"Of course" Aleafy rumbled happily. "I, OceansSorrow's, HeartsStrong, and FloweringRiver, if he wishes to join us, will set out at dawn. Hopefully we'll be at your border near the late morning." His ears turned to the Prince, his eyes soon following. "OceansSorrow's hasn't ever traveled this far before, I'm not sure how well he'll cope with a long journey so it would be best if we start as soon as the sun rises."
The Prince, hearing his name, momentarily stops playing with the Guard to listen. "I'll do fine! You'll see, I'll be walking ahead of you all the whole time" He says confidently, puffing out his chest to stand taller.
HeartStrong huffs fondly "Those huge paws of yours will tire you out within an hour" He teases, pushing the Piebalds shoulder causing him to fall over into the water. He comes up spitting and laughing "Oh yeah!? I may have big paws, but you got a big head!" He lunges at the older male, their play fight starting up once more.
Aleafy chuckles deeply in his throat, the sound vibrating through his body. His wings give a small shuffle, another feather falling to the ground, showing his age. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see then." His kind eyes turn back to the respected king before him. "I won't keep you any longer my friends. I wish you safe travels, do stay here at the water hole as long as you wish though" With a dip of his head he turns, giving a small grunt to call the other two lions to follow.
OceansSorrow's pops up from the shallows, snorting water out of his nose while the Guard playfully smacks him with his tail as he climbs out the water. The young prince quickly hops up, giving his pelt a hard shake before leaping out through the water, just re-wetting himself in the process.
HeartStrong gives the visitors a glance as he passes them but shows no sign of saying farewell, his head raising slightly in a defensive manner.
The Prince however stops as he passes, standing before them with bright eyes and a soft smile that creases the corners of his eyes. "I look forward to seeing your pride lands, and meeting the prince. I hope he and I can be friends"
"OceansSorrows" a soft barked order is called to him by the Guard, and with a wave of his tail he rushes off after his companions.

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Brink nodded to Aleafy, his throat rumbling with a fond and friendly purr. "I wish you safe travels as well, friend. We will await your arrival and prepare a hearty meal to share after your long journey, which I hope will go smoothly." He smiled as the prince bounced passed, ears perked. "I'm sure Othello will love your company. Just don't bring him any mint as a gift, he hates that," the king whispered with a small wink.

The lionesses at his side each bowed their heads to Aleafy, eyes lowered with respect. Oriane looked up briefly to glare at HeartStrong as he passed, but quickly retrained her attention to her pale paws. Tourmaline straightened first, shaking out her poorly groomed pelt the moment the three males were out of earshot. "So, we can finally head home then?" She grunted with an twitch of her tail. "I despise bowing to other kings."

The dark-eyed king yawned greatly, his yellowed fangs nearly glistening in the evening sun. Though the yawn was followed by a painful cough, the older lion recovered quickly . "Yes I think it's time we head back. I want to inform Othello and the rest of the pride of our guests as soon as possible," he said slowly, turning and padding towards the watering hole with a focused expression. "Perhaps I'll choose a select few high-rankers to welcome Aleafy and his acquaintances. A tour will be necessary, but I can have Othello lead that..." He murmured, cutting himself off with another violent cough.

The lionesses followed close behind their beloved king, exchanging worried expressions as they began the long trek home. Oriane pressed her head to Brink's mane, nudging his neck affectionately. "If you need to rest before we continue, then that's alright. Don't push yourself," she grunted.

Brink shook his head, parting his jaws to speak as another horrible cough racked his frame. The king suddenly looked quite thin, his ears pinned slightly. Dog Days trotted to his side, eyes filled with concern. She stepped in front of him, forcing the trembling male to stop his heavy-footed gait. Gingerly, she pressed a paw to his throat and creased her brow, leaning in to listen to his lungs. "You're wheezing," she said sternly. "It's time to rest. I'll gather a few herbs to make your breathing easier, just sit." With that, the lioness bounded off into the undergrowth.

King Brink let out a stubborn huff, falling back on his haunches with a heavy thud before shifting to lay on his side. His eyes immediately closed. Oriane pressed her side against his, ears flat against her skull with fear. "I'll get some water. We're not far from the watering hole," Sun-Soot said, pressing her nose to Oriane's for just a moment before retrieving a bundle of absorbent moss from a satchel on her ankle. "Just keep an eye on him, it'll be okay." The older lioness mumbled around the moss, trotting off briskly.

