allowing the lull of conversation to take over.

Yep. He said without much thought, but then his face slowly turned into a more thoughtful one. Realization settled in just how much time and effort he put into this activity, especially lately. And he couldn't stop it. Couldn't flip that switch and just relax. If he was moving, he was watching. Now that he put a second of conscious thought to it everytime he was out he was walking these same paths and looking for signs of danger. Active. Guess it's hard to turn it off sometimes, I worry. Been around enough it's hard not to. He worried so she wouldn't have to._{ART — CODE}

Unfortunately, Ana was going to worry regardless. It was in her blood now to worry over every tiny detail that seemed out of place or generally wrong. Having to watch her family time and time again fight, drawing blood and having their own blood drawn, simply weighed on her with every ounce of her being. It was part of why she was trying to learn more about medicine, too, so that she could help them when they needed it. That maybe if she learned to heal, then everyone would forgive her for not fighting. Not that anyone had ever actually come at her to tell her she was terrible for not raising her weapons, but her own self-conscious was a loud voice at times.

Yeah, I started doing it a few weeks ago. Not that she would do anything other than scream for the nearest "adult" if anyone bad came. Casually walking beside @Aquila and doing her best to remain alert while also trying to prevent herself from constantly turning her head to him to see. Are you ever afraid? she asks, letting one paw step in front of the other as she turned her gaze and looked out around her as though she was spilling some sort of secret that no one should ever. When you fight, or when you see your family fight? Analia was beginning to think that sometimes, no one was afraid because of how aggressively they went after the other. That in those flighting moments before a fight there didn't seem to be fear on anyone's faces but determination. Wild and free, a feeling that she didn't quite grasp just yet.

+5 - Walk the pride borders

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

He hummed softly, biting at the inside of his lip for just a second while he thought through his answer. Of course he was afraid. He always was really when you dug down into it. Ripping away shield and sword until Aquila laid bare and naked. Vulnerability was scary. Love was scary, losing it was scary. Eventually he started with a nod. Sometimes yeah. And especially when it came to fights.

I'm scared of them for different reasons. I'm afraid of not being there when I'm needed, if I really get hurt and can't handle the next fight. Or of that inevitable day that he was gone entirely and couldn't do a damn thing to help anymore. But I'm really afraid when I see family fight. I don't want them to have to. His body bore the scar of every fight he could manage to pick and divert for them and it wasn't nearly close to be enough.

What are you afraid of Ana?

@Analía_{ART — CODE}

The words that @Aquila bestowed upon her were wise and resonated deeply within her. Feeling as though she wasn't alone in feeling terrified of what fighting could entail. Perhaps some day she wouldn't feel so frightened of it but for now, it was almost the only thing she could think of day in and day out. Dreaming up nightmares in her sleep of scenarios that could very well come to life and she could not begin to know how to make it stop.

What are you afraid of Ana?

` Everything. `

Ana's brain immediately tried to mouth it but even then, it was cut short. Not wishing to express just how fearful she was of just about everything that happened in her day because all of it was spent worrying. Of not being good enough. Came her meek response, furrowing her brows and casting her gaze down to her walking paws. Feeling as though she had just admitted to him that she had committed murder of the highest sin. That she had done something so terrible that she would, in turn, receive a death sentence for being so weak-minded while already being "weak" in other areas.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

That's a big fear. She shouldn't have to be good enough. None of them should have to be. Not like this, not with the weight the world had thrown down on the tattered remnants of his family, now almost entirely eclipsed and wiped away. Aquila felt his old friend anger awaken in his chest and he looked away from Ana to the path they walked instead, fighting the scowl and upset expression that wanted to break across his face. You're good enough in my books.

For what little value that was. The world did not work in the the currency of Aquila Valour's opinion. It could still crush any one of them on a whim. You're not the only one scared of that you know._{ART — CODE}

The girl remembered everything too well; what someone's face looked like as they taunted another into a fight, the way their blood had come to the surface with ease in that fight. Analia did not wish to remember as she did but it was like it had happened hours ago when it had happened weeks or months prior. The princess knew her family well and knew what they would all say to her fear - a general "you ARE good enough!" Because they were family, they were blood but what would happen when she was the only one eligible to defend someone or help someone and she was frozen or worse, failed.

Thanks Uncle Aquila, came her meek and meager response. With her imagination putting a gold star next to her predicted scenario. Not that she didn't appreciate it, and she made sure to give him a believable smile along with her thanks for it was comforting to continue to know that there were those who believed in her. It was she who did not believe in herself. She was her greatest obstacle. I'm not? Came her confused and disbelieving façade as her pace unintentionally slowed for a moment as she couldn't possibly fathom that there was more that felt like they weren't good enough.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}