How long had it been since he returned to the warm confines of the Crow's Nest? To be honest, he was surprised to see a faint trickle of light being emitted from the large cavern entrance. The delicate flower that was Bordeaux had kept the fire alive in his absence. He was pleased to find her and the fire there, it would save him going searching for either.

Could he return the band to its former glory? It would depend if he could find able warriors to join his cause. A good many had gathered last time he had prepared a celebration, so he would do something similar. A day's worth of amassing a pile of firewood, carefully placed upon flat ground at the base of Freyr's Peak. Scattered around the vicinity, some freshly made kills, some aging fruit, seeds and mushrooms. He had some of his carefully crafted wine as well, filling many small rounded seashells so as to provide each with a modest sip should they desire.

Lastly he would set the stacked wood alight with fire brought down from the Nest, sending a plume of heat and light against the cold grey of an overcast sky. It should be as a beacon to any wishing for an escape from a dreary and cold winter's day.

He had a purpose for this feast, but it was open to anyone who wished to be there, not only for potential recruits. I would be nice to partake in the company of others in a setting far removed from pride challenges and battlefields. He would send up a call, inviting anyone in the area to come marvel at the bonfire and relish the warmth it radiated with.

code: saph || art: moogle

Seasons had come and gone, some more than once, since Rosemary had been allied with the mercenary band that dwelled in the mountain. Yet, she recalled her time as a Jay with fondness, with reminders of her time with them occurring more frequently now that she had returned to the continent. Adventuring as a rogue had its perks, but so did allying oneself with other like-minded individuals. So, when she spied a plume of smoke rising near the base of the peak had had housed their base, she was drawn to it like a moth to flame. Seeing how she lost communication with the Gold Crows, the woman did not know what to expect, or if this signal was even connected to them, and so her steps leading to its source were weighed with caution.

The scent of burning wood was thick in her nostrils as she drew closer, the bonfire brilliant against the grey cast of winter—perfectly illuminating a familiar shape swathed in deep, impossible black. She was early, it seemed, and found herself struck immobile on the outskirts of the event by an overwhelming sense of impropriety – having realized she arrived without a gift. She pressed her lips together for a moment, before retracing her steps until she found a proper branch and would return with it clutched between her teeth to toss into the fire. It was a symbolic offering of sorts. She would then turn to @Fissure with a smile to warm her expression, her gaze assessing but interested. “Long time no see.” It had been a while since they last encountered one another—did he even remember her name? She would not hold it against him if he didn’t, although she did find herself wondering how many other familiar or not-so-familiar faces would attend this occasion and if introductions would be necessary for either.

code by scorpixia♡︎

Looming grey skies over head looked very uninviting to the ghost cat. His ocean blue eyes scanned over it for a while as he moved across the landscape. He could smell something burning and see smoke. This made him uncomfortable. Was there a wildfire? Was the land ablaze? Not that he was going to worry much because he wasn’t bound to this land. Still he was enjoying the fighting arena that naturally seemed to have formed not far from here.

The call inviting others to come closer had peeked his attention and drawn him to the smoke. Finding the fire burning in one spot with food and drink scattered around he halted. This could be a trap but he took the chance. After all he rather enjoyed a good fight. Spotting @Fissure he looked over the black lion and his gaze then looked at @Rosemary. Taking in her form she was pretty enough for a lioness he guessed. "Greetings Fire Masters. I am Cato." He said simply with a stoic expression and calm voice.

OUTLAW;
+5 Scout a neutral territory 1/2

code by corvus

With nothing else to do, nowhere else to go, and a growing impatience with the chill in the air, Avreya found herself drawn to the swirling tower of smoke like a bug drawn to the light of a flame. She might have shown more caution if not for its controlled nature, which negated any need to worry about a wildfire. Instead, if anything, she was curious--about why one would nurse a fire rather than hide out in a cave, and who else might have also fallen victim to the beacon's pull.

What she found was a surprise...but not because of any of the faces that greeted her. On the contrary, she recognized exactly none of them. However, she was puzzled by the arrangement of distinctly pungent fruit, of seeds and mushrooms she was smart enough not to touch on a regular basis. There was even a display of some liquid, reminiscent of the fruit in smell, portioned out in empty clamshells. Had she interrupted something?

