Nanashi had to keep a close watch on his pale niece. She was the type who kept sneaking away, not because of bad manners or to annoy him, but simply because she had never been out into the rouge lands before and was enjoying this momentary freedom. The young hybrid was commanded to stay close to his side and Nanashi knew this was irritating her, but still, he made sure to point things out to her that might get her interest, and knew she was at least, somewhat enjoying things. Satomei rolled her eyes subtly as her uncle pointed out a rather boring looking bird, and tried to make it sound exciting, though she feigned enthusiasm so as not to hurt his feelings. She would have rather been out running around, or playing, but knew he'd never allow that. “So how did you get Mama to let you bring me out here?” Satomei asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them.
Nanashi winced. His sister, and Satomei's mother, was notoriously strict over who could have access to her cubs and Nanashi was not high on that list. His sister and he had a rather hate-hate-occasionally love-hate relationship. Frustrating at times, when Nanashi wished to spend time with his niece. “Never you mind about that,” he remarked, nudging her to continue on in front of him. The landscape was rather nice and grassy, which was good, he decided.
Chipo moved at an easy trot across the Savannah. As of late she'd been getting out into the great world more. Or rather, she was realizing solitude wasn't as nice as she'd thought it was. It was all fine and well when she was younger but lately the feeling of something missing, of needing to find something more was becoming stronger.
The lioness glanced up from watching the cracked earth and tufts of dry grass pass by under-paw and came to an abrupt stop. She was heading right in the direction of a pair of strangers, flanking them from slightly behind and to the right. A sleek, dark male and a spry white little female. Chipo's heart leapt up in excitement and she found herself moving forward again towards them.
She didn't stop to think of the strange thrill she'd just gotten at seeing someone new. She'd wonder about it later for now she was intent on catching their attention without seeming threatening. Her ears perked forward and she slowed down as the little female seemed to spot her approach. Chipo stopped all together and stood, tail slightly curled around her ankle. "Hello." Not much of a greeting but then again she was still getting used to making them.
Satomei had been the first to spot the approaching lioness and started for a moment. She hadn't experienced many lions before, except for the rather odd slave girl in the pride who wasn't mean or anything, just a little...weird, to be honest. She had nothing against the species, even though she knew that some in the pride did. She nudged her Uncle, to get this attention towards the approaching female, but by the time, Nanashi had spotted her as well.He looked carefully at the female, unconsciously stepping in front of Satomei to protect her in case she was threatening, but she appeared nothing of the sort. He disliked lions in general, because they were stronger than cheetahs, but she did not seem a bad sort. He nodded his head to her, allowing Satomei to creep out from around his paws to peer up at the reddish female.
"Hello," Nanashi greeted, and Satomei echoed it, except hers was accompanied by a smile. “Did you need something?” He continued, wondering perhaps if she had approached them for a reason.
The lioness sat down on her haunches and returned he smile of the little juvenile, her tail curling about her forelegs. She gave a shake of her head when questioned by the male and gave a sheepish shrug of her shoulders. "Honestly... no. But perhaps a bit of conversation to break up the slow pace of day. Perhaps any news you've heard or seen for yourself?"
She held out a large paw, digits splayed a little. "Ah... and the name is Chipo. I don't think I have much I could give you news wise but if you wanted a tale I could share one of those."
Nanashi gave a confused look, though he hid it well, considering he wasn't really the type to approach others just to chat, but perhaps that was just his personality. He was a rather serious male, after all. “I suppose the life of a rogue must get boring some days,” he said, remembering his own rogue years. He had raised his siblings and himself from a young age in the rogue lands, so he knew how sometimes it got lonely, but he had always had his brothers and sister for company, and still had them now.
“Nice to meet you, Chipo,” Nanashi said politely. “I am Nanashi, and this is my niece, Satomei.”
Satomei smiled a little, shifting and giving a bow of her head to the female. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance!” She greeted, just as politely, but her curiosity soon cut her politeness. “Have you see much of the rogue lands, or you more a stationery rogue? I've only seen a little, it seems so huge.” She was rather fascinated by the rogue lands, though she was happy in her pride, it was still interesting to see the rest of their world.
