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𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝!
𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐝!
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝,
𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝.
- - - Cubhood Lore: - - -
10/4.
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At the fall of dusk, the pride gathers to rejoice the birth of a new litter. Amid three males is a dark-furred, floppy-eared female; a half-sister to Memories of Winter's daughters.
As the aging king comes forward to inspect the cubs, he bows his head and chuffs that this female shall be crowned the new leader when his time has waned. The rest of the pride stands in shock -- a lioness leading their pride? How would that work?
Before any questions can be asked, Winter slinks back toward a makeshift den. They've traveled far into uncharted territory, and the nights are only becoming colder. The gathering soon dissipates, leaving only Skyrr at the side of the sleeping cub. She narrows her eyes, letting out a huff as she forces herself to pad away.
𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙗.
10/8.
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An agonized cry breaks through the peace of dawn.
Poison Tree lowers her head, licking delicately at the young heir's eyes. A moment of misplaced attention had allowed the little cub to wander off, unknowingly sticking her head straight into a honey badger's burrow. Although Frenzy was alive and not fatally wounded, the creature's brutal claws had scored across her face and maimed both eyes. Try as the old broodmother does to clean the blood away from her fur, her efforts seem to be in vain. The cub shakes her head back and forth, again and again, trying to clear her vision and see through the nothingness that has engulfed her sight. Any soothing words only seem to agitate her more...
10/10.
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At only three months of age, Frenzy has been rendered permanently blind.
Memories of Winter promises to crown a more suitable successor when the time comes, but age is catching up to him rapidly. Second Chance mourns the loss of her daughter's eyesight, while Skyrr remains troubled by the youngling's new, reserved behavior.
She cannot shake the image of the heiress bleeding red into pristine white snow.
Surely she is too young to realize that she has lost much more than her vision...?
10/18.
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Frenzy's demeanor has changed drastically. The young cub no longer exhibits boundless energy and excitement; she now spends most of her time in silence, ignoring those who try to speak with her. Glass Rose frequently seeks her out, offering comfort and advice on how to overcome the setbacks of blindness, but she seems disinterested.
Ravens have begun to land near her more often.
10/18. (cont.)
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Frenzy has befriended a colony of ravens, whom frequently fly close to her. She listens to their tales of the nearby pride, unbeknownst to her own, with rapt attention. She begins to pay closer attention to her aging father, just as aware of his struggles as her sighted pridemates.
10/19.
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𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.
Weak and old from his advanced age, Memories of Winter stumbles forward, unable to bear the sight before him. He stops in the very center of the skeletons, swaying on his paws, before his exhausted body finally gives out beneath him; his final breath billows into the cold air, a lost sigh of grief, before forever going still.
The pride falls into devastation. In mere minutes, they have lost not only their king, but also the family they never had a chance to know.
As their heads lower and their voices cry out in mourning, a dark shape prowls forward.
Frenzy, the leader's blind daughter, steps up to the brittle body of her father. Her nose tentatively searches around his head before picking out his royal feather and weaving it behind her own ear.
Before any objection can be made, she turns to face the pride with her muzzle held high.
"I care not for your shortsightedness. I am the rightful heir to the throne, sighted or otherwise. I will lead the pride forward now that my father cannot."
Skyrr snarls under her breath, unable to ignore the sinister undertone in the lioness' voice. But she is already outvoted, the pride too deep in their grief to do anything but agree. She is left to slink off to the side, fearing for their future.
Frenzy turns away, tail twitching as she stalks towards an iced-over rock and stands at its peak.
"I will catch the first bird I see, and claim its feather for my own. I am the rightful leader."
A pause. The mountain itself seems to hold its breath.
"I am... 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵."
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