private thread, preemptively tagging as m because kera

Kera was starting to get sick of the sight of Eridanus, by now. Or, perhaps-- not so much the sight, but the smells. After festering in Orion for so long, which was generally devoid of plant life, nature smelled too strong for her delicate nose.

But fuck, that owl was not right.

Rift surely needed company other than geese and the goose's visitor's anyway-- and Kera knew exactly where to find him. She padded through the bed of moss, ducking under ferns that kissed the fur along her back, until the white wolf appeared through the brush where the kingdom was keeping Blackberry hostage.

She slowed down a little ways away from the cage, waiting for a moment-- in case the cat happened to be busy or mid-conversation with the resident prisoner. She could wait, at least, if he was-- the moss was comfortable enough to sit on.

@Rift

Rift was, in fact, underneath the roots of the tree where Blackberry's cage was kept. His presence seemed to calm her down some. Or, at least, she seemed to have fewer breakdowns when someone was close by. He didn't mind it - after all, Blackberry didn't exactly say much. But the scent that touched his nose was familiar enough to distract him. He stood, murmuring a quick "Excuse me," to Blackberry and stepping outside. Kera was back.

A purr rose in his chest as he stepped forward to greet his old friend. They hadn't had the chance to really talk before when she'd come to see Blackberry so it was good to see her back. "Hey, Kera," he purred, reaching forward to press his nose against her cheek.

@Kera

It had been a while, Kera realised, as she dipped her head down and shoved her forehead against Rift, gently, affectionately. "Hey, how have you been?" she asked, settling herself down to sit. It was nice to slow down for a while, at least.

She flicked her ears, looking over the cat for a moment. He'd changed a lot-- he was green and brown and he had antlers, now. "Have you slept much?" She asked a little more thoughtfully, briefly peering over her shoulder towards the cage, and then back to Rift. "I can't imagine it's been quiet here."

Not while Blackberry was held down in one place, at least. Many needed closure, more wanted answers. Even Kera couldn't resist going to see her at least once, though it had been a lot more stressful than she thought. She didn't like thinking about it too hard, truthfully.

The wolf grumbled, for a moment, before speaking further-- conversationally, rather than accusingly. "One of your lot came to see me," she said. "An owl asking about the Terror of the Caves over there. Did you send her?"

@Rift

Rift returned the affectionate gesture for a moment before pulling back and sitting himself down as well. "It's been alright," he responded, a little dismissively. In truth, being a King was a lot more work then he'd really wanted out of the job. Especially now.

He shrugged a little, raising a paw to rub at the side of his head plate. "Eh, lately I've been a little busy. I'd rather be the one to keep an eye on Blackberry in case anything happens so it hasn't given me too much time to relax." Although, to be honest, the job itself wasn't difficult - Blackberry was a relatively easy prisoner. The rest of the Kingdom, it seemed, functioned perfectly fine on their own.

He licked his paw and began cleaning the back of his one ear as Kera spoke, not pausing as he responded. "Oh, Aetius? I didn't send her, but I recommended she seek you out if she wanted to know more. She talked to Blackberry too - why she's so interested, I don't know, but she's certainly idealistic."

@Kera