If she had not been busy running the Brook, one might've considered the eldest Valour-Greyflood daughter to be the Heir apparent to the Summit throne. But as it were, having her at the head of the Brook gave those families two strongholds within the land of Amaryllis. She might not be as large as some of her siblings, but she had the ferocity and gentleness that came from both sides of the family. Thankfully, she had been relatively nearby the Summit when her mother's call rang out, summoning friends and family alike to the Summit for a meeting. Flicking an ear, Cassandra changed her path to head towards the Summit. Picking up a trot and then a lope, the Brook Queen quickly made her way to the location her mother had called for. Without a care that she had passed the borders, the dark brown lioness made her way towards her mothers.

As she approached the gathering, she spotted quite a few familiar faces - including those of her slightly younger sisters @Arden and @Isla ♔. As she made her way to sit near her family, Cassandra offered her sisters a chuff of greeting before situating herself near the ruling trio of the Summit, but back far enough to be respectful. She was sure some of the pridemembers of the Summit would be confused as to why the Queen of the Brook was here, but one glance at the similarities between Talisa, Morrigan and herself would be enough to silence those who sought to have her leave.

actions. "speech." thoughts.

Art by Amphispiza | Table code by Zodiac

Was it still arriving fashionably late if you didn't try to make an entrance? Parvati hung back twitching nostrils at Cassandra's trail, trying to ascertain if their father was still in the Brook. It smelled more like snow than anything. But a different kind of snow than the Summit. It smelled like only a temporary phase. The Summit smelled like stone that never thawed.

Metaphorically too. The others of the mountain were strong and generally larger. It was easy to sit back and focus only on Morrigan. Their blank face showed neither comfort nor discomfort. It seldom did. Parvati's ears folded back, succumbing to vague distress in the heavy silence before the start.

Alright, so he was a tad slow to get to this meeting and he didn't exactly have a good excuse other than treading up the slope. A part of him felt assured that he knew a portion of this meeting and what was to come of it but then again, there was likely a million other things that three leaders had to bring up too. Coming along into the clearing, he took a moment to look to his leaders and gave them a small incline of his head should they look in his direction before finding the first (and only) immediately familiar face.

Jafar moved to sit next to @Velimor with a foot's distance between them. It was quite a lot of room but still enough to provide him with the will they, won't they attitude that seemed to be at play in his soul. Inclining his head to the soldier and offering a wry smile before turning his chin to the centered leaders.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

Things had been quiet since the last challenge for the Summit, and even getting older, Roarke was bored of it. Thankful for the peace, yes, but something stirred in him when the Sovereign called. Something bloodthirsty, hoping for battle. The giant arrives towards the end of those gathered, sitting at the back so as not to block the view of anyone behind him - and more to the point, it seems those closer to Morrigan and her wife were gathered closer. His hulking frame shakes loose the snow clinging to his mane and back, huffing softly. Winter was always irritating, and it tracks that the summit would only get colder in these months.

B y nature, Yavanna was a wandering soul. In aspects, she favored her father as feral and one with the wild as the very beast engraved in their namesake. No one questioned it or batted an eye, she came when necessary, but the restraints of everyone else's wishes never interested her. The mountain's expanse breathed life into her soul and the crispness of the air in the high altitude invigorated the pale woman. Still, love held a warm home in the pit of her; she cared little as much as the cared for her family. Like a yo-yo, she went but a tug from them, and she would always come as quickly as the string would allow. The hefty silhouette of the pigment less greyflood child slipped down from the peaks, leisurely in her casual movements even as those rosy carmine eyes settled on the ying-yang figure of Morrigan before settling over the soft beauty of her mother talisa and then rotating between Isla and her other siblings. Introverted by nature, yavanna battled with herself for a brief moment of hesitation before she ambled closer to her mother and siblings settling distance enough that she hoped no one would pay much attention to her. She hated meetings with a passion and hated talking for excessive periods unless it was something she found great joy in. "naneths, muinthels. (Mothers, sisters) " she murmurs, voices low and silky.

@Isla ♔, dutifully, was the first to join her mothers as they awaited the rest of the members interested in making an appearance. Illyria was forged to be both fortress and sanctuary, and so those who did not show their faces were excused by the assumption they did not wish to play at war. She sat up straighter as her fur brushed against @Talisa's shoulder, savoring the small comfort of entwining their tails. A unified front, as they had always been, but hardened now by blood and war.

@Eyvindr was there, doting father as he always was ushering the youngest children who wished to observe into the snow-covered clearing. @Radahn and @Lavender would join their father, one his usual solemn self apart from an excitable gleam in his burnished red eyes, while his sister greeted the gathered boisterously. Three of their older children made an appearance with nods of greeting given to @Arden, @Cassandra, and @Yavanna as they joined the group, settling nearby.

@Zahra, safely back in Summit hands, had joined them as well. The sight of Magnus's daughter had her looking around for any hint of her own children with him. None of them had come, least of Virgil, though Morrigan knew that was entirely a fault of her own. Perhaps they would still show, she told herself. Khal would no doubt be filled in by his sister on his return to the Brook or show up to the Summit at a later time. He'd always been more Valour than Greyflood, an embodiment of her own devotion and adoration of Talisa.

