"Valour!" His voice beckoned. "Vermeda!" The bronze lion's voice boomed loud as he called for his family, for his pride. His battle cries rose up as he paced to the spot in the Brooks land this would be King picked. To the spot he would fall. The large lion's chest rumbled with deep bass, an angry vicious tone and pace as the betrayal settled into his heart. "We must protect ourselves where Maua will not." Will not, could not. Their plan did not matter anymore it had failed. Rally the forces. Let all these talks of allies and friendships his cousins had forged be tested this day.

Snarling, ears pinned flat, Aquila pulled up on the scene in the general vicinity of the gathering Brooks lions, of Gareth and Camelia but not directly next to either of them. He did not sit. He paced, his fur bristled as his heart raged. It had all come true, his worries from a year or so ago. This was inevitable in their future. Someone would try to take their ancestral heart out of the chest.... He narrowed his eyes in the direction of the challenging male, fangs dripping with spit as he bellowed a growl. "Beat him here Nymeria so that we can send him to the next life and give Valhalla a taste." Aloud he willed amidst his high energy and violent heart blooming.

ooc - anyone is welcome to assume they heard his calls/him coming. He's not being sneaky in the slightest

ART BY BESSONA , CODE BY LARS

Alva crept up besides Úlla, not saying much at all, just watching the fight. The Brooks we close allies of the obsidian hollows, from what Alva could remember. And the native pride as well. She personally, wasn’t pleased at all. “I can’t believe the disrespect!” The pregnant lioness snarled softly, looking at @Úlla . “The cheek of it all, if their leader loses, someone will have to reclaim it from these cowards, Úlla.” Alva said, her anger boiling. It was probably the hormones, she was blaming everything on them these days. In her defence it was definitely making her act and feel a lot more heated- or emotional.

Never give up

The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.

code by corvus

sjórbjörn sigrún

---

+5 follow a character without getting caught (@Alva)
+5 Leave a trail of confusing tracks

A dutiful (if as of yet unaware) husband, he stalks his fiancé when she leaves the pridelands. After all, he'd like to keep her safe - so he makes sure to step over her pawprints, obscuring their pattern and making them unrecognizable. He also makes sure to zigzag and double back every now and then so the trail left behind is a vastly confusing one. Eventually, he's hidden in some brush behind Alva and @Úlla, watching over both women and fully intent on mauling anyone who so much as sneezes in their direction. Of course, he's not yet aware of Alva's pregnancy, but when he finds that out? Oh, he's going to be so much worse about stalking her.

+10 Cast a curse or blessing on a character/group

+5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

She had thought the strangers loathesome to an extent, but she had never thought any of them would be so stupid as to come attempt to wrest the brook from them.

Aquila beat her there, but the voodoo queen was hot on his heels, lifting her left leg to her mouth and scraping her shin against a fang, loosing blood that trailed down her limb to drip on the ground.

"A curse upon you and yours. Even should you win dis day you will not know peace," she promised the male. Not from them, and not from the spirits of these lands. They would take back what was theirs, whatever they had to do. She had seen the mire taken from her, but she would not see the Valour lose their home as well.

_{+10 sneak into another pride's territory without getting caught
+5 practice speed or stealth
+5 follow a character without getting caught}

It provided more coverage, and for that the beast was satisfied. He trailed after his queen—the obsidian hollow’s standing monarch. He was no loyal hound, but it would seem the last he’d found himself in the wake of her travels, they’d come into another pride and a summons. Again, another—it bellowed through every fibre, and he willed her to make haste so that he took could find himself audience to something grand. Perhaps this time, one where the opponent called would actually show. The grinning sinister fool remained low and behind the underbrush, his strides slow and held him downwind from those gathered. It did not make for the greatest vantage point, but as he laid his darkened figure into the shadowed foliage, he was able to see enough to get some entertainment. Remaining still, he kept his breath low. Perhaps, if he strained his breath enough, he could catch the words of those who spoke loud enough.

baphomè is hidden

At the sound of the challenge, the Hodari's heart sunk. They had just lost Ecrosia and Kiton. They had just joined the Brook. Dero still didn't even know where the rest of his family was, if they were still alive, and yet here was one more hurdle the world wanted to throw at them. Someone was challenging for the one place left he thought was safe.

