In Maua’s word we love

& by blood we live

The year had been a rough one. Tension had been high ever sense the clans had been gathered and stowed away deep within the Crimson Hideaway. Every now and again a scout would be sent out to the outermost rim of the area before returning. Slowly those scouting parties had came to a stop has their old Warlord grew more wary with the closer outsiders got to the families main base of living. Those strangers just forced the family farther back from Amaryllis. Or rather their Warlord had forced them back.

Not anymore. As of a few weeks there was a new family head. Cleopatra was now the Araqui family’s Warlady and she was proud. Her battle had been hard but she was almost completely healed she was up and around. She moved away from the deepest part of the hideaway to the outer edge of it. Sticking to the shadows as she thought about heading out for the first time in over a year.

@Valhalla

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Valhalla had remembered a story he were told when he were a cub, of how there used to be a family of natives that stowed themselves away high up, seemingly to only stick to themselves unless it were of dire importance. He always wondered if these were merely stories or true; he'd heard of other families coming into contact with them, but as a mere cub he thought they were saying these things to keep the story alive. But as he grew up the realization of how they were more than just bedtimes stories became evident, but he still hadn't seen any more than maybe a glimpse or shadow. The Viking always wondered why they were so elusive.

And perhaps that was what caused for him to make the journey to the Hideaway. It wasn't that far of a trek since the Oasis shared the open desert with the same area of the cave itself, but in the desert a ten minute walk could feel like an hour if you didn't take care of yourself and your own footing. The pink colossal would move with a slow and relaxed gait, the morning sun shining down upon him. It was warm, something he cherished now that he lived in an area where temperatures could drop to chilly temperatures, even in the heat of the summer. Golden gaze would scan his surroundings, making sure he were alert and ready if anything were to arise. Paws would bring him to a trail that led to the main entrance of the caves, and once he were there would he stand before it, simply staring. Scents of all kinds could be picked up by flared nostrils, Valhalla noting that many were relatively fresh. So maybe they were still here?

@cleopatra

table by sentinel / lion + cliffs

In Maua’s word we love

& by blood we live

Nostrils flaring she could smell any different scent around the entrance of the Hideaway. Her family was deep inside. The deepest part of it and she found none of their scent here at the entrance. Lingering there in the shadows for a bit she was about to head back to them when she spotted a stranger. A giant of a man dressed in pink. Keeping to the shadows she leapt up to a ledge where she could see him better, but hopefully he couldn’t see her too well. “Halt stranger.” She called out her voice full of authority and suspension as she looked at him. “Is it Maua who guides you here today? Or mere curiosity?” She asked as she was trying to figure out his motives. It didn’t accrue to her that her family was mere stories now. Mostly sticking to themselves unless the clans had been at war with each other. Even than they had left everyone else alone.

@Valhalla

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His skull would snap in the direction the sudden voice came from, trying to locate where the stranger was at. He couldn't see much other than a shadow and a portion of a figure, eyes narrowing to try to help him get a better view. Her words would question what brought him to the hideaway today: Maua or his never-ending curiousness. "A bit of both," deep toned voice would respond, continuing to look upward. "Who am I speaking with?" The Viking didn't want to dive too much into detail if he weren't speaking to the family he were hoping to find here. And he knew that it was better to keep this close to the chest until knowing full well you'll be able to tell another certain things without them having ulterior motives.

@cleopatra

table by sentinel / lion + cliffs

In Maua’s word we love

& by blood we live

She had been spotted but could be really see her? She didn’t know. Ears perked curiously at his voice. She was trying to remain calm and serious but in honest truth she was just as curious of him as well. Still she remained laying down in the shadows. A small smirk crossed her lips for a second at his answer before it vanished back into a stoic face. A bit of both? How interesting. Very interesting indeed. At his question she decided she’d entertain it. If anything rumor of her family lurking could possibly help gather information of the outside world and what it has become. “Cleopatra. Warlady of the Araqui Clan.” She said proudly with a serious tone to her voice. “And yourself?” She questioned a bit curious in her tone. Watching him her tail flickered behind her as she turned her head to one side to look around them for a moment before returning her gaze back to him.

@Valhalla

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So they were still around after all this time. This caused for Valhalla's wheels to turn inside his mind; if they were still here then why haven't they come to the aide of the rest of the natives in attempts to keep prides away from the outsiders? Were they that oblivious to what was going on in Amaryllis or did they not care? He could feel the hackles rising along his spine, adrenaline beginning to pump throughout his veins as his annoyance and temper began to rise. But he couldn't act irrationally, not when he were trying to both get information and help.

The colossal would take a slow inhale before exhaling it just as slowly, getting his mindset back into being as diplomatic as he could be. He wasn't Onyxia in political prowess but Valhalla figured he could be just as charming. "Valhalla Brynmawr of the Brynmawr Clan." He didn't dive into the fact that he were the only remaining one of his family to live here now, and he were hoping that would change sooner than later. "Have the Araqui been keeping tabs as to what's been happening in Amaryllis, @Cleopatra?" This would gauge where he should steer the conversation.

table by sentinel / lion + cliffs

In Maua’s word we love

& by blood we live

Brynmawr? Brynmawr that name seems familiar, but like a distant memory. Another family perhaps? Maybe. It did make her hopeful that this lion was another native of Amaryllis and not one of those outsiders that had started entering. Why Maua had allowed outsiders to start entering the land she didn’t know, but the family had been more focused on itself. Their head had gotten a little - obsessive in keeping the family hidden away and safe. Their numbers aren’t as great as the past year has been hard, they had also lost a good amount in the family war. Still that was no excuse. Not in her mind anyways.

