[PRP] Another day with nothing much in it.

[Zosie]

Since she had returned to the pride, Tamba'Dini had felt a bit of an anti-climax regarding her life.

For a lion that was wary at the beginning of her pilgrimage, she had returned thankfully braver, stronger and possibly happier than before. That was not to suggest that she favored her time in the rogue lands over her home, however, she simply felt a little lost without the excitement.

Nuru and Tia'rangi had promised to visit on the borders when they could, but those visits were hard, and few and far between. The mother and daughter pair traveled a lot, and thus couldn't always make the journey.  

[mouselet]

The white lion stretched lazily. In the months since he and 'Teh had returned, life in the Jini-msemi had settled into a semblance of normality and sameness. Sure, it still hurt that his mother had been gone by the time he returned, but he still had his grandparents and, most importantly of all, his beloved.

There were whisperings, or so he'd heard, here and there, but what did he care about who ruled the pride? The pride lived, he lived, and life was good. He was home on the mountain where he belonged, and that was enough.

Stretching completed for the time being, he continued on his way and saw another shape before him. The lithe sleekness of the form was clearly a lioness, but where his own mate was darker, especially in the legs, this lioness was paler than he was!

"Good day!" he called out cheerfully, coming closer.  

[Zosie]

Tamba still hadn't quite gotten used to the greetings, that occurred so often. Within a pride there would often be gossip, conversations, advice and all sorts of talk. Really, what was the use in being in a pride if you weren't willing to socialize? The time she had taken for her pilgrimage however had removed her from that for a while and placed her into loneliness, until she met her two klipspringer friends, that was.

She hadn't really spoken of them to anyone, she feared she would be ridiculed. Really, who heard of a lioness making friends with her lunch? She gave her pride-mate a wide smile. Tamba didn't recall talking to him before, nor his name.  

[mouselet]

Hmmm, this was odd. Usually a greeting got some kind of response. But the lioness definitely had the look of someone who'd been born in the pride and not some new-come former rogue...so Verloren didn't really understand why she wouldn't say anything.

On the other hand, she didn't seem to be encouraging him to leave, even if she wasn't exactly welcoming him.

The male sighed and came closer. Hopefully he wouldn't get his head bitten off!

"I'm Verloren," he introduced himself. "But...you might know me as Pas? I think we're about the same age," the white lion continued. Then he realized he might be rambling and shut up abruptly. Ugh, he really was an idiot sometimes. Probably a good thing Teh wasn't around to laugh at him.  

[Zosie]

Tamba realised she hadn't yet said anything and shook her head in disbelief at herself as she snapped out of her thought.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I was deep in thought." Her maroon eyes looked over him for a moment. He didn't look familiar, but they did indeed look about the same age.

"Hi Pas, I'm Tamba." She gave him an awkward smile. "I've not long returned from my pilgrimage..." Well, in fact it was becoming more distant by the day, but in her head she was still on her way home.

"Well, I still find my mind there sometimes! I'm sorry!"  

[mouselet]

"Verloren, please," the male corrected with an embarrassed smile. It wasn't that he didn't like his childhood name, but he was an adult now and he wasn't that immature!

"Tamba? That's a nice name," he went on. Her old one had been just as simple, he thought. Chai? Chay? No...ah. Chaya. That's what it was. But he wasn't going to do her the discourtesy of referring to her by the old name.

"It is an adjustment," Verloren continued. "Coming back here and you're not sure if it's the pride that's changed in your absence...or you..." It was something that everyone had to come to terms with, he'd found.  

[Zosie]

"Of course. Sorry it just seemed so familiar. I think maybe we must have met when we were young." But of course, so much had happened since then, they had grown both into their own bodies, and into their own heads.

"It's Tamba'dini, actually, but I was rather used to a short name, so I suppose I shorten it without meaning to. My old name was Chaya."

His last sentence seemed to strike a chord with her and she nodded seriously.

"I know exactly how that feels, I suppose we all go through it, at one point or another" The lioness mused.  

[mouselet]

"I know we did," Verloren answered with a rueful grin. "You tweaked my tail. A lot." The limb in question twitched, as if in remembered pain. He noddded acceptance that her name was longer than she'd said - well, it made sense. His mate's name was actually Susi'mimiteh, but she too preferred to go by a much shorter nickname.

"All of us who return do," he agreed with a frown. His mother had had a lot of siblings, but in the end, only one of Verloren's uncles had returned while he'd been away. Not to mention his mother's having left...but there were still so many who hadn't even come near.

Verloren himself was one of eight, and to date only one of his brothers had come back.  

[Zosie]

"Yes." Tamba had been aware before she went on her pilgrimage that not all of them returned, and it was something she had been afraid of. Luckily, the urge to return home had never waned.

She giggled at her friend quietly. "More than likely." Playful cub antics seemed so far away from adulthood, but sometimes they would appear clear in her mind.

It was hard to come home too, and hear whisperings. Tamba wasn't much of a gossip but knew that Verloren would probably have an intelligent opinion on it. "There's so many voices whispering certain... things.. at the moment, too." She looked from Verloren to the ground.  

[mouselet]

The male shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know...I don't really want to think about it. The Queen is...the Queen. And the pride is the pride and I'm just happy to be home with my family," he blurted out at increasing speed. He really didn't want to have to worry about other things...wasn't his family enough? They'd come here, to the mountain, to make a new life for the Jini-msemi and that's what they'd done and it was the life he wanted.

Why all the mutterings anyway?

"Look, I'm sorry Tamba, I've...I've got to go." 'Teh would understand it all so much better. If he could find her. He might not get lost on the mountain, but that still didn't speak much for his ability to find anyone.

The white lion fled hastily from the entire suggestion of political problems in the pride.  

[Zosie]

Tamba was stood left blinking as she watched Veloren flee, unable to reply to his last statement... He was right, home and family were important. The lioness didn't have much family, but she guessed the male probably had a mate, and was worrying about more than just himself.

She probably hadn't been wise to bring up such things, she knew that it would create unrest for many within the pride and kicked herself, hoping that it hadn't ruined the conversation too much. It was nice to be nostalgic and to reminisce, now she'd probably scared him away. It was a calculated risk that hadn't resulted in too much damage, and hopeful no hurt on his part. Perhaps she'd find him tomorrow and apologize.

Tamba'dini sighed gently.