Kireena moved slowly around the Firnen territory. Her eyes passing over the foliage that bordered her home. While many of the pride were out at the challenge she could hear from Wolfbron, the new mother had remained behind. The children were sleeping off full bellies so she opted to take a trek around the borders.

Because it has been Ryker's voice calling, Kireena worried that someone from the Dantanians bloodline may try to sneak into Firnen to collect their family member. Even though he had left and gone to the challenge as well. The red woman paused on the borders staring to the northwest, where she had stopped with Sybil to send her off.

It was usually she who was the one racing away to get into things. Staying home though they all knew it was for more than just che children still...had her wishing to be there. To protect the back of her mate as well as to ensure everyone got home just fine. Still, she knew Colsun remained within the trees as well. Firnen would be protected enough should something happen. The woman would turn away from the distant stare and continue to pace the borders with slow, measured steps.

ART BY VASILIA, CODE BY LARS

Truth would always be that she despised going to the pride challenges that erupted over the land from time to time. The presence of newborn and month old's were enough reason for Carina to stay behind and tend to both child and mother; at least, the mother's that were still present. I am zoo'prized you are not racing to zhe challenge. Carina said, continually aware that she had yet to meet anyone in Amaryllis that spoke her mother tongue of russian but she refused to allow that to dampen her knowledge of it, either. Mother or not, @Kireena did not seem quite the type to let anything stand in her way of what she wanted.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

@Carina spoke, and the red giant looked up at her, smiling softly as she paced along the pathway that bordered the pride lands. "Sybil has gone...but the challenger for Wolfbron is Ryker....the once king here.". The druid paused, tilting her skull at the purple lady in silent invitation to join her. "If his family comes .... It makes sense that a few of us remain behind.". She had opted to remain for the cubs and the young... But also because if anyone came knocking... Kireena would be the first to slam into them.

"How are you and Taraji settling in?". She was proud of the young lioness and wanted to saay qs much but refrained from gushing until the...preliminaries were out of the way. After all the woman was the guardian of the young female she had been so impressed with.

ART BY VASILIA, CODE BY LARS

Sybil; the name was stored away quickly for it wasn't one that she was too familiar with. Lions that she had seen in passing within the forest but none by which she could immediately track as a "sybil". Vaguely remembering the reference of ryker as the firnen king once. The leader @Kireena had had prior to Carina coming to join officially. I presume he holds a grudge? she asks, feeling as though she already knew the answer before bothering to ask. Most lions felt entitled to a place just as she knew that Tiamat felt inclined to the Lagoon and had fought for it time and time again.

Good, I zhink. She is good. Taraji had always been a very good natured child and remembered her a lot of Tiamat most days. There was good and there was bad, just like in anyone, but Taraji showed the best parts. Carina, however, couldn't say that she felt one way or another on how things were going. Some days she felt the loneliness bite at her quite aggressively as she struggled to really figure out what she was supposed to be doing.

With Tiamat she had felt like she had a lot of purpose within the Lagoon. Nearly the only medic that they had for a while until Tinuviel and Calypso had joined them. Then there was Hyperion... a part of her missed him, wondered where he had gone and why he had left but she didn't know why she had cared so much when she knew him so little.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

"I'm assuming so.. when Ludivine and her family came to take the Rainforest, they kept one of his sons as a prisoner... He's since worked beyond that..but.." She frowned, not honestly having been a big fan of such a move, but Haider had grown into himself and she had wondered if he just needed someone with a little more tough love than his own parents to get him into line. The red woman did look towards Wolfbron with a frown. "Though, why Wolfbron and not Firnen - I'm... not sure." It would make more sense to take on Firnen, truthfully.

@Carina spoke of Taraji settling in and she grinned, fangs flashing. "She's got spunk, that kid." The red giant paused, rubbing her cheek on the rough bark of a tree before glancing back towards the other medic. "She was in the Andal challenge - stood up for herself and did so with impressive decorum." The words spoken were full of obvious pride as she watched the once-Scillan. "I assume that would be your tutelage shining through?"

ART BY VASILIA, CODE BY LARS

Oh. The word was said in a hushed tone as she realized the gravity of the situation. Carina wasn't at all terrified of the idea of prisoners and if anything she understood that sometimes it was necessary. Luckily she had no idea of the semantics behind why they took his son prisoner and not the male himself but she doubted that either leader would be open to their judgment being scrutinized. Don't jinx it. She says to @Kireena quickly as she mutters why the male was calling for the Bluffs rather than their own home. The last thing she wanted was to have to find Taraji and herself a new place.

