Ah...the border again. Pwani grinned. That male, Nuit, was BOUND to come here again! The white and brown lioness spotted a rather nice rock...and decided to wait it out there. It was a nice vantage point, and as she settled herself on it, she noticed that it absorbed the heat of the sun well. Ah...very nice. Warmth on her belly AND her back!
The dark lion made his way to the rock, sighing. The day before had gotten him in a bad mood, and poor Saburo had had to calm him down all the way. He'd already apologized to his old friend for his behavoir the day before, of course. He blinked when he noticed the rock up ahead...and the fact someone was already on it. Odd...As he got closer, he found himself frowning. And stopped a few feet away.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was flat, as he tried not to betray his annoyance.
Ah! Pwani lifted her head and smiled at Nuit. "Good day! I wanted to see you again. You're the first to show such a...spark of passion like that, outside the creatures I knew in my pride." So what if he didn't believe in fighting? Her mother wasn't too keen on fighting either. "So...have you always believed in not fighting?"
A spark of passion? Was she referring to his near-loss of temper the day before? She had to be. "Yes. I have. I was raised to it from the day I was born. My family has been here for a couple of generations, so Grandfather told me the stories of outside." He wrinkled his nose. "How do you live with such things?! Murder, war, slavery..."
Pwani frowned. "I don't." She held her head high. "My pride believes in none of those things. We do not fight to hurt. Sure, I'll get into scraps with my brother and some of my friends, but ultimately...the skills we gain from those go towards being able to protect our loved ones from those who do believe in such dark things. The Simbafutaji is a pride of scholars. Some of us scholars have to stand up and protect the others."
Nuit blinked. Odd...the younger lioness had looked almost...NOBLE for a moment. And beautiful. "Perhaps you and your scholars should move here? You wouldn't need to fight." Scholars especially shouldn't have need to fight. They were to be respected! Not attacked.
"No." Her answer was firm. "We are quite happy and safe by the ocean. Mother told me stories, of before the pride was founded and how it came to be...She and the others who founded the pride worked HARD. They made that place a home for us all! We will not move the pride elsewhere." She was no Kifuko or Mlumbaji or Ipi...but she knew what lay in the hearts of the pride. After all, they were her family.
He was taken aback by the firmness in her answer. "If you're so happy in your home, why do you leave it? Why do you leave its safety?" It confused him and baffled him. Why leave a place you loved so much? Why wander through dangerous lands where you know no one?
"For knowledge." She smiled. "And to grow. Home is safe, yes. But we know that it is only through going beyond our comfort zone that we can find knowledge we never had before, and to grow as creatures." She chuckled. "And I am not alone in my travels." She'd guessed that was one of his worries. "I travel with my brother. We protect each other, and have a sort of...rivalry going. We're trying to see who gathers their knowledge first."
He'd never expected someone who fought to have such views. He was used to hearing only about the dark side of them. But this girl...she wasn't what he expected at all. "Where is your brother? Nearby, I hope, if you're protecting one another." Despite how much she'd aggravated him the day before...he was finding he rather liked her company, now that they weren't arguing.
Pwani nodded. "He's not far off. But..as I said, we have something of a rivalry going so we aren't often in each other's company directly during the day. We don't generally wander out of each other's hearing range though." She removed herself from the rock to approach him, a smile on her face. "Thank you...for thinking of us. There are many out there who would not bother."
Nuit chuckled. "If I was wandering out there, I would certainly want someone to worry for me. I simply extend the same courtesy." He thought a moment, then nodded. "If you and your brother would like, you can stay a night or two with me. Rest your paws before continuing on."
The 'beach cloud' nodded, grinning. "I like you. When you're not being insufferable, anyways." She stretched and chuckled. "I'll check with my brother, than come let you know. Shouldn't take me long!" With that, she loped off. This could be good...very good indeed.
Nuit watched her go, a strange serenity settling over him. Such an odd, yet noble girl. She didn't strike him as very intelligent...but she was smart, and had a strength of spirit he rarely saw. She was right, for wanting to protect her loved ones. He smiled contently and settled to waiting for her to return.
