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Life amongst the Firekin was both everything like she'd expected it to be, and nothing like she'd expected it to be. She had come to the desert pride in search of her father and a home. After the success of her first duel with Etney and being welcomed as an official member of the pride, Ain had thought, rather naively, that all the pieces of her destiny would fall into place.

They hadn't.

There was no trace of the lion she should have been able to call father. The dry desert air and scorching heat were very much unlike the beaches and the sea that she was used to. But she had committed to this, and was determined to make a future for herself amongst the fearsome and respectable Motoujamii-Simo warriors.

She stood humbly on the sand, where Iroh had agreed to meet her for this friendly duel, with the hot sun beating against the back of her head and a tentative smile on her face.

As a former rogue and a newcomer to this most illustrious of prides, Ain had a very sincere appreciation for Iroh's genial and open nature. He was still mostly a stranger, but also a very welcome figure in her life. It was good to have friends. Ain was honoured to be able to count this powerfully built lion as one of hers.

The tentative smile on her face transformed into a full blown grin at the sight of him gliding across the sand. The steady grace with which he moved was something to be at once envied and admired. Ain did both. She had been trained by her grandmother, before the old lioness's death, and prepared for life amongst the Firekin with a heartfelt passion. But Ain was young still, and had nothing of his practice.

"It is a good day!" Ain shone companionably at Iroh, and returned the feathery bump of his head with a little nudge of her own. He had asked a lot of questions, but she didn't mind. It was simply his way. She thought, for a moment, about her answers.

"I am still not quite used to the heat and the sand," came the admission, "but, this place is my home. I am content."

This was most of the truth.

When he moved away from her, she smirked. It was a playful thing, Ain crouched a little, mimicking him, and said, "I've been looking forward to this."

Because she had. Ain was not an especially big lioness, but she was light on her feet and very clever. This made her a reasonably adept Guard. It was a part of her duty to patrol the borders, and another to be able to defend herself if the situation required.

Lips twitched a little at their corners. Blue eyes twinkled. And then, kicking up clouds of sand and dust, Ain launched herself at Iroh with a mischievous growl.

Blinking rapidly, Ain reeled backwards a little when his big paw made contact with her nose, and let slip a gasp that sounded more surprised than it was pained. He had hit her hard enough to cause some temporary hurt, but it wasn't debilitating by any means. She was, actually, a little bit embarrassed that he'd managed something as simple as that so easily. This was more distressing than any blow could possibly be.

While not necessarily competitive, Ain still had the heart of a fighter. She'd spent all of her childhood under Grandmother's watchful eyes and capable paws. Ain was accustomed to order and to discipline. She knew how to take care of herself. She knew how to hold her own, and had proven this by winning the right to call herself one of the Firekin.

And then it was her turn to attack. Ain moved liked a black ball of lightning across the sand, and lunged at Iroh with her paw outstretched; intending to strike him across the face.

Her claws were not out, but she missed anyways.

She might have been fast, but he, it seemed, was faster. This was only a little bit surprising. Iroh was a big lion, and a warrior. He had grown up in these lands; surrounded by the sand and the heat and, she suspected, that he'd never lacked for sparring partners. With the exception of Etney and a handful of rogues, Ain had only ever trained with her Grandmother. And, while the old lioness had given it her all, their lessons had come to a rather abrupt end.

Ain was tense and alert; profoundly aware of the steady sound of Iroh's breathing, and his graceful footsteps. She was prepared for an attack, and then thrown slightly when it didn't come. Turning slowly, smiling faintly, Ain darted forwards again.

She crouched low in front of him, eyes twinkling, and swiped at his nose with a paw. A breathless chuckle whispered passed her lips, because she was having fun too.

And totally baiting him. It was time to fight, and time to play.

There were a couple of shadows in her past, but Ain's was not a heavy heart. She was as warm and compassionate as she was independent and strong. Iroh's laughter inspired more of her own, and breathing became a bit of a conscious effort. If she got carried away all of that chuckling would exhaust her. But it was hard to do anything else, when Iroh was behaving the way that he was.

It was both a little strange and rather adorable to see a lion as big as he was act like such a child.

It did not occur to Ain that he was trying to disorient her, and she was made fairly dizzy by the little battle dance that he did. Every time he struck out, she started backwards, and avoided being hit by millimetres.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," she goaded playfully, and took a small leap of faith. A paw came up, claws carefully stowed away, and smacked against his cheek. It was more gentle than perhaps it should have been.

But Ain liked him too much to use any real force.

Ain could not help but giggle, when Iroh toppled sideways. She peered through the dust and the dirt, sapphire eyes glinting with mirth, and prodded him gently with a paw. It was very clear to her that he was not, in fact, dead, and she thought him a little silly for pretending to be so.

Wonderfully silly.

"Come on," there was a teasing lilt to her voice, "get up, you big- AH!"

A moment's surprise flashed across her pretty face, but was replaced almost at once by comprehension, when he leapt off the ground. She had been prepared for something, and cried out when he tackled her. It was a playful sound.

"You caught me!" Ain cried, feigning fright, and turned so that she could swipe half-heartedly at his shoulder with her paw.

It did not hurt when he took her paw with his teeth, and Ain laughed at him again as he pretended to chew at it. If he were anybody else, she might have been a little apprehensive about… well, everything. He was sitting so close, and her paw was so vulnerable between those jaws. Should he choose, Ain knew, he could have crippled her beyond repair with one quick twist of his neck. But Iroh was kind. He had been nothing but good to her, and she trusted him.

"I never surrender," she returned playfully, shifting onto her side, and nipped at one of his forelegs in a harmless sort of way.

Stuck as she was, mostly pinned between his giant furry body and the desert sand, Ain felt strangely comfortable. It occurred to her that it would so very, terribly easy to fall in love with Iroh. And then she laughed again. This time? At herself for being so silly.

They barely knew each other.

But her heart had always been as defenseless as it was passionate.