Kymashungi rumbled to himself as he fell in step with the other male at his side. The white and orange lion was one of the first he'd met that was larger than him, and the pair had become something akin to companions in the most recent days. The brown lion had been down in the dumps, unable to think straight when 'Bega - his name was Mlipuko'Bega, he'd told him - had stumbled across him over a literally shredded carcass of something not even recognizable anymore. They'd shared what was left of the kill and the chatty pale lion had convinced him to tell him his plight. Why was he so sore? What was eating him? Why did he seem so hell bent on going THIS way and not THAT way?
The answer of course had been a female. That'd made 'Bega laugh until he'd been unable to stand. Female troubles, he explained, were something he knew a lot about. Kyma usually did not like to share his issues, or really his thoughts or feelings at all. Bega on the other claw had no trouble with it at all. He'd gone on and on for some time about this cheetah he'd met. How he'd just wanted a fling and some fun but she'd become painfully clingy after, stalking him as he kept on his wandering ways, demanding that they were in love and meant to be and other such nonsense.
Kyma found himself thinking that Bega handled things somewhat distastefully - it was a shame the female'd had her heart so set and then found out she'd been basically a one off for fun. But Bega reassured him that he'd made very clear to her at first that he wasn't the settling down type, so she really only had herself to blame. And if that was the truth... and Kyma had no reason to assume it wasn't, what with no other side of the story to be presented to him to compare... then he couldn't blame his new...friend.
But anyway, Bega had shaken her off at last near a pride by the sea, and been living it up since then. Other females was his answer to what to do to make himself feel better. Travel, too. Go places, meet people, and have fun. Fill up the time you'd spend thinking back with new things and experiences and people. there were, he was reassured over and over, plenty of females. Ones that weren't apparently slaves, or twins to a slave, or anything else Kyma might have claimed to have seen. After all, it wasn't like they'd been mates. Just passer-bys in any case.
Bega had gone on and on about several prides he knew of where Kyma could 'fill his void'. This one seaside pride (NOT where he'd ditched the female!) that had parties and told fortunes, another pride of mainly females who would sometimes take males in to have some fun, but then spit them back out again. Lots of places with lots of ladies to distract his poor downtrodden friend.
Of course, that didn't sound terribly appealing to the brown lion...but he had no other plans. And listening to the tales of Bega's antics did keep his mind occupied... Maybe it would be worth giving this sort of free wheeling life a chance. Hmm. He'd certainly have to at least stick with the big pale male a while longer until he was suitably distracted.
And so now here they were, the pair of them, jogging side by side southward. Bega had insisted that the first place they go be the fortune telling sea pride he'd spoken about. The people in general there were mysterious, charming, and rather pretty. There were even lovelier ladies further south, he confided, with fur curled by sea salt...but they were less receptive to foreigners. They did from time to time mingle with the northern pride, so maybe they'd get lucky and spy one such beauty.
Kyma wasn't immediately keen on tie idea, but the more the big lion talked about it the more he thought it might be just what he needed. Another face to fill his mind, rather than he--no, no, he wouldn't think it. Curly-furred females by the sea... He increased his pace, earning a chuckle and a quip from Bega, who sped up to keep apace of his wing man.
Bega, for his part, wasn't too worried about having to share the ladies. He could always go it solo again, and besides...who'd pick the big silent grouch over the charming, witty hunk that was himself? He was really, really looking forward to this tour of the savannah - and with his luck, Kyma would turn out to be the type that didn't easily forget, so they'd have to go to lots, and LOTS of prides. This time though, of course, he'd make sure to not give his name, not forget to say he wasn't planning to stay, and to above all get out of dodge as fast as he could before any one got attached.
It'd been a long time since he'd been down this way. Oh he was REALLY going to enjoy this! He glanced sideways at his stoic companion. Well. They didn't look alike, but he had confided that his siblings had had white fur among other things. THIS time, if any, ugh, big round bellies turned up he could always blame it on his 'friend'. No orange though...well, you never knew. And one male was as good as any other to those irrational, clingy types. He bet he could outpace the guy anyways. Not to mention he knew the rogue lands like the back of his paw. There were several prides he'd been VERY sure not to ever visit, just in case he needed to hole up some place.
Kymashungi, of course, had no idea that he was something of a contingency plan for the other male. And really he'd not have minded. Finding himself stuck with cubs was one thing, but really he didn't plan to stick around either. Just keep moving until something caught his interest more than she had. Until he forgot. That wasn't going to be hard, if he let himself be led along on this crazy trip. And really that was the only reason he was happy to go along with a lion like Bega.
[Words: 1063]
