you made your
sceptre with the
bones you've broken

Morrigan had forced herself to take the time to enjoy the gifts of both victory and the children born thereafter, and once the youngest had begun toddling from the den she knew she could put off her duties no longer. Her wounds had healed into new fresh scars apart from the deepest of them, but she moved with muscular fluidity as she slipped down toward the meeting place, telling @Talisa of her intent as she went with a kiss.

A chuff was sent for @Isla ♔, a command for her presence though she had never been one to avoid a meeting before. Not when she, too, wore a crown. She had deigned to wait until the sun was at its height, as the November air was more than chill, carrying the first of the heavier snows. A warning to brace themselves. She leapt up to the slightly elevated perch she always used before calling for the rest of the pride. It was time for explanations and amendments.

And hopefully... if all went well, perhaps some small celebration of their resiliency these last years.

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

The pair had truly been blessed this month and understood that these victories would find celebration somehow. Talisa reciprocated @Morrigan's gentle kiss and watched her leave, before looking to her young children and beginning to prep them for the walk. They wouldn't need to go very far from the den (she knew that no matter what they would likely love to go anywhere other than in here for once) and so she began to nudge her little one's to follow at her feet. Not to go more than a few feet in any direction away from her and to continue in the direction that Mama did. @Eskel was no doubt nearby either helping her to keep them all together or at least making sure that if there were any stragglers that he made sure to keep them going.

Talisa hoped that perhaps this might be a show to Illyria of their newest children. That @Fearne, @Merrin, @Flip, @Alette and @Rían could see their pride, their family and their friends and know that these lions could be trusted. They were home and would protect them, just as Talisa would lay down her life for her child no matter what and knew that her pride mates would fight to keep them safe (she couldn't be so sure they would lay down their life, per say, but she would never expect anyone to). So Talisa managed to find her wife's side and hoped that her children (all of them) would come to sit close.

ART • CODE

 

yavanna the white

🌫

yavanna is NOT currently wearing her bear pelt.
she is only wearing the tooth bracelet on her right paw and the feathers tangled in her thick fur.

It's an odd sensation after all these years of keeping to the open backyard of the Summit, being close enough that she knew the call that rang out in the air included h e r this time. Still, the mammoth of a woman took more than a minute to process this same thought; a curse rang silently in the back of her head. Yavanna shoves from her lounging position with a low groan as a languid stretch curves her spine and wakes lazy muscles from their lax states. Yavanna arrives upon the center of the call and her carmine eyes slide to first Morrigan and then to Talisa; a quiet nod of her head in acknowledgment greets them even as words fail to leave her mouth. If she can have it her way, she would lurk and listen without bringing attention to herself but that has not always been an available avenue for the reclusive daughter, especially these days. However, she was curious as to the context of which would make a meeting be called forth. Yavanna knew very little of the inner workings of pride life —- just the simple basics — and she would not claim that she knew more.

Alvena couldn't possibly be happier, she thought. Her father and brother were back, the family reunited... well, except for Auntie Avana. She did miss her terribly still. So she supposed she could be happier now that she really thought about it. But still, things were looking up! She was still looking for an opening to ask her mom and dad to let her go visit the Plains and Hendrix, but at the moment there was something important for her to do, it seemed. Something important for everyone to do. It was called come sit and shut up and listen because there were important things going on.

So she trailed on after her mother who was making her way to the meeting as well, wondering just what this might all be about.

The snow falls soft

drawing the world down to a whitened hush, forcing us to pause long enough to take stock of everything that we miss in our crazed pursuit to gain everything that we can. One would say she is a woman who wears a gown of winter frost that blinds the eyes.

She could only guess the pride meeting might bear some ill news, considering she knew the pride had been challenged for recently, and such attempts were often met with further issues. Still, Morrigan had retained the throne, and so how bad could things truly be? With her family (mostly) back together, Faelyn was glad they still had a place to call home.

Her daughter wasn't far behind her as they made their way to the meeting, and she was sure Roan and Hero were on their way as well, if Roan hadn't requested her assistance with getting to the meeting in the first place, of course. She had patched him up to the best of her abilities, but at the end of the day, eventually time was needed more than anything else.

It is growing cold

code by corvus

The boys weren't far off either. At the sound of the summons for the pride to gather, Hero was more than ready to attend, having not been around long enough the last time to ever see the inside of the pride meeting in the Summit. The scents were vast all over the mountains, so he could only assume the size of the pride. Now he'd get a better look at that in person.

