Arsynia,
Lioness of Prideless
Played by dusk
I will never be gone.
I am a scar, a report from the front lines,
a talisman, a resurrection.
A rough place on the chin of complacency.

Arsynia.

The voice that rumbled forth belonged not to the Aesseldaran men she'd met so far, nor to a stranger; rather, there was something hauntingly and delightfully familiar in its half-snarled drawl. Arsynia's mismatched gaze swiftly turned downward, catching the wisps of red fur in the dim cavelight, a burning and unyielding fire even in that dark, damp place. “Erenvel,” Arsynia breathed in response, getting to her paws; she abandoned the sun-warmed and dry ground in favor of leaping from the ledge and joining her elder sister below. Are we home? Erenvel responded, swift and assured and anticipating. Arsynia's lips pressed into a firm line, pausing to contemplate the gravity of her words.

They're in your paws now—all of them. Have you ever felt so powerful, so agonized? Is this not what you'd always dreamt of?

“Yes,” she finally declared, the fight between hesitation and decisiveness waging in her unwavering response, “I'm tired of running.” They had been separated for too long, and the fruits of this land would perhaps be tempting enough to draw more Tollaire. Despite the necessity of joining the exodus of other lions coming into the newly-accessible lands, Arsynia knew that this was perhaps their best chance at rebuilding what once they had lost, and cementing their family once more in one single place. But beyond that—even Arsynia Tollaire was uncertain. “Many men and women have already sought prides of their own,” she began again, her gaze intently watching each and every reaction on Erenvel's face. She fought the urge to reach forward and press her nose into her neck, to allow the fringes of her mane to tickle her cheeks, to breathe in deeply her womanish, familiar scent. “So far I've found it more helpful to watch and observe for potential allies or tyrants...” she paused, and took a breath, “but it would be unwise to live like this for too long.” Right? She held the question back, knowing now she'd need to be unwavering more than ever, but the desire for her elder sister's council hung heavy on her breath, suddenly wishing more than anything to have the proper guidance of their father, if only to assure the prosperity of their family under her paw as much as his.


@Erenvel

Art by Argent