this is the first time ulla has visited the cove. she has slipped past it to reach her brother's pride on multiple occasions, as the high sovereign has made it quite clear where the boundaries are. for this visit, ulla is confident it'll be short and quick. @Avaneira and @Morrigan were previous hollows member and had good relations with the pride before their departure. and ulla is aware of the tension that rose during avaneira's challenge for the cove. however that's in the past and ulla isn't magnus. she holds nothing but curiosity and hope that the cove and the hollows will be allies. stopping just short of the border, ulla tips her head and calls for the leaders. she's not hoping to see anyone else but ava and morrigan coming.

code by corvus | image by rabbit

g

od is singing in my head again / in the howling voice of a she-wolf / that’s just eaten her young.

---

The call was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Avaneira did not know the inner workings of the Sigrún and their ilk. She knew only what Magnus had allowed her to see between the throes of their political gambit, and the Wolf Queen could only hope to see the threads of their family unravel in her union to Svana, and Brigid who now resided within their realm. The beach had grown on her, in a sense; its blanketed white sands reminded her of the snow-dusted forest of her youth, and though its bitter chill did not cause shivers to creep up her spine, the wind was just as blistery and powerful. The sound of waves crashing against the shore provided a blissful white noise that soothed even the most upset of her cubs back to sleep, and eased the pain left in the wake of Amaryllis' constant shifting.

Things fell into a strange, new normal.

As she came upon the borders, the somewhat-familiar form of @Úlla came into view. She'd known the shift in sovereignty left Magnus clamoring for the Lagoon and leaving the Hollow vacant of power, but hadn't known which of his family secured his now empty throne. “Welcome to the Cove, Úlla,” she greeted, dipping her head, “Is the Hollow under your command now?”

It has been a while since Ulla last set eyes upon Avaneira. Her life had been so hectic since challenging for the lagoon that all other events and memories morphed into a pit of nothing. It's not until she became Sovereign that the idea of visiting former pride mates came to pass. Even then, Ulla had other priorities. But she couldn't deny that seeing Ava is a breath of air. The white queen may not be a Sigrun, but she was formerly from the Hollows. Greetings @Avaneira and thank you for the welcome. She does not pause to answer Ava's question and says Yes, Nadia handed it to me after she left for the lagoon. I am now its sole ruler. And she has every right to be the only ruler for now. Her son is still inexperienced and, in her opinion, a bit young to be Heir. If he had been like Morrigan, then perhaps he would be sitting in one of the three thrones alongside her. How have you and Morrigan been? She still hasn't seen the dark-pelted woman yet. But Ulla hopes she'd come, only because it seems right.

table by ferus

With Nadia at its helm, Morrigan would have expected nothing less than an alliance, but since she was fairly certain she had reunited with Magnus in the Lagoon, it had remained to be seen if Ulla wished to extend that branch. @Avaneira beat her to the punch so greetings had already begun by the time Morrigan arrived, "Congratulations, @Úlla," she said as she entered the scene in time to here her presumptions confirmed. So Nadia was now her neighbor. That was good news indeed as well. Settling into the Cove had become that much easier now that allies sat solidly on either side of Caladan. Allies whose ties had been tested and now come back stronger for it. "Sorry I'm late, but I'm doing well. I hope the same for you?"

code by javs

g

od is singing in my head again / in the howling voice of a she-wolf / that’s just eaten her young.

---

She did not know the Sigrun and their familial ranks well enough to know where @Úlla lied among them save for the crown that now glimmered atop her head, and Avaneira wondered quietly if it would be something she could implore of Brigid or Svana. Just as the Wolf Queen opened her mouth to answer the other woman's question, @Morrigan arrived, and she was quickly greeted by a warm smile from the smaller sister. “Your timing is actually impeccable,” Avaneira began after Morrigan's brief statement, her tone remaining steeled though there was a sudden bittersweetness in her gaze. She had not forgotten the gravity of the conversation she'd had those few days ago just after the Bluffs challenge, and the ramifications that came with what could happen in their future. “Zoticus and his family are among your ranks now, correct?” she asked, pausing a brief moment before allowing herself to continue, “He has recently requested of me to be the protector of his mate and children should the chaos of Amaryllis sweep him away...thus, I believe it imperative we establish good relations between the Cove and the Hollow, so I could offer protection over them even from afar.” It was a heavy situation, and one that would've been easier if Zoticus had never desired to kill Vermier at all, but she'd long begun to grieve his necessary quest.

“In return, perhaps there is something I can offer you and the Hollow?” She had already offered her life and progeny to Magnus and his sister, Svana; perhaps her marriage to the Sigrun family would be enough for Ulla, but she wanted to give the other a chance to speak first.

@Morrigan arrives soon after, looking the same as she had before her own ascension as queen of the cove. thank you, morrigan. i am doing well and i hope you are too. she doesn't know of any news that is impacting the cove at the moment. but seeing that her brother's pride and the cove are neighbors, she's sure the two queens would've known of the change in leadership and perhaps even the alliances they've made. ulla waits for @Avaneira to speak before adding on to her response, figuring that the high sovereign would have something to say. and she does, causing ulla to raise a brow of surprise. she doesn't know that her noble knows avaneira, but it's not something that would be impossible either. yes, he and his family are safe with me for now. i, too, will do my best to protect his family. it will be bittersweet to see the family go, as they brought her some amount of joy with the three cubs running around. i do have an idea, although it's yet to begin. my current children are adults, but i have a desire to have one more litter. after they turn six months, i want to bring them to your pride for fostering; let them grow and learn beside the sea with independence from adult presence. she could go to magnus too for this, but even if a sigrun needs their family, they should also know how to raise themselves if their family's gone. in return, i can provide my pride as sanctuary and claim no one if any of your lions claimed already. it's a lot of say, some of which may be a heavy thought process for both queens to consider.

code by corvus | image by rabbit