ooc; despite this being in another sector, the avian estuary is actually very nearby the orchard and the soulless forest, and being that a lion's roar can travel for miles, it would make sense that she knows he's there.

He loved the water, and for a split second as he slithered into the marshy depths he imagined this was a place he could call home. That thought didn't last long, though, as the birds in the trees began to frantically call out - announcing the beast's presence, or perhaps just causing a ruckus for the hell of it. "Oh damn it all,? he chided irritably as their shrill cries forced him to tuck his ears tightly against his bushy mane. ?Shut your infernal beaks,? he roared with contempt, the sound echoing and silencing the creatures for but a moment. He was sticky with mud and dirt, and the water was not clean enough to rid him of the debris. As he lifted his frame onto the central island in the estuary, his sodden underside dripped onto the dry earth. ?Of all the places...? he murmured to himself, though loud enough to be heard. It wasn't as if he were afraid of anyone or anything in the world. He shook, taut skin responding by flicking away whatever debris clung loosely to him. It didn't do much to improve his appearance, but he'd never been a beauty-pageant kind of guy anyway. There was a squishing sound, rather like someone had chosen to enter the estuary as he had. Could it be his siblings? He knew they weren't around, he just wasn't certain how near. ?Elan? Ezra?? ?speak,?

She patrolled her home idly, but her thoughts were interrupted by a distant roar. Brows furrowed in confusion. She had never heard such a noise before. Picking up an easy lope she would cross her territory, exiting within a matter of minutes. As she grew closer to where the sound had come from, her pace would slow, skull dropping to become level with her spine, chin tucking slightly, tail straightening to align with her spine, ready to act as a rudder. A voice would call out names, a strange looking animal searching the area around him. She would stop, examining the strange creature for a moment. She had never seen such a thing before. Nostrils quivered, inhaling his peculiar scent. Creamy limbs would pull her forward slowly and into his line of sight, a brow lifted. "No, Sibelle." She would keep a comfortable distance between herself and the stranger, examining him with curious verdant eyes. He a huge! His coat was rich golden color, and his entire neck was covered in a thick mane that varied in color. And he was dirty. Muck clung to him in various places, he had obviously been swimming as water slowly dripped off his pelt. What was he? She didn't want to be flat out rude and ask, she did have manners from time to time. Her light defenses remained intact, unsure if he would lash out or if he was friendly. Was he a threat to her pack? Or just merely a creature passing through? "Talk" "You" Think

It wasn't likely that his siblings were nearby, surely he'd have sensed their presence by now - them both being so large and somewhat boisterous. His thoughts were quickly confirmed as the voice of a woman echoed through the air - though it was nothing like that which came from his own species. A canine was in view, and as he swept his amber eyes toward her he noted her smallness of stature. He was not afraid of her, and so a simple retort would fall from slightly uninterested lips. ?Sibelle, then.? He idly noted her mild defenses, but took no offense to them - he would be afraid of himself if he were in her position. At least she was bright enough to fear that which could rip her in two. ?Please tell me you're not fool enough to live in this godforsaken place?? He was speaking in reference to the bird-chatter filled marsh he was standing in at the present time, and not Alacritia as a whole. Hind limbs folded neatly as his back half sunk to the earth, no longer dripping but still damp and dirty. He shook his mane for no other reason than to increase her obvious interest before settling into a relaxed state, perched upon his haunches. Unconsciously his claws would curl, ensnaring the ground before retracting back into their sheathes and stretching out once more. He kneaded the soft earth like a pleased kitten, wondering just what this little she-wolf would do. ?speak,?

Amber eyes landed on, her name rolling off his tongue easily. She would chuckle at his question, ears swiveling at the screeches of the birds. "I do not, fortunately." Her verdant gaze would follow him closely as the man reclined onto his haunches, muscles rippling vaguely beneath his golden pelt. She would watch with curiosity as he shook himself, the mass of fur around her neck shaking magnificently. "I don't mean to sound rune, but what are you?" A sheepish grin would pull at russet lips as the Queen remained standing, her defenses slowly slipping away as she relaxed little by little. Thick plume swayed behind her, her gaze bright with curiosity that was unspoken. Even where she had been born, she had never seen such a creature before, she didn't even know they existed! Could there be more like him? Surely, there had to be, she couldn't imagine that he was a loner with no family what so ever. After a few moments she couldn't help but sit, haunches folding neatly beneath her, her tail curling around her rest across her toes as she sat, listening attentively. "Talk" "You" Think

Her chuckle came, and he was surprised at how similar it was to his sister's lilting laugh - though more coarse. Elsa certainly had the smoothest of voices. 'I do not, fortunately.' Ah, did he sense a fellow loathing for the birds' incessant calls? His siblings often teased him that he was crazy for disliking birds so much, but he held firmly in his mind that any sane being ought to hate the feathered creatures. 'I don't mean to sound rude, but what are you?' There came a chuckle, slithering out from betwixt his long and pearly fangs. ?Haven't seen a cat before, eh? I am a lion, little she-wolf - one of the biggest of the cats.? Handsome voice tapered off as he allowed himself a moment to scent the air. For the time being, it seemed they were alone. He preferred it that way, he knew wolves ran in packs and wasn't prepared to take on hers at this precise moment. Still, her pack status piqued his interest and he would question her idly. ?Are you alone, Miss Sibelle?? Perhaps, had he truly thought about it, he would have realized how sinister his questioning her like this might seem. A large and hulking beast querying a smaller wolf about how alone they were was no less than creepy - but alas he didn't think about things like that. Even still, his tone was as innocent as he could muster - he truly was just curious. ?speak,?

