Her father was weak-willed, as Elisheba had come to discover as she had grown into her full size. A elegant leopard now as an adult, she held an air of dignity and power wherever she walked. Head held high, she sat upon her perch outside of the royal dens. The wind blew around her and the snow was cold against her back. A cold that she and her subjects were growing used to now. Sitting against a blanket of white and grey, she looked out over the slopes that made up her colony of survivors. Her eyes narrowed to look through the falling snow and for a moment the young leopard looked more mature but also somewhat cold.
She had taken the reigns of her father's colony from her young, sickly brother. He was ill fit to rule as is, as he followed in their father's footsteps with his womanizing and flirtatious ways. How could one be devoted to their people when they were so devoted to themselves? Being the oldest, it had only made sense that Elisheba become queen after her father and mother went missing after an avalanche nearly wiped them out.
A thick wine red tail swayed gently to curl beside the large paws of the young queen. How would she be able to rule a kingdom in the mountains when her kin were made to climb the trees?
"Your majesty.."
The deep voice of her grand master broke the queen's concentration. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, the pink eyes softened at the familiar face standing behind her. Ah, Barafu-taji. He was an old member of the Mlima Tuokoa, the colony her father, her grandfather and countless other sires before her had led. A grand master, he had once led the active defense and growth of the colony's land. Now his title was gone, his band of explorers disbanded while he was trying to rebuild and find as many members as he could during outside of the colony's land. He and his band were the only ones who truly knew of what the rogue lands could offer and how dangerous they could be. Though he was beginning to stay at home more and more. Perhaps it was age or something else, but Elisheba would be a fool to deny his council in these trying times.
"You may approach." Elisheba replied, turning her head back around to continue looking over her new kingdom.
The striped leopard bowed his head and began his approach to her position. He came to rest on her right side, standing a little ways behind her. Standing at full attention, he was powerful looking leopard with the age and maturity to show with grey fur and the way he held himself, but his strength was also shown through experience, through the scars littering his body.
"My queen, I bring news from the lands beyond your's."
He had her attention once again, but Elisheba did not turn from her stare into the snow in front of her.
"We have located another survivor, a huntress by the name of Suk'tamu has rejoined our ranks. Beyond her person, we have yet to locate any other survivors. There is still no word from the other children of late king Heinrich." Barafu-taji relayed his information with a hint of sadness. He had watched those cubs grow up and to not be able to return them to the earth pained him and weighed heavy on his heart and mind while in the snow. The purple leopard sat where he previously stood, letting his eyes move from the back of his queen to the landscape in front of her.
"One by one they come home," she murmured solemnly. Hopefully one day that would mean the rest of her family. Despite he ill-content nature towards her father's rule, she missed him dearly as did she miss her mother's company. "Thank you captain, is there anything else you'd like to report or will that be all for today?" Hopefully that would be all and she would not be in his company again. It was not as if she disliked, no, quite the opposite, but him coming to her always meant some small amount of sadness would be added to the already great amount she bore on her shoulders.
Shaking his head, the captain sighed softly. "No, that's all. There was a small rockslide toward the base of the mountain which has prevented us from setting out on any new expeditions." Soon enough he knew those searches had to stop. They were sucking the resources the colony had left dry with so many of it's members leaving in search of survivors...and bodies.
"Good." Elisheba glanced over her shoulder towards the long-time member of the colony, letting her eyes fall towards the empty spot beside her. "Would you sit with me a while? You company would be appreciated. If you have no other duties, of course." Even as a queen, while she could demand him to sit with her, she would not. She would not become some needy monarch who forced all to do bend to her every desire, but her rank did grant her some amount of influence.
"Of course. Is there a reason behind your request though?" He asked as he rose from the rocks and padded over to beside Elisheba. Without hesitation he sat along side her, looking outward over the lands that had belonged to the line of Riho of generations. All except the tree tops only slightly visible as a blur of dark green in the distance. The lions controlled that now. Silver eyes narrowed. He had heard the stories, of the attack and of how Shan Furen saved the colony from certain destruction by leading them up the mountain.
Suddenly, a touch jerked him from his thoughts. Quickly he glanced to his right where the queen's head now rested against his shoulder. There she pushed lightly against him, forcing her cheek into the fur that covered his back even more. Was she sleeping? Resting?
"You majesty...?" Barafu-taji questioned quietly.
"Shush." A single word from her and he smiled.
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