[PRP] A Brisk Meeting [Soyala x Elsa]

[Kolina]

"It's quite brisk here."

The rogue female moved through the snow leaving a trail in her wake. Her blue hide worked well with her surroundings but the type of cold terrain she found herself in was not something she was all that accustom to. She had been searching for something besides the constant flat plains of the savanna. Naturally she headed in the direction of the mountains that loomed in the distant horizon. What she hadn't banked on was the incredible temperature difference and the....snow. She wasn't sure if this cold substance between her paws was something she'd be able to deal with for long, but she was certain some sort of adventure had to await her up here. After all, even though it was...brisk, the weather had been quite fair up to this point and she had been able to enjoy the warmth of the sun. She could do without the snow blindness though.

With a heaved sigh that exposed a puff of breath Soyala lifted her eyes from the cold ground to look up at the looming mountains. Well, those that were not the one she was currently trudging over. "I wonder if anyone calls this place home?" She muttered to herself. She hadn't seen any signs besides the occasional hare or bird, but that didn't mean someone didn't take up residence up here. She had not seen any visible signs of crossing into claimed territory, but who was to say she'd recognize anything amongst all this white stuff?  

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

Queen Elsa was happy, to say the least. She had a family of cubs to take care of, and sure it was stressful and time consuming on top of ruling a pride, but she had never felt so content in her life. She finally knew what love really was. She had Tikahn, the lion that had captured her heart, and now her cubs, who gave her a complete feeling unlike she had ever known.

Growing up isolated, Queen but distrusted because of her pelt and reputation for being cursed, she had never allowed herself to grow attached to anyone at all.

She was out for a walk while her cubs were being taken care of, being all but ordered to go and stretch her legs and paws a bit. It was good for her to get out and not stay in the den, where she had been for a while now.

She was surprised to hear a voice, and watched the blue lioness for a moment, not getting too close. She could easily be lost in the snow, her icy blue coat helping her to blend into the ground and sky at once. She smiled, tilting her head and pondering for a moment before she walked forward.

"There are a few of us that live here, yes," she said gently, not aiming to startle the other.  

[Kolina]

Soyala turned at the voice. She blinked once as she took in the visage of the other blue lioness before smiling warmly. It was a surprise to see someone up here since she hadn't seen anyone for quite some time. Plus, this other female was of a similar hue in coat. Well, blue and whites certainly had to work well here. "Well I am glad to know I am not the only one up here then! I was beginning to think I might have been a bit crazy to want to explore this area." She turned herself so that she was facing the lioness. "I hope I didn't invade on any of your territory. It's rather hard for me to find my way through all of this....stuff." She gestured to the snow that 'littered' the ground. "Everything begins to look the same after a while."

"Oh! I am Soyala by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

((OOC: First time RPing here so I am feeling this gal out a bit. Hence the slightly tentative posts. haha))

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

"Actually, we have a pride not too far from here, in a dip between the mountains, where there is a large, frozen lake. We live on the island in the middle, and it is a very nice place. There are a lot of us who like the cold and snow, and have learned to live with it."

She smiled gently, swishing her tail behind her thoughtfully, always happy to meet new faces, whether they were passing through her lands or there to stay.

"You're more than welcome to pass through here, we don't mind visitors from other places. You can stay in our pride if you need the rest, as well, we have plenty of dens to spare, even for a day or two."

She was surprised that the other didn't seem to know what snow was, shaking her head. She had snow flakes on her very pelt, and felt like she was one with the snow more than anything else.

"This is snow. It falls from the sky, like water. Oh. My name is Elsa. I am Queen of this pride." She nodded her head gracefully, though she never stood too much on ceremony unless it was important. Making new friends was a different kind of important, though, and she hoped Soyala remained at ease.  

[Kolina]

"Oh! A Frozen lake?" She tilted her head to the side trying to picture it. "Is it white like the snow or blue? I mean, I can see why someone may like it here. It -is- pretty in all it's monotone. I am just so use to the yellow and greens of the plains. Not to mention the warmth." She chuckled.

The idea of staying with the pride for a few short days was intriguing. It certainly wasn't something that had crossed her mind but maybe it would be good for her to rest before making her way back down to the plains? "I May take you up on that offer. As much as I am enjoying my little adventure the snow makes the journey all that more tiring. A Day or so of rest certainly wouldn't hurt. Plus I wouldn't mind seeing this frozen lake."

As the female began to describe what snow actually was, Soyala's eyes grew wide. She was about to comment when the lioness introduced herself. She chuckled to herself after Elsa introduced her title and shook her head. "Only I would have the good luck to meet the Queen of a pride of a frozen land and not a border guard or hunter." Her smile never waned. "It is a pleasure to meet you Queen Elsa and may I add I am awfully grateful you are so down to earth! I am sure your pride adores you for it. Not to mention your beauty." She winked. "I mean, the blue pelt has to be highly sought after up here."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

"White, for the most part, though some of the ice and the water can look very blue, especially when the sky is clear. If not, it can be a little grey as well, when it is snowing." She smiled fondly, loving her home so much, just talking about it made her feel very warm and content.

She did not blame the other for being more used to the brighter, warmer lands, though. She had spent a lot of time in the rogue lands, and had experienced first hand, or paw, just how different things were out there.

"Well, I will take you there! It's not too far, so you shouldn't be too tired. We can rest if you need to."

Elsa had always been kind, though she took her position in the pride very seriously. She was a fair and determined queen, and though she could be very gentle and kind for the most part. Some had a hard time believing she was a Queen, when she left her home, and she was rather alright with that. Those that needed to were aware of it when it was important, and that was what mattered.

"Ah... well, to be honest, there are some that think icy blue or white pelts are... well. Cursed. They believe that this curse is what has made the snows so heavy in recent times. Sometimes I almost believe them, but there are so many more that do not share those views, so it is not something to be ashamed of. I think blue and white pelts really are beautiful. Yours certainly is."  

[Kolina]

As elsa described the lake Soyala's smile grew. "Oh yes! I can't wait to see it! I hope I can all of the colors you mentioned it can turn to."

It was amazing how warm and kind Elsa was. Elsa had to lead a wonderful pride. Soyala envisioned a pride full of lions who were content and happy. How could they not be with a pride land as beautiful as the one being described to her. Not to mention Elsa's gentle and kind personality had to encourage the same from the pride.

"Oh, I am fine to start walking now. I am not all that tired yet." She waited patiently for Elsa to begin to lead the way as the Queen informed her of some of the prides prejudice towards a certain pelt color.

Furrowing her bow Soyala tried to comprehend such a thing. "What a ridiculous thing to think. How could a pelt color determine if someone is cursed or not? Especially blue considering you, their own queen, has a blue pelt and you're far from sounding like you're cursed. Maybe they're just jealous of our pelt color. I mean, blue is such a pretty hue! I agree that our blue coats are not anything to be ashamed of and I would tell anybody that." She winked at Elsa. "Thank you for the compliment! I have to admit I love the shade of blue that you are. It reminds me of the frozen water I've seen around here."

The idea that someone could feel like someone is cursed was just...ridiculous and Soyala really hoped that Elsa did not take the hateful words of others to heart. Like the queen said, where there were haters there are also many who oppose such a cruel train of thought and those who opposed those thoughts well...they need to open their eyes to what they're doing wrong.

"Anyway, shall we be off towards the heart of your pride? I am so excited to see everything!"

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

Elsa smiled and nodded, feeling excited to show this new traveler the pride, just because the other seemed so excited to see it. She moved to lead the way, not having trouble with the snow. Over the years, she had learned to walk in the snow and on the ice, and it was now a part of her day to day.

"Well, when I was born, the heavy snows began to come. The King and Queen, my parents, were killed because of it. Many believed that because my pelt was so different from the rest of the litter, it was a curse put on me. I cannot explain why I look so different to my family, but they are all gone now. Claimed by the snow. I am the only one left, and I will lead this pride, until the idea of a curse is finally gone."

She believed that she needed to prove herself. Some days, when her confidence was bad, she almost believed the negative comments. But she was trying not to let that get her down any more.

She was a Queen, regardless, and needed to always remember that.

Shifting the conversation toward lighter questions and comments, she led the way back toward the pride, until they came over a crest in the hills of the mountain around the valley and looked down into the large area. The frozen island was in the center of the expanse, the pride perched in the middle of an iced over lake, as she had said. She smiled to see it from this vantage, finding it beautiful, though that might have been her own pride for her home.

"There it is."  

[Kolina]

Soyala happily followed the queen through the snowy wonderland. She truthfully was amazed that anyone called this home. Not to say it wasn't a beautiful land, but her body was beginning to really feel the cold, not to mention her poor paws.

"Just because you were born looking different? That certainly wasn't fair. I am impressed though that you're taking everything in stride and doing the best you can for a pride that well...practically shunned you. I am not sure if I could, but then against, I am not in your paws. I never really felt like I had a place to call home. Perhaps one day I'll find it and begin to understand why you decided to stay here and rule."

Continuing the journey, Soyala trudged along at Elsa's shoulder, enjoying the conversation that they were having but it all stopped in the lionesses mind as they created the hill and the frozen lake sprawled out below her. She really didn't know what to say. If she had thought the mountains were beautiful covered in snow this was so much more. "I...wow..." was all she said for a moment as she tried to find her words. "I couldn't have come close to imagining this."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

"Well, I don't have much choice in the matter... I mean, this is my home, and I was born royal... whether some believe that or not. I am Queen, so I will do everything I can for my pride, and for all of my followers. But it can be... difficult some times... as I am... a little shy, I suppose."

