The dense mist had made its way to Ecrosia on that morning, blanketing the mire in white smoke which lacked the typical burn of that made by fire. Bruno stood at the mouth of a hollowed-out tree trunk that had toppled long ago, creating a sort of Bruno-sized cave for sitting and spying. His emerald gaze roved over that which he owned, squinting slightly to try and make out the details through the haze. He could not see the trees so clearly as he could see the dark of Mother's pelt, or the ivory flash of his siblings' fangs when they were in such close quarters.

The boy huddled inwardly to try and make the most of his own body heat while a heavy rain began to shower down on the world around him, almost as if the mist itself was trying to swallow up all that remained.

---

|| september y7 | one month | EM royalty | at ecrosia mire ||

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he was aware of them in an almost disinterested way, for they are squalling cubs and he has no patience for them. as they grow he is drawn closer, curious about those that carry his blood, eager to drink them in and see them be strong. alaric often finds himself watching them, noting their squabbles and fights, eager to see who comes out on top of these spars.

unsurprisingly the one he has already named his heir (at least in his mind) does so -- the second boy is... different.

it is this second boy, this @Bruno ♔, that he has noted to be absent from the den. growing old enough to explore, and alaric is inclined to let him be.... until the mist and the rains. with a grumble he pulls himself to all fours, following the scent trail of his son until he finds him tucked away in a hollow. "what are you doing?" and now he was drenched -- thankful, only, that the rains were not quite bitterly cold, clinging to the last remnants of summer storms.

THE THUNDER OF THE DRUMS

table by sentinel / art

"What are you doing?" Bruno jolted slightly at the question, craning his neck to peer through a hole in the log's surface. He recognized his father's gaze of jade immediately as his main heirloom from the lion, those eyes fixed in a scrutinizing stare that made Bruno sheepish for reasons he did not understand.

"I'm watching," he explained as he leaned forward a bit for a better view. "What are those clouds doin'?" He asked with a wave of his paw, unsure what else to call the swirls of water except for clouds descending upon their mortal world.

---

@Alaric

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Piercing stare aside, he was interested in what the boy was doing. He was curious about the mind behind the eyes, keen to see ambition grow in the first of his blood in Amaryllis. Slow and careful work, and right now they were helpless little things which set the King on edge. He was grumpy and irritable, wanting to shelter them from the harshness of the world. Overprotective while at the same time wanting to push them to test their own limits.

"That's mist," he said, with a narrowed look at the swirling phenomenon. "Keep your distance from the thick parts, it's not safe." Alaric did not trust it, and had heard stories of it snatching the unsuspecting from their homes. "It's different than the usual mist." It seemed to move with a mind of its own, for one, and not only with the breeze.


@Bruno ♔

THE THUNDER OF THE DRUMS

table by sentinel / art

"That's mist," his father answered, giving a name to the strange substance at last. "Keep your distance from the thick parts, it's not safe. It's different than the usual mist." Bruno furrowed his brows together until his forehead creased, struggling to understand how this could be.

"Should we run away?" He asked, finally creeping forward to make his way out of the fallen log so that he could see his father more clearly with his head tilted all the way up. The cubs had been instructed to run away from certain dangers, but he could not begin to imagine Alaric running from anything.

---

@Alaric

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alaric shook his massive head and there was a sternness on his face as he looked down at his son. "you are born of two of the strongest families, the stärke and the rike -- you do not run away." a curl of his lip at the very thought.

"train, grow strong, and face your enemies head on. be cautious but do not give in to your fear. the world is full of dangers, mein sohn, but you will be one of the most dangerous ones when you are grown." even if he was not sure of the words himself, he reminded @Bruno ♔ of his duty, his birthright.

THE THUNDER OF THE DRUMS

table by sentinel / art

Bruno stiffened instantly. The sternness was clear on his father's face for reasons he could not understand as he explained the two families he belonged to, insisting that he not run away. Oh, but what about the times he was supposed to run away? How would he know which times were then, he wondered with a crestfallen expression?

"I'm dang'rous?" He questioned with wide eyes as he tried to understand all of his father's instructions. He did not feel dangerous, and he did not like dangerous things. He wondered if others would not like him, then.

---

@Alaric

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The look on his sons face was not the one he had expected, and Alaric revisited his own words as if to try to understand where he had gone astray. Perhaps he had been unclear when it came to the types of dangers to keep away from and the types to face head on, but for now it didn't matter. The cubs were in the pridelands, and until they started to wander he was not overly concerned about what dangers they might come across. Within the Mire there were none that were too deadly.

"You are," he confirms, "to your enemies at least. You will grow to fell many at your claw, to keep yourself and your family safe." It was the most important thing, family, and Alaric wanted all of his children to know what he expected of them. To stand up for blood was of the highest honor. "And one day you will have children of your own, and you will keep them safe, too." Many moons from now, but Alaric did not doubt that the day would come.

@Bruno ♔

THE THUNDER OF THE DRUMS

table by sentinel / art