not all light is good ;

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Cassian was on the move once more, now with the goal of solidifying his claim on his kingdom. While he was born in a land of ice and snow, this place was some degrees colder, with the evening hours bringing a chill that began to settle in the prince's bones. His pale eyes noticed the plume of frost that left his lips with every exhale, signaling the coming freeze that would soon grip his home.

“Once I finish checking the forest, I'll return to them.” He muttered to himself as he walked through the sea of conifers. While he wished he could remain with his newfound members, he knew he had a duty to uphold. He was the new king of the Vale, and he would do anything to keep his lands safe.

The sound of snapping branches to the south caught his attention. While he knew there was a resident herd in the vicinity, they never came this far north. Nothing ever came this far north. The icy winds kept outsiders at bay, as well as any animals. But whatever it was, it was coming fast. Rising to his full height, Cassian turned to face whatever was coming into his home.

“Что в?” — What in the? Cass paused, eyes focused on the running cervid. Noting how young the caribou was, he knew it was not being chased by one of his own. No, they knew better than to take a life so young. This had to be a stranger. That was the only logical answer as to why the calf was alone. There was no possible reason as to why the cow would abandon her child.

But then, an unknown scent reached the prince. Lupine. His lips curled with a slight growl as he followed the trail to its source. An intruder so soon? Was this the Fates punishing him for his past actions? Forcing him to stain his new home with blood? Of course, they would.

Cass moved like a ghost, a whisper within the trees. He didn't need the stranger to know he was near. Ah, there they are. He saw a dark-hued figure standing in the midst of the trail leading to his home. Cassian crept closer, eyes focused on the stranger. If it came to a fight, he was ready to spill blood for the Vale.

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skill: outrider
for @Asny <3

the staff team luvs u

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 Asny had awoken in a flurry of snow and wind which clouded her vision — a blizzard, to be more specific. Though try as she might to navigate her surroundings and figure out where she was, the woman was ultimately lost, blinded, and overwhelmed. At one point, she’d become so desperate upon her wandering feet that the ground had seemed to dissolve beneath her like air. Eyes widening to see that just beneath her feet, she’d stepped off of a cliff — yet even as her vision returned to her, it was far too late to do anything about. She’d fell.

 — and when she opened her heavy, half-lidded eyes again, the hunger overwhelmed all of her senses.

 For how many days or nights she lay unconscious at the bottom of the mountain — with the side of her head encrusted with snow and dried blood, Asny was not aware in the slightest. Yet the pained rumblings in her stomach told her she had gone far too long without a proper meal. So at the first scent of the caribou trail, her mouth watered like a starved, caged beast. Her pace was sloppy and unpracticed, making the herd scatter rather easily, but her sights lay on the young caribou calf that was far too slow to keep up with the older herd. Young, scared, injured from the nips she placed against its heals….had Asny become so desperate to take a life so young?

 No — she couldn’t be picky. She needed to survive or starve losing this chance.

 As fate would have it, however, her vision blurred into a hallucination. One runaway calf became two, and the moment she fell and tripped against a thick blanket of snow, her meal was gone. A sharp pain engulfed Asny’s head and made the woman squint her eyes shut and place a paw against her crown. She must still be concussed……

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Thank you for your patience <3

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the staff team luvs u

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the king prowled forth, large paws carrying him over the fallen snow. his pale fur gave him the appearance of a ghost—there one moment, gone the next. seeing a blur of darkness against the snow, cassian sprung into motion with a low growl. his territorial nature was a vice, a weakness he now knew reigned supreme in his mind. the very presence of an outsider awakened something that cass had not felt since the war—rage.

the stranger seemed to pause then collapse onto the snow. odd. the beast ilya created wished to spring forward and sink its teeth into their flesh, teach them what happened when they trespassed. but a flash of green flames reigned in the beast's ravenous hunger and the king took careful steps towards the downed canine.

“you seem lost.” cassian spoke clearly and with a slight drawl. but once his keen eyes noticed the blood on her head, he could hear vanille's sharp words in his mind telling him to be “kind”. with a subtle huff, the man lowered his head to peer at the wound. “does it hurt?” his words, though he tried, came out sharp. but effort was effort, and not even she could deny him this.

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skill: outrider

the staff team luvs u