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 Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:40 pm
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The long wait until nightfall had taken a hard toll on Astrid, as she fretted nervously from one place to the next. She had volunteered to be on the borders tonight for one purpose and one purpose alone: to protect cubs that weren't even hers, from a threat no one but her knew of.
That very threat, she'd made sure, was sound asleep in his den, odd considering how hellbent he'd been to find them during the day. She could only assume he didn't think they would ever attempt to move them outside the pride, even if that thought alone was ludicrous. It was the most obvious choice for them.
Movement nearby had her taking a defensive stance, but Freya emerging from the shadows made her instantly relax. "How are they doing?"
Freya had taken her time to get here, she knew, but it was for good cause. "Fast asleep, luckily. If we move them quickly enough, they shouldn't make a sound." She frowned, meeting her friend eye-to-eye, "How are we going to manage it? There are 7 of them, and only 2 of us here..." She had considered a few outrageous ideas of trying to tie them to herself, but she was neither crafty enough nor careful enough to construct something like that properly.
Astrid sighed, "We'll just have to move them one at a time, and as quickly as possible. I don't have the rounds for long, so we might be caught if we take too long." She had hoped they could tell other pride members of their issue, but it was too great of a risk to have Helvegr hear of the plans and stop them in their tracks before they could even begin. Se only hoped those she had trusted with the knowledge wouldn't come to stab her in the back for it.
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Things to note, should you join:
-Freyja is considered missing while heavily pregnant by 99% of the pride.
-No one knows of Hel's involvement besides Astrid.
-Astrid does have friends amongst the thralls she would trust with knowing the cubs were born, and that need to be moved for their safety during the night from someone who seeks to do them harm. They could be the reason others show up, by word of mouth to trustworthy lions.
-Hel will NOT find out about this great smuggling operation, and it will be successful regardless of who shows up.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 6:15 pm
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It wasn't often that her seer abilities kicked in, but on this fateful night Pehmea could tell something was happening. In her mind's eye she saw two larger figures surrounded by many smaller ones - there was an intense amount of stress radiating from the two larger, that much was obvious, but not much more. With no friends and a penchant for helping others, she decided to take action. It wasn't much to go on, but anything shady happening in the pride tended to take place on the outskirts. She had been pacing for a while, using the muddy vision to pick out vague landmarks, and finally seemed to stumble upon something: in the darkness, she picked up two figures - the one she recognized as one of the heavily pregnant lionesses she'd seen padding throughout the pridal lands.
Something about their tones and the many cubs surrounding them startled her. It wasn't what she expected to find, but then again she didn't know what she'd find. Either way, the uneasy, anxious feeling her vision had given her had drawn her here - there was someone here who needed her help, she suspected the gods were telling her - and she was going to give it to them. Padding closer, Pehmea dipped her head low in deference, attempting to convey that she wasn't a threat. Always the soft-hearted and sympathetic one, it was hard to perceive her as a threat in the first place, but she knew stress drove creatures wild in the way many other feelings could not.
"My apologies, I..." she spoke softly, in hushed tones, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to the group. They were by the border, the two of them, with a whole host of cubs - it started to dawn on her that something unsavory was happening here. But a mother wouldn't put her cubs at risk for no reason, she knew - and she instantly decided to trust these two, without ever fully exchanging words. "My name is Pehmea, and I'm not sure if you want help with whatever it is you're about to do, but I'm here to lend a paw in any way I can." She smiled softly, hoping her intrusion wasn't wholly unwelcome.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 6:21 pm
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Chapa'rangi was dozing lightly, every sense alert, since he'd wandered somewhat...imprudently close to pridal borders while hunting. The hunt had been successful, but he had no desire to end up in a fight, or worse, for his trouble.
Fortunately, night had now fallen, so hopefully he could make his way back into unclaimed lands without an incident. Freezing, he pricked his ears. Was that...voices? Straining to listen more closely, he crept silently towards them, noting that they didn't necessarily sound threatening...yet, but that he needed to find out a bit more before deciding on a course of action.