He would chuckle, a deep rumbling noise before he spoke. He was a lion, one of the biggest cats. Interesting. A lion. She repeated it several times in her mind, committing it to memory. br>"I must say you are the only cat I've ever seen. You should be honored." Humor rattled her tones, as a smile graced her features. Eyes twinkled with mild amusement that slowly faded. Another question rolled off his lips, one that she found to be odd. His tone was innocent enough, but the question was enough to set a red flag. She would eye him carefully before a moment, but never skipping a beat. br>"One is never truly alone. My pack is only a mile or so back. I rule over the forest, the river, and the orchard." If he meant any ill will against her, she hoped that would be enough to deter him. But he didn't appear to hold any hostility and seemed friendly enough. br>"Do you have a name?" She had yet to ask, and he never offered it. It seemed only fair that if he knew her name, she should know his, especially if he was going to linger so close to her home. "Talk" "You" Think

It seemed he was the only cat she had ever seen. It made sense, in a world of wolves it wasn't often that cats took part in fraternizing. He nodded his great hulking head, chuckling as she mentioned he should be honored to be the first cat she ever saw. ?You should be honored to have a lion be the first cat you ever see, we're quite the eyeful.? Arrogance radiated in his tone as he tapered it off long enough to hear her answer his previous question. So, she had a pack - and was the leader of said pack - that owned the forest, the river, and the orchard. ?That's quite the expanse of territory, little wolf. Just how large is your pack?? Perhaps curiosity killed the cat, but it only served to feed Enzo's conceiving mind. ?I have been called many things, but my name is Enzo.? He wondered the numbers of wolves it would require to hold such a vast amount of land, and how much of it was chock full of prey he was probably too large and heavy to catch. The wolves, they would have no trouble pulling down meal after meal, he suspected. He had seen a pack hunt before, knew of their agility, speed, and teamwork. His curiosity piqued as he contemplated many things. The gears began to grind and rotate in his mind as thoughts came together, forming ideas. Idly, and unbeknownst to him, his claws began to knead the earth as he pondered and plotted within the caverns of his own mind. ?speak,?

Thankfully the man had a sense of humor. But the arrogance that radiated his words had a smirk curling her lips. He would compliment her extensive home before questioning the size of her pack. "I have recently taken the throne and the lands with it. My pack is still small, some of the original members fled, but my numbers are growing steadily." She would provide a brief explanation how why her home was so large before going into brief detail about her pack size. At the back of her mind, a plan began to fester. He was expressing a bit of interest in her pack, more so than to be expected. Perhaps a deal could be reached? The Queen would not have a problem with having a man of his stature on her side. Gears would turn as he gave his name. Enzo. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Enzo." While his claws kneaded the ground, the tip of her tail would flick idly every now and again. "I don't mean to be so forward, but could I perhaps entertain you with a deal of sorts?" Her crown would tip to the side, a brow lifting in question. She didn't know if he would accept, but there was no harm in asking, all he could say was no. But she got the faint idea that he wouldn't jump to deny her right away. "Talk" "You" Think

The rusty little she-wolf seemed to let his own social ineptness roll off of her like droplets of water. She answered his question with little hesitation - and kept vague yet specific at the same time. Amber eyes met emerald as she mentioned how new her pack was, and how they were small but growing. ?The pleasure is mine, little wolf.? There was no mocking nature in his tone, no sign that he was giving her grief for being a wolf. In fact, in terms of how he normally behaved - it was actually quite endearing for him to refer to her as anything but her name. His tail switched behind him, tipped in the deepest of ebony. His mane quaked briefly along with a chuckle as she spoke her fear of being too forward, and her desire to propose a deal. ?There is no better entertainment, please - say your piece. Deals have a certain allure, and I like you - little wolf. I'm sure we can work something out.? The degree in which she tilted her head, he would mirror but in the opposite, twisting his head the opposite way. His own brow raised, letting her know he was both curious and prepared to listen to what she had to say. He hadn't dealt much with wolves before, but of all of them he had to admit she was the most tolerable. ?speak,?

There was no denying that she had taken a liking to the man. He had a sense of humor that she could enjoy and he seemed pleasant enough. He was more that willing to oblige and even willing to work out an agreement of sorts. Taking a breath, the woman would begin. "I propose a friendship of sorts. In exchange for your strength and protection so to speak, I will grant you a home amongst my lands and hunting privileges, along with permission to join pack hunts and share in the feasts. Only condition is, I would like your loyalty to be with me, rather than the pack." It was a simple proposition that didn't need much explaining. But she knew that she wanted to keep her loyalty for herself, she didn't want to loose such an asset to someone else. Who knows, they could actually end up being friends one day. The queen would fall silent, verdant gaze resting on him, waiting for his response and any conditions he have want to add or change. She was open to just about anything, so long as no harm came to her pack mates. Hell, she would even let him chase off trespassers if that suited him. It would probably save her a lot of trouble. "Talk" "You" Think