((@.x; Was done a while ago but...I'd forgotten to post it.))

Kivumbi yawned and stretched. The sound of the ocean was still outside, the same sound she'd fallen asleep to. It was...comforting. There was a steadiness about it that made her feel welcome. She'd never really felt welcomed by the surroundings of her birth-home. The sounds in the morning had always been different from the sounds at night. But here...the only difference, she supposed, was the whisper of voices added to the sound of the ocean. That meant others were up! She smiled brightly and trotted to the entrance of the den she'd been loaned, to wait for her escort.

Vuai intrigued her. She'd never seen someone QUITE as large as him. Certainly, her birth-pride had its share of large lions, but he outstripped even the largest of them. And yet, he was kind. It made her smile that she'd made such an acquaintance. She sat, tail casually swishing behind her, and waited.


Vuai always woke with the first smile of dawn and today had been no different even though he had soemthing to do today, he had taken his usual dip in the water so he looked sort of bedraggled as he padded up the beach towards the dens that were used for visotors.

Above his head a bluer than the blue sky bird floated, the occasional squark sounding from the perfect blue.

The big lion shakes his head pulling up before the rising lioness, he sits and flicks his tail around his pale toed paws "G'mornin to ya lassy! Did ya sleep well wit tha soun o tha sea?" The giant of a lion smiled broadly his dark eyes smiling.

After a few moments the dark blue blob plummeted from the sky and landed almost lightly in his lion friends dark blood red mane. "Tis all clear Vuai." he clacks his beak and settles down preening his deep blue feathers.

Vuai rolls his eyes "He always checks, eyes like a, well a vulture I suppose." he chuckles "Likes ot make sure we're safe afore we ave a day off."


The lioness nodded. "I slept very well indeed! The sound of the sea was very comforting." She'd gotten the best sleep she'd ever had beside the ocean. Perhaps...if she liked the rest of the lands, she'd see about staying. Especially if there were others like Vuai and his avian friend.

She chuckled at the bird's antics. "Better safe than sorry sometimes." She stood. "Well then...what is there around here that is good for someone new to the area to see?"


Vuai smiles brightly and gets to his paws, the bird upon his head teeters a bit but soon rights itself in his mane. "The jungles edge and the brackish waters first me thinks." He muses "Ah be thinking' some breakkist is in order." he chuckles ad turns towards the inlet of the ocean. "easiest place to catch fish in ha inlet, ha fish are sluggish in the half salt."


Kivumbi followed, adjusting her step to keep with his more easily. "Breakfast does sound. I don't think I've ever head fish though." She'd heard others say it was tasty...but she'd never actually managed to catch one. "Why do they move slower in half salt?" It was something that was rather...odd to her. Wouldn't they move faster since there would be less stuff in the water?"


Vuai chuckles and shakes his head, he almost forgot she was green to these lands, that she hadn't been raised here, ti seemed to meld with the waves so well. " Well lassie tar are salt water fish and there are fresh water fish, fish are used to one or the other so when fresh water fish move towards ha sea they become sluggish, an its ha same for salt water fish. though there are fish that can live in the in-between called brackish fish. they all taste a bit different, w'll prolly pull up some eels wriggly things but they fill ay belly good an proper." he smiles back at her, his golden eyes smiling. "don't ay worry none bout catching any, me an pelleas can catch plenty fer tha three of us."


The lioness smiled appreciatively at him. "That makes a great deal of sense. And thank you!" Like a lion was used to firm earth or sand and water. Though lions could change, she was certain. "I've never heard of an...eel." If they filled the belly, they had to be tasty. And worth the wriggle. "Are they a sort of fish? Or...something else entirely?"


Vuai chuckles "They are a kind of fish yeah, theres black uns and silver uns and greeny brown uns, they all taste bout the same though." He gives a little shrug approaching the rivers mouth and moving a little further inwards.

The bird on his head launched himself in to the air "Pleanty of fishin for us today, wahey, wahey!" He chants his steely blue wings vanishing almost in to the sky before he plummeted, wings folded and splashed in to the brackish waters with a quiet sploosh. He rose back from the water his deep blue wings lifting him from the water easily a large wriggling snake like fish dangling from his claws.

