Xarera had been wandering all on her own for quite some time when she entered the Loscar Wilds territory accidentally. Random (yet frequent) variables contributed to her getting separated from her siblings many, many miles back on their journey. The likelihood of ever seeing them again was slim to none, and that was going to be a hard pill to swallow. The truth of the matter was that Xarera did not need them per se; she was more than capable of handling herself. That had been proven time and time again. However her siblings would be greatly missed, for they were not only her brother and sister, but her best friends as well. Not a lot of lions could say that these days, which was quite the baffling thing. How in the world one could not get along with their littermates was beyond her, but could not be her focus.
What she had to put her time, energy, and attention into was her own survival. No one was going to get the lioness through her day to day ministrations except for her. Most lions were not designed to be lone creatures. Most lions had a pride to roll with and they worked as a unit. Xarera was not afforded that luxury, so she had to rely solely on herself. Finding necessities for one single, solitary feline was not a difficult endeavor typically. The only mouth she had to feed was her own, and she was the only one that she had to protect. On the flipside though, if Era did not feed or protect herself, then she was open and vulnerable. Those were two sides of the same shiny coin; the heads and tails if you will. And whether or not the costs outweighed the benefits remained to be seen.
So the brown, white, black, and auburn woman ended up amidst the redwoods. Her pace was languid, yet her movements had a very flowy, almost dancer-like quality to them. Two paws moved in conjunction with one another, propelling her towards an unspecified destination, before the other two took their place. Xarera was going nowhere fast, albeit gracefully, and her current position in life gave her seemingly endless time limits. Her bright eyes were able to take in the marred trees with a newfound appreciation. The Tsavo lioness was a lot like them in that they endured elements beyond their control, only to grow stronger. Era had to keep moving forward because there "ain’t no rest for the wicked" as they say. And although she probably would not be considered wicked in the eyes of most, there was still the principle of nessun dorma. Or in other words, no one sleeps.
[attr="class","uthsim"]Slowly but surely Uther is beginning to settle into a routine. He'd wake, check and tend to his wounds, patrol his newfound territory for anything of significance, and then head out to explore more of these new lands. Strange how effective a routine can be in grounding oneself after tragedy.
Routine does not spare one from surprises, however. As Uther lumbers through the homely redwood, movement catches his eye, and the man turns, alert, to spy the figure of a lioness weaving through the trees. Fortunately she doesn't seem hostile; rather, she appears pensive, perhaps lost in thought.
"Good morrow, madam," The large knight greets, taking a couple steps towards the woman, but careful to keep a polite distance. "Dost thou have business in the Wilds?" Oh, that might have sounded a bit standoffish. "I am Uther, Archknight of the Draighen Order, and the current Overseer of Loscar Wilds, these woods hither. Might I be of aid to thee?"
It is sort of interesting how a path to nowhere can find itself suddenly becoming a path to somewhere or someone. In this case it was the second option because, as Xarera was maneuvering through the trees, a distinctly masculine voice became her guide. The woman’s multi patterned head turned to the right, and her ears flicked forward on her skull. Her once gliding steps came to a quiet halt as the amethyst man spoke his piece to her outright. She was not really looking for anything in particular, but is that not often the case? When looking for something, it does everything possible to evade being captured. However, after surrendering to surrender and not looking for something, that is when it appears. At least that it what it seemed like to the lioness anyways. It was a good ol’ case of reverse psychology and all that brain hoo ha.
“Greetings to you as well, sir,” Xarera said in return in gentle tones. A partial smile graced the gal’s features, quirking up one side of her face momentarily. She took no offense in him asking her business in the wood – that is what any good leader would have done – and answered that in kind. The general atmosphere was a pleasant one, and she would not take away from that. Being an offended hothead was not synonymous with that specific Tsavo lion’s personality. Outgoing though? Oh, most definitely, but not hotheaded or offended. “No particular errand prevails upon me currently. Just getting acquainted with everything Solui has to offer. I am simply called Xarera,” she said introducing herself. “In comparison to your name, Uther, my own sounds rather lackluster.” It was again not something that the lady minded, that fact was merely just something to point out and make conversation with.
