Was this the place? It had to be. It matched the description he'd been given by that big boy he'd passed along the way - one of the neighbors, the swamp dwellers. Where he'd been going, Rémi hadn't asked. All he had asked was if there was anything worthwhile ahead or if he should maybe choose a different direction.

A small sandbar, that widened into an oddly-shaped peninsula. A beach that led to cliffs, broken in the middle like a natural gateway. A swath of sand that smelled like countless others, riddled with crisscrossing tracks. Satisfied he'd made it, the only question that really remained was whether or not there were any other old familiar faces in the area.

His pace was leisurely, unhurried, mismatched gaze roving over the area and simply drinking in the detail. It was only mid-morning, he had all day to explore and learn what he could. And if what he'd been told was true, he wouldn't be alone very long anyway, unless he made a quick beeline for that gap in the ridge.

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He wasn’t sure why he was back in the passage. In his single-eyed state, he was more likely to scare potential pridemates off rather than gain their favor in going back to Scilla with him. But he was there to at least try. And it was there that he saw a familiar face.

"@Rémi?" The name, one he hadn’t spoken in a very long time fell from his lips as if no time had passed at all. They weren’t close friends by any means—though also not unfriendly—but members of the neighboring families were all well known to each other and their blood mingled often through marriage. "Rémi Lachance?" he called again, a little louder.

He quickened into a trot until the young man came into closer view. How long had he been in Amaryllis now? Over a year, right? Then it had been even longer since he’d last seen the boy—well, man. He was no longer the yearling he remembered before his departure.

He came to a stop, bewildered that he was once again seeing someone from home. "’ow ‘ave ye been?" Why ye be ‘ere?

art by muuland, cody by lars

It was only the sound of his own name that brought him to a pause, head popping up from where he'd been sniffing at a set of tracks to swivel toward the source. When he spotted it, a wide grin split his face - though it faltered half a second as he noted the state of the man's familiar face. Hadn't he had two eyes the last time they'd met?

"Mais, dis world a small one aftah all," pleased, tinged with laughter, as Rémi reclined to sit and let @Matthieu approach. "I find me not one but two'a de neighbahs. Or dey found me." He did laugh, here, light and friendly. "Ya know I been seein' ya bruddah jus' a few days ago, he poin' me 'ere." He hadn't asked where Zacharie had been going, only if there was something worthwhile ahead, and parted with a wish of good luck. "I been good, takin' ma time explorin' an' seein' de world." No hurried pace, no solid destination in mind (at least when he'd started out), and so he was really no worse for wear after the trip.

"Koman ou ye¹, Matti? Catch me up." It had been...well how long had it been? Had he even been a full year old the last time he remembered seeing the older male.Perhaps it was more common for the Bellefontaine to rove and wander, but Rémi had found himself restless and curious about the world. The knowledge that he could always return home to a warm welcome made him far more eager to get out and explore while he was still young enough it wasn't too hard on him.


¹How are you?

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Oh, to hear his familial tongue again from another. He’d felt for so long that he had to hold that part of himself back; treated it like a barrier to the relationships he desired with those that didn’t speak it. He didn’t realize how much he missed it nor how much his accent had fallen off when hearing it one fresh from the plains. "Mwen byen!¹" he answered enthusiastically. "Li tèlman bon wè yon moun nan kay la!²"

Falling back into the common tongue, he continued, "And ye say ye seen Zacharie? It be good to know ‘e is well. I ‘ave been worried." His brother was always on his mind; to know he was unharmed, and maybe even on his way back home to their family, was such a relief. If only he’d had the chance to say goodbye.

"Dis place be different from ‘ome, mind ye. Not all ‘ere be as welcomin’ as fanmi nou yo.³ "Best to warn him now before he found himself in a spot of trouble. "Trust none from de Brook up nord." First and foremost, get that out of the way. "De Lagoon, where I be, is nice. Even if ye do not come wid me dere, I would love a visit. Dere is also de Summit to de far nord-east. But dey ‘ave snow." That was all that needed to be said for that. Nothing against its queens, but ugh.

"Ye be lookin’ for a place to stay? Or ye be wantin’ to take it solo for a bit?" He knew the journey to find oneself called to many young lions of their two families.

---

¹I’m well!
²It’s so good to see someone from home!
³Our families.

art by muuland, cody by lars

It was nice to be around someone who could understand him without Rémi forcing himself to try and slow down or form some of the sounds that simply didn't exist for their dialect. Many of the strangers he'd passed on his way had stared at him either blankly or in blatant confusion.

Though they'd never really spent enough time around each other to grow close, it was still good to hear @Matthieu was doing well. Partly because it let him know the land he'd found might be worthwhile after all. Rémi nodded when the other male asked about his brother, "Weh, he was goin' de oddah way, stopped ta veiller. Looked like he was doin' good, seemed like he mighta had somewhere ta be." He hadn't asked the man any probing personal questions, but it had seemed he'd been going somewhere, rather than just roaming.

Ears twitched forward, attentive, as the warning about the place came, though. He'd been warned that, here, most lived in very separate prides that didn't inter-mingle even a fraction as often as he was accustomed to. Seemed like they were missing out on some of the fun of life, but, well, not much could be done about that. He'd nod at the warning regarding the brook, making a mental note as he was well inclined to trust the opinion of someone he knew.

There was a lagoon - where Matthieu himself lived, apparently - and a summit, and Rémi's nose wrinkled at the idea of snow. "Goin' solo's been borin'. I'm t'inkin' maybe I come stay wid you?" Settle into this lagoon to have a place (and company) to come back to after a day of exploring the land? With the added bonus of a somewhat familiar face and someone he could chat with without worrying whether or not anything he said was understood.

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Goin' solo's been borin'. "I couldn't agree more, mwen zanmi." My friend. Matti knew well how awful being along could be. Some tolerated it more than others, but surrounded by loved ones was his ideal living. And now, it seemed he might be adding another. Sure, they weren't quite fanmi, but @Rémi was a wonderful reminder of home and he knew the joy that could bring them both in a foreign land. "Please, come." He turned to head back home, beckoning for Rémi to follow alongside. "It is not de plains of ye 'ome, but I be tinkin' you'll like de Lagoon plenty. And dose in it."

-exit w/ Rémi-

@Corvus ★

art by muuland, cody by lars

Plains or not, he was confident he could find a way to be comfortable. And, anyway, he'd never lived in a lagoon, so it should be interesting at the very least. @Matthieu turned to lead, and Rémi would follow, easily falling into step alongside the larger male. Along the way, he would be sure to get any important information he needed, from any local laws or traditions he'd be expected to either follow or, at the very least, respect. And other important tidbits like how to recognize leadership and any friends or enemies the place had. Other than that, he'd sprinkle in updates about their homelands and stories of his own journey.

-exit-

code by corvus