Vuai shakes his head "Show off!" He barks a smile on his maw "Likes to show is skills in tha fishin 'e does."


She laughed, bright grin on her face. "It would seem so!" Her laugh died down, so her words weren't quite so infected by it. "That certainly is a wriggly thing. Are you sure it's not a water-dwelling snake?" It certainly looked like a snake. "And I don't blame him for showing off. It must take some skill to fish as he does."


"Na lassy it aint a snake, tis an eel" Vuai chuckles wadeing in to the water, letting it splash around the bottom of his mane. He stands still for a moment before a paw moves and hooks out one of the long wriggling things slapping it up on tot he bank "Bite down on it quick lassy afore it gets back ta tha water" he chuckles returning his gaze to the water.

Pelleas lands on the shore line with a grin, he bends and picks up the eel tossing it and swallowing it down with one long gulp. "Tastes good eat it up."


So the wriggly thing was an eel. Well...certainly wasn't like any fish she'd seen before. A little wary of it, she followed Vuai's instruction anyways and chomped it just behind the eyes. The taste she got was...odd, but not unpleasant. Once it stopped wriggling, she let go. "So...how do you eat one of these? All at once, or are there bones to avoid?" Lions didn't digest things like predator-birds, she knew that.


Vuai chuckles as he steps from the water with a wriggling eel between his teeth. chomping down he dropped the creature and licks his lips "Best way is to peel it lassy., thars plenty o bones but if you eat a coupla little ones they won't do ya no harm." He bends down and cuts some of the flesh from the eel with his teeth.

Pelleas grins and spreads his wings "Newbie to eelin girlie, you'll get used to the taste"


Hmmm...Kivumbi started in on the eel and Vuai had, and decided she liked the taste after all. A bit salty, but not unpleasant at all. "I wouldn't mind..." Gulp. "If got used to the taste." She chuckled. "It's rather tasty." She liked this place very much already. Friendly lions, a beautiful area...and tasty food. She'd have to get used to a new way of hunting...but it worked!


Vuai smiled at the lioness and flickered his tail "Ah can be teachin ya tha fishin if ya stayin' me an' pelleas we fish daily, tho ya can get tha prey beasts from tha plains if ya don't mind walkin a short way." he chuckles and takes another mouth full of eel "Persnly I like mah fish"


"Mmm..." Was her first answer, around a mouthful of eel. A swallow later, and she answered fully. "I am thinking of staying, if the leader of this pride doesn't mind. I...I like it. A lot." She closed her eyes. "I've felt more at home here than anywhere else...even the place I was born." She grinned. "And I suppose you could always use another hunter in the pride? Especially if it's full of life."


Vuai gives a nod and chuckles quietly "Ah'm sure she'll welcome ya lassy. Ah can take ya to 'er if ya like." He smiles lightly. "well maybe after a wee nap ey?" He chuckles lightly "fish lays heavy in ya stomach a good sleep after a decent brekkie sets ya right fer tha day."

Pelleas clacks his beak and shakes his head "Lions, do nout but sleep" He squarks opening his wings and taking to the sky again "an eat!" he chuckles raising in to the pale blue skies.


Kivumbi laughed again. In a way, Pelleas was right. "Ah...but we hunt too!" She was extremely happy now. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Vuai!" Her belly was starting to get rather full. And a nap was always good after a good meal. "I would very much like to meet her, after I'm all set for the day." Home. She was definitely home now. No doubts about it.


Vuai nods lightly and turns towards the shadows cast by the trees fromt he jungle on to the sands. "Best place to nap lassy" he chuckles flopping down on the soft sand with a sandy whoosh, which laced his dark body with very light dusting of sand.


Kivumbi followed after, flopping not too far off. It was a comfy spot, indeed! She purred and stretched out, chin resting on the cool sands. "It certainly is..." She could already feel her body deciding a nap was the best course of action. "Thank you Vuai...for introducing me to this place." Perhaps the leader would let her live here, stay here...Because she did so want a home.


Vuai gave a wide yawn and rested his head upon his paws "yer very welcome lassy" he smiles closing his golden eyes "yer very welcome" he mumbles as sleep folds over his body, it was nap time, when he woke he'd point the young female in the direction of their queen or one of her consorts. He was sure she'd be allowed to stay.