E D E N H A R T
once more to the labyrinth. she felt strong enough to wander more this time so she did. the woman wasn't ready to give up. on anything. she'd survive and come out stronger for it, surely. this was her first time in the location, the Moonlit Chasm... though unknown to her. she glances around the confusing mess that was so close to Obsidian before finding the lake.

she didn't waste moments staring in awe.

Eden walked closer until her paws touched the water. she did need a good bath so what was the harm? glancing around once, she enters. the cool liquid felt great against old wounds and tired bones. despite everything else, she smiles. the woman lowers herself in, letting her ragged fur be swallowed up. smoothing it down with the weight of water. she looks almost beautiful now. but ah, beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

@Kiton

With so much of his time and energy poured into getting his place settled in this new land, it had been weeks since Kiton had emerged from the mire. The day had started out with a patrol of the borders and he had failed to stop himself at some point, wandering across Amaryllis until he had reached the labyrinth where he and Silver had plotted what seemed like an eternity ago. Perhaps there was no purpose in him being there except to gather his thoughts and keep his wits about him. Kiton thought this was purpose enough.
Having ventured deeper into the tunnels, it was not long before the scent of another lion made itself known nearby--a female, likely, and wet. He twitched his whiskers as he wondered what would possess a lion to subject themselves to such a fate, pressing closer with curiosity until he thought he could make out a figure in the shadows.
"Am I disturbing you?" He called out firstly.

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E D E N H A R T
a distinct male voice causes her to start, whipping around and splashing everywhere. damn it; she hadn't expected to be disturbed as he called it. but that wasn't so far from the truth. Eden almost purred before he came across her. now she felt ridiculous and wet and embarrassed. making out his form in the shadows, she bites her lip. uncertain on how to answer.

maybe it was best to make a strong front.

"no" yes "you're not." go away...

she didn't want to be around strange lions. Eden had jumped out of her fur when Magnus appeared to her at Elijah's den. any strange men caused her to retreat but... she was in the water. he didn't seem to want to be there. she was safe. for now. or maybe he meant you no harm at all, you silly woman. he smelt of a pride she didn't know too. curious, because she was looking for one, the dark woman swims a bit closer.

stupid idea really

"are you a pride lion?"

@Kiton

"What are you doing, then?" Kiton questioned with a breath of a laugh, implying that whatever she was doing was strange. He approached the edge of the water and narrowed his eyes in a feeble attempt to try and make out the scene before him amidst the shadows, wondering if there was something he was missing; perhaps she was being held there by someone against her will.
"Yes. I have my own, actually--Kiton Hodari, High Sovereign of Ecrosia Mire," he introduced quickly, not wanting to be accused of behaving rudely to the strange lioness. "What pride are you from?" It was only fair.

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E D E N H A R T
"having a bath" it was... simple, really. she didn't exactly have a good reason outside of washing the road and everything else off of her. surprise entered her good eye as she regards the man again. a pride lion, yes, but also a king. "no pride, actually." she tries to stand in the water and face him properly, trying to show no fear. luckily her wobbling legs were hidden by the water. good. she didn't want him to... what exactly? he hadn't done anything wrong.

so she tries again. tries to be normal and socialize. "I'm Eden. Eden Hart" and she was looking for a new place "I'm staying at the Hollows with a friend. the king there let me" she adds, feeling unease yet again talking about Magnus "but... I don't plan on joining them" might as well be honest about it "so I'm scoping others out. c-can you tell me about your pride, King @Kiton?"

"I tend to prefer my own tongue for that," he countered in good humor, attempting to settle down there at the edge of the water rather than standing over the lioness awkwardly. He had always attributed it to his especially thick coat, but from what he could see, the stranger seemed comparatively fluffy to him.
"The Hollows? I know someone there--a fighter," Kiton explained vaguely. Something about the way she spoke made his stomach turn with unease, but in the way where he was desperate to quell whatever anxieties she might be feeling. If he could pass the time with idle stories about this friend and that, he almost wondered if it could distract her from his own imposing presence.
"Well, the mire is a long way from here. It is a shaded and lively place just lush with life. Plenty of water--some marshes, too. I've only just taken over with my family," he described neutrally.

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E D E N H A R T
she supposes that was fair. Eden had spent so long bathing herself with no real result that she preferred to dip into the water. her tongue would be better used to pant to keep herself cool in the Pits, dry and lacking water... she couldn't even groom herself without feeling dehydrated. so a bath it was. it was the first time she had spent in water on her own volition.

but @Kiton didn't give a lot of information. she supposes he is wary to give too much out, in case she was a danger. she gives him a nod, not curt but accepting of the words. a swamp, huh? she heard of them but had never seen them. "thanks" Eden says to him, glancing back across the Chasm before her gaze drops "how big is your family? I ask because... I'm... not so great around many lions. a small pride would suit me." for now.

"We are much smaller than we used to be," he answered without hesitation. It was a loaded statement, but he thought it would answer her question perfectly well. Time would tell him exactly how many Hodari and Tolkien had made it to Amaryllis, but as of that moment, he knew only of his brother and a select few others who had not come to join the mire immediately.
"If you're interested, socializing is not required, but contributing is. The mire could prove a nice refuge," Kiton supposed aloud. He had spent the beginning chapters of his life in the constant company of a large pride, but he thought he could understand why one would prefer not to. The thought of the mire pride growing to be too large was overwhelming even for the very king who had chosen to take it on.
"I'm an ambassador, mainly. What do you do?" He asked with an interested stare, offering up his own trade first out of politeness.

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E D E N H A R The seemed a bit forlorn at his family's situation, but it could be her imagination. Eden had never known her family for long. she supposes the Pits were her 'family' and 'home' until she escaped them. "I see" the woman replied evenly, thinking and mulling over his words "I am healing" she says to @Kiton. the dirt and blood had all but washed off. old wounds and scars were still seen. she did not blame him for not noticing "but when I'm better, I'll make a more... informed decision."

she needed to talk to Elijah. she needed to meet other pride leaders, or people with power in their prides. so far, she had met only Magnus, Zoticus and now Kiton. "I fight" she says almost glumly. it was all she knew how to do. underhanded or noble, she would fight to defend herself and others if need be. "I admit, I... never learned to hunt" Eden confessed quietly "it was not in the cards, I guess." because being trapped and unable to move around... well, she was not blessed.

"but I am willing to learn. I'm willing to work for my place."

"Of course," he agreed with a nod of his head, though he still felt a distinct twinge of disappointment at the news that he could not bring home a member on that day. She explained that she was a fighter and not a huntress, and while the news that she did not know how to hunt was shocking to say the least, it was not a deal-breaker.
"We all pull our weight in different ways. A fighter is certainly valuable to any pride," Kiton agreed. "You focus on resting now. Perhaps the pools can help," he suggested as he gathered himself to his paws, looking over his shoulder briefly and then back at the lioness. "'til we meet again," he bid her farewell.

[exit]

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