An initial shrug of her slender shoulder was Era’s response to the final question posed to her. Could he be of aid to her in that moment? Maybe not in a terribly significant way, though perhaps in a minute manner he could be. She was not ill, injured, or anything of that nature, rather just a passerby in a new territory. “Well, in the traditional sense, no, I require no aid, thank you. If you do not mind a temporary visitor in your lands, then that would be helpful enough to me. I am my own worst company and am better suited to conversing with others around,” the woman said. It was clearly apparent why the purple hued male had taken up position as the resident ruler, presiding over everything. From where Xarera was standing (literally and figuratively standing), he seemed like a decent chap, unique speech and all.
[attr="class","uthsim"]Uther had only come across a sparse few others during his short time in Solui, but these interactions were enough for him to know most people here had some difficulty understanding him, or at least found his manner of speech strange. This fair maiden, however, seems to take it in stride; her own speech is much more familiar to him than most recent conversations.
"Nay, madam," The knight smiles. "Xarera is a most elegant name! It would shock me not to hear such a name given to a fae, or royalty." Fortunately she doesn't appear to be in need of assistance, but seems to welcome his company all the same. "Thou is more than welcome in the redwoods, Lady Xarera. Solui is a vast realm, and pleasant company hast proven rare in recent times."
With a tilt of his head, Uther continues, violet eyes politely curious, "Are thou a traveller in these lands as well, dear lady? Mayhaps seeking residence? As lush as Solui appears, few seem to live here."
Indeed there were a limited number of bones and bodies living within the realms of Solui, especially of the lion variety. The lands were still fresh and brand new, with plenty of potential to populate said lands, and a lot of growth to occur yet. Uther was the first and only that Xarera had encountered within her time there, which was very, very unusual to her. Normally her conversations were many and minute between, but that had not been so here. Hearing his words was a source of delight for the woman, and she was grateful for his purpled presence quite a bit. Of course she had not told him that, and was still deciding whether or not to actually do so, but it was an easy thing to infer, all things considered at present. If all strangers were this easy to talk to, there would not be any more.
“Well now, aren’t you ever the charmer then, my kind sir? Thank you very much,” came the initial response to Uther’s compliment of Xarera’s name. This made the small smile she had on before creep further and reach happily for the depths of her mismatched eyes. Each individual one twinkled brightly like kunzite and peridot respectively. “I am much obliged to you already for your hospitality. And I must say that I feel likewise about your sentiment. Seeing a friendly face that one truly wishes to continue talking to is a sporadic event these days,” she said. Heck, seeing any face was a sporadic event, nonetheless a face that spurred on the willingness to hang around longer. It appeared that she had come to the right place by some fortunate stroke of luck. Wherever it came from, she was grateful to have it, and hoped there would be more too. “Initially, yes, I have just been traveling ‘round wherever my paws took me. Rogue life and all that jazz. But a fraction of me subconsciously always wanted a stable place I think,” Era said. She shifted her weight once, emphasizing the paws that she was speaking of as she did so. “What about you? Have you grown up as a native to the redwoods with the Draighen Order? Or did the forest call your name after all was said and done?” It was interesting to Xarera to learn about the histories and perspectives of others. It made them who they were and why they behaved like they did a vast majority of the time. Some broke away and made a new name for themselves. But that was still a reflection of the past that they either wanted or deviated from. It was no different for two lions in that way.
[attr="class","uthsim"]What a sincere smile the young woman offers him. "It is mere truth, my lady," Uther hums, giving a short nod of understanding as she continues. "Certes, that is true. For such a lush and vibrant land, I have seen shockingly few of our ilk. With time, mayhaps, this will change."
Xarera mentions a longing for some stable place amongst the lands - something the knight could happily offer, be it a temporary or more permanent residence. "Well, if thou wishes it, the Wilds would gladly have you as one of its own." The more the merrier, Uther's mentor liked to say (though he liked to say many things, mostly to try and get a smile out of his brothers), and more bodies in the redwood would certainly make it feel more homely.
Uther's ears prick attentively at the question. "The latter. I arrived in Solui only this month past; the Draighen Order took up residence in a forest not unlike this, and I am prone to sentimentality," A warm chuckle, an amused flick of his tail. " Most my age are, I suppose."
