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Ah, the savanna. It was like Hell on earth during this time of the year. Wiggly lines turned the horizon into water, animals died of thirst, the ground cracked and burned, the sun literally killed anything that dared to stay out too long in its hot rays. Some of the animals on the plains had been blessed with a light coat. Some had been cursed with dark. Ndoto was one of the very lucky ones to have such pale coloring: even in this heat he wasn't terribly uncomfortable. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the small pack he was traveling in, so when the time came to set up camp and look for any source of water, Ndoto was the one sent out.

He had quite a bit of energy to begin with, and even after walking for days and days he had boundless jolts of excitement that could propel him even further in pursuit of the elusive pride they were searching for. Today, though, it was time to find water for his little pride. As he hunted he sang to himself, loud enough so his voice rolled through the hot, hazy air hanging close to the ground. The words were an ancient language that he didn't know outside of this song, sounds that echoed the noises of tree trunks being knocked on, rocks banged together, the ground stomped on, and the wailing of singers as they danced. Without his brother there to stomp out a beat he got lost a few times, muttering to himself about he next lyric, but he got along fairly well.

Finally he found a stream. He sighed in relief and paused in his singing to take a drink. Ah...it was warm, but it was deliciously refreshing. His whistle wet once more, he sat down and continued to sing, belting out the tune for any and all that were close enough to hear.

Ndoto finished his song with a little roar of delight, tail bumping against the ground lightly. He let out a soft sigh and shook himself, that happy, warm feeling flowing through him as he summoned up another song. He really did love singing. It made him feel so alive! Thankfully he had been blessed with a beautiful voice, so people usually told him to keep going rather than to stop. Of course, there were times when singing non-stop could be found annoying, so Ndoto would politely be quiet...for about ten minutes. Then the humming would begin, the whistling, the 'la la la's and 'doo doo dah's, little noises that imitated drums or paws banging on something hard. He really couldn't be quiet for too long, which made hunting kind of hard.

"I sing...becaaaaause I'm haaaaappy...I sing...becaaaaause I'm freeeeee!" he crooned, starting halfway through the song he had been singing in his mind. He closed his eyes as he continued, tail tapping with the slow beat. "His eye...is on...the spaaaarrow...." The song, which had a lot of long notes and pauses, allowed him to take deep breaths between every few words. This time when he took in a large lungful through his nose, a new scent distracted him from singing. Turning around towards the scent, Ndoto was pleasantly surprised to see he had an audience. A brown female with rather gorgeous purple eyes was watching him! How exciting! Ever the performer, Ndoto got up and began moving towards her as he continued the line.

"And I knooow...he watches meeeee....or should I say 'she'?" he questioned, the last part spoken rather than sung. "Good afternoon, my dear. Did my singing disturb your hunt?"

Ndoto paused a few paces away from the lioness, sensing her embarrassment. That was such an odd emotion, embarrassment. He had never felt it if he recalled correctly. Of course, Ndoto loved to be the center of attention and have everyone's eyes on him. Embarrassment wasn't possible in his mind! Not when he had his voice and his smile by his side, at least.

"Why, thank you," he said with a pleased tone to his voice. He did enjoy praise as much as the next lion, but thankfully he was a bit too enthusiastic for his talent to get to his head. "I'm sure you have a lovely voice as well. It's quite sweet as it is, and all you've said are a few simple words," he added with a melodious laugh. Deciding he had given her enough space, Ndoto stepped a bit closer and bowed his head to let her know he meant her no harm.

"I'm Ndoto," he said as he sat, deciding to lower his position so she wouldn't feel as anxious. "It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss..." He trailed off, allowing her to supply her name.

"Inia," Ndoto repeated so he could remember it a bit easier. He hummed quietly, eyes closing for a moment to put a little melody with her name. Ah, it sounded beautiful with a little tune, as most things did. Singing was how he had learned quite a bit as a cub. His mother or father would teach him and his brother a lesson in hunting, or perhaps in simple manners, and he'd put it to a song to memorize while his brother tapped his paws on the ground to make a beat. It amused their parents to no end, and it helped them remember, so hey, why not?

