It had been a day since she had been admitted into the pride by @Alaric. She had to hand it to the man, he certainly picked a shithole to rule over. But still, it wasn't all bad. There were dry parts and the canopy of trees offered a pleasingly cool respite from the summer sun and no doubt, would offer protection in the harshness of winter.

The first activity Sláine had undertaken was the search for a den, but since she could only find a small hole in the side of a mound of earth, the dark woman had to take matters into her own paws.

She spent some hours using her strong forearms to dig out the hole to create a larger home, pressing any rocks she could find into the dirt walls and floor to lessen the amount of mud. It might all collapse at some point, probably on her. But she was fairly confident it would last a while. Or at least long enough for her to get the measure of her new chieftain.

Tired from her work, Sláine sighed and surveyed her creation, tail lashed from side to side as she looked to the large pile of mud to the side of her new home.

code by corvus

His newest recruit intrigued him, more than the beast had anticipated. In the midst of chaos she had been a breath of fresh air, a hint of a better possible future if he could make it through the next few days. Despite the enemies he had managed to make along the way (which still confounded the simple man) Alaric had lofty dreams of his future reign. First, though? Same damned rest. Some peace and quiet and time to tend to his growing family. He would hate if they came back and forced them from this new home, with his wife ready to bear their cubs soon. when he found her she was muddy — an irritating side effect of living here — and had clearly been hard at work. “Settling in?” it pleased him to see her making a den, for some reason he wanted this one to stay. After all, he had promised Violarum beautiful women…. though he had not necessarily planned to share.

image by moogle, code by koi

gonna have you trembling.

When I get to where I'm going,

Indigo gaze spun around and landed on @Alaric, travelling openly across his large, wheaten hide and dark mane. Sláine's mud caked arms unconsciously flexed, previously swinging tail snaked about her rear leg.
"Oh, aye." She nodded, light lips pulled up at the seams. "Though ah hae nae met any o' my pride mates yet."
Sláine had rooted out the scents of many lions in the territory, some fainter than others. Perhaps Alaric's reign was even newer than she'd previously thought. Or perhaps the woman had chosen a particularly undesirable part of the Mire to make her home.
Freckled fur ruffled at her cheeks as she laughed. "Ye sure ye actually hae any?" It felt good to laugh and better to have conversation again. She'd been so intent on finding a new home that she'd had little let up since she left the clanlands many months ago.
Body arcs toward the man, head cocking to study him more keenly. Has he come to make sure she hasn't run off?

code by corvus / image by kim

Her accent was unlike any he had heard before, and he wondered just how far she had traveled. His own voice was thick and rough with the language of his homeland, but for the most part his words were largely understandable. Hers were heavier with a foreign tongue and he was curious -- enough so that he almost interrupted her to ask. Instead his focus is snagged by her mention of the sparse pridelands, but he is not easily perturbed. "There are some scattered around, but we are still small in number." If he was correct there were no more than ten living here, and less perhaps even than that. Soon there would be more, though he could not say how many cubs Erna was carrying he guessed at least three. "Come now, am I not entertaining enough for you?" The teasing lobbied back her way, tipping his head to study her in return. @Sláine

image by moogle, code by koi

gonna have you trembling.

When I get to where I'm going,

Sláine picked up on his choice of words, Small, "So, isnae long since ye've taken it then?" She quite liked the idea of the pride being fresh, still in it's infancy and in need of building up. They might need her, and gods knew she liked being needed.
"Ah suppose that th' former chieftain didnae like it much when ye' took it?" Pale mouth twisted into a grin, remembering at once his frosty reception with the lioness from the Hollow. Sláine didn't mind if @Alaric was hated for his deeds, whatever they might be. As long as he did not cross her, of course.
Sapphire gaze glimmers under his teasing, her lean, muscular body slinked around him "I havnae decided yet. But ye seem bonny and brave enough." she said as she circled the Sovereign once before she sat back on her haunches to face him.
Perhaps she's too goady, too full on. But isn't that what Alaric needed right now? A loyal subject to fight his cause and maybe, if he proved brave enough, to warm a bed.

code by corvus / image by kim

Alaric gave a shake of his head -- "you were my first recruit." there was a flash in his eyes, almost teasing, wondering if she would like to hear that. Would it appeal to her to know that she was the first? Even if there were many more to come (or so he hoped) she had been the first to catch his eye in the passage. "and I had only been King for a few days." He wasn't going to sit idle by when he was newly crowned, no matter the injuries that scattered his frame. As for the rest, another shrug. "I suppose it's personal when you come in and take their home... no, they were not happy to say the least." Clearly he wasn't bothered by the ripples he had made, though he was sure he would see more fallout in the days to come. He was a male, and he was not blind to her wiles. Alaric would play the game she had set before them, and if she was willing he would take what she offered, too. It was his right as a King (or so he had been raised to believe) and he was not the kind to say no. "Well you let me know when you've decided," he rumbled in return, tracking her with his eyes as she circled him. @Sláine

image by moogle, code by koi

gonna have you trembling.