Though the call for the crown stirred the man, it wasn't until he heard @Aquila's booming voice that Dero knew he had to be there. They were part of the Brook now and had time and time again vowed their loyalty to the natives. Now was not the time to go back on their words. The scarred lion escaped his den with little fanfare, managing to keep his mind about him for the time being. The thought of fighting always had a tendency to send him back in time, but the Hodari would do his best to keep his whits about him as he proceeded towards the sounds of the Heir's voice. He'd arrive just as @Heloise spoke her curse upon the challenger. "The Hodari are the cursed ones..." he mumbled to himself without caring who might hear him as he stood near the natives. "Wherever we go, danger and suffering always follow." But still, he was here. He was here and prepared to do whatever he could to help his new home. Dero just hoped he didn't get blindly attacked this time.

Table by Amanda

There was none of Dresden Greyflood's peace in her heart as the Sovereign's paws ate up the distance between herself and the Brook. Morrigan had been on her way to the Pit, hoping to find another sparring partner. The barbarian wanted to be in her best shape going into her prime if she was to pass on her skills the way her own mother had. She'd stopped dead and snarled when she heard a stranger's voice bringing her nightmare to life. Morrigan had always known it was an inevitably after all. Her dark helmed head would raise to the sky to call forth any of Nymeria's allies who might not be close enough to the Brook to hear before she had begun her own journey north.

The voice of @Aquila sent another rush of adrenaline through her bloodstream as she drew closer. By the time she crossed the Brook's borders, following the trails of other trespassers and friends alike, rage caused her skin to ripple and her muscles to twitch. No one had yet dared to stand against the full force of the Valour's allies. These fools will learn why, she told herself as she laid eyes on the challenger for the first time. He had a cloak reminiscent of the swamp and a blood colored mane. A shame she wouldn't be able to see the staining as well as what would have been satisfying. Whatever gentler nature had been awoken in Morrigan as a mother, an equally powerful violence had erupted as well.

She had chuffed for her sons to let them know she was here, and thankfully Cassandra thankfully belonged to the Cove now, but the names of the others who would not be safe from a new and violent ruler played through her thoughts. Nymeria's children. Her own youngest children. Talisa. Too many others. Dragon fire burned behind her eyes as she came alongside @Jewel and @Parvati. In the chaos of her thoughts, she did not manage to think of the young healer's aversion to violence before a snarl rose to her lips, vengeance in her eyes as she looked upon the would-be usurper and his supporter. "I will gut anyone who tries to keep my wife and children from me, assuming Nymeria chooses not to do it herself."

She made no effort to lower her volume and anyone listening would hear the open threat. There was no way of knowing his intentions and just how cruel they were but he was regardless a threat to her family and that could not and would never be tolerated for the Greyflood Sovereign.

+5 Observe a fight

table by ferus, art by mono

The impossible was happening and Khal felt like he might be sick. As a yearling he would be free to leave but his mother and younger siblings, alongside much of his female dominated kin would be trapped here if the worst were to happen. He'd heard Morrigan's reasonings for her separation, but much like @Talisa he had not imagined such a thing possible. Did not truly believe Maua would allow such a thing. He still clung to this as he departed from checking on the family den to heed Morrigan's call to him. He could imagine no one ruling the Brook but his aunt and Khal believed entirely that she would win the day, but regardless of the outcome today there had been a sacred trust broken in the young lion. Yesterday the Brook was untouchable. Today @Nymeria would have to fight to keep it from a strangers hands. Wrong. It feels wrong, his thoughts reeled and he looked first to the challenger and the woman standing with him before noticing several other familiar faces already here. No one looked happy, but his mother looked particularly different from what he was used to and her words opened his eyes a bit to what the other side of his bloodline was capable of. He came to stand quietly on her free side, silver and purple eyes grim and brunette features frowning.