First things first, though, the masked son couldn't help himself from making sure his father got to the meeting as well. Not that it took any encouraging to get Roan there, but after their exhausting trip back into Amaryllis, the dark male still worried for his father's health. Despite his worries, though, the mauve man was quick to dismiss any need for concern, hobbling towards the meeting better than he had hobbled up the mountains in the first place. Still on the mend, but getting better everyday thanks to the boy's mother. Now if only Roan would actually sit and rest for more than a day.

By the time they reached the meeting grounds, his mother and sister were already in attendance. Hero made a beeline for @Alvena, eager to see his little sister. They hadn't had a chance to catch up since his return. A smile beamed across the masked boy's face as he came up alongside the petite young woman. "Alvie!" he chimed, all smiles, before aiming an affectionate headbump against the pale girl's own crown. Hero tried to keep his behavior to a minimum of distraction, though, since they were all here for a reason, after all. He'd shoot @Faelyn a quick smile as well before settling in for the impending meeting.

tb | stk | dv

Sure, he might be a bit slower these days, but Roan could feel his body healing with each passing day. @Faelyn was a large part of that, as was Hero simply for getting the man home. At the sound of the call, the mauve lion wasn't apt to miss out. He yearned to be part of something again, to have his family around him. He tried to hold on to some hope that Avana might return to them in her own time, but he would not pursue her any longer. What was important was what he had right here.

Under his son's watchful eye, the Hodari made his way through the mountains towards the meeting grounds. At least he didn't have to lean on the boy anymore to get around. Just a bit more rest, and Roan would likely be back to his old self. Seeing @Alvena and his wife at the gathering already aided tremendously in lifting his mood. The father aimed an affectionate bump at his daughter's head before doing the same to Faelyn where he'd move to sit at her side. Sparing a glance at their small family, he couldn't help the sinking feeling in noting those who were missing, but Roan simply couldn't spend his life always looking for others. He needed to appreciate what he still had. Casting that souring thought aside for the time being, the Hodari's minty gaze looked then to @Morrigan, curious as to what this meeting might entail.

Table by Amanda | Bust by Hinter | Background from unsplash

It was a call she had been waiting for for several days - if not weeks. Isla knew there was much to discuss from the recent happenings both within and outside of pride boundaries, and the woman wondered partly on what her mother was going to announce and say. She rises from where she had been laying, a flat surface atop her den, and gives her body a quick stretch and shake before she began her way toward the meeting grounds. Colossal paws moved silently and quickly over very familiar terrain, and soon dual colored eyes would land upon the already growing crowd.

She gives nods in general greeting as she makes her way toward @Yavanna, giving her sister a gentle bump of her head to her left hind leg in their own greeting. As she brushes past her sibling, Isla's eyes find both @Morrigan and @Talisa, and with a steady inhale and exhale of breath she follows suit and leaps atop where the two leaders were standing. She gives each one an affectionate rub or bump of the head before she settles, standing on Morrigan's free side.

bg x art x code

Eskel is not far behind his @Talisa. Not far, but straggling just behind to herd any cubs towards the meeting place that may try to wander off. Though, he was a bit unsure of his place among the cubs- as he wasn't their father... he did have a soft spot for any cub and would not see them be harmed by a deep snow drift or anything else. Arriving at the meeting place, he sat down, nodding to the females on the rock with a grin, leaving space near him, if any of the cubs chose to sit near him- waiting to see what was going on, and what would be said.

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS

They had remembered. Lavender sat up from her wintry perch with a thudding heart, eyes wide like amethysts as she took in the sound of her mothers' call. Youthful optimism cast aside thoughts of war, having been largely shielded from such matters by luck and avoidance alike. Surely a pride meeting was a clever front for the real occasion at their paws. Were they throwing her and Radahn a surprise party? She practically vibrated with anticipation as she got to work preparing herself for the gathering, slathering bright red berry dye in two neat prints across her cheeks. Subtle? Tactful? Maybe.

She trotted toward the meeting place with her head held high, tail arched lavishly as she shot anyone a smile who happened to meet her eye. The front of the gathering seemed a fitting spot – not on high with the leaders, but present enough to be seen. She would save the fanfare of shouting 'surprise' for them; it was the polite thing, after all.

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|| november y10 | one year | IS royalty | at illyria summit ||
+10 - Apply dye/paint on yourself (Sept double XP)
+10 - Attend a party or event (Sept double XP)

_{BG — BASE — CODE}