Isildur

everything around me wants to stand silent unmoved by the air or by my breath. everything wants to stop for this moment. even our olive tree bends

Too-large paws stomped against the ground, kicking dust and debris into the stale, still air. Isildur had never known anything but the pleasant darkness of the caverns, nestled deep within its hallowed halls, protected from the unrelenting fright of the outside. But now, he was large enough to emerge from the safety of his den, and venture through well-known pathways toward the glittering golden light of the world just beyond. Gleeful purrs accompanied his promenade, feet flinging into the air before slamming down with pointed stomps, covering himself with layer upon layer of dust and dirt.

Rooooar! he bellowed, attempting his most deepest, most manliest roar. Though it were more spoken than it was truly cried out, and Isildur's playful romping spilled forth, the excitement of a venture outside the labyrinth fed through his excited gait. As he turned that final corner and the light from the outside spilled forth, blindingly bright and unwilling to let him see beyond it until he finally emerged from the mouth of the cave, Isildur's exertion of energy suddenly stopped. In its place, wide- and wild-eyed amazement, gaze casting across the mountains that surrounded their dark, secluded home.

Whoa, is all he managed, his voice now just barely above a whisper.

code by cala, art by drifty

Camellia lay on her side, resting on a wide flat outcrop of stone that was bathed in the warm light of a pleasant spring sunbeam. Her pelt of mottled ashen brown was broken into irregular patches by her family's signature pie-balding, making her almost invisible against a backdrop of snow and stone. She lay, as usual lately, on her right side with her left forelimb stretched carefully out. Her leg still bore the scars of the previous season's injury, and though her badly damaged leg had actually healed quite well, it still pained Camellia and she was careful with it. She would, perhaps, always walk with a limp, but the healer did not let this despair her. She knew it had been by the mother's graces that her life had even been spared, let alone her leg.

Though she would appear as if asleep, the healer's ears would give a little flicker at the cry of a youngster. When Isildur emerged from the cave she opened her eyes, dual-toned orbs sliding sidelong to look at him, though she made no sound or movement to yet reveal her presence. Camellia studied the boy with keen interest from where she lay with a little smirk of amusement at the boy's wonder. This was likely his first time emerging from the darkness of their cave home, the first glimpse he would have at one of the many wonders to come in this life. Camellia wondered where his caretakers were - as the Lead Medic within the pride she had overseen some of the medical and spiritual needs of her brother's children, but she had been encouraging her daughter, @Lilliana, to take the lead with the children. And beyond that the duty fell mostly upon the cubs' milk mothers. Camellia's involvement so far had been mostly from a distance.

After a long moment, the small Savante woman would trill softly, followed by a little mewing sound meant to get the young cub's attention and summon him towards her. "Rád mosolyog a nap, kis harcos." She cooed, sitting up more with her her good leg supporting her upper half. The sun is smiling for you, little warrior.

coded by flea

dragana opens her eyes to half-cold den. the main source of warmth is gone, missing! and it makes her panic a little. did the darkness swallow @Isildur up? oh no! what should she do? since she's tucked between two other siblings, dragana decides to shimmy her way out first. the little girl then drags herself up the slope of the den before she feels tired again. dur dur? she says, calling for isildur. he's very big and heavy so it's not like he can hide anywhere! dragana then crawls all the way out, her eyes bulging at how b i g everything is here than it is in the den. dur dur where are you? she asks as she pushes herself forward until she finally sees her brother. there's a much, much bigger old lady with him. wait for meeee! dragana kicks her legs and runs, only to collapse onto her belly, with her chin bouncing on the floor. yet still, she tries scrambling up on wobbling legs. this doesn't stop her; she's used to it. @Camellia

ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY LARS

Isildur

everything around me wants to stand silent unmoved by the air or by my breath. everything wants to stop for this moment. even our olive tree bends

One would rarely find themselves alone within the halls of the Hollow. His father had filled the belly of his home and the lands that stretched beyond it, and Isildur would seldom slip from the sight of any responsible party. Perhaps it were for that reason they had been given the lax afforded to all Savante cubs: wander free, but never stray far. Mercifully for Isildur, the labyrinth of the Hollow and the world that stretched just beyond were more than enough to fill his curiosities, and days spent out exploring the further wilds could be saved for when he were older, stronger. Life trudged mercifully on.

Thus, he is not surprised when he spots @Camellia just outside of the cave mouth. Had he not been so focused on peering around the territory, watching as ancient mountains reached skyward bathed in the golden light of the dawn, he might have noticed her sooner. Instead, he is attracted to the trilling sounds she echoed, their delightful call quickly pulling his silvery gaze onto her piebald form. A broad smile unfurled upon his lips, words spoken in familiar tongue a flood of pride deep within his chest.

The sun is smiling for you, little warrior.

Igazán?! he gapes in wonder, before turning his gaze toward the sky once more. He could not stare long at the unyielding burn of the sun just above, and its unrelenting light made his eyes water, but its heat were pleasantly warm on his face.

He was quick to try and implore her more of her thoughts and feelings of the sun, but he is interrupted by a sudden squeaking voice coming from within the mouth of the cave. Isildur turned, and quickly spotted the familiar merle head of one @Dragana. He watches as she rushes forward upon seeing him, but just as she fumbles down from the mouth of the cave, she trips and falls right onto her belly. Quick is the elder brother to his feet, charging forward her with concerned haste just as she pulls herself back to her paws. He aims to nudge at her side, attempting to ease herself back onto her feet, lest she start running before she's caught her balance.

Rana! he breathes, checking her over for bumps or scrapes, You okay?!

---

¹ Really?!

code by cala, art by drifty

Lilliana was returning home from a bit of scavenging, mouth full of various new spring herbs. A little roar catches her ear and she picks up her pace. The worrywart that she was, she couldn't help but assume that little @Isildur was in trouble.

The healer comes to a relieved stop the minute she spots @Camellia. Her mother lounging so relaxed that there couldn't possibly be anything wrong. But worry spreads back across her face as @Dragana eats dirt.

Lilli approaches with a low purr, tossing Camellia a loving look before lowering down beneath the outcrop. Her herbs are set between her paws before she addresses the cubs. Dragana, let me see. head inclining for the girl to join her. Even if her little cousin claimed she was okay, Lilli was still going to make doubly sure. Within the pride they had no mother, but these cubs had been raised by the collective family. It was the first time the young woman had real hands on interaction with babies. Once born, she left the rest to the parents.

art by Deej

Camellia inclined her head towards @Isildur with a gentle smile on her muzzle. "Valóban..." Indeed, she replied. And she would have been only too happy to fulfill any and all of Isildur's curiosities with tales of wonder and legends from their lore so that he may fully know The Mother's son, her Bright Shining Boy whom she had offered as a gift to her creation. So that they may be nourished by her soil and warmed by her son.

But the bard's musings were interrupted by the arrival of another little cub. Camellia recognized her as a littermate of the first and for a moment she flicked her ears in very mild annoyance, wondering once again who was watching these cubs. They were awfully young to be going unattended, especially in a territory such as this. But then @Lilliana's arrived on the scene and Camellia rose to greet her daughter.

The elder lioness limped slowly towards the three of them, arriving on the as her daughter checked the girl cub for any injury. A bit of dust clung to @Dragana's fur where her chin had touched the ground. "Nézz magadra," Look at you, Camellia cooed with a purr in her voice. "Az Anya kifestette az álladat."

---

•The Mother has painted your chin.

coded by flea