Drawing close enough to hear their conversation more closely, Rangi stilled, wary of giving himself away. Catching the tail end of their discussion, he was cautiously...optimistic, and debating if he should offer help.
He barely stopped himself from starting in surprise when another lioness showed up. Hearing her offer of assistance added to his desire to do the same - he was usually quick to offer assistance, and only hesitated from a sense of caution. Was this a trap of some kind? He'd heard that this pride took slaves (or thralls), after all...
ChexaRain y'all can either spot him, or I will have him speak up in my next reply <3 |
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 1:11 am
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Astrid jumped when there seemed to be a forming crowd, looking to Freya with worry before approaching Pehma. "I wouldn't accept the help normally but... truth is, we're desperate." Her eyes drifted to a bit of movement from Hyrja and at the rogue she registered shock, but quickly recovered. "Freya...?"
Freya, on the other hand, stood tall, only shooting Astrid a sympathetic glance before addressing them all in a hushed tone, "We're getting cubs out of the pride. If we get caught, it will not end well, and I would not ask of you to risk yourselves in this endeavor." She turned her gaze to Chapa and her gaze softened, "You risk capture yourself, and Hyrja..." Her gaze drifted to her niece, "If you weren't an adult, I would send you home rather than include you in this... this madness. But now you're here, and I see no choice but to include you." She shook her head.
Astrid nudged Freya gently as an endearment and turned her attention to the rest of them, "There are not only 7 lives at stake here, but all of ours, should the wrong lion catch us." She cringed, the idea of Hel finding them haunting her waking hours. She gestured for the rest to follow and brought them to the cubs' nesting spot, just within the border's limits but very much exposed for this endeavor, and Astrid was constantly looking around for sets of unwanted eyes.
Freya followed Astrid, her voice sharp but low, "I may not be their mother, but I will hurt you should anything befall them." The sharpness in her gaze fell upon the strangers in their midsts, not quite trusting them but having no other option.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 4:48 pm
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It was with a start that the black and white lioness realized that a rogue leopard lurk nearby. It wasn't all that surprising; skirting the pridal lands would bring about rogues, but it wasn't often that they gave off such a non-threatening vibe. Pehmea was about to address the leopard when another lioness approached - a pale yellow, spotted female with eyes to match. She trained her gaze on the other momentarily before the two primary lionesses - the one she noted (a particularly striking lioness) named Freya.
Pehmea nodded solemnly in response to the warning Freya issued. It wasn't typical for her to risk much; she was, after all, rather averse to the pride's typical forms of activity such as fighting one another. However, she could see in the eyes of these two lionesses that this act (a rather large and dangerous one) meant much to them. Therefore, it was more than worth it to venture forward - no matter what was at stake. She hadn't much to lose, anyway. Until the one named Freya spoke a minor threat, glancing around at all those gathered around her. Pehmea nodded once more. "Whatever it is you need, my mouth is zipped and my paws are as good as yours." She tried not to let her mind wander to those surrounding her - wondering, almost idly, about their own backstories and how they ended up here, why they might help these two lionesses. After all, she wasn't quite sure of her own reasoning - something about them simply called to her, and she refused not to answer.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 9:13 pm
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Chapa'rangi straightened, a little disappointed in himself for being so careless. Fortunately, it appeared that this group, at least, had no desire to take him as a captive. With that said, at least he was in a position to help with something that appeared urgent, if the body language of the lionesses was anything to judge by.
He was going to get burned, one of these days, but he found he couldn't walk away. "Tell me how I can help," he said simply, as he padded after them, nodding in greeting. "If there are cubs involved, then there isn't even a decision to make."
He stopped for a second, realizing he hadn't even introduced himself. "I'm Chapa'rangi, but feel free to shorten it if it's more convenient for you."
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