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Raullaur	Afield from Great Forks, beyond the initial ring of homes and farms, to the south where land is finally unclaimed and wild, there is a somewhat strange sight: quite a number of lionment are going through the terrain, and not just like beasts, but like soldiers in formation. Particularly skilled eyes--and ones not distracted by the main body--might catch glimpses of scouts well ahead and to the sides, while in the front of the main formation is a lionman that is taller, broader and somewhat more bestial than all the rest. The others are in lightweigt armor and carrying weapons, moving at a decent pace--not too fast, not too slow--while the leader is just in unbleached linenes with leather reinforcement, and golden beads braided into the large mane. "Split up!" The bass voice rumbles, and he points, "Second, take the east side for patrol. Third, go west. First, stay with me!"
Lucky Raven	Calling Raven subtle in any meaningful way would be... a misnomer, let's say. Which is perhaps why she's ducking around scouts and the like and not doing a very good job of it. She's speedy, for sure, moving at a solid pace as she hops over larger roots and between close-together trunks. But as she draws near the main body of the forces, there's a sudden upsurge of air- noticeable from a decent distance- that carries her casual hop up into the mid to high branches of some of the trees of the area. "Hey, just to check," she shouts out in a loud voice. "These scouts and stuff aren't here to arrest people or anything, right? Whoever's in charge? I haven't been to Great Forks in years but I don't remember lion-person border patrols."
Raullaur	She may well have been noticed, but it still takes time for scouts to get information to the center. "Don't attack us or the city, and we're good!" One of the scouts replies in accented Riverspeak, while another takes off, really quickly, towards the leader--already making his way over with the smaller group behind him after the disturbance of air draws his attention towards the trees. "We're the best merc group you'll find! Lion's Pride." The scout's face has a fierce grin as he looks up at her.
Lucky Raven	"Bit on the nose, isn't it?" Raven questions- not even really sounding sarcastic, just quite earnest. "Be the first I've heard of the Thearchs having an entire mercenary company just... wandering around. Or do you just happen to be around?" She's quite expressive, really, her dirty face shifting brows and corners of her mouth seemingly with every shift of tone- similarly, she gesticulates from her perch up in the branches, colourful nails on her right hand and gold-and-jade gauntlet on her left marking her as... quite unusual, to say the least. If the magical wind-assisted leap and behaviour weren't quite enough for all that.
Raullaur	At this point, the umarmed, unarmored leader gets close enough to speak. "Long-term contract to train the City's armor. Still up for hiring as long as we don't break the first contract." Raul grins, pulling lips back from his feline muzzle. "Came up north from the savannahs around...Prasad? Been a couple of years on our journey, fighting and taking contracts along the way."
Lucky Raven	"Train their armour? You can train metal?" Raven questions, this time indeed certainly being a little wry, a smirk upon her face. A moment later, she hops backwards, catching the branch she had been standing on to swing herself around it and lob herself forward to land cleanly on the forest floor again, cloak making quite the show of fluttering behind her among it. "Though... mercenaries, huh? Pardon the look of me right now but once I get a few things set up, I could maybe use a person or two out of that business. And a few other businesses. But that's definitely one of them. Even if only to have a strongarm or two available in some cases."
Raullaur	Raullaur looks puzzled for a moment, frowning and ears flicking back, then growls slightly. "Army. Not armor." He looks as she floies down, and nods. "Basic contracts are fine, but things that are more serious...I need to know what manner of woman you are, first." He nods. "Raullaur," he says, his name halfway between a growl and a purr. "Who are you?"
Lucky Raven	Raven brightens up considerably at that, launching into a speech that is honestly hard to distinguish between rehearsed and improvised. "I, sir, am Lucky Raven, daughter of Wise Heron, a scavenger lord of some repute in her day! I am also a prince of the earth, as one might say, and something of a capable sorceress besides. And while I am perhaps not much to look at in this moment, I assure you, in due time I will no longer need to introduce myself, people will simply already know." She emphasizes the speech as she speaks of being dragon-blooded by raising that golden gauntlet- two rings of runes, one green and one white, coalesce circling around the forearm of the gauntlet tightly, while the white and green jade nails of the gauntlet begin to glow gently.
Raullaur	"Good enough, Lucky Raven!" He looks at the glow starting and grins, "If you hear anyone talking about 'the Golden Lion', that's me." He sounds amused, but definitely focuses on the gauntlet. "Know some what can do magic. Never got the trick of it myself." And then he looks at the others, and says, "Continue patrol. One messenger stay, the rest of you continue. If nothing else, meet back at the city in three days." And so the rest disperse, leaving one of the other lions hanging a ways back. "So...scavenger lord! If you know a place where we can live and hunt, that we can take by arms or jade...well, if you are going to scavenge and loot there, you'll have a guard as good or better, man for lion, as any you've heard of."