Avreya guessed not as she caught the tail end of the tiger's greeting. Her eyes lingered on his form for a moment, thinking back to the lilac tigress she had watched fumble in the dunes. Just by looking at him he seemed better suited to the elements. With a speculative lash of her dual tails, she met each of their gazes and eased carefully onto her haunches. "Appears there's room for one more," she decided. "Avreya Lilovvy."

art by moogle

She would approach the gathering cautiously, wondering what manner of lions this event would bring to the base of the mountain. She had enjoyed the solace of the Crow's Nest for a time, but she had to admit to herself it felt lonely without the Crows to populate it. Fissure had appeared at just the right time, when the fire was reduced to little more than burning embers, the stock of wood completely diminished. She would watch the dark lion spring into action, energetic to levels she quite envied. She herself had never been so spry and active.

The fire was restored, the hidden cache of wine brought out from storage. She would watch the goings on from above, considering if she would join them down below or not. It would be rude not to support the lion after all he had done for her, so she would carefully descend.

She would look upon the strangers as she settled down on one of the furs provided, keeping her from sitting directly in the cold snow as she bask in the fire's heat. One of them was vaguely familiar, the other two strangers, whom she would nod to each in turn.

Where has my heart gone?

An uneven trade for the real world

code by corvus

It's Kill or Be Killed

And we must survive

Smoke billowed from the Peak, drawing Asphodel's eye. A fire in winter, unlikely to be a natural occurrence. He lingered where he was for a moment before he began the ascent to investigate it. It would be interesting, at the very least. The smoke was certainly a signal, but he did not know who for. Was it a summons or a message? It caught his curiosity in a way that was abnormal for the lion.
As Asphodel drew near the fire, he observed several lions and a tiger around it. There appear to be food and some form of drink set out for a meal. A dinner party then. Perhaps he was intruding. He paused not far away, not quite hiding but not yet approaching the gathering. He wanted to observe before he joined them, although he would certainly respond if they noticed him before he did so.

code by corvus

Fissure was truly pleased to see a small assortment of lions gather, meaning his hard work and the food provided would not go to waste. The food might be saved, but he could not take back all the wood he had gathered, the fire would consume them in their entirety before its hunger would be sated and it would relinquish hold of the charred and broken splinters.

Attention would turn first to @Rosemary, who would speak of a prior interaction between them. Fissure would take a moment, looking her over and instantly recalling her unique features. "You were at our great feast in the Crow's Nest if I recall. Good to see you again darling. Would it delight you to know I might like to reform our little group?" He asked enthusiastically.

Attention would turn to two others, strangers lurking nearby. One was a handsome beast of stripes against fur of snowy white. The other reminded him of himself, his opposite but of similar spots and a complete lack of color. He would nod first to @Wilson, then motion at the more hidden @Asphodel with his head to join them if he wished. Bordeaux had decided to join the group as well, cause for the black lion to smile in her general direction.

"I am called Fissure. Come friends, enjoy a bit of the Gold Crows hospitality and get a glimpse of our typical day in the life. All I ask is that you consider an offer I have to make to each of you in return for your time." He announced, sitting himself down before the fire. "Don't fear, the fire is contained within this ring of stones." He assured, knowing most did not have much experience with them, only when it was raging out of control, threatening their lives.
"

code: saph || art: moogle

As she soaked in the atmosphere created by the fire, the meticulous spread of food and drink, and the small crowd that continued to trickle in, Avreya found herself slowly loosening, enough that she was actually somewhat tempted to warm her belly with a cocktail while the crackling flames did the same to her hide. Her nostrils flared thoughtfully--at the smell of smoke, at those of the other members of the huddle, at the notes of wine and fresh meat--as her attention shifted between individual faces. Even that of a male who, understandably, lurked in the sidelines.

Eventually, the man at the head of the fire shifted, and so naturally her focus returned to him, curious about what his explanation would be for whatever this was that he had organized. This curiosity, however, quickly soured into disbelief and puzzlement as she watched him openly acknowledge everybody around her. A glance here, a nod there, even a beckoning motion to the male off in the distance. Yet nothing to her before he began his speal.

Avreya supposed she should not have been surprised by this reception. After all, there was a reason she had reached a point of offering others little more than her name. Why should a seemingly innocent gathering like this be any different? Still, the sheer blatancy of her invisibility was hard for even her to shake. Gradually, the tension returned to her muscles as @Fissure spoke, and whatever cautious optimism she might have had about this odd little pocket of lions was snuffed out like the stray embers in the snow.