[She is technically Caladan Cove already, but the thread hasn't finished quite yet!]

Cassandra had trailed behind her mother as she headed towards the Pit. The newly named Princess had been intent on observing her mother's potential spars, hoping to learn some more for herself about the art and skill of fighting. She hadn't been back to the Brook since her move, but their destination was suddenly changed when a stranger's voice filled through the air from the direction of the Brook. One look at her mother's face at the stranger's call knew this was not simply an issue of a rank challenge by a pride member. Almost nearly the size of her Greyflood mother by now, she was able to easily keep up as she ran behind her mother. Her uncle's voice filled the air, and her heart started racing. It was aggressive and primal, something she was unused to hearing from her family members. Dark ears pushed back against her head as she pushed herself to move faster. She hardly noticed when she passed the borders, even having known their location for much of her life.

Scooting to a stop next to her mother, Cassandra's dual-toned purple gaze landed on the challenger and the one who stood beside him. A snarl appeared on her own face at the sight of the lioness. She'd been the one her and another Brook member had confronted when she seemingly 'accidentally' strolled past their borders. Brown shoulder brushed against Morrigan's own as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sovereign. A fire that had never been seen in the yearling's eyes was suddenly there now, ears back against her head as she stood wide, head lowered. ""If anyone tries to hurt Mama or my siblings, there will be two forces to be reckoned with, cause I'll fight with you Mummy."" Cassandra said with a snarl, tail lashing. Oh if only she were older, more seasoned in a fight... She would be aiming to cause a lasting mark on that follower of his.

Her voice would soften, though her hardened gaze would not leave the one who called for her aunt's crown and his supporter, and she moved her muzzle to be closer to @Morrigan's ear. ""That female beside him trespassed within the Brook not too long before I came to the Cove - by her own admission she was sent to gather information about Vermeda and to find a home for them. She is as much a threat as he is, in my opinion."" She said quietly to her mother, wanting to express her thoughts about the challenger's supporter. Her brother @Khal had arrived shortly after she and Morrigan had, and she looked to him, gaze softening slightly as she let out a soft chuff of greeting to him. Hopefully he'd make his way over to her and Morrigan - she'd not really had a chance to tell him about having officially moved to the Cove yet.

+5 - Observe a Fight

actions. "speech." thoughts.

Art & Table code by Zodiac

the call sent a rattle through the sigrun's chest, her stomach lurching at the realization of what exactly was occurring. the gravity of the situation was insurmountable, and so it was without hesitation that voluspa carried herself off in the direction of the brook, thinking immediately of @Khal and what this meant for his family. there was no telling what was waiting for them on the other side of this challenge, nor what it would mean for their future -- but voluspa was confident that she wanted to be there for him, for them, no matter what it was. the valours had shown her family nothing but unhindered loyalty and kindness, and the least that they could do was support them in their time of need.

biting her tongue, voluspa caught sight of @Úlla and her pride mates amongst the crowd initially upon arrival, hoping to meet her aunt's gaze, if only for a moment, before continuing her search amongst the growing crowd. and that was when she saw him, the look on khal's face seeming foreign and wrong splayed across those often soft features. the rise and fall of leaders was inevitable from where the sigrun dynasty came from, but here? here, the brook had always been viewed as a place of peace and sanctuary, somehow always coming out unscathed while the world around them continued to convulse. today, however, that all changed. moving silently towards khal, voluspa would bring herself up along his free side slowly, head dipped low as she looked to press her shoulder into his in the most reassuring way that she could manage. no words would help soothe his worry, nor the fury of @Morrigan, @Cassandra, and his other family members upon the sidelines, and so it was dutifully that voluspa would remain, a silent supporter to their cause and another able body to assist in the aftermath, should it end up falling in the favor of the foolish challenger.

table code by ferus