"Oh, lots of practice and a dash of natural ability," the pale lion said as he opened his eyes once more. "Singing is my purpose in life, you see. I'm sure you have one as well, something that you're incredibly good at. Some things come naturally to some, and controlling my voice is mine." He gave her a little wink as he spoke, an easy smile on his face.

"You should have heard me growing up. I used to be able to hit some very high notes, but then I grew up a bit and my voice changed." He didn't have a deep voice by any means, and used his sweet, mid-tone voice to reach a nice range of notes. He could still get very high and very low, but those pitches that he could reach as a cub and a juvie were long gone.

"My adolescent years were a bit embarrassing. Growing in my mane, voice cracking...ugh. So," he said, perking up a bit. "What brings you out here? I haven't seen many lions outside of the little pack my brother and I are leading around."

Ndoto's grin fell slightly Inia sighed and told him how she had been separated from her sisters. A sandstorm? Perhaps she had come from the desert. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that," he said with a sincere nod. Being separated from his brother would be heart-wrenching, he knew. He'd probably spend his days roaming the lands trying to figure out where he was. Thankfully, they both had a common goal in mind, so he'd probably end up steering his feet towards the pride they were both seeking and hope that they reunited there.

The request pulled him out of his sad thoughts, and instantly the smile returned. "Teach you to sing? My dear, teaching one to sing is nearly impossible," he joked, nudging her paw with one of his. "Everyone can sing! Little baby birds can sing, mighty elephants...it's just a matter of finding what kind of voice you have. For instance, mine is very loud and bright. My brother is more of a beat maker, creating sounds rather than words with his voice. You can sing already, unless you're mute, and since we've been having this lovely chat I do think you've been graced with the gift of speech and song!"

He sat down and cleared his throat before prompting her to do the same. "All you have to do is figure out what makes you most happy. A nice memory of your sisters, perhaps, or the best wildebeest you've ever caught. Then just close your eyes....and siiiiing." The last part was sung, his voice a single, clear note that rang through the immediate area, sending a little flock of birds into twittering delight in the branches of a tree not far off.

Ndoto sat down again as Inia began to focus on singing. He kept his ears perked up to listen to the tone and pitch, nodding slightly as she took a breath to start. He could tell she was nervous and unsure, but he let her continue until she stopped out of embarrassment.

"No, no, no, don't stop. That was lovely! I've never heard that song before," he said, genuinely interested. He reached out with his paw to press it against her nose lightly. "But don't sing from here. Sing from here." As he corrected her, he pressed his paw against her chest. "Take a deep breath and be loud. Focus on pushing the air out from way down in your stomach. Don't be afraid to make a mistake, it's just me here to help you. If you're confident with your voice, you'll be better! And I'd like to hear the rest of that...I'd be honored if you could teach me how to sing it."

As Inia started to sing again, a bit louder this time, Ndoto closed his eyes and swayed slightly with the beat. Her voice was very pretty, and he found himself humming along. It was a gift of his to pick up on tunes and beats when first hearing a song. This one was obviously a lullaby of some kind, or one that was sung to soothe worried cubs, so the tune was very repetitive and simple, but he loved songs like that.

As she finished, he opened his eyes and let the small smile on his face grow a bit more. "That was beautiful, Inia! You don't need singing lessons at all. You just need a bit of confidence. You have a very sweet, soft voice. A little bit of practice and a heaping help of 'I can do it', and you'll be singin' the birds right out of the trees!"

Ndoto had to laugh softly as Inia smiled in return and looked away, a cheerful tone to the chuckle. He stood as she did and shook himself slightly, knowing that he had best get back to his tiny band of misfits before they got too worried. They were always so concerned when he was gone for more than an hour or so.

"Thank you, Inia, for letting me help you," he returned with a wink. "It was very nice meeting you as well. I wish you the best of luck in finding your family. And remember, you have the talent, just be confident with yourself. Singing can brighten the darkest day and raise the sourest of moods."

He gave another little bob of his head before turning to head back to the mini pride he was a part of for the time being, ready to go on their way to find their own family.

[Last one from me]