The sky was clear with no cloud to be in sight. The colors of the evening sky as the sun was setting was luminous with its vibrant reds and oranges. Isla sat outside of her den as she watched the colors slowly turn, the stars beginning to sparkle and glint high above. It were times like these that she was grateful to have claimed Scilla as her own, being given such beautiful scenery to take in. High up on the snowy mountains was a different view of the sunset, both views she cherished just as equally.

Mind was flooded with the thoughts of the future and what was to come. It was heavy upon her shoulders, this weight of impending war. It made the Queen looked a little more tired than usual, and a few times she had to stifle a yawn due to the lack of sleep she had been getting due to doing more patrols. But right now she was taking the time to live in the moment, to try and relax and keep herself grounded.

@Colsun

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Things were returning to normal. His broken body was mending itself well enough and he had actually taken it up on himself to rest for a few days. The guilt has washed away when his ribs started feeling less like icepicks were being driven into them. Yeah, okay, if resting was going to magically fix him, he could take a day or two off from patrolling.

Colsun was back on it now, though. Up at dawn to stretch and work his aching joints before off to do a slow cruise through the territory. He was returning to his den when he spotted Isla and immediately changed course. The man liked Isla more than naps, which was saying quite a bit.

"Someone keeping you up at night?" he said, flashing a toothy smirk as he came to settle on his stomach outside of her den.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

Ears shift and twist forward as they catch the sounds of paw steps coming near her, eyes following where the noise was coming from. Soon, the colossal form of @Colsun appears and Isla can't help the smile that forms upon her lips. She was growing fond of this man and his company, and from their last encounter she already knew how he felt about her. Did she feel the same?

"You could say that," comes her reply in a huffed tone. She knew that Icefang and her pride and whatever allies she may have would be at her doorstep any day now, unless the Scillan Queen brought the war to them. It was a thought she was entertaining, but did she want to risk that move? "How've you been, Colsun?" Her eyes look him over, noticing the injuries he had sustained from the pride challenge were healing up rather nicely.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Seeing her smile back at him is extraordinary. It's not like she's never smiled at him before, of course, but now that she knows his feelings he can't help but suspect - and hope - it's more genuine. Colsun isn't fool enough to assume everything between them will stay the same and he's more than willing to dismiss himself if she finds his presence overwhelming or annoying. He's got no reason to think she'll send him away, however, and he is proven correct as she indulges in conversation.

"Well enough. Getting back to patrols and relatively pain free, too, so I'm not complaining." He rolls his shoulders, stretching them out. "How have you been doing with all of.. this?" he says, gesturing vaguely towards Vermeda.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

Her head nods as she listens, content that he was feeling better and patrolling once more. The more bodies that looked over their borders made the Queen feel a little bit better herself. @Colsun's question is met with a chuckle, short and holding heavy emotion. "I'm not new to war," she begins, her tail wrapping around her and shoulders giving themselves a roll. "However, I am new to leading one. I've always had Morrigan at the helm." Isla didn't doubt her potential or leadership skills, but it did make her feel a bit more at ease when it wasn't her who was leading the charge. "Will you fight when the time comes?" She knew that he seemed to be the ambitious sort, but would Colsun join in on something that didn't have anything to do with him?

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

"I'll admit, this is my first." Colsun had excelled at keeping himself out of harm's way as a child and young adult. He'd simply not bothered to care about any of the political affiliations and remained a rogue, which enabled him to spectate wars without fear of backlash. That, and the man had frankly been too lazy to give a fuck about fighting someone else's war. Isla, on the other hand? He was more than eager. "Of course I'll fight," he said, running his tongue over his muzzle. "Don't even need to ask. I'll fight a tree if you want me to." He shrugged. Colsun had lost against a tree before, but he was willing to give it another go.

