Set after post in Amethyst Grove
(40p Make an alliance with another pride, group, or family
20p Meet a new character
10p Explore a new territory
+20 Join in a discussion to establish pride or family relations
+10 Organize an event between prides or families
+5 Observe and study a new scent)

This place was very much like the winding forest she had just made her way through. It smelled almost identical, save for the number of scent markers made by lion inhabitants. It was a pretty place, though Winter was clearly ravishing it. She could tell, however, by the lingering smell, that at its best this place was lush and full of life. Mirza would not be willing to leave her sand and sun for such a place, but it would do her no harm to visit every now and then. The cold, however... that her body could not stand. She would be sure her next visit happened during the warmer months. The timing of her ascension had dictated she make this journey in less than ideal temperatures, and she was more than ready to return home to warm up in her Oasis. She could go back out for another trip once she regained feeling in her toes.

Wriggling her numb appendages, Mirza made her way past the Pride's borders, moving through the trees to find herself at a clearing. She could smell fresh water, the kind that moved in one direction, never settling or growing stagnant. That was kind of how Mirza wanted to be... always moving forward, ever-changing. The fact that she was changing for the better, was lost on her. All she knew was that change had gotten her the life she had always wanted, so why stop there?

Ironically, she stopped walking as that thought passed through her mind, not wanting to venture far enough into the Prideland to be seen as disrespectful. She simply had not wanted to hide away in the cover of trees like someone with malicious intentions. She made sure she was visible before calling out for the leader of these lands. Nymeria she believed is what she had been told. They were on friendly terms to the best of her knowledge, but, as usual... Mirza wanted more.

Now we're in the ring, and we're coming for blood

There's a hummin' in the restless summer air And we're slippin' off the course that we prepared But in all chaos there is calculation Droppin' glasses just to hear them break You've been drinkin' like the world was gonna end (it didn't) Took a shiner from the fist of your best friend (go figure) It's clear that someone's gotta go

code by corvus

A brutish sort came into view. His deep voice firm, his posture tight and moving with careful purpose. Lost? His bronze form melded from the trees, from the green and the grove of his home. Intentions be damned. Strangers testing his borders, his home and his family's safety were taken seriously. They'd crawled bit by bit like insects into his world Maua be damned they'd take the same liberties on the Brook's homeland. His fur along his shoulders bristled up and his features frowned deeply in @Mirza's direction. His silver eyes thinned down into slivers as he took the last few steps he intended to, leaving a fair gap of space between them. He was not concerned as his word choice might have indicated. He was defensive, a tense guardian. Your purpose besides tresspassing? Her summons still danced in the air, intended for Nymeria but drawing the attention firstly instead of Aquila.

Talisa had every kindness to give to the outsiders and their claiming habits around Amaryllis, but now that she had three children (by a non-native, no less) she was a little more on edge. So when she happened to be out and about and stumbled across someone not of the Brook Talisa made a beeline for them. Spotting @Aquila coming to them in a defensive position and the Heiress coming to stand next to him. Jaws were tense and tight, holding her tongue as her brows were furrowed in growing frustration. New mama Talisa wasn't going to have it -- and she hoped that @Mirza had a damn good reason for trespassing without an invitation.

manip & table code by k'sariya

The words of the rough-looking male pinged in her ears at nearly the same moment her eyes landed on him. Brow raised at his tone and she felt the gears in her head turning, his tone awakening the chaos that usually resided in her mind. It flashed in her eyes as she gave a devilish grin at his next set of words, forgetting for a moment why she had come. She almost vibrated with glee at the momentary thought of confrontation, the idea of getting physical with this fine specimen almost too much to pass up. For a moment, she was her old self, before diplomacy... before the Crown.

The silent appearance of another gave her just the distraction she needed to reel herself in. She blinked away the crazy and grounded herself, toes digging into the soil beneath her feet. The shift in her personality came with the taking of a deep breath as she turned to greet the absolutely stunning woman who stood before her. What was with the women in the North? Why were they all so beautiful? She would have to reevaluate her orientation if she was going to do more business in the North because these girls up here... man.

