Frustration. It was a feeling that Aurum knew well, and one he had gotten used to throughout his journey in Tanglewood. For all the good that his home had provided him with, there was plenty of bad to go around, as well. That seemed particularly prevalent lately, as the stresses of leadership weighed heavily on the tiger's shoulders. He constantly had at least three complicated subjects at his mind at once, all compounded with the fact that he was pregnant. He barely had a chance to stress about his coming children when he needed to stress about The Pitt, The Coalition, and the general welfare of his group all at once. Elsweyr wasn't exactly of much help lately, either, considering her current injured state. Of course, Aurum didn't blame her for that, he just knew that it was something he needed to deal with - for better or worse. At least he had Moth, he supposed, as well as Siborno, to provide him with some form of companionship, and counsel. There was also Arrow, as well, but he figured that the apparition was busy, given her recent close relationship with Elsweyr, the new shaderunner no doubt worried out of her mind.

Aurum had decided that, if for just a little while, he needed a break. He needed some time to clear his mind, and he saw no better way to do so than to head out into the swamp itself. The land outside of the town was blissfully peaceful, and he no longer really minded the soft and messy ground, as he had gotten used to it over time. Not only that, but he knew all the best routes across the logs, just so that he could avoid his golden paws getting too covered in muck. The luminary eventually traversed his way over to a small break within the thickly blustered trees, settling his stomach down on a nice dry log while he let the sunlight pour down over his back.

The tiger's golden fur greedily drank in the warmth, and it wasn't long before he felt his eyes beginning to close, sleep beginning to claim him. However, he was jerked awake by a sound nearby, his eyes frantically cutting through the air before they landed on none other than Arrow. He blinked for a moment at the ghastly figure before he spoke, a faint chuckle leaving him, "...Arrow. Hello there... I wasn't expecting anyone to find me out here." Had Elsweyr been in a better state, he might not have been so surprised by the shaderunner's wandering. After all, what better was there to do, when you were a ghost?

A soft snort left Aurum as he listened to Arrow's words, amused by her feigned remorseful attitude. He was glad that she at least seemed to be somewhat like her usual self, even with everything going on. Or... perhaps she was just faking it, which was certainly something that he could understand. He had spent plenty of time faking that he was alright, grinning and lying through the pain that resided in his heart, digging in deep roots. While he felt alright at the moment – outside of his current luminary stresses, obviously – he couldn't deny that some things still weighed heavily on his mind. Things such as all the old friends that he still missed, lost for many months at this point yet still lingering in his head. Old friends such as Leroy, Crow, Delilah, Red, and Selby. Hell, even Beck still lingered on his mind occasionally, despite all the problems that the young ghost had. However, he knew better than to dwell on his memories of them for too long – it would only lead to more useless pain, considering there was no way for him to bring them back at this point.

Getting back to the moment at hand, the tiger slowly stretched out, his front legs sticking out until a popping sound echoed through the air. He let out a relieved sigh before resting his chin back on the log, a smile on his muzzle as he spoke, "Hmm... I suppose I may be able to forgive you. Perhaps... if you bring me some chocolate. The cravings are killing me." He then let out a soft snicker, making it clear that he was joking. He'd never make one of his friends go and get him something for his cravings – he was perfectly capable of getting some chocolate from the tavern all on his own. He was honestly a bit surprised by his own joking around, considering how serious he usually was these days. It seemed as though Arrow's presence put him at ease – or maybe just made him act more like when he was younger, when he had first arrived in Tanglewood.

Letting his gaze wander over the trees that surrounded them, the tigress then mumbled, his tail flicking freely behind him, "I didn't mean to wander out quite so far. I guess I just... wanted a bit of time away, you know? Things have been stressful lately, and I figured the cubs would do well with a nice nap in the sun. Can't say I'm sad that you're out here, though." He tilted his head to one side, one ear flicking as he queried, "...How have you been doing lately? Even aside from all the... ghost stuff... I'd imagine you're worried about Elsweyr." He was worried too, obviously, but he didn't have quite the same connection with Els that Arrow seemed to have.