She had been trying to sleep away the pain. It was such a young age to learn that she could not hurt when she was unconscious, but the lesson had been instilled deeply. Kallan blinked awake within the brook territory, somewhat outside of their camp to avoid being run into by anyone with that look of pity in their eyes. It filled her with fiery defensiveness that made her want to lash out, and so she found it easier to avoid those who were not within her immediate family--or, what was left of them.

She outstretched her arms with a yawn to allow her joints to pop and snap, straightening up into a sitting position finally. A sprinkling of rain pattered upon the locks of her shaggy pelt, making her feel damp and disoriented as she stared out into the forested terrain.

@Rhaella

_CODE

sweet, oblivious rhaella -- her steps are light and airy as she moved beneath the canopy of the forst, avoiding the droplets of rain the best that she could in the process. age and ability brought new potential, and she found herself craving utility, in whatever sense of the word that she could materialize into reality. today, she figured that she could be of use in maintaining the borders of their kingdom, like she had seen her parents do countless times before -- and so, as dutiful as ever, the young progeny slipped down the familiar trails of vermeda brook, sidestepping over roots and broken stones, whilst an idle smile hung across her lips. it was only after a few moments of her scouting that a dark, unexpected shape blurred in the peripheral of her vision, prompting the princess to halt, and indulge in her need to investigate. who is that?

it took rhaella a moment to ease her pace and swivel her head in the direction of the lonesome figurine -- but, oh, once she did, the valour's features brightened in look of joy and youthful, naïve excitement. "oh, @Kallan!" she cooed, looking to swallow the distance between them with a few, wide strides, hoping to press her snout into the plush of the other girl's cheek, should she allow the gesture. "what are you doing here?" for she was unaware of what had occurred to the hodari's family, nor to their home, but was simply content, in that moment, to revel in the company and warmth of her friend.

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Her lazy efforts at hiding were not enough. The sound of someone tromping through the rain caught Kallan's attention as she laid there, the scent of bergamot and lavender mixed in with the brook's typical smells proving eerily familiar to her.

Rhaella? She exhaled the name with hesitation as she perked up somewhat, finally coming to recognize her pale figure there among the foliage. Kallan dragged herself up to stand across from the princess, some remnants of excitement managing to shine through in her gaze but failing to really be convincing. What are you doing here? The simple question should not have stung so badly as it did. While she had previously believed the look of pity to be her worst possible fate, Kallan suddenly understood with dread that her situation had not been communicated to everyone within their new pride and she would have to be the one to break the news.

We moved to the brook; I live here now, Kallan confessed, aware that it did not feel as if she were telling the truth despite the factual nature of what she said.

@Rhaella

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@Kallan was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and a face that rhaella had come to find great comfort and comradery in. the hodaris had been their first real friends outside of vermeda brook, after all, meaning that they would always have a pure and special place within the girl's heart -- but oh, these emotions intensified ten-fold once the news came that she lived here now, which only widened rhaella's features further into a bright, brimming smile. rather unfortunately, it would seem that in those initial moments of surprise, she would fail to note her friend's hesitance and the gentle way in which sorrow hung in the back of her eyes. "really? that's amazing!" instincts kicked in as the excitement stirred within the valour's chest, pushing herself forward anew in an attempt to graze her muzzle against that of kallan. there was, however, no denying the slight emptiness to the hodari's features, which were finally registered by rhaella a few moments later. she kept herself close, realizing that, perhaps, her own joy had been too quick and not thoughtful enough, and that there was still something important that needed to be asked on the matter. "but is... everything okay? why'd you decide to move?" the princess' tone dropped an octave as she inquired on how exactly kallan had ended up here, her voice soft and, hopefully, less poignant than it had been before.

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Each word she spoke bruised her own heart further despite how they seemed to egg Rhaella on. She watched with interest as the pale lioness brightened, pressing forward and brushing the velvet of her muzzle against Kallan's own. That's amazing, she proclaimed, and Kallan wanted to agree with her. She wanted to cheer at their good fortune--being such good friends and getting to stay together now. She wanted to bring up their past games and perhaps play another round, showing Rhaella that she had grown smarter and more quick with age.

I know, she agreed hollowly, tugging one corner of her mouth into a crooked smile that did not quite match the energy shining in her eyes. But is... everything okay? Why'd you decide to move? Kallan tried not to shrivel at the question, pulling her cornflower gaze to meet Rhaella's gaze of peaches. She knew everything was not okay. She knew that moving had not been her decision at all, even if she was happy to steer her family toward the Valours once the move had been forced upon them.

There... She started as if she was going to tell the truth, dazed at how close Rhaella's face was to her own and how she seemed to emit reluctant electricity. There was a flood in the mire. We had to pick somewhere else to go, and I thought we could play if I came here, Kallan explained feebly, again managing to avoid the truth of the matter without telling a lie at all.