Knotte joined her queen in cuddling close to Brink, who was now shivering uncontrollably. The two females groomed his back fur with gentle strokes, attempting to warm him up. Tourmaline stood nearby, her ears perked and eyes sharp with determination. She refuses to allow any creature near the king in such a vulnerable state.

After only a minute or two of silence Oriane paused and shifted suddenly, her eyes wide with panic. She pressed her ear to Brink's chest that was no longer rising and falling. "He isn't breathing," she gasped quietly, pressing her paw firm against his chest. "He isn't breathing!" She paced around to his muzzle, licking it roughly. "Brink!"

Knotte cried out in fear, shaking Brink's shoulder desperately. "Tourmaline, get Dog Days!" The warrior nodded, sprinting off in the direction that the herbalist she had padded off in. She was visibly anxious, her breath coming in short gasps as she called for the other lioness.

Soon, both of the lionesses returned with bundles of strong-smelling herbs in their jaws. Sun-Soot arrived at the same time, her tail lashing with panic. "He still isn't breathing!" Oriane growled, her voice strained with emotion as she began pushing her paws against Brink's chest shakily.

As the sun began to set, Dog Days was finally able to rouse Brink with a strong herb equivalent to a basic smelling salt. Though the king was dazed and weak, he was alive and breathing normally again. The five lionesses tried tirelessly to convince him that heading back to Aleafy's pride for better medical attention and rest would be the best option, but he refused and insisted that he could make it home.

Though the group of lions managed to stumble back to the pride before sunrise, the king was convinced into planning an early retirement only hours after his arrival. Unfortunately, Brink once again stopped breathing as he slept that night which prevented an official ceremony with the former king present. Dog'Hope, the healer, was unable to get him to breathe again. So, the king passed in his sleep and was succeeded by Othello, the barbaric lone wanderer. The pride mourned Brink's death throughout the night, their roars of grief echoing across the savannah.

~[Fly high, King Brink ---- 12/07/23 - 2/23/24]~ (Estimated TOD)

(Death was a little spotty but in my defense it's 4am. Also, I apologize for such a late response I've been busy with school. However, I hope you had as much fun as I did! I'm more than down with continuing this with Aleafy's arrival if you are. I truly enjoyed roleplaying with you <3)

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OH WOW! I was NOT expecting that! What a huge surprise to come back to XD!! I definitely want to continue this and I apologize for being gone so long, I've been very busy but should have said something! roleplaying with you is so fun, you're damn good at writing))

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Welcome back!! I was hoping I could give you a little shock! No worries about the little hiatus, I'm just glad that you're alright, I was beginning to worry. I have to commend you on your skills as well, though! I usually don't expect much from roleplayers as I rarely find people on the same level as me. They're either a bit too advanced or severely underwhelming, which is completely okay, it just makes things a little tougher. I'm just glad we're similar in terms of experience and style <333

Anywhoodle, I'm so so glad you're down to continue! I don't mind if we start a new thread or keep building on this one, but I'm sure it'll be enjoyable either way. Thank you for choosing to RP with me ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Awh thank you! sadly my replies aren't as long XD. I'll be sure to try mention next time if I'm going to be unavailable for a few days. and same here, I definitely want to keep going. this is the only rp I have going on atm so I'm able to give all my attention to it.
We can continue on from here and on this thread if you'd like? :D ))

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My replies tend to be a bit lengthy, as I'm sure you've noticed lol. I have a habit of being a tad too detailed at times but I'm working on it. I get it from my mom. Anywho, yeah! We can continue from this thread. Would you like to start? It might make things flow a bit smoother and give me something to work off of since the map of my pride isn't set in stone, nor is the lore for every lion. Some are canon, some are not, and it's a bit difficult to navigate if you aren't in my mind XD

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sure thing! There's no problem at all with the way or length that you roleplay, I love it!))

