After gaining a little news from his cousin and collecting his niece from these lands, Roan finally returned on his own to figure out just what the heck had gone down in the Brook. It was also a side quest to repent for not being present during the Brook's hour of need. What sort of ally was the Hodari if they had not been able to truly help the Valour when they were being attacked?

As the masked man approached the familiar borders, he recognized the scent lines better this time than he did when he had come for Kallan. It was no longer an incoherent mixture of old and new scents. There was something familiar he could pick out from it now; @Aquila. That would only further the Hodari's confusion, however, finding it impossible to believe that Aquila might have been the "male" to have taken the Brook from Nymeria when Maia had not named any names about who it was. Had the bronze lion already taken the throne back for his kin? One could only hope. Whatever the case may be, Roan was keen to find out especially while so much of his family still called the place home.

Stopping at the scent markers, like so many times before, Roan called respectfully for the male he had once accepted into the Mire. A male he had vowed his own allegiance to when Aquila stated he wanted to help the Hodari. Where was that allegiance now when Roan didn't even know what had happened here? All he could do now was wait for the new High Sovereign.

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Without conscious realization or purposeful actions Aquila hadn't thought much about Roan, not once he knew from Furia that the other lion was safe following the flood. He'd missed the events of the Hollows fight entirely- the land was so far removed from the reaches of his mind it could be run by rats now and Aquila wouldn't have heard the strange news. Roan was safe, and then Aquila's own world began to fray at the edges again. Naturally other things took precadent in that time.

But when his voice bubbled up over the Brook air the time that had passed began to hit him. It had been awhile hadn't it? Enough time for a tyrant to rise and disappear, enough time for Aquila's own son and not-children to grow into their leggy stage and began the journey of becoming who they were meant to be. Guests at the border were becoming more frequent, often Aquila did hate to attend to them but this would be an exception. With a long gait he cut through the snowy forest, heavy feet crunching fresh powder below him, towards the point from which the Hollows Sovereign called. Been a crazy few months eh? There weren't many who could relate so closely as the Hodari, but @Roan especially after the flood in the Mire. Aquila felt a bit safe to release some of the tension and worry of his own by way of an off handed greeting. At least he hoped he was reading the situation right...

The only thing Roan knew he might expect was to simply see @Aquila show up on the borders. Other than that, though, he didn't know what to expect from the king. Would he be upset to see the Hodari when Roan had not shown up to help during the challenge or even during the uprising? Would he be happy to see the mauve lion at all? Such worries were at least doused a little bit when the Valour lion arrived with an almost casual greeting. Roan couldn't help himself from sighing a little, agreeing with the comment more than Aquila could probably know. "Ain't that an understatement," the mauve lion offered in return with a slight chuckle. It was clear now, after having put both their families through the ringer time and time again, that Amaryllis was in no way ready to just let them live in peace. It still took daily internal convincing to keep Roan within these lands. If he left, he was leaving the only family he at least knew he still had. Even if he could convince his niece and nephew to go with him, he'd be taking them away from the only home they knew. Roan simply couldn't do that. Thankfully, he had Obsidian now to use as a distraction to make something of himself again. Hopefully he'd turn into a stable Hodari home for a change.

Much was left unspoken between them for now while Roan was one pressing question burning on his lips. "Is everyone alright? As well as can be, at least?" All the other details about what had happened could wait. All the masked lion wanted to be sure of in this breath was that everyone was still in one piece. No one had died this time, right? He didn't want to think about either family having to lose another member.

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( going to decide this is after Furia comes back in the time line of things )

Was everyone alright? Aquila's face betrayed the complexity of the question. Physically? Maybe. For those who had been accounted for more or less the injuries were being managed. But, as Roan might be aware, there was more than just the cuts on the body to deal with. The mental and emotional impact left just as severe wounds. Ones you couldn't see or help so clearly either. Furia, Tae and the kids are all here. He gave Roan a direct answer for his family's well being. Furia has some wounds that grew infected. Otherwise minimal injuries.

The rest of the Brook pride? Who could say for sure. No one was pounding on death's door at least. There was a chance for rebuilding and, to those who dared to dream for it, for flourishing again. Nymeria is still healing her wounds. Talisa and I are taking care of things here... Roan.. Aquila looked frighteningly troubled. We don't know where he went. He could come back

Roan would never expect a simple and easy answer. He knew what war did to someone. He knew what it was like to lose a home. The least that could be said, though, was that the Valour had managed to get back to the Brook already. Whether it would have really worked out this way had Viridian not simply disappeared did not matter now. What mattered is that the natives were back where they belonged. The mauve lion would note @Aquila's mention of at least Furia, Actaeon, and the kids. Even if his aunt's wounds were infected, he didn't doubt the capabilities of the natives as well as Hanneth. They had healed his father, after all. They could take care of Furia's injuries. But the lack of mentioning of the bronze healer, as well as his father, did not go unnoticed. Still, Roan didn't know what to say.

Not wanting to think the worst for his father's mental state, the Hodari willingly let his attention go on to listen to the rest of the Valour man's words. This time, it was about the natives most important members. Between all that was said, though, at least no one was mentioned to be dead. The masked lion took a deep breath, still just trying to process it all between what he had already heard before coming here today and then have Aquila confirm so much even with saying so little. When he heard his name, the Obsidian lion's gaze shot right back to Aquila, finding the troubled look in his eyes. He could come back. The words settled like a ton of bricks into his gut. For someone to challenge for the Brook, to win, and then just leave? It sounded like a sick game. What was stopping the man from coming back and doing it all over again? "I'm sorry I wasn't here," Roan couldn't stop himself from apologizing as his gaze fell to his paws. "If he dares to come back... You won't fight alone." There was grit in his voice. Perhaps more of a promise to himself than it was for Aquila that he'd be there for the natives next time. Roan knew even without him, the Valour had plenty of support already, but he'd never feel like he ever gave enough back to the natives after all they've done for his family.