Watching @Valhalla she picked up on his body language she felt herself become a bit anxious but she hide that as best she could. Hiding behind a stoic face. Her eyes pinned than focused again upon him. “For a time we sent scouts, but over the past year the family has fallen out of touch.” The answer wasn’t very clear as what she meant but she didn’t need the families secrets being dragged through the mud. “There has been a recent power shift within the family and I plan to change that. Just need to gather information.” She was being truthful, yet vega at the same time.

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Valhalla didn't know whether or not he should be relieved that this family had been keeping tabs, or if he should feel disdain on how they continued to hide away even after sending scouts to report back. "There are non-natives who think this land can belong to them all because Maua brought them here. There's your information." He had a snap in his tone, showing the obvious displeasure about how they all could stay away from the issues at hand with their motherland. Could he have been a bit more... soft with how he translated his annoyance? Sure. But when did the Viking ever sugarcoat his words just so it didn't hurt anyone's feelings (except for cubs, of course)?

"We need all the natives we can find to help restore some sort of balance. We are vastly underpopulated and need more natives to appear to show that we aren't a small community." A break in his speech, golden gaze shifting from glancing upward in @Cleopatra's general direction to look back at the mouth of the cave. "Vermeda Brook is still under Nymeria Valour's rule, and Aquila Valour has just recently taken control of Andal, with myself and another as Noble." Finally would Valhalla settle with speaking. He knew he'd had just given a bit of information that may be a lot to digest all at once, but they didn't have the time to lollygag and for him to spell out every word.

table by sentinel / lion + cliffs

In Maua’s word we love

& by blood we live

Anyone faulting the family for staying out of the fight with the outsiders was a fool. They could have stepped out of the shadows and fought yes, but the family had never been known for fighting anyone other than themselves. Of course in an otherwise peaceful land that had been all their was to fight. The three clans, each branch fighting for family ranking to others not of the family their system was brutal, but there was order to the madness.

Speaking of order to madness she listened to @Valhalla carefully. Perhaps it was that she was more open minded or that she didn’t know the unordered violence these outsiders brought with them. “Everyone needs a home.” She said calmly. “I trust Maua has a plan for them and for us. Perhaps these outsiders are here to test us.” She mused a wicked grin spreading across her face for a moment. “Test our strength, our abilities in battle.” A violent answer from a secretive war family head honestly what did anyone really expect to come from her lips.

“Whatever the case you are correct Valhalla, it is time for the Aarqui clan to come out of the shadows.” Standing up she shifted moving forward she stepped from the shadows she was hiding within and leapt down to stand before him. Compared to the giant pink lion she wasn’t that impressive. Though her family wasn’t known for being big. In fact there had never been a colossal born in the family. Some large females but never anything bigger. There males even tended to be medium or small. This was more of a choice with breeding though as one didn’t need to be a giant to over power your enemies.

“Valour you say? The Araqui clan and house Valour have had good relations in the past during war perhaps it is time to pay them a visit.” Speaking calmly and confidently she looked the male right in his golden eyes. Scanning his body language for signs of threat. She had already picked up on his annoyance in his voice but there was nothing that could be done about that. The family’s hiding away had not been her choice. It had been the choice of the old Warlord. Who had let his desire for power over the family get in the way of doing what was right for Amaryllis and seeing the will of Maua. A will that Cleo was unsure about but she was sure after watching these outsiders for a bit would become clear to her. If they where in fact taking over than they needed to be tested and perhaps put into their place. If they didn’t treat the lands of Amaryllis with respect than clearly those who sought to govern Maua’s lands where unfit and would be removed from power. Yet Maua had opened the lands to them and everyone needed a home. New blood could be a good thing for bloodlines, but these new bloods did need to be weeded out for flaws.

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@Cleopatra's response would cause for a scoff to escape the colossal. "In need of a home or not, there are better ways in showing up in a place that doesn't belong to you." Tail would lash to the side as he spoke, golden gaze narrowing once more as he allowed for his skull to tilt upward in her direction again. But he wouldn't be left staring at the sky for much too longer for the lioness would soon appear, taking a leap so that she were now placed in front of him. Eyes would look her over (what he could see of her, that was) before attention settled upon her face.

The mentions of her family coming out from hiding and that the Araqui's and Valour's were on a friendly terms would cause for Valhalla to nod. "We need to start taking back land that is rightfully ours. Even though Maua has allowed for these outsiders to live here, we weren't told to be peaceful about making ourselves really known." There were a handful of outsiders that the Viking could tolerate or found to be a friend of sorts, but it were the ones that walked around with their heads held high and chests puffed out and that thought they were entitled to lands they've never known about until the past year that really dug under his skin. Those were the ones that he wished to run off, whether by escort or by force was up to them.

"I'm sure Nymeria would be surprised and maybe a little elated to see that the Araqui are still around." Shoulders would roll as deep voice drawled out his words, ears flicking forward. Should he escort the lioness to Vermeda's borders or would she rather go by herself?

table by sentinel / lion + cliffs