When I get to where I'm going,

"Ne'ver been someone's first afore." She chuckled, unable to resist the remark. Though the revelation that @Alaric was so incredibly newly placed upon the throne was an exciting prospect. Sands shift quickly and she would at least have plenty to do.
"Well, if anythin' comes o' it. I will lend my claws tae yer cause." In the meantime she might set her focus to building up a food store.
Alaric seemed to enjoy her flirtation, which wrought a sly smile across her pale lips as she nodded. Pleased to find a shared disposition within her leader. Not unlike brawling, Sláine's kind thought nothing of sating physical needs when and as they arose. Alaric was an attractive man, but more than that, his carelessness made her tingle a bit.

"So, ye gonna gi' me a rank or do I hae tae fight you fer it?" Her tone friendly enough as she stood, tensing her mud caked forearms as her skull lowered, tail lashing out behind her.

code by corvus / image by kim

Ah she was turning out to be more fun than he had anticipated. Flirtatious and willing to fight, and that was about all the wheat king wanted. Ambition was a nice touch, and he gave a dark chuckle when she pledged herself to his cause, and then rose and challenged him all in one moment.

Alaric was not one to back down from a fight, and flexed his own claws against the soft earth. "Nothing worth having is freely given," he touted, as he tucked his chin and pressed his ears against his head. "Ladies first." If she wanted to claw her way up he would happily let her do so, assuming she could prove herself first.

@Sláine

where innocence burns in flames

i'm frozen to the bones

image by yumpy, code by corvus

gonna have you trembling.

When I get to where I'm going,

As she expected, this new king of hers would not give out the goods freely. But Sláine was more than willing to earn her place.

Ears slide back, lips peel free of friendly fangs. Claws itch to take the prize just to show she could, sovereign or heir would do nicely. But she's too new to the lands and she suspects a man like Alaric does not like such lofty ideas in his new lioness. Oh, well, something nearby would have to do. Noble, then.

Sláine wasted no time as she leapt toward the lion, aiming to close the short distance between them by an upward diagonal trajectory to try and wrap her flying muddy forearms around the larger male's maned neck. Her mouth gaped, jerking forward to try and bite his left cheek. Rear legs would aim to both propel her and ready themselves to steady her landing. All the while Sláine can't help wondering what his blood might taste like.

Sláine vs. @Alaric
For EM Noble
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 8 + 7 + 16 + 12 + 4

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 2 + 5 + 16 + 3 + 4

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 18 + 7 + 16 + 5 + 14

code by corvus / image by kim

i'm ready for the fight, and fate

lofty goals indeed -- whether or not he would concede and give her noble was to be determined, but he would admire her drive all the same. it seemed unfair to give her a rank higher than some of the others, though, and idly he wondered what his wife would think of it. perhaps erna would come to demand her own title, and he.. well, he would deal with that when it happened.

she is quick to action and he does not try to avoid her, thankful for his thick mane which prevented her claws from scouring flesh as they settled around his neck. a wicked grin twists across his lips as her teeth fly to his face -- jerking away from her with instinct more than anything. thus she does not find purchase on his flesh, but scrapes the surface of his skin and leaves only shallow marks in the wake of her teeth. blood dots to the surface, but it is not enough for him to be concerned with.

instead he retaliates, opening his jaws and diving his head down, attempting to sink his teeth in to the left shoulder she had all but presented him with. a breathe after and he is shoving his weight forward, chest to chest, attempting to unbalance the lioness that stands on two legs and force her beneath him where she belongs.


Alaric vs @Sláine
For EM Noble
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 8d20: 8 + 17 + 14 + 1 + 5 + 13 + 18 + 2

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 19 + 5 + 13 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 8 + 20 + 17 + 9 + 4

image by cloudy, code by corvus