She looked at the other lioness sheepishly, ears drooping a bit. She could not help herself, really, because she was easily embarrassed some times, and meeting others was difficult when she was just trying to be a normal lioness, and not a Queen. She supposed it was easy for her to be detached when she was acting from an official standpoint. When it was personal, it was a lot harder.

It was nice to fall into silence and admire the pride, and Elsa smiled warmly at her home, never tiring of the sight. She glanced at Soyala, and her smile widened happily.

"It is nice, isn't it? Come on, it's a faster walk down there than it looks. I hope you're okay with walking on ice, that's the only way across to the island!" Elsa laughed and ran forward, sliding down the soft snow and hurrying down the slope of the hill, down into the valley that surrounded the island and lake.  

[Kolina]

Soyala took note that the conversation was not something that was easy for Elsa to talk about, so instead of pushing the topic she let it fizzle out with Elsa's last comment. She made sure though to give Elsa a smile of encouragement when she looked her way. That was the least she could do, because this Queen was quite special and she hoped the members of her pride all realized that.

"Oh yes, it's very lovely!" She was quite happy to just stand there and stare at it when Elsa mentioned walking on it. "Whoa..wait? Ice?" But before she could get the last word out Elsa was already on her way down the hill.

With a bit more hesitance, Soyala followed after the Queen as snow flew up around their paws during their quick descent. When they reached the boundary of the ice Soyala paused, unsure of herself. She stared at the frozen liquid, as if trying to understand what it was. Hesitantly she put one paw on it, then another. "Oh...I can handle this!" She said brightly and made she confidently trot across the surface but she had barely taken 3 steps before all four of her paws slipped out from underneath her and she fell hard on the ice.

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

Elsa smiled at Soyala and chuckled encouragingly, knowing that it was generally intimidating to meet a large stretch of ice when one had no experience with it. Of course, she had plenty of time over her life to get accustomed to skating over the ice one her paws.

It was second nature now, as easy as walking.

"It's not as hard as it looks! You can do it," she moved to stand on the ice, letting her paws slide more than she was trying to actually walk on it. It was like skating, the slick surface lending itself well to their furry paws and sliding.

Wincing, she looked back to see that Soyala had fallen. After such a promising start!

"Oh, dear. Here," she slid over to her, trying to offer her a shoulder to lean on. "You can lean on me and I'll help you get to the island. It's all snow and ground again over there, and not ice. I know it can be a little difficult to get the hang of right away."  

[Kolina]

Soyala looked up bashful as she stumbled to her paws. "You make it look so easy!" She attempted to walk again without Elsa's aid, trying to use her claws to give her traction but to no avail. Unlike Elsa, the thought of gliding on the ice as opposed to merely walking on it was not a concept that Soyala was able to grasp yet.

Having fallen again, At least as spectacularly as her first fall, Soyala caved and leaned against Elsa to navigate across the icy terrain. When they finally made it across the ice, Soyala heaved a sigh of relief. "This area could be used as a prison if you wanted! Just throw someone over here who can't navigate that ice and you're set!" She giggled at the thought, knowing full well that Elsa would do nothing of the sort.

"Despite it being so difficult to navigate, it really is quite beautiful here. I guess I can see why some would think to call this place home." She smiled warmly at the queen. "Thank you for letting me come here."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Kolina

Elsa laughed.

"That might be a good idea, though we've never had to punish someone quite like that before. I like to think of it more as a game, and you will get the hang of it in a little while! It just takes practice, and getting used to the way the ice feels under your paws."

She smiled, thinking about when she would teach her cubs how to walk on the ice. She would have to know how to explain it to them, and how to be gentle with them to help them learn. They were still a little too young for it now, but she knew soon enough they would be all too curious about the ice and the world outside.

"You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. And I'll help you on the ice, don't worry," she chuckled, though they had at least managed to reach the pride after this effort. It took a little time for everyone.

"I'll show you to the dens our diggers built for guests, and you can rest in one if you'd like. They are built into the ground, so they capture and keep warmth better than you might think."  

[Kolina]

Soyala laughed with Elsa. "Yes, a silly idea." She winked. "I am sure once I get the hang of it I'll think of it more as a game. Right now it almost seems like an impossible feat but I am sure I'll get it with your assistance." Soyala smiled as she looked at the frozen lake. Despite the difficulty she had navigating over it she could still see the beauty of such a thing. Practicality wise, if Elsa's pride ever had conflict with anyone, the ice would make a good barrier to get across. But that was the practical side of Soyala speaking.

At the mention of a den Soyala apologetically dipped her head. "I have to admit, after moving around the snow, and being unaccustomed to it, I am quite tired. I think a good rest would help quite a bit. And if those dens are warm then I'll quickly doze off I am sure." She smiled.

Lithiasaur