She once again forced herself to focus on the task at hand, her smile becoming warmer and more... sane? She gave a polite nod and cleared her throat. "Yes, I am aware that I am a bit further into Nymeria's land than one would like, but it just felt... wrong lurking in the forest at the scent markers. I felt this would leave me more out in the open, assuring that I have nothing but good intentions. Especially since our Prides have been on friendly terms for quite some time. Which is actually part of why I have come to have an audience with Mrs. Nymeria, to begin with."

She tried to keep her tone even, to be respectful despite the obvious disrespect coming from the duo before her. Considering what Wolfbron had just gone through, she couldn't really fault them for being overly cautious. That was why she had come alone, after all, having sent Ebriham home to be sure that their own borders were safe with everything going on. Iofiel had been left in the Bluffs to help tend to Zoticus, hopefully further strengthening the allience they now held with him. She hoped that such an alliance could be forged here as well, assuming these two ambitious guard dogs would allow her to meet with Nymeria.

Now we're in the ring, and we're coming for blood

There's a hummin' in the restless summer air And we're slippin' off the course that we prepared But in all chaos there is calculation Droppin' glasses just to hear them break You've been drinkin' like the world was gonna end (it didn't) Took a shiner from the fist of your best friend (go figure) It's clear that someone's gotta go

code by corvus

Talisa came to his side, budding heiress that she be it was right for her to be here. Her furrowed features offered the large Aquila his validation. He was not typically so synced up with Talisa's thoughts and he found it was good to be in step with her for once. There was a line in the sand.

His steel gaze fixed on Mirza, his frown only served to deepen and his eyes narrows as she went through her thoughts. Our friends respect us and our boundaries. Aquila muttered, dismissive of @Mirza's explanation as bullshit. If they'd wanted to meet guests here they would have set the borders here. These invaders were full of excuses, always pish posh. Always insisting they had rights and reason to be in the Brook's space. Be nice to us because of this. Let us here. Let us take this. Aquila's opinion was shifting but this... this was too much. Friendly history be damned this was not the behavior he wanted of friends to the Brook and his family.

His hackles raised a little, his posture shifted forwards as he aimed to step ahead of @Talisa and place himself slightly between the Oasis invader and the mother Heiress, holding back enough that his young cousin could still see and be seen. Ready to react further if it became necessary to do so. Are all of these newcommers so bad at apologizing? He mumbled to Talisa with a firm snorting exhale from his nose. Do you want me to see her to the borders? He spoke softer to the earthen heiress, defensive, worried, hopeful all at once.

Any other day, Talisa would've been quite flattered by the others interest in her but today she was Mama bear. Protecting her own little one's with the knowledge that there were awful folks out there doing awful things to women and children. She wasn't going to have that.. not when she finally got her big shot at having her own little family. Call this -- finding herself taking a piece out of Morrigan's playbook. To continue those friendly terms, it would've been best to keep outside of our borders. They are there for a reason, especially in today's time. Talisa spoke as respectfully as she could while acting as an Heiress and pointing out that @Mirza had indeed assumed wrongly. They were on friendly terms and were, by no means, allies. Even allies weren't given free invitations to walk across borders. Ashelia had never been given permission to do so and neither would this one whoever they were.

Even if Nymeria was the selected audience, she was otherwise preoccupied given that it was just a day or so until she would inevitably pop. Talisa knew this because of her own experiences and was trying to keep on her own duties and more so that her sister could have this time as her own. Let us all walk back to the borders, hm? she gazed to @Aquila pointedly, surprised at herself at the fortitude that she possessed as motherhood seemed to be making a more centered and defensive woman out of her.

As they hopefully walked back to the borders with Talisa keeping a close but safe distance away, and Aquila likely to be closer, she opted to keep it as friendly as she could. Nymeria is otherwise engaged right now. I am her Heir, and by no means do even our allies get to roam across our borders. They were put here for a reason and have been there for generations. Respect is important and I can't imagine that you would let strangers waltz into your home, hm? The sandy woman hadn't exactly given her name but Talisa knew that this wasn't Ashelia. Not even our allies have permission to cross our borders without an invitation. We don't know you personally, after all, and while I can understand you wanted to show us that you have good intentions by finding an open space but -- it was unnecessary. Diplomacy seemed to be something she was more skilled at than she initially thought and she hoped that she was conveying the right message.

manip & table code by k'sariya

truth be told, nymeria should have been tucked away somewhere else preparing for the arrival of her children -- not wedging herself into a complicated situation with a member of the oasis and her family. and yet, the decision was not in her hands, and so she would do with it what she could. the call from @Mirza was an unexpected one, but if it would serve as a distraction to her quiet morning, then it was a welcomed one by the forest druid.

unfortunately, however, the meeting would not be so simple. it would be hard to fault the queen for her tardiness, given the swollen ankles, round belly, and bouts of restless nights -- but she arrived nonetheless, her pelt clean, well-groomed, and her posture as prim and poised as she could muster. being pregnant didn't give her an excuse to slack off, after all! the woman's ears tilted forwards to catch the most recent words between mirza, @Aquila, and @Talisa, withholding the urge to frown as she looked to approach the group. "hello, i would be nymeria. sorry for making everyone wait ~" she greeted, eyes landing upon the nameless azar's complexion while she slid up next to aquila's free side, her expression neutral, albeit curious. it was the first time that she had seen a foreigner so boldly and blatantly cross their borders, good intentions or otherwise -- and with all the cubs now roaming around vermeda, the maternal hormones pumping through her veins, and the string of attacks that still loomed across the valley, it was hard to deny that it stirred a twinge of uneasiness within her breast. "it's nice to see another face from the oasis, but i agree that it might make everyone a bit more comfortable to move back to the borders." hoping, of course, that the other woman would not be offended by the suggestion, and that they could all find some common, easier ground, back towards the edge of the territory.

pausing a moment more, nymeria would hope to follow talisa's lead, which, if all went smoothly, would take them back towards the thicket's perimeter. once there was another lull in the conversation, the queen would hope to provide a bit more context to the situation, while also ensuring that their current affairs with the oasis, as well as the typical happenings of vermeda, were well laided out. "i don't know if you're aware, but there has been a string of very violent and unprovoked attacks in amaryllis as of late. the last thing we want to see is anyone else get hurt - so, i hope you can understand that it's nothing personal, but we ask everyone to wait at the borders for an escort." she explained, glancing to her kin to gage their reaction, while also wanting to assure them that she agreed with their initial defense - they were the laws of the brook, after all, and it made her proud, as well as comforted, to know that they had been quick to act. after all, if it had been any other lion other than mirza, who knows what could have befallen the pride? "how is ashelia faring?" nymeria would ask after a moment more, brow quirked, as she wondered to what had prompted this dame's visit today.

A smirk once again crossed the palomino's lips at the male's snarky quip. "I don't believe I made an attempt at apologizing, less not to you..." She cracked back with a wink, getting to her feet with a slow stretch. Turning her attention fully to the Heiress, she mirrored the male's dismissal, deciding any further communication with him would be a waste of her time. Choosing to ignore the condescending tone, she contemplated the woman's words, fully understanding the reason behind them.

"Yes well, luckily we have situated our land in such a way that we can see our visitors long before they can see us. It seems most of the Prides are set up this way, which is probably why sitting in the cover of the trees seemed so impolite. I can of course understand your weariness at having someone entering the way I did, however, so I will be sure that all future communication happens outside of the markers, in order to respect the wishes of your Quee...."

As though her words had summoned the subject out of thin air, Nymeria came into view, causing Mirza to cut off the last part of her sentence. The sight of her a bit of a shock to the new Queen. Mirza had never seen someone so... round... before. Closing her mouth and replacing the momentary look of surprise with a warm smile, Mirza gave a slight bow to the ruler of this land. "No need to be sorry, it is I who should be apologizing, to you." A passive-aggressive glance was given to the sour guard before she continued. "It seems that in a misguided attempt at a good-natured gesture, I have overstepped and I apologize for that."

She let Nymeria lead her back to the borders of the land, listening to her speak as they walked. Her understanding of the situation shifted and she couldn't help the sheepish glance given to the Heiress. It seemed that recent events had been worse than she had been led to believe. She cringed outwardly at the idea of having someone come in and attack her Pride members. She had assumed things were tense because of the challenge at the Bluffs, as there was nothing more dangerous to a neighboring Pride than a jaded looser with a point to prove. At least... that's what she had thought before Nymeria informed her of the contrary.