"Is that woman going to keep going after Vermeda?" he asked, brow arches curiously.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

She can't help but give him a surprised look when @Colsun mentions that this would be his first war. She wasn't sure, but something in the back of Isla's mind made her assume he had been in something big such as this. Hearing that this would be his first time participating was equal parts exciting and worrisome. "Watch who you go after and do not go easy." Simple enough directions to help aide him in his first ever war.

Head turns to look at Colsun fully as he asks his question, Isla having to stifle a heavy sigh that threatened to release itself. "Short answer? Yes." She takes a pause, working out her words in her mind before she begins again. "Way before Amaryllis was populated like how it is today, only natives lived among the lands. Vermeda was their sanctuary of sorts, and it was the piece of land they claimed for themselves whenever 'outsiders' began to arrive. My one mother, Talisa, used to live there along with her sister who used to rule. Then it was a man named Aquila, keeping the pride ancestral." Her paws begin to knead the ground as her mind plucks memories from deep within, trying to keep things in order and not mess up information.

"Cassandra, my sister, has ruled over Vermeda a couple of times. When it is taken from 'native' paws, she seeks to bring it back." Isla wasn't sure if she would do the same. Yes, she would fight tooth and claw to keep a hold of the Lagoon, but it wasn't a place her heart was truly connected to, like the Summit. "I guess I would do the same if my mothers fall," comes her soft comment, giving a shrug of a shoulder. "It's hard to see what you would do in a situation that may or may not happen."

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

He stiffened slightly at her advice. Watch who he went after? Colsun hadn't assumed he would need to select anyone, he has anticipated they would come to him. His stomach twisted into knots at the idea he would have to choose someone to pummel like choosing the freshest watermelon at the market, but it didn't deter him from wanting to participate. He would gladly smash some produce if it meant bringing justice.

Colsun listened attentively as his queen explained the history behind the challenge. He nodded along where appropriate, feeling like he understood it all a bit better but also.. not. Still, he wouldn't say anything negative on the matter. "I suppose my mom was the same way with Scilla for the longest time," he murmured, thinking back to the amount of times she had bled for the pride. Alizabeth had poured her heart and soul into protecting the oceanic pride. "I was just too young to really be aware of any enemies." Outside of Tiamat, that was.

"Then we'll get it back," he said with a nod. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it -- his mind was made up and he would see it through. If that mean supporting the retake of a pride, he would gladly offer his assistance.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

She often times forgot that Alizabeth was @Colsun's mother. He was more well behaved, she would say, than the woman herself - and so far he hadn't had the mouth of her, either. Maybe he was trying to reign it all in and not scare her. Who knew? Isla blinks a couple of times to bring her back to the present, a warm smile tugging her lips at his declaration. "You'd do that?" She asks, her voice full of curiosity. Her body begins to scoot a little closer to his, as if being drawn to him by its own accord. She doesn't stop until the side of her is pressing softly against him, dual colored eyes looking down at where he was laying now beside her. "My family... we have many enemies." Isla could name a few of them if he'd like her to, but for now the main one that was knocking on their doorstep was Icefang, the Brook and whatever allies she may have.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Colsun couldn't help but notice her inching closer to him. It made his heart began thudding heavily in his chest, a drumbeat he desperately hoped she couldn't hear. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the impression that he would be useless come battle time because of his nerves, and if a woman could unravel him, what would an entire field of women do to him? Yeah, no. He kept his dumbassery to himself and hoped she couldn't hear - or feel - the slam of his heart against his chest.

"Of course." His fathers had done some pretty ridiculous shit for his mother, so who was he to turn away his genetics? Wars were waged over women and Colsun was no better of a man than any other warmonger.

She drew closer and mumbled something about enemies, but Colsun had willingly signed himself away to Ludivine and her pride knowing the Dieudonne were not always the friendliest of folks. It hadn't stopped him then and it wasn't going to stop him now.

The lion shifted his weight to lean against her as much as she leaned against him, a soft purr in his throat. "I'm not concerned. You're as brilliant as you are beautiful, Isla. We're destined for victory with you at the helm." And if the last thing he saw before he died was her face, he would die a happy man.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER