As noble a job as she had, sometimes it wasn't so easy. It meant finding places that were abhorrently dangerous which included wandering out and across the deserted sands. Sands that she hadn't the pleasure of seeing just yet and for good reasons. Zulema kept to the outskirts as she tracked a young hog through the territory. Candy eyes had yet to spot it but she was intending to see where it was going. In the very least, it could be an afternoon snack or an easy addition to the pride's cache.

So Zulema kept watch on the horizon for any older, tuskier hogs in the event that she'd need to be prepared to run for her dear life. The tracks were hard to follow as the wind whipped the sand over the pigs tracks like they were never there. The scent was a little iffy but far easier of a notification than the foot trails. However, the further in she went the less she seemed to find. There was something... particularly off about the situation as the hog was nowhere to be found.

+5 Scout a neutral territory
+5 Correctly track something through a territory
+10 Find a notable landmark in a territory

a lone grey figure stalked the badlands. gloved paws carried zoya along the dry earth, gaze tracing the ground for interesting foliage. so far, the barren wasteland had provided nothing of interest aside from a few weeds and useless grasses. until finally she came across some shrubs with bright flowers. daphne pontica. it was not something she knew much of, and so she pulled the shrub from the earth before hurrying along on her journey.

she came to the quicksands; their appearance was rather harmless, although she knew to tread with trepidation. the sands became heavy under her paws, stickier, almost ready to suck her in. and that was when something of interest came into view. a hog was trapped in the sands, body sinking rapidly into a particularly dangerous zone of quicksand. almost impossible to spot. but zoya decided that this creature would make a formidable test subject for her discovery. she set the plants down on a flat boulder before carefully treading across the quicksand toward the hog, ready to pull the poor creature out. but as her teeth grasped the thing, the ground began to gave way. her limbs sunk into the sands, and no matter how she tried to move, it seemed getting out was impossible. a panic rose in her throat as she surveyed her options. she may have taken her hog, but the sands were going to take her if she did not act fast.

+5 study the plant life of a neutral territory
+5 study the landscape of an area

@Zulema

These sands were certainly something else as they had forced the prey to become quite elusive. Something that Zulema hadn't thought possible given how little changes there were in scenery around here. It wasn't as though there were an exemplary number of trees or shrubs, but there were a sparse few. One's that had more bark than they had leaf.

Crossing a few more feet over a dune, the carmine lioness saw the makings of the large tusker but her eyes immediately found something far more precious. Candy eyes looked to the helmet-laden assassin and felt her breath catch in her throat, breathing unsteady as she looked with shock and something akin to pain. Zulema's eyes searched the perimeter - completely forgetting the prey that she'd been following for hours - until she found something that might be able to help.

Zulema carefully tread across the sands and mindfully watched where she stepped, not wishing to end up with the same fate should a third lion not be around. The noble grasped onto a large branch from a nearby shrub, left paw pushing at its base as she struggled to get it to snap off. Zulema tugged as hard as she could and with one finally push and tug she snapped it from its core with a small amount of knockback.

Brushing off the daze, she carefully tread her way back to the sands where @Zoya was beginning to sunk. Positioning herself parallel to the sink hole so that her teeth could continue grabbing onto it, while extending it to the gray woman that she'd become quite fascinated and intrigued by. There was no way she was letting her go out like this.

+5 Scout a neutral territory
+5 Correctly track something through a territory
+10 Find a notable landmark in a territory

quicksand was not something zoya had experience with, and she felt her heartbeat unsteadily thumping in her chest as she found herself sinking into its depths. attempting to swim failed; it was too thick. every part of her mind screamed at her to move, to wriggle her way out, but nothing seemed to help. she felt the unsettling weight of helplessness surround her, suddenly feeling small and weak as she was overcome by the sands. what if she could not get out - would this be the end? she brushed the thought away but knew she was in deep danger. a danger she had no control over. and panic was truly setting in.

but in the haze of fear, the usually alert assassin failed to notice a familiar form in the distance. it was only when she saw the branch being thrust her way that she noticed zulema. zoya's breathing, which was already rapid, caught in her throat at the sight of her. a mixture of shock, of relief, of joy overcame her; the strange entanglement of emotions she felt for this woman ever-present in the background of her mind. but at the moment, she could not concentrate on them. instead, with desperation, zoya lunged forwards. the edge of the branch was caught between her pale jaws, heartbeat thudding with trepidation in her chest. the hog was long forgotten now. she just needed to get out. it had been a miracle that the red woman had stumbled across her in time.

