It took her a few days to safely reach the mountain she’d seen in the distance, a beacon of opportunity and hope. While the journey itself was a challenge, trying to avoid the paths of any fellow predators who might wish her harm, Carmine felt downright giddy as she climbed its green slopes. Of all the pieces of this island she had thus far witnessed—from the expansive cavern system to the midnight shoreline to the stepped, blood splattered pit—this one felt the most like home.

While it did dredge up feelings of loss and longing for that place she couldn’t return to, the familiar sort of environment still uplifted her. She used that energy, that motivation, to move. There was plenty of mountainside to explore, and the cream colored wolf did her best to choose the most arduous way, even if it meant backtracking or cutting across her own scent every now and then. Carmine scaled small cliffs, leaped gaps, pushed herself to a new limit she hadn’t reached before, all while creating a detailed map of the mountainside to aid her later.

She needed to be stronger if she was going to stand toe to toe with these lions who inhabited the island. It was best she started now.

+5 Practice speed or strength (1 of 2)
+5 Leave a trail of confusing tracks (1 of 2)
+5 Scout a neutral territory (1 of 2)

"dog," the trail of footprints are a stark reminder of their sheer numbers and hungry teeth. they thrived in the frigid wood of her homeland, a nuisance more than a true enemy. while brighid had stayed far from them, predatory competition did little to soothe her nerves when near the wolves, as distant as they were. the difference between this one, however, and the ones she had ever encountered was that this one was ... alone. or so it seemed?

the winding path of prints are half dusted away from the breeze that sweeps over the cliff face. in her ambling through the peaks, the last thing brighid wants is to be ambushed or worse (though she's unsure what the canines could really have in store for her - she had always stayed far, far away). curiosity wins out, however, and she continues to follow the winding trail of pawprints, casually deciding to grind her lengthy talons against the multitude of ancient rocks in case she found herself in trouble.

little does she know she stands right in the way of the little dog's course, a big obstacle right in the middle of a perfectly scalable path.

@Carmine

art by rabbit, code by javs

As she scaled the mountain, Carmine felt energized, renewed, as close to her old self as she’d dared to feel in many months. Though she panted from the exertion of her efforts and the lingering heat of summer, there was a smile upon her muzzle, visible in her golden brown eyes as she sighted the path ahead she intended to follow. If this place turned out to be safe, if the lions chose to avoid her scent as she tried so hard to avoid theirs…maybe she could make her stay here a little more permanent?

She laughed, a breathless, incredulous sort of sound. Nonsense. It wasn’t very likely she’d find any place here where the lions didn’t reach. From the prevalence of their scent, they’d been here for quite some time and had an incredible foothold on the territory. There was nothing about a single, solitary wolf that would actually give them pause.

Though a single, solitary lion…

The second Carmine’s eyes alighted on the grayscale figure ahead, she jaw snapped shut and her forward momentum stuttered. No more panting, no more reckless advance. Her pawsteps immediately became softer, careful, treading quietly and precisely as she shrank into a cautious crouch, eyeing either side of her path for modes of escape as well as a place to hide. Part of her wanted to run; every interaction she’d had with a lion thus far had turned out miraculously fine. They weren’t all ruthless predators, it seemed. All it would take is one to ruin her life, however.

And yet…she couldn’t help hoping, even as her heart skittered in her chest, even as her paws ached to carry her to safety. Her gaze was cautious as she eyed the large stranger, @Brighid ♔, tail low and impassive, body in a nonthreatening curve. “It’s been a few days since I saw another of your kind,” she started, her voice somehow maintaining a pleasant, conversational tone above the nerves she felt within. “I’d started to think this mountain was abandoned.”

+5 Scout a neutral territory (2 of 2)

the sound of laughter blends in effortlessly with the song of the peaks. it carries on the wind, it melds with the screeching of falcons ahead, it soothes the bristling edges of her fur.

brighid observes the prints left behind once more, pressing her much larger paw over the dainty print and swiping it away. they were close (they were happy) and then —

— they were in front of her.

the dog skitters to a halt and suddenly, they're left in silence. brighid's slitted pupils widen as she focuses on the creature, watching as they shrink themselves down. it is the exact opposite of how she would approach anyone and brighid feels herself peering down her slender nose, her lips taut in a straight line. her claws flex, her tail lashes behind her. she doesn't quite know what to do here and it shows in the rigid, defensive posture of her feline physique.