Aleafy pushes through the leaves at the entrance to his den. The air outside that greeted him was chilly, far different to the warmth that had settled within his dug out cave while he had been sleeping.
The sun was rising in the sky, stretching shadows out through the odd tufts of grass and dirt beneath his paws. Today was the day he and a select few would travel to the newly befriended pride they had aligned with. OceansSorrow's had been bounding around camp for hours after dark, unable to sleep for he had been so excited to finally journey out of his own homelands and explore a new territory.
Yet, now the young adolescent was nowhere to be seen. Aleafy hadn't walked a few paces before HeartStrong came into view, his pawsteps light and swift against the earth. In all honestly, The king found it quite amusing that this smaller than average, pink lion could be so fiery and hot tempered. He'd never say that out loud though.
"King" The Guard greets him with a dip of his head before walking at his side in the direction of the princes den. "Everything is sorted, Flowering River is waiting outside the camp walls for us."
"Very good, I assume OceansSorrow's isn't up then"
"No, He was up until after moon high." HeartStrong flicked the end of his tail in disapproval. "He better not complain about being tired, I told him multiple times to get some sleep."
The king chuckles deeply. "He's young, he'll be full of energy when he remembers we're traveling today." With that said the king pushes his head into the entrance of the young Piebalds den. "OceansSorrow's are you ready to go?"
No response is met, instead only silence fills the kings ears. His eyes flickered around the empty space, the grass, leaves and animal fur that had once been a nest were scattered around the den, the young lion had obviously been running around and playing in here as well.
Pulling his head back out the king looks to his guard and shakes his head "He's not there"
"What do you mean he's not there?" HeartStrong asks, moving past to peer into the den.
After a few moments he also retreats back, ears flat against the top of his head. There was a hint of worry in his eyes beneath his frustration and the King understood his feelings.
There was little chance anything had happened.. but with the break ins into camp from hungry hyenas.. no, it couldn't have been anything bad, no one had heard any commotion last night besides the prince playing and going on about how he was to go on an adventure the next day.
"Well we need to find him" The Guard states before turning and walking off. "He can't be far".

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Othello woke with a violent shudder, his entire body rigid with fear. His eyes darted around the pitch black den. The muscles beneath his rosette-covered pelt tensed subconsciously as the lioness at his side shifted. She let out a sigh and leaned into his trembling side, blinking up at the king with her good eye.

"Another nightmare?" She murmured. The king nodded slowly and rested his chin against her shoulder with a shaky inhale. He breathed in the lioness's scent along with the chilled air that wafted through the cave, eyes closed. After a moment or two, he stood and stretched with a mighty yawn.

The gentle sunlight that filtered through the den's entrance revealed piles of dead trees, bones, and animal pelts decorated the den in an artistic fashion. He and his queen believed in reusing everything in nature. Decomposing trees, splintered bones, and discarded pelts are taken to their den where the bits and parts can be assembled into tools and accessories. Othello stretched once again in the sun, letting out a gentle boof.

"Today is your first day as king. You'll have to stay focused," the lioness grunted, padding to the king's side with a sway of her tail. She leaned into his side with a comforting purr . "I made a list of things you'll need to do to make your dag easier...it's a work in progress, but I memorized the essentials." Othello nodded stiffly, silently fighting the anxiety that held his body in place. His claws dug into the moss carpet that stretched towards the den's entrance, wincing at the uncomfortably loud "riiip" noise that cut through the silence.

"Thank you, Vermillion," he managed to sigh, pressing his nose to the side of her muzzle. She returned the gesture before walking to a corner of the den to retrieve a rather gruesome looking rabbit pelt, and a few rabbit bone accessories. Swiftly, she put on the rabbit bone bracelets and slipped the pelt over her shoulders, padding back to Othello to silently ask for help adjusting it. Meanwhile, she began to click together his bone belt.

"I remembered a bit too. That king that Brink made an alliance with should be arriving today, right? Aleafy was his name, I believe." He rambled quietly as he fixated the pelt on Vermilion's shoulders, running his claws through the ruffled rabbit hair. "He'll be arriving at sunhigh for a tour and to further discuss the terms of alliance, so I'll need to be ready. What should I do in the meantime? Something productive, obviously. Maybe oversee the huntresses..."

Vermillion placed a form paw on Othello's chest, pushing him back slightly. "The first step is to leave the den, love. Everything else can wait." She grunted in a firm, yet kind tone. "I won't leave your side." She placed a "crown" of hyena teeth over his head and bumped noses with him. The king nodded and pressed his nose to hers gratefully. The two lions walked out of the den side by side, blinking against the morning sun. Othello took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, tail flicking.

"Let's get started, then."

