Her voice is sculpted by the very same earth mother that would condemn him to the dark. No longer. Molten gaze so reverent in the way they held her up; even as she hummed a melody that he absorbed, committed to every inch of his brain, perhaps later he would hum it — practice it compulsively over and over as not to forget it.

The woman rose from the ground as Zahra won the crown; placed upon her head by her challenger who then slunk out. Sigrun, hm? Vellen? Eyes would sharply jerk in Zahra's direction, something peculiar made his lip rise at the mention of her sea deity. But it is all forgotten as he watches the lioness rise from her spot and turn to leave.

A large part of him wishes to linger, to roll upon the ground where she lay, and then follow her scent trail. But perhaps that was too much? Her priest could not taint such holy ground for his own needs. Dampened toes wiggled before he rose from the ground and ever the dutiful Shadow; trailed after.

-Exit Vlad, tailing Bord like a creep-

[exp]
+10 Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 Gather information about a character
+5 Spy on an individual exchange

Morrigan had not been expecting her acquaintance from the bone yard, but had noted she'd seemed intent on making a name for herself certainly, revealing in the wake of her loss she had still managed to ascend. As she listens she notes the rose and white figure of @Karsa, returning his nod with a fond smile for the Savante boy. It was @Isla ♔'s arrival with a quick query directed at @Aphrodite ♔ which allowed her instead observe @Eisa's reaction, and it did not come as a surprise when it came.

She would never correct the Sigrún Jarl in front of others, but her dark tail would move to shift around her granddaughter in an attempt at appeasement. Not now, she thought as she aimed to meet her silver gaze, Teeth and claws speak louder than words ever will. Before she could do anything more, someone spoke her name whom she hadn't seen in some time. "@Hrefna, dear, it is good to see you," she greeted easily, still finding it hard to believe just how grown that first intermingled batch of children had become.

Her attention had to shift away back towards the fight though as she realized it was ending, with Vellen's favor indeed as @Zahra reigned victorious. As promised, this @Colsun left peacefully and nobly after being the first to hail the new Mire Queen, a Sigrún in place of a Rike. Poetic. It is Morrigan herself alongside, of course, Talisa, whom is thanked personally, something which causes a knot in her throat as she goes to speak, "I would have it no other way. The same of course will be true for the Summit aiding the Mire. It is us who thank you for your years of service."

It was then that the other Sigrún present approached and Morrigan deigned to leave them to it. Turning, she would lay eyes on @Virgil, approaching him on her way out, "My boy," she greeted, "If you like to join me, I'm headed back to the Summit," she offered before moving out, intending to check the place her own mother had been buried here in the Mire, where she too had been Queen once. If she could even find the grave in the aftermath of the flooding. exit morrigan

table coding by ferus

She deeps her head at Morrigans words, she owed that lioness her life. All she did got her will never be forgotten and now that she had a better way to somewhat pay her back she wanted to help her now former queen with her own forces. She returns her gaze finding an also red lioness being the first to approach her. Eisa Sigrun. Daughter of her brother Myrkbi. A niece. What a discovery and not just that. But also her family's Jarl. So many details she had not known, it was kind of embarrassing but she was glad she now did. She nods. "Welcome to the Mire then Jarl @Eisa." Soon her own sister approaches also voicing her wish to join. Of course she will welcome their help. "Of course sister. We should work the three of us to build our home from the ashes of old. You two can claim any rank you wish. Whichever you want it's yours." Finally another who was much younger but not less valuable approached. She smiled at him. "Then you may be an Scout here as well @Weimar." She would never reject a fellow scout. "Welcome to the Mire! Let's go. You all can pick any dens. And I shall clean up the mess the previous reigh left behind." And looking at those around she walks into her new place though she needed to retrieve her poisons and more items from the Summit. Exit EXP obtained: +10 Win a fight (spars not included, defaulted or judged) +10 Participate in a pride challenge +5 Complete a spar or fight @Hrefna

Art and code by Shazaki

She was honestly expecting @Morrigan to ask her questions about Miaran but instead it was @Isla ♔ that came in and spoke her mind. It had been one of the things that Aphrodite had admired about Isla. Her violet jewels flashed, even when @Eisa had made her remark as well. Even with Eisa's remark, Aphrodite turns her attention to Isla and begins to answer her. She is brilliant. She would begin before continuing. From the few months I have known her, she is trustworthy and a hard worker. Determined to get what she wants just as I am, but she isn't going to be cruel about it. Those that have wished to leave the Cove can or are welcomed to stay and see that she is a fair ruler like those before her and will be after her. There wasn't much she could say without either of the leaders before her coming to the Cove to meet Miaran. I rule beside her and help guide her in the right direction. She would admit finally, Perhaps either could visit or we make a visit to you, hm?

And then the fight was over and Aphrodite was finding her attention and turning back to @Zahra. The woman she had fought in a spar and had lost. Just like Morrigan, Aphrodite would find herself excusing herself so that she may have a turn at speaking to the red woman. Already Aphrodite knew that she was going to like Zahra by how the woman not only held herself but explained she was nothing like the man that had hurt Ciara. Which only briefly crossed her mind on where that man went to but that was for another time as she cleared her throat for Zahra to see her.

Dipping her head to the newest High Sovereign of the Mire. Congratulations, my friend. Perhaps myself and my partner can come visit you in the future to speak of an alliance? She would question, grinning at the woman before waiting for a reply and then leaving.

+5 Observe a fight (Zahra v Colson)

exit

code by corvus

Dimly aware of Morrigan's presence, Weimar kept his focus on his new queen. His tail thumped. Fellow scout! "Cool! Scout pride represent." His eyes watered with the struggle of focusing on speaking to Zahra without looking at her wounds. Also trying not to smell any blood. He managed a weak smile and finally broke off to continue to speak to her at a more comfortable distance. His tail waved to indicate the areas he was speaking of. "I already checked the east shore. It's all flooded. Caches gonna feed the sharks I guess! I wouldn't den there."

He started to head off east, then remembered what he just said and headed south instead.

--exit

If her sister held any of the same hesitations as Hrefna, she did well in clutching them close to her chest. She studied each subtle shift in body language between her two counterparts, twitching her whiskers as Zahra kept on in the common tongue publicly. Some distant part of her wondered if she should respect the brazenness of it. More than anything, she felt the heat of eyes upon her hide.

"Of course sister. We should work the three of us to build our home from the ashes of old. You two can claim any rank you wish. Whichever you want it's yours."

Just like that, she lay before her a trove of power for the taking. The ivory tip of her tail twitched as she took in the vastness of her options, glancing momentarily toward that young Jarl. She could not deny the appeal of clutching a crown to match her younger sister's, and yet, it felt too audacious an ask outright.

Patience.

"Göfugt, ef þér þóknast," Hrefna offered with a slight bow of her head. Noble, if it pleases you. She listened for any omens of denial as the new victor turned to address another who wished to stay, her chest tight and thrumming with all that had come to pass. It was only then that it occurred to her that she would be staying in that mire. Hrefna flicked her ears back against her skull as she breathed in the mugginess of the air, so bitterly similar yet different from the sea breezes she was accustomed to. Hrefna, for all she was and had been, had never imagined herself a swamp cat.

---

-exit-
@Zahra @Eisa

photomanip & table by k'sariya

Her heart hurts for him when it is evident @Colsun would not be the winner here today. His ambition and fighting skills, though, impressed the Scillan Queen and she wouldn't allow for that to go unnoticed. Eyes watch as he makes his exit, right as @Aphrodite ♔ begins to speak about the Cove's new Queen - the one Matthieu had told her about. "Perhaps I shall," comes her reply at the mentions of making a trip to Caladan to speak to the new ruler. From what the maned lioness spoke it didn't sound like she was that bad of a woman, but in the end Isla would be the judge of that and to see if the Lagoon should ally themselves with the beach pride.

@Zahra speaks and the Greyflood listens, happy to see that another pride on her family's side was clinched. "I'll come to visit soon to speak with you," she says to the new Queen before giving a nod of farewell to the group, beginning to make her short trek back to Scilla.

exit Isla.

art (c) ryuu + code (c) cala

From the depths of the shadows and filth, Miaran hid vigilantly, silently observing. It was Aphrodite's duty to navigate through the intricate web of politics that threatened to engulf them all. How effortlessly the betrayer from the Cove attempted to smear her name without truly knowing her. But Aphrodite, with her unwavering loyalty, stood up for Miaran, defending her honor in the face of adversity.

In Miaran's eyes, Morrigan's actions were an unforgivable transgression, a violation of the sacred laws that governed her world. The resurrection of the dead was an abomination that demanded retribution, a crime that should have led to a witch's fiery demise. Miaran had been there when the father and son clashed in a battle of life and death, witnessing the chaos and bloodshed that ensued. She held her own convictions about this place, and she knew she would have to confront Aphrodite about it later.

As she watched the enigmatic Black Widow slip away, Miaran listened to the new High Queen of the Mire forging alliances with the doubting prides, those who questioned her very existence. With deliberate precision, she retreated from the Mire territory, blending seamlessly into the murky landscape. Her movements were calculated, designed to avoid detection as she made her silent escape.

/Exit

Sleuth
+10 Learn something about pride/group/family relations (spying on exchange with Aphrodite, morrigan, eisa, Isla)
+10 Remain undetected in a large thread (em claim)
+5 Practice disguising your appearance (mud)

table code by daanyen

Eisa's teeth clack in annoyance, but there is a soothing gesture in her grandmother's tail as it wraps around her. She dismisses the female who would defend the Cove's usurper with a snort, moving forward with her interest fixed on @Zahra. She hadn't expected this turn of events, but she would nod to the female- and accept a place here, among the swamp. Eisa wouldn't speak again, but would gently aim to brush by @Morrigan in an act of farewell, as she journeyed into the swamp to see what this new life would bring her- and to check out it's infamous territories.

-exit into EM-

eisa sigrún

code by corvus

Well…that was over quickly. By the time others had arrived, the fight was finishing up. Lathan pressed closer to the mud, trying to carefully stay hidden- though there was no reason. Clearly there weren’t many threats here. The gent felt more like a spy than a chemist at the moment, but that was ok. It was good to have secrets, it kept one safe. It kept one valuable. The woman would come out on top, the defeated hailing her before quietly slipping off. Interesting indeed. There were no grumbles of anger at the victor, no wounded prides, it was an easy exchange. One that left him assuming that the two were more amiable than they had seemed in the beginning. Lathan was of the mind that in this case, the crowd would have been pleased with either outcome. Relations perhaps? Though their resemblance was as close as a skunk was to a turtle, perhaps it was very distant relations. Others began to leave and he would shift, ready to leave himself. He would back away carefully, quietly, only turning once he was far enough away that he would not draw attention. The grey man would angle back into the jungle the way he had come, he needed a bath. -exit- Assassin +10 Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread +5 Practice speed or stealth (stealth) Erudite +5 Practice the skills of another trade (sleuth, spy on a non group thread) "Speech."

Art by Rabbit and code by Shazaki