Their neighbors to the south had vanished some time ago, but it seems that there are ambitions again to own it. Calhoun has not yet had the pleasure of visiting one of these pride challenges, but intrigue draws him, and he follows idly after @Calypso's trail. He has begun to accept that perhaps there will be a semblance of peace here, that his crew can recover without the looming threat of their enemies coming back to haunt them. It's a dangerous game he plays -- getting comfortable. The medic seems cozy with a familiar face (that I'm being super vague about bc that thread hasn't gotten far yet), and there are a number of cubs around, some of them bearing a stark resemblance to the woman fighting for the territory. A brow quirks as he approaches Calypso's free side, salmon eyes studying the intriguing combatants who have drawn them all here. Why anyone would want this for a home, he cannot fathom. He dislikes the mud squelching between his toes, and how the humidity hangs even here, looming. Wet is not the same as the ocean. He remains without speaking, his intrigue about the situation in front of them higher than his curiosity about Calypso's friendliness with @Hákon. She is free enough to make her own choices and her own friends, after all. Calhoun is not her keeper, and nor will he pretend to be.

image by driftyworks, code by koi

Minna... has only gotten worse, in her time at the Lagoon. In her defense, there's not really such a thing as lion therapy, so she's mostly left to try and deal with the aftermath of her trauma on her own. @Hákon has been clear enough that he keeps her out of duty, obligation; she can see that much in the way he looks at her. He doesn't keep her because he wants to, and that truth cuts to the bone. So, she remains relatively quiet on the way, but the dark snarl on her face says plenty about her mood.

Stomping after him, and offering the occasional glare at @Hillevi, the babe plants herself in the muck at the order of her father guardian and watches the battle, blowing the tuft of mane she's growing out of her face. Soon enough, though, @Eydís is answering the other girl's question, and attitude flares to life in the Skagos babe. She wasn't asking you, the baby hisses, her tone evil. @Calypso's arrival is met with an even angrier glare, the question she asks seeming to be a mocking one through the filter of the rage the babe carries.

She can understand the common tongue well enough, but actually speaking it is another situation entirely, especially as she's done her best to be as feral as possible in retaliation for Hákon's stoicism. It's not his fault, none of what she's been through is, but he's the only target she has to vent her anger on and the lack of love offered only makes her angrier. It's a stark thing, to go from happy to... whatever this horrible mixture inside of her is, but she embraces it because it's all she has now as far as she's concerned.

Hákon har inga vänner, (Hákon doesn't have friends,) she mutters spitefully, green eyes spitting fire at her surroundings. She hates it here, she hates all these strangers, and most of all, she hates him. Hates that she is still so desperate to feel loved - hates that, in this past month with him, she has become craven for any sign of affection from him. She falls silent again for now, having used up her ability to speak the common tongue to chastise Eydís, and continues watching the fight - although some small, petty part of her feels glad about roasting her poor dad the way she's just done.

She even hopes he heard it.

He hadn't quite left. Not entirely at least. Part of his heart kept pulling him back to the Mire, to look around for any last signs of life remaining in the soaking mud. Not everyone had been accounted for in the end... and for the first time in his life Jamil was truly worried about his family. Not just his immediate ones either. It was a shame it took such a cataclysmic event to eventually steer his heart in a way that understood what it meant to be a pride, to be a family and not just living out on his own. It was too late now...

Or was it?

For the first time in awhile voices rose up over the Mire and the young spry boy raced towards them, part of the journey taken in the trees and part taken along wet mire earth until he came upon the scene at hand, @Jafar's semi-familiar face amongst a sea of strangers. Jamil leapt a distance to the nearest fallen log, a dry place to stand, while he watched what felt to be the conclusion of something vicious and meaningful. His spotted shoulders were bristled up a little, his face seeming uncomfortable. But truthfully he was glad to lay eyes on the former Mire lion again, even if it was one of the least important ones to him before.

"Hey kid," the golden lioness called softly, approaching her son from behind with a sad smile. "Needed to know who was going to take over too, huh?" Furia was there for the exact same reason -- a morbid curiosity to know who would sleep where they had slept, loved where they had loved, be a family where they had been once. Had she not been so convinced there was something intrinsically foul with the territory, she might have even been shedding a few tears. There was something to be said about so many natural disasters taking place there, though, and part of her was glad they were gone. @Jamil

A call over the Mire sent an icy chill down his spine. How could he ever watch someone try to rule Ecrosia again when Kiton was gone? But the voice was familiar. That only prompted a new question, though. Why would any of them want to go back? Still, Jafar had been in the Mire for a while. He had been loyal to his brother, and so Roan knew he needed to show that same support back for the male. Kiton would have wanted him to.