Me? she asks rhetorically and chuckles, likely not. At least, not completely. Most of her spunk comes from her muh'zer. Tiamat had always been a very brave sort and didn't much take anything laying down. It was perhaps what she had loved most about her friend is that she didn't just take shit but she dealt it right back. I am .. mostly here for her when she needs it. Reminding her zhat she is a lot stronger zhan she zhinks. A part of felt she should've just taken all of the credit for how Taraji behaved but... in true spirit to the one closest friend she had ever had, she could never. Taraji was smart and cunning, but she was also just as quick to snap her teeth. That was what Carina wished to continue to instill in her.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

Kireena smiled at the woman before her, chuckling as she thought about Taraji's growth within Firnen. @Carina spoke and of course, she didn't take credit, but the red giant knew it was due where it lay and simply smiled. She wouldn't push the issue of course - but she would make sure that both lionesses knew they were worth more than they thought themselves. "Have you decided what you might do after she finds herself? If she takes a home?" Kireena could see the woman as an advisor, perhaps a second in command.

She hoped that whatever it was - the pair would stay together. "She has a strong ally in you...and you in her." Though Kireena wondered what Carina would do if Taraji called her a mother - from the outside? It certainly appeared that she had stepped into that role. Perhaps as an aunt.. but certainly as a primary caretaker.. and cheerleader when required.

ART BY VASILIA, CODE BY LARS

Truth being what it was she had no idea what Taraji even wanted in life. She was a very strong and bold individual but she hadn't personally seen whether or not the Anatu wanted to take a home. A part of the plum medic felt like if she did want somewhere it would be the Lagoon. That led to wondering of the leaders here would allow Carina to leave in an effort to support the Ward that she had addressed in their joining was her first priority. She was dutiful to the Rainforest but she had an oath to take care of that kid no matter what it took. Follow her is my best guess. Spoken confidently to @Kireena because Carina was selfless in most points in her life and truly had no direction or goal in mind other than to simply survive to the next day. The world had never given her reason to want what everyone else had or wanted — ambition, love, power. None of those had ever seemed within reach.

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}

There was a smile upon the lips of the Red giant as she regarded @Carina with a curious gaze. ""She is a strong woman - and will grow to be a strong leader, I'm sure..."" The rainforest woman wondered if the pair would eventually leave and return to the Lagoon - should the circumstances arise in which they had the chance to do so. ""She'll go far, and I hope that when that time comes - you're there to watch her rise."" Kireena knew the other was likely to be not only there, but exactly at the others side. Her gaze returned towards the distance - the pride challenge she knew was underway. Wondering how things were going... Who was winning? What lives would be irrevocably changed because of this? ""Do you have any thoughts of moving up within Firnen?"" She thought the other would make a fine Noble truthfully.

code by koi, manip by tabs, images from unsplash

I have faith zhat she will certainly be zhat. Taraji was feeling more and more like the spirit of her mother with every passing day but there was also a hint of her own individuality. Carina couldn't speak of the father given that she actually had no idea who it was (or did she?) but Taraji was most certainly Tiamat and then some. Maybe some of Carina had worn off on her over the time they had spent together but the plum lioness might never fully recognize that. For as long as she will have me, I will be zhere. Thankfully the girl had never once showed any sign that she did not want the medic around so that was a good sign, right?

As for the question @Kireena directed to her, it felt so strange talking about herself it was sometimes uncomfortable talking or boasting about her own skills but she had been asked a question and Carina was not one to ignore or avoid that. I have been a Lead Medic and Noble before. Ei'zer rank is nice, but I am a medic first and foremost. That was her chosen skill from the time she was just a few months old, when Tiamat had fought for her and won at the Passage. A Noble was nice but she liked what being a Lead Medic meant, especially if this was truly a fight-heavy pride.

Little did she know that even when would vie for the rank of Lead Medic for Firnen that she would get something much more prominent. A title that she would never have asked for and would cause more conflict than could ever be necessary. So she allowed herself to get to know the red-maned lioness before venturing off on her own wonders of what came next. exit carina

^{ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY CALA}