[AIM RP: Tahja & Ume]
Moyenda heard from Sutekh that his son was no longer coming back. He had to admit he was a bit of a selfish lion. While he knew his son was off doing something noble, something that Moyenda could be proud of, he wanted him here. Maybe it was more so because he thought his son to be more of the weaker type, the type to stay with his parents in their den rather than seek independence like his siblings had. Moyenda still saw them but it wasn't the same when he was all alone at night.
However, admittedly, he couldn't hang around all day dilly-dallying. He had a job, a responsibility to the pride no matter how common the occupation. The pride was family in its own way and thus he couldn't let them down. Making a face of resignation, he slunk out of the den by himself - Sutekh had gone off on his own earlier that day - and scanned the horizon. Hunting was a new thing for him and he still wasn't the best but he had gotten better. Good enough to be able to choose what direction to go off in. But as though to contradict all that he had learned, he chose the direction he felt like rather than the one that seemed most profitable. He could afford to be selfish, right?
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She was no seer, but all the same Soa had the strange sense that something special was meant to happen soon. It was intuition if anything, that led her to believe this, and it hadn't led her wrong. She'd seen a maned wolf on the borders of the lands, but when she tried to catch up with it she'd fled. Ever since that day she'd been out looking, searching the borders for signs of the she-wolf. That was how she came across Moyenda.
As she could recall from her parent's discussion his mate and the pride's founding nanny, had disappeared, spirited away. There was some concern from Johari that the vultures might have gotten her, but she wasn't the only one that hated to think such a thing. Matifu had been sent out to search, but had reported nothing back that indicated such. Moyenda had been left to pick up the pieces and wonder what became of his mate. Soa could recall seeing him at the morning ceremonies, wondering if she should address him, but never knowing what to say, and she decided that today would be different.
Her search for the unnamed she wolf could wait today, as a princess of the pride she took her duty to look after it and their family very seriously. Soa considered herself lucky to be born into a role that fit so well with what she loved to do.
"Moyenda, morning... Are you off to hunt?"
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While Moyenda knew well of the royal family and having had a conversation or two with them, even owing it to Muroki for letting him join, he had not become close to them like Laini and her mate, Matifu, were. He was a little more introverted, a little more concentrated on his family. It was a blessing and a curse in the sense that it left him more isolated than the average pride member. So he smiled ackwardly at her when she addressed him and quickly went fetching a name for her. "Morning, Soa. Yes, I was just on my way to do that although I am in no great hurry." He hoped that he had chosen the right name. The four royal princesses had similar coats and he was cursed to be bad at names. He didn't know what she was off to but he supposed if she has stopped to chat, she wouldn't be bothered by conversation. That was, he was so caught off-guard being talked to that he forgot she had started the conversation.
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"Don't let me keep you if you change your mind, but would you mind a walk to oasis...?" She didn't get to see them often, but it was one place she liked to go when she needed to clear her head, and they were beautiful to look at, besides. She should have done this much sooner, spoken with him. The last thing someone in his position needed, surely, was to be left alone all the time. Some company would probably do him good, and, Soa guiltily admitted, she also needed it probably as much as he did. Aside from chasing down phantom wolves she had nothing to take her mind off the fact her sister had outgrown her need for Soa.
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One of the last thing one who is wallowing in self-misery expects is to be asked to be company. They are so busy whining that they will always be alone and that what they have means nothing that when something that benefits them comes along, they're so shocked that it seems to freeze them in their tracks. This was where Moyenda found himself. Maybe more so because they barely knew each other. Maybe he would have expected a child of his to invite him over for a chat or to accompany him on a hunt. But maybe that was wishful thinking. Realizing he had been silent too long, perhaps even his jaw a little too much open and his eyes a little wider than necessary, he managed a nod, composing his unchecked self.
"Oh no, I wouldn't mind walking to the oasis." He supposed that she could need an escort being that she was a princess and vultures still lurked in all corners of the desert. He paused and wondered for a moment. "Something on your mind?" He had to at least be considerate. Moyenda wasn't that selfish to be completely ignorant of others' feelings.
