What a LOVELY day-- nevermind. [Mapatano/Ingi/Ajili] - FIN

[wooga Paes]

He flicked his ear at her irritably. Ugh, he hated when strangers acted like this around him. "A bit judgmental, don't you think? Lions eat whatever way they feel like eating, whatever way works for them. Fat doesn't mean healthy, just as much as thin. Each lion is individual. " He grumbled, taking a few half hearted nips at the rabbit. Great, now he'd lost his appetite. Amazing how he lost his appetite with food talk. Grumbling in annoyance, the lion slid the dead hare over towards the pudgy cub, standing up and walking away, though not too far off and simply sitting down, raising his nose to scent the wind.

"It doesn't smell the same. " He commented to Hisa, who'd just arrived beside him, standing next to him and tucking her wings in. "Its probably because of the stirred up earth. " She did't have a great sense of smell herself. "Does it still smell like home? " Mapatano sighed, and lied down. "Yes. Maybe. I don't think it will ever be the same. " Hisa sighed, glancing back at Ajili and Ingi, who were out of normal earshot(unless anyone screamed). She should go apologize to them. Turning away from her bonded, she took to flight, landing once more before the lioness and her son.

"Excuse him. He hasn't exactly had the.. nicest time. "  

[[. Rozu .]]

Bright cub was too interested in the limp rabbit carcass that was pushed in his direction to listen to what the adults were talking about. It was too full of big words that he didn't understand and which probably didn't involve him anyway. Eyebrow raised as Ingi lifted his head to thank Mapa, only to see him padding up ahead alone. "Thank you!" He managed to squeak out after him, hoping that he might have caught it before he was out of earshot.

Looking back down at his new meal, nostrils flared to soak in it's tasty scent which made his stomach growl even more. Stopping himself from taking a first bite, gaze turned to look up at his mother and he put on a little grin. "What about you, Mamma? You want some?" He would as because now that he thought about it, neither of them had eaten in a while.

Before getting the chance to look back at it, ears twitched as Ingi watched the bird approach them, questioning expression across his round face. Curiosity getting the better of him, question rolled from his mind to his tongue without much thought. "Why do you follow Mapatano? And why did a bird follow Umoja too?"  

[[Eskimo]]

Ajili frowned at Mapatano's reply, but before she had time to reply, he walked away. Had she said something wrong...? She thought she'd been lifting the mood quite a bit, but it had all gone to waste in a matter of moments. What a strange lion he was. He seemed very tired. And thinking back on the earth shaking, she knew why; he'd been separated from all his family and friends, too. Maybe some of them had...died?

"Oh, poor thing!" Ajili murmured to herself quietly, the ever-recognizable face of a worried mother showing clearly in her expression. No wonder he was so grumpy. But he showed at least a flicker of consideration by giving her cub food. Well, she'd make sure to act extra nice to him and have Ingi do the same. They'd helped the two of them get out of those tunnels, after all. In a way. And they were allowing her and her cub into their lands without question. It really was good of them...But she still felt a tug in the back of her mind that told her she was being naive; maybe it was dangerous where they were going? She shrugged it off. Still, she had to keep searching. She had to keep going forward. She had to look for her mate...For Ingi's sake. Besides, what could possibly be going wrong in those two's pride?

"Oh, Ingi, thank you." Ajili replied to her cub's question, snapping out of her trance-like train of thought. She smiled warmly at her cub and moved closer to him, taking just a few pieces of meat, leaving the majority for her son. It wasn't like the lavish meals they'd have at home, but it would have to do. "Now eat up!" she told him, licking his cheek.

When the pretty bird flew from Mapatano to join them, Ajili smiled. Her smile grew when she heard the kite explain kindly about her bonded's current mood. "Oh, yes....Hisa, you are called? Yes, I can understand..." Ajili answered, a slight sigh escaping her. Then she waited for the kite's reply to her son's question, quite eager to hear the answer herself.  

[wooga Paes]

At the cubs question, Hisa blinked at him, tilting her head, then turning her attention to the mother again. "Good, then. " It was good. Hisa wasn't exactly a protective bird, but she wouldn't enjoy these strangers bothering her bonded quite much more, as much as she wanted to be polite to them-- especially the cub, who'd gotten them back.