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The irritated Guard loped off, looking left and right for the prince, Aleafy following at his side. If they were to arrive in time they'd have to find the young Piebald quickly. The last thing the king wanted was to make a bad impression by being late to their first meeting.
The sound of rumbling chatter wafted from the bramble entrance to the camp, that excitable voice would be recognizable in the largest crowd.
With a heavy huff, HeartStrong's shoulders loosen up, his muscles visibly relaxing as he catches a glimpse of OceansSorrow's chattering away to flowering river. Picking up his pace he trots over to see The white and grey adolescent yapping non stop about the journey ahead, and how he had been up for hours.
His grey eyes flickering over, his smile brightening at the sight of The small Guard and his king walking over to meet him. "you guys ready to go? I've been waiting for agesssssssssss!" He gives a small hop, the flowers on the vines around his ankles bobbing with this movement.
The king fondly taps his side with the end of his tail and walks past and out the entrance "We had been looking all over for you, of course we're ready to go"
HeartStrong joins the king, pushing the prince ahead of him through the hole in the brambles. "We would have left sooner if you had met with us"
The leaves rustle behind them as Flowering river pushes through lastly, His abnormally large frame ripping a few thorns with him. Despite his large and well muscled frame, the lion was nothing but a gentle giant, his soft eyes landing on the prince. "It's alright you two, I should have mentioned he was with me"
Aleafy shakes out his mane, the sound of his fur ruffling and their paw steps against the soft ground the only noise for a few moments. "All that matters is that you're safe and we can start our journey, it's a long travel OceansSorrow. If you need a break, don't hesitate to say so"
"I won't need a break! If we stop to rest, then it'll just take us longer to get there"


The sun stretched high in the sky, midday drawing near and still the young princes paws trotted on confidently, leaving dust in his wake.
"How on earth does he do it? He's been up most of the night and we haven't stopped even once" HeartStrong mutters to the king. He was trying to hide pants from his voice as he spoke.
He patrolled often, but never for a half day's journey. Even a lion as fit as himself was starting to feel a little wheezy, was that a stitch in his side, gosh, he wasn't THAT old was he?
"Well, the boy is young still" Aleafy answers, his muscles moving in his arms with each step. his shoulders pushed up out his back while his body swung casually side to side at a comfortable pace. "Although, I am impressed, I have expected him to complain about something like most adolescents would have by now.."
The two continue to watch OceansSorrows as a shadow from a hawk above catches his attention. The Piebald races off the path, pouncing on the flickering shape every few seconds that it slows. His scrappy mane bounces with each movement, eyes glittering with excitement.
Aleafy felt fond of him, but at the same time a spark of worry lit within him. OceansSorrows wasn't that young anymore, yet he still had the heart a a cub. Would he be a mature enough king when it came his time to rule?

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"You found what!?" Othello demanded with a grimace, his voice tight with disgust. The king sat back on his haunches and tried to keep the buffalo carcass he had eaten a few hours ago in his stomach. Vermillion, who was usually at his side no matter what, was watching from the treeline with tears in her eyes. She had to excuse herself from the mini-meeting to breathe comfortably.

In front of him were four lionesses, each bearing disturbed expressions that ranged from horrified to depressed. The grassy clearing they sat in was filled with low chatter and the pound of pawsteps from huntresses and patrols as they dragged their catches for the morning to a large prey-pile. Vulture, a large submale covered in an assortment of accessories crafted from various bones, worked diligently to sort, organize, and distribute the carcasses. He shouted orders to the lions bringing in prey, his tail lashing.

A lioness with Lycaon Markings stepped forward, her cloudy eyes lowered as she approached the king. She steeled herself and prepared to relay the news once more. "We found something... troubling in our snares, my king. Two of our own. Cubs, only five months old. They were meant to be sent off to the Giving Tree this morning."

Vermillion took a deep breath and padded back to her place at the king's side with a grim expression. Her ears were flat against her skull as she leaned against him, barely listening.

"The little female was discovered tangled in a net previously hanging from a large tree. We believe she died hitting the ground," the shaking lioness mumbled. She was known for being extremely loud when she spoke, so her whispers disturbed the other lionesses greatly. "The male cub was caught in a snare designed for larger game...so his body is not recoverable."

Othello growled lowly, his powerful tail lashing with fury. Vermillion swallowed the buffalo meat that had found its way up her throat with a pained groan, putting a paw on the king's tense shoulder. He pulled away with a snarl. "Dog'Sight, part of your responsibility as our snare specialist is to ensure they are outside of cub boundaries. There is no reason these cubs should have met the fates they did."

Dog'Sight flinched, sinking further into the warm grass. The leather collar around her neck suddenly felt too tight, and the tusk extensions on her teeth felt as if they'd snap off and take her fangs with them. She was trembling uncontrollably as the furious lion towered over her with his teeth bared. Her jaws parted as she made an effort to defend herself, but a sharp roar from Othello's throat took the air out of her lungs. She winced and shut her eyes, prepared for whatever punishment might come her way.

"My king, wait!" A sharp voice piped up. The lioness it belonged to stepped forward, pausing to shake the nerves from her Rhubarb shaded fur. "Dog'Sight is not at fault. I double checked- no, I triple checked each and every trap, snare, and springe. Not a single one was within a cub's reach! Especially not ones so young," she pleaded. Her voice was shaking, but she stood tall as the sun illuminated the distinct blood-colored mirage in her pelt.

