[PRP] Written in the Stars (Artemis/Asta)

[Painted Moose]

There was little to occupy Asta's mind as he traversed the rogue lands. His solo journey was meant to be one of great mental exploration; something to help put his soul to rest. It was the reason why he had left his family in the middle of the night, abandoned his post, and vanished. These struggles were his and his alone, even if he had inadvertently caused more by such an abrupt departure.

The night was young, and so was he. Lusciously luminescent stars guided his path across the open landscape. It was as if they were leading him somewhere, but where he knew not.

 

[Tanakako]

Her head was still swirling with it all. How oculd it have happened? What had they done wrong? Had Nix amandoned them to their fate? Shaking her head she couldn't quite bring herself to believe such a thing. Their Goddess wouldn't simply abandon them, no matter how bad an error they had made, and Artemis couldn't recall no infraction major enough to turn their Goddess from the pride.

Yet still she felt bereft. Lost and adrift in a world that made no sense any more. Maybe that was why she had wandered so far from the dens, through the pride she had known her entire life, devoid now of friends and family, each skattered to the four winds of change. Her paws had taken her, through the land she knew into one she did not. The roguelands. She was a rogue now, no longer beloning to a place and time in which her life had been nurtured. Pulling a deep breath into her lungs, hoping the shock of it would quiet the tumult of her mind at least for a little whiole, the tall lioness looked about, pale moon-lit eyes searching the savannah all around.

She was a creature of the night and the darkness was her friend. Her eyesight far more keen and well adjusted than any day-living lion. So she spotted the large dark male easily, despite his coloured which blended into the shadows cast by the thin cresent moon. She may be prideless, but she still had her many years of experience and she held he rhead high as he drew nearer.

"Hello there stranger." She called in greeting, her voice melodious, a little husky, and easily confident.

Painted Moose

Sorry this took a while!

 

[Painted Moose]

Tanakako

He may have passed her up entirely had the lioness' coat not been quite so luminous. He had never seen anything like it in his life, and the markings that framed her mesmerizing gaze reminded him of the moon itself. While Asta may have kept his head aloft with a look of cold indifference he was actually in awe of her.

"Greetings." His voice was a deep, gravelly timbre that was only made harsher by neglect. Asta was a lion of few words, and preferred to allow his actions to speak for him.

"Are you a Goddess in mortal form?" The way he asked it, so point blank, might have been comical because of the sheer seriousness in question. What lioness could possibly look like the sky itself, and not be celestial?  

[Tanakako]

His question, delivered in such a serious manner, prompted a light and airy laugh from the lioness, yet it wasn't condascending, rather it was almost wistful. "Would that I was. Maybe then I would not be as lost as I am." She replied, completely honest and open as had always been her nature. Her present circumstances might be difficult for her, but they had not altered who she was. It would take a lot more than the loss of her home and pride to break the confident and experienced lioness. After all, she had been a red fledgling, her life had been far from easy and she had managed to still rise through the pride to one of its highest ranks. She may now be rogue, but she was still essentially herself.

Tilting her head she studied the big, dark hued male for a moment. He didn't look like the few rogues she had seen thus far. He had less scars and was considerably bigger than the scrawny scavengers around these parts, "Where are you from?" She asked curiously, as blunt now as he had been a moment ago.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Tanakako

Her laugh caused him to quirk a brow. Perhaps he had been correct after all, though it seemed as if he wasn't. Pity. "This may be the blind leading the blind, but I can help you find where you're going." So long as it was a location he could bring her there. If it were a mental lost, such as the state he was in, then Asta wouldn't have much help for her.

"The Likno Tis Zois. It is a pride to the south of us," His words were clipped, but not unkind; just blunt. "I left my family behind for a time to find myself, but the months have been long and I am still very lost." Looking to her now, he tossed the same question back at her, "Where are you from?"  

[Tanakako]

His voice, rough and harsh, reminded her of her brother, and in truth the two were fairly similar in build also. But that was all, for this male was as blue as she herself, a mirror of the stars circling high above. Smiling as he offered the bare minimum about his homeland she found herself intrigued by his comment. So he was also without family and pride, if only temporarily. It was a tenuous link, but it was one she felt drawn to.

"My homeland is gone now... Only my brother remains to me." She glanced back over her shoulder, but she knew he was not there. Ares had said he would be away hunting for the night, as like her, he was a creature of the darkness and avoided the daylight as much as he could. He would not be back until near dawn. Studying the lion before her again she smiled, a small yet genuine expression of happiness. "Will my blind guide lead me somewhere where we can rest a little?" She asked, voice free of any subterfuge, full only of her genuine desire for some company.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Tanakako

Concern furrowed his brows, slipping through the stoic mask he kept up at all times. It was just the slightest shift, but one obvious enough to the trained eye. "I'm sorry for your loss." He may have left his own home behind, but it still remained. His family was tucked in the traditions and lore that had raised him, guiding him into the adult he was today.

"Of course. How can I refuse?" Asta canted his head to the side, nodding towards the east before walking that way himself. Even at a slower pace his pace was clipped, forcibly faster by his longer strides. "If you and your brother wish it, I can help with finding a new pride for you to settle in. It would be a pale comparison to your home, but it would do well enough to keep either of you from being completely displaced for a while." He led her to a lone tree near a little watering hole; something the larger herds had passed up all together. It simply wasn't big enough for the bigger prey beasts, but made for a nice spot to rest.  

[Tanakako]

She lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. Too casual, for despite her apparent acceptance, there was a haunted look in her moonlit eyes for a brief moment. Then her typical assertiveness returned and she smiled at him. "Thank you." The words came out softer than before as the lioness glanced back over her shoulder. Though this time she was not looking for her sibling, but off into the distance, the wistful look joined by recent sorrow.

Turning back she seemed to mentally shake herself, moving forwards to match her step to his, her own long stride keeping up to him easily. Artemis was not a small lioness after all. As they walked towards the tree she mulled over his offer, but eventually shook her head. "That is a kind offer, but I don't think either of us are ready to consider settling back down.p for a while. I need time to mourn, I guess... " She confessed with a soft sigh, as she settled down at the base of the tree, tail curling about her hind quarters before she looked up at him expectantly. She rather hoped he would stay and provide her with some company for a while. It would be nice to talk and spend time with him, even if it was only for the few hours before dawn arrived.

"Tell me.... What have you discovered during your travails?" She wanted to ask about his homeland, but the topic seemed delicate, so she settled for the next best thing, tales of his rogue adventures.

Painted Moose