"Wow. I actually was not aware. I understand completely the protectiveness of your greeters now. Perhaps under different circumstances, this meeting would have gone a bit smoother. Thank you for being patient with my ignorance, you truly are a good friend to have." She waited until she was across the Pride's borders to speak, feeling it was the respectful thing to do under the circumstances. "Ashelia is well to the best of my knowledge, she has recently returned to our homelands. She had some unfinished business there and thought it best to be sure she would have no distractions going forward. I have been named High Sovereign in her absence."

She eyed the other two cautiously, not sure if she really wanted her sensitive information in the minds of those who were not in the position of power here. The Heiress sure, as she would be the next in line and therefore someone Mirza wanted on her side. But mister angry over there didn't need to hear the inner workings of Andal. Still, she decided it in her best interest not to further alienate herself from Nymeria by continuing the cycle of disrespect between herself and the Gentry. She squared her shoulders slightly and lifted her head as she continued.

"I have received the same raising as my sister, and as such have many bad habits I am attempting to break in my ruling of Andal. One such is my father's insistence that a strong Pride needs no one but themselves. I found that didn't fare well for him. And with the current events you have informed me of, I am even more convinced that a strong Pride is one with many Allies. I hope that should such a travesty occur in the future, allied prides could work together and put an end to the offending beast swiftly. Our Pride is small in numbers, but we find our hunting ability to be very successful, our stock always full. We have Allies in the Bluffs as well as in the Hollow and are friendly with a few more strong Prides. I have an aspiring healer in my Pride as well, I'd happily loan to an Ally in need."

She could see how sending Iofiel to the Brook could be beneficial to them and to him, which, in the long run, would be beneficial to Andal. It would also be one hell of a gesture of support for the Pride, especially considering all that they had just been through, and their Queen's current condition. She did hope that she was improving their impression of her as a potential ally, she was learning as she went after all. She would hate to have ruined the relationship between their Prides simply by being over-zelous.

Now we're in the ring, and we're coming for blood

There's a hummin' in the restless summer air And we're slippin' off the course that we prepared But in all chaos there is calculation Droppin' glasses just to hear them break You've been drinkin' like the world was gonna end (it didn't) Took a shiner from the fist of your best friend (go figure) It's clear that someone's gotta go

code by corvus

Aquila's lips grumbled a warning, his chest humming in relfexsive response to the wink above all else. Evidently his pride's protection was a game and he a fool for it. Warm air blew in a breath from his flaring nares and the prideland frowned deeper into @Mirza's words. His cousins were far too gentle and lenient.... and Aquila was growing tired of it. Threats loomed closer, fights broke out on the monthly like clockwork and why must he still pander to lionesses without a lick of kindness? Her glance was not missed and Aquila found little comfort or calming in @Nymeria's touch, in the kindness they continued to show Mirza despite her actions towards him, towards their pride. Mirza need not worry about his grumpy face lingering long. He followed to the borders of the pride and did not linger a second longer before stalking off a distance to patrol the nearby lengths. He wanted nothing more to do with this as he grappled with some intense feelings of his own.

/exit

Talisa bit back a whole world of frustration as @Mirza came back with snark at Aquila's words. Sure, Aquila hadn't needed to come with the sassy remark about being bad at apologizing but to push back on another pride's territory -- it spoke wrong to her. Yet she tried, continued to try, to be calm and poised. She was an heiress and she needed to be a good example of what Nymeria would do. Of what she would say.

To have Aquila wander off as soon as Mirza was back to the borders made her feel quite uncomfortable. As though his defensiveness had been shoved down in lieu of being polite. The sandy woman put on a good face as she seemed to change tone and poise slightly for that of @Nymeria. Perhaps, at a different time, Talisa could explain to her sister that something didn't settle well with her after this meeting had occurred. Talisa wasn't used to feeling so pushed away, especially not by her sister, but there was always a time and place for leading into those feelings. So she was happy to keep them hidden where no one would believe anything to be wrong except her protecting her children from the outside world a little longer.

Talisa didn't quite like being called a greeter and certainly didn't want to be thought of as anything less than Nymeria either. She had the same workmanship and while didn't have the higher title, they were one in the same in the Brook. A collective community built on each other's words and presence. For now, though, she simply remained steady at her sister's side in an effort to hear the whole conversation and to remain vigilant due to the pregnancy that was to be protected at all costs.

manip & table code by k'sariya