_CODE

quickly, regrettably, rhaella came to realize the error of her ways, and the premature nature of her glee. how silly she must have looked to express such joy, when there was obviously something weighing down upon @Kallan's sweet head. the babe's features were quick to fallen, guilt seeping upon the edges of her gaze, as she tried to keep herself as close to the hodari as the other would allow. "i'm sorry, kallan." soft, gentle tones offered, knowing that no amount of words would make up for the loss of her home and so much more. rhaella had never known such grief, at least not directly, but she would be damned if she let herself stand idle by during her companion's sorrow. "but i promise that i will always help keep you safe, and be your best friend." rhaella was aware of how powerless she was in this moment, and just how small she felt when faced with such a bitter truth -- but she offered what she could given the circumstances, and hoped that her resilience and love would be enough to soothe kallan's heart, even if it was just a little bit.

"you know that, right?" she said after a moment more, voice dropping slightly again at the question. the last thing that she wanted to do was pry, because rhaella knew that that was the last thing that kallan needed in the wake of losing her home -- but she still did not want her friend to suffer in silence nor in solitude. no what had happened, the girl was here, and always would be. and she wanted to make sure that she knew that.

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The way the girl's expression fell caused Kallan's spirits to go right with it. Don't be a downer, she scolded herself with a slight shake of her head.
It's alright, she soothed immediately, trying to stretch her mouth into whatever smile she could muster as she attempted to touch her nose against Rhaella's again. "I promise that I will always help keep you safe, and be your best friend," she heard her vow solemnly, the intensity of the statement earning a quirk of Kallan's brow. "You know that, right?"
Okay, Kallan agreed more eagerly than before. We can be best friends, now that I'm here, she pointed out, unclear on which of the pair she was trying to reassure. She ignored how wicked it felt to find any joy in her circumstances. She pulled herself into a sitting position at Rhaella's side, inhaling with a wet sniff.
I've only ever lived in the mire," she confessed with an uncertain stare.

@Rhaella

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caught somewhere between concern and discomfort, rhaella would simply shoulder her friend's sorrow in whatever way that she realistically could. her parents had taught her as much -- to be kind, and compassionate, and true to your words -- and if she could not extend such love to the hodari, than she would consider herself a sorry excuse for their daughter. "no matter where you are, we'll be best friends." she affirmed, wanting @Kallan to know that such a promise extended far beyond the borders of this kingdom. her friendship was non circumstantial, nor did it had an expiry date -- forever was the only option, really.

"they're not too different - it might be a little less wet here, but..." the nymph offered in response next, quirking a brow of her own as she casted a wide glance across the grove. there was less mud and dirt, but equal parts canopy and treeline, so hopefully that counted for something. "why don't you tell me what your favorite thing about the mire was? maybe we can find something like it here, to remind you of home." because ecrosia would always be kallan's home, whether she laid her head there at night or not. it was the same way that rhaella felt about vermeda -- she knew that, eventually, she would want to spread her wings beyond the grove, albeit the fact that it would always be an undeniably special place. and, if anything, the valour wanted her companion to know that it is not about where she was, but where she came from, that mattered most.

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"No matter where you are, we'll be best friends." Kallan attempted to meet Rhaella's sunset gaze as she said it, but, found that the intense sincerity of the statement forced her gaze to flicker to the floor.
My dad died, she confessed finally. Perhaps it would seem a complete change of subject, but, the concept of loving someone forever seemed an impossible dream to her at that moment. Her voice was more hollow than it should have been with the crushing weight of the words, and for a moment, Kallan wondered if she had actually said them at all or if they had been in her mind. My family was my favorite thing in Ecrosia and they--they're... she pursed her lips into a thin line and found her gaze wandering back up to face Rhaella's ever-sweet complexion. They're all gone now. It's just me and Lysander, and we can't go home, she explained as her voice trailed off in its power until it was a mere whisper to try and get around the lump in her throat threatening to silence her completely or else make her cry out with anguish.

@Rhaella

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there was a break in the conversation, an idle sort of pause that, at first, rhaella did not think much of. her eyes remained purposefully placed upon @Kallan's features, hoping to brighten her mood, to comfort, and to envelope her in all the love and companionship that she could offer -- but, that all changed when the other girl's voice broke next, expelling a confession that was dark enough to consume the entirety of the world around them. "wh-" her breath stammered first, emotions caught within her throat as she realized the true, unyielding gravity of the situation. 'my dad died'. pale eyes were wide as she processed the simple phrase and, for a moment, she was tinged with an ounce of confusion -- confusion on how maua had let this happen, how it could be true, and how kallan had been living with such grief without rhaella having known.

words fled her, and the babe's composure quickly evaporating against the bristling of the wind as seconds stretched on for what felt like an eternity. it was only after she snapped from her trance of shock that she would instinctively move forwards, both of her forelimbs raising in an attempt to clasp around kallan's shoulders, hoping to pull her close, tightly, into the nymph's chest. "i'm sorry, kallan. i-i didn't know." she croaked out breathlessly a moment later, soft, mournful tears rolling down her cheeks in tandem to her words. but, alas, she did the only thing that she truly knew how to do; which was to be there, without fault, for kallan. and to hold onto such pain as though it was her own.

table by ferus