The little bird flitted within his growing tuft of what would one day be his mane. She would do her best to untangle the strands, out of habit attempting to straighten the young lion's looks up as much as possible - otherwise he looked very much like a mess of tangled hair.

The young beast was too busy tracking a scent to care about what the bird was doing - or that she was following him. Ears flick, still not understanding territory lines or perhaps he simply just didn't care about him. Since birth, Dominic had felt disassociated with the normal bits of life. Like he was some outsider always watching others live their life. His own seemed to pale in comparison. So why, now, was he here?

A familiar scent, a memory of a small, lavender girl who had taught him about flowers. It was enough to draw him close, to have him searching for her - to know more. Perhaps about flowers, but mostly about her. A soft chuff escapes as he enters deeper into the territory, blue eyes searching the night for the delicate girl.

She were achingly far from the Mire, this she knew. The journey to Andal had been arduous and long, and it left little room for the ailing Melusina to ever remember the way back. Her first days had been wrought with sickness, but eventually the pneumonia healed. Whatever medics Aeistrios had in his employ had been skilled enough, but nothing had quite compared to the gentle mothering of Tinuviel, and she'd found herself coming to miss the gentle nitpicks and reprimands whenever she'd pushed herself too far. Here, they'd only looked upon her with disdain, hate—as if she were the catalyst that had set their dreams aflame.

She got better, and though she could not leave the borders of the Oasis, she were allowed to roam where she could within reason. During the night, when the heat of the desert ceased and drew the winter in, Melusina found she could breathe a little easier. Usually, the cold bothered her more, but in such arid and hot terrain, it eased the burning. Her night had been peaceful, undisturbed—until she heard familiar chuffs echo on the desert wind.

@Dominic! she gasped, turning to face him just as he crested the small dune she'd perched herself on. Behind her, the sprawl of the oasis glittered in the moonlight, casting a silvery glow on all its surroundings. He were no fellow prisoner—he smelled fresh of Ecrosia, and were unaware he now stood within the heart of enemy territory. You can't be here!

Iritrios liked to wander the desert at night, when others in the pride were typically resting and less likely to be watching over him. It was far easier to get into trouble without the adults around, though his father especially was not one to discourage the young Saxe from following their wild impulses. Still, he liked the freedom, and he liked the feeling that he was doing something he shouldn’t. The sound of an unfamiliar voice sounded from just over the next rise in the rolling dunes, too close to be outside their borders, and too unknown to be someone of their pride. He stopped for a moment, doing a double take in that direction. Was this… A trespasser? His thick fur bristled as he charged forward, eyes locking on the other plum boy. “Hey! You’re not supposed to be here!” An astute observation on his part, clearly. With brows furrowed, he looked between the pair of cubs, taking only a few moments to decide his next actions. He had always been told to meet trespassers with violence, and that was exactly what he would do. He charged forward, aiming to barrel straight into the other cub head on, not caring if @Melusina was in his way or not. Iritrios vs. @Dominic for Minor Maim Round 1 / 4 Hits: Rolling 4d20: 14 + 15 + 16 + 2 Dodges: Rolling 0d20: 3 Luck: Rolling 5d20: 3 + 12 + 1 + 16 + 17 +10 Intercept a trespasser +5 Complete a spar or fight

Art & Code by Vasilia

SEIFRIENRIOSA

The bitter chill of Winter night wasn't something Seifrienriosa enjoyed. Even more so in the Oasis of all places; the girl longed for the Plains she'd been born in, to feel the grasses along her legs as she moved, and not itchy sand. And yet, the shadow was doing her duty. Especially as she was older, she knew her family was watching her more than ever.

@Dominic 's scent wasn't too hard to catch, and she even heard the chuff - calling for who? @Melusina . A prisoner to the Oasis as far as she knew. Ears swivel forward, and Seifrienriosa felt her brain working through different scenarios of how to handle this. She didn't smell her mother or father - or any other ranked members yet. Part of her wondered if this would be another chance for her to shine above the others.

No, @Iritrios was going to try and take that spot.

Feeling rather competitive, Seifri refuses to let her younger brother have all the fun. Hearing the words, she finally comes to peer upon the forms. A sweet smile graces her lips, and she watches as her sibling launches into him. Aiming to draw near their current prisoner, Seifri nods to the cub being attacked for their crimes. "How sweet of you, to bring home a friend. I think we'll keep him." The challenge laid out, eyes gleaming as they stay stuck to the cub - but her other senses were aware of her surroundings to see if any other intruders were on the rise.

And alas, she finally sends the call for her parents and any other ranked Oasis members.

Seifrienriosa vs ??? for
theft of @Dominic
0/3

code by flea, art by irish

He spots her and Dominic's usually dour features light up briefly and those dark lips curl slightly into a small smile - fleeting as it was. She gasps, however, and this causes him alarm. Ears press back, confusion filtering over his face, "Huh?" He mumbles, inching closer to her, tilting his head in question. Dominic isn't given much time before another arrives. It's now the little bird in his hair flutters off quickly disappearing into the dark.

Head turns abruptly to the yelling boy, same size and similar age to himself. The other seemed to decide something before coming at him. He nearly barrels over @Melusina and this strikes something dark within him. Jaw clenches, and he knows violence is about to ensue. He had been in a fight before, but not one so serious.

