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Kalanu was not exactly happy but she had stopped moping around and being obvious about her sorrow. Since she returned she had not really been alone, when her family was not around Sesere was sure to be there. It had been a while since the avian had stuck so close to her, she'd given the lions so much space when Kalanu kept sneaking off to meet with Poa. It was a comfort.

"No hunt today," she murmured, walking along slowly, trying to find a way to occupy her time, "Anything interesting going on around here?"

She glanced upward to where Sesere flew a short distance above her.

Sesere was getting a lot more exercise in now that she stuck so closely to her lion friend, who seemed to insist on moving at a snail's pace now. She had to circle around every so often to keep herself from getting too far ahead or falling out of the air.. when she wasn't sitting on Kalanu's back.

"No," she replied, flapping her wings and pushing herself upward to get a better view, "There are two lions not far ahead, might cross paths if you keep this way."

Would she? Or would they spot her mind could be made up?

Kalanu stopped walking and squinted out into the distance, spotting the two lions headed her way. They obviously didn't notice her yet and she had seen them around before, they were former outsiders like her parents. It showed in the small number of tattoos they wore despite being adults.

"Hm," she murmured, not sure she felt up to a conversation-- until she saw them excitedly heading their way. But they weren't looking at her, they were looking at Sesere. Confused, she stayed still and watched.

Sesere circled around, keeping an eye on Kalanu for her decision. She looked back to Tearh and Murasame at the exact moment they spotted her and nearly fell out of the sky in surprise when she realized they were strangely excited to see her.

With a glance back to a confused Kalanu, she circled around again and slowly descended to where she was within conversational distance but still safely out of reach. She wasn't the most social avian but she wouldn't be rude.

It didn't take the stranger long to notice that she was standing a short ways away- they even addressed her first and she made an effort to smile. They were bird-lovers, that was something to smile about. Kalanu liked birds, she almost envied the bird clan in that way.

She nodded, but didn't say anything immediately when Tearh almost explained about their desire to find an avian.

Sesere was glad they noticed that Kalanu was nearby and made the decision to change her path and stick close by her lion friend. She flew over to Kalanu and perched on her shoulder, giving her a little scratch with her claws to urge her forward to talk to them.

Kalanu hesitated long enough for Murasame to finish his introduction and explanation before finally walking closer so they could talk more comfortably. She had never had cause to send messages far with Sesere.. perhaps while she was out wandering with Poa, but not really.

"Oh," she said, "Where are you from?"

Sigh. Couldn't even introduce themselves first.. but they did kind of jump right into a conversation when explaining their strange excitement when they spotted her and Kalanu.

Kalanu blinked at Tearh explained where she was from, thinking of her own family. Her father had come from the Pridelands and they had several family members around the pride. In fact, an aunt was in their own clan.

Then Murasame pointed out they had failed to introduce themselves and Kalanu started. It wasn't strange for her to get ahead of herself and fail to provide her name but it was normally from enthusiasm, not sullen confusion.

"The bird is Sesere and I'm Kalanu Kalisetsi," she introduced herself, including her name so they might recognize her family if not her specifically, "I have family in the Pridelands, too- and around here."

Sesere had yet to formulate her opinion of these two. She wasn't terribly surprised they'd had trouble convincing a bird to carry messages for them, approaching as they did.. and while she had never been there, she got the impression is was quite far away. It took days to get across the Ela'wadiyi lands and even with wings it was a long way.

Hmmm.

Momentarily distracted looking over their tattoos and trying to place bits of the stories they told. Suddenly she was surprised she hadn't really noticed them before, she had spent so much time focusing on other cubs and then running off to see Poa, she had missed really socializing properly with grownups in her own clan.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she said, finally smiling and glancing to Sesere when Murasame addressed her apologetically.

Sesere ruffled her feathers and made a motion almost like a shrug, she wasn't really startled by them- more confused. Now she was mostly interested, though she didn't imagine she'd jump up and offer to carry a message for them just like that.

"Kalanu and I met when we were both small," she said thoughtfully, "You just have to be patient. Perhaps a bit less excitable."

Not that Kalanu had been very calm when they met, but there was more to it than that. Maybe if they found a chick, they would have more luck. Imprinting and all.

Very suddenly, Kalanu realized the obvious fact that these two were a couple. They met when they were small, they had come here together.. it had to be easier that way. She felt envy rising up in her but managed to force it down. She had to keep smiling, it wasn't their fault.

"I am," she murmured, "My family makes up a lot of the Mantis clan, actually."

Sesere nodded agreeably when Kalanu described her family's size. The Kalisetsi family made up nearly half of the Mantis clan, it would be impossible not to know at least one of them in a clan as small as this. Not to mention they were all quite bright. Except Rajeev. Perhaps Kalanu and Odakota, too, but their brightly colored tattoos helped them stand out more.

"Maybe Sesere can help," Kalanu said suddenly, changing the subject back around to finding a bird to help them get a message to the pridelands. Immediately she felt the little bird's claws digging through her fur in protest but she ignored it.

"M-maybe she can find a bird willing to go," she clarified.

She didn't appreciate being volunteered but when Kalanu clarified that she was not trying to get Sesere out hunting for a strange pride, she felt a little better. She didn't really have many avian friends but she'd have an easier time searching- she might even find out who knew where the pride was, if they were patient.

So, suppressing a sigh, she nodded her assent.

Kalanu looked back and forth between the pair of lions as they talked more about their families. She didn't put nearly enough thought into just how large her family was and how strange it felt that they weren't all here. At least her parents and all of her siblings were.. even if Nova was hard to keep track of sometimes. Most times.

"We'll see if we can find any birds who know their way to the Pridelands and might be willing to help," she said, smiling.

Sesere nodded, finally realizing this would give Kalanu something to focus on other than Poa and the fact he wasn't there. She could support that more than her own socialization. She didn't have a particular reason but she preferred the lions to hanging around with birds around here.

"No problem," she chirped.