@Archaic had joined them as well, and though Morrigan would have liked to let him sit out on the drama for once, she was grateful that the healer would know his skills would be necessary again soon. @Parvati too, whom Morrigan realized was now her longest running loyalist outside of her blood relations, had made their appearance, the least warlike of them all but doggedly committed all the same. @Jafar and @Velimor, the flame-colored man's handsome companion, both joined Zahra and it was a good feeling to see even those unconnected to each other willing to make bonds.

@Roarke was the only one who would receive any kind of reaction beyond a solemn expression, to her commander she would give a small smirk, a warning that his skillset would soon be of use. Finally, accepting that anyone else arriving would have to do so late, Morrigan would look to Talisa a last time before beginning to speak. "War is upon us," she began with no sugar-coating, "The man who challenged for this throne the first time was a close ally of the Rike, the second was a Rike himself. They paid a heavy price both times, but if history is anything to be trusted, it will only make them more vindictive and determined to take this crown and make all of you prisoners if they can."

Because all of them would be marked sympathizer if they continued to defend the Greyflood and their Sigrún allies. "The Rike and Sigrun will tear each other apart until the end of time, that is something that I have accepted but it is my burden to bear, and gracefully shared with my husband and wife. Their sacred customs and the truth of them," she stressed the word, thinking of how they must have heard the accusations hurled by the Rike Jarl before he himself had been hurled off the cliffs, "are not mine to share, but Eyvindr is Skagos, the oldest ally of the Sigrún. If you wish to know the truth, I ask you to seek him out and after speaking with him, decide for yourself if we are what our enemies say."

No matter how close her own ties to Vellen's loyalists were, it would not be her to publicly lay bare their sacrosanct ceremonies. "The point is, the Summit has many enemies and I cannot promise you peace perhaps ever if you remain here. Some months back, Talisa found a yearling girl attempting to slip away in the dead of night. We want to be perfectly clear that this is absolutely never necessary as an Illyrian. None of you owe us anything as your rulers. We serve you, and if any of you wish to leave now or forfeit your rank and avoid the bloodshed to come, we will think no less of you." They could take their families and go, seek peace in the Brook as she herself once had perhaps, but if they stayed...

"Zahra, I believe I know for sure your heart lies in this fight with me. Since you've already unintentionally scouted out my most annoying enemy, the position of Lead Scout is yours if you wish it." She'd braved several weeks with Vermier, that was certainly worth rewarding. "I've spoken with both Amara and Alaric. While we cannot ignore the trail of blood in our wake, we have agreed to forfeit any theft between Illyria, Wolfbron, and the Mire. Bloodshed is fine, but keep the politics out of it. That policy seemed to work well for us at the last battle." Now she gave them all a grin, obvious pride at how they had so fiercely defended their home. "We have a new enemy to add to our roster now as well, it would seem."

She looked to Jafar as she continued, "I have been made aware of a seemingly personal vendetta against my daughter and the Brook. Lorien plots against Vermeda. As such, they are now our enemies and to be treated as such. We remain friendly with the Savante in the Hollow and the Miroslav in the Oasis, but apart from Vermeda they are our only likely allies. I believe we can expect an attack any day. My own wounds were grievous, so if they have healed, no doubt the enemy's have as well. Though I have learned the current Jarl is still yet to return to the Mire." It might buy them some time, but it wasn't as if Alaric's circle of acquaintances lacked other ambitious figures who might turn up instead.

"As for Fernweh and Andras... Fernweh's penance is considered paid in her time of exile and the wounds of her own heart's folly, something which I should have more vehemently steered her from, or tossed that bastard off the Summit the day I recognized him. He is forever marked a traitor, Talisa and Isla both having sentenced him to die for his crime." She notably did not include herself, as she was still conflicted, still too aware of the fact he had specifically chosen not to kill her when he could have. Perhaps should have. "The children are welcome back without question from anyone. They at least are entirely innocent."

She'd wanted to speak first just because she could speak once more, but as the infomartion continued, Morrigan felt the burn of pain in her scarring throat, could hear the way she began to rasp toward the end before she finally admitted defeat, letting out a small cough into the icy Illyrian air before she looked to Talisa, for anything she wished to add.

coding & image by flea

There is equal parts grief and pleasure in his life. He grieves for what he has lost and revels in what he has gained, but throughout all of it he has never lost sight of what lay ahead. His future, uncertain as it is, always felt as though it was always destined to end bloody at the hands of the Rike. For so long being a Sigrún had defined him, made him someone worth something and made his name hold weight. Now, the man is faced with the complications of war staring him down and the knowledge that his cubs will be in the center of it all whether they like it or not. He has never thought war would actually come, but Nero knows well enough what he must do in order to secure the safety of his kids – and keep his promise to Ghyslaine that he well and truly was finished with all of it. Nero feels the weight of anxiety on his shoulders as he steps onto the scene, listening to the woman he has grown to respect so much. He sucks in a breath. "I forfeit my rank. And, @Morrigan, if we could speak privately after this.." The rank is a start, but he has a feeling there will be more to come.

