Cedarwood & Velvet

An hour had passed before Cedarwood returned to the Ruins, circling low over the sprawling of stone buildings before piercing the sky with his voice, "Senka! I've found Velvet." The chocolate-hued raptor drifted lower, eyes scanning the terrain before finding a suitable perch atop a short archway.

Not more than five minutes later came Velvet, paddling across the moat with her head tilted up and her whiskers pointed away from the murky waters. She climbed out the other side and shook herself, always hating this one aspect of their home, even though it gave them a defensive advantage. She sauntered towards the forum area and sat back to groom her coat, waiting for Senka's arrival.

Senka

Even though over the months of starting to trust velvet her absence had disturbed senka. She heard cedarwood and came out of the temple. "Care to explain your absence?" She questions

Cedarwood & Velvet

Velvet rose to her paws, putting aside her grooming to give audience to Senka. Her soft brown head was dipped in a shallow bow, "My apologies, Leader Senka." She began, watching the other's body language carefully. "I was investigating possible resources to use against the Makucha. They made things personal when they attacked my children." She lowered her head a little more, "By the time I heard the call to Meeting, I was too far out to make it back in time."

Senka

She listened to her. "Your childten are at fault here. If it wasnt for them they would of never been attacked" she said. "Now the haunters are torn again because tyrant was too emotional to speak up to change your childrens punishment but came and physically stopped it. I have agreed a thrashing for ignorance is too steep but terserk thinks otherwise." She said. "So where do your thoughts stand since apparently finding things against them is more important then your cubs" she said

Cedarwood & Velvet

There was no wavering in Velvet's eyes when Senka decreed their guilt, and Velvet even offered a nod to this, "Oh yes, I know they were at fault. Anything from a rouge alligator to a human could have attacked them while they had the cubs away from the Ruins. The old bog is a terribly dangerous place." Upon hearing what Tyrant did, Velvet's face remained unreadable, as she held her emotion careful in check. So too did she remain calm when the issue of punishment was brought up, and a slight against herself for not being here during the gathering. Velvet refrained from showing anger, but she did defend herself with careful words, "I knew my cubs were safe here with you, though I admit it was wrong to ignore you and Tersek's call. I just felt it more pressing to secure their future safety against those that might harm them." Dark, slanted eyes studied her Leader, unblinking for a moment before they shifted and dropped down.

"If they were not my own, I would agree with Tersek's rules. Life outside this moat is unpredictable, and pain is a motivator unlike any other. A thrashing would be but a small taste of what could have happened, and a healthy reminder of what will happen if they make a foolish choose again," Her former words suggested that she herself might have stepped in beside Tyrant had she been there, but perhaps that was part of her reason for not joining the meeting in the first place.

Senka

She listened carefully. " i will let this slide once next time i will not be so lenient" at her words about the thrashing. "If your children dont recieve thrashings for this type of transgression noones cubs shall. Your cubs are not better then mine or the others" she said. "For now the two are to have no contact with the cubs, they are to be watched rwenty four seven and every day awake thats not eatting or drinking they will be training" she said

Cedarwood & Velvet

Again the lioness lowered her sleek mug in a nod of understanding, "I agree with that as well, no one should be held above another or be treated less fairly. It's just difficult to watch one's own children be punished, so I understand Tyrant's actions." Senka would find little resistance from Velvet as far as thrashing her own cubs, much to Tersek's chagrin. There were other, more pressing things on the big cat's mind, "Training is good; we should plan for a training regiment for the rest of the younglings as well, once they are of age. And in the meantime, I'd also suggest looking into ways of eliminating these Makucha."

Senka

She listens calmly trying to gauge velvets reactions. "Then do you agree a physical thrashing for the first faults of these kind is unwarrented?" She said. A second time however and senka will dish out the thrashing herself. "We will find a way" she said

Cedarwood & Velvet

"I would lean towards that ruling, yes." Velvet answered with careful thought, giving little away to suggest where her emotions lay on this subject. "I'd argue it's a situational thing, but in this case a first warning should be sufficient enough. Besides, I'm sure the younger cubs were frightened enough by the ordeal to not repeat these mistakes." Bias for her own children was certainly a factor in her decision, and the lioness couldn't deny it. On the same paw, she felt the adolescents and cubs had been thoroughly frightened enough in the fight to learn a lesson, regardless to whether they were her offspring or not. "Actually, Senka... I may have found someone who can help us, if we can strike a deal with them."

Senka

Senka nodded then and then sat down.and who is that?She said.

Cedarwood & Velvet

With Senka's attention captured, Velvet sat down as well, after giving herself another quick shake to rid water from her pelt. "There's a strange lizard-beast in the Scar I was attempting to find. She goes by the name Ederelus, and apparently was friendly with our Healer, Quillikahm. I think it would be in the Haunter's interest to strike up an alliance with these monster, to give us safe passage whenever we travel through the Scar. The cubs were lucky enough they didn't run into her on their adventure." Velvet divulged the information at length, "Perhaps she could be used as a weapon against our enemies, too."