NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — His muscles were aching, and it wasn't hard for him to know why. He had been pushing himself particularly hard lately, shape-shifting a great deal and fighting to his limit. He knew that it all wasn't really a great idea, especially considering he had only just gotten over injuries before all this, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice. He had to push himself, for the good of Tanglewood as a whole. Their revolt had technically been failed, but that wasn't because he had been a bad fighter. It was a matter of circumstance, seemingly because the fates were eager to push around and bully Tanglewood in any way that they knew how. Needless to say, he had no intention of not fighting any longer, but he did need a break. He needed some time where he could give his aching body some rest, and he needed it soon. He already had nose bleeds more often than usual lately from overexerting himself, and collapsing in their current environment would be a terrible idea. What was to say that one of the Wanderers wasn't some kind of fucked up cannibal that would eat him while he was passed out? Just the thought was enough to make him shiver, pushing him out of the bunker once more.

For a while, the lion just allowed himself to wander, his paws carrying him through the territory that he knew like the back of his paw. He earned a couple of dirty looks from guards as he passed, but he made sure to return them with withering glares, one eye full of anger and bloodlust. That was usually enough to get them to back off pretty quickly. Eventually, Aurum realized where he was going, as his golden paws hit the edge of water. Blinking out of his exhausted stupor, the angel was slightly surprised to see that he was down at the shore, a hoarse little chuckle leaving him. Part of him wondered if he could swim for it, but that didn't really seem like a great idea, especially in his current state. So instead, he just took a few long strides into the water, allowing it to soak into his fur and slide over his spine. When everything except his head was submerged, he let out a relieved sigh, his eye falling shut. The water had been a bit cold initially, but now it was warm and relaxing, helping his tensed muscles get some well-deserved rest. He knew that he needed to take advantage of it now, considering it wouldn't long before winter was in full swing.

Dipping his head beneath the light waves, Aurum soon raise it back up again, shaking out his soaking mane and letting out a laugh. It had been some time since he was able to genuinely feel happy, having grown bitter and depressed as a result of the takeover. As he looked up at the bright sun hanging overhead, he found himself rumbling, "Thank you. I really needed this..." The lion doubted that the heavens would actually do anything good for him, considering he had turned his back on them, but he wasn't necessarily thanking them. Instead, he was just thanking the sun and the sky above, for still giving him some sense of freedom even in these rough times. — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.

These days were built on gloom and despair, days that left them all feeling pretty down and out. These Wanderers had them pinned, they had stopped them from getting any help from those that would be their friends. No communication was coming out and she hoped that someone would find this odd. But perhaps Tanglewood was solitary and this was normal to them. The painted woman did not know but she hoped that something would happen to break the tide for them and they could turn things back on the invaders. It was just a game of waiting now but she felt the fire in her veins. The needed to push and push till the wall broke for them. Waiting was harder for her, she wanted to strike out against them and make them suffer for their crimes against these Woods. A deep and troubled sigh left her throat as she descended from her porch, gaze shifting from one place to another. They had new creatures here, stealing from them. Taking the prey that was rightfully their's and staying in homes that didn't belong to them. Thieves.

She tried to tune them out as she began to walk along the pathway she had grown familiar with. Her paws touching down on ways that had been worn down before she had even arrived here. Her mind was troubled that much was certain and she felt cracked. Like there was something else showing, was this what she had taken this journey for? A frown marred her features as she weaved her way through patches of tough grass and steady ground. She hadn't been this far out before and the mere fact thst she came to a shore was shocking for the tribal cat. They knew what an ocean was but they never got close to it. To them it read danger, a threat, the unknown. The waters too deep and so the tribe kept their distance. She was taught at an early age to keep her distance as well. So there was panic, sharp and twisting in her gut when she saw two within the waves.

She bolted down to the waters edge, kicking up sand before sputtering to a sloppy stop at the edge of the waves. Her eyes were wide as she watched from where she was, tail twitching with nervous energy. They seemed okay but she did not like it and plus she could not help them if they would need it. The king cheetah could not swim, had never been taught. With this knowledge in tow she began to pace back and forth, never once looking away from those she counted as her friends. "She thinks you both can come back now. Land is better, yes?"

NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — For a while, solitude was nice, and Aurum enjoyed his lone position among the waves. However, he supposed that it was inevitable for it not to last for long, gaze moving upwards as Tide-Fall sank into the water as well. The lion had barely noticed the other when she was merely sleeping in the sand, her form unmoving and his mind far too focused on the waves ahead of him. When she initially waddled into the waters with him, he found himself tensing up, one eyed gaze staring towards her with worry. Not because he was worried about her doing anything to him, but because he didn't know how her swimming skills were. He didn't want to turn away, only to find out that the dinosaur had just been copying him, and was rapidly sinking  down into the depths. When she began to swim in slow circles, however, he found himself relaxing, a slow sigh falling free from his jaws as soon as he saw that she was alright. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before an uneasy look crossed her face, and he found himself questioning, "Tide-Fall? Are you alright? You haven't gotten some kind of cramp, have you...?" He didn't really think her expression was because of something physical, but he didn't want to pry. If she wanted to tell him of her own volition, then he would let her work up to that.

Before he could hear her answer, however, pawsteps into the sand caused him to look towards shore, frowning when he saw Elsweyr rapidly pacing back and forth. She seemed to be pointedly avoiding the waves, instead moving right along where the edge of the water met the sand. He didn't understand the urgency of her movements, wondering if perhaps something had happened back at the bunker. They hadn't come up with any further plans for some kind of attack, so what was the cheetah all up in arms about? He wasn't left to his pondering for long, as Elsweyr's words reached him, and he found a soft chuckle leaving him. Not understanding the other's aversion to water, Aurum just shook his head, speaking in a rumble, "I'm alright, Elsweyr. I came out here so that the water could help with my aching muscles, and it's doing a pretty great job of that right now. I'll come back in when I start feeling cold again... I don't suppose that you'd like to join us?" He tilted his head to one side then, wondering if perhaps the other didn't know how to swim. It seemed so odd to Aurum, seeing as the angel had been taught back in the Pride how to swim from a very young age. Perhaps Elsweyr's old tribe just simply hadn't prioritized it in the same way. It was completely possible that they hadn't had as much water to swim in. — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.