Before he could continue or others could interject, Avreya rose with a purposefully audible growl, her breath leaving her nostrils in a puff of steam. At the same time, sunken ears and dimming eyes threatened to betray the aggression she desired to front her upset. "Spare me your hospitality," she said flatly. "My time is reserved for those who do not squander it."

She excused herself, then, turning with a harsh lash of her dual tails and disappearing down the peak. @Fissure @Bordeaux @Asphodel @Wilson @Rosemary
-exit-

art by moogle

Her heartbeat lifted and tension wove her muscles into knots as she waited to see the recognition in Fissure’s impossibly black eyes. It wasn’t until that moment that Rosemary realized just how deeply she wanted to belong somewhere, to feel seen, and to once again move in a group setting. She had lost her home years ago and thought the walls she had built up since impervious to such simple wants—she was wrong, and she felt terribly vulnerable as she waited with bated breath for that flicker of remembering. Their connection before was tenuous, connected only through her months she spent as a Jay, and she knew it might not be enough. But… there it was. Relief saturated her expression as her cheeks dimpled in a smile. “Yes, it would.” She replied simply; she did not know they had disbanded, and clearly there was much to catch up on.

They did not have much time to chat, for others had joined their midst. First, a white-coated tiger much larger than she, but whose approach was guarded at worst and friendly at best. Rosemary could not help her wary interest in the newcomer, equally torn between apprehension and excitement at spending time with a tiger. His introduction was carried in calm tones, and there was something about his presence that eased her hesitation. “Rosemary,” She chirped in reciprocation, her eyes bright as she regarded @Wilson (Cato), before their focus shifted to another who had ventured into their gathering.

Blue-brown hues found a woman with dual tails who had sidled into their midst with what seemed like a warm introduction. Rosemary offered her a smile, hoping it concealed her immediate interest in the stranger. It wasn’t often that she encountered other creatures with extra addons to their silhouette, typically she was the exception in the group with her additional pair of ears, and she briefly found herself on the opposite perspective of her typical situation. She decided against staring, which was easy enough, and she would attempt to meet the gaze of the other woman. “Rosemary,” She offered to @Avreya, feeling somewhat off-balance as she realized that others were approaching, and she was now in a position to introduce herself one-by-one to everyone.

It was perhaps fortuitous then that the next woman to arrive did not immediately offer her name and spared the faces in the crowd only a nod – which Rosemary returned with a courteous smile, her gaze lingering for a long moment on the unnamed woman’s striking countenance. Those features was familiar somehow – Rosemary never forgot a face – but she could not place her in that moment, and was briefly distracted by a flash of white in the corner of her gaze. Tilting her head, she observed a lion standing just on the outskirts, seeming initially unwilling to ally himself with the event, although not above expressing interest. Fair enough. Rosemary returned her gaze to Fissure, who had then begun to speak.

His address was short and simple, and Rosemary nodded along before her eyes shifted over the faces in the crowd, only to be drawn back to Avreya – who seemed slighted by either the delay in his greeting, or the lack of intimacy of it. Dismay twisted in her belly as the lioness took her leave, and there was a wild moment where she thought she might chase after the stranger and try to convince her to stay, to hear out her former leader. But, what words would she even use? Fissure had not yet made his offer to the group, and she had no information to persuade Avreya – or anyone – at this moment. Rosemary watched her go with a wrinkled brow, before turning her attention back to Fissure. “What are these offers?” She prompted then, as she pulled a drink closer and reclined back onto her hips. She was settled in, listening and eager.

@Bordeaux @Asphodel

code by scorpixia♡︎

Being greeted by @Rosemary he dipped his head again and turned to look at @Fissure. More joined them and he gave them a nod as well. Not really saying much and trying to not really be in the way. Settling down near the fire he watched in with interest as the black one gave his spiel. Though it seemed like the two tailed one took offense somehow and took her very dramatic leave. Brow raised at this only for him to turn his attention back to the lion who put all of this together. "The Gold Crow?" He mused out loud. "I could stay if you don’t mind a tiger in your ranks." He was willing to stay and give these guys a chance. Might as well after all he doesn’t fit into a pride.

@Bordeaux @Asphodel

code by corvus