Now she could answer the cub. "Follow isn't exactly a good way to put it. " She said, then flapped her wings to land on a nearby rock, like one settling to tell a story. "We're more than just.. birds who follow lions around, see. A long time ago, though not too long, Umoja's great grandfather founded this pride; but not before he'd saved a magnificent eagle, a martial eagle just like Mfalme, from the claws of a brutal king who ruled the lands at the time. This wasn't just any martial eagle, though. This was Hestia's mate at the time. Hestia was furious towards the brutality that'd befallen her mate, and helped Umoja's great grandfather to overthrow the kings pride and estabilish his own. "

Here she gave a paw, as if to allow it to sink in to Ingi's thoughts, since cubs were often rather scatterbrained. "She also granted the pride a boon. Since then, each pride member would be paired to a member of the avian species, who would not only assist them, but be a companion for their entire life. Usually its birds like me and Mfalme, raptors, though I guess there may have been a few exceptions. " She shrugged. "It's us, the birds, who chose 'our lion', like I chose Mapatano and Mfalme chose Umoja. " She nodded smartly, that was certainly a choice she didn't regret, despite his awful moods.

"If one of us dies.. " She might as well explain that bit. "We'll eventually chose, or if you're a lion, be chosen by another. " She said this a bit sadly, however. She could hardly imagine losing Mapatano.  

[[. Rozu .]]

Ingi watched patiently for this mother to finish her share and didn't think twice before taking his turn at nibbling away at the rabbit himself. It didn't take him too long before he had eaten enough to satisfy his hunger and tie him off until they found another meal. Plump cub rolled to the ground and rested at Ajili's feet, pawing at them playfully with a little growl before he heard the bird speak.

Story! Ingi wasn't one to ever complain about listening to a story, oh no. Flopping onto his side where he could see her and give her his full attention, he rested his chin on his paws and listened to what she had to tell. Ears twitched as he followed along, trying to picture what the kite was saying as she explained, suddenly intrigued. I want a bird friend...

Ingi tried to picture himself with a feathered companion like Hisa was to Mapatano and he couldn't help bug grin wildly. Maybe it could even take him flying one day too! Ahh the fantasies of a young cub.  

[[Eskimo]]

Ajili listened to Hisa's story in an almost trance-like state. When she had finished, Ajili looked upon the bird and her "bonded" in a new light. She glanced off to where Mapatano was. Suddenly, she felt closer to the lion. He wasn't just some gruff stranger. He belonged to a pride and his best friend was a bird. With a faint smile, Ajili looked down to her cub. He appeared to have enjoyed the story and was daydreaming. That was a good sign. It meant he was relaxed enough to let his guard down and be happy again. Ajili was filled with happiness at the thought. Her brave boy...She felt blessed to have him.

Ajili wondered how it would be like to be raised with an avian companion. She'd heard of various lions wandering around with other types of creatures, but to be raised from birth with the expectations of soon having a bird which would be with you forver, until you died...It was so strange.

But enough thinking. They should get moving again. There was still much ground to cover, she guessed, since Umoja was no where in sight just then. Getting back up to her feet, Ajili nuzzled at her cub. "Come on, Ingi love." she said quietly. "Let's get going again. Your daddy loved to walk, didn't he?" Her eyes glazed over at the thought of her mate. She tried to take her mind off of it by thinking of Hisa's story. "Thank you, Hisa." Ajili said after a pause, suddenly remembering she hadn't thanked her for telling them the story. It was very useful information, considering they were heading straight into an unfamiliar pride.  

[wooga Paes]

Smiling to herself at the attention, Hisa hung around here until Ajili spoke up again, and immediately spread her wings, taking off her perch and flying over to Mapatano, merely calling to him in a shriek, though making it loud enough to travel a bit further, wondering if Mfalme would reply, kind of a way to pinpoint where he and Umoja were. She nodded in satisfaction as she heard something back, moments later. It was a bit fain, perhaps dulled by those loud vultures or distance, but she could hear him.

"C'mon Mapa, " She circled around her bonded once then glided ahead aways, making a small circle so he would catch up.

With a sigh, Mapatano pulled himself onto all fours again, watching the red kite for a few moments. He wished he could tell her some things, sometimes, but this little secret of his was a bit too private even for her. But if he was lucky, they'd soon get home and it'd go right back to the way it used to be and he could stop thinking about it.

He looked back, allowing Ajili and Ingi to catch up a bit before continuing to walk.  

[[. Rozu .]]

Snapping out of his blissful daydreams, Ingi shook his head and looked up to see the bird fly away. Oh how he wished that it wasn't just a dream, that he could always have a beautiful friend such as Hisa that could be his companion 'till the day he died. Oh, how everyone would envy him and his magnificent flying friend, he couldn't help but giggle at the thought.

Tripping over his paws in attempt to get himself up, clumsy cub tumbled forward with an oof. Pushing himself to his feet, Ingi turned to Ajili and beamed up at her. "He did? Oh yeah!" Inspired, a grin spread across his maw and he turned to follow behind Mapatano and his fluffy tail. The tail which he wished so badly to play with but decided not to in order to stay on the lion's good side. Instead, his gaze locked on thie distant horizon and quietly hoped for the end of this long journey.

And so their seemingly endless walk continued.