+5 study the plant life of a neutral territory
+5 study the landscape of an area

@Zulema

Hold on tight! she scream-mumbled through the thick branch as she began to pull backwards. Legs digging in as best she could as she attempted to drag @Zoya out of the sands reaches. It must've taken a good long while of back and forth, struggling to really get a grip when you're pulling someone nearly your own weight out of something that pulled back. Zulema felt like she'd snapped every muscle and bone in her body as she took one final pull and hoped that that meant that the gray assassin had been released from the depths of the sand. Out of everyone in the Hollow, Zoya was likely the only one she felt something for. Magnus, granted, had her respect and some kind of friendship she supposed but over the last few years none of them had even grazed her heart and yet Zoya had done it flawlessly and continued to do so.

+5 Scout a neutral territory
+5 Correctly track something through a territory
+10 Find a notable landmark in a territory

zoya clutched the branch tightly in her jaws as zulema pulled, attempting to keep still to prevent the sands from dragging her down. through the haze of panic she felt herself being pulled out, her body feeling freer with every tug of the log. her neck, her torso, became free, her limbs no longer weighed down by the immense force of the quicksands. she felt a surge of hope in her chest, a knowing that all would be okay. and finally, zulema’s strength defeated the sands. zoya felt herself being released from the grasp of the substance below her, her body landing haphazardly onto solid ground. her chest heaved with relief and exhaustion. “thank you.” she would breathe, snakelike orbs glowing with sincerity . it was not often she wanted help , but this time it had potentially saved her life. dark paws pushed her up to a standing position, still breathless, still waiting for the adrenaline to settle down. she couldn’t quite believe how fortunate she had been— the carmine woman, the woman she felt so conflicted over, had found her before it was too late. and for that, zoya felt indebted to her.

@Zulema

The last thing she needed was someone else dying - or vanishing, in this case - on her, especially not the gray assassin. There was still something about her that was quite alluring and maybe it was the woman's hobbies or simply just how mysterious the helmeted woman was. Either way, she couldn't simply walk away and allow the lioness to be eaten by the sands. It wouldn't look good and quite frankly, the carmine noble would miss her too much. Not that she would openly say but the fire that had been stoked inside of her was not interested in dying out so quickly. I wouldn't let you die, she speaks with strength and brutal honesty, her feelings towards @Zoya known as their latest tryst bore into the forefront of her mind. An act that had been so weighted and held much promise, but there was always more to be had. A spark so bright in her body that she felt she needed a cold shower just to soothe the longing. Can't say the same for the pig. Zulema had had intentions of bringing it home for a snack but Zoya was a much better snack to save.

+5 Scout a neutral territory
+5 Correctly track something through a territory
+10 Find a notable landmark in a territory

i wouldn’t let you die. it was a phrase any pridemate or ally would say, but there was a conviction in zulema’s words, a strength that took zoya aback. memories of their last encounter flooded her mind as she found her breath. zoya had been quiet these past months, sticking to her own company, consumed by her garden of poisons, utterly engrossed in her own studies. seemingly normal behaviour for her… but perhaps it had been a way to distance her thoughts from the woman and their last tryst — feelings all too rare for the closed off assassin. she did not reply with words to obsidian hollow’s noblewoman, but instead simply nodded, eyes glowing with a thankfulness words could not convey, lips forming the faintest smile. her gaze met the woman’s mismatched one, the commotion of feelings tangling within her heart. “it was going to be used for another science experiment of mine” zoya said, referring to the pig lost in the sands. she didn’t know which of poison or drowning in the quicksands was a worse fate.

@Zulema

The timing of the situation seemed to be almost too perfect that Zulema should stumble across the warthog at the exact moment that @Zoya seemed to fall prey to the sinking sands. If it were any other lion that had gotten into the situation, she might have laughed at them or even left them to die. Or at the very least questioned it until the last minute. Alas the carmine noble had discovered that the scout had something of a social tug at her and thus was worthy of air.

The gray woman was something of an abnormality in Zulema's life as she didn't exactly grow attached emotionally. Physically, obviously, as who wouldn't immediately look at someone and go dammmmmn; but with Zoya, she was interesting, passionate and mysterious. Three very crucial traits that Zulema couldn't get enough of. Perhaps it chose the better way to die, as having to go through some experiment trials didn't seem as that fun if you're not the one doing them.

table by ferus, art by munk

as zoya’s heartbeat began to return to normal, she felt an annoyance at herself for not being more cautious. stumbling into quicksand without a second thought? what on earth had she been doing? truthfully, she didn’t like to rely on others for anything. in response to the red noblewoman, the corner of zoya’s lips curled into the faintest smile, thoughts entangling. she had spent months and months largely alone, tending to her garden, venturing across the lands. she had a rank, a purpose, yet her days were spent alone and self serving. in fact it had been long since she had really spoken to zulema and not just glanced at her in the hollow, on hunts and going about her day. “bit unfortunate to meet you like this,” the scout admitted, suddenly aware of the sand coating her silver pelt. “but it’s been a while. how have you been?” an open question, but really, she was prying deeper— their established partnership had been in place for some time. she was curious to see what zulema had gleaned. but of course, she also hoped the woman was doing well.

@Zulema