He would not be the only one to want to see what happened, though by the time Roan arrived, it seemed the fight was already well underway. It was nearing its end. The challenger was unfamiliar as the mauve lion scanned the sidelines, quickly finding the gold and pink of @Furia and @Jamil respectively. It was a relief to see his little cousin in one piece, knowing that there were still many members missing as Roan made his way towards his family. He'd sit silently at his aunt's free side, just waiting to see who won now.

the girls come along easily -- though maybe not happily. @Hillevi, at least, wanted to come and so her steps are lighter while @Minna stalks behind, stomping her feet the whole journey. it is annoying though he does his best to ignore it, even as the terrain turns from soil to mud. despite the grumbling, both of them seat themselves at his mild command, settling in at his feet as he's seen babes do with their mothers. it is a strange thing and he shifts his weight slightly, vaguely uncomfortable as he suddenly realizes his responsibility. the fight continues and hillevi steals his attention with her question, her icelandic grates on his ears and they tip slightly, almost frowning. it's not her fault, not really, but the inexperienced sounds are still annoying. before he can answer, another does it for him. gaze shifts to @Eydís as she approaches, a small simper pulling at his lips. his -- always a sight for sore eyes, even in this strange swamp. aye, he agrees with the skagosi's assessment -- even as minna snarls. a paw lifts from the muck to place upon her back, remaining there for a moment before it returns to the original place. it is not a swat, and he does not put much pressure behind it, but certainly the implication is there. hon vill göra detta till ditt hem. (she wants to make this your home.) he murmurs to hillevi in their shared tongue, before looking back to his companion. gesturing back to saga, he explains: hon är sigrun. ( she is sigrun ) he murmurs in their language, head tilting slightly. it was... a fine explanation, he thought, for now. more would come, certainly, and hopefully Eydís wouldn't mind waiting a bit. attention frays even further as @Calypso joins the quickly-growing group -- seating herself at his side, though she does not move quick enough to hide her limp. he watches her sharply, keenly -- ears twitching forward in question, though it does not pass from his lips. instead, he answers hers with a huff. and huffs, again, when minna butts in -- he does not bother to answer that with a reply. only the mean one is my responsibility, he says, a frown creasing handsome features -- looking for all the world that he is unhappy about that fact. mine, he says, but not quite -- less of a daughter, more of a pest. the other is hers. he murmurs, gesturing towards where saga continues her fight. certainly the similarities are not lost on calypso -- though minna certainly looks like she could be his daughter, and there is good reason for that. he is little more than a glorified babysitter at the moment, even if he had invited both girls here with him. ah, well. you live and learn, right? he remains focused on the fight at hand, eagerly waiting to see who would win -- hoping quietly that saga would win a crown here today.

code by irish // art

The titan was late to arrive, or maybe the fight had simply been quick and he too far away to answer it as succinctly as he may have wished. Either way, the adversaries clearly knew what they wanted and wasted no time in commencing with their duel. There was hardly even a crowd to witness their event—much unlike the other challenges the Pastor had attended. Marius arrived on the tail end of the spar, his approach slowing as he noted that it seemed nearly at an end and that he would soon be unwelcome; and he would keep a wary distance between himself and those gathered. He had no leg in this, only curiosity – and his gaze flitted over the sparse crowd with brief interest as well. +5 Observe a fight

Until now, their wanderings had been aimless. Directionless exploration, much like their father's ancestors, seeking...something with the knowledge that they would know it when it was found. The sounds of challenge and battle lured them away from the coastline, deep into to the jungle and then into swamp. Here, they paused, weighing the options and trying to decide if it was worth wading through so much muck to sate their curiosity, and eventually pressed on with a sigh. The mystery of the commotion would only eat at them until it drove them to return anyway.

Disappointingly, they found they were late to the party. So to speak. A fight was in progress, but seemed to be drawing to an end. They had not witnessed the entire thing, though, and so could not guess a winner just yet. For the moment, they contented their self with finding the driest patch of land possible to stand and watch the final outcome.

She is quickly learning that events like this are a show for all, summoning an endless amount of onlookers. Before @Hákon can even answer her question, there is someone else at his side, equally gargantuan and towering over her and @Minna. Her ears slick back against her skull as she is granted an answer from the stranger, who most certainly does not look like a Sigrún. Minna spits back at @Eydís before Hillevi can, and she can't help the bemused little flash of her teeth.

She's oblivious to the discomfort of Hákon being subjected to the duty of babysitter, and her ears flicker curiously at the answer she prefers to hear, from the one she had asked. Her gaze turns curiously down to the muck at her feet, and how different it is to the soft sands of the Lagoon; she could like it here, she thinks.

And then there is yet another swarming close, @Calypso's approach drawing her attention with a snap of narrowed silver eyes. "What's so funny?" she demands, taking immediate notice of the woman's smirk and bemused tone, and the way she looks at her and Minna. Hillevi gets up from her seated position only enough to lean against Hákon's foreleg so that she can more boldly glower up at the woman with an accent she's never heard before. No one else seems to find anything amusing, and she's rather offended that Calypso's mirth seems to be directed at her and her friend.

coded by flea

The large woman makes herself comfortable at @Hákon's side even as another woman joins them. She does not worry herself over the opinion of ants and speaking of ants her attention shifts to the small girl that Hákon has deemed as his as she hisses pitiful words in her direction. "Ah child, just as I wasn't speaking to you. Funny how that works hm?" She flashes her teeth in @Minna's direction, being sure to toss her mane out of her face so her narrowed plum gaze can lock onto the girl. She had a fiery spirit, she would give her that, but the girl would surely regret picking a fight with her. It was clear she needed a few lessons on respect but that would be something for another day. Her attention would shift then as Hákon mentioned that the woman fighting was Sigrun. That made things all the more interesting. "precis som din fru.." She muses before falling quiet once more. He had a tendency of fraternizing with Sigrun, she couldn't necessarily understand why when evidently the Skagos were the more superior of the two. But she was here now, things could certainly change and they would. @Hillevi was quick to turn her own fury towards @Calypso and she herself cannot help but shift her gaze to the woman, the girls were something weren't they? Well Hákon sure knew how to pick them.