"it's been a few days since I saw another of your kind," it spoke. a flush of shock washes over her features momentarily. her maw parts in a soft, incredulous pout and she squints, head angling to the side ever so slightly. their voice is just as charming as the tinkling laughter and brighid realizes that this must be the culprit who had left behind the winding trail of prints. this was the stranger whose mirth had eased her nerves only a few heartbeats earlier. “I’d started to think this mountain was abandoned."

hadn't the wolves been savages? wild and inane and daft with their pack mentality? even still, she remains standing firmly in place.

"you can speak?" curious. fascinated. her tone colored with surprise, glacial eyes gleaming with bewilderment that is uncharacteristic for the typically composed once-queen.

@Carmine

art by rabbit, code by javs

She resisted the itch in her legs to move, to shift. Nervous energy coursed beneath the surface of her, just out of visible sight, while outwardly Carmine held firm to what she hoped appeared to be a peaceable, demure presentation. Thankfully the lion’s own reaction helped this along considerably. She, the feline, didn’t hiss, didn’t charge, didn’t sprew forth dangerous threats or violent promises.

In fact…she looked…surprised?

Not in the way Carmine would have expected, however. It wasn’t that finding a wolf in her path was a novelty, a unique predator foreign to the world she hailed from in these parts. No, there seemed to be some sort of recognition behind her eyes, a wariness that went beyond even what Carmine felt. It was as if @Brighid ♔ was waiting for something…something only she knew was going to happen.

You can speak?

Carmine blinked. That was furthest from what she thought she might get, and the unexpectedness of it drew out a small, airy laugh before she could catch it. “I can, yes,” she answered, nodding her head slowly. Don’t laugh, that’s rude. You don’t want her upset. She needed to continue to play nice. She needed to stay friendly. The wolf shifted slightly at last, allowing just a taste of that nervous energy to expel itself with the small side step. “You seem surprised?” Was that okay to ask? How should she have answered instead?

the snarling and howling never comes. brighid expects eventually to see teeth and the glowing eyes of many, but instead, she's given another huff of laughter - a breath of fresh air. the wolf questions her awe and brighid's ears flatten against her head momentarily before rounding back towards the canine. "i've never spoken to your kind," her tongue presses back behind her teeth as she refrains: i didn't think you were capable. "savage, hungry, bloodthirsty beasts that ambush and cling to the night -" that's what she had been told and that is what had tempered her of her prejudice and caution of the wolf. "-never alone." she says and as an afterthought, her gaze sweeps behind the wary little dog and to the crags of the peak behind her searching for fangs that are not there.

then her eyes fall back onto the rosy face before her that does not fit the horrors of the big bad wolf: she finds youthful brown eyes that are better suited for warmth and fairytales. if brighid were a softer woman, she would even call them beautiful.

her jaw hinges, voice low and barely audible in the space between them. "you're different?" a question or a statement? had she only been told lies or was this loner an oddity of her kind?

@Carmine

art by rabbit, code by javs

For someone who claimed to have no previous interactions with a wolf, the lioness was being awfully tolerant. Carmine was, of course, grateful for it; while she was quick and had a budding knowledge of the mountainside now, it would have only taken one solid swipe from the feline’s large paws to do her a world of hurt. No, she much preferred conversation over that.

Though she couldn’t help the slight tightening of her smile as @Brighid ♔ offered a description, an impression, of wolves, one Carmine suspected had been created through experience. It certainly didn’t paint her kind in any positive light—and she supposed from an outsider’s perspective, that of a fellow predator in competition with a pack, it would seem wolves were so very ruthless and dark. Perhaps it wasn’t so dissimilar to Carmine’s own worries about lions…

-never alone.

A deep, unexpected pang in her stomach made her take in a sharp breath. The carefully cultivated look on her face broke momentarily, revealing a melancholy she couldn’t entirely mask by the time she got her features under her control again. The energy buzzing in her body subsided, and Carmine too took a second to scan either side of her—to no end, of course; she had no one to come to her aid, even if she needed it.