He's barreled into, his chest hurting almost immediately, his lungs hurting from the exertion of breath. He wouldn't just lay down and let the other bully him. "Can go where I want." He grits between clenched teeth. Jaws would then open, needle teeth aiming to try and bite at Iritrios' face, a paw raising - claws extending to try and blindly scratch at whatever he could reach.

Dominic vs. @Iritrios
For Minor Maim
1 of 4
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 3 + 8 + 16 + 19

Dodges:

Rolling 0d20: 18

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 2 + 12 + 1 + 13 + 10

Hearing the call rouse upon the night skies, Aeistrios was really rather tempted to ignore it. He knew Renfri would hear it, and others as well - did he really need to get up and be present?

Ah, but he was King.

Sometimes he did like taking his job seriously - but only when he wanted to.

The scent of the Mire grew strong with the distance closing between them. Aeistrios draws his brows forward, and found complete satisfaction and pride at seeing his youngest son charge for the trespasser.

A loud, encouraging sound left his lungs, aiming to make sure his child heard his support for the attack. Eyes slink over to his daughter and @Melusina , large paws taking strides closer. Casually then, he aims to stand behind the two of them, a lingering shadow. "What was his name again?" He asks then to the child prisoner, purple eyes gazing over to her, a smirk taunting her at his lips.

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

Seems so long I've been waiting, still don't know what for

This was not her home, it was not her place to say how it ought to be run. She told herself this upon observation of what was happening within. She did not truly know who this child was, only that she seemed removed from her mother, a cruelty Bordeaux knew the sting of all too well. Her own severance from her mother had not been until she was a year of age, she could not imagine how much harder it must be for someone as young as @Melusina.

Another cub had come for whatever reason, likely to only be taken by them in the same fashion as she assumed the girl had been. Bordeaux could only frown as she looked on from a short distance away. The king's children would confront @Dominic, one of them attacking him, the other seeming to call for someone to defend him from theft.

@Aeistrios himself would appear, unbothered by the fighting cubs, rather proud of them for putting themselves in such a position. Bordeaux didn't much like any of it, considering for a moment simply going about her work gathering herbs. She would instead linger, perhaps to offer some silent support to the girl should she seek the presence of someone more friendly.

Any hope of quietly ushering him to safety was quashed, a blur of purples and blues emerging from either side of the tiny girl. Pale green eyes flung wide in shock as @Iritrios launches himself at @Dominic, and it takes everything within Melusina to stay her paw, to not toss herself into the fray. If she did now, she were more likely to injure herself and cause Dominic to lose; she was certain Iritrios would have no qualms squashing her in the path to his desperate victory.

No! she cries out instead, hoping despite knowing her frantic pleading would not be enough to stay the boy's paw. @Seifrienriosa's voice immediately causes her to freeze, the sudden flutter of her heart nearly enough to send her reeling ( fragile, broken thing it was ), and as the shock settles and passes, tears prickle in the corners of her eyes. Here, she was completely helpless; Dominic had likely wandered it because he'd caught her scent, and would pay the ultimate price for such a mistake. Let him go!

She readied herself to launch at the girl, begging that perhaps their similarities in sizes might just be enough to win. But just before she could lose what little bit of control she'd left, @Aeistrios appeared from behind either of them, his massive form casting a large shadow onto both girls. What was his name again? the Andal King asks, and with fury still ignited within her, she launched herself upward, attempting to use her kitten claws to wipe that smirk from his face. But with his far more massive stature, and years of experience, it were unlikely Melusina could even reach him.

---

Feel free to PP her!

The girl should have been asleep. Safely tucked away within her den. But instead, she had found a plant that she found worth studying. She wasn’t sure what the name was, but it was a large white flower. She eyed it, noticing the petals and the way the leaves looked as well.

Her ears twitched as she heard some commotion then. Her dark gaze glimmered with curiosity and she would move away from the plant. She could hear various voices, most of them belonging to her family, mostly her siblings and her father.

She crept forth, remaining in the distance. Her brother was launching himself at a boy who smelled of Ecrosia, and her older sister was claiming him for herself. Then their child prisoner launched herself at her father. Reina remained silent and hidden. Reina didn’t think much of herself as a fighter, at least not yet… But this seemed rather important, especially if everyone was here.

---

Reina is attempting to remain hidden.
January Y11 | 6 m/o | Andal Oasis Royalty | in Andal Oasis
+10 - Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 - Study a plant
+5 - Practice speed or stealth

art by drifty | code by scorpixia♡︎

It wasn't his first winter, but the plains had been a little further south and also not a desert so were spared from the most bitter nights. While he'd managed to find a shaded space to make his own, he'd had difficulty sleeping. Maybe if he managed to get ahold of a nice pelt or something to cover up with through the night?

Anyway, he was only about half-asleep when the sounds of conflict drifted his way, and soon enough Elio gave up and pulled himself to his feet with a yawn. Several were already present by the time he found them, and the pale youth would station himself on the sidelines, a light frown on his face as he tried to figure out what had led to this. There was a strange boy already being confronted by one of the many young royalty. The unknown child didn't belong in the Oasis, but Elio had caught his sister's call and so he supposed that would quickly change. Unless the kid had a parent or protector nearby.

code by corvus