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He did not like the look on Roan's face, the reaction was like looking in a mirror. Aquila felt that dread. That trouble that sat so deep in your eyes that it became part of your soul. We'll take all the help we can get if he comes back. They had pulled through without Roan's help. Next time they might now. It wasn't a bridge he could burn because the lion hadn't happened to be in the right place at the right time. Everything that happened was not planned, sudden, fast. A whirlwind Aquila was still recovering from.

He sighed heavily, a rolling wave of motion coming through his body as his breath left from his dark lips. He briefly shook his head, wanting to free himself of the thoughts and the future that chaotic creature might bring to them. It was a possibility, one that consumed his thoughts and kept him awake. He didn't want it to be a conversation topic for long. Have things been okay for you? He asked with intention to change the subject. Hoping that Roan had good news to bring...

It came with a relief that @Aquila did not seem upset that Roan had not been around to help the Brook during the challenge or even for the uprising. Still, he would hope for a way to pay back the Valour, someday, for all the help they have provided for the Hodari. Roan would figure out something eventually. At the very least, maybe they could start with a fresh alliance. The masked man didn't know what else to say about the challenge, though, and it seemed the bronze lion was not keen on remaining on the subject for long either. All the Hodari could offer was a firm nod and look of determination in regards to being that help Aquila was ready to accept should it ever be needed again. "Whatever I can do," the mauve lion affirmed.

Since things were at least in a slightly less chaotic state than they could have been, Roan wasn't deterred when the Valour lion moved the conversation along to something else. On the off chance he had come here to find a friend on the Vermeda throne again, the mauve lion was prepared to talk shop, after all. It would feel bittersweet to speak of his good fortune, however, when the Valour had been through so much lately. "You could say that," Roan nodded briefly. "I've recently come into a leadership role again. Rogues apparently drove out the lions previously living in Obsidian Hollow. I challenged another male's claim on the vacant caves, and won." Short and simple. The Hodari didn't like to think about what the pride had gone through to force them out of the Hollow, but he also couldn't cast a blind eye to the opportunity as it presented itself. Now, it was starting to feel like a home, even bringing with it the return of some of the former Obsidian members.

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Roan's news came with some initial relief for Aquila. The Hodari had become more family to him than anyone else. They were his son's family. To say that he wanted to see them safe and secure was an understatement. Especially in light of what punches they'd been forced to roll with.

But

He did admitably have some mixed feelings, ones that started slow but burned brighter the more he thought past his gut reaction. Roan was not Viridian that much was certain and without doubt. There were differences between a lion upending an established home and one taking advantage of the situation. But... that was still someone's home before Roan. If something were to happen to Vermeda like the flood in Ecorsia to force out his family and pridemates... if someone were to take advantage of that and try to take the Brook Aquila would sincerely hate them no less than he did Viridian. The bronze lion's features were slightly a frown, his eyes laced with thought and consideration- visual signs his brain was working and thinking through something before he said anything more to Roan. At last he broke the façade with another question. The lions who were driven out... they're okay? Or were things festering that might prove a second traitorous attempt at Roan's throne?

Roan could see something playing out across @Aquila's face. Something he wasn't entirely certain he could decipher just from watching the emotion take form. A frown etched itself across the bronze lion's features which would only prompt a ghost of a frown to mirror on Roan's own face. He knew this was not the greatest of news depending on where one sat within the situation. The Hodari was completely aware that his home was once someone else's, and a longtime Sigrun home at that, but at least they still had the Lagoon. It was that little thought that had allowed the mauve male some solace in his decision to fight for the Hollow at all.

Finally, words broke the silence. Expectedly, Aquila's first concern were for those who had once lived in the Hollow, as had been Roan's. "As far as I have heard, yes. Many went to the Lagoon to join Magnus. A couple stayed to rejoin Obsidian. I wasn't going to stop anyone from returning to their home. Some were not without injury, but I didn't find anyone... gravely injured thus far." He had done a sweep of the tunnels and thus was when he found Alva and Toblerone. Some had even joined just after the challenge itself. Roan knew it wasn't ideal for all, but there were certainly worse paws the Hollow could have fallen into. In having a family alliance with the Sigrun, he had hope it would help them accept his position in Obsidian now. Still, the mauve lion cared for Aquila's opinion as well, considering him family even more than he did with the Sigrun.

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He gave a satisfied nod when Roan gave some sort of good news about the fate of the lions in the Hollows before him. Not finding anyone poorly was the best they could ask for. If these things had to happen, if homes had to be so turbulent and upended, then having no one harmed was the good ending.

I'm assuming you're intending to make the Hollows your new home? Keep ruling it? He felt a little like he was stating the obvious. It would be a lot of effort on Roan's part to go through all of this and not try to make something of it. Maybe luck would smile on the Hodari for once, shine down where the sun didn't. You'll have our support, my support. Whatever you need. In whatever weird twists the future decided to throw either of their ways. Aquila had grown to like having Roan and the rest of his family to rely on when he needed them.

( ooc note: this is Aquila's "I'm not a diplomatic guy" way of offering an alliance )