She sighed, softly and wistfully, understanding a little more where the lioness’s wariness stemmed from. Her question brought the canine’s attention back. “I guess I am,” she answered solemnly, mustering a half smile that contained only a fraction of her earlier good humor. “You needn’t worry though. I am alone.” Though the words were offered as a calm reassurance, Carmine couldn’t quite keep her own disappointment at the admission out of her voice.

she knew that look. she had felt it many times. only her frown had been slathered in the crudest, bloodiest shade of lipstick. her claws had been wrenched into a fist and she sat at her throne, swollen and pregnant and alone. even then she could hear the wolves in the distance of the wicked winter wood, somewhere far off chanting and snapping their slathering jaws at the moon. here in the oasis, her grown cubs flourish and her station feels inadequate; the king is present, but harou no longer warms her bed.

and brighid had never been one to make friends. especially after her fall.

maybe, she doesn't just relate the wolf to primitive wiles and savagery. maybe, she thinks of their numbers and the camaraderie they found in one another. (maybe, she's almost jealous.)

she knows that look.

the once queen wants to ask more. she wants to dig and pry and ask the wolf about secrets that only she knows. instead, brighid settles for a wary silence, offering a trill - a soft mrrr - in response to the dog's solitude.

in some cruel fashion, brighid is glad that she is not the only one suffering.

"are the legends wrong, then?" a stockinged paw sweeps again over the trail. her jaw unclenches though her shoulders remain tense. steadily, she calms herself and takes a daring, bold step towards the canine with all the fluidity that belonged to the feline race. still, she keeps some tiny distance between them as if expecting a sudden shift in her company's demeanor, ready to counter if she lunges. to test.

@Carmine

art by rabbit, code by javs

A noise, oddly quiet and faintly rumbling. It was all she received for admitting to her loneliness, her isolation and solitude, and she hadn’t the slightest idea how to take it. Was it meant as a tone of comfort? A murmured noise of acknowledgement and solidarity? Was it possibly poking fun? A tone meant to condescend and belittle the poor solitary wolf? Carmine couldn’t make up her mind, and opted with a thick swallow simply to let it be.

Words, a legitimate answer, eventually followed, one she honestly should have seen coming. She’d only barely begun to consider what her answer was when the lioness moved, and almost instantly the wolf was more alert. Carmine tensed, her anxiety making it clear it hadn’t entirely left her, feeling instinct yelling at her to take a step back, retreat from the step the lion had taken forward. It would keep her safe.

But…it would also keep her away. Away from one of the first individuals to give her the time of day. Away from one of the first conversations she’d had in months. Away from the fragile fibers of a connection she could feel slowly materializing between them, despite obvious differences. She didn’t want to be alone…

So she took a chance. She ignored the warnings in her brain, the itching of her legs to jump back, and used that new tension in her body to instead hold it steady. Carmine didn’t move, didn’t flinch, but took on a somewhat resolute posture with a slow, calm inhale. “I can’t speak for all of my kind,” she stated, mostly certain she had no one here to speak for regardless, “but I don’t think I give that impression.” She dared to tilt her head, sending a quizzical, still somewhat saddened look to @Brighid ♔. “Do I?”

and the dog doesn't move. even with their difference in size. even with brighid's harrowing claws and prickling teeth. her glacial gaze holds fast on the canine and there's a part of her that almost feels guilty. she had assumed them to be daft and dumb. brighid had thought that they didn't feel as she did. and here, the rose-faced wolf stands before her, just as lonely and as desperate as she is.

her companion can't deny the only thing that she knows to be truth, but there's a slight sadness in the canine's expression and tone that brings an uncomfortable pang to her chest. brighid's tattered ear twitches and the scabs pull as she steadies herself. a slight inhale and a shake of her head. "no," she says finally and something snaps. the tension melts away from her shoulders. her body relaxes and coiled muscles fall lax. the once-queen releases all the aggression in her posture as she looks at the wolf, no longer stooped but still posturing herself as unthreatening, hoping that perhaps they would release themselves as well. "no, you don't."

"i use to rule a kingdom - a frozen woodland far from here. there were wolves. many." its the first time she has divulged her heritage since arriving to amaryllis. it seemed so long ago and she sorely misses the weight of her crown and the thrumming paws of her army. "my name is brighid." the woman says, casually, and the simplicity of it stings. she does not think she will ever get use to ever being only brighid. its an opening for introductions and her ears rotate in the dog's direction, attentive. "why are you here?" alone and without a pack? mingling with lions?

maybe they both don't have to be alone today.

@Carmine

art by rabbit, code by javs