Painted Moose
Kimya didn’t know what to think. He was lost, and this time no amount of cajoling could set him on the right path. It had taken extreme courage for him to join the pride that he had called home, that he had raised his sons in, and now it was gone. The mute lion couldn’t believe it. What was worse was that he couldn’t find his brother or two of his sons. The whole situation weighed heavy on his mind, and it showed.

He crossed a mound of sand, his paws sliding deep within it as he slid down the grainy terrain. Kimya was determined to make things work, though. He had been a hunter before when it was just the two of them, and now he would take up the role again. All he had to do was find prey…


Keantha
"Kimya love? Sweetheart where are you?" A stressed tone filled his beloved’s lyrical voice. The changes hadn't seem to wear on the sunny lioness, but anytime Kimya was gone from her sight she became anxious.


Painted Moose
They were close enough to a watering hole that vultures crowded around in the shaded area. In his valley, Kimya couldn't hear his mate, and was instead determined to kill the fat bird ahead of him. He lowered his body onto the sand, slowed his breathing, and pounced. The bird reared up against him, taking it’s talons to his face and throat while he swung it around into a rock, ending the struggled indefinitely.


Keantha
Zana made a faint whimpering sound hurrying from the shady area he had left them in to look for him, calling out his name louder and louder as she went. Long buried memories of nearly losing him in the desert filled her mind increasing her panic.


Painted Moose
Zana? Kimya’s ears perked and he waited until he heard his name once more before grabbing the big by the neck in a mad dash to get to his mate. He had some difficulty getting back up the bank, especially when he kept tripping over his prey, but when he mounted the knoll he saw her. Kimya sighed with relief. She was worried, but okay, which was all that mattered. The blue lion trotted closer to her as fast as he could, quick to relieve her stress.


Keantha
Zana heaved a sigh of relief, her bright smile breaking over her muzzle was she spied him with his kill. The food was nice, but knowing he was alright was all the mattered to her. "There you are. sneaky mister, sneaking off on me."


Painted Moose
Kimya tried to smile around the bird, but found that he could only give her an apologetic shrug. Without Vittorio around he had to step up; which was sad in the first place. He’d never considered how much the family had depended on Vittorio and his hunting party to bring in meals until he was gone.

On a whim, he got closer to Zana and tried to tickle her with the bird.


Keantha
That got him a laugh as she shoved him away with a paw in his face, "Ewwww don't you get those feathers on me you!"


Painted Moose
Kimya pressed it, and really gave her a go. He dodged her paw, shoved the vulture up into her face before dancing away from her in a job back towards their shaded spot. His steps were uneven and slow, however, because of the body he was dragging at his side.


Keantha
Zana giggled as she pranced after him. Years had added weight to her slender frame, filling her out from cub to mother, but nothing could dull her graceful movements or the light that seemed to shine from her eyes as she obesrved the world around them. "shhh you will wake Zhak, he was up late plotting our path." The boy used the star to help navigate their way across the vast desert and as such was generally awake long into the night.


Painted Moose
Kimya looked over at the sleeping lion, and winced before moving away from him to another spot closer by. It wouldn’t do for his son to be woken by his parents ripping feathers out of a stinking bird. He sat the bird down, and moved to nuzzle Zana, tilting his head to motion to Zhak, as if asking which way he had decided to set out.


Keantha
Zana spat a mouthful of feathers at him wrinkling her nose, "We will set out once the sun sets. Don't you wish we knew then what we know now?" Zana chuckled remembering their disastrous first time across the desert. Now they knew to travel in the late afternoon and early night before it got too cold but after the punishing sun was going down.


Painted Moose
The look on Kimya’s face said as much. If they knew half of what they knew now, he wouldn't have been dehydrated and hanging on the edge of life when he made it to the pride. Now he was healthy, able to hunt, and even joke around in this wasteland. He wiped the feathers off his face with a frown before shoving them back into hers.


Keantha
Zana giggled again slapping her paw at him "Bully! so mean to your poor mate!" They both knew that was a lie as the blue male doted on his goofy mate. Anyone could see the love in their eyes when they spoke of each other, to be around them was to see soul mates in the flesh.


Painted Moose
Kimya grinned and tackled her to the ground, nipping at her ear affectionately the entire time. The blue lion shook his mane into her face before blowing a raspberry into her ear canal. Being around her seemed to bring out his lighter side, his happier side, and he couldn't help acting like a cub. It came with the territory.


Keantha
That got him a helpless squeal as she flailed under him "Oh gods ewww Kim you stop that!! ACK NOT THE EAR!!!" Her shouts of laughter woke Zhak who growled at them in disgust "You two act like you are newly mated. Can't a man sleep around here?!"

Zana giggled sticking her tongue out at her son "sure...if there was any man but your father around little boy!"

Hmmping in annoyance he turned his back to them to try and go back to sleep.


Painted Moose
Kimya hung above her with a line of spit hanging down from his lip, which he promptly dropped down into her ear when he had a good shot. He laughed soundlessly, and flailed around with her, promptly brushing his cheek against hers when he could.

That is, until he saw that his son had woken. He flushed and shrugged before putting a paw on his mate’s face.


Keantha
Zana yowled and twisted, bucking like a wild cat when he drooled in her ear "GAH I AM GONNA EAT YOUR FACE!!" Growling in faux anger, she promptly bit his nose


Painted Moose
He yowled out a strangled noise, and planted his paws on either side of her to pull away. That was just plain dirty! Not like drooling; no, no, that was legal warfare. Kimya pushed away and flopped down onto his side in the sand beside her.


Keantha
Zana immediately pounced on him and bit his rump. It had been years since she had pulled that particular move from her arsenal.


Painted Moose
It had been years since Kimya had been able to safely goof around with Zana, rump unprotected, just to have it all crumble away. He kicked at her with his rear paws in an effort to flip the white lioness off him.


Keantha
"Mwhahaha I have you now at my mercy!" Zana giggled flopping all her weigh on him to bury her face in his thick mane.


Painted Moose
By now Kimya was spent, and happily absorbed her weight, even if he did give a dramatic grunt. The male wrapped his hind legs around her, and nuzzled himself close like a young koala. If he had it his way they wouldn't be moving for a while.


Keantha
Zana licked his jaw tenderly, sighing contently, "Love you Kim. You, me and Zhak, you'll see. We will be fine." They had each other and that was important.


Painted Moose
At that moment he couldn’t help believing her. He’d doubted her before, and had been proven wrong. If Zana said it was true, then he would stop at nothing to keep it that way. For now, they were safe, happy, and fed. That was all that mattered to him.


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