"Hailou is right," grunted a thin lioness with primal fangs. She appeared calm, but her claws were digging into the soft earth without mercy. "Not only did we both check the traps together, but I was present when the cubs going to the Tree were bedded down. The den they were in was guarded well, with at least four lionesses taking shifts. It would be impossible for a cub to sneak out, or for a lion to sneak in."

Othello turned to face her with narrowed eyes. "What are you suggesting, Tabitha?" The lioness lowered her eyes, silent. He growled and whipped around to glare at Dog'Sight, who was pressed against Hailou's side for support. "How did my cubs end up dead?" He demanded, causing the two lionesses to flinch and back away, ears pinned. For a moment, the group was silent. Only the sound of Othello's ragged breathing interrupted it.

"Clearly, one of the lionesses guarding the den grabbed and trapped them in the snares," A fawn-furred lioness with bloodbourn siamese markings snarled bluntly. She was laying on her belly covered head to toe with bone accessories, and held a spinal cord toy pinned between her unsheathed claws. "Tabitha is correct, they couldn't have left on their own. It would be impossible. The only way the poor things could've ended up in those snares is if someone forced them to leave the den, walk all the way out to the trapping grounds and-"

The king let out an agonized roar from deep in his chest, stomping up to the sleezy lioness. The other lions in the clearing turned to look at him, their chattering slowing to a whisper before eventually dying out into silence. "Hennai, hold your tongue! You can't possibly be implying that-"

She stood with pinned ears, the bones along her frame rattling with the action and breaking the horrific silence in the clearing. "Indeed. We have a murderous traitor in the pride."

(Immersion breaker here, but please be proud of me for this one I worked so hard 💀))

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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OH MY WORD, I CALLED IT HALFWAY THROUGH. Oh this is gonna be SO EXCITING. I can't WAIT to see how this plays out, holy moly. I LOVE drama like this hehehe ))

The ground grew tougher beneath the traveling lions paws, HeartStrong felt himself growing more and more tense the further from home they got and a small involuntary growl rumbled in his throat.
The king took notice of this and looked to his trusted guard, seeing the stiffness in his body and movements. "My friend, you look like you have a whole thorn bush under your skin, what's troubling you?"
HeartStrong glances over out the corner of his eye, seeing the king had taken notice of his body language. "Nothing my king." And with that he trots ahead, not speaking further.
Aleafy felt a slight heaviness on his heart at the sight of his friend hurrying ahead to avoid talking. He knew things like this were tough for him, the strong lion before him had such a deep weakness within him.
OceansSorrow's notices HeartStrong lopping to the front of the group and he slows slightly to walk next to the larger lion. "Are you excited HeartStrong?"
"About what?" he huffs.
"Meeting this pride! we might make some new friends"
"Listen, there's something you need to learn, not every lion has good intentions. If you're to be king one day, you can't trust so easily, you're going to get hurt.. and you'll get others hurt to." The Guard speaks blankly, holding back nothing. He wanted this young (And naïve at times) lion to realize that not everything and everyone always has other creatures best interests at heart like OceansSorrow's did.
The Prince looks ahead, his grey eyes scanning the scenery before them. "I know that, I'm not dumb. I just try to be hopeful and I'd rather come off as friendly and hopeful, then aggressive and end up annoying and getting everyone elses backs up right from the get go." He looks to the Guard once more, his ears perking forward. "Don't you think you'd have better interactions if you stopped assuming that everyone is going to attack you immediately or has hidden motives?"
"I'd be dead if I did that" He says this very straightforward, the end of his tail curling. "You'll learn when you're older. The world isn't as great as it seems.." There was pity in his eyes now, and... something else? Memories were swimming through his eyes, his mind going elsewhere as he thinks back on things that OceansSorrow's cannot see.
Before the Prince can ask what he was thinking about, Aleafy catches up to their sides.
"we're here, I can smell the scent border"

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The king braced his broad shoulders, suddenly feeling exposed in the still air. All at once, the lions scattered through the clearing began to whisper urgently to each other, causing the volume to spike dramatically. Othello growled lowly, feeling the anxiety grip his pelt with its unforgiving claws. His breath hitched as he subconsciously listened in on the snatches of conversation nearby.

"A traitor? Preposterous!" "No, no...I think it's possible! Didn't you see how suspicious ---- looked the other day?" "To think someone could attack helpless cubs!" "Who can be trusted if we have a cub-murderer within our own home?" "What does the king think of this? What will happen?" "I wonder what ----- would think of this..." "What would Brink say? This never happened during his reign." "I always noticed ------ was a little too excited sending those cubs off." "Is anyone safe?"

Othello sucked in a sharp breath, nearly choking as he was pulled out of his own mind by warm fur against his. Vermillion looked up at him with a distressed yet steely stare. "We should discuss this issue later. It's nearly sunhigh, so King Aleafy will arrive soon. You need time to compose yourself," She whispered, trying not to startle the king more. "We'll figure this out. It's our new top priority, but an alliance at a time like this is necessary."

Slowly, Othello managed to drag himself out of the realm of "what ifs" and back to reality. It only took a moment for him to regain his mental strength. His breathing was off, but his paws remained steady as he shot a pained glare at Hennai. She blinked at him lazily, feeling no regret for her actions. "We will get to the bottom of this later. All four of you will see me at sundown tonight where we will discuss a *quiet* plan," he grunted shakily. "For now, return to your duties."

The lionesses gave their king short nods, padding away in a disturbed clump. "Hennai," he growled quietly, causing the warrior's ears to flick back as she paused in her snarky gait. She glanced back at him with curious eyes. "I want a list of the lions in last night's guard rotation for the Tree cubs by sundown as well. If you have any additional information, tell me now."

The lioness blinked in surprise, not expecting this from a seemingly reserved and aloof lion. She stepped closer, her voice low. "There was a third and fourth cub. The one buried beneath rubble near the Traveler's den was much older, I'd say no more than a day or two. The other was in a forgotten snare, probably for a week. I wasn't able to identify the cubs, but neither were keepers," she purred quickly, watching Vermillion's horrified look with a satisfied smirk. She loved nothing more than to be the keeper of grim secrets. Othello remained steeled, his shoulders hunched.

"Whoever's doin' this isn't killing random ones. These are just Tree cubs. Ones that most wouldn't notice were missing until the daily headcount, which is done at night. Each guard counts the cubs during their turn, just like any other den. I reckon this isn't a single lion strategy," Hennai murmured, flexing her claws. She reveled in the confused yet impressed look on the king's face as she paused to swipe a tongue over her wide maw, tail flicking slowly.

"I've had my eye on this little 'case' for about a month now, but I assumed they were accidents 'til the other two turned up. I'll keep you posted if I manage to conclude a suspect or two, but that's all I've got for now," she concluded with a yawn. "Hope that was helpful. I've got things to do in addition to this, so I'll see you at sundown. Try not to worry yourself to death over this, we'll pop the culprit soon enough."

Hennai turned with a flick of her tail, padding towards the carrion pile. She gave the king and queen one last reassuring wink before jumping into her usual mood to avoid suspicion. "Vulture!" She roared, briefly startling the submale who was chatting with a heavily scarred lioness. He snatched his tail away, which was interlocked with the lioness'. She seemed to be more scar-tissue than lion from this distance, though she somehow managed to have the large male wrapped around her paws. Or rather, her tail. "Stop flirting with my mother!" She roared once again as she approached, earning a swipe to the muzzle. This only annoyed her further.

"Mind your business!" The lioness growled impatiently. "Honestly, Hennai. I raised you better than that."

"That must be the problem, then!" She scoffed with a smirk.

"You disrespectful rat!" Her mother roared furiously. The two began roaring and snarling viciously at each other, scaring away any lion that dared approach the area. Vulture stood by for a moment, staring at the squabbling lionesses a freighted look. Eventually, he was forced to step in as the two ended up on the ground fighting as if they were trying to kill each other.

"Tourmaline! You're not supposed to stoop to your cub's level! You're more mature than this-" He started, immediately being turned on by the larger lioness.

"How dare you?! I'm plenty mature!" She raged, temporarily removing her claws from her daughter's throat. Hennai scrambled away and and leaned onto Vulture's back with a cry of fury, yelling in his ear about no longer being a cub.

The king and queen watched from afar, chuckling. They somehow managed to laugh their way out of the gruesome topic, storing it for later in the evening. Othello cleared his throat, turning away from the three lions. "Hennai is right. We can't worry ourselves into an early grave. There's work to be done and alliances to solidify."

Vermillion nodded, bumping noses with him. "Let's wait for the news of his arrival at the Watering Hole. I could use a drink and a distraction," she purred. Othello let out a boof of agreement, padding side-by-side with his queen.

"I wonder what King Aleafy will think of our territory," He wondered aloud, stopping to sharpen his claws on a nearby tree. It was a nervous habit that had evolved from his cub-hood. "I hope it isn't too unfamiliar."

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The small party of lions idled for a moment at the edge of the border.
"Do we go in your Majesty?" HeartStrong asks, perking a ear in his kings direction.
"Usually the rules call for us to wait and respect boundaries, but we have been invited to visit." He responds while stepping over the scent line. "Come, we mustn't hang around here, they're waiting on our arrival".
The Prince bounds forward eagerly, looking around hurriedly as if crossing the border had put them in a whole new realm. The place looked exactly the same as two steps back, but his eyes shone with an amazement. "I'm in another prides territory!" He boasts to the Guard who huffs with amusement and a roll of his eyes.
"Yes, very exciting isn't it" The grumpy lion says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The group continued on their way, Flowering River coming up to HeartStrong's side. "You seem pretty worried, haven't you done this before?"
"Yeah and it's always gone to sh-"
"HEARTSTRONG" OceansSorrow's excited yell cuts him off. With a flick of his tail and turn of his head he looks to see the prince peering into a hole in a tree. "THERE'S BABY OWLS IN HERE"
"Very cool, leave them alone before your loud voice gives them all a heart attack." He trots over, grabbing the adolescents scruff to pull him back. OceansSorrow's let's out a disappointed noise as he's pulled back, front legs stiff out in front of him from the grip on the back of his neck.
Aleafy chuckles fondly "Let the boy have some fun, you can loosen up a little out here my friend. We're in friendly territory." He walks over, licking the back of OceansSorrow's neck to flatten down the ruffled fur HeartStrong had messed up when he had grabbed him. The Prince blinks gratefully to him before grinning to HeartStrong. "It'll be great, you'll see, this time will be different." He raises his head, a few strands of his mane getting in his pink eyes. (I changed his eye color).
The Guard looks down at him silently, a hard shell of a lion. His jaw clamped, trying to keep his serious and cautious approach to this mission, but how could he when the prince was gazing up at him like that?
Slowly his shoulders softened "I guess you're right"
OceansSorrow's bumps his head against the Guards shoulder before turning back to the tree. "Have a look at the baby owls" His large paws rest up against the tree again, holding himself up to peer in the hole before looking back over his shoulder eagerly.
HeartStrong huffs before walking over, standing up next to him to look inside.
The wide eyes of owlets met him, clearly awake (And possibly terrified for their lives).
Aleafy and Flowering River share a small smile with each other, The blue and gray lion mouthing 'big bad lion has a soft spot for his prince'. The two chuckle, Aleafy walking past the tree "Alright you two, lets get a move on again."

The sun was high, right on time as the scent of many lions filled Aleafy's nose. They were close.
He could hear the distant chatter, the scent of prey, warm dens, this was a prides home.
He gives a quick shake of his mane, hoping he looks decent and gives his wings a ruffle, scattering a few loose feathers. The kings eyes dropped to his wings, once they had been stunning, a clear white, every feather perfect and in place. Now they had a heaviness to them, the feathers ruffled and old looking. The stress was really getting to him.
His wings stretch out widely, causing an admiring look from OceansSorrow's before he tucks them back in at his sides, there we go, they looked neater now.
With a raise of his head, the king nods to his companions and leads them towards the prides camp.

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The pride's Main Camp was a large, bustling clearing filled with the low chatter of lions from all age groups. It was surrounded by tall, lush brambles that gave way to lions as they entered and exited the clearing. Some could be seen dragging carcasses to elders who could not make the journey to the Carcass Camp, greeting them with respectful nods. Cubs bounced around eagerly as their share of sunhigh prey was distributed, squealing about how many buffalos they'd catch as they grew older. An older lioness shushed and lectured the energetic bundle of furballs in manners, practically shoving smaller carcasses into their jaws.

A tranquil-looking pond occupied the very center of the clearing, constructed by artistic paws. The pond was surrounded by a low wall of mossy rocks and water-loving plant life being thoroughly inspected by a young cub. It was the home of many small fish that seemed to be in constant fear surrounded by so many careless paws. A young adolescent was sitting at its edge with a wiggling worm dangling from her jaws, eyes trained on the water with concentration. Within a few moments, a brave fish the size of her head lept out of the water and right into her teeth. Unfortunately, she snapped her jaws closed a second too late and allowed the fish to re-enter the pond unharmed and fed. She growled in frustration, stomping away to dig around for more bait.