Lucky Raven	"Might be a lot of space for a bunch of fighters that large- both in terms of numbers and being huge lion men," Raven notes, chuckling at that. She looks around herself a moment, hands coming to rest on her hips absently. "Off the top of my head, no, don't have anyplace in mind. But I can probably figure something out sooner or later- there's only so many cities and a whole lot of Creation at large. Or, you know, one of the hundred kingdoms is probably collapsing as we speak."
Raullaur	"Well, for the moment, still working on the army. When we leave Great Forks, I do /not/ want to be on bad terms with the Thearchs." Raul says. "But yes, if one of the Hundred Kingdoms is falling...suitable to defend and hunt on..." He grins fiercely. "We'll start loking into them." He shakes his mane, making the golden beads tinkle together. "I hope you find what you search for in the City of Temples! And if you need us, well...we're for hire. And sometimes fees get waived for friends."
Lucky Raven	"Well, I'll let you know if I find some old rebuildable castle or something- do you like castles? I don't know what the preferred arrangements are where you come from. I mostly know old things, not now things. And magic things. Very specialized knowledge, is what I'm saying. Not so much geography and cultures. You get the idea." She shrugs the mental tangent off, then. "But if you need to take care of your men here, don't let me keep you, I was just half convinced those scouts were more border guards and Great Forks had changed more than I thought since I was gone!"
Raullaur	"We had tents and followed the prey as they went through the savannahs. Still, we had structures, tombs of heros long dead, though they are empty now. Castle?" He shakes hsi head. "Maybe for the next generation, maybe as a center as well range wide and far over the land." He grins, "Or maybe in my old age when I start slowing down. Myself? War I know. To lead battles. To fightin them, and to withstand anything thrown at me. And welcome back to Great Forks, Lucky Raven! Fly far, see keen, play your clever tricks on those who deserve them!"
Lucky Raven	A wry smile at that- "Fly maybe not- I may know windsome sorcery but I myself am more of the woodsy type, if you catch my meaning." She waves it off. "Thank you though- I was born here, actually, but then travelled most of my life. Be interesting to see how much has changed- I hear there's a lot of people seeking exigence, now. Heck, I might've been one of them if I was in this situation without already being what I am." She turns her palms upwards at that. "And hey, nothing wrong with backup castle in case your war camp goes up in flames or something."
Raullaur	"Dealt with Dragons--seen Water mostly," he says. "As long as they aren't trying to kill me or mine, I'm fine with it. For myself? No element holds sway over me. Though if one did...I am not sure if it would be Fire or Earth." He flicks his tail and grins a bit. "ANd a castle gives others a place to attack so you can set up ambushes, especialyl if there's not much important inside.../that/ might be amusing."
Lucky Raven	"Can't say I'm surprised- out by Prasad there's plenty, realm offshoot that it is. And well, find all sorts in Great Forks," says Raven, shrugging and rolling one of her wrists absently. "All war all the time then, huh? Actually might have another thing that I might reach out to you for... a long time from now, though."
Raullaur	"Eh, all war when we need to, but no-one can do all war all the time. I rotate most back out to the rest of the tribe and newcomers come in. Life, play, family...all are important. It is just...I make my living--we make our living--through the waging of war is all."
Lucky Raven	A nod from Raven, a fairly wide bobbing motion, and shrugs. "Couldn't be me- I mean, I know some ways to fight a person and fights do break out in scavenging sometimes- and sometimes entire companies get caught up in those- but I'd rather focus on the digging and the climbing and the exploring, you know? But I guess someone has to take care of it, so... enjoy, I guess?"
Raullaur	"Indeed! So..do you want an escort back to the city? Or simply fly off and get there faster than I ran run?" He chuckles, "The band will do well even without be around--they're just good--so I can get back to them. And don't be surprised if the Thearchs send for you at some point...they try to keep tabs on any Chosen in the city."
Lucky Raven	Raven waves it off, shaking her head and waving that gauntlet again. "Honestly, hopping up into the tree there made it sound kind of fun to treetop my way to the city proper. Like I said, can't fly really, but I can certainly enjoy the travel in other ways." She chuckles at that. "I may not be an army woman but I can handle myself plenty fine. You see to your men and best of luck with... whatever the goal is here. Practice, I assume."
Raullaur	"Can't let the Brides of Ahlat show us up," Raullaur says. "So yes, we practice, just to make sure. Have fun, and may you find what your heart desires, Dragon's Chosen!"
Lucky Raven	Raven's already started walking past, turning to walk backwards as she offers a nod and something resembling a mock-salute. A moment later, she reaches up to the treetops, and uses a different trick this time to ascend- a lash of flower-coated vine lances out from near her feet, snaking right through the open space in her cupped hand and wrapping itself around a sturdy branch. She tugs herself upwards at remarkable speed, and off she goes through the boughs.