Table by Amanda

Gaze promptly sought out @Eyvindr as he made his way through, corralling what children that he could to the exchange. For most children, meetings were tough because you had to have enough focus to linger on something for a long time. Words that they likely did not understand nor the gravitas of the situation talked about. To her children, she couldn't be sure where they might lose interest. @Radahn and @Lavender showed to spectate and she gave each of them a very common, motherly smile - doting, affectionate and certainly miles long. They were her innocence, for now. Beings that had no idea the true darkness in this world and just for a few more months, she wanted it to be that way.

@Zahra was to show next and she gave the red woman a gentle nod, appreciative that she was able to return to them. @Arden, too, pleased to see that her own daughter had been able to make her way back home. Sad and unfortunate that it was at a time of war instead of peace but happy nonetheless and able to give her daughter that same, mile-long smile. @Archaic and @Velimor arrived next, each receiving the same nod of silent greeting. Happy to see that they had arrived and were eager to listen.

Talisa eyed @Cassandra making her way up towards them and keeping a foot or two distance, mouthing a gentle hello daughter to her with a turned head before turning back to the others gathered in front. @Parvati, @Jafar, and @Roarke were the next to show and she was certain that they could use their skills in this, too, if they felt so inclined. Anything was useful at this point and Jafar had proven as much. No skill was useless, truly.

@Yavanna was the last to arrive and the same motherly smile was given to her. Despite not coming from her genes, she was still just as much a child of hers as any she had birthed herself. Next came @Morrigan and the words to which she had to express to the others. News they might not yet know but would, thanks to the gathering of information over time. Everything by which her wife said was not news to her and had already been relayed to her in the dark of the night within the den. Prepping to do as they did now.

However, she was not at all prepared for the rest of the pride to know that she was prepared to commit murder or be totally alright with someone to do it for her. Andras Rike would pay and she did not regret or hate that she wanted what she wanted but it did not change the fact that the whole world would truly see her now. They would see that Talisa would never play gentle and wholesome when the life of her own love was at stake.

As she finished her words, Talisa cleared her throat as she heard the own end of the High Sovereign's voice begin to waver. I wish to reiterate there is no shame in not fighting. Your voice will be heard and your skills, whatever they may be, are still useful should you wish to use them. As Morrigan said, we are here to serve you so please do not hesitate to bring anything up to any one of us. Other than that, everything that needed to be said was said and she turned her gaze to @Nero as he stepped forward and called to Morrigan to express that he wished to forfeit his rank. There was no shame in that, either.

Years ago, before Morrigan, she might have done the exact same thing. Fighting had never been her style and yet, she was ready to fight so that her wife wouldn't die.

^{ART BY CUSH, CODE BY CALA}

She had arrived late to the meeting, having been rather far away- when the call came. Her arrival was timed with Morrigan speaking, and she paused on the fringes to listen. War is upon us. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she wondered if this meant the plains and the brook's war? The one she knew was impending because of her own actions.

Eisa was familiar enough with the ways of the Sigrun, having drowned herself to meet Vellen. When Morrigan spoke of the Sigrun ways, and the way the Rike hated them, she struggled to understand that. Their beliefs didn't hurt the Rike! What they did for their God... had nothing to do with them, right?

She swallowed, and let out a long breath, as she listened. As Morrigan goes on, giving orders to their pride that prisoners are not to be taken between them and Wolfbron and the Mire, she wonders if her mother would come to those same terms with those prides- or if it would be open season. Eisa wasn't even sure what she would do with a prisoner, but the threat of being taken as prisoner of the plains, still rung in her ear.

As her grandmother shifted conversation to the plains threat against the Brook, Eisa swallowed nervously, looking down at the ground- with a shifting of her paws, that did nothing to hide the guilt she personally felt.

She remained silent, at the back of the group- and breathed out as her grandmother's speech came to an end, and she remained there- watchful, and listening in case anyone else brought anything up. Part of Eisa, wished that she were a young cub still- that the threat of wars looming on the horizon would have nothing to do with her, and yet...

It seemed her paws were on another path.

code by corvus

The colossal male had arrived, just when Morrigan began speaking, and though he would normally smell of his desert home- he had taken the time to conceal his scent, not out of the need for secrecy but... out of habit for him. He emerged to the meeting place, his eyes coming to rest on @Talisa, as Morrigan spoke. Yet, every word he focused on- taking in the details- and mentally preparing for the wars to come.

He sat back towards the back of the group, silent and watchful- listening about the Rike, and the no prisoners decision with the Mire and Bluffs. Then about the plains who were threatening the Brook, and his brow furrowed- remembering the plains king stealing a member of the Brook. War was blooming in two different ways it seemed, and he wondered what it could mean for them all if somehow the sides joined factions and attacked as one.

When Talisa spoke, he looked over the crowd, before his pink gaze would come back to rest on her- and should she catch his eye, he would merely nod. A silent promise. Hadn't he come too far to back out now?

Perhaps he should feel out the Oasis... to see what side of things they may come to fall on... so he could figure out his next moves.

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH