Jael Indra | M | 20 y/o | Alpine Ibex| Aramore's Market PLace| Rancher/Cattle Herder | Mentions: Open, Indirect To Market Folk And Cattle.

The click of his herd's hooves kept him moving forward, the Ibex soon merging with the herd to slowly shift back into his normal form, a mere crudely dressed herder. Unkempt hair was tied back, and clothes that would suit a mere commoner seemed to be his attire. With a quick stretch of his arms, Jael walked with the cattle. He had to shoo some of the herbivores from some of the market people's goods, mostly fruits. The stubborn cattle only continued to press onward on their misbehavior, causing dirty looks and angry shouts from the occupied stands.
Jael only gave a sigh, since he didn't need this kind of drama this early in the morning. With a quick, "OI!", did the cattle get thier head in the game and continued to press onward, crowding up the main road. Goodness, this was semi-embarrassing. He wasn't even close to the slaughter house and yet here he was, grabbing a couple of the bovines by the ivory colored horns, trying to steer this light colored freemartin, which appeared to be the lead cow. The other was darker colored, with the same colored horns as the other, tried to urge past Jael. He wouldn't have that, as this behavoir would only continue and most likely cause a stampede if it wasn't taken care of. Pulling the dark one back, he gently nudged it back towards the others behind. He believed violence was not the answer when dealing with his animals and he would not tolerate it. They were, after all, his precious babies. Most of the he had raised as calves and he hated to see some of them go, even if it helped him survive in this society.
The freemartin snorted and shifted to return to her herdmates, which obviously were too stubborn to make room for themselves and other's walking along the street. Numerous other cattle nudged and shoved each other, bawling and lowing almost to the point of tone that you could tell. Jael only shook his head at them, gently smiling. "Hey, hey, settle it down, girls..We're close..Almost.." He could tell they were getting slight agitated, patting one on the fluffy head. Surely nothing decided to spook the creatures, which would only end in disaster.

[ Aron Eld III ]
Male • 27 y/o • Wyvern Shifter • Stratham King
Location: Castle • Mentions: {Directly} Azarias

Aron did little to hide his own amusement with their predicament, amber gaze sparkling with mirth. “It will only take me a moment,” he promised, a more serious expression swiftly replacing his former nonchalance. “Wait for me in the war room and we can discuss this further.” With his orders given Aron continued on to his chambers, quickly changing once behind closed doors. Normally preparing for the day would have taken him much longer, but even he would not prolong the inevitable. This was not a conversation he could rightfully avoid.

He wore the usual the castle servants came to expect from him; close-fitting deep red breeches followed by a black silk shirt with an open collar, the flowing sleeves lined with the same red as his breeches, and a finely woven dark blue jacket quickly pulled onto his form. Dark boots finished off the ensemble. Fingers combed through curled ginger hair and once he was certain he met the bare minimum for what was considered an acceptable appearance for a king, he left to rejoin Azarias, entering the war room minutes later and taking a seat at the head of the long table stretching across the room’s center.

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[ Casimiro Vicario Herrera ]
Male • 26 y/o • Owl-Jaguar Gryphon Shifter • Aramore Blacksmith
Location: Marketplace • Mentions: {Directly} Kenna / {Indirectly} Luciano

The pear was finished within a few rapid bites, the succulent fruit doing little to quell his hunger. He longed for the taste of raw or lightly cooked meat on his tongue, but the urgings of his stomach would need to wait. There was work to be done. Each day was much the same. He ate whatever scraps could be spared or the generous offerings of friendly merchants at the market while leaving the more filling food for his sister-in-law and children during the day while he was at the hut. Then, once his work was done, he changed forms and stalked the woods in search of wild prey.

The flash of a midnight black pelt moving through the crowd alerted him to the presence of one of the kingdom’s knights passing by. The melanistic lion shifter wasn’t an unfamiliar sight and caused Casimiro little worry as he had never known him to cause trouble. The soft patter of approaching footsteps had him rising from his stool just as Kenna entered the small hut. “It certainly is ma’am,” he replied with a welcoming smile. “It still needs some shaping, but it should be ready for you by tomorrow afternoon."

Forest Mikasi
|25Yrs|Bernese Mountain Dog|Male|Prospective Bodyguard|Aramore|
|Loc: Aramore Market|MD: Natalia|MI: N/A|
Forest's first thought was that his idea was certainly not working...Natalia was heading towards the nearest neighborhood block, not the palace. Though, now that he thought about it perhaps his plan had left out a few important details. This was distressing...at this pace surely he'd miss his appointment with the king? At the same time though, he couldn't leave the princess walking about the city unguarded. What to do? What to do? His only real option was to play along, and try to herd her back in the direction of the castle. Giving a chuff a breath, the dog continued his act, dancing around the princess as much as a dog of his size could dance.

Okay turn, block her path, think herding dog.... Looking back toward the inner market, Forest stilled as cattle came bawling into the market place, making quite a few people stumble and scramble away in the process. A few of them were getting too close to Natalia making the Bernese Mountain Dog very uncomfortable....he knew how dangerous the herbivores could be when riled. Stepping between the bovines and the princess, the former doctor gave out a low growl at any of the creatures whom came too near...not enough to spook them (unless they were really paranoid), but enough to get them to stay away from the man's self appointed charge.

Azaya Qwyn
|27Yrs|Qilin/Unicorn|Female|Healer|Strathum|
|Loc: Border Forest>Strathum Market|MD: Catherine|MI:N/A |
Sharp turquoise eyes flew past those in the market, studying one before moving on and repeating the process. There were quite a few people in the area, but to the Qilin hybrid's satisfaction...the Strathum Marketplace wasn't bustling by any means whatsoever....thank the stars above, she didn't have to deal with too many people. People usually had the annoying habit of being well...annoying. It was a pleasant surprise to find a normally crowded area so thinly populated...would it be to much to hope that the strathum citizen's had decided to revolt against their king? Probably.

First thing on the list, get Woval a new collar.

Giving a sharp 'heal', Azaya navigated her way through the thing crowd, her dog by her side and her magpie perched safely on her shoulder. This was the first time she was replacing her dog's collar, and to her disappointment the woman soon found that the individual she had first purchased Woval's original collar with had retired to the country. The news was disappointing, and quite honestly the Doctor had no clue where she would be able to purchase another one. She would have to ask someone...looked as if the day was quickly falling downhill. Glancing around the woman's gaze almost instantly landed upon a sturdy woman whom was looking over the stalls. She looked like she was a capable no-nonsense sort of individual...certainly a better option than asking the knight whom had just strolled by. Azaya had seen enough Knights in the past few weeks to last her several lifetimes.

The unicorn hybrid quickly made her way to the woman, her walking stick clicking on the cobblestone road, before speaking. "Excuse me, I don't suppose you would know where to get a dog collar around here?" Azaya absentmindedly leaned against her stave, as she waited for a response.

Jael Indra | M | 20 y/o | Alpine Ibex| Aramore's Market Place| Rancher/Cattle Herder | Mentions: Open, In/direct to Forest

Kenna Castleroy ||26 y/o || Knight || Aramore Marketplace|| Tagged: Directly-Casimiro, Natalia, Forest | Indirectly- Jael

Her smile grew wider at the confirmation that the sword would be finished so soon and she thanked the blacksmith before stepping out of his shop and casting a quick glance around the relatively busy marketplace. Her eyes danced over the forms clustered here and there before settling on the large herd of cattle being lead right down the middle of the area. Surprise filtered through her, but she made sure to keep her distance from the bovines. She didn't want to cause any of them to spook, after all. Her eyes landed on the strange creature at the head of the herd and she figured he must be the rancher that tended to the animals. She gave him a friendly wave before turning to head back to her home.

As she turned, she hesitated when her gaze landed on the dark fur of a Bernese Mountain Dog. The canine was standing protectively between the herd and one of the shoppers and she almost overlooked the young woman. Something about her kept her attention however, and Kenna shifted her position to get a better look. As she did so, shock flooded her as she realized that the woman was no ordinary market patron. It was the princess! Eyes widening, the knight hurried towards them as best she could without startling the cattle. "Princess?"

Natalia Grace Vendela | F | 22 y/o
Aramore | Heir | African Painted Dog
Castle > Marketplace | Mentions: "Buddy" aka Forest lmao

Natalia was distracted for more than a moment when a herd of cattle came marching through the rocky streets, kicking up small stones and startling those of the marketplace further into their booths in attempts to flee the sharp hooves and horns. Buddy, the tricolor dog beside her, shifted nervously and tried veering her of course. But even with the dog beside her, the cows didn't seem to take much notice- besides one cow near the front who eyed them warily, accompanied by her farmer. Before she knew it, however, Natalia was pressed against a stony wall with the Bernese Mountain dog in front of her, baring white teeth at any bovine who ventured too close for his liking. The Princess couldn't tell whether the dog was actually protecting her or if he just didn't liike cows. Her lips twitched up at the thought, and believing all the cattle to be gone, she moved to take a step into the street.

The final cow, quick-stepping over the stones in an effort to catch up to her herd, shoved hard past the Princess with her meaty shoulder and sent the young woman careening back into the stone wall, where she almost stepped on the poor dog near her feet. A shock of breath left her lungs and she froze for a moment, hand over her fast-beating heart as she watched the bovine skirt another few people and finally arrive at the tail end of her companions. Natalia let out a breath of relief for not getting stepped on and gently rubbed her right side, where the cow had shoved her. The streets were beginning to refill with people, though Talia was still too dazed to remember just what she'd been doing. A distant voice at the back of her mind beckoned her home, but another one, much louder, called her towards the woods on the outskirts of town, where she could run to her hearts content, exploring the wilderness. Until her father's appointed guards came to drag her back to the castle, kicking and screaming. Mostly figuratively, of course.

"Princess?" The unfamiliar voice accompanied by that single word nearly sent Natalia running. And she would have been if the knight wouldn't have already been in her face, curious eyes detailing her every second she was looked at. The brunette girl blinked and tried to brush some hair inconspicuously into her face as she adjusted the hood over her head.

"Er, no?" Natalia knew it was of little use. Most people that would recognize her would be the knights, and there was no way one of them would believe her lies if she told them she was just a commoner. However, Natalia didn't recognize this knight fully, so perhaps... "I think you'd find the Princess nearer to the castle, dearie, not in the streets," she let her voice crackle in an attempt to sound older, and downcast her eyes as she tried to turn away. The brown garment she wore helped her blend into the stone wall as she slipped around a corner and into- an alleyway?! The Princess froze again, this time with frustration building in her belly, and turned to wait for the knight. Talia knew she wouldn't lose her that quickly, not with a simple turn off the main road, but at least the Princess could choose where they'd create a scene. And it wouldn't be in the middle of the marketplace, where any commoner could have a reason to harm or kidnap such a wealthy target.

Talia knew the dangers of leaving the castle walls, but those were partially the reasons she went. She trusted her own intuition if not the common people, but apparently her intuition was a bit out of wack lately. Not only was she deemed follow-worthy by someone's pet- she glanced around, suddenly frantic, in a search for the dog. Had she left him out in the streets to get trampled by cattle? She moved to take a step back into the streets, looking for Buddy, only to step directly into a dark figure, her lips parting in a low gasp.

_____________________

Azarias Makar Afanasy | M | 30 y/o
Stratham | Head of War | Grizzly Bear
Castle | Mentions: King Aron

Azarius was tense before, but the King's easy eyes and gentle smile left him feeling responsibly calm as they faced each other. He still kept his gaze firmly on Aron's face, his own posture straight and tall, putting him just a few inches higher than the King himself. As Aron gave his orders and turned to head down the corridor, Azarius gave a curt bow and nodded towards the other man.

"Yes, of course m'lord," he responded gracefully, straightening back up and turning right back around the way he had just departed from. It only took him a few moments to return to the war room, gingerly snatching the dagger he'd shoved into the map near the border of the two Kingdoms. He placed it to the side and swept a hand through his dark, slightly unruly hair. It was only another second before Aron entered the room and took a seat at his place at the front of the war table.

"Well," he sighed and laid his hands at the edges of the map, a few dark brown locks curling down over his forehead as he glared at the border where the dagger had lain. "I've come up with two options, sir, and I'm afraid neither of them are... well, reasonable. But I believe they're two of the only main options we have." He met his gaze for a moment but was too involved in his planning to do much else besides continue.

"The Royal Conference might have to be held in one of the Kingdom's castles. Which means either you or King Vendela would need to agree to house the other for one night, leaving that one not entirely vulnerable, but much more susceptible to any threats, like a possible assassination... Or we could have our knights travel ahead and set up a camp near the border, perhaps request assistance from a farmer near there. They'd set up things for your arrival and King Vendela could do the same, and we'd hold the Royal Meeting there, at the border. This does come with quite a few dangers on it's own, but of course, is held on neutral territory and means neither Castle has to house possibly unwanted guests. Especially if not everything is resolved on the first day... Royal Conferences have occasionally been known to last more than two days."

