Her unexpected rise to the throne hadn’t gone over without a hitch.
Not that she had expected it to, or even hoped it would. The challenge only fueled her desire to succeed and win the hearts of her kingdom mates. Like her father before her, she would never presume to call them subjects; each cog was vital to the smooth running of the machine. But she was nothing if not an optimist, and the bumps in the proverbial road were to be viewed as stepping stones instead. She would not fail them, and she would prove herself worthy or die trying to do so.
The darkness of the kingdom had taken some getting used to. At first the shadows unnerved her. Until now she had been used to dewy meadows and her place in the stars. Her life had been centered around all things light and good. The shadows of the Valley at seemed to her like an impenetrable force, as if they were closing ranks to banish the new usurper. But gradually they had thinned and her eyes had become acclimated. Now she leaned into their surprising warmth, winding amongst the trees like an adoring cat through the legs of its master. Like the cat, she was a quiet strength not to be underestimated. The kingdom had blessed her with a powerful gift, one she didn’t quite understand but was eager to explore more. It thrummed through her veins like lightning, barely contained and begging for release. Beneath her soft grulla exterior was a hardened, snarling interior.
Sighing contentedly for the first time in months, she looked over her new home. It was dark and mysterious but it was home. Mist rose from the trees in beautiful spirals, and the lonely howl of a wolf echoed across the ridges. The grulla queen smiled and the moment lost herself to the surroundings. But the far off echo of a new male voice broke her from her reverie, and her eyes flew open in an instant. Within her chest the beast snarled, sniffing the air and eyeing the horizon with slit-pupil eyes. Swallowing hard she choked it down, though for a moment the grulla skin had begun to ripple and be replaced with tawny brown scales. Pushing her delicate face into the wind she called back, though she was already well on her way to the new comers, of which there were now two. As she neared them, a quick whiff and a glance at their minds gave away their home. Ice and snow; Tundra men. Smiling pleasantly she slowed to approach, dipping her pretty head at the gray and palomino. “Welcome to the Valley. Topsail.” she said by way of greeting, forcing her voice into both their minds and raising a brow over one brown eye. “What brings the Tundra here?” Idle banter, that, because she knew very well their motives. Word spread quickly here.
topsail
even an army of sheep should be feared, if they are being led by the lion
ooc - she is a telepath, so anything she says will be heard in their minds