"It does get a little boring. Mostly just walking and thinking and catching a conversation with those I can when I pass them by." And then, at Satomei's eager question, she gave a good natured laugh. "I've gotten around."
She couldn't help the syrupy smile that came over her. "I've been to the edges of a pride and met the smallest, fiercest border patrol you could ever imagine. He said they were building shrines to all of the Gods. I've been to many a watering hole and I've been to places that are so... green." She paused a moment in thought, canting her head to the side slightly. "I've seen the ocean as well. That's something you should see someday if you haven't already."
Satomei was fascinated by the story, even if it was probably a fairly simple one and wasn't really all that interesting to Nanashi, who had seen multiple scenes like those she described, even if he hadn't been to the ocean before.
“That sounds amazing! Imagine, building shrines to every god, that's so strange,” she mused, shaking her head with a slight giggle. Her eyes lit up at her last comment, and glanced towards her Uncle. Before she could open her mouth, her Uncle was already speaking.
“No, Satomei, we can't go to the Ocean,” he said, sounding faintly amused, a small smile quirking his mouth. “Your mother would kill me if I kept you out for too long.” He returned his gaze to the lioness. “We're from a pride near here,” he said calmly. The pride was fairly secretive and he didn't really want to give out details of it. “We're just visiting the rogue lands for a while, so this is all rather new to Satomei.” Satomei smiled, nodding and unconcerned by how young she probably appeared with her youthful curiosity of the rogue.
"Every god." She nodded. "The air smelt tangy, and he water went out as far as you could see without an end. It beats against the sand over and over and sounds like thunder."Chipo watched the way Nanashi acted towards the little one and inclined her head lightly. Maybe she was just seeing something she wanted to see but the obvious care he had for her, the way he spoke to her and how he'd stepped in front of her previously when Chipo had approached. "Forgive me for asking... but are you her father?"
When she thought of it she realized that she'd never seen a cub with their parent, or even siblings traveling together come to think of it. Just a lone travelers or little ones who had been daring enough to venture out on their own.
Satomei nodded as she spoke, and was rather curious. She couldn't imagine that! She had seen the pond in the pride's area, but that was tiny compared to what the female was describing. “It sounds beautiful, Miss Chipo,” she remarked, polite still, and she smiled slightly.
Nanashi was surprised by the question that was sent his way, and tilted his head to the side, quirking a brow. “Her father? No, no,” he said calmly, brushing his paw across the tuff of fur atop Satomei's head with the obvious fondness. “Merely her Uncle. Her mother, my sister, is a single mother so I endeavor to take Satomei off her hands when I can, so she can focus on her other cubs and I can spoil my niece a little.” He hadn't considered himself fond of cubs before, until Satomei and his other niece and nephews came along, and then he was quite ready to have the little rugrats running around.
A sigh escaped the lioness before she even realized it as she watched the fondness with which the dark male ruffled his niece's fur. For a moment she felt a faint clench in her chest and she realized with a pang that what was in front of her was something she wanted. Of course she'd grown up with her family but they hadn't ever been anything very tightly knit. She had no idea where her brother or sister might be right now or even her mother.
"Well... I hope you are able to see as much as you can while you're out, Satomei."
Satomei smiled at the female. “Thank you, Miss Chipo,” she said, careful to shake her head to make her fur stand back the way it should have, before her uncle had messed with it.
Nanashi watched the lioness with a curious expression on his face, before incliding his head. “I'm sorry to leave so soon, Miss Chipo, but we should start to return to the pride before my sister sends out a search party for us and claims I am kidnapping Satomei,” he said, mostly as a joke but not really. Aiko didn't trust her brother very much and it was getting to the point where they really needed to start home. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Satomei echoed her uncle's words. “Thank you for the stories, Miss! I'll have to ask Mama about whether we can go to the Ocean some day. I hope you have many more enjoyable adventures,” she said smiling. She shifted, knowing her Uncle was eager to leave, not due to their company but because of the suns descent in the sky. “Best wishes, Miss!” She said, as her Uncle carefully nudged her back the way they had come. They set off slowly, after saying their farewell.