On the furthest side of the clearing sat a crater-like den that had been dug out over time. It was huge. So much so that Just the exterior seemed like it could house every lion in the area a few times over. The Hole, as the pride called it, was decorated with flowering bushes and moss blankets that provided a bit of camouflage. It was well-hidden, but the entrance was so busy one couldn't help but notice it. Lionesses entered the den with nesting supplies, cubs bounded out with cries of joy and even a piebald submale could be seen guarding the entrance with a bored expression. He was surrounded by a small clique of frogs that hopped lazily around his paws, croaking at each other busily.

Without warning, a familiar piebald female leaped out of The Hole, startling the younger male. Knotte bounced on her paws, unable to contain her visible excitement. Though what she was saying was inaudible, she was anxiously questioning the poor male. He grunted quietly, gesturing to the sun which was centered perfectly in the blue sky. The lioness began looking around desperately, finally locking eyes with King Aleafy. She slapped the confused lion's shoulder before running towards the group with a bright smile.

"Mom wait up!" He cried, trotting after her with much less enthusiasm. The frogs managed to keep up with their "king", hopping desperately behind his large paws. "Why does sunhigh matter so much?" The lion had clear vision problems, as the playful expression he held was only replaced by apprehension once he and Knotte were less than a few steps away. He kept his distance, shaking out the average-looking mane on his shoulders.

"King Aleafy, OceanSorrows! It's so good to see that you made it safely!" Knotte purred, dipping her head to the king before blinking at the Guard. "Oh yes, You as well HeartStrong! Hopefully, our territory wasn't too difficult to navigate," She added with a kind smile. The bubbly lioness tilted her head towards Flowering River. "I don't believe we've met, but I'm glad you managed to make the journey as well." She glanced over her shoulder at the speechless lion hiding behind her, letting out a gentle boof of affection.

"This is my son, Tye. He doesn't talk much and prefers to be ignored, but I believe he needs someone like OceanSorrows to socialize with. He'd be a good influence, I think," Knotte grunted, ruffling his mane with a paw. Tye groaned and accepted his embarrassing fate, refusing to meet anyone's eye as he whispered a small greeting.

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"Hello, it's lovely to see you again, and to meet you as well Tye" The king says with a dip of his head. HeartStrong flicks his ears at her comment. "You're territory is large, but it wasn't very difficult to follow the strong scent of your camp." He glances around the place, eyes moving although his head almost stays in place. "You have quite the number of lions and lionesses here." He mutters almost half to himself, his Guarded posture returning as the fur on his shoulders fluffs ever so slightly.
Flowering River takes a step forward, bowing to the lioness before him. "We haven't met, I'm very glad I could come along though to meet our new allies. I'm flowering River" His blue eyes raise to meet Knotte once more, the corners creasing in a smile.
"Flowering River helps guard after the cubs within our pride" Aleafy speaks up. "He knows our future generations well, So I thought it would be wise to bring him with us."
The Cub Guard seems to stand a little taller as his role within his pride is mentioned, although he looks a little bashful at the comment. His ears lay back against his now fluffed up blue mane, looking to the side with a shy smile. Flowering River was quite large, standing taller then every lion in their traveling group, he wasn't threatening in the slightest though.

While the grown ups were chatting and introducing themselves, OceansSorrows had lagged behind, his eyes wide, jaw slightly agap as he gazed around the breath taking camp. He had never seen anything like it, and there were so many lions! He found his tail twitching with restless excitement, there was so much he wanted to check out!
He had to dig his claws a little into the ground in order to stop himself from running to the pond, eventually though his curiosity got the better of him (And his low attention span) And he forgot about the grown ups.
Bounding over, his large paws kicked up dirt as he ran to the pond. Leaning over the water the young Prince stared down at his reflection, the water was crystal clear. And then he noticed the fish, all colors and sizes, darting around just below the surface and out of reach.
Aleafy turned his head to look behind himself, having expected OceansSorrow's to be there. "I'm sure OceansSorrow's would love-" His words cut off when he realized that the Prince was in fact, not there. "Oh- Where's he gone" His eyebrows furrow quickly scanning around the camp.
HeartStrong seems to bristle more at the news that the Prince isn't there, his own head turning so quickly that if he blinked you'd have missed it.
They both spot the piebald within seconds and Aleafy calls out to him, drawing his attention. "OceansSorrow's, you can explore later" The king scolds him as the adolescent comes bounding over. "sorry!' He yelps, earning a disapproving look from HeartStrong.
"Hi, nice to see you again" The Prince smiles up to Knotte, his whiskers raising. "Your camp is so cool!"

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