The frustration had built up once more while he spoke. They weren't as unreasonable as he had thought, but he was disappointed this was the best he could do under such important circumstances. He looked towards the dagger and resisted the urge to grab it up and stab it back into the map. He placed his finger over a stretch of empty terrain on the map, sweeping his finger over the space until it met the dark ink strokes of the forest there. "There is empty land here, and the border stretches right through it if you favored the second option. We have a lot to discuss either way."

Polaris Vendela
M | 41 | Aramore King | Quetzalcoatl
Location: Aramore Castle
Mentions: Natalia, Rose

Polaris watched, delighted, as his wife twirled around him like a filly. It'd been so long since they'd flown together, since they'd spent any time together really. It seemed everything needed to be done. There were so few moments like this now. So few moments of calm and joy, yet every one would wash his worries away like rain. With the wind ruffling his feathers, he felt freer than he had in decades. With the sun on his scales, he could almost pretend he was young again.

As his wife spoke, his thoughts turned back to concern. It was comforting to know she had little luck with letters, but her worries were his. It hurt to be unable to help. He could send the knights himself, Rose's father couldn't outweigh the word of a king, but that would cause tension he didn't need. The best they could do is remind him of the dangerous times they're in. It's easier to provide caution instead of protection in this case.
He let out a sigh at Rose's question. "I have no clue where to hold this meeting. Going to either kingdom is out of the question. And meeting on the border?" He let out a barked laugh. "We'd be targeted by every bandit for miles. We'd be lucky to walk out with our lives, let alone an agreement." Polaris sighed deeply. There seemed to be no way out of this. Perhaps he should just go meet with the dragon on his own lands. If worst came to worst, he could out-fly King Aron. The man was a wyvern, he'd need a bit of time to take off. Polaris chided himself. He couldn't assume this would end badly, he had to at least pretend he trusted the other, how else would they sort this mess out?

Rose's comment about their daughter caught Polaris' attention. "Well, some people say Quetzalcoatls look like eels, perhaps she's taking after her father?" He gave a smile and a laugh that was cut short with an idea. He trilled with delight and twirled around his partner. "My dear,, what if the Royal Meeting isn't held at our kingdoms? There are plenty of lords who have pledged to neither of us and as guests we'd be unable to act against each other! Perhaps your father could host us? I believe he's still neutral in the eyes of law, but if not, it should be no trouble finding other lords to host us."

Jael Indra | M | 20 y/o | Alpine Ibex| Currently Leaving Aramore's Main Market Square, Arriving
At Aramore's Slaughter House| Rancher/Cattle Herder | Mentions: Open

[ Aron Eld III ]
Male • 27 y/o • Wyvern Shifter • Stratham King
Location: Castle • Mentions: {Directly} Azarias

Aron had an eye for detail, one could say. Whether this was a common trait of his species or the result of being a particularly meticulous person one couldn’t say. There simply weren’t enough dragons left to tell. Azarias’ frustration had been obvious to Aron from the moment their gazes met, and if that hadn’t been any indicator the distinct mark of the knife formerly lodged into the map certainly was. He suspected his head of war would not have good news to share and prepared himself for whatever options he was to be offered.

His head tilted forward slightly as Azarias began speaking, revealing he would have only two plans to choose from, neither easy. Ah, but when was war ever easy? For a moment his face grew solemn before a more neutral expression swiftly replaced it. “Very well. Continue,” he commented with a coaxing wave of his hand. Though it seemed the encouragement wasn’t needed. Azarias was quick to pick up where he’d left off and that brought a subtle smile to the king's face. It was always a pleasure to watch a focused man perform his trade,

The choices he was presented with had him raising an eyebrow. It seemed clear to him which path should be taken, but he supposed Azarias felt obligated to share both. “I doubt Vendela wishes to rest his head under my roof and I am in no hurry to become familiar with his castle’s interior either,” he replied, voice even and a flicker of amusement glinting in his eyes. “Your second plan sounds the most plausible.”

Sensing the other male’s vexation rapidly returning, Aron hoped finalizing a plan would bring the bear shifter some peace of mind.. “It makes sense to set aside a neutral area for a meeting, even if only temporarily. A location closest to the border